Oct 25th

I really, really love my beloved finishing work at 4pm. 

It means he's home by five and it feels like we have another WHOLE DAY together, before it's time for bed.  Particularly with daylight savings, when it doesn't get dark until around 8pm in Spring.

He had a dinner date arranged tonight, but it was postponed.

I decided to celebrate with strawberry daiquiris, cos, well, why not, really?

Tonight is my night with the women and with his dinner plans, I would not have seen him until the early hours of tomorrow morning (quite typical for a craft night, despite it being hosted precisely 6 minutes drive away).  No dinner plans means a couple of hours together before my soirée with my womenfolk.

Yoga plans abandoned for burritos and daiquiris.

Life is ace.

I finished the front piece of my flag tonight.  I ran out of thread after completing up to the first 'o' in sisterhood and wondered if I could just leave it at that.  After unanimous giggles, it was determined that I most probably should complete the last two letters.  I will fasten a backing to it, to cover the threads and to stitch my name to the flag, then it will be ready to post off.

Looks ace, no?

Oct 18th

Have you discovered Pinterest?

I'm late to the party, as is often the case.  Mostly because I resented having to link my pinterest account with my fb or twitter id.  And as a result, I put it off.  Living with a privacy freak, I have become a little uneasy with the electronic papertrail that happens all too easily.  Silly things bother me though - like this.  When really, you'd think I'd be more paranoid about being logged into my Google account constantly (because I'm too lazy to type in the password every day to post here) and having every click via the Google search engines tracked and logged...  I digress.

So, I've been having fun meandering around the world that is pinterest.  Sooo many crafty ideas.  Like this one:

A funky feminist friend of mine noticed this pin on my board and swooned at the yoni-lovin' beauty.  An oh-so-casual note was messaged to me... "remember how I named your business...? ;p"

I was thrilled!  I have been contemplating for months what to create this woman, as a thank you.  I did indeed offer to pay for her creative inspiration in craft - but what do you craft for a woman who's crafty?  Absolute hard basket.  But this!  This I could do!  I spent the last two days formulating an idea around this inspiration, then manifesting it into reality.  And tonight, I gifted it to her.  

There was much squealing in delight.  Total win.*grin*

Grateful for having friends in my life that are so generous with their talents.

Grateful for having friends in my life that inspire me to create

Grateful for having friends in my life that delight in receiving.

Oct 16th

Grateful for the tools, inspiration and ability to transform something distasteful into something beautiful.

From this:

Into this:

Now of course, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.  And this beholder is very much NOT a fan of the 'princess culture' (much less 'glamour princess').

The tee-shirt was included in a bulk lot of clothes purchased via ebay.  The shirt itself is perfect: 100% cotton, bright, beautiful red and crisp white, great condition, right size - so I'm not about to dispose of it.  But it did need some modification before it adorned my child's body.  The fabric is from a treasured friend, who lovingly gifted it to me for a celebration and ritual a few months back.  It was very special to her, so I felt very blessed to receive it.  There was more than enough for what it was primarily intended and it is the most beautiful print, so I'm seeking more ways to display it.  The shades of red in the print match the red of the shirt just so, so it was the perfect choice to be appliquéd.

I only hope both Lucy and Sarah approve!

Oct 9th

Just a little something I'm working on for a friend going through a really shitty time.

I am very grateful to have been made aware of a collective creative gift in the making.

It's often the knowledge that we are loved and treasured by others, that help pull us through the really hard times we experience, particularly when we're sitting alone within four walls.

I'm grateful to have people in my love that I feel this way about.  To sit and spend hours planning, creating, imbuing love into a gift and then giving.  If we contemplate the network of people in our lives, these people are everywhere.  We may tell ourselves that they're not.  They're not worthy of our love and attention, our time and money, because they did this or that or made us feel this.  But that's really just our bruised hearts and egos, no?  Our inability to forgive and move on - or even more simply, our inability to forgo judgement and accept a person for who they are.

No one person is perfect.  And of course we can choose to remove ourselves from the hurt and destruction some people some prone to deliver at every turn.  And that's just sensible I think.  But I think the vast majority of grudges and slights we hold on to, we do to preserve some concept of rightness we feel we need in order to keep our pieces together.  I let all my pieces fall apart some years ago.  It actually felt quite liberating after the hard part was over.  Then I got to rebuild myself, putting the pieces back that I wanted and leaving the pieces out that I no longer needed.  One of the things I find I do now, is contemplate a person in the here and now - not as a sum of their past actions.  I truly believe every person is capable of acting from love, despite previous patterns.  And sometimes, they need someone to trust that they are capable of this, in order to believe it themselves.  This is how old paradigms are destroyed and new people are revealed.

A little love, a little trust... and a little gifting never goes astray.

Oct 6th

I love the energy emitted when colouring happens.

And I LOVE that Lucy is now reaching the age where she has the patience to sit and colour for more than a 90 seconds.  I love colouring.  Love it.  My most coveted item as a child (one of the few things I remember from my childhood) was one of those reeeeeeally long packs of colouring pens (felt tips, textas, markers, whatever you call them).  You know, the ones of 50 or so!  Every colour and shade of the rainbow!  I never got one.  The most I had in a pack I think was about 25 and I had to share them with my sisters.  Coveting desire so not met.

I was thinking on this tonight actually, wondering why I hadn't yet fulfilled that childhood desire.  I have done this before.  The soda stream purchase was one of those.  I always, ALWAYS wanted one and we never got one.  So I nailed that desire recently *grin*.  And it felt really good!  Like REALLY good!

I used to do doodle art.  Know the one?  The A5 size sheets of paper with intricate drawings on them that took you HOURS, DAYS to complete.  I did so many of them.  They were one of my big loves.  I came across a colouring book of mandalas for children in the bookstore yesterday.  I purchased partly for Lucy, partly for me.  They are supposed to be a wonderful exercise in calming children who are naturally quite anxious.  Truth be told, I wanted the book just for me.  I haven't explored much about the healing powers of mandalas, but whispers I've heard tells me they're great.  And they're just so beautiful - even without colour!

Lucy opened a late arriving birthday gift today and inside was a book with blank paper for drawing, fabulous crayons of bright, beautiful colours and a pencil case.  We drew our own pictures for a while... "Mum, draw me some goddesses.  But let me do their hair".  Before long, the mandala book called to me... so out it came.  She chose the picture and we coloured together.  It was wonderful.  Then Benji arrived home, I was immediately old news and boring, and I got to colour a mandala all by myself!  *squeeeee!*

I've just come across these links of downloadable mandalas!

I'll share, just in case you get an urge after all this talk of colouring. *smile*

http://www.coloringcastle.com/mandala_coloring_pages.html

http://www.coloring-pages-kids.com/coloring-pages/miscellaneous-coloring-pages/mandalas-coloring-pages/mandalas-coloring-pages-gallery.php

And there's books and kits!

http://www.mandali.com/

http://mandalacoloringmeditation.com/mandala-coloring/

Enjoy xx

Sept 26th

It seems dark moon energy is working its magic with me, with us, this month!

A brand new business idea sparked out of pleasure and passion this morning, lying in the sun on the trampoline, sipping our morning elixir.  Very exciting.  And the funny thing is, we've already started doing it.  Next stop is opening it up to others.  More info in the new year we hope!

We arrived home around middayish, from our overnight soiree.  Ben left for work not long after our business idea revealed itself and I attended the Apples and Ovaries garden for a short time.  After that, it was out into the burgeoning vegetable garden to continue planting and finish up mulching.  The sunshine was just too irresistible and the seedlings were calling to be removed from their shallow tubs and plunged into the depths of the rich, warm soil of the beds.  A cry I could hardly deny.

Considering I wasn't working, I sent a call out to the village, to see if anyone felt spontaneous enough for a last minute catch up.  I was delighted when two families arrived not long after!  There was planting then mulching, interspersed with cake and bubbly water, alongside much nattering.  Glorious, glorious.

Company departed giving me enough time to prepare for my evening practice.

A full and rich day, filled to the brim with creativity, love, nurturing and pleasure.

A perfect synergy of spring shadow moon energy.

Sept 12th

Today, I'm grateful for an excuse to remove the cover from my sewing machine.

The daughter of one of the women in our community is celebrating menarche - her very first bleed.

Menarche is something most mothers know is coming.  They can feel it, sense it in their daughters (not least by the mood swings :o).  This has been a much anticipated and longed for occasion for them both.  In celebration, our friend is arranging a gathering to mark and honour her daughter's transition into womanhood.  And we have been asked to gift a cloth pad.

I'm so overwhelmed and excited by this occasion.

I love ritual!  I believe more ritual in our western society would help immensely with the confusion and out of placeness most teenagers (and their parents) feel.  Ritual marks the transition from child to adult.  Nothing as serious as some cultures prescribe, but some kind of occasion where a child is no longer considered a child.  They are adults, they are treated as adults and they are expected to behave as adults.  A person will always know their place in the community.  Their expectations.  I know some adults that still behave as children.  Perhaps no one told them their time had come.  And they can't be blamed for that.  When do you become an adult?  18?  21?  The laws that define adult privilege at a certain age vary from country to country and indeed, between activities!  Consenting intercourse, defending your country at war, marriage, alcohol consumption, driving a vehicle - all different ages depending on the laws of the country you live in.  Odd really.  No wonder there is confusion.

When it comes to women and menarche, it seems to be approaching in our wee women earlier and earlier.  Some as young as nine or 10 are getting their first bleed.  I was 13 and I think my mother's generation were around 15-16, with 18 not unusual.  So while I would like to say that menarche will mark the transition in my daughter from child to adult, and from this occasion I will start treating her differently - if her bleed arrives at 10, she's still very much a child in my eyes - emotionally for certain, if not physically.  So, it's a tricky one.  

I have a few things planned for her, to celebrate her menarche - her ears pierced for one.  She knows this already and tells me she's looking forward to it and can she just have clip-ons for now *smile*.  I want her bleed to be something that she can be excited about.  Something for her to be proud of.  That she is becoming a woman and no longer a child.  I will teach her about menstrual wisdom and the power that grows in a woman with every bleed she experiences.  I will set up the philosophy of menstruation as a positive, powerful experience for her.  Not one of inconvenience, embarrassment or shame.

So, to be invited to share in this occasion with a brand new wee woman, makes me feel very honoured.

Think she'll like?

August 29th

Grateful for soft, silky bundles of unconditional lovin'.

Grateful for colour, brightness and joy.

Grateful for new friends, good food and excuses to drink too much wine.

Apol for dodgy photo.  Much wine, much hilarity, not much concentration on getting quality pic.

Have you seen these?  I'm focusing on them a lot at the moment.

Grateful for good friends that bring these reminders into my consciousness.

August 13th

First day back at yoga today, in about a week.

It felt very good.  In fact, I was able to get deeper into stretches, further into twists and hold my balance longer than I did for the two weeks I went four times.  It's kinda like my body forgot its previous limitations, like I was working with a clean slate.  It was ace!  It was a strong class and I felt great afterwards.  Love that :o)

Then we had the pleasure of the company of two wonderful friends for lunch - which extended into dinner time and the inevitable crafting that followed.  Remember the rainbow yarn I bought weeks ago?  Tonight it began its journey to its final destination as rainbow crochet bunting.  I'm hoping we'll have it finished in time for our Spring celebration at the equinox.

Which is entirely possible - as we leave for our four days in the sun on Monday *bliss*.

I was feeling a little lacking at the thought I wouldn't have the opportunity to do yoga for yet another week.  Jacqui suggested taking the audio CD with us.  Which I thought was just brilliant.  The thought of doing a workout in the sun, sand between my toes, then cooling off in the ocean afterwards was delicious.

So I'm grateful for a day of pleasure and joy today.

Doing all the things I enjoy so much.

August 8th

We had far too much of a good time yesterday and really didn't want it to stop.

So we both took the day off work today and continued on with our efforts.

Another trip to the tip, this time for green waste recycling.

The northern end of the front side garden was planted out and the space for the feijoa hedge was cleared.  Oh my.

This is an image of our front garden.  See the garden bed to the right of the shot?  It was our green cutting dumping ground.  Filled with weed seed, brambles, grass, random trees, you name it.  There is also a small section along the fence line at the top of the front side garden too.  Two days ago, it was filled with a struggling maple tree and some kind of fern on steroids.  That thing was huge!  Not to mention a lot of grass and weed seed.  Now, it looks something like this:

 My feijoa hedge.

One of my most treasured childhood memories, is sitting under the biggest feijoa tree I have ever seen (still), in the public domain, with my sisters and friends gorging myself on fallen fruit.  To me, the feijoa is the most divine fruit ever.  A planted a feijoa hedge in my last house, but I barely lived there six months, so I didn't get to enjoy the fruits of my labour.  I actually wanted to dig them up and take them with me.  They were sourced especially at the time and I was delighted to see them readily available for purchase this time round!

When I say my feijoa hedge looks something like this, the only difference from that picture to how it *actually* looks, is the mulch.  

Two cubic meters delivered at 3pm.

We finished up in the garden tonight at half five and it was mostly dark.  So, I'll take a picture tomorrow in the sun and show you.  It really does look quite magnificent.  We still have a driveway filled with mulch... seems my brain is still calculating for acreage properties of my past.  Oops.  I'm sure we'll find a use for it somewhere!

So now, we sit.  And drink tea.  And rest our weary bodies.

It has been a wonderfully enriching and satisfying three days of work in our garden.  I can't wait for the blossoms of spring to burst on our new fruit trees.  The buds are swelling, it won't be long.  We may find time next Saturday to install the pickets, I'm not sure.  I have plans for Sunday, so perhaps Ben will have fun playing with digging tools all by himself.  Something he'll find a true hardship I'm sure *smile*.  The veggie beds are planned to be constructed before the end of October.  I would like to see seedlings in by mid November at the latest.  The soil is really only warm enough by then anyway.  Any earlier really won't make too much difference in growing.

I promised my girl, when I selected the academic school over the "animal" school, that she would have a veggie patch and chooks at home - she didn't need to go to school to enjoy them.  I intend to keep that promise to her.

August 7th

So, it was back out into the garden today.

A trip to the tip first thing, to unload the cardboard recycling that had been sitting in the trailer for months.  Then, with an empty trailer, it was off fruit tree shopping!

We had space for six espalier citrus along the eastern fence line and five trees in the middle of the stretch of garden.  I'm not really a fan of evenly, perfectly spaced, but in this garden, with this plan, it's kind of necessary.  The midline of the garden will be the highest point once the fencing is up.  The fencing will be supported overhead by flexi-piping in an half-moon shape, slotted into star pickets on either side.  The garden space is small and we're packing a lot of trees into that space, but I LOVE that idea.  I love that in ten years time, the only way to manoeuver through the orchard with ease, will be on hands and knees *grin*.  I want all the branches touching, all heavy with fruit, creating a wonderful canopy for the chooks, helping to suppress weed growth (although with a few girls in there, weeds won't stand much of a chance).

We also have a small herb garden along the path, perfectly positioned for climbers, as they will be right next to the wall of the orchard fence!

So we came home from orchard shopping with the following bounty:

1 x lemon

1 x lemon and lime double grafted

2 x mandarins

2 x oranges

2 x apples

1 x self-polinating pear

1 x self polinating cherry

1 x persimon

2 x kiwifruit (male and female)

1 x banana passionfruit

7x feijoa (oh - I didn't tell you about my feijoa hedge! *grin*)

And this is what the southern end of our front side garden looks like at the end of day two:

August 6th

Grateful for the opportunity to feed an addiction today.

I'm blessed to live within a short drive of a few gorgeous bookshops and today, I introduced Ben to one of my favourites.  As always, I find it impossible to walk out empty-handed.  Ben's much the same.  How ace is our score!

The other thing we did today, was accidentally start our garden redesign.

It began in the afternoon, with the suggestion of a wander to nut out a few plans we had whirring round in our heads.  Ten minutes later, we were chopping down a tree.  Then making piles of sticks and twigs to dry for kindling.  Then creating piles of leafy branches for a tip run.  It was nearly two hours later and we realised we hadn't even made it to the part of the garden we had intended to visit!

Allow me to explain our plans.
Our block is north facing.  We have a front garden which is rectangular shaped.  We have a front side garden which is long and skinny and we have a squarish back garden.

We have been toying with the idea of putting three raised veggie beds in the front side garden.  But I also want an orchard again.  It seems every house I move into, I plant an orchard.  But I'm never there long enough to see the trees bare fruit.  But I don't want just any kind of orchard.  My dream (which I have yet to manifest into reality) is to have a chook run inside a fenced off orchard.  It's a perfect permaculture relationship.  The chooks eat the fallen fruit and bugs, while fertilizing the soil with their manure.  The trees provide shade and shelter for the chooks (which are naturally forest dwellers, they are fearful of open spaces).  The fencing keeps the chooks safe from foxes and cats and it also eliminates the need to individually net trees when they begin bearing fruit.

I couldn't quite work out how the fenced orchard was going to work with our current block.  The back garden is south facing and doesn't have quite enough sun during winter to ensure trees would thrive (although the chooks would love the shade and there is already a semi-structure in place that could be used towards a chook house).  The front garden has a few mature trees and a phone line that would obstruct an effort at fencing at the height we would need for the trees.  And the veggie beds are going in the side garden.... so we hadn't really made any plans towards anything.

Until today.  When I'm not quite sure how, but a divine intervention had us swapping the positioning of the orchard and the veggie beds.  The front garden is much better suited for the veggies because it has full sun all year round.  And the front garden is sloped towards the house, which would mean the water would run away from the trees - but raised beds wouldn't have this issue, because they would be built level.  The side garden is still somewhat sloped, but more gently.

This was our front side garden when we moved in nearly a year ago.

This was our front side garden prior to today's efforts.

This was our front side garden after our clearing efforts.

It was so GOOD getting rid of that bloody Ivy thing - whatever it was, growing over the beautiful bluestone wall.

The front side garden from the opposite angle.  The far left hand corner is where the chook house will be (close up below).  A local guy makes them for the produce centre where we buy our cat food, so we're going to give him a call and see if he'll custom build one for us.  I want guttering and piping that leads down into the chook's water reservoir, so the girls will always have fresh water when it rains.

Huge day of clearing and planning!  It was fantastic!
Can't wait for tomorrow - time for treeeeeeeees!!

July 30th

Grateful for a day of fulfillment today!

An early morning blessing to the yogi gods, followed by the collection of a beautiful friend on my way home, then into the big smoke to catch up with friends of old and friends anew over breakfast!  Did I mention it was a CRAFTY breakfast??!!  Oh divine of divine!

Five women and a delectable man clustered around a table, littered with yarn of every colour and ply.  There was a dead fish baby hat in bright rainbow colours (the design meant the opening of the hat was the fish's mouth! Fantastic!), the beginnings of a red amigurumi teaset, a ripple blanket in oceanic colours, crocheted flowers of purple and chocolate, a cardigan in lilac bamboo, neon red winter woolen gloves, a lace poncho in green and a jumper in hot pink.

The breakfast menu at Jorg's alone, was enough to call us 60km from home.  But the lure of spending a dedicated four hours to crafting in fabulous company, with food, coffee (and wine, ahem) available with one nod to the waiter, was too much goodness to stay home and miss!  So many unfinished projects completed and so many loose ends tied up (sorry).  We departed company with intentions to make it once a month - with perhaps a hot springs picnic escapade in our neck of the woods on the agenda.

Driving home, we were still in the depths of the city when I found much delight in this sign:

No more coffee for the next 55km??  Surely they're not serious?!  This is MELBOURNE after all.  Coffee is available EVERYWHERE!  Alas, not along a stretch of 8-lane freeway...  and that's fair enough I suppose (although, I'm sure I'm not the only Melbournian that would support a pittstop along the way for a dose of beanly-goodness... *smile*

July 7th

Freezing cold outside.  Toasty warm inside.

Provides the perfect canvas!

See, many would just see a child drawing on a window with a cottonbud (and cursing the upcoming window washing).  But I see a lesson in chemistry and physics *grin*.

But, all unschooling aside, you wanna know what I'm really grateful for today?

This:

Yep.  Simple pleasures found in a cup of Earl Grey tea, in my favourite mug, delivered to me by the most beautiful man in the world.

June 25th

One woman's trash in another woman's treasure.

Very grateful for the opportunity to lavish love on a beautifully crafted tool, that has been sitting in a corner, as decoration, for the last fifteen years.

She's never used it.  She couldn't tell me anything of the history.  It was picked up at an op shop many moons ago, for the exact purpose it has been fulfilling the last fifteen years.  They are now de-cluttering (something to do with the For Sale sign at the front gate, I imagine) and I got lucky *smile*.

I know absolutely NOTHING about spinning.

Other than I'd really like to give it a go.  From time to time, my rampant imagination entertains ideas of a coming Armageddon.  Where fuel prices prohibit transportation as we know it, and we're once again, living and working locally and communally.  I imagine us growing and raising our own food, bartering that which we don't, making our own clothes and spinning our own wool, from the sheep agisted in the side paddock.  So, there's a part of me that would very much like to be useful, should the time ever come.

I can't even tell, by looking at this beautiful object, if it has all the pieces it needs.

I guess I'll find out soon enough!  A woman from my village and I will be taking spinning lessons in the coming months (there is much *squeeeeeee* factor).

Stay tuned!

June 21st

I can't believe how much work I got done today!

It was incredibly productive and it felt magnificent.

The natural breaks in concentration were few and far between, but when they did arrive (like to pee and eat), I was reminded of how much I enjoy the physical company of people in my work space.  And how much I miss it when I don't have it.

I remember when I was consulting in my clinic back in 2004, the most rewarding lesson I learned, was how I need to have people around me when I work.  I wasn't busy enough to need a receptionist, so it was just me and clients (and the odd family member that popped in to say 'hi').  And when there wasn't clients or pop in's - it was very lonely.  I realised I'm the kinda person that needs people around me.  I was reminded of that today.

Facebook is handy for that.  For me, Facebook is like a continuous gathering that is always happening, that has people arriving and leaving constantly, all the time.  I have many mutual friends, so I can witness and participate in one-on-one wall-to-wall conversations (which I liken to two or three people standing in a circle, chatting), as well as engage in open-to-all status updates.  I can wander into a corner and read an article quietly (on a wall) and then choose to join or strike up a discussion about that article.

Facebook is fantastic like that - but it's still not eye to eye contact with an energetic connection.

However - my reward for all my hard work was to come!

Craft circle! 

*squeeeeeeeeeeee*

I'm making my very last custom beanie, which I was pleased to have had a moment to start tonight (gorgeous colours she chose, don't you think?!).

I'm also working on a cardigan for myself - did I tell you about that?

I was more than a little nervous a week or so ago, when the instructions didn't match what I was looking at in the diagram.  I decided to continue on despite my fear and hope it would work itself out.  Tonight, another set of eyes were cast over the pattern and it all became clear.  *phew!*

My cardi WIP so far:

All in all, a very involved and productive day!

June 10th

When you get an envelope in the post that looks like this:

Your first reaction is usually of the sympathetic nervous system variety.

Eep!

Now, I'm one of those kinds of people that rips that baby open as fast as humanly possible, to see what trouble I've gotten myself into, without realising.  As opposed to the other type of person, that hides the envelope and its contents from themselves for as long as possible, fretting and fussing and scenario-conjuring and all the other typical ulcer-manifesting behaviours that accompany contemplating the terrifying unknown.

And guess what I found?!

THIS!

*squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee*

No!  I wasn't expecting it!  Hence my shock at identifying the envelope!  Ben registered the new business name for me and, well, it was unbelievably fast in arriving!

Wait - I didn't tell you about the new business name?

Ohhhhhhhhh.  WELL!

(I can't believe I haven't told you about this, yet!)

You'll recall a few days ago, my lament about dragging my feet regarding the business.  I couldn't quite work out what it was that was causing the boredom.  And to be honest, I still don't know as I still haven't given myself the quiet time I need to contemplate and see what is revealed.

But somewhere in the last couple of days, I decided to just bite the bullet and start a Facebook page dedicated to the business.  Kind of like a precursor to the website, once it's built and operational.  I want somewhere to start sharing information, even without generating revenue.  Because that is essentially the reason I do what I do - is to share and hope that is then shared and shared again.  And a Facebook page is simple to create and provides almost instant access to trillions of people that may want what I've got available.

So, it was decided.  I needed a new identity.  Every other name I had come up with in the past, was relatively descriptive (cos, honestly, how do you find one name that encompasses both nutritional and fertility health?  Nigh on impossible), but so BORING!  So I enlisted the help of a very talented wordsmith, who also, quite conveniently happens to be a wonderful friend.  Her very first response to me was "_________ & _________".  

Immediately I LOVED IT!  It was quirky, funny, a play on a phrase and best of all - so applicable to both fertility and nutrition! Look (or think, even!) no further.  We have a winner.  The woman is a genius (thanks again, Sazz ;o). The domain name was available.  But after mentioning the name to Ben, wasn't available for very long *grin*.  I was on such a high.

The creation of the page was underway - then I hit a snag.  In order for the page to work, 'likers' needed to be able to send me a personal message.  Default Facebook settings don't allow you to do that.  Enter my programming genius.  "I'll just write one for you".  *jaw-drop* *heart-pound* *melt*

So, info is being added to the not-yet-published Facebook page.  Once the button is operational, the page will go live and the awesome business name will be revealed at the same time.  The website itself is still under construction and a lot of the content will be shared between both once the site is also live.  I think most businesses create a website first - then a fb page.  Unsurprisingly, I'm doing things all about face. 

Stay tuned :o)

June 7th

A day of joyous company, delighting the senses and relieved completion.

Have I mentioned my most recent yarn creation project I'm planning?

Rainbow bunting.

How divine is this?!

So today, in the company of a gorgeous woman, I was led to a yarn colour explosion - and I went a little delirious.  This is what I came home with.

Ben wants to create with me :o).  We are planning to string it up down the hallway.  So much colour, such delight!

Then tonight, I completed A's blanket.  The actual crocheting was completed weeks ago.  The weaving in of the ends though, that was haunting me.  So, tonight being craft night, I figured was a perfect opportunity to hold myself captive, with no where to go, nothing else to do... and stay until it was done.  Which, almost four hours later, it was.

*exhale*

And I had an awesome yoga class this afternoon!  So strong, so powered.  I felt energized at the end of final savasna - rather than needing five minutes to find the strength to pick myself up off the floor.  LOVE those kinds of sessions!

So, grateful for all kinds of things today.

Particularly, for re-entering joy mode.

*smile*

June 5th

Grateful for ticking a box on my 'to-do' manifesto 

(it's sooooo much more than just a list).

More than two and a half years ago, I added myself to a mailing list for the Travelers Amulet.  Since then, I have been lusting after the freedom, funds and timing to complete about three of the workshops Judy runs.

Today, I completed the first.

I created my very own Shamanic hoop drum.

And I was so completely stoked to share the experience with Ben :o).

The drums are used as healing tools and each drum taps into the medicine of its personal animal totem.  Through me, my drum called to the Lynx today.  Learning about the healing totem of the Lynx was both astonishing and reassuring.  Astonishing due to the accuracy of my apparent attraction and reassuring that, in spite of my best efforts from the age of nine, it's not something that I can run from or chose not to embody.  It is here to stay (whether I choose to embrace it, or not).

Workshops like these are magic for the soul.

So nourishing, so enriching.

The best way to spend a Sunday - I absolutely, highly recommend.

What was that, you say?  Tell you more?

Ah, that's the thing with the Lynx you see...

She is the keeper of lost magic.  The guardian of secrets.

You'll just have to experience it for yourself...

(Kittens in the pic, L to R were Matilda and Jasper :o)

May 30th

Today, I admitted defeat and relinquished myself to the healing powers of convalesce - uninterrupted by the hindrances of my delight in constant activity.

I planned a sleep in.

Forgot the plumber was arriving at 8am.

Got up to let the plumber in (to reseat our sink, which, despite this being the fifth sink, has never managed to sit flush with the bench.  Fifth time's a charm!).

Tried to go back to sleep and decided to get up to be available in the event the plumbers needed to question me on anything (they didn't.)

Indulged in the pleasure of my sister's company via Skype for two and a half hours as I simultaneously crafted a couple of hats to be gifted (while resting on the sofa, under a blanket, remaining hydrated, so it counts). 

 Spent some time amongst my on line community (again, see comment in parentheses above).

Hats for Georgia and K

Felt weary, so closed my eyes.

Awoke three hours later(!!) to the phone ringing.  Donna from The Leader Newspaper calling to learn more about sewing cloth pads for Cambodia and Sheree's planned visit (have you met Sheree?).

I emailed through some info, so we'll see what comes of that!  Could be exciting.

So here I am.  Still on the sofa, under a blanket, this time in need of more hydration.

The head - oh how it pounds!

The man is out enjoying a testosterone shot.  I'm looking forward to his return.

In the meantime, I will make myself some more Thai-inspired pumpkin, garlic and chilli soup and get started on my next crocheting gift (while resting on the sofa, under a blanket, remaining hydrated).