Kindness, caring, a smile, a gentle word, a thoughtful action – they all matter, and here’s why.
An odd assortment of updates
Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself. ― George Bernard Shaw Hey, Lovelies! Here’s my odd assortment of updates for you this early Friday morning, with a heatwave bearing down on us… Our new stove has been installed. Finally. Sort of. It is connected to gas and electricity, but the cabinetmaker still needs […]
Comfort From Beyond
They say love is eternal… They say love is enduring. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails… It is one of my favorite passages in the bible. There is a quality about that kind of love that transcends our mortal understanding. ― Kaleb Kilton Hey, Lovelies. We’ve been juggling a […]
Stepping Away For A Few Days!
Optimism is a strategy for making a better future. Because unless you believe that the future can be better, you are unlikely to step up and take responsibility for making it so. ~ Noam Chomsky Hey, Lovelies. We’ve got some big stuff going on right now, so I am stepping away from the blog […]
You Never Know…
So have adventures. Go exploring. Drive around at midnight. Feel the wind running through your hair. Life is so short, my darling. And there’s no day like today. ~ Morgan Matson Hey Lovelies, Life is a precious gift, and one that can be all too brief. Before you came to this life, you had […]
Create A Christmas Altar for Healing and Remembrance
It has been said, ‘time heals all wounds.’ I do not agree. The wounds remain. In time, the mind, protecting its sanity, covers them with scar tissue and the pain lessens. But it is never gone.~ Rose Kennedy To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die.~ Thomas Campbell Hey, Lovelies. Christmas is […]
Date Night At Home
I guess sometimes the greatest memories are made in the most unlikely of places, further proof that spontaneity is more rewarding than a meticulously planned life. J.A. Redmerski Hey, Lovelies. I planned a beautiful meal for Sunday night. A pasta dish, with carefully selected wine (just a glass cos Monday is a work day), a […]
Why You Should Buy Your Own Slippers For Mothers Day
You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection. Buddha Hey, Lovelies! I have a girlfriend, Carol, who is an entrepreneur, a mum to four young boys and the wife of an equally busy husband, Steve. It’s fair to say that my friend does most of the emotional labour […]
4.30am – Sitting On The Front Steps
“You are the trembling of time, that passes between vertical light and darkened sky,” Pablo Neruda Hello, Lovelies. I had a restless night. Too much on my mind, the house still overly hot from the heatwave, the weight and worry of caring for others heavy on my shoulders. Eventually, at 2.20am I rose, and began […]
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, […]
Being Family Is No Excuse For Bad Behaviour!
“An apology can be a wonderful thing so long as it is infrequent and from the heart. However, beware of the person who justifies bad behavior with apologies. For them it is a means to an end, and quite often at your expense.” ~ Gary Hopkins Yesterday I wrote about how the energies right now are causing […]
The Apology Fallout – Some Good News
“The best relationships in our lives are the best not because they have been the happiest ones, they are that way because they have stayed strong through the most tormentful of storms.”
~ Pandora Poikilos
Rufous – Rescue Dog, At Your Service
“When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed.” ~ Maya Angelou Our beautiful young red cattle dog, Rufous, has found a new calling. He’s certainly at home on our farm doing his chores and rounding up the cows. But he’s also discovered a wonderful hidden talent – he’s become a hit at the aged […]
Why Kindness And Goodness Matters
“Attitude is a choice. Happiness is a choice. Optimism is a choice. Kindness is a choice. Giving is a choice. Respect is a choice. Whatever choice you make makes you. Choose wisely.” ~ Roy T. Bennett Life can be a difficult ride, and each of us at times will know pain, trouble, loneliness and struggle. That’s […]
In case of trauma, Melbourne Breakfast…
“I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.” ~ Douglas Adams I’ve had a busy few days since Friday, the day of our anniversary Vomageddon. I worked all Saturday in Brisbane doing psychic readings and coaching, which was wonderful and then […]
It’s a day of Family First for me!
“I don’t care about whose DNA has recombined with whose. When everything goes to hell, the people who stand by you without flinching–they are your family.” ~ Jim Butcher Ben drove us to the city yesterday so I could finally have some decent internet connection. We’d planned a million things for the next few days […]
He Can’t Take His Eyes Off Me!
“When the Man waked up he said, ‘What is Wild Dog doing here?’ And the Woman said, ‘His name is not Wild Dog any more, but the First Friend, because he will be our friend for always and always and always.’” ~ Rudyard Kipling; The Jungle Book Finally we are home. Harry Dog was […]
The Strange Dream
“Dreams are today’s answers to tomorrow’s questions.” ~ Edgar Cayce I had the strangest dream last night. A dream that seemed less like a dream and more like a garden party. My grandfather was there, handsome and charming as ever. Dressed in his best summer nautical whites. My grandfather passed away some years ago. […]
The Tawny Family Shows Off Baby!
“She had blue skin, And so did he. He kept it hid And so did she. They searched for blue Their whole life through, Then passed right by- And never knew.” ~ Shel Silverstein We have a family of Tawny Frogmouths that nest in the teak tree outside our kitchen window every year. They […]
Today, I’m Off The Grid…
“While you’ll feel compelled to charge forward it’s often a gentle step back that will reveal to you where you are and what you truly seek.” ~ Rasheed Ogunlaru I’m bone tired. Lots going on and an action-packed weekend so soon after my surgery meant that this was bound to happen – that I’d wake […]
Some Early Reflections on Death
“Death is no more than passing from one room into another. But there’s a difference for me, you know. Because in that other room I shall be able to see.” ~ Helen Keller Hello, friends. Welcome to my Wednesday series on Death and Dying. This week, I’ll kick off the series by discussing some […]
This Dawning Day
“Veil after veil of thin dusky gauze is lifted, and by degrees the forms and colours of things are restored to them, and we watch the dawn remaking the world in its antique pattern.” ~ Oscar Wilde I woke earlier than usual today. 3am. The night air was cold, the comforter pulled right up […]
An Update from Nicole
“Life can be like a roller coaster with its ups and downs. What matters is whether you are keeping your eyes open or closed during the ride and who is next to you.” ~ Ana Ortega Hi, Lovely Friends. You may have noticed I’ve been absent for a few days. I’ll be honest in […]
Ready For Going Home!
“Mr. Fred shook hands with her, said he was glad to see her, drew out a wet Coke from the machine, wiped it on his apron, and gave it to her. This is one good thing about life that never changes, she thought. As long as he lived, as long as she returned, Mr. Fred […]
Who Would You Invite To Dinner?
“You can’t forget how important coming together is, whether it be a mom and a son, a dad and a daughter, whether the family be ten people, or twenty people, or a million people. Dinnertime is the perfect time for that. Dinnertime is the perfect time when you can sit down, you can offer thanks […]
A Special Christmas Altar for Healing and Remembrance
“It has been said, ‘time heals all wounds.’ I do not agree. The wounds remain. In time, the mind, protecting its sanity, covers them with scar tissue and the pain lessens. But it is never gone.” ~ Rose Kennedy “To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die.” ~ Thomas Campbell Christmas […]
It’s Okay to Keep Changing – and How to Cope with People Who Don’t Recognise That
“If people refuse to look at you in a new light and they can only see you for what you were, only see you for the mistakes you’ve made, if they don’t realize that you are not your mistakes, then they have to go.” ~ Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free I […]
Sometimes The Best Way to Honour The Dead is to Celebrate
“We’re all ghosts. We all carry, inside us, people who came before us.” ~ Liam Callanan, The Cloud Atlas My beloved Nana would have turned one hundred yesterday. She passed three years ago, and I find myself missing her more as time goes on. We had a very special connection, and I still talk with […]
A Big Few Days…
“It never rains, but it pours.” ~ Old English Proverb Forgive me. This post is late in coming. Or early. Depending on how you look at it. You see, we had just returned home to the farm to catch our breath when Ben became unwell. Unwell gave way to a difficult night, a worsening of […]
Reflections From A Cancer Clinic Waiting Room
“From even the greatest of horrors irony is seldom absent.” ~ H.P. Lovecraft, Tales of H.P. Lovecraft A small family cluster of us sat endlessly in the waiting room of a cancer clinic yesterday. It was a busy place, at a busy hospital. On the way to the clinic, we’d passed a young woman who […]
Being There For Loved Ones
“It is only in our darkest hours that we may discover the true strength of the brilliant light within ourselves that can never, ever, be dimmed.” ~ Doe Zantamata Hello Lovelies, Our family is going through some big stuff right now. Being there for my family is taking almost all of my time, and pre-occupying all […]
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 […]
We Are All Exhausted
“He’s our rodent control officer. He doesn’t catch mice, he just terrifies them.” ~ Lilian Jackson Braun I’d love to be writing an interesting and wordy blog this morning, but we are all exhausted. We being Harry, Bert and I. Ben is lucky enough to be somewhere else just now. Of course. He always […]
Waiting for Matooluff
“Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas-time.” ~ Laura Ingalls Wilder It’s about this time of year that I start waiting for Matooluff. When I was just a tiny little girl, maybe three […]
Harry Dog Update
“Constant attention by a good nurse may be just as important as a major operation by a surgeon.” ~ Dag Hammarskjold Young Harry is feeling a little brighter each day, and if we get the all-clear from the vet today we will take him home to the farm tonight! He’s still quite tender and sore, […]
I should be grumpy this morning…
“The art of being happy lies in the power of extracting happiness from common things.” ~ Henry Ward Beecher I should be grumpy this morning. Really, really grumpy. I have now completed my third drug-free week from my lyme treatment, letting my liver have a break. At first I was so grateful to not have to […]
Home, away from Home
“I don’t care if we have our house, or a cliff ledge, or a cardboard box. Home is wherever we all are, together,” ~ James Patterson It hasn’t been the same, without Ben at home – while we’ve here, in the city, waiting for him to be well enough to leave hospital. We’re not used to city life […]
A Newsy Update and Writing Reminder
“Are you ready?” Klaus asked finally. “No,” Sunny answered. “Me neither,” Violet said, “but if we wait until we’re ready we’ll be waiting for the rest of our lives, Let’s go.” ~ Lemony Snicket, The Ersatz Elevator This will be quite a newsy post, hence the title. Breaking News and Announcements: Husband Update: Ben […]
Can You See My Baby Brother?
“For truly we are all angels temporarily hiding as humans.” ~ Brian L. Weiss *Note – all names have been changed to protect the identities of those involved. Last year Beth’s mother brought her along to a session with me because Beth had been insisting on seeing that lady. I need to see that lady. […]
Kindness Challenge – Week Three
“Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.” ~ Lao Tzu “We’re all a little weird. And life is a little weird. And when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall into mutually satisfying weirdness—and call it love—true love.” […]
Easy Nutella Cheesecake Recipe
“….I can dream away a half-hour on the immortal flavor of those cheese cakes we used to have on a Saturday night.” ~ Mary Antin, ‘The Promised Land’ (1912) This is probably the easiest cheesecake I have ever made. It only requires a few ingredients, and it is seriously yum. Not too sweet, not overpoweringly Nutella flavoured, […]
Exhausted, with Aprons…
“If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.” ~ Albert Einstein What a lovely weekend I’ve had. Our friends and their children visited the farm, and to my delight I found that these particular children had a […]
Dog-gone it, we’re busy!
“Sometimes, the best way to help someone is just to be near them.” ~ Veronica Roth, Divergent This will be a short blog post, owing to the fact that it’s cold, and all we really feel like doing this morning is going back to our nice warm bed for a cuddle. Sometimes, comfort takes priority, you […]
Reality Check – A Reminder of What Really Matters
“Most of us spend too much time on what is urgent and not enough time on what is important.” ~ Stephen R. Covey I have a beautiful girlfriend who is the ultimate career woman. She has worked for the same corporation for 25 years, starting at the very bottom and working her way up. She is […]
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 […]
Blog Hijack!
“All his life he tried to be a good person. Many times, however, he failed. For after all, he was only human. He wasn’t a dog.” ~ Charles M. Schulz This is Bert. Me and my brother Harry have taken over this blog. Writing is dumb. Especially on a very lovely morning of rain and […]
The Owl and the Banshee
“Fairies in Ireland are sometimes as big as we are, sometimes bigger, and sometimes, as I have been told, about three feet high.” ~ W.B. Yeats As I have been writing my Kimberley memoir, tumbling words onto the page at all hours of the day and night, I find myself I need to talk again about […]
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 […]
Remembrance Day 2013
“To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die.” ~ Thomas Campbell On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918 the giant guns of the Western Front finally fell silent. An armistice was declared and the Great War of 1914 -1918 came to an end. 70 million people […]
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 […]
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 […]
World’s Shortest Blog Post
Cuddles with loved ones beats blogging! See you tomorrow 🙂 xoxo
Finding Sandra – a son’s quest to find the mother he never knew
“But there’s a story behind everything. How a picture got on a wall. How a scar got on your face. Sometimes the stories are simple, and sometimes they are hard and heartbreaking. But behind all your stories is always your mother’s story, because hers is where yours begin.” ― Mitch Albom, For One More Day *NOTE: I’ve […]
As you’re reading this…
“The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself.” ~ Friedrich Nietzsche I’m dog tired and as you’re reading this I’m probably asleep. I’ve […]
Was it all a dream?
“Yesterday is but today’s memory, and tomorrow is today’s dream.”~ Khalil Gibran It’s 5am. I woke this morning in my own bed. The cool dawn air from the windows flung wide is fragranced with lemon blossom, jasmine, green grass and rich earth. It’s a lush smell. A rich smell. So dense I can almost hold it […]
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 […]
Recognising Karmic Relationships
“When someone has a strong intuitive connection, Buddhism suggests that it’s because of karma, some past connection.” ~ Richard Gere Karmic relationships are a big part of our growth. We can experience a karmic relationship with lovers, siblings, children, parents or friends, even work colleagues. Contrary to popular opinion, not all karmic relationships are soul […]
My Winter Solstice
Yesterday was the Winter Solstice – the shortest day; grey, cold and wintry. A perfect day for bonfires, for eating the luscious golden fruits from the orchard, and for curling up in front of the hearth to sleep away the longest night… ‘The Shortest Day’ by Susan Cooper So the shortest day came, and the […]
Waking from a long sleep…
“You can only come to the morning through the shadows.” ~J.R.R. Tolkien I woke up this morning, stretched my arms out, yawned widely and realised that something has shifted as I slept last night. My fever’s broken, my pain has eased, and my mind is bright. It’s a great relief. The last few days […]
Nicole’s Fruit Slice Recipe
“If you carry your childhood with you, you never become older.” ~ Tom Stoppard This week’s offering for my ‘Slice Extravaganza’ series – recipes taken from the hallowed Family Recipe Book – is known simply as ‘Nicole’s Fruit Slice’. Why? When I was a little girl it was my absolute favourite, and I never tired of it. […]
Chocolate Covered Coconut Slice Recipe
“All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.” ~ Charles M. Schulz Chocolate and coconut is a heavenly combination, and this particular slice recipe delivers! It is quite light in texture, so it’s not rich and it’s not too sweet – a crisp biscuit base, a fluffy coconut centre and […]
Healing Old Hurts
“We are often haunted by important relationships from the past that influence us unconsciously in the present. As we work them through, they go from haunting us to becoming simply part of our history.” ~ Norman Doidge, The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science Why is it that […]
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 […]
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 […]
Nana’s Gingernut Log Recipe
A grandmother is a little bit parent, a little bit teacher, and a little bit best friend. ~ Unknown I have been blessed to have grown up, and grown older, with two amazing women as my grandmothers. Now both of them are gone, although I feel them around me often, and I frequently draw on […]
Heavenly Blueberry Crumble Slice Recipe
It’s bucketing down here at the farm again, and there’s not much for me to do but sleep, cook or sit on the verandah sipping tea. We still have no power here after the big Australia Day Weekend Wet, but Ben has fired up the generator for a while and my biscuit tins are empty […]
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 […]
Misty Morning Pre-Christmas Happiness
“Morning is an important time of day, because how you spend your morning can often tell you what kind of day you are going to have.” ~ Lemony Snicket, The Blank Book Saturday morning, 22 December, 2012. The world hasn’t ended. Instead Harry the pup woke me up, and after a cuddle the dogs and I went […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Lemon Delicious Pudding Recipe
My Meyer Lemon tree is dripping with ripe fruit right now, and this pudding is a perfect way to use some of them up. The pudding is served warm, and is light enough to be enjoyed all year round. If you are lucky enough to have any left over it is also tasty eaten cold! […]
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 […]
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 […]
Ghostly Messages and Weird Confirmations…
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Defining Your Priorities in Life
Life is short. Life is precious. And in our lives we need to be able to fit into a limited amount of time the things that will satisfy us, grow us, and make us happy. So many people that I know have this terrible sense of never having enough time, and never getting around to […]
Celebration Chocolate Mudcake Recipe
It’s my friend’s 40th birthday today, and we’re having a ladies lunch in her honour. Of course we need good cake. There will be grandmas and new babies and friends coming from afar. Twenty cake-loving women, and we need enough cake leftovers to make the men happy when they join us later. Somehow it always […]