This month I am grateful for a trip to Perth for my first Supanova there – and a chance to visit my family – and to Juz for helping me so much with, well, everything, and to Selina for a fun Sydney Supanova…
With thanks… Wednesday June 1…
Today I am grateful for the beauty of Sydney. I journeyed across the harbour and through trees and over bridges to get to some website training in Brookvale. The place itself was a bit of a nightmare to get around, but the whole way there I smiled in gratitude at our beautiful city, the way the sun reflected off the water, and mist wreathed the tallest buildings, and the blue sky looked so gentle, and it was all so pretty…
I’m grateful for hot tea and Michael Monroe on the stereo.
I’m glad some website stuff got sorted, although there were some frustrating technical issues, so not as much got done as I’d hoped. ..
I’m grateful for lots of walking…
And I’m grateful for a lovely night with Juz, watching Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with Juz in preparation for the new movie on Monday, ha ha. He kept asking if I’d had enough, and wanted to stop, but it was kinda fun 🙂
With thanks… Thursday June 2…
Today I am grateful for Jillian Yoga – wow, did I need that!
I’m glad I got lots done at the magazines, although I really wanted to be at home sorting out my website…
Not so happy for the brutal migraine that began late in the afternoon, and wouldn’t quit, or having to stay back a bit…
But I’m grateful for some time with Juz when I finally made it home, and glad the bus was a few minutes late, cos I was too, and happy I could chat to Mum briefly…
I’m glad I worked on my website until I passed out with exhaustion – at least I have tomorrow to continue on it…
And I’m amused by how tricky it’s getting to fit all my book covers into banners and things 🙂
With thanks… Friday June 3…
Tonight I’m grateful for a sweet night with Juz, and for Legends of Tomorrow… but not so much Arrow. Who decided turnign it into Felicity and Friends was a good idea???
Not so grateful that my pesky migraine continued from the moment I woke up, so it was a frustrating day, but I kept on with my website – not much creativity needed for that at least 🙂
And I’m glad that tomorrow is another day!
With thanks… Saturday June 4… Dark Moon Blessings…
Sending dark moon blessings and love to all. Look within, at this magical time, and get in touch with your inner wisdom and hidden truths, and the passion that can fuel tomorrow’s new moon wishes xx
Today I am grateful for time with Juz…
I’m happy I did an awesome Pump workout – it feels good to feel strong…
I’m glad I did some more work on my website. It’s been kinda cool, going over all the content I had on my old one – so many stories, so many memories, so many funny moments, so much content!
And I’m grateful for a cosy night in, pots of tea and a sad movie…
With thanks… Sunday June 5… New Moon Blessings…
Wishing everyone much love and magic on this new moon day. Tap in to the new energies and all the potential swirling around us, for new growth and new ideas and new dreams. Make a wish for this magical month to come, then dive in and make it come true. Lots of love and bright blessings xx
Today I am grateful for a beautiful day with Juz…
I’m happy that I got up early to work out – a cool Body Combat session…
I’m grateful for brunch with my aunt and uncle, in honour of Juz’s birthday…
I’m grateful to our council for organising an e-waste day, where we could drop off stuff to be properly recycled.
I’m glad I got some work done on my website…
I’m grateful for a sweet night, a sad movie, and no migraine…
And I’m grateful for warmth and security amidst the crazy storms lashing the eastern coast right now. I hope everyone is safe…
With thanks… Monday June 6… Pump – 12,284 steps…
Today I’m grateful for sunshine (brief though it was) after the craziness of the weekend storms. They were such a terrifying reminder that we are at the mercy of nature, and hopefully a wake up call that we need to start working on the aspects we can influence right now…
I’m grateful for a cute date night with Juz – quick bite to eat then a screening of the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, which was lots of fun.
I’m happy that I got through a cool Pump session before work, although it’s tough on so little sleep…
I’m glad I got lots done at the magazines…
And I’m grateful for a long chat with Dad, who’s back from his surfing adventure, and Mum…
With thanks… Tuesday June 7… Combat – 12,937 steps…
Tonight I’m happy that I got my Story Queens blog posted, with seconds to spare. Cos any time before sun-up Wednesday is still technically Tuesday, right 🙂
I’m glad I hauled myself out of bed for a Combat session before work, although it wasn’t my best ever effort. I’m so sleepy definitely aiming for more sleep this week… Well, soon anyway!
I’m glad I got to say a quick hello to a friend…
I’m glad I got lots done at the magazines, and didn’t have to stay too late…
And I’m grateful for time with Juz when I made it home, before I headed back in to keep working…
With thanks… Wednesday June 8… Happy World Oceans Day…
Today I’m grateful for a day to work at home (had to switch my mag days for an early deadline) – although a shocker migraine made everything harder than it should have been. I didn’t even work out, which is saying something 🙁
It was also frustrating that I spent half the day trying to fix an ebook issue with my Sacred Sites mini books, to no avail. Technology hey, it’s really awesome – until it’s not…
And it’s been sad and insightful and heartbreaking but heartening to see the outrage over the Stanford rape case. Such an amazingly brave and strong woman to stand up to her attacker and bring her darkness into the light…
With thanks… Thursday June 9… Pump – 11,520 steps…
Today I’m so grateful that my ebook publisher replied with a breathtakingly simple fix for the problem that had been plaguing me for so long. Phew!
I’m grateful that I got lots done at the magazines…
I’m happy that I got up early enough to squeeze in an awesome Pump workout…
I’m happy that I was a little bit naughty and succumbed to a crazy-awesome deal and bought a MacBook so I could work on my ebooks tomorrow on the train…
And I’m grateful for time with Juz when I finally left work…
With thanks… Friday June 10… Jillian – 11,943 steps…
Today I’m grateful for a beautiful day with some of my Story Queen friends, for sunshine and blue skies, and sunlight dazzling on water as I got the train to the Central Coast for our first meet-up, then back south for a second one…
I’m grateful for great conversation and the flow of ideas and encouragement and support and the sharing of advice and experiences…
I’m grateful for time on the train to keep working on my ebooks, and to capture a few ideas for a future project…
I’m happy that I got up early to work out before leaving – a fun Jillian cardio which was a nice and sweaty way to wake up…
I’m grateful for packages arriving…
And I’m grateful for Cute Night with Juz…
With thanks… Saturday June 11… Pump – 10,069 steps…
Tonight I’m so happy that I could see Culture Club – they were one of my very favourite bands as a kid, and it was some kind of magic to fall into their music again, and into the whirl of George’s wit and wisdom, and his achingly beautiful voice. It was so wonderful to see the band united again, and so strong and so rockin’, and to hear the genius of their songs, still so poptasticly perfect and so relevant today. I ended up going on my own, but it was fine, in some ways the perfect way to do it (funnily enough, when I saw them last time, sixteen odd years ago, I went on my own too…), and it was such a wonderful night…
I’m glad I got a bit of work done earlier in the day, on sorting out the Sacred Sites ebooks…
I’m grateful for the awesomeness that is Pump – and for a very cool workout tonight, my last one for two months, as I start a new program on Monday…
And I’m grateful for a mini catch-up with Juz at midnight, when he got home from recording and I got back from Culture Club 🙂
With thanks… Sunday June 12…
Today I am grateful for time to curl up on the couch and read for a while. Such bliss!
I’m happy that I got some more work done, although annoyed at myself that I stayed up so stupidly late to get it finished. But it was a website issue, and although it took me a ridiculously long time to fix it, I’m proud of myself that I did. And grateful to Google and Dreamweaver for Dummies, ha ha.
I’m grateful that Juz got home earlier than expected, so we could drink tea and catch up on our days…
And my heart is breaking for Orlando and the LBGTQ community there, and for the amount of hatred in the world in the face of love, and for the devastating scale of the violence, and for the message it sends to people that they are not accepted for who they are. Just when I start to think we’re making progress, BAM, something so horrifying and heartbreaking happens that shows that we’re not 🙁
With thanks… Monday June 13… H&C day 1…
Today I’m grateful for a day at home with Juz (thank you Queen, for your non-birthday birthday holiday), chilling out together, drinking tea, dreaming, scheming, planning, and plotting…
I’m excited about Story Queens plans…
I’m happy that I started a new workout program, Hammer and Chisel, which looks like it will be fun, and effective, and a little nerve-wracking, but I love a challenge, and while I’m still nowhere near bored with Pump and Combat, change can be a good thing. Today was an Autumn workout, and I’m already feeling it a bit, hooray! The trainers make me laugh though, especially Sagi’s flexing between sets 🙂
And I’m grateful for the beauty of the winter sunset as I went for a long walk through our pretty streets to get my steps up (the down side of a weights workout – not many steps!), and the first quarter moon as it sailed across the sky. And I love the chill in the air and way darkness is falling.
With thanks… Tuesday June 14… H&C day 2…
Today I’m freaking out slightly that Supanova starts in a few days! Eek! But it will be fun 🙂
I’m glad I got up early to work out – today was Hammer Plyometrics – which may be my least favourite one in the whole program (although yes, I should wait til I’ve done some more before deciding that), but it was short and to the point, and effective – I’ll feel it tomorrow!
I’m glad I got a magazine sent to print, although it was a super-frustrating day, and the 10am send dragged over til 5pm thanks to an ad issue, sigh… But I was glad the dyelines didn’t take too long, and I could approve them before leaving for the night, so at least I won’t have to worry about them tomorrow, and I wasn’t too late home… Yay!
With thanks… Wednesday June 15… H&C day 3…
Tonight I am grateful for a fun night of laughter, love and Italian food with Juz and the Diggers… There was some talk of politics, and sad events, but mostly it was laugh-out-loud, crying with laughter moments of hilarity…
I’m not so glad I had to get up super early for a delivery this morning, but I’m happy that I got my workout done early – Chisel Iso Strength, which was really awesome, but really hurt. In a good way 🙂
I’m happy that my new bags arrived! I ummed and ahhed, cos they’re not really a necessary expense, but I really like having them for festivals, and to post out orders, and they turned out even better than I’d hoped. And arrived just in time, cos we load in for Supanova tomorrow night!
Not so thrilled with the migraine, but I’m glad I got some work done on the Mermaid Magic ibook creation. I forgot how much I love this book, and how much fascinating research went into it, and how much love and dedication and joy and magic 🙂 xx
With thanks… Thursday June 16… H&C day 4…
Today I’m so grateful to my sweet hubby, for meeting me after work and helping me load in for another festival. Supanova starts tomorrow! It was funny trying to squish all my books onto one table – I’ll definitely need two next year 🙂
I woke up with a pesky migraine, so I was relieved that it was a rest day for my new workout program – I just did Sagi’s Ab Hammer workout in the morning (he’s a little cheesy, but I like him), then got in a few quick walks and lugged some books around during set up, so I passed 11,000 steps for the day – a good compromise, since I prefer active rest days to nothing at all 🙂
I’m glad I got lots done at the magazines during the day…
And I’m grateful for a bit of time together with Juz after we got home and collapsed on the couch 🙂 I’m feeling a little underprepared for the festival, but we’ve kind of got it down now…
With thanks… Friday June 17… H&C day 5… Supanova day 1…
Today I’m so grateful to Selina for a fun first day at Supanova, and to Rod for great conversation, and to the people who dressed up and made it so much fun…
I’m grateful to Officeworks for being open on my way home, after my credit card payment thingie died…
I’m happy that I got up early enough to fit in a workout – two times through Sagi’s Iso Speed Hammer, which left me pretty hammered by the end 🙂
And I’m grateful for a little bit of time with Juz when I finally made it home…
With thanks… Saturday June 18… H&C day 6… Supanova day 2…
Today I’m so grateful to Juz for all his help – it was a bit of a crazy morning, and he was awesome…
I’m grateful to Selina, for her amazing artwork, and letting me use some of it on my book covers, and being so fun to share space with…
I’m grateful to all the sweet people who came to tell me how much they loved Into the Mists, and to all those who took a chance and bought the trilogy…
I’m happy that I got up early enough (well, kinda) to work out – Chisel Endurance was tough, but I loved it – and for getting in lots of steps, and staircases…
I’m grateful for the beauty of the almost-full moon as we made our way out…
And I’m grateful for a quiet night in with Juz when we made it home to collapse on the couch…
With thanks… Sunday June 19… H&C day 7… Supanova day 3…
Tonight I am so grateful to my sweet husbee, for spending another day with me at the festival, for helping me load out again, in the rain, for supporting me always, and cheering me up when it’s frustrating or tough, and being so patient and good humoured about it all…
I’m grateful for more time with sweet Selina, sharing space, chatting, laughing, commiserating…
I’m grateful that I got to catch up with some friends, and meet some cool people.
I’m grateful to all those who came by to tell me how much they loved the Into the Mists Trilogy, and what it has meant to them. There were a few discouraging moments this weekend, and it meant more to me than they knew…
I’m grateful that the rain had eased a lot by the time we had to load out, after a crazy downpour in the afternoon…
And I’m grateful that we packed up pretty fast and made it home to collapse on the couch, pretty much incapable of speech, but happy for another fun, interesting adventure…
With thanks… Monday June 20… Full Moon Blessings…
Wishing everyone an enchanted full moon! May it bring you much love, joy and inspiration, and a heart filled with passion and creativity. Bright blessings for the coming month xx
Today is World Refugee Day, and I am so grateful for all the work that organisations such as UNHCR and many others do. To celebrate, I made another donation to the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre in Melbourne, who are wonderful advocates for refugees needing legal assistance, along with food, clothes etc… It sure puts my annoyance at a migraine-plagued day into perspective! You can still donate to the ASRC Telethon online at: https://asrc-org.secure.force.com/
Despite waking up with a migraine, and wanting nothing more than to sleep a little more, I’m glad that I got up and did my workout anyway. The painkillers helped a little, and I fought my way through Chisel Cardio, sweaty and red-faced but glad I’d done it. I’ve never regretted doing a workout, but if I’d skipped it, even though I could have justified it (I’m a little drained, and mentally foggy after Supanova and three weeks without a day off), I would have regretted that…
I’m slightly bemused that I received a certificate for five years at the magazines – although it’s been much longer, as I was a contract freelancer for a while before that…
I wasn’t thrilled that I had to work late again, but at least it means I don’t have to go in tomorrow on my day off – cos I need to get myself sorted and packed for Supanova Perth!
I’m glad I could read a little on the train home…
And I am grateful for phone calls with Mum, then my sister, and plans being made for the coming week. Yay! xx
With thanks… Tuesday June 21… H&C day 9… Max Hammer Strength – 10,000 steps… Solstice Blessings…
Winter solstice blessings to my friends in the south, and an enchanted summer solstice to those in the north… May the magic of today bring you courage to look within and see what you want to change or do, and the energy and vitality to make it happen… xx
Today I am grateful for time to pack for Perth, and organise what I need for Supanova – costumes, bookmarks, eight million different chargers for different devices etc…
I’m happy that I finally got my workout done – one of Sagi’s Hammer workouts, which I loved for its military presses and pull overs.
I’m glad I got a bit of Story Queens work done…
And I’m grateful for time with Juz…
With thanks… Wednesday June 22… H&C day 10… “Rest” – 20,000 steps…
Today I am so grateful to my aunty and uncle, who used their points to get us business class flights to Perth. It was so much fun – although we felt like little kids among the grown-ups J It was so weird (yet so nice) to be able to make a carrot juice in the lounge before we boarded, and to have so much room on the flight, and real crockery, and yummy foods, and we were excited that the first season of Supergirl was available – we crammed in five episodes, which was kinda perfect on our way to Supanova J
I’m grateful for blue skies, and an afternoon walking the streets of Perth, showing Juz places from my childhood and uni days, reminiscing, trying to reconcile the new places with old memories…
And I’m grateful for a cruisy evening in, and an early night, since we had to get up at five, plus we’re two hours behind…
With thanks… Thursday June 23… H&C day 11 – Chisel Agility – 16,000 steps…
Today I am so grateful that Mum and Dad drove up to Perth to see us. We had a beautiful afternoon drinking coffee in Fremantle, then coming back to our little apartment for tea, then heading downstairs for dinner, then back up for more tea… It’s only a short time, but we’re making the most of every precious second…
And I’m grateful for a fun, sweaty workout (although it was kinda sucky on my knee) before breakfast, for a cute morning with Juz, for a wander through the city and a train down to Fremantle, and another walk down memory lane. Funny how vivid my memories of my uni days are…
With thanks… Friday June 24…
Today I am grateful for a sweet morning with Juz, walking around the lake our little apartment overlooks, giggling at the adorableness (adorability?) of the baby ducklings, and the cuteness of the swamp hens, and the sweetness of the black cormorants who have to spread their wings to dry their feathers cos theirs aren’t waterproof (a little inconvenient!), and looking out for the black swans we saw yesterday. There were cycle paths and bridges beneath the trees, and waterfalls and sunlight sparkling on water, and birds building nests in the cool breeze…
I’m grateful for time with Mum and Dad before they had to head back home, and for them dropping us off with our boxes and banners to set up for Supanova…
I’m grateful to Juz, as always, for helping me load in – we’ve really got it down now – and for a chilled out afternoon back in our apartment once we’d set up…
Not so happy that my knee is still really sore, but I was momentarily sensible and didn’t work out. I still passed 10,000 steps for the day though, so I don’t feel too slack…
And I’m so grateful to my sister and her hubby and their sweet girls for coming all the way up to see us, and for a fun (and hilariously funny) dinner. It was so lovely to catch up, and we’re so happy they’ll be able to pop in to Supanova tomorrow too…
With thanks… Saturday June 25… Perth Supanova day 1…
Today I’m so grateful for an awesome first day at Perth Supanova. As we walked up the steps I said to Juz: “Imagine if no one at all turned up” – then we got to the top, and the line snaked up and back and round and round, and it was an amazing day. I had people walk up and buy the trilogy without asking anything about it, and one girl asked what she should get if she hadn’t read anything of mine yet – fiction or non-fiction? I asked, Fiction, she said, so I pointed at the Mists books and she took the lot – and even a few people who said they’d already read it and loved it, and one who knew me from Witchy, Mermaid and Faery Magic, who bought the trilogy… And I even sold a few hardcover J
I’m grateful to my sister and my nieces for coming in to spend a bit more time with us (and bemused that my younger sister looks so much more mature than me in our pics, given that I was dressed as Spider Girl…).
I’m grateful to Juz for all his help, and keeping me company…
And I’m grateful for a fun night once we finished, walking through the streets of Perth in the chilly darkness, me reminiscing about gigs at the concert hall, and time wandering through the beautiful parks, and people I knew, then dinner at Dome, then home to our little apartment for cups of tea as we looked through the photos of the day…
With thanks… Sunday June 26… Perth Supanova day 2…
Today I am grateful for an awesome second day at Perth Supanova. It started off a little bit quieter than yesterday – but then it picked up, and by the end of the day I only had a couple of books left 🙂 And no need for my back up plan for left over stock!
I’m grateful that I got to catch up with a sweet friend in person, and chat comics and crystals and cute Doctor Who actors and writing…
I’m grateful to have met sweet author Jacinta Maree, aka Scarlet Witch…
I’m grateful to all the wonderful people I chatted with, and grateful for all the lovely comments, and grateful to all those who took a chance on my books…
And I’m grateful to my sweet husbee, for all his help, and for our quickest ever load out, and for his patience as I limped through the darkened city to our dinner cafe (pesky knee!), and reminisced about my uni job, and nightclubs I went to decades ago, and a life that seems so long ago… and was! Ha ha xx
With thanks… Monday June 27…
Tonight I am grateful I could meet up with three dear friends for dinner, who I hadn’t seen for far too long, and happy that we talked just as much about our lives now as we did in reminiscing about the past, and so glad that time just falls away and friendships are picked back up despite distance both geographical and time-wise…
I’m grateful for a day in Perth to chill out with Juz after the craziness of the weekend and its lead up, and for blue skies and sunshine…
I’m grateful for time down by the water, giggling at adorable ducklings, being intrigued by the elegant yet strange dance of the black swans (and cautious, on my part, cos I still remember being rather viciously pecked by one as a kid), and fascinated by the black cormorants and their strange posing – I thought they were just showing off, as they stood along the shore or on the rocks and spread out their wings, but it turns out their feathers aren’t waterproof, and they have to constantly dry them out!
And I’m grateful for most of our lengthy walk along the Swan River, well, every step until I misstepped off a pier thingie and twisted my ankle. I stubbornly hobbled on for a few more kilometres, until I finally gave up and we got the bus back to the city for lunch, and got my ankle strapped up… Sooo frustrated that I’ll have to take time off from working out 🙁 But grateful to Juz for patience and sympathy…
With thanks… Tuesday June 28…
Today I am grateful to Juz for an awesome week away, and for all his amazing help and support…
I’m grateful for a quick if slightly cramped flight home, for time to read, and to finally watch Spotlight…
I’m glad my ankle, while still really sore, is not feeling worse today…
And I’m grateful to be home in my own bed…
With thanks… Wednesday June 29…
Today I’m grateful that I made it through the day, despite my body still thinking it was 5am when I had to get up.
I’m grateful that I got heaps done at the magazines on a pesky deadline (or three). It’s all about prioritising, making lists and trying to calmly work my way through them…
While my ankle is still really sore, I’m glad it’s not getting worse. It’s frustrating being so slow though 🙂
And I’m grateful for time with Juz when I finally got home from the office, and staying up later than we should have…
With thanks… Thursday June 30…
The countdown is on! Camp NaNoWriMo starts tomorrow! Eek! But I’m looking forward to the adventure – I’m part of an awesome cabin, so we’ll encourage and inspire each other all month…
“The pages are still blank, but there is a miraculous feeling of the words being there, written in invisible ink and clamoring to become visible.”
― Vladimir Nabokov
Today I am grateful that I got heaps done at the magazines, although I had to stay late again 🙁
I’m grateful that my ankle is feeling better than yesterday – it’s driving me crazy not being able to work out!
I’m grateful for time with Juz when I finally made it home, and time to read…
And I’m happy that I got caught up on my gratitude notes, so I can start writing tomorrow with a clear slate…
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