With thanks...
NOVEMBER 2009
I am grateful for the launch of my new project, a meditation CD, and fun at the Mind Body Spirit Festival...
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ith thanks... Sunday November 1...
Today I am grateful that I finished my story about Alice In Wonderland and its real-life location in Oxford, England, uploaded all the photos, wrote the captions and submitted it by the deadline (just - it's midnight of the day due, but technically still the day, right?)... It's been a stressful few weeks, with extra shifts in the office, two stories to write, my Mum who's over from WA to see as often as possible, and my secret project to complete, but I AM DONE! And while I have to go to work tomorrow, I feel so happy that my other commitments are completed, and now I just have the festival to prepare for :-)
I am grateful for a beautiful few evening hours snatched with my beloved and my mum, laminating posters for the festival, buying last-minute stationery... and visiting the ducks! I've missed our pretty little swamp hens, so it was lovely to see them tonight, as the sun was setting and the park was getting quiet. There was a beautiful just-past-baby one, which was still all fluffy, and swam over to say hello to us...
I am grateful for Shirley MacLaine's affirmation in her newsletter today: "I will express my appreciation each day, no matter how tumultuous. I will recognize the gifts that life brings to me and be thankful for them." And that I already do this...
And now it is time to wash away the day's (week's) stresses with a hot shower and fall into bed... Sleep perchance to dream sweet tonight!
With thanks... Monday November 2...
Tonight I am grateful that today is over - one of the stressiest days I've had at work in a while, no doubt compounded by exhaustion from yesterday's deadline, and panic over this week's deadline... But I got it all done, and am letting all that frantic energy go...
I am grateful that my love met me after work, and we snatched some time together to chatter over chai...
I am grateful for a lovely last night with Mum, who goes back home tomorrow :-( And a lovely dinner with Margie and Pete, and serious conversations about war and peace and everything in between...
And I am grateful that the beautiful moon will become full just before it sets tomorrow morning, and we will be flooded with new energy... I very much hope so anyway!
With thanks... Tuesday November 3...
Today I am grateful for the beauty of the full moon...
I am grateful for some respite from the pressure and deadlines, and the strange, frantic state of constant stress I've been in for the last few weeks...
I am grateful for the time I spent in Fairyland this morning, returning sprinkles and chilling out...
I am grateful for all I got done in the organisational department - invoicing, sorting stuff for the MBSF, posting things out...
I am grateful for the hour I spent curled up on the couch, reading the first True Blood book, which is kinda fun. Twilight for grown-ups :-)
And I am grateful for a night with my beloved, chilling out, and snuggling on the couch as much as you can in this ikky heat...
With thanks... Wednesday November 4...
Today I am grateful that my new project was ready to pick up, and I'll be able to launch it at the Mind Body Spirit Festival in the morning... Nothing like a tight deadline!
I am grateful for all the beautiful messages from my lovely friends about it...
I am grateful to Lisa for being the first person to buy a copy! Thank you!
I am grateful for a fun afternoon setting up the Triple Goddess stall with Lucy and Michele-lee - it's going to be a lot of fun over the next four days... lots of laughter, giggles, support and no doubt the odd tear here and there :-)
And I am grateful to my beautiful beloved for all his help and support, today and always, and his patience as I finish off a few last minute things as he tries to sleep...
With thanks... Thursday November 5...
Today I am grateful for a fun day with lovely Lucy and Michele-lee at the Mind Body Spirit Festival, sharing a stand, sharing lots of laughs, and sharing sales and supporting each other...
I am grateful to everyone who bought my books and/or CDs (special thanks to you Shannon - your friend looked at my books because you'd bought one, and got a CD, and her friend bought all three!)...
I am grateful that the CD was ready in time, so I could launch it (with a touch of nervousness) out into the world...
And I am grateful to my beautiful love for being so supportive, for getting me tea, hugging me when my energy lagged, entertaining us and being so sweet and kind and generous...
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ith thanks.. Friday November 6...
Today I am grateful to my beautiful love, for helping me all morning at the Mind Body Spirit Festival, Day 2, until he had to leave for his real job and work til 11.30pm.
I am grateful to Lucy and Michele-lee and Lisa for all the fun we're having, and for their encouragement, support, creativity, laughter, talent and inspiration...
I am grateful that I made it through another day, and that while I feel a bit like a zombie, it was a productive, interesting day...
I am grateful for new friends, and old...
And now I am grateful for bed :-)
With thanks... Saturday November 7...
Today I am grateful for another fun day at the Mind Body Spirit Festival. Special thanks to lovely cheeky fairy Lucy and gorgeous goddess Michele-lee for the laughter and support we're sharing as we share our space, and to my beautiful bee-loved for being with me there and helping me so much, providing everything from encouragement to tea :-)
I am grateful to all those who bought my books and/or CD (I sold a few of the cute lil festival packs today), and also to everyone who came back just to say they bought Seven Sacred Sites last time and it's really moved/helped/inspired them...
I am grateful for the hour I spent on the couch when I got home, reading a trashy vampire novel and zoning out...
And now I am grateful for bed...
With thanks... Sunday November 8...
Today I am grateful for the fun I had at the Mind Body Spirit Festival over the last few days, sharing space, support and a grand adventure with Lucy and Michele-lee, spending time with lovely Lisa and gorgeous Cynthia, and hanging out with Liza, Viv, Luke and Aiofe...
I am grateful to all the people who bought my books and/or CD, and to all those who came to tell me they'd bought it last time and it had changed them or helped them in some way.
I am grateful that it went so well, and part of me is glad it is over and I can sleep (although part of me would have been happy to go on and on...).
And I am grateful to my beautiful bee-loved, who helped me so much, from lugging boxes and helping me set up to getting me chai in the mornings and honey popcorn for lunch, and supporting and encouraging me and loving me when I was feeling a bit too tired and drained to continue (I'm writing this note on US time, ie late, cos I was too zonked to gather my thoughts last night)...
With thanks... Monday November 9...
Today I am grateful for a day off! I sat on the couch and read book two of the Sookie Stackhouse series (thanks Alexia!), and was so very grateful I was able to swap my office days, as I wouldn't have been much good to them!
I am grateful for book orders, and packaging up 60 CDs to send to WA, and enquiries (so not really a day off, more just a morning).
I am grateful my appointment with the neurologist is finally almost here, because today my head was awfully sore...
And I am grateful for the plotting and planning of more fairy fun with my magical friends Lucy, Michele-lee and Lisa... Stay tuned!
With thanks... Tuesday November 10...
Today I am grateful that Cutes and I have a day off tomorrow. It seems like a month or more since we had one, and while it's all been worthwhile (recording the CD, finishing artwork, setting up for the festival etc), we are so tired... So tomorrow will be lovely :-)
I am grateful for my fairy friends Lucy, Lisa [with us, right] and Michele-lee, and the flurry of cute messages early this morning and late tonight, as our fun/ny (Face of) Fairy Goddess plans come to fruition...
I am grateful that I met some deadlines today at work, even if I did have to stay til after 8...
I am grateful that my bad head has eased a little...
And I am grateful that it is time for bed...
With thanks... Wednesday November 11...
Tonight I am grateful for a beautiful walk up to Newtown, the sun still up but illuminating the world with that beautiful late afternoon/early evening golden colour, the jacarandas a vivid purple, the sidewalk blanketed in their "snow", and the birds singing happily in the trees...
I am grateful for dinner and many cups of tea with a friend...
I am grateful for a gorgeous midnight walk home, the beautiful sky and the twinkling stars overhead, and a huge, graceful bat that flew out of the tree I walked past, swooped and swirled overhead, then settled in the next tree, all cuddled up on himself...
I am grateful for all the organising I got done, from flights and furniture for the upcoming Melbourne adventure, to next year's Fairy Festival, for which I was declared Fairy Queen/events manager :-)
And I am grateful to my beautiful love for the time we had together...
With thanks... Thursday November 12...
Today I am grateful for the beautiful storm that crashed and thundered around us, the darkened sky and the cooling rains...
I am grateful for the interesting appointment with the neurologist, and that I'm having an MRI soon, just in case... Not so grateful that he told me to give up tea though :-(
I am very grateful for my last GJs soy chai (I'm starting tomorrow!)...
I am grateful for all the messages of support and sympathy from my lovely friends...
I am grateful for a fun night designing CD covers and dreaming up plans with Cutes...
And I am grateful for my beautiful love, and his soothing care of me this morning, and always...
With thanks... Friday November 13...
Tonight I am grateful that a retailer in WA called Mum to tell her how much she loves my CD, and that she wants to order lots of them for her shop...
I am not so grateful for the shocking migraine I woke up with, or the fact that I was on deadline at work and painkillers didn't really dull the pain...
But I am grateful to my beautiful love for looking after me when I got home, and gently patting my head...
With thanks... Saturday November 14...
Tonight I am grateful that the Platinum Brunette gig went so well, and that there were lots of people there by chance who loved it, and thought they were hilarious, and loved the songs too :-)
I am grateful that my love and I spent more time in the park across the road from the gig than in the pub, talking to the ducks, admiring their sleeping forms in the middle of the pond, marvelling at the huge graceful swooping bats, and breathing in the cool fresh air...
I am grateful that, at the end of day two of this stupid migraine, it has started to ease slightly...
I am grateful for book five of the Sookie Stackhouse novels, which is pretty much all I was capable of today. The fairies have appeared! Gotta love Claudine :-)
And I am grateful, I suppose, for all the other teas I bought at the festival last time. Relax, refresh, energise etc. They're not a patch on my chai tea, but at least I won't be bored :-)
With thanks... Sunday November 15...
Today I am grateful that I became the organising fairy and got my stuff sorted for the Melbourne MBSF. Still not sure how many books and CDs to take, but I guess I'll find out soon!
I am grateful for a lovely dinner at Martini's (despite having to say no to the delicious-looking homemade brownies!) with a bunch of very sweet work friends, and lots of laughter and getting to know each other on a different level. It's funny the things you assume people know about you so don't share :-)
I am grateful for nurofen plus (I've run out of liquid advil!) and its power to dull the pain for a while...
And I am grateful to my beautiful love, who called from work to tell me how much he loves me cos he was out of credit :-)
With thanks... Monday November 16...
Today I am grateful for a work day spent with Abby Cadabby, Hi-5 and Curious George...
I am grateful that I got the magazine finished and ready to be sent to the printer...
I am grateful for a yummy dinner with Margie and Pete (although sadly Cutes had to rehearse)...
I am grateful that I made time late tonight to update my website...
And I am grateful that I'm pretty much organised for my upcoming trip to Melbourne!
With thanks... Tuesday November 17...
Tonight I am grateful for a lovely dinner with a friend, and a dandelion latte afterwards, joined by Cutes...
I am grateful (I guess) that I found an old jar of caro in the back of the tea cupboard – yes, i have a whole cupboard for tea – and that it doesn't taste too bad :-) It's no chai tea though!
I am grateful that I got everything organised for the big Melbourne adventure, and that the freight people arrived to pick up the books on time, and that I *seem* to have remembered everything...
I am grateful to Alexia for lending me the Sookie Stackhouse novels (there's a couple in my suitcase)...
And now I will be grateful for a few hours sleep before we get up to fly away!
With thanks... Wednesday November 18...
Today I am grateful for a fun flight down to Melbourne with my love...
I am grateful the apartment we're staying in for the next week is really nice, and very close to the festival site...
I am grateful for a fun day exploring, relaxing, exploring, drinking juice while Cutes had coffee (argh!), and a fun night in snuggled up watching Lie To Me :-)
I am super sad that Anita can't join us for the festival, but grateful that she has books in Melbourne and we can sell them for her...
I am grateful we got New Moon tickets for tomorrow night...
And I am grateful for this internet cafe, but should go before it kicks me off :-)
With thanks... Thursday November 19...
Today I am grateful for a fun day with my love, exploring Melbourne, wandering the streets (for miles, searching for all the officeworks!), giggling at his enjoyment of the coffee, smiling as i drank carrot juice instead of tea and felt somewhat virtuous, if not migraine free...
I am grateful for a fun time setting up our stand with Lucy for the Mind Body Spirit Festival, although we are sad that Anita can't join us...
I am grateful for the two gorgeous, tiny possums we saw as we walked back into the city in the darkness... they were sitting on the sidewalk, but as i got out my camera one of them shuffled slowly towards me, so adorable and fluffy, and looked like it was about to climb up my leg. Then it wandered over to a tree and gracefully scurried up, pausing occasionally to look at us, then curling up in the branches overhead. So cute! I wanted to pat them, but didn't :-(
And I am grateful for a fun movie night with my love, watching New Moon on its openign night, which was hilarious, as the room was filled with teenage girls, who all sighed theatrically when Edward or Jacob appeared onscreen...
With thanks... Friday November 20...
Today I am grateful for the fun we had at day one of the Mind Body Spirit Festival, despite it being the slowest, quietest day on record (the weekend will be crazy busy, we've been assured).
I'm grateful to have finally met Naza in the physical realm, after emailing and chatting for so long, and for her stealign me away for a lunch break...
I am grateful to all the other people who came and said hello, and new friends... Photos will have to wait until I get home to go up...
I am grateful to Laneth, and my love, for their help on our stand...
I am grateful that it had cooled down a bit as we walked back to our cute little apartment as night fell, for a cute little tha restaurant, and for our awesome little apartment, where we could snuggle up on the couch, watch Lie To Me and chill out...
And I am so very grateful to my beautiful love, for being so supportive and helpful and wonderful, and for coming down to be with me during the festival, even though he was to fly home tomorrow for a gig, then come back Sunday morning...
With thanks... Saturday November 21...
Today I am grateful for the moments I snatched with my love as we wandered through the early morning Melbourne streets as he went to get the airport bus, to fly home for his gig tonight.
I am grateful for day two of the festival. It was oddly quiet again, but I am grateful to those who bought my books, and for all the conversations I had...
I am grateful to the guy who came to grill me about *why* places are sacred, who rolled his eyes at leylines and kept questioning and disputing... It was interesting. Someone else he'd questioned earlier was annoyed with him, and had complained to the organisers, who came over to see if I was okay, but I think we should be able to answer such questions... Even with a killer migraine...
I am grateful that it is over now, and I can go back to our apartment and have a hot shower, and snuggle up on the couch with my Sookie Stackhouse book, and try to have an early night...
And I am grateful that my beloved is flying back down to Melbourne tomorrow morning, to help me on day three, and support and encourage me and lift my spirits...
With thanks... Sunday November 22...
Today I am grateful for a fun last day of the festival. It was the quietest festival they've *ever* had, which was unfortunate, but we had a lot of laughs, and enjoyed the delirium brought on by the heady mix of exhaustion, essential oils, stress and constant giggling...
I am grateful to the lovely Laneth, who helped us all weekend, and was fun, and funny. Heart chakras will never be the same again!
And I am eternally grateful to my beautiful love, for flying back down this morning after the PB gig last night, for all the help, both physical (lugging boxes) and emotional, for lifting my spirits when I felt a bit sad, and for a fun night eating pizza and snuggling on the couch in our little apartment, dreaming, scheming...
With thanks... Monday November 23...
Today I am grateful for a fun and restful day in Melbourne with my love.
I am grateful that we figured out the tram thing (and for the very cute BEE trams).
I am grateful for great coffee (on Juz's part) and yummy lunch in St Kilda...
And we were super excited to see Seven Sacred Sites in a bookstore in Acland Street. I'd been selling it all weekend, but it was so cool to see it on a real bookshelf in a real bookstore :-) It was also amusing that the couple next to us in the cafe had seen us in the bookshop and were amused by our excitement...
I am grateful to my beautiful love for buying me a (totally unnecessary but much appreciated) present - Juliet Marrilier's new book - because he was so proud of me over the weekend...
And I am grateful for a nice dinner with old friends, and meeting their cute baby, and a Duran Duran fest. Made me feel 13 again!
With thanks... Tuesday November 24...
Today I am grateful for a lazy day in Melbourne... although we walked for hours, so it wasn't lazy in that sense :-)
I was happy that Juz found so many great coffees, and that I kinda coped without tea. It was hard not going to Gloria Jeans for a soy chai though!
I am grateful to the gorgeous little sparrows that have been hopping around me the whole time we were in Melbourne - so pretty, and so tiny, and so amusing when we were at the airport, and they would hop around looking for crumbs, and slide across the floor when they got too fast... So cute!
I am grateful to be home in the paradisical realm...
And I am grateful for the weaving of new plans and the dreaming of new ideas...
With thanks... Wednesday November 25...
Today I am grateful for a day at home with my love, before work intrudes again (although working from home did take up quite a bit of my day)...
I am grateful that I got so much done...
I am grateful for Juliet Marillier's beautiful new book Heart's Blood, which I finished, curled up on the couch, just after midnight...
And I am grateful to my beautiful love for gifting it to me...
With thanks... Thursday November 26...
Today I am grateful for the cool breezes of the morning, and the gentle sunshine later in the day...
I am grateful for a productive day at work, and a fun lunch with the gang, celebrating Luke's upcoming marriage...
I am grateful for a brisk walk home in the still-hot early evening sun...
And I am grateful for a lovely night with my beautiful beloved...
With thanks... Friday November 27...
Today I am grateful for the little magpie I saw on my walk home from work - it was a bit strange to see a *real* one after the little ones in Fairyland :-)
I am grateful for a productive day at work, sorting out Cinderella and Snow White and getting them ready for print...
And I am grateful that I'm getting the hang of this "Migraine Diet" thingie, and that I actually like green salad with lemon juice :-) It's been two and a half weeks since I've had a cup of tea, which makes me a little pouty, but I'm surviving!
With thanks... Saturday November 28...
Today I am grateful that I could stay inside out of the heat... Not that it was at all cool inside :-)
I am grateful that, although my head started to hurt, it wasn't too bad...
I am grateful for the scrap of paper I found (lucky!) as I was throwing things out, about six books I hadn't invoiced for...
I am grateful for a relaxing few hours finishing the 10th Sookie Stackhouse book (what will I read next? Oh yeah, maybe I should start doing some work!)...
And I am grateful for a night with my beloved, talking, dreaming, planning, scheming (hee hee, a rhyme!), sharing fears (just work crap) and sharing time. Sadly it was a bit too hot to cosy up on the couch though!
With thanks... Sunday November 29...
Today I am grateful for the walk up to Enmore with Cutes, despite the heat, for lunch at our favourite cafe (wasn't *quite* the same without my usual soy chai and tofu burger though), and our meander back down to Newtown before he had to go to work...
I am grateful for the bubble machine pumping gorgeous rainbow bubbles out onto King Street from a thai restaurant, and the amusement I gained from them (was quite glad I'd forgotten to get painkillers, and had to go back through them twice!)...
I am grateful for the somewhat tidier office I have...
And I am grateful for the beginnings of a new project...
With thanks... Monday November 30...
Today I am grateful for the birth of a new project, and the excitement and fun and frenzy of activity that brings :-)
I am excited to be working with a dear fairy friend, and grateful for tea (rooibos for me, hmph!) and bikkies and laughter and planning and dreaming and scheming...
I am grateful for a productive day, for outlines and organisation, and an update with my website...
I am grateful that the new Spheres magazine is out, with my story about Brasil in it...
And I am grateful for a cute night in with my love...
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The Book of Faery Magic, Seven Sacred Sites and A Magical Journey are available from bookstores across Australia, distributed by Brumby Books, and through this website.
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