With thanks...
JULY 2010
I am grateful for lovely reviews, cute ducklings and adorable sun bear cubs, and new projects...
With thanks... Thursday July 1...
Today I am grateful that I feel a little more inspired...
I am grateful that the weight of the IRS debacle, and the stress at work, has been lifted, which is what was creating my procrastination...
I am grateful for fruit-free muesli :-)
I am grateful for the brisk power walk home in the beautiful twilight, and the gorgeous sky. There are loads of planets around at the moment - Venus is sparkling high in the western sky, Mars is still visible, Saturn is shining brightly, and Jupiter is starting to rise low in the eastern sky... So pretty, and so fascinating...
I am grateful to sweet Sharne for taking photos of Faery Magic in a book store in Ballina...
And I am grateful for a cute night in with my beloved :-) xx
With thanks... Friday July 2...
Today I am grateful for a day off with my beloved, our only one this week...
I am grateful that we could pick up his awesome new EP, What Doesn’t Kill You... Makes You Prettier, and blast it on the stereo...
I am grateful that I figured out how to make a mini website for it, and worked out how to upload it (the PB server is a bit different to mine)...
I am grateful for a fun afternoon at Broadway, drinking soy chai and checking out iPods (sadly Juz’s has disappeared)...
I am grateful for a beautiful night in with Cutes, yummy salad, naughty chocolate and plotting and planning...
And I am grateful for the gorgeous little sunbear cub at Canberra’s zoo, who made me smile. So adorable!
With thanks... Saturday July 3...
Today I am grateful that the inspiration is flowing again :-) Had an idea for a new chapter and mapped it out, hooray!
I am grateful that I managed to pop into Fairyland quite a bit, while still working (you’re right Liz, it can be done!), and found two of the new endangered creatures (thank you Annalie), and chatted to some lovely kind faeries...
I am grateful that I could share a cute morning with my beloved, before I had to drop him off to work... And grateful that we uploaded a new song to his myspace page. Hooray!
And I am grateful for bed, since my head is starting to get a bit ouchy :-( xx
With thanks... Sunday July 4...
Today I am grateful for gorgeous winter sunshine and so many well wishes and healing thoughts from lovely friends... And grateful that the painkillers kicked in and my head has eased...
I am grateful that the inspiration (born of dedication and perspiration more than anything else, and stubbornness and perseverence) flowed a little, and I got some writing done...
I am grateful that after not going for a long time, I finally summoned the will to go to yoga... I’m disappointed that I looked at the wrong timetable and missed the class... I am grateful for the brisk walk there and back...And am trying to look at the funny side...
I am grateful for the courage and determination of Taslima Nasrin, a Bangladeshi writer and activist who has been exiled from her home country for 16 years, placed under house arrest when she fled to India, then barred, and had several fatwas levelled at her. She risks her life to campaign so passionately for human rights, to support women, to stand up for Hindus, Muslims, Christians and others - and lives with constant death threats because she has questioned some Islamic practices. It blows my mind that we are so very very lucky to live in a country where we can criticise, debate, express ourselves and challenge opinions and oppression. I was moved to tears listening to her speak - what an amazing, inspiring and incredible woman!
And I am grateful for a sweet night in with my beloved, for the amazing Dr Who (at Stonehenge!), and that now it is time for bed...
With thanks... Monday July 5...
Today I am grateful to my beautiful beloved, for sitting on the couch with me for so long and stroking my naughty, nasty head...
I am grateful that - although I had a bad migraine today - on the whole these tablets are working pretty well, and it’s been a while since I had one this bad...
And I am grateful for all the kind thoughts and healing hugs sent my way...
With thanks... Tuesday July 6...
Today I am grateful for a lovely review of The Book of Faery Magic in an international faery magazine/portal...
I am grateful for a wonderful catch up with a dear friend, yummy dinner, lots of laughter and chatter and a brisk walk home (the first person besides Juz who walks as fast as me!). I can’t believe how fast time is going, and how long it had been between catch ups, but I am grateful that friendship doesn’t seem to be affected by pesky time :-)
I am grateful that I got through a stressy day at work, despite my nasty head, grateful for painkillers (not so sure about the weird, vague, walking underwater feeling that results though, although it is more productive!), and grateful for all the kind thoughts and healing wishes sent my way...
With thanks... Wednesday July 7...
Today I am grateful for a day off with my beloved, our “weekend” of sorts...
I am very grateful that he came to see the new Twilight movie with me, and grateful for the fun we had, drinking chai, posting off books to America, buying Cutes a new iPod, swapping all his music onto my computer too, cos my laptop doesn’t have the right programs and... stuff (I’m so technical!)...
I am grateful to Voula for the beautiful faery card she sent me...
I am grateful for the little Seven Sacred Sites review I was sent today (will post tomorrow, too sleepy!)...
And I am grateful for a cosy night in with my love, grateful for the lovely messages and healing wishes, and grateful that my head now seems to be okay... Fingers crossed! xx
With thanks... Thursday July 8...
And the year continues to fly by...
Today I am grateful for a beautiful day spent with my beloved, snuggled up on the couch, reading a bit, having an NCIS marathon, drinking tea, abandoning all plans to leave our paradisical realm to do something and just relaxing...
I am grateful for a review about Seven Sacred Sites.
I am grateful for a fascinating Facebook debate about Twilight :-)
I am grateful that I got a tiny bit of work done when Cutes went to rehearsal...
And I am grateful my head behaved :-) xx
With thanks... Friday July 9...
Tonight I am grateful for dinner with Lizzie and Cutes (although we forgot it was a Friday night, and kinda crazy in the city), coffee, cake, laughter and a somewhat over-enthusiastic waiter...
I am grateful for the long walk home in the cool darkness with my love, and a fascinating discussion on the nature of friendships, and growing up, and life and stuff...
I am grateful for a somewhat productive work day on Disney Playhouse magazine...
I am grateful for the lengthy article in the Herald that combats some of the misconceptions about the refugee situation that have been bandied about of late (please, not another election won on fear and hate-mongering and lies about children overboard)...
I am grateful that I received the gorgeous picture of the little ducking I adopted through the International Bird Rescue Research Center, along with the info. She’s so cute and fuzzy! And sadly looks as though she had a fishing hook through her beak, or something :-( All the birds they rehabilitate through their wildlife hospitals would die without their care...
With thanks... Saturday July 10...
Today I am grateful for a snuggly morning with my beloved before he had to go to work, and I got cracking on mine...
I am grateful that I was fairly productive, with lots to add to my faery wall calendar for the day...
And I am grateful to my lovely FB friends for interesting conversations about politics, refugees and lies...
With thanks... Sunday July 11...
I am grateful for a super productive day, updating my website and the Faery Magic one, then working on the new project, and seeing it slowly begin to take shape after weeks of research and pondering...
I am grateful for a prompt reply from an inspiring dolphin researcher, and sad that New Zealand’s gorgeous solo dolphin Moko died recently...
I am upset that I got up early for yoga yet had a bad head and didn’t go, but grateful that painkillers worked fast this time, and I got lots of other stuff done...
I am grateful that I can spin bad into good :-)
And I am grateful for a warm and snuggly night with my love, after he got home from work, and grateful for the awesome Dr Who season end (mind bending though it was!)...
With thanks... Monday July 12...
Today I am grateful for a beautiful, brisk walk home from work, the chill night air, the cool darkness and the gorgeous sky overhead, stars twinkling, planets shining and the odd bat soaring above...
I am grateful for the new Platinum Brunette EP blasting on my iPod, which made walking much faster and more fun :-)
I am grateful for a nice lunch catch up with Martini...
I am grateful for the little bit of time Cutes and I managed to snatch between my early shift and his late one...
And I am grateful for all the beautiful new moon wishes from my lovely FB friends :-)
With thanks... Tuesday July 13...
Today I am grateful that I got lots of research done, and that things are starting to fall into place...
I am grateful for hot earl grey tea with honey and soy milk...
I am grateful to have locked in our stand for next year’s Mind Body Spirit festival in Melbourne (so weird to be planning so far ahead, but it feels kind of grown up to be doing so)...
I am grateful for my lovely faery friends...
And I am grateful for a cute night in with my beloved, for hot soup, for our cosy couch and an interesting with Chris Hitchens...
With thanks... Wednesday July 14...
Today I am so happy that true love won out, and that my friends Andrew and Sean got married, after a lot of red tape, and moving countries twice in order to do so. I am so grateful that some places in the world have progressed a little further than ours, and hopeful that eventually this won’t even be an issue. I am also inspired by all the joy this news elicited :-)
I am grateful that my love and I had a day off together, our “weekend”, and it was such a beautiful sunshiney day...
I am grateful that I finally went back to the chiropractor, ouchie though it was at the time, and surprised it had been so long. Where is this year going???
I am grateful that we dropped off 100 books to Doubleday, that Cutes did his tax, and that we had fun at the SupaCentre getting a new DVD/VCR (looks like it will be a while before we move into the future on this one)...
I am grateful for a sweet night at home - making jewellery, chatting about politics, drinking tea, staying warm and cosy together...
With thanks... Thursday July 15...
Today I am grateful for a lovely day off with my beloved... I was weirdly achey from the chiropractor, but we walked into the city in the hot winter sunshine, and spent the afternoon at the aquarium, marvelling at the dugongs (the mermaids of legend), and the cool rays floating above us as we walked through the underwater tunnel, and the gorgeous little fairy penguins, and the tiny tiny baby sea horses, and even the baby sharks, which were very cute! (Not so fond of the school holiday crowds, but we’ll go back again soon, when it’s quieter...)
I am grateful for chai and cupcakes, and a cute night in, and to my love for patting my head as a nasty migraine began to take hold...
With thanks... Friday July 16...
Today I am grateful I got through a day at work with such a bad head, and so very grateful when I could head home...
I am grateful to my beautiful beloved for tea, sympathy and head pats...
And I am very grateful for bed...
With thanks... Saturday July 17...
Today I am grateful for a sweet morning with my beloved...
I am grateful that I got so much work on the new project done after Cutes went to work - although as usual I seem to be getting bogged down in research, and going off on fascinating tangents, when really I should be writing :-)
I am grateful that I managed to ration my Fairyland visits :-)
I am grateful for courageous and inspiring American teenager Constance McMillen, who is fighting prejudice for herself, and all people, and for the fact that Argentina just legalised same-sex marriage... Perhaps equality will be realised sooner than I thought (I hope so!)...
And very soon I will be grateful that my beloved has returned - it sucks that he works until midnight some nights!
With thanks... Sunday July 18...
Today I am grateful that I got a bit more written, although the more I research, the more I want to add, and the harder it is to write :-)
I am grateful for the life I have lived (and am living!), the decisions I have made, the adventures I have sought out and all the experiences I’ve had - good and bad, funny and sad... Every moment is precious...
I am grateful for a sweet (albeit small) morning with my beloved, before he had to leave for work... And I am grateful that I could tape the Hawke telemovie to watch together later, which looks very interesting, especially in light of current political events, and the election that was called yesterday...
I am grateful for the beautiful winter sunshine, and continually baffled when people complain about our winters...
I am grateful that the oil spill in the Gulf seems to be ending, although many fingers are still being crossed, all around the world, and prayers being said that it will hold...
And now I am grateful it is time to turn off, chill out and tune it to dreamland :-) xx
With thanks... Monday July 19...
Tonight I am grateful that the 12 hour day at the magazines was so productive, and that my head didn’t hurt, and that I got so much done...
I am grateful for lunch with friends and catching up after it had been a while...
I am grateful that the person Lucy and I deal with at Doubleday books is so lovely...
And I am grateful for the couple of hours Cutes and I had together after he got home from work...
With thanks... Tuesday July 20...
Today I am grateful that I work from home most days...
I am grateful for cups of tea and casual clothes (although not for all the calls from charities and phone companies wanting to sign me up)...
I am grateful that I got lots done, and heard back from a few people re: interviews and info...
And I am grateful for a cosy night in with my beloved, watching the Hawke telemovie and learning more about the political past, and the hilarious union ad about the Liberal party, and the unintentionally hilarious ad by the Liberal Party. Interesting times. Funny to think that one day these political events will be history...
With thanks... Wednesday July 21...
Today I am grateful for the long walk home through the cool darkness (okay, quite chilly darkness) after work, and grateful that I did it despite really not wanting to :-)
I am grateful that I got so much done in the office...
I am grateful for more book orders in WA, thanks to Mum, and a couple of CD orders for Juz for his new EP...
And I am grateful for a night with my beloved, and grateful that although I had a weird headache, it wasn’t a migraine...
With thanks... Thursday July 22...
Today I am grateful for my “weekend” day with Cutes, making each other cups of tea, pondering leaving our paradisical realm but deciding to stay home and chill out, reading, chatting, posting out Platinum Brunette CDs...
I am grateful (kinda) that I had to watch Dora Saves the Mermaids, and that it was kinda cute :-)
And I am grateful for a long chat with Dad - before he had to go out to the town meeting with their Greens representative, trying to muster support in their campaign against drilling for oil off Margaret River’s beautiful coast... And grateful that he cares about such things :-)
With thanks... Friday July 23...
Today I am grateful for The Little Mermaid, by Hans Christian Andersen. A strange tale, with a rather twisted message, but full of yearning and love like all the best stories :-)
I am grateful for a sweet morning with my love, only interrupted a couple of times by work queries, and for tofu burgers and soy chai (and tofu-eating lions and beautiful black unicorns in Fairyland)...
I am grateful that I got lots of writing done, and some research, and a few more tasks ticked off...
And now I am grateful for bed...
With thanks... Saturday July 24...
Today I am grateful for a beautiful sunny morning with my beloved, and morning tea with our faery friend Daniella (who did the gorgeous illustrations in our faery book) and her wonderful husbie, and plans for new illustrations :-)
I am grateful for a most productive working day, and replies from a wonderful woman I’m interviewing for the new book, and a light bulb idea for another section...
I am grateful for the beauty of the almost-full moon as I walked up to Newtown, and the rainbow around it...
And I’m grateful for a late dinner with a dear friend, and a wonderful catch up, and the sharing of ideas and inspiration, and meeting up with Cutes when he finished work at 11.30 for more tea, and more discussion and more cookies, then a walk home in the beautiful after-midnight dark :-)
With thanks... Sunday July 25...
Today I am grateful to all the people around the world who dedicate their lives to the planet, be it saving endangered species, campaigning for renewable energy sources, cleaning up the oceans or whatever...
I am grateful for a lovely morning with my beloved before Cutes went to work and I buckled down and got lots done too...
I am grateful (and relieved) that Julia spoke so well in the leaders debate, and was so full of optimism for what she wants to continue achieving...
And I am grateful for the energy of the almost full moon, the cleansing rain and the beauty of the world...
With thanks... Monday July 26...
Today I am grateful and excited that The Book of Faery Magic is finally available on Amazon, although slightly puzzled since the IRS thingamajig has still not been sorted...
I am grateful that my beloved and I could spend the morning together before we started work...
And I am grateful to sweet Nolita for her kindness :-)
With thanks... Tuesday July 27...
Today I am grateful that my beloved came into town to meet me after work, and for the beautiful Batman-style moon that was rising as we walked home together - so huge and golden and mysterious looking, and so full of light and an etheric kind of sparkle... And for the huge twinkling star that was even bigger than a planet, so big and shiny Juz thought it was a plane for a while :-)
And I am grateful that I got through the day at work, given my naughty head, and grateful to my love for massaging my head for so long when we got home...
(And I’m writing this the next day, still feeling a bit fragile... sorry for the lateness of posting Jenny and Sezza! :-) xx
With thanks... Wednesday July 28...
Today I am grateful for a beautiful day off with my love...
I am grateful for a super-fun date night with Cutes - popping in to the aquarium to say hello to the seahorses and the little faery penguins, and marvel that most of the massive tanks were in nocturnal mode as it was getting dark outside - going to the posh version of the movies, with the massive seats (although there was such a distance to stretch across to hold hands) and the little table to hold out coffees and chocolate cheesecake... Thanks Nolita!
I am grateful to my beloved for watching the mermaid movie and mermaid TV series I had to watch with me, and not rolling his eyes :-)
And I am grateful that after a slightly fragile, migraine-hangover start to the day I felt much better later, and grateful for the cleansing, soothing, peaceful, gentle rain...
With thanks... Thursday July 29...
Today I am so grateful to my beloved - we spent pretty much the whole day snuggled on the couch drinking tea and watching a teen mermaid TV series :-)
I am grateful that there have been a few Faery Magic book sales from OS, through our website and on Amazon...
And I am grateful for the most incredible glimpse of the huge orange-gold moon peeking through the misty clouds as I dropped Cutes off at for his late night rehearsal...
With thanks... Friday July 30...
Tonight I am so grateful that my beloved raced in to the city to meet me after work, so we could walk home together in the beautiful soft rain...
I am grateful this issue of the magazine is coming together, although I might need to do an extra day next week to make the deadline (hard to tear myself away from my writing work!)...
I am grateful for a long chat with my sister and the longest and most coherent chat with her youngest daughter - time is flying and Gracie is growing up!
And I am grateful for a lovely review of The Book of Faery Magic, which will hopefully “encourage" me to catch up on my website :-)
With thanks... Saturday July 31...
Today I am grateful for afternoon chai tea and a tiny cappuccino cupcake with my love before he had to go to work...
I am grateful that I got my website, and the Faery Magic one, updated, but surprised (although can you be surprised if you’re *always* surprised about the same thing?) that it took SO long...
I am grateful that I got *some* work done on my writing project, although I’d hoped to get much more done...
Still, tomorrow is another day...
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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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