“It is the custom of every good mother after her children are asleep to rummage in their minds and put things straight for next morning, repacking into their proper places the many articles that have wandered during the day. If you could keep awake (but of course you can’t) you would see your own mother […]
The Lady Who Walked Out of My Past
“I sustain myself with the love of family.” ~ Maya Angelou One late afternoon in April this year, the dusky sunset was shimmery and luminous. A light rain fell, misting the cold air and making us hurry to light a fire and get inside where it was warm. That evening the moon rose brightly amid patchy […]
The Silver-Blue Light of Love
“Love seeketh not itself to please, Nor for itself hath any care, But for another gives its ease, And builds a Heaven in Hell’s despair.” ~ WILLIAM BLAKE If I’m going to tell you about the Owls and the Orchard Man, I’d better first tell you about the Silver-Blue Light. It was probably one of […]
Nurse Bert
“A nurse will always give us hope, an angel with a stethoscope.” ~Terri Guillemets Nurse Bert is very busy right now. As well as looking after me as I travel through extensive and arduous Lyme disease treatment, he is now caring for young Harry as well. Harry had surgery for his bottom jaw yesterday. […]
Alice’s Lifelong Invisible Friend
“And now here is my secret, a very simple secret; it is only with the heart that one can see rightly, what is essential is invisible to the eye.” ~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery The Little Prince Alice is the oldest person to have ever sought out my services as a psychic. She came to see me […]
Thoughts on Mother’s Day
“There are three musts that hold us back: I must do well. You must treat me well. And the world must be easy.”~ Albert Ellis It’s Mother’s Day in Australia today. It’s a day when so many families will get together with their Mothers, give heartfelt gifts of appreciation, share meals and practice love and […]
‘Mum’s sleeping!’ by Guest Bloggers Bert & Harry
“Sleep is the best meditation.” ~ Dalai Lama Mum’s sleeping. But she hates to miss posting her blog, so we are writing one for her. We’ve had enough of napping! There is a pesky lizard that keeps swimming in our water bowl. This is a picture of him. A naughty bird keeps stealing our biscuits. Here […]
Midnight Visits
“Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.” ~ Lao Tzu I’ve been herxing badly the past few days. Herxing is a strong physical reaction to the die-off of pathogens, which release toxins into the body. It’s a good thing – or so I tell myself. It […]
Problems…
I got problems. Mum’s in bed, and I was just trying to amuse myself. And it’s nearly breakfast. I was hungry. Also, my teeth hurt. So I tried to be good. I ate the zip off my mum’s travel bag. It felt good to nibble all the teeth off one side. It was so good […]
Parents are also People
“Mother is a verb. It’s something you do. Not just who you are.” ― Cheryl Lacey Donovan, The Ministry of Motherhood It’s a common theme right now – I see it over and over again on cheesy social media posts – how rewarding parenting is, how ‘special’ and ‘wise’ children are, how exceptional and precious the […]
Brave young Harry!
“If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went.” ~ Will Rogers Harry, our not quite six-month-old Blue Heeler puppy had the next of his surgeries yesterday to help accommodate his severe overbite. His newly emerged adult lower canines were shaved down to stop them impacting […]
Smoke Alarms and Lost Souls
My soul is full of whispered song; My blindness is my sight; The shadows that I feared so long Are all alive with light. ~Alice Cary, Dying Hymn *Names have been changed in the following story to protect the identity of those involved. A few weeks ago I went to bed early, and fell into […]
Getting My Hands on My Inheritance!
“Books are the treasured wealth of the world and the fit inheritance of generations and nations.” ~ Henry David Thoreau In a quiet corner of an organic cafe somewhere in Brisbane yesterday, history was made. My mother (that’s her hands in the top of the picture above – like me she’s quite camera shy!) finally lent me […]
Remembering to take care of YOU!
“Right in the difficult we must have our joys, our happiness, our dreams: there against the depth of this background, they stand out, there for the first time we see how beautiful they are.” ~ Rainer Maria Rilke Recently I received a message from a lovely lady, asking about balance: I thought of you […]
Meditation Messages of Love, Hope and Wonder
“Love is a force that connects us to every strand of the universe, an unconditional state that characterizes human nature, a form of knowledge that is always there for us if only we can open ourselves to it.” ~ Emily H. Sell I sat down to do a meditation yesterday afternoon using a crystal that’s […]
Home, after Rain
“There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort.”~ Jane Austen I’m home. I slept last night in my own bed. After so long in the city it was good beyond measure to be here at my little farm, surrounded by a thick blanket of peace and the sounds of night; cattle lowing, croaking frogs, […]
We Has The Depression
“Into each life some rain must fall.” ~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Bert: Rain, rain, rain. I’m sick of all this rain. It’s horrible being stuck inside a house in the city. Why can’t we go home to the farm? What if all my tennis balls float away? I can’t bear it. I has the Depression. Harry: […]
Will you still love me broken?
“The choice that you, as a Soul, have in relation to anything is always to be loving. Do you understand that this is the divine purpose that all of us as humans have been given – to love unconditionally? “~ John Morton We’ve always had rescue dogs; dogs that had nowhere else to go, dogs that […]
Ditch those Toxic Friends!
“How people treat you is their karma; how you react is yours.” ~ Wayne Dyer A woman I’ve known since school rang me in tears yesterday, totally confused about who she is, and what she is capable of. She’s depressed, lost and about to give up on a dream that once upon a time was […]
We All Have Days Like That…
“I don’t understand how a woman can leave the house without fixing herself up a little – if only out of politeness. And then, you never know, maybe that’s the day she has a date with destiny. And it’s best to be as pretty as possible for destiny.” ~ Coco Chanel Ah, it’s inevitable, isn’t […]
Happy Birthday, Mum!
It’s my mum’s birthday today. I can’t pop in and see her, take her flowers or make her a cake because she’s visiting with my brother down in Tasmania. (And yes, they are all safe from the fires, thank you!) So instead I thought I’d take a moment to say thank you to my mum […]
Cups of Tea and Connection – A Challenge!
“A friend is one of the nicest things you can have, and one of the best things you can be.” ~ Douglas Pagels Today I have a small challenge for you. It will only take five minutes, although you’re welcome to spend longer. My challenge goes like this: Take 5 minutes out of your […]
Christmas as a Meditation on Kindness
“People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway. If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway. If you find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway. The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do […]
Meet Harry- it’s puppy love!
“Happiness is a warm puppy.” ~ Charles M Schulz Meet the newest edition to our family – Harry! Harry is an Australian Blue Cattle Dog – a working dog in the finest of traditions. Although I suspect he’ll go the way of all dogs in this household; an ‘inside dog’ with couch privileges and a penchant […]
When We Know Something’s Wrong
“Intuition is a combination of historical (empirical) data, deep and heightened observation, and an ability to cut through the thickness of surface reality. Intuition is like a slow motion machine that captures data instantaneously and hits you like a ton of bricks. Intuition is a knowing, a sensing that is beyond the conscious understanding — […]
What to do when someone doesn’t like you
“You have people come into your life shockingly and surprisingly. You have losses that you never thought you’d experience. You have rejection and you have learn how to deal with that and how to get up the next day and go on with it.” ~ Taylor Swift I’ve had so many private messages about this […]
Just this moment…
“I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn’t arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I’m going to be happy in it.” ~ Groucho Marx It started with a twinge. Just a twinge. So insignificant I […]
Remembering Nana…
My beloved Nana passed away, quietly, gently, while I was far away from home. She took her last breath peacefully on the morning of November 16. 2012. Slipping gracefully from her body, she flew off on her fairy wings (everyone who knew Joycie knew she had fairy wings!) to join all of our loved ones […]
Closing the Door on Abusive Relationships
“You show others how to treat you.” ~ Dr Phil This week I have seen two of the people I love most in the world finally end abusive relationships. One walked away from a long-term love relationship. One walked away from their ‘dream job’. The woman who closed the door on an abusive relationship had […]
Loving my dinged up life-battered Self – Part 1
We must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us. ~ Joseph Campbell Don’t you love how Life gives you those aha moments? I’m in the middle of one right now. It’s going to be that kind of week, I think. For […]
Saying Goodbye to Charlie
“Dogs have given us their absolute all. We are the center of their universe, we are the focus of their love and faith and trust. They serve us in return for scraps. It is without a doubt the best deal man has ever made.” -Roger Caras It’s been too hard for me to write this […]
Koalas in My Backyard! or What is Biodiversity?
We must be the change we wish to see in the world ~ Mahatma Gandhi One of the hats I wear in this lifetime is ‘Organic Farmer’. My husband and I have a strong commitment to food production that nurtures and values the land, and that uses no chemicals or harmful practices. We […]
Nana’s Pikelet Recipe and a Few Good Yarns
Find yourself a cup of tea; the teapot is behind you. Now tell me about hundreds of things. ~Saki Pikelets are a bit of an institution round here, especially for morning or afternoon tea. For those of you not in the know, pikelets are like fluffy little pancakes – very tasty with a cup of […]
A Day without Context has No Meaning
“There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle, or the mirror that reflects it.” ~ Edith Wharton Yesterday was my birthday. Last night a girlfriend called to see how my day had gone. “Did you spoil yourself?” she asked. “Did you get massages, and go somewhere fabulous to eat, and get heaps of […]
Grounding Myself in Life Again…
“Go to foreign countries and you will get to know the good things one possesses at home.” ~ Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe I’ve spent the past five days running a meditation retreat. It was a fabulous course, and I was totally absorbed in a world of ritual, magic and spiritual connection. But today I […]
The Power of Hugs
Yesterday was a wonderful day and a difficult day in equal measure. I am mid-way through running my Temple of Light retreat, I had a big day of work ahead of me, it was Fathers Day here in Australia, and it was also my beautiful Nana’s birthday. Lots going on. And not just for me. […]
Blue Moon Healing Ceremony
2012 is a powerful time for clearing, healing and accelerated growth. It also provides a unique opportunity to clear and heal our ancestral lines, allowing future generations to be free of accumulated of inherited limitations. (This works even if you have no children of your own.) One way we can work with this energy is […]
Will you do something for me today?
Will you do something for me today? Hug the ones you love. Tell them you love them. If they aren’t close enough to hug, pick up the phone and let them know you care. Take a minute, stop, and just appreciate this gift of life. Smell the roses. That’s why they’re there. Look after yourself. […]
Down at the Farm…
A Garden of Love grows in a Grandmother’s Heart ~ Author unknown I’m feeling circumspect today. My beloved Nana is in hospital after falling and breaking her hip. She’s 97, nearly 98, and it’s been hard to be brought up close to the truth of her age, her mortality, and that her time with us […]
How to deal with Toxic People
“Toxic relationships not only make us unhappy; they corrupt our attitudes and dispositions in ways that undermine healthier relationships and prevent us from realizing how much better things can be.” — Michael Josephson What is a toxic relationship? It’s one that diminishes you, that erodes you, that defeats you. We all experience conflicts, disagreements and […]
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 […]
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 […]
Doing Nothing is Productive!
Are you one of those people who needs to be productive? I certainly am. Not from any external pressure – I just LIKE getting stuff done, and I always have several projects on the go, a big fat to-do list, as well as a schedule that stretches out towards the horizon. Life, and its possibilities, […]
Bert says sorry…
Hello, I’m Bert, Nicole’s trusty secretary… And I’d like to say sorry. You see Nicole wouldn’t play with me this morning. I tried my best to look fetching, but she kept ignoring me. I even tried emotional manipulation… But she was still ignoring me! When she went to do her yoga stretches that was […]