“Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.” ~ Eckhart Tolle “Dare to dream again. For dreaming is the language of your soul, And nothing your soul truly desires could ever be wrong or impossible.” ~ Jacob Nordby Hello, Lovelies <3 It’s June already. We’re nearly at […]
You’re Stronger Than You Think
“That which does not kill us makes us stronger.” ~ Friedrich Nietzsche “Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.” ~ Lao Tzu I remember once, ten or so years ago, sitting in the carpark of a hospital. At the time my husband was working overseas, run ragged by the […]
Everything Will Wait, Except The Things That Can’t
“There is nothing I would not do for those who are really my friends. I have no notion of loving people by halves, it is not my nature.” ~ Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey Illness has taught me many things. One of them is that most things can wait. Strangely, it has also shown me that […]
Where’s Your Focus?
“Very occasionally, if you pay really close attention, life doesn’t suck.” ~ Joss Whedon On Friday I posted about a beautiful ordinary day, and how much I had enjoyed such simple things as a trip to the farmers’ markets, clean sheets on the line, sunshine and crisp ripe apples. After that post I received two emails, extracts of […]
It Had To Happen…
“The sin which is unpardonable is knowingly and wilfully to reject truth, to fear knowledge lest that knowledge pander not to thy prejudices.” ― Aleister Crowley, Magick: Liber ABA: Book 4 Just read back over this before I posted and thought I might insert this small disclaimer: Oops, cranky alert… Also, minor potty mouth. I’m […]
Celebrating Yourself On Mother’s Day
“People of our time are losing the power of celebration. Instead of celebrating we seek to be amused or entertained. Celebration is an active state, an act of expressing reverence or appreciation. To be entertained is a passive state–it is to receive pleasure afforded by an amusing act or a spectacle…. Celebration is a confrontation, […]
Those Misleading Rainbow Flags
“We can either emphasize those aspects of our traditions, religious or secular, that speak of hatred, exclusion, and suspicion or work with those that stress the interdependence and equality of all human beings. The choice is yours.” ~ Karen Armstrong, Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life “When I was 13 years old, my beautiful mother […]
Saturday Night Lights
“There is no night life in Spain. They stay up late but they get up late. That is not night life. That is delaying the day. Night life is when you get up with a hangover in the morning. Night life is when everybody says what the hell and you do not remember who paid […]
Helping Milly Dog
“Petting, scratching, and cuddling a dog could be as soothing to the mind and heart as deep meditation and almost as good for the soul as prayer.” ~ Dean Koontz When I do my psychic consultations I always encourage people to bring photos if they want to ask about loved ones, and every so […]
How to do a Ten Minute Mini-Retreat
“But this revolutionary act of treating ourselves tenderly can begin to undo the aversive messages of a lifetime.” ~Tara Brach, Radical Acceptance: Embracing Your Life With the Heart of a Buddha I have a girlfriend who is about to wing halfway around the world to gift herself a two-month retreat at a health and […]
Balancing Act
“Your hand opens and closes, opens and closes. If it were always a fist or always stretched open, you would be paralysed. Your deepest presence is in every small contracting and expanding, the two as beautifully balanced and coordinated as birds’ wings.” ~ Rumi, The Essential Rumi Occasionally things happen which give my world a good […]
The Power of Sharing Our Shames
“Shame is a soul eating emotion.” ~ C.G. Jung “If we can share our story with someone who responds with empathy and understanding, shame can’t survive.” ~ Brené Brown We did something very powerful yesterday, here at our retreat. Earlier in the day we’d been doing some journalling, looking at our triggers and the things […]
A Refreshing Pause
“Rainy days should be spent at home with a cup of tea and a good book.” ~ Bill Watterson, The Calvin and Hobbes Tenth Anniversary Book “…I don’t just wish you rain, Beloved – I wish you the beauty of storms…” ~ John Geddes, A Familiar Rain I’m so glad that we went and […]
What’s up with this crazy End-of-2014 energy?
“If you lack the humility to go back and tie up the loose ends in your past, then be prepared to forever be haunted by her ghosts, all of whom will come into your present and your future – staining everything and everyone with their leftover emotional and mental garbage.” ~ C. JoyBell C. […]
Helping The Great Mother
“Those who contemplate the beauty of the Earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts.” ~ Rachel Carson “In a moment the ashes are made, but a forest is a long time growing.” ~ Seneca One of the most vivid dreams in my night of owl dreaming was one in which […]
Breaking Inherited and Created Patterns of Low Self-Worth
“As long as you look for someone else to validate who you are by seeking their approval, you are setting yourself up for disaster. You have to be whole and complete in yourself. No one can give you that. You have to know who you are – what others say is irrelevant.” ~ Nic Sheff […]
Your Strength as a Wounded Healer
“The wound is the place where the Light enters you.” ~ Rumi Have you ever wondered why stuff happens to you? Why you’ve had to suffer, and endure the things you’ve gone through? I have no good answers for the WHY, but I do have some advice based on having suffered and endured on […]
When I Loved Myself Enough…
“You can be the most beautiful person in the world and everybody sees light and rainbows when they look at you, but if you yourself don’t know it, all of that doesn’t even matter. Every second that you spend on doubting your worth, every moment that you use to criticize yourself; is a second of […]
How Do You Measure Your Progress?
“Measurement is the first step that leads to control and eventually to improvement. If you can’t measure something, you can’t understand it. If you can’t understand it, you can’t control it. If you can’t control it, you can’t improve it.” ~ H. James Harrington Progress is a funny thing. When we’re really tied to […]
Today’s Post Is Short For A Very Good Reason
“We have to allow ourselves to be loved by the people who really love us, the people who really matter. Too much of the time, we are blinded by our own pursuits of people to love us, people that don’t even matter, while all that time we waste and the people who do love us […]
The Magic Of Momentum – How a garden can help you understand money, business and life
“Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.” ~ Albert Einstein There is no better way to explain that magical force of momentum than through the wonders of a spring garden. Whatever you want to understand, a garden is a fabulous teacher. In winter we installed two new garden beds. I would […]
The Parable of The Sacred Plumber
“Anybody who has any doubt about the ingenuity or the resourcefulness of a plumber never got a bill from one.” ~ George Meany “If I had my life to live over again, I’d be a plumber.” ~ Albert Einstein Once upon a time there was a small village, much like every other village everywhere. All of […]
A Moment of Perfect Peace
“Spirituality is not to be learned by flight from the world, or by running away from things, or by turning solitary and going apart from the world. Rather, we must learn an inner solitude wherever or with whomsoever we may be. We must learn to penetrate things and find God there.” ― Meister Eckhart Very […]
Rewarding Yourself Is A Good Thing
“The reward of a work is to have produced it; the reward of effort is to have grown by it.” ~ Antonin Sertillanges, The Intellectual Life: Its Spirit, Conditions, Methods “To celebrate the production of the work and the personal growth created by the effort is a wonderful thing. Stopping to mark a personal achievement can […]
Becoming Who You Always Were
“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson Right now, here on retreat, my goal isn’t just to teach my participants new things. Instead, my goal is to help them uncover and live more fully as they already are. […]
Kindness Challenge – Week Six
“Are we being good ancestors?” ~Jonas Salk Hello Lovelies! Welcome to the sixth and final of our Kindness Challenge. To participate in today’s challenge all you need to do is select and perform one of the following kindness activities. This week’s challenge is all about leaving a legacy that can benefit others in some way. I encourage you […]
My Whole Life I Was Wrong
“If I am right, Thy grace impart Still in the right to stay; If I am wrong, O, teach my heart To find that better way!” ~ Alexander Pope, Moral Essays My whole life I was wrong. I laboured under the illusion that I needed to be perfect. More beautiful. Thinner. My relationships harmonious. My […]
Kindness Challenge – Week Five
“The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness.” ~ John Muir It’s fitting, in a way, that I couldn’t bring you last week’s kindness challenge due to in part to the extreme weather events we were experiencing in our part of the world. But here we are. On with the challenge! […]
Are You Giving Yourself Space To Heal?
“Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer’s day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.” ~John Lubbock, The Use Of Life I’m on a fairly savage regime of drugs and […]
Requiem For A Lost Poet – #Lyme
“I don’t need a cloak to become invisible.” ~J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone I found out earlier this week that a fellow Lyme sufferer in the USA took her own life. I never met Heather, but I know her journey. All late-stage Lymies know, and understand, because so easily, that could […]
Will you join me for a Kindness Challenge?
“Indifference and neglect often do much more damage than outright dislike.” ~J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix “The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the greatest intention.” ~Khalil Gibran, The Essential Kahlil Gibran I have always believed that kindness is a powerful act of magic. Would you like to […]
The Perils of 2AM Thinking
“Worrying is carrying tomorrow’s load with today’s strength – carrying two days at once. It is moving into tomorrow ahead of time. Worrying doesn’t empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.” ~ Corrie ten Boom Have you ever stayed up all night stewing about something? Or woken up in the middle […]
Me and That Owl
“Turn your wounds into wisdom.” ~ Oprah Winfrey “The unexamined life is not worth living.” ~ Socrates Last Monday, in my Doctor’s rooms, I received the best kind of news. Although I am still unwell, I have definitely turned the corner in my struggle against Lyme disease. I am no longer dying. I am healing. My life is once again unfurling […]
A Simple Exercise for becoming More Authentic
“We have to dare to be ourselves, however frightening or strange that self may prove to be.” ~ May Sarton Ask yourself a question, just one question – and sit in your heartspace to listen for the answer. How can I be more authentic this week? To put this another way… What small steps can you […]
Sometimes You Have to Be The Warrior
“Whatever you are physically…male or female, strong or weak, ill or healthy–all those things matter less than what your heart contains. If you have the soul of a warrior, you are a warrior. All those other things, they are the glass that contains the lamp, but you are the light inside.” ~ Cassandra Clare, Clockwork Angel 2014 is a BIG […]
Steps Towards Loving and Accepting Yourself
“Your problem is you’re … too busy holding onto your unworthiness.” ~ Ram Dass “Your task is not to seek for Love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.” ~ Rumi Most of us believe that to be truly loved by another, their love […]
Why We Need YOUR Voice
“The one thing that you have that nobody else has is you. Your voice, your mind, your story, your vision. So write and draw and build and play and dance and live as only you can.” ~ Neil Gaiman Thanks to you, and to some wise and loving friends, I’ve been pushed to a major […]
A Very Sad Tale…
“Oh, pity the poor glutton Whose troubles all begin In struggling on and on to turn What’s out into what’s in.” ~ Walter de la Mare Harry and Bert invented a new game yesterday afternoon. It’s called ‘chase-the-guava’. There is so much fallen fruit beneath our heavily-bearing guava tree. Even when I pick a full […]
Sleepy Sunday Morning Triumph
“If you feel lost, disappointed, hesitant, or weak, return to yourself, to who you are, here and now and when you get there, you will discover yourself, like a lotus flower in full bloom, even in a muddy pond, beautiful and strong.” ~ Masaru Emoto, The Secret Life of Water This beautiful water-lily grows in a cattle […]
Morning Rewards
“As long as there was coffee in the world, how bad could things be?” ~ Cassandra Clare, City of Ashes It’s still early. But already I’ve meditated. I’ve taken my morning ‘before food’ drugs. I’ve fasted and I’ve given vial upon vial of my blood to be tested for positive signs of health progress. It’s time for […]
So Many Questions
“An infinite question is often destroyed by finite answers. To define everything is to annihilate much that gives us laughter and joy.” ~ Madeleine L’Engle I’ve been inundated with two main types of questions since my post yesterday about being woken by a voice with a message for me. These are YOUR questions, filling up my […]
Lucky Dip #2
“One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain.” ~ Bob Marley It’s one of those ‘not coping very well’ kind of days. I’ve been enduring nights of no sleep, constant pain, fevers, sweats and anxiety. But that’s okay. It’s all for a good cause. And I’m prepared for days like […]
Sometimes You Need to Be The Lighthouse
“There are times when the ocean is not the ocean – not blue, not even water, but some violent explosion of energy and danger: ferocity on a scale only gods can summon. It hurls itself at the island, sending spray right over the top of the lighthouse, biting pieces off the cliff. And the sound […]
View From My Windows
“Set wide the window. Let me drink the day.” ~ Edith Wharton, Artemis to Actaeon and Other Verses My windows are both real and figurative. The picture above is the view from my bedroom window. This view changes hour by hour, and affords me much pleasure. In the early mornings the sky is grey, before becoming […]
My ‘Sunday Markets’ Outing
“All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost. From the ashes a fire shall be woken, A light from the shadows shall spring; Renewed shall be blade that was broken, The crownless again […]
Wrong Numbers and New Friends
“Sometimes wrong numbers are the right numbers.” ~ Cecelia Ahern, The Time of My Life Late yesterday afternoon I tried to call my sister. My new drugs are kicking in and so my eyes were all twitchy and I was having problems seeing. Somehow I put in one wrong digit. “Hello?” An older woman’s voice, surprised, answered […]
The many faces of Love
“Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.” ~ Laozi I saw this picture posted in my facebook feed yesterday (see below) about the joy of passionate, crazy, engulfing wonderful love. Yes, I thought to myself. Yes. That kind of love is wonderful… But what about the other […]
A Comforting Realization of Life’s Truth
“There’s a flame of magic inside every stone & every flower, every bird that sings & every frog that croaks. There’s magic in the trees & the hills & the river & the rocks, in the sea & the stars & the wind, a deep, wild magic that’s as old as the world itself. It’s […]
What Australia Day means to me
“I am compelled into this country.” ~ Patrick White, Voss “If you would know this country, you must know its stories.” ~ Billy Marshall Stoneking Australia Day for me has always been a celebration of what makes me feel Australian. It’s a combination of landscape, energy, history and connection with those souls who have walked this land before […]
Why it’s important to be a Lightworker
“Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.” ~ Buddha A Lightworker, most simply stated, is someone who intentionally brings Light and positive energy into the world. You don’t need to feel aligned with the metaphysical and psychic […]
Two powerful insights on Change and Healing
“Water does not resist. Water flows. When you plunge your hand into it, all you feel is a caress. Water is not a solid wall, it will not stop you. But water always goes where it wants to go, and nothing in the end can stand against it. Water is patient. Dripping water wears away […]
Who’s your Support Crew in 2014?
“Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends Mm, I get high with a little help from my friends Mm, gonna try with a little help from my friends” ~ John Lennon and Paul McCartney Few of us get there on our own. The journey is always made easier when we have […]
2013 – My Blog in Review
“And it occurred to me that there is no such thing as blogging. There is no such thing as a blogger. Blogging is just writing — writing using a particularly efficient type of publishing technology.” ~ Simon Dumenco It’s hard to believe that two years ago I started my blog with a humble post […]
What’s your Power Word for 2014?
“The beginning of wisdom is the definition of terms.” ~ Socrates I long ago gave away the practice of multiple New Years Resolutions. Just the thought of it overwhelms me. You know; all the things you are going to do, all the things you are no longer going to do – and then dividing those […]
2014 – Guidance for the Year Ahead
“Was it you or I who stumbled first? It does not matter. The one of us who finds the strength to get up first, must help the other.” ~ Vera Nazarian, The Perpetual Calendar of Inspiration Happy New Year and welcome to the energies of 2014! It’s a glorious new year, birthed with the energy of […]
Things that make my heart glad!
“Our brightest blazes of gladness are commonly kindled by unexpected sparks.” ~ Samuel Johnson, The Idler; Poems The New Year is almost here! As part of my sacred promise to live a heart-centred year in 2014, I am aiming to make sure I fill my days with more of the simple things that make my heart […]
Living my Sacred Promise
“You protect your being when you love yourself better. That’s the secret.” ~ Isabelle Adjani It’s the final day of Retreat, and I’m profoundly grateful that my body has held up for the duration. Just at dinner last night my Lymey eye began to pulse and pain, and I ended up running our after-dinner channelling session […]
Wishful Thinking versus Deliberate Action
“If you look for truth, you may find comfort in the end; if you look for comfort you will not get either comfort or truth only soft soap and wishful thinking to begin, and in the end, despair.” ~ C. S. Lewis “I’m a greater believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the […]
How to Have a Heart-Centred Year
“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection” ~ Gautama Buddha “I care for myself. The more solitary, the more friendless, the more unsustained I am, the more I will respect myself.” ~ Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre I’m betting you’ve never had a year where you made yourself – your wants […]
To BE a Seeker is a glorious thing
“There are times to stay put, and what you want will come to you, and there are times to go out into the world and find such a thing for yourself.” ~ Lemony Snicket, Horseradish: Bitter Truths You Can’t Avoid We’re under the influence of a Seeker’s Moon right now. For those of us who hear […]
We’re On Retreat!
“In order to understand the world, one has to turn away from it on occasion.” [The Minotaur] ~ Albert Camus, The Myth of Sisyphus and Other Essays In just a few hours we will pack the truck and head off for the week, to my Spiritual Retreat in the foothills of Byron Bay. For those of […]
A Starting Point For Change
“She had discovered early that what we want out of life can change; that the important thing is to learn to recognize or even simply just to admit what we really want, and then to have the courage to reach for it.” ~ Candice Proctor, Whispers of Heaven “The question is: how bad do things have to […]
5 Random Things That Make Me Happy
“If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.” ~ J.R.R. Tolkien 1. Little details of loveliness that show people care. Fresh flowers on a cafe table… 2. Singing along to my favourite songs in the car! 3. Being lost in a book… 4. Seeing […]
Three Key Strategies for Dealing with Life’s Hardships
“And once the storm is over, you won’t remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won’t even be sure, whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what this storm’s […]
What Are You Waiting For?
“TIME: Today Is My Everything” ~ Richie Norton Sometimes it’s good to rest, to step back and take time out, to think on things for a while… But eventually, you’re going to need to take action. Not much gets done on its own. What one thing can you do this week that will make things […]
Life -Disconnected!
“We are creating and encouraging a culture of distraction where we are increasingly disconnected from the people and events around us, and increasingly unable to engage in long-form thinking. People now feel anxious when their brains are unstimulated.” ~ Joe Kraus There was a huge storm here at the farm on Saturday afternoon. The Black Cockatoos […]
Storms and Black Cockatoos
“Nothing ever goes to plan, Nicole. You should know that by now!” Ben Phillips (husband) It’s a gorgeous sunny morning here at the farm, but oh, what a storm we had last night. Thunder, lightning, hail, ferocious winds and then we lost power, right at sunset. So my day of enforced rest rolled on into […]
Why are you following this path?
“You’ve got this life and while you’ve got it, you’d better kiss like you only have one moment, try to hold someone’s hand like you will never get another chance to, look into people’s eyes like they’re the last you’ll ever see, watch someone sleeping like there’s no time left, jump if you feel like […]
How to work out what your heart wants…
“…everyone wants to be excited by something magical and wondrous – to be reminded of how they once saw the world …” ~ John Geddes You don’t need to figure everything out on your own. There are always signposts, gentle nudges in the right direction, a trail of breadcrumbs, a giant flashing neon sign. Problem is, […]
The Art of Surrender
“Always say “yes” to the present moment. What could be more futile, more insane, than to create inner resistance to what already is? what could be more insane than to oppose life itself, which is now and always now? Surrender to what is. Say ‘yes’ to life and see how life suddenly starts working for […]
Understanding Soul Groups
“Love is the voice under all silences, the hope which has no opposite in fear; the strength so strong mere force is feebleness: the truth more first than sun, more last than star…” ~ E.E. Cummings I have not seen the Orchard Man for months, but I was not surprised when he walked out of the […]
The Owl and the Eagle
“Baby eagles can never soar under their family’s wing.” ~ Liu Yang I woke yesterday morning to find a Powerful Owl sitting on the clothesline in the last shreds of darkness, feasting on something caught between its powerful talons. The owl paid me scant regard and finished his supper before flying up into the branches […]
Sometimes the Knight doesn’t wear Shining Armour
“He dug his heels into his horse’s flanks and sped down the path. He heard the others call out behind him, but he ignored them. He was sure Karl and Johan and the others would have searched the rosebush and that entire area carefully enough; there was nothing to learn there. But he wanted to […]
The Freedom of Four Wheels
“Not all those who wander are lost.” ~ J.R.R. Tolkien Something fabulous happened late last week. I drove a car. All on my own. Yeah, you might be thinking. No biggie. But actually, for me, it was. I haven’t really driven a car since November 2012 when my health took a turn for the worse. Problems […]
Listening to the Wind
“Faeries, come take me out of this dull world, For I would ride with you upon the wind, Run on the top of the dishevelled tide, And dance upon the mountains like a flame.” ~ W.B. Yeats, The Land of Heart’s Desire Midnight at the farm. After an unseasonally hot Spring day and a very warm […]
5 Ways to Be Kind to Yourself Today
“To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.” ~ Oscar Wilde I’m working today, conducting some psychic appointments. There’s such a joy for me in that – both the joy of spiritual connection, and the joy of being of service. And I’m also choosing to be extra kind to […]
Taking a Dose of my Own Medicine
“Always laugh when you can. It is cheap medicine.” ~ Lord Byron It’s ironic that the day after posting about my progress yesterday I found myself back in herxing land. Herxing is a side effect of the lyme bacteria inside me dying off and releasing their toxins as a parting gift. I haven’t felt this dreadful […]
Progress! All the little things that add up…
“Progress, however, of the best kind, is comparatively slow. Great results cannot be achieved at once; and we must be satisfied to advance in life as we walk, step by step.” ~ Samuel Smiles Are you one of those impatient types? You know what I’m talking about. You start the diet Monday and expect to […]
In Search of Greener Pastures…
“I think we are bound to, and by, nature. We may want to deny this connection and try to believe we control the external world, but every time there’s a snowstorm or drought, we know our fate is tied to the world around us.”~ Alice Hoffman There’s not a lick of moisture in the air out […]
When you don’t know what you want…
“Even though there are no ways of knowing for sure, there are ways of knowing for pretty sure.” ~ Lemony Snicket Yesterday’s post was all about using your imagination to create a day designed around one thing – giving yourself emotional satisfaction and pleasure. I was thrilled with your responses – it’s such a fun game […]
How to Get Through the Hard Stuff
“Promise me you’ll always remember: You’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” ~ Christopher Robin to Pooh (by A. A. Milne) Life. It’s just hard sometimes. I know, I know. There’s a library full of books out there on the magic of positive thinking, positive attitudes, thinking beautiful […]
There’s a Change in the Air…
“Change will not come if we wait for some other person, or if we wait for some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” ~ Barack Obama Can you feel it? There’s great shift coming. Great change. There’s nothing you need to do, if you choose […]
Writing Advice that works for Life too!
“Don’t throw it all away, our love, our love. Don’t throw it all away, our love.” ~ The Bee Gees The wonderful thing about good advice is that it’s usually applicable to more than one thing. Yesterday I was reading a great post called 23 Tips from Famous Writers for New and Aspiring Authors. […]
Do Not Be Friends With Mean People!
“It is only the great hearted who can be true friends. The mean and cowardly can never know what true friendship means.”~ Charles Kingsley I spent some time with a little girl yesterday who is having a hard time with other girls being mean and bullying her at school. Madeline (I changed her name here, […]
Reminding yourself why…
“Difficult things take a long time, impossible things a little longer.” ~ Author Unknown Sometimes the thing we need to do isn’t pleasant, isn’t fun, isn’t anything we really want to do. Or it might have started out easy, and fun, and then suddenly we reach the hard bit! Now, to get to where we […]
The wisdom of planting trees
“Trees are the best monuments that a man can erect to his own memory. They speak his praises without flattery, and they are blessings to children yet unborn.” ~ Lord Orrery, 1749 Our humble little farmhouse was built firstly as a two room cottage in 1860 by the original timber-cutter in our area. The […]
Chronically ill and Happy!
“The individual who says it is not possible should move out of the way of those doing it.” ~ Tricia Cunningham I’m not happy because I have a chronic illness – I’m happy because I still love my life! It’s possible, and in fact I think it’s necessary, to find happiness when life has dealt […]
Why do you keep running from the thing you want?
“If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.” ~ Henry David Thoreau It’s a simple enough question. And today I’m asking you. Why? Why do you keep running in the […]
Self Care isn’t Selfish
“Nourishing yourself in a way that helps you blossom in the direction you want to go is attainable, and you are worth the effort.” ~ Deborah Day A friend of mine has finally taken time out from her crazy over-giving-to-everyone-else-but-herself life to focus on her health. She’s run herself ragged, and her poor body […]
Someone to watch over me…
“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 […]
What happened to the Sisterhood?
“Nobody objects to a woman being a good writer or sculptor or geneticist if at the same time she manages to be a good wife, a good mother, good-looking, good-tempered, well-dressed, well-groomed, and unaggressive.” ~ Marya Mannes I briefly thought about titling this post ‘Sisters, don’t be Bitches!’… It is somewhat surprising to 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 […]
What May Come
“Fate is never fair. You are caught in a current much stronger than you are; struggle against it and you’ll drown not just yourself but those who try to save you. Swim with it, and you’ll survive.” ~ Cassandra Clare, City of Ashes This morning I have gained perspective. It’s not much, but it’s […]
On illness and being unreliable…
“I’m a very loyal and unreliable friend.” ~ Bono One of the issues you need to deal with when you or a family member lives with chronic illness is your unreliability factor. When I speak of chronic illness, I am talking about any condition that lasts for more than a few weeks, that doesn’t conform […]
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 […]
The Gifts of Silence
“We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature – trees, flowers, grass – grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence… We need silence to be able to touch souls.” ~ Mother Teresa Silence gifts […]
Finding moments for yourself
“You can search throughout the entire universe for someone who is more deserving of your love and affection than you are yourself, and that person is not to be found anywhere. You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe deserve your love and affection.” ~ Buddha Life can be hectic. Sometimes we just have […]
Do what you have to do
Sometimes what we need to do doesn’t feel good. Or it feels unfamiliar, all wrong, and way out of our comfort zone. It can often involve not just effort, but sacrifice. While everyone else is taking things easy, while everyone else is having fun, you have work to be done. To learn, to grow, to […]
Are you setting yourself up for failure this week?
“Isn’t it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?” ~ L.M. Montgomery I’m all for change. That’s part of our power – the ability to move in a new direction, to make ourselves over, to become something new or different to where and how we were. But how […]
It’s okay to feel Sad sometimes!
“Even a happy life cannot be without a measure of darkness, and the word happy would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness. It is far better to take things as they come along with patience and equanimity.” ~ Carl Jung Yesterday someone well known in American ‘New Age’ circles told me something […]