Most of you probably know that I’m a bit of a writing bender right now. I hadn’t expected to embark on a new project; I have two finished manuscripts to edit, workshop notes to write, and some courses to finish. And of course I’ve started on my second novel with my husband. This bender came […]
Pumpkin Soup Recipe and the Writing Disease
If you do not breathe through writing, if you do not cry out in writing, or sing in writing, then don’t write, because our culture has no use for it. ~ Anais Nin You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you. ~ Ray Bradbury There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit […]
Public Service Announcement
Ah-hem… Am I on camera? “Hello.” “This is a Public Service Announcement.” Authorised by me. Bert. Nicole’s Personal Assistant. “Nicole is writing. Not blog writing. Other writing. So we apologise for this interruption to the blogging process. Normal blogging will resume tomorrow.” “We thank you for your co-operation and understanding.” Sigh. Did I do that […]
Things to be thankful for…
“The secret of happiness is to count your blessings while others are adding up their troubles” This morning I’m counting my Blessings. Such a simple thing to do, and it always makes me feel richer. I like to count them off on my fingers – a tangible act, and a way of really anchoring their truth in […]
Your Life is YOURS to Live!
“To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.” ― Oscar Wilde Life is a precious gift, and one that can be all too brief. Before you came to this life, you had a deliberate intent to be here. You chose your parents. You packed your bag. You came forth […]
A little piece of Europe…
“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” – Henry Miller Australia is a long way from anywhere. You don’t just pop across the border to another country on a Sunday drive. You can’t be anywhere else in an hour or two’s plane flight. So when I feel like travelling, I […]
Writing Ourselves into Awareness
“Your visions will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.” ― C.G. Jung Sometimes we get so confused. We run this way and that way – searching for the thing, the answer, the lover, the teacher… We forget to trust ourselves. We forget to […]
Cheesy Grilled Mushrooms Recipe
I love this recipe. You can make it in five minutes flat, and it works as a breakfast, lunch or dinner solution! If you’re a vegan you can omit the cheese, or use a cheese substitute. It’s also a great gluten and carb free alternative to pizza, but tastes every bit as good. Ingredients: Flat […]
Are you too NICE?
Kindness is a loving balm, understanding is a mental tonic, compassion grows our hearts, love is food for the soul, but niceness? Far too often niceness is a poison administered to ourselves by our own hand. There is a trend (and I recognise it because I once was in that same place!) where people beginning […]
Patience and Right Timing
The two most powerful warriors are patience and time. ~ Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy If you read yesterday’s post, you’ll know that I am a big fan of trusting in two things: Universal Wisdom and Right Timing. You might wonder what that has to do with patience? Everything, my friends, everything! Why? Well, when we are […]
The Woman I Turned Away…
When I do psychic readings for people, I have a few procedures that I follow to ready myself for our session. Firstly I close my eyes, centre myself and offer up a prayer for the Highest Good, and then I allow myself to move into a channelling space. When I am firmly anchored in this […]
How much do you really need?
I was one of those people who put too much emphasis on work and career and material possessions, and it took its toll on all my relationships, on my physical health, my emotional and mental health. ~ Tony Shalhoub We don’t ever really need much to be comfortable in life. Yet if you look at […]
Don’t be a prisoner to memories…
One need not be a chamber to be haunted; One need not be a house; The brain has corridors surpassing Material place. ~Emily Dickinson, “Time and Eternity” Memory is notoriously unreliable. Ask any detective or psychologist. Ten people could witness an event and each will have a differing version. And that version will change over […]
Writing Yourself into a Brighter Future
The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. ~ Eleanor Roosevelt Did you know that thoughts have great power? When we have clear goals and ideas, and attach positive emotion to them, we magnetise these mental images and begin the process of creating them in our reality. (See this post […]
Healthy Breakfast Parfait Recipe
I love this raw food recipe as it can be assembled ahead of time, and makes a tasty breakfast, healthy dessert or a great ‘anytime’ snack. It is a simple combination of bircher muesli and fresh seasonal fruit, but the combination of flavours is a real winner! Kids love to make and eat this dish, […]
What makes you come alive?
Don’t ask yourself what the World needs Ask yourself what makes you come alive And then go and do that Because what the World needs Is people who have come alive. ~ Howard Thurman Last night I was talking to a friend about art. It comes easily to her, and she’s so good at it […]
Too Busy? Relax!
The time to relax is when you don’t have time for it. ~ Attributed to both Jim Goodwin and Sydney J. Harris We’re coming into a weekend, and I have a mile long list of things that still need to get done. So, I should be doing them. Right? Well, actually… No! I’m tired. It’s […]
Knowing is always better than not knowing…
Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before. ~ Edgar Allan Poe Occasionally I have been shown things, and I do not know why. Dark things. Terrible things. A single vivid fragment, or perhaps some sharp-edged pieces that cut my hands as I […]
Are you brave enough to follow The Call?
Have you ever had a crazy, crazy hunch, or an idea you just can’t get out of your head? Maybe in the middle of being a Dentist you start thinking of Art School. I mean REALLY thinking about Art School. You become a closet hoarder of Art School brochures, you haunt their on-line curriculum, and […]
Easy Lemon Curd ~ Lemon Butter Recipe
When life gives you lemons? Be grateful and get into the kitchen! It’s my favourite home-produce time of year – the Meyer Lemon tree in my back yard is groaning under the weight of ripening fruit. Be prepared for plenty of lemon-y recipes over the next few months. Most Australians call this recipe Lemon Butter, […]
Using your Internal Compass to Navigate Life
At any moment, you have a choice, that either leads you closer to your spirit or further away from it. ~ Thich Nhat Hahn Inside each of us in a compass. Although we can’t see it, it spins and turns in ways we can feel, if only we learn to tune in to it. The […]
Invisible Acts of Love and the Importance of Uplifting Others…
‘Tis the everyday things that really count, And the everyday people we know; And everyday kindnesses go very far, Toward making a heaven below. Life can be a difficult ride, and each of us at times will know pain, trouble, loneliness and struggle. That’s why it is so important for us to practice love and […]
The Green-Eyed Envy Monster
There is not a passion so strongly rooted in the human heart as envy. ~ Richard Brinsley Sheridan Envy gets a bad rap in our society, with fair cause. But today I want to talk about the positive aspects of envy. I believe that envy can be a great helper in your life, if you know […]
Bread and Butter Pudding Recipe
In a recent post My ‘One Lovely Blog’ Award, I confessed that one of the fascinating facts about me is that I can make a meal out of nothing. Well, almost nothing. That talent came in handy last night when friends dropped by unexpectedly, at dinner time. Of course I invited them to stay. It’s […]
Failure is a winning strategy!
Do not fear mistakes. You will know failure. Continue to reach out. ~ Benjamin Franklin I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying. ~ Michael Jordan As I ate breakfast at a local cafe the other day, a little boy pulled out one of his homework books to show his father. […]
Transit of Venus, Solar Flares, Polar Shifts, Eclipses and Sensitive People
So, you’re a sensitive soul? If you’re not sure, you can read more about ‘sensitive’ people here, to see if you identify with any of the common characteristics: Living as a Sensitive Soul One thing that sensitive souls will be noticing right now is how all of this astrological shift and change can affect us. […]
Please excuse me…
Some of you might have read recently about my use of affirmations (My embarrassing affirmation confession), so you’ll know that one of my favourites is ‘Something wonderful will happen to me today…’ So that was exactly what I was affirming to myself this morning, from the comfort of my nice warm bed, around 4 am, […]
Crystals, 2012 and the Transit of Venus
On June 6, we will be privileged to experience a rare astrological event – the Transit of Venus. The transits happen in pairs – and this is the final event in the current pairing, the last being in June 2004. We won’t see another transit in our lifetime as the next ones will occur in […]
When is it okay to break a promise?
I take giving my word very seriously. Promises made are never made lightly, and since childhood I have rarely needed to break one. But I’m going to break one now. This isn’t information I’d normally share, but I have given so much thought to this that I felt my musings might be helpful to someone […]
Slow-Cooked Spaghetti Bolognese Recipe
It’s been a cold, wet week at my farm. One of my favourite easy dinners in this sort of weather is home-cooked spaghetti bolognese. When we come in from the paddocks at the end of the day, all muddy and cold, there’s nothing better than a hot shower to warm back up, and then a […]