Life at sea was fantastic, but it’s not so bad being back at the Treehouse…
Travel Update
Up, up and away. Almost…
The Benefits Of Our Little Road Trip
I have never believed that vacations are luxuries. They are our necessities–just like shelter, clothes, and food. They make us feel like humans and not like animals that care only for survival. ~ Alexander Babinets Hey, Lovelies! As most of you probably know, Ben and I headed off for a short road trip adventure […]
Here we go!!!
We’re off on an adventure!
The Little Road Trip
It might be short and sweet, but this little adventure feels HUGE!
Thank you, Christmas Light Detanglers!
The outdoor Christmas lights, green and red and gold and blue and twinkling, remind me that most people are that way all year round – kind, generous, friendly and with an occasional moment of ecstasy. But Christmas is the only time they dare reveal themselves. – Harland Miller Hey, Lovelies. Last night Ben took […]
That Moment Where I Suddenly Understood That Moving Means Packing ALL THE THINGS
I give you this to take with you: Nothing remains as it was. If you know this, you can begin again, with pure joy in the uprooting. Judith Minty Hey, Lovelies. Got any great moving house, downsizing or packing tips for me? It’s been a LONG TIME since I moved house. And not only are […]
That Elusive Starry Sky
The sky grew darker, painted blue on blue, one stroke at a time, into deeper and deeper shades of night. Haruki Murakami Hey, Lovelies. I had a restless night last night, and found myself drinking ginger tea at 3am, waiting to either be sleepy enough to go back to bed, or alert enough to start […]
I’m Going On A Pilgrimage
The purpose of a pilgrimage is about setting aside a long period of time in which the only focus is to be the matters of the soul. Many believe a pilgrimage is about going away but it isn’t; it is about coming home. Those who choose to go on pilgrimage have already ventured away from […]
On Finding Yourself Stranded Far From Home
No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path. Gautama Buddha Hello, Lovelies. Yesterday one of my community reached out to me, to ask for ‘Any help you can give the souls that have been stranded in alien places due to corona virus… I know […]
My Upcoming Long Weekend cos ROAD TRIP
Who doesn’t love a road trip? Says just about everyone! Hey, Lovelies! Just a short post to let you know that I’ll be away from my desk, and AWAY FROM MY COMPUTER from today, Friday 4 September to Tuesday 8 September. It’s my birthday on Sunday, and I haven’t had a break, not even a […]
The Best Place To Go This Easter
“I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.” Albert Einstein Hey, Lovelies.I have an excellent suggestion for where to go this Easter break. Home! The best place for you to be is home. But it doesn’t have to […]
Hugs, Cuddles & Cups Of Tea
“For the two of us, home isn’t a place. It is a person. And we are finally home.” Stephanie Perkins As you are reading this my plane is landing. As you are reading this I am pulling myself out of my seat and gathering my bags and trying to walk SLOWLY through immigration and customs, […]
Almost Home
“Home wasn’t a set house, or a single town on a map. It was wherever the people who loved you were, whenever you were together. Not a place, but a moment, and then another, building on each other like bricks to create a solid shelter that you take with you for your entire life, wherever […]
When Spirit Guides You…
“Let yourself be silently drawn by the strange pull of what you really love. It will not lead you astray.” Rumi Hello, Lovelies. I’ve been in Sedona for the past week. It was never part of my original plan for coming to America. I was going to Scottsdale to a conference, and then to New […]
The Road To Sedona
“Take wrong turns. Talk to strangers. Open unmarked doors. And if you see a group of people in a field, go find out what they are doing. Do things without always knowing how they’ll turn out. You’re curious and smart and bored, and all you see is the choice between working hard and slacking off. […]
The Quest For Nourishment
“How would your life be different if…You were conscious about the food you ate, the people you surround yourself with, and the media you watch, listen to, or read? Let today be the day…You pay attention to what you feed your mind, your body, and your life. Create a nourishing environment conducive to your growth […]
The Big Sky Above Me, and my Aboriginal Aunties in my Heart
“There is one spectacle grander than the sea, that is the sky; there is one spectacle grander than the sky, that is the interior of the soul.” ~ Victor Hugo Hello, Lovelies. I’m in Arizona right now. This morning I left my hotel room and went for a long walk in the early morning sunlight. It’s […]
Making Music And Sending Love From Hong Kong
“Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent.”~ Victor Hugo Hey, Lovelies. Ben, Trishy and I have been in Hong Kong for the past few days, working on our Academy, planning our year ahead and attending the Stationery Fair. The fires at home are never far from our mind, […]
Beer With The Locals!
“All events and experiences are local, somewhere. And all human enhancements of events and experiences — all the arts — are regional in the sense that they derive from immediate relation to felt life. It is this immediacy that distinguishes art. And paradoxically the more local the feeling in art, the more all people can […]
Thoughts On The Blessing of Clean Air
‘Hope is the thing with feathers, that perches in the soul.’ ~ Emily Dickinson Hello, Lovelies. This morning I am thinking about Emily Dickinson’s poem about a small bird who survives cold, storms, gales and exhile. The bird who is symbolic of human frailty, and also of human hope and optimism in the face of […]
A Dumpling Tour of Shanghai
Dumplings are for good happiness. Dumplings are for good health. All the time eating dumplings is a very good time and Shanghai Soup Dumplings are Number One in all of the world for best good dumplings.~ Mae, Shanghai Dumpling expert Hello, Lovelies!Ben and I are in Shanghai right now. Yesterday we enjoyed a fabulous tour […]
Holding You In My Heart
“Like a caring mother holding and guarding the life of her only child, so with a boundless heart of lovingkindness, hold yourself and all beings as your beloved children.” ~ Gautama Buddha Hello, Lovelies. I awoke despairing yesterday. My usual morning meditation did not lift my mood. I am in Hong Kong, at the start of […]
The Luxury Of Flowers
“In joy or sadness, flowers are our constant friends.” ~ Okakura Kakuzo Hey, Lovelies! I’m in Hong Kong right now, a destination renowned for its luxury shopping. But I’m not a shopping kind of girl, although I enjoy looking at things. At my age I have enough stuff, and I’m not interested in buying things simply […]
Dumplings = Happiness
“A soup dumpling is a little marvel of engineering. Called xiao long bao in Chinese, shōronpō in Japanese, and “soupies” by Iris, soup dumplings consist of silky dough wrapped around a minced pork or crab filling. The filling is mixed with chilled gelatinous broth which turns back into soup when the dumplings are steamed. Eating a soup dumpling requires […]
A Late-Afternoon Walk In Hong Kong
“Every inch of space was used. As the road narrowed, signs receded upwards and changed to the vertical. Businesses simply soared from ground level and hung out vaster, more fascinatingly illuminated shingles than competitors. We were still in a traffic tangle, but now the road curved. Shops crowded the pavements and became homelier. Vegetables, spices, […]
Thank You For Making My Birthday So Special!!!
Of all possessions a friend is the most precious. Herodotus Hello, Lovelies! From my heart to you I just wanted to give you the biggest hug, and to thank you for all of your birthday wishes and greetings. There are too many for me to respond personally. I was overwhelmed by the avalanche of love […]
Sleeping In My Own Bed!
“Don’t you simply love going to bed. To curl up warmly in a nice warm bed, in the lovely darkness. That is so restful and then gradually drift away into sleep…”
~ C.S. Lewis
Monday Oracle – 10 June 2019
Exploration is about future vision – that vision you can create for yourself of the life you want to have, the life that inspires or nurtures or fulfills you better than the life you are living right now. It’s about the spirit of possibility and of experiencing life rather than simply existing, of growing and realising more of your potential, of changing in ways that engage, please and satisfy you.
Everything Or Nothing – Both Are Good!
Isn’t that fabulous? Well, I think it is! Having the power to choose and the freedom to do what I want is an incredible feeling.
Weirdly Almost Famous
If you DO happen to know who I am and you ever see me and want to come up and say hi, please feel free. I’m not the woman off the TV but I do write an awesome blog!
The Antiquarian Bookshop
I felt every muscle in my body ease, the tension melt away, the fatigue lift. I was surrounded by books. The smell of them, the heft of them in my hand. The selection, too many from which to choose. I spent an indulgent hour there, and bought a volume of old letters and poems. Then I went next door to a cafe, and ordered a large pot of tea. I sat and sipped tea, and immersed myself in my book as the world walked past my table.
A Very Hygge Holiday
Be kind to yourself this week while these energies make all of us empaths more sensitive than usual.
The Peace And Quiet Of Broken Social Media
“Being connected to everything has disconnected us from ourselves and the preciousness of this present moment.” ~ L.M. Browning Hello, Lovelies! I had a wonderful day yesterday, although apparently I should have been in melt-down. 😊 Facebook was down for most of the day for many business users, or at least most of the functionality was, […]
Fun With Friends!
“Fun is one of the most important – and underrated – ingredients in any successful venture. If you’re not having fun, then it’s probably time to call it quits and try something else.” ~ Richard Branson Hi Lovelies, I’m in Adelaide right now, which is cold and wintery and wonderful. Thanks so much to […]
Holidays, Temples and Planning My Year!
“Without leaps of imagination or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dreaming, after all is a form of planning.” ~ Gloria Steinem I’m on a cruise ship in the middle of the ocean right now. There has been far less possibility for internet connection that I had expected, so I’ve had all of this lovely […]
Demon Banishing And Custard Buns In Hong Kong!
“We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us.” ~ Anonymous I’m in Hong Kong right now, for the first part of the surprise holiday Ben bought me for my ‘Congratulations on turning fifty and thank you for not dying’ present. We’re having a fantastic time. Every day is crammed with […]
Off On A Grand Adventure!
“We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us.” ~ Anonymous By the time you read this I’ll be at the airport, or maybe even on my way overseas! My darling husband Ben bought me a surprise three-week holiday as a belated ‘Congratulations on Turning Fifty and Thank You For Not […]
Why I love Friday at the Farm!
“Its always difficult to keep Fridays confined within themselves..they tend to spill over..” ~ Parag Tipnis Fridays at our farm are my perfect kind of day. There was an early-morning walk to say hello to the cows and check the vegetable garden. After that I spent a little time finalising my Year of ME […]
Door knobs and knockers of Venice, Italy
“As for reading, I wish I had a magic door to a library where I could go in, read for days and days, and come back in the same minute I left. I’m still looking for the door.” ~ David Mitchell Don’t you just love that quote? Oh, to have a door like that! […]
I’m on a Plane!
“An airplane crossed the sky, and she imagined its interior-people packed in rows like eggs in a carton, the chemical smell of the toilets, pretzels in foil pouches, cans hiss-popping open, black oval of night sky embedded in the rattling walls. How strange that something so drab, so confined, so stifling with sour exhalations and […]
Graffitis and Curiosities
“Graffiti is one of the few tools you have if you have almost nothing. And even if you don’t come up with a picture to cure world poverty you can make someone smile while they’re having a piss.” ~ Banksy It’s the last day of my holidays today, and then I’ll be on a […]
Return To Santorini
“Wherever you go becomes a part of you somehow.” ~ Anita Desai So, here we are, sitting in a very low-brow bar in Santorini. We’re up on the roof, drinking cold beer on a hot day, and availing ourselves of the free wi-fi, which is patchy but hey… free. There are many gorgeous (and […]
Wonders and Whimsies
“To see a World in a Grain of Sand And a Heaven in a Wild Flower, Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand And Eternity in an hour.” ~ William Blake Some holiday snapshots today. The picture above is of the sun coming up over Santorini. We were on deck in the cool […]
Beautiful Bangkok!
“Wherever you go becomes a part of you somehow.” ~ Anita Desai So here I am in Thailand, after a wonderful flight, with many good movies and some delicious (really!) food. We got into our hotel at about 10.30pm local time, after midnight by my body clock, and Ben made the sensible choice and […]
What to pack?
“Travel brings power and love back into your life.” ~ Rumi Just one more sleep and we’ll be on our way. Our first proper holiday in four years! A friend is staying home at our farm, looking after Nurse Bert and Cafe Dog. Our bags are almost packed, and this time tomorrow we’ll be enjoying […]
Holidays – in less than two weeks!
“What is that feeling when you’re driving away from people and they recede on the plain till you see their specks dispersing? – it’s the too-huge world vaulting us, and it’s good-bye. But we lean forward to the next crazy venture beneath the skies.” ~ Jack Kerouac, On the Road If you’re working with […]
My First Morning at Home Again!
“There is a kind of magic-ness about going far away and then coming back all changed.” ~ Kate Douglas Wiggin Hello, beautiful friends! So, here I am, back in Australia once more. Can I admit to being a little misty-eyed when my husband Ben pulled up outside Brisbane International Airport to pick me up last […]
Saying Hi from the PI
“Maybe you had to leave in order to really miss a place; maybe you had to travel to figure out how beloved your starting point was.” ― Jodi Picoult, Handle with Care (Hi Everyone! This is Chelsi, Nicole’s Virtual Assistant – posting this blog post in behalf of Nicole ) Just a quick update from […]
So, Here I am in Cebu!
“The life you have led doesn’t need to be the only life you have.” ~ Anna Quindlen This morning I was up so early that it seemed I had the entire place to myself. Cebu. Philippines. Beautiful. I did a sunrise meditation and sent you all some healing and love. I swam in the […]
Packing My Suitcase…
“Wandering is the activity of the child, the passion of the genius; it is the discovery of the self, the discovery of the outside world, and the learning of how the self is both “at one with” and “separate from” the outside world. These discoveries are as fundamental to the soul as “learning to survive” […]
Date Savers For Working With Nicole Cody 2015 and 2016
“My greatest joy is to help people feel and trust the presence of their own soul wisdom, their own intuitive and psychic connection, their own gifts and talents, the wonders all around them and within them.” ~ Nicole Cody Hi Lovelies! I thought it might be a good idea for me to give you a […]
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 […]
Remembering Hot Chocolate
“There’s something liberating about not pretending. Dare to embarrass yourself. Risk.” ~ Drew Barrymore My early childhood was spent in a far-flung suburban estate in Brisbane, a place not noted for its cultural diversity let alone culinary delights. And yet, one of my strongest food memories comes from this time. One street over from our […]
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 […]
Auntie and the Fairy Mound
“Come away, O human child! To the waters and the wild With a faery, hand in hand, For the world’s more full of weeping than you can understand.” ~ W.B. Yeats, The Collected Poems Another post that links in to my Kimberley Story… Like most stories, mine is not a linear one. It would be so much […]
Just a little bit tired…
“I must be overtired’, Buttercup managed. ‘The excitement and all.’ ‘Rest then’, her mother cautioned. ‘Terrible things can happen when you’re overtired. I was overtired the night your father proposed.” ~ William Goldman, The Princess Bride Harry and I are a little bit tired today, so we’ll keep this post short. We both had medical appointments in […]
Outback Australia – A Snapshot
“We all grow up with the weight of history on us. Our ancestors dwell in the attics of our brains as they do in the spiraling chains of knowledge hidden in every cell of our bodies.” ~ Shirley Abbott I picked up a stone yesterday and put it in my pocket. I walked on a […]
Celebrating Nana’s Birthday
“What children need most are the essentials that grandparents provide in abundance. They give unconditional love, kindness, patience, humor, comfort, lessons in life. And, most importantly, cookies.” ~ Rudolph Giuliani My beloved Nana and I were always the ‘September Girls’, her birthday being the 2nd and mine the sixth. It was a special club the […]
Calling me back…
“When we illuminate the road back to our ancestors, they have a way of reaching out, of manifesting themselves…sometimes even physically.” ~ Raquel Cepeda, Bird of Paradise: How I Became Latina All things going well, I shall be on the road this Sunday, heading out to Longreach in Western Queensland for a few weeks. Ben and […]
Join Me for a Magical Carpet Ride?
“Logic will get you from A to Z; imagination will get you everywhere.” ~ Albert Einstein I’m a firm believer in the power of imagination. Connecting in to pleasurable memories, imaginings or visualisations has a proven positive affect upon our mood, our creative ability and our energetic vibration. It reduces stress, inflammation and anxiety and helps […]
The Joys of a Shared Table
“The shared meal elevates eating from a mechanical process of fueling the body to a ritual of family and community, from the mere animal biology to an act of culture.” ~ Michael Pollan If you had asked me to create a memorable meal when I was younger I would have had the cookbooks out in a […]
Random Bits of Thailand-Induced Happiness
“Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.” ~ Miriam Beard Thailand; truly a land of smiles. Here are some of the random memory-making moments of my trip thus far. – Breakfast, and novel editing, overlooking the hotel pool in […]