With thanks...
FEBRUARY 2010
I am grateful for the energy of love and friendship, a new project continuing to unfold, and an enchanting book series...
With thanks… Monday February 1…
Tonight I am grateful for the beautiful just-off-full moon I watched emerge slowly and radiantly from behind the roof of the building opposite, all golden and glowy and surrounded by mist and magic. Not quite the same as seeing it climb up from behind a darkened mountain and streaming through the window as I slept on a friend's couch in Donegal, Ireland, and yet, just as beautiful, in its own way... There is magic in the city, if you look for it...
I am grateful I was motivated today and got a lot of writing done, and barely visited Fairyland (well, okay, but just in small, controlled doses :-)...
I am grateful that I finally got through to the neurologist's office, although he's not in again until Thursday. But I'm guessing if I did need brain surgery he would have called already, right?
And I am grateful to my beloved, for the cute night we had, a rare treat since he usually works nights...
With thanks… Tuesday February 2…
Tonight I am grateful for a wonderful birthday dinner with two dear friends, laughter and reminiscences, naughty chai and cute cupcakes...
I am grateful for the fun walk home in the rainy darkness, the fresh scent of a world washed clean, and splashing in puddles...
I am grateful for the walk home from work in the sunshiney early evening, the red-gold leaves, and the crisp air... I am grateful for the approach of autumn...
I am grateful I could pop in to say hi my beloved on my way past his work...
I am grateful for a productive day at work on the preschool mags (how cute is Dora the Explorer!)...
And I am grateful for a girlie lunch with friends...
With thanks… Wednesday February 3…
Today I am grateful that I could spend some time with my beloved, between him rehearsing for the gig on Friday night and me subbing stories and preparing and writing up notes for a meeting tomorrow...
I am grateful for the cool breeze as we walked up the massive hill from Coogee to Clovelly, which I used to handle a lot better, and for a yummy dinner with my aunty and uncle (and for the lend of their car for said gig)...
I am grateful that I have continued writing these nightly gratitude notes, which are into their second year now, because it allows me to remember the good things, even if I have to seek them out some days, and to put a happy spin or a funny twist on the less good things - to find the sweetness and joy even in sadness, to see the humour in things that are frustrating, and to appreciate each moment for what it is.
And I am grateful to Jenny for starting her own gratitude blog, and commenting on mine, and reflecting back the good things I get out of mine. Thank you Jenny and Michelle for our lovely new friendship...
With thanks… Thursday February 4…
Today I am grateful that I finally got to speak to my neurologist - and that he said I don't need brain surgery. Didn't realise how truly stressed and scared I was until I realised how relieved I was to hear that :-) Nothing like a bit of denial/suppression :-)
I am grateful to Jess, who was farewelled today, for all her hard work on the magazines, and sad to see her go, but super excited that she got a well-deserved promotion at another mag...
I am grateful for the long, hot walk home after work, and for the occasional cooling breeze, and for the beautiful trees and their flaming golden-red foliage...
And I am grateful for a cute night in my beloved...
With thanks… Friday February 5…
Tonight I am grateful that the Platinum Brunette gig was so awesome :-)
And I am grateful that between bands my beloved and I went across the road to our park, and sat there in the darkness, talking to the adorable possums with their cat-like ears, who gazed down at us from the top of a tree, then raced across the ground to the fig tree, admiring the bats as they swooped and soared overhead, giggling at the ducks as they stayed up past their bedtime, and laughing at the cute little mice peeking out at us from a flower bed. So cute! And so amazing that a whole nother world exists there in the night-time, that people usually just walk on by without noticing...
I am grateful that I got some work done - some in the day, and some in the stairwell at the pub while Cutes set up...
And I am grateful that, although I had a migraine, the painkillers dulled it, and the nausea wasn't *too* bad...
With thanks… Saturday February 6…
Today I am grateful for a long walk in the pouring rain, splashing through puddles, laughing as my useless umbrella turned inside out in the strong winds (then started dripping on me from the inside), sighing with bemusement when cars sped past and soaked me. Although I was a bit over it by the halfway mark, my dress soaking and clinging to my legs, and every bit of me soaking wet, it was so nice that all the people I walked past smiled in solidarity at the ridiculousness of the downpour, and the ineffectualness of any protection...
I am grateful for a fun afternoon with Lucy, and a productive meeting, and lots of laughter and Lady Grey tea...
I am grateful that the intensity of my head pain had started to fade by the time I got there, and the nausea was easing, since only a little bit earlier I'd been crying in pain and frustration... But tomorrow is another day, and hopefully a far more productive one. I had good intentions tonight, but I'm still a bit vague...
And I am grateful that my beloved should be home from work soon, and we can have a quick catch up then catch up on some sleep :-)
With thanks… Sunday February 7…
Today I am grateful for the beautiful rain...
I am grateful that I got some editing work done on my new project, and that it is coming together so well...
I am grateful for a cute night in with my beloved, and our House marathon...
And I was clearly grateful for bed, since I was too tired to write this and am hastily doing it the next morning :-)
With thanks… Monday February 8…
Today I am grateful for all the lovely, sweet messages of sympathy and healing for my head...
I am grateful I got some work done, albeit more painfully and slowly than usual...
It's been a very bad head day, which is so disappointing, cos the tablets were going so well... So now I am grateful for bed, and hopeful that tomorrow will be migraine-free...
With thanks… Tuesday February 9…
Tonight I am grateful that I could meet my beloved after he finished work and walk home with him through the dark night, marvelling at the huge stars as we crossed the park, wondering if the one we thought was Mars was actually Mars, giggling at the bats soaring overhead...
I am grateful that the nasty head I had this morning went away by mid-afternoon, and I could work late to get the magazine subbed (it was Mickey Mousie and Winnie the Pooh today - cute :-)...
I am grateful to my gorgeous fairy friends for giving up their chance of finding another unicorn so my cousin Jo could spot her first ;-)
I am grateful that the honey hamper I won for Cutes for posting a sweet little message on the Capilano website finally arrived...
I am grateful that the bookshop guy from Bunbury got in touch, and wants more books...
And I am grateful that I have a day off tomorrow with my beloved...
With thanks… Wednesday February 10…
Today I am grateful for a wonderful catch up with one of my oldest friends, who's been living overseas for years... I am grateful that time and distance aren't important, and that letters and email, and our occasional catch ups, be they in Glastonbury, Limerick or Newtown, have kept our friendship strong...
And I am grateful for a beautiful day with my beloved, chilling out, watching the other night's episode of House (having caught up with season five over the last week), doing a little bit of work, drinking tea together, walking up to Newtown to meet Cam, chatting for hours, then wandering home under the beautiful star-strewn velvety sky...
With thanks… Thursday February 11…
Today I am grateful for a day off with my beloved (our "weekend")...
I am grateful for a morning chilling out at home...
For our adventure into the city, for seeing Avatar and giggling at each other in our funny glasses, and for a naughty (but nice) choc top...
I am grateful for our dusk walk up to Broadway for dinner, and for our time at our favourite park, feeding the swam hens, marvelling that all of a sudden they are all caring and sharing again, because there were a few adorable babies they were taking half the food to, giggling at the inquisitive mice that raced towards us, then noticed us and skidded back around to the tree, admiring the graceful arc of the bats swooping overhead...
I am grateful for the twilight walk back home, the stars in the sky, and our grace in overtaking all the sloooow walkers while we still held hands...
I am grateful that Michelle and Mistletoe found the unicorn in my garden :-)
I am grateful that I didn't have a migraine, after a few dodgy days...
And I am grateful that there's still a little bit of the night left to go and snuggle with Cutes on the couch...
With thanks… Friday February 12…
Today I am grateful for the beautiful walk home from the city after work, with a cool breeze finally wafting away the thick, oven-hot air of the day, and the first of the huge, heavy raindrops falling on me. And, much as I love walking in the rain, I am grateful that I made it home before the downpour really started. (Poor Cutes was not quite so lucky when he walked home from work just before midnight - it was bucketing down by then.)
I am grateful for the amazing lightning display, which lit up the sky like an eerie purple daylight (and to Ken for singing Electrical Storm in his post...)
And I am grateful that my (slightly belated) birthday present from my beloved arrived - it had been left with the security people downstairs, so I got to open it at midnight... Apparently I look like a cute little sugar plum faery in it :-)
With thanks… Saturday February 13…
Tonight I am grateful for a beautiful Valentine's Eve mini-celebration with my beloved, when he got home from work just before midnight. I baked him a heart-shaped cake, lit candles and made tea, and we snuggled up and exchanged cards and presents (and now it really is time for bed!)...
I am grateful for our (belated) extended family Christmas lunch, and catching up with cousins and aunts and uncles, and old friends, and young kids... It's funny seeing a new generation sitting at the kids table - I still remember when my cousins and I sat there :-)
I am grateful for the little bit of work I got done after I finished baking...
And I am grateful for the cleansing rain, and the dark moon energy, and look forward to tomorrow's new moon, and new beginnings... and hopefully a new migraine free day!
With thanks… Sunday February 14…
Today I am grateful for the energy of new beginnings and creativity implicit in this day - it's a new moon, Chinese New Year and Valentine's Day, all rolled into one :-)
I am grateful for a cute morning with my beloved, before he had to hurry off to work...
I am grateful for a wonderful catch up with my dear friend Kevin, and so happy to meet Jay, and see them so happy together, and to share it with Martini. Distance sucks, but I am grateful that I have so many wonderful friends all over the world, and that we stay in touch... It seemed kind of fitting too that I would have Valentine's chai with the person who was the witness to our New York wedding :-)
I am grateful that I finally found a unicorn, and for all my beautiful, kind and sweet fairy friends...
I am grateful that Cutes and I could cuddle up on the couch when he finally got home from work, and belatedly watch House - so cool with Darth Vader on there!
I am grateful for my sweet presents, and the book that I naughtily started reading, but my head was too sore to concentrate on work, so I guess I'm allowed...
And I am frustrated that my head was so bad today and the painkillers didn't work, but I am hopeful that tomorrow will be better...
With thanks… Monday February 15…
Tonight I am grateful that I had a migraine-free day!
I am grateful for beautiful emails from friends from afar, and people living their passions and following their dreams, and knowing that they will come true if they *make* them happen (thanks Stephanie!)...
I am grateful for the book from my beloved, which led me astray, to the couch to read it, for much of the day, which was naughty but nice :-)
And I am grateful for a cute night with Cutes, and political debate and hugs and laughter...
With thanks… Tuesday February 16…
Tonight I am grateful for dinner and laughter (and pancakes!) with Cutes and our lovely friend Lissie...
I am grateful for the beautiful walk home in the cool darkness...
I am grateful that my faery books arrived from Amazon - although these ones are more reading-for-pleasure than research, so I'll have to try to ration myself :-)
And I am grateful for bed as I'm super sleepy!
With thanks… Wednesday February 17…
Today I am grateful for a day with my beloved, this being our "weekend".
I am grateful for the book I devoured, the first in The Chronicles of Faerie by OR Melling, and the wonder of the magical adventures within, which take place across Ireland, at many of the sites I spent time at when I was there, dancing in stone circles, swimming with dolphins and crawling into faery mounds...
I am grateful for the progress Lucy and I are making on our project, and the fun we're having...
And I'm grateful for sunshine and cool breezes, and the start of autumn, and a little relief from the cloying heat...
With thanks… Thursday February 18…
Today I am grateful to my sweet beloved, for coming with me to the doctor and waiting (and waiting) so I could get my migraine tablet script.
I am grateful for our several half hour walks in the cool morning breeze, and the touch of sun that kissed my shoulders…
I am grateful for a cute afternoon, reading together, drinking tea and debating philosophy and the rights of humanity…
I am grateful for a yummy dinner with Margie and Pete, and the lend of their car for Cutes’s gig tomorrow night…
I am grateful to Sharne for taking a picture of Seven Sacred Sites in Byron Bay, and the happy irony that it is placed next to Lucy’s latest book, as we write a new one together…
And I am ever so grateful for the amazingly beautiful drawings Daniella did for our new project… So so pretty!
With thanks... Friday February 19...
Tonight I am grateful that the day is over and I can go back to bed... I was sick, achey and weird all day, and went back to bed til the afternoon, then read a book on the couch til Juz came home...
I am grateful The Summer King, for book two in The Chronicles of Faerie, and its magic and mystery, and history and suspense... Not all faeries are good in these books :-)
I am grateful that I felt okay enough to take Cutes to his gig, and grateful that they had a good one, and now I am grateful for bed, and hopeful I’ll feel better tomorrow...
With thanks... Saturday February 20...
Today I am grateful for sunshine and blue skies, and spirits lifted by dancing sunbeams...
I am so very happy and grateful that I was pain free. Sometimes I forget how good it feels to feel good :-)
I am grateful that, as a result, I got a chunk of writing done... And there will be more tomorrow...
I am grateful for the fun, magical book I sneakily read when I took a little lunch break (Book 3 in the Chronicales of Faerie - The Light-Bearer’s Daughter)...
And I am grateful to my beloved, for precious time snatched before he went to work, and when he got home. And watermelon and faery pies...
With thanks... Sunday February 21...
Today I am grateful for sunshine and sparkles, and a migraine-free head. Amazing how good it feels to feel good :-)
I am grateful that I was motivated and disciplined, and got lots of work done - with only a few short trips to Fairyland...
I am grateful for book three of the Chronicles of Faerie, The Light-bearer’s Daughter. I so love reading books that are set in places where I’ve been, in this case Glendalough in Ireland (and in the earlier books Meath, Galway and Donegal). They’re such magical, mysterious and lovely books...
I am grateful for friendly debate and the sharing of views...
And I am grateful for a cute morning with Cutes before we both started work :-)
With thanks... Monday February 22...
Today I am grateful for sunshine and sparkles (and the fan that was set to high all day)...
I am grateful for a pot of chai tea, and grateful that I was quite productive, editing one of the chapters so I like it better, and starting on another...
I am grateful for political debate on the ABC and our prime minister’s warm and witty appearance on a comedy show...
And I am grateful for a cute night with my beloved, and grateful that he liked the little corn fritters and vegie quiches that I whipped up for a test run...
With thanks... Tuesday February 23...
Tonight I am grateful for a fun dinner with a friend, where time flew in a crazy fashion and when we thought it was 8.30 it was already 10...
I am grateful for the beautiful walk home from the city in the night-time dark, with bats soaring overhead making their funny little noises, and cool breezes and huge trees stretching to the sky...
I am grateful that I noticed a quote embossed into the pavement outside a cafe, “The best things in life aren’t things.” I’ve walked past there a lot and never seen it, but as one of my faery friends has it on her garden status, and I always smile when I read it, I finally saw it.
I’m grateful that I met my beloved after he knocked off work, and we walked home together. Lots of walking, hooray :-)
I am grateful that, despite a migraine (so sad and disappointing after three days without), I got through my work day okay, a little grumpy and vague, but the painkillers helped...
And I am grateful that my uncle is okay after having a pacemaker inserted early today, and that he was up and chatting just a few hours later. The advances in medicine are incredible! (You wouldn’t find that on Pandora!)
With thanks... Wednesday February 24...
Today I am grateful that I got to spend some time with my beloved, it being his weekend...
I am grateful that I got a bit of work done, although it was sorting out technical issues than writing the book, which is frustrating but has to be done...
I am grateful to my sweet friend Lucy, who is such a joy to collaborate with, and to the gorgeous Daniella - can’t wait til it’s out there!
I am grateful that Petie is home from hospital, and recovering well - and grateful that he finally went to the doctor to check, seeing as his dizzy spells turned out to be caused by his heart periodically stopping. He now has a pacemaker as well as three metal hips, so he’ll have a *great* time going through airport security :-)
And I am grateful for my wonderful faery friends, and the beautiful messages they leave, and the fun we all have in Fairyland :-) xx
With thanks... Thursday February 25...
Today I am grateful for a morning with my beloved.
I am grateful that I got a fair bit of work done on the book when he was rehearsing...
I am grateful for our cute evening feeding the ducks and the adorable little fluffy baby swamp hens, drinking chai in the park and admiring the early rising bats wheeling overhead.
I am grateful to lovely Lucy, for friendship and understanding and laughter and empathy...
And I am grateful to all my lovely Faeryland friends, who leave such sweet messages, and are so supportive and considerate and fun...
With thanks... Friday February 26...
Today I am that Cutes came into town with me in the morning, cos he had a late shift while I was on early...
I am grateful that, frustrating though my work day was in the office, I managed to get a fair bit done. Some days you lose so much time just dealing with people and chasing things up...
I am grateful for the long and calming walk home...
And I love that my new project is getting closer and closer to being ready, and that Lucy and I are going to call our Melbourne MBSF stand Faery Magic :-) xx
With thanks... Saturday February 27...
Tonight I am grateful for the nearly full moon sailing across the velvety sky, singing along (loudly) to U2’s Beautiful Day as I drove out to the airport, and inspiration hitting me so I had to pull over and scribble down three pages of notes. Funny how you can sit at your desk all day struggling, and once you walk outside your mind is flooded with ideas :-)
I am grateful that Mum has arrived, to stay with Margie and Pete and help them out while Petie recovers...
I am grateful I got a little bit of work done...
I am grateful for a sweet morning with my beloved before we started work...
And I am grateful for a happy, pain-free head :-)
With thanks... Sunday February 28...
Tonight I am grateful that I got some work done today, although I was a little more distracted thank I would have liked, but it’s all part of the process I guess, pushing on when your heart’s not *completely* in it :-)
I am grateful for a sweet morning with my beloved, and an early lunch at our favourite cafe, before I dropped him at work and got back to mine...
I am grateful for the little bit of time we had together when he got home, and a fascinating (and sad, inspiring etc) doco we caught the second half of, about religious parents and how they react to having a gay child. We wanted to smack some of them in the face and yell Wake Up!, but there were some lovely stories too, about love winning out over indoctrination, which moved me greatly (while also making me grit my teeth that there was conflict in their hearts to start with), plus some brilliant scholarship on the context of when the Bible was written that makes it highly doubtful that hatred and murder was intended in the first place, some terrifying interviews with people swelled with hatred and violence, and some great science, medical and psychological assertions that this should not even be an issue...
And I am grateful that my migraine tablets have at least cut the frequency (although they make me super tired, hence the delay in writing this note - I completely fall apart at midnight and have to go to bed, a bit like a pumpkin!)...
To return to the With Thanks homepage, click here.
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.
Send Serene an email.
