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 […]
One Small Bead to Connect Me…
Today is the last day of my shamanic meditation retreat. Just over a month ago I chose a bead to represent each person who would attend the course. Then I began to string the beads into a Mala for meditation. A bead for each of my students, and then enough smaller beads to make a […]
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. […]
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. […]
Breathing in Life…
“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” ~ Albert Einstein Yesterday was wonderful from start to finish. And yet it was also the most ordinary of days. I didn’t win lotto, there was no major excitement, no […]
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 […]
Don’t Play the Rescue Game!
I tried to carry you And make you whole But it was never enough I must go Lyrics from Watch Over You, Alter Bridge Many of my friends and clients are kind-hearted and compassionate souls, who feel compelled to help people. In fact many are healers, counsellors and lightworkers by trade. But no matter what […]
By definition, a ‘Hero’ does not have it easy…
“A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” Christopher Reeve Think about it. You read a book. In it, the hero has a cruisey ride. From the moment of their auspicious birth everything they touch magically works. They are incredibly popular. All their family […]
Today, choose Kindness…
“Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.” “When we feel love and kindness towards others, it not only makes others feel loved and cared for, but it helps us also to develop inner happiness and peace.” ~ Both quotes from The Dalai Lama Just for today, choose kindness. Choose to smile from your heart. […]
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 […]
Bittersweet cupcake celebrations…
“The wound is the place where the Light enters you.” ~ Rumi This should be a post about birthdays and love, and it is all of those things. But it’s also a post about love and loss, and the way grief can affect us. The Fourth of July has long been a special day for […]
Soul Messages – The Gifts of Colour
Scroll down through the images and pick the one that speaks to you – the one you find the most vibrant or attractive. Then go back and select the one you are least drawn to. When you’ve made your choice, go further down the page and find out what messages your Soul has chosen for […]
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 […]
Things to be thankful for…
“The secret of happiness is to count your blessings while others are adding up their troubles” This morning I’m counting my Blessings. Such a simple thing to do, and it always makes me feel richer. I like to count them off on my fingers – a tangible act, and a way of really anchoring their truth in […]
Your Life is YOURS to Live!
“To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.” ― Oscar Wilde Life is a precious gift, and one that can be all too brief. Before you came to this life, you had a deliberate intent to be here. You chose your parents. You packed your bag. You came forth […]
Are you too NICE?
Kindness is a loving balm, understanding is a mental tonic, compassion grows our hearts, love is food for the soul, but niceness? Far too often niceness is a poison administered to ourselves by our own hand. There is a trend (and I recognise it because I once was in that same place!) where people beginning […]
Patience and Right Timing
The two most powerful warriors are patience and time. ~ Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy If you read yesterday’s post, you’ll know that I am a big fan of trusting in two things: Universal Wisdom and Right Timing. You might wonder what that has to do with patience? Everything, my friends, everything! Why? Well, when we are […]
How much do you really need?
I was one of those people who put too much emphasis on work and career and material possessions, and it took its toll on all my relationships, on my physical health, my emotional and mental health. ~ Tony Shalhoub We don’t ever really need much to be comfortable in life. Yet if you look at […]
Don’t be a prisoner to memories…
One need not be a chamber to be haunted; One need not be a house; The brain has corridors surpassing Material place. ~Emily Dickinson, “Time and Eternity” Memory is notoriously unreliable. Ask any detective or psychologist. Ten people could witness an event and each will have a differing version. And that version will change over […]
Writing Yourself into a Brighter Future
The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. ~ Eleanor Roosevelt Did you know that thoughts have great power? When we have clear goals and ideas, and attach positive emotion to them, we magnetise these mental images and begin the process of creating them in our reality. (See this post […]
Knowing is always better than not knowing…
Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before. ~ Edgar Allan Poe Occasionally I have been shown things, and I do not know why. Dark things. Terrible things. A single vivid fragment, or perhaps some sharp-edged pieces that cut my hands as I […]
Are you brave enough to follow The Call?
Have you ever had a crazy, crazy hunch, or an idea you just can’t get out of your head? Maybe in the middle of being a Dentist you start thinking of Art School. I mean REALLY thinking about Art School. You become a closet hoarder of Art School brochures, you haunt their on-line curriculum, and […]
Using your Internal Compass to Navigate Life
At any moment, you have a choice, that either leads you closer to your spirit or further away from it. ~ Thich Nhat Hahn Inside each of us in a compass. Although we can’t see it, it spins and turns in ways we can feel, if only we learn to tune in to it. The […]
Invisible Acts of Love and the Importance of Uplifting Others…
‘Tis the everyday things that really count, And the everyday people we know; And everyday kindnesses go very far, Toward making a heaven below. Life can be a difficult ride, and each of us at times will know pain, trouble, loneliness and struggle. That’s why it is so important for us to practice love and […]
Bread and Butter Pudding Recipe
In a recent post My ‘One Lovely Blog’ Award, I confessed that one of the fascinating facts about me is that I can make a meal out of nothing. Well, almost nothing. That talent came in handy last night when friends dropped by unexpectedly, at dinner time. Of course I invited them to stay. It’s […]
Please excuse me…
Some of you might have read recently about my use of affirmations (My embarrassing affirmation confession), so you’ll know that one of my favourites is ‘Something wonderful will happen to me today…’ So that was exactly what I was affirming to myself this morning, from the comfort of my nice warm bed, around 4 am, […]
Asking for a Sign
Have you ever wondered if there’s anyone listening? To your prayers, your meditations, your calls for help or inspiration… Did you know that you can ask for a sign? This is not a technique to be misused, but rather something to be done with serious intent – an action that calls for a response, an […]
My ‘One Lovely Blog’ Award
One of the things I’ve come to love about the blogging community is their generosity of spirit, their ability to connect us, one to another, and the crazy amount of awards that are out there for us to show our gratitude and appreciation to one another. I’ve recently been nominated for the One Lovely Blog […]
In Defence of Fairies
Nothing can be truer than fairy wisdom. It is as true as sunbeams. ~Douglas Jerrold Those of you who know me will also know that I believe in fairies. In fact, you’ll know that I count a fairy as one of my dearest friends. I found myself in an odd position on the weekend. I’m […]
Hey Sister, You Okay?
I was looking forward to Saturday. In the last few weeks I’ve supported a friend through the end stages of terminal cancer, holding her hand til she passed, ridden the roller coaster of supporting an addict in recovery, and juggled my daily work and writing. Saturday was this wonderful window of calm in front of […]
My Embarrassing Affirmation Confession
You affect your subconscious mind by verbal repetition ~ W. Clement Stone Affirmations are a known powerful tool for change, and are used by many people for creating positive shift and personal growth. Louise Hay has made affirmations a modern-day medicine for the soul. (You can sign up for her daily affirmations here) An affirmation […]
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 […]
Looking after Charlie
Charlie is one of the major loves of my life! We rescued him as a very small pup, and he has been an important part of our family ever since. I hadn’t intended to get a dog… A friend from the country, who breeds working dogs, had phoned me to say that he was giving […]
Eight Ingredients for Better Health
To keep the body in good health is a duty… otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear. Buddha Our bodies are the vehicle for our Souls. By honouring and looking after our physical vehicle we are then much better able to access and work with our mental and spiritual gifts. […]
You’re not alone…
sometimes life can get you down you can feel so small that you wonder if anyone knows you’re here you might even wonder if anyone cares life’s burdens may weigh upon you until you wonder how you’ll ever take another step until you wonder if you’re cut out for this until you doubt you’ll ever […]
The Power of a Father’s Love
“Life is the first gift, love is the second, and understanding the third.” ~ Marge Piercy One night, in the middle of 2010, I was on a cruise ship in the middle of the ocean. It was late, and we had been asleep for some hours. The room phone rang, waking us up. When I answered […]
What does Happiness look like to you?
In our age of overwork, stress, social isolation, time pressure and exhaustion, it is increasingly important to know what fills you back up again, what makes you smile, what brings joy and happiness into your life. What does happiness look like to you? If you don’t know, make it your mission to find out, and […]
Easy Baked Custard Recipe AND a Free Kitten!
Today an old family recipe worth cherishing, and the latest instalment on life at my farm. This baked custard recipe was my grandmother’s, although my grandfather liked to boast that he perfected it! It always reminds me of the love and care he had for my grandmother – he was never a man to be […]
Soul Mates – How to Recognise One
A loving heart is the beginning of all knowledge. Thomas Carlyle You might wonder what a Soul Mate relationship feels like, what it looks like, and how you’ll know… Let’s start by looking at what a Soul Mate relationship is not. A Soul Mate will not share every view, feel as you do about everything […]
Cherry Ripe Slice Recipe
We’ve got a party to go to on the weekend – a neighbour’s son is turning eighteen! Like most parties in the country, people will be coming from near and far, and there will be quite a crowd to feed. I’m taking along a huge tray of of these delicious Cherry Ripe Slices and another big […]
Easy Banana Cake Recipe
This is the first cake I ever learned to bake. It has a rich banana flavour, and is a firm favourite in our household. The recipe came from my Nana’s neighbour, Mrs Mac, who showed me how to make this in her kitchen and then let me proudly take the results home with me. I […]
Making Peace with Right Now while Holding a Picture of a Brighter Tomorrow
Don’t let your current reality dictate your future possibility. Hold true to your dreams. Miracles are entirely possible if you dispense with miserable thinking!~ Nicole Cody The reason for today’s post comes from something seemingly ordinary. But what’s ordinary for some can be positively miraculous for others. Yesterday I walked up the stairs carrying two laptops […]
Dare to Love…
Love. It’s what we all want. It’s what we all need. I urge you – dare to love. It’s not hard to do – the act of loving is hard-wired into us. All we need to do is be brave enough to open our hearts… Love is the greatest feeling in the world. Love is intoxicating, […]
Listen with your eyes…
If only we could pull out our brain and use only our eyes. ~ Pablo Picasso When I was younger, and just becoming interested in love relationships, my Nana gave me an odd piece of advice. She told me I needed to learn to listen with my eyes. Of course I had no idea what […]
People will be who they are…
People will be who they are. Sounds like a bit of a crazy statement doesn’t it, but if you ignore this truth it is often you who becomes crazy… I have a friend who was in great emotional pain over her relationship with her mother. Each time they meet she came away upset, or disappointed. […]
Making Friends with Fairies
I remember when I first started to channel. This was twenty years ago, and I had read the first chapter of a book called Opening To Channel by Sanaya Roman and Duane Packer. Of course I was so eager to begin I never did read the rest of the book… My sister dutifully guided me through […]
Everybody needs a place to call home, or, my little farm and what it means to me
One’s home is like a delicious piece of pie you order in a restaurant on a country road one cozy evening – the best piece of pie you have ever eaten in your life – and can never find again. After you leave home, you may find yourself feeling homesick, even if you have a […]
Treasure in a Cardboard Box
Have you ever received an unexpected gift? I have, and it came from the carpark at Toombul Shopping Centre. In the picture above you can see the iconic ‘T’, torn down a few years ago. If you follow the bitumen down behind the ‘T’ in the middle of the photograph, where it slopes away from […]
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 […]