Storytime

Yep, that time of the year when folks everywhere are panicking and asking 'so what do you want?' As a gardener there a million things I dream over. Oh and ah over. Drool and imagine over. As a writer, it gets a bit more difficult. I have pens, in fact a LOT of pens. The really cute and quirky ones magically disappear and I'm left with those 'buy a packet of 20' ones that still work. When used. Notepads and notebooks are always nice to receive. I have a few writing friends who I envy because their novel ideas are neatly put into these A4 notepads. They have images and pictures, they have maps and terrains marked out. I dream of someday doing this. But what to get me as a writer?  How about a place to write...perhaps a cabin in the woods? Hmmm actually I live in a log cabin, in a forested area. A place by the beach so I can wander the shores while dreaming of my characters? This could be a contender folks! Watch this space... Actual...

In a whirl and a 'quick-do-it-before-you-change-your-mind' moment I signed up for a six week online poetry course with poet  Andy Jackson . I have read Andy's poetry and seen him perform several times, so when I saw this, very casual 'who would be interested in an online poetry course' I put my hand up. Then of course I had doubts. Lots of doubts. Then, before I could change my mind, payment and committed. Can I say, it was a FANTASTIC  way to start a year. It got me thinking about words. Got me thinking about topics and themes. How I construct poems. How I often use the easy way out. Why I write poetry. It's my way of trying to understand the world. Putting down how I feel, hopefully without the Hallmark sentimentality smwaltz. There are so many moments I attempt to capture. So many conversations with Miss Nine...often out there and crazy conversations.  Her view of life is as complex as it is innocent. Or the moment Miss Two stepped...

We humans are a strange breed. There are a few of us that are happy the way we are. We plod on, not expecting things to get better, not striving for more, not wanting or even needing anything more than what they have. There are others who see the bright side of everything. Believe anything they try will succeed and be wonderful. They bounce back after any setback, because of course, they don't see anything as a setback. Or rejection, or even negative. Everything in life is a learning curve and they are positive they are well on the way to their success. And then there are people like me. A pessimist at heart. Who doesn't trust easily, who waits for the hammer to fall. One of those who take rejection because, after all, didn't we know we were heading for one anyway? Of course it is a matter of perspective. And over the years I have really worked hard on being less pessimistic. I take time out to see the good things in life, the little things that matter and make it...

We have a display at work, all about new year, new beginnings. Everything from weight loss to healthy eating, cookbooks and get fit quick books, quit smoking books to meditation. And of course they are being picked up...there is something about a new fresh year, full of promise that makes people decide 'yep this year I will definitely....' I mean let's see, there is 365 brand new days waiting to be....ooops...today is the 7th so already I have wasted 7 whole days doing nothing...so now I have 358 days to do all that I want to do... Time is ticking away....precious seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks and before we know it months will have slipped past and I'll still be here trying to decide what exactly I want to focus on this year. It is a new year, there are still 358 days to accomplish things in. Just exactly what those 'things' will be is still a mystery. At least for the moment. Do like this writer's clock...at the moment it is revise ...

We had a busy weekend recently. Most of this involved grand-parenting duties---there was berry picking and Christmas tree purchasing-----tree decorating and flower picking.....flower arranging (in shot glasses)...and going to the park for some swings, some slides, some climbing and monkeying around....and of course...hand stands. That was just Saturday. On Sunday we took Young Miss to Other Half's Work Family Christmas event---at Luna Park. It was her first time there and she had seen videos of the rides (wonders of youtube) and knew which ones she wanted to go on and which she considered too scary. That is of course until she got there. She began sedately----a ride on the flying elephants....then a ride on the dragon roller coaster. Courage was gained and she went on the ghost train (bit scary with those skeletons)- bit of a breather for a visit to see Santa and receive a show bag of goodies- then onto the merry go round (while Grandpa went on a scary ride)....

Last weekend the Yarra Ranges held an 'open studios.' It gave the public the chance to see artists in their natural habitat---well their studios. It gave us a chance to ooh and ahh, to see and listen, to admire and for myself, to wish I could be so artistic. It also gave us a chance to catch up with some people we had not seen for many years. Yanni Rigos,   has the most wonderful studio nestled amongst the trees at his home. We know Yanni and his wife Jenny through our children (our sons went to school together - in fact find out about Daniel here ). Over the years many hours were spent in each others kitchens waiting for our boys to finish doing whatever it was they were doing and get ready to go home. Yanni works with wood and makes the most wonderful boxes (we have several at home) and inspiring sculptures. So it was great to catch up (although briefly) on the weekend. Trying to fit in the past years in a few minutes is always hard. 'What are the children ...