Storytime

I always love to see how writers--or actually 'writers' - spend their day. I'm amazed at those that get up in the wee hours before work and calmly put down a few thousand words. Or those that send the kids off to school then settle down in their office and write six chapters. My designated writing day, which is a Wednesday, goes a lot like this... I sleep in. No alarm set (unless I've booked something exciting like doctor, car service, hair cut etc) and wake up about 7.30. Today thanks to small purring creature it was about 7.10. Leisurely breakfast is had. Then I pop onto the computer. Alas no writing yet, I check emails and the old reliable face book.  Three quarters of an hour later I'm ready to get dressed. Then--- I hang out the washing. Get distracted by furry child.....  Then of course, I'm ready...to head to the shops. I had to you see, there is this handbag I've been thinking about. You know how it is, that insistent niggle of 'If ...

I LOVE autumn. Yep, love love love it! It doesn't have the harshness and heat of summer. (and I so don't do summer well). Doesn't have the icy bite of winter. Or the -in-your-face-look-at-me of spring. There is a gentleness about it. A time of reflection. In the garden things begin to slow down. It doesn't stop. There is still growth - a lot of fungi have their time in the sun. It's when the world begins to slow down, to ready for the winter. Up here in the Dandenong Ranges we are so lucky with all the autumnal colour from trees. A glorious sight as the trees colour, then slowly the leaves fall. And there is nothing like walking, stomping, or even jumping into piles of leaves is there? 'Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree.'   Emily Bronte. It gives me the chance to get out into the garden, without the heat of summer, and move things around. Tinker and tweak. This is when you notice what is working, what isn...

It's so easy to whinge. To whine and complain. To give up even before most of us have even begun. It's easy to do the same thing day in, day out. The comfort zone is called that for a reason. We have comfort in knowing what's to come. What will happen tomorrow, the day after, next week, even next month. It's when you realise that you want more, need more, that it becomes difficult. Stepping out of a rut takes guts. It takes determination, will power and a real desire to do it. At the moment I have a lot of friends going through really difficult times. Emotionally, physically, mentally, personally. Difficult times that could so easily tear them apart. But these women are strong, in fact I know they are much stronger than they think they are. But it will be a battle for all of them. To keep on when all they want to do is curl up in a ball and give up. Giving up is the easy thing to do. The hard part is staying strong. Last weekend, four wonderful young women ...

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...

It's that time of the year when we have over indulged on chocolate and hot cross bun, and we can put another Easter firmly behind us. But oh the chocolate...and yum to those buns. Which of course means it's school holidays. With the library closed for four days (public holidays) the first day we are open is...busy. Yep, let's just say busy. Not only do all the regulars come in, starved of books, eager to claim more to take home. Because it is school holidays we have the families coming in.  Parents who already have children stating 'I'm bored.' DVD's zoom out the door. Console games are played endlessly. Some school projects are begun, not many but a few. There are some that get away. Take a few days off, a week off...even the whole holidays off. Get out and about and do something. Anything. Other half and I had the four days of Easter off. First day we gardened...mowed...weeded...tidied up. Second day... we adopted George. T...

Recently I read a 'best selling' young adult writer. I had numerous recommendations to read his work, with people telling me I'd be blown away with his writing. Now in all honesty, perhaps I chose the wrong book. Perhaps I was in a bad mood, bad place etc when I read it. And we all have different views on 'great', 'good' or even 'okay' books. But I'm afraid I just didn't like it. (It is now nominated for an award which just shows how little I do know). Over the years I have found that I have become quite a harsh reader. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy a lot of books. Enjoy...not LOVE...not WOW THIS IS AMAZING...enjoy. Which is almost the equivalent of being told your work is...nice. I became worried. Am I too pessimistic? Have I lost myself and am unable to see the magic? Then I realised I can find magic. I worked last weekend when the Pakenham show was on and we had the stilt walkers get ready in the library. It was amazing t...

Recently, when visiting my father, we went to a winery. (Amazing how often this happens--the statistics are astounding!) It just happened to be Taste of Rutherglen- local ultimate wine and food festival. Who knew? Well it seems most people knew. Which explains the shuttle buses and hordes of cars at each winery. We stopped at one winery...Other half and Dad sampled....Mrs K and I people watched. And it was good watching. So many people equated a hot day spent drinking wine with wearing as little as possible. Which naturally meant, as the day wore on, and more wine was drunk...etiquette went out the window. So many stumbled out of shuttle buses, triumphantly holding their festival wine glass as though life depended upon it. As I said, some good people watching. It was interesting to learn that because of the spurt of warm weather the vineyards are hectic with picking grapes. The hardest decision is which to pick NOW. All of a sudden all the vines are ready but there a...