More gratitude. More hope. More love. #26 (Happy Holidays)

And so it is Christmas time again. Let the festivities begin. 

2012 has been a big year...with joy, sadness, love and laughter. I'm so grateful to have experienced it all. 

I'm giving myself a little pat on the back for taking the leap and starting this blog, something I'd wanted to do for a while. I'm so glad I did. I feel very blessed to have shared my words and images with you, lovely friends and readers, and to have met many wonderful new people through this little blogging adventure. Thank you for your support, it is very much appreciated! 

The adventure continues next year, and I'm full of new ideas for the blog, including a  Wellness project I think will be fun! Until then... 

Wishing you all a safe and happy holiday.  

xxx

More gratitude. More hope. More love. #25 (change is in the air)

I'm in a state of flux and I have to say I'm feeling excited, a bit scared and impatient!  I want everything to have happened yesterday. To fill you in... big news here. Things are a changing.  I've decided to say goodbye to my comfy home and job in Sydney and now I'm in limbo land in sunny QLD. I do like change and all the excitement that comes with it, new possibilities, people and environments, but all the uncertainty is proving to be rather daunting.

A few weeks ago the new plans all seemed to be going very smoothly,  I was dreaming of a new house amongst trees, a veggie patch, a new job and the picture was taking shape....and then I hit a bump in the road that brought me straight back to reality and the picture faded away. Sigh, doesn't reality suck sometimes! For the moment, a new house, veggie patch and job are still unknown and I'm trying to practice more patience. You know when you hold on too tightly to an idea and in the process kind of strangle it? Well... I think I was holding on too tightly, wanting everything to happen quickly without laying the foundations properly, and now I've taken a step back,  breathed out, and trying to let things happen more naturally. Learning to trust.  I'm feeling lighter already and shifting my energies to celebrating the last days of the year with friends and families and basking in the delightful season of Summer.

I haven't given up on dreaming just yet though, and as Anais Nin said so eloquently, 

"Throw your dreams into space like a kite, and you do not know what it will bring back, a new life, a new friend, a new love, a new country".   

Gratitude for change and all that it brings, warts and all. 

More gratitude. More hope. More love. #24 (birthdays and laughter)

Yesterday, the 12.12.12, was my Dad's 79th birthday. The last in the run of family birthdays for the year. It was a bit of a strange birthday, but I won't go in to that here. We laughed, ate homemade banana and date cake made by moi and celebrated a truly awesome man with a heart of gold.  Dad has taught me many things over the years and he makes me want to be that bit stronger, braver and to live more courageously each day.

Image: Ma and Pa living it up in Narrabeen, NSW 1972. 

More gratitude. More hope. More love. #23 (summer lovin')

...had me a blast...summer lovin' happened so fast.

There's no mistaking that Summer has arrived; warmer, lighter days that extend into the early evening and wild evening thunderstorms. Yesterday was one of the hottest days on record for this time of year and I coped oh so badly! Humidity and heat never used to bother me, I used to seek it out, but since I've had chronic fatigue it really tires me out and leaves me wiped out. So I spent the day mostly tucked away inside, cooling down with mint ice cubes and this kind of like ice-cream blend I made in the evening... frozen almond milk, fresh vanilla, raspberries and a hint of xylitol for sweetness. Delicious. 

Aside from the odd too hot to handle day I treasure Summer for the long days and care free spirit it brings. The shedding of heavy clothes, evening swims, salt water on skin, magical sunsets, road trips, dancing outdoors, picnics, lazy days reading in the shade, cooling down in the darkness of the cinema and all the richly coloured summer fruits....oh how I love cherries, nectarines, straws and raspberries.

So for this new season I am grateful.

Images: favourite red sandals; sunset on my doorstep

More gratitude. More hope. More love. #22 (sunday under the trees)

This is what happens when you sit under the shade of the trees, resting, watching, taking it all in....a bird goes by, then another, and then one comes closer to eat the crumbs near your feet and once done flies back to sit on its perch, then you spot a lizard basking in the afternoon sun, you notice a cute black poodle sprawled out having an afternoon nap, you delight in the cool breeze on your back...ahhh, this is peace and contentment on a sunny Sunday afternoon.

I hope you all had a little time to replenish and breathe in some fresh air over the weekend x.

More gratitude. More hope. More love. #21 (gathered natural objects)

I've been a little distracted this morning, avoiding mostly mundane tasks, and went a wandering through Pia Jane Bijkerk's My Heart Wanders  project. That lead to this, and I stopped my wandering, happy and grateful to have found a peaceful spot to rest for a while. I think you'll agree it's very easy to get lost in the shapes, forms, textures, colours and details of these beautifully crafted gathered objects of nature.

Mary Jo Hoffman posts one image, daily of gathered natural objects found near her home in Minnesota for her project STILL, one I've added to my growing treasure chest of daily inspiration.

All images by Mary Jo Hoffman.

More gratitude. More hope. More love. #20 (bougainvillea in bloom)

A few glimpses from the weekend. The sun was out and bougainvillea flowers were in full bloom. My camera arrived back home safely from the repair shop, yippee, and I got straight back to playing around with the many mysterious functions I still have no idea how to use. Gratitude for the bright bold colours of the bougainvillea flower. And speaking of spreading more gratitude... Jodi at Che and Fidel  is grateful for the support she's had for her lovely blog. She's created a beautiful and calm space sharing tidbits on daily life. She's sharing the love around with a christmas giveaway, including lots of eco friendly and handmade items.

photos...1. I loved this fresh tea, it was so calming and cooling. I drank it lukewarm and it was halfway between a tea and a cool drink. / 2. The ingredients of the amazing tea...fresh lemon, fresh ginger and mint. / 3. Bougainvillea in full bloom. They always remind me of Cambodia and there was some sweet synchronicity going on when I got a text later that day from my lovely friend Emma (who also lived in Cambodia) sharing her gratitude for the divine scent of frangipani's that remind her of Phnom Penh. Awesome! / 4. The garden path leading to the 'truest room in the whole damn house' (i couldn't go past borrowing this line from one of my favourite Regina Spektor songs, Reading time with pickles). / 5. what a great home entrance.

More gratitude. More hope. More love. #19 (the birthday season)

Birthday season is upon our family again. We have one birthday in each of the months of October, November and December. Today it's my mum's. It'll be a fairly simple affair with flowers, Spanish for dinner and a few surprise parcels to open. We feel in love with these cluster-flowered roses, also known as the 'The Sweetheart Rose', easy to see why. They do hint back to days of first dates and blossoming love (us girls did a good job picking them on behalf of our dad). Roses do tend to fall into the cliched flower pile, but on this occasion they were perfect to express the sentiment we wanted to share. Mum you're a little bit special (ok a whole lot of special!) and we love you. Happy birthday Mum x

More gratitude. More hope. More love. #18 (you have to be brave)

More love. Yes please! 

Today's Literary Jukebox on Brain Pickings is a playful passage on falling in love by Jeannette Winterson, matched with 'Falling' by Nitin Sawhney. If you haven't checked out Literary Jukebox yet, you must! It's the brainchild of Maria Popova, combining her love of literature and music. Each day she matches a favourite book passage with a thematically related song. It's definitely an add to your day with changing insightful and inspiring musings from brilliant authors and musicians.  

Along with gratitude for all the creativity and inspiration flowing through the world I'm also super grateful that my camera is still under warranty and I don't have to fork out cash that is not in abundance right now to get it repaired. I am very happy indeed!

What awe-inspiring online spaces do you visit for your fix? Share away in comments below x

More gratitude. More hope. More love. #17 (i love a good cafe)

Gov's Espresso Cafe

It's the weekend and I'm loving it! We've been driving past this cafe for months and commenting that we'd like to check it out. Today we got the chance to pop in for lunch and it was like walking into an old barn. Wooden tables and chairs, antiques, old lampshades, velvet cushions and hay scattered around the place. 

Gratitude for the divine watermelon and mint juice at Gov's, and the massage I'm about to have. 

More gratitude. More hope. More love. #16 (the changing beauty of nature)

I collected this broken shell and made a necklace

Bare feet on warm sand. Scattered clouds. The beauty of a muted beach palette on a cloudy day. Pale sand, pale blue sky and pale green waters. All with a hint of silvery light that happens on a cloudy day. The calm ocean, a boat sailing out to sea, white shells and slate stones. A woman in a striped bathing suit under a faded red umbrella. The water was warm, and as I walked home refreshed from my swim the clouds disappeared and changed the colours of the beach and it became a new picture. 

Gratitude for the changing beauty of nature. 

Psst...My camera is in the repair shop. It stopped working the day I decided to remind myself of f-stops and shutter speeds and other manual settings. Hopefully it will be returned soon as the only camera I have access to is on my computer. A bit of a hiccup for gratitude posts. While I may not be posting gratitude posts for a bit I'll definitely be continuing to practice gratitude daily, it's addictive, and of course the whole point is to bring gratitude into everyday living. 

More gratitude. More hope. More love. #15 (mint and meditation)

29.10.12 
A quiet ol' day today. I cleared out the fridge to make room for fresh veg, eggs and other goodies. Mostly I just moved items from shelf to shelf but there were a few nasty looking olives and leftovers that had to go. I hate to waste food and was happy that although the droopy bunch of mint looked rather sad it was still salvageable.  I filled each ice cube with a few sprigs of mint and voila! mint ice cubes ready for hot summer days.

I spent time reading a new book on managing fatigue. It talks a lot about finding a balance between activities that expend energy and those that renew.  Meditation is one activity that calms my nervous system and renews my energy. I love the feeling of stillness and calm afterwards. Even though I know it's good for me, I struggle with a regular practice. I fire up for a short while, practice everyday, then bam, something happens and the practice drops off. I went with the motivation I felt today and took myself to a new Peace Meditation class up the road. It was the kick up the bum I needed!

Gratitude for a slow-paced day and the ancient practice of meditation. Hari om.

More gratitude. More hope. More love. #14 (Birthday)

12.10.12

What better way to start the day than to wake to brilliant blue skies, a kitchen filled with brightly wrapped presents, the smell of freshly baked carrot cake and my loved ones around. Yes, it was my birthday! My one wish for the day was simple, to spend a few wonderful hours with family. My birthday wish was granted! 

Glimpses of the day....Lemongrass tea, coffee and English breakfast tea...the warmth of the sun on our faces...clouds drifting overhead....beautiful birthday wishes from friends near and far...dad letting out a big guffaw when I told someone I had turned 25 (wink wink), when really I was newly 37....mmmm carrot cake and cream cheese icing.

My heart is warmed with love. I am so grateful for the unconditional love of my family.

beautiful birthday wrapping mum style, it takes serious concentration to undo the tight knots and folds of paper. / sweet smelling handmade soap. / photos of my family - my 2nd birthday party. / dad 'ring a ring o' roses' my 2nd birthday party. / mum, my older sister and me. 

More gratitude. More hope. More love. #13 (to market, to market)

29.09.2012

Neon lights, cheap cocktails and Sizzler. The Gold Coast isn't my first choice of a place to live, but I'm a firm believer that you can make any place work, for a short time at least. All it takes is a bit of time to uncover the good stuff, and once found get busy doing it. Finding myself living here I've started exploring and the south end of the GC is definitely my pick. 

In 'new town' exploration mode I spent a few Saturdays ago at the local farmers markets in Palm Beach.  The market was in full swing by 11am as I did my usual zip around before buying anything just to check out what was what and where the treasures were. I ate my way through samples at the pear & apple stall and silently pronounced the names of my  two favourite Greek biscuits koo-rah-bee-YAY-dehs [kourabiedes]  and  meh-toh-mah-KAH- roh- nah [melomakarona], at the Greek stall. It wouldn't be a complete market experience without a freshly brewed chai and live music under the shady trees. 

To market, to market to buy a strawberry,

Home again, home again, delighted and merry.

(ok...we might have come home with a wee bit more than that...deep purple beetroot, a variety of crisp leafy greens*, freshly baked sourdough bread and a few heavenly Greek biscuits!). 

Gratitude for finding the things I love in new places and fresh food. 

*p.s. I'll post a few recipes using the greens soon.

More gratitude. More hope. More love. #12

27.09.12

Life is better with a good book.

I'm back. Full to the brim with gratitude. Days worth of it in fact. I'm slowing realising how much thought and energy is needed to keep up with regular posts. A challenge I'm up for. 

Thursday last week was spent soaking up the sunshine with Ness, browsing shops and surrounding myself with words, words, words - crosswords and books. 

Books are my first true love, mostly fiction. No matter what is happening in my life I can always pick up a book and lose myself in a story. I've always been that way. I used to wake up early as a kid to fit in maximum reading time before school and would fall asleep with a book lamp and book in hand at the end of the day.  I remember travels in terms of books I read at the time- The Lover in Vietnam, Picnic at Hanging Rock in London and Shiver in the Gold Coast (last week).  

This week I discovered an awesome social enterprise Brotherhood books , an online second-hand bookstore initiative run by the Brotherhood of St Laurence. The Brotherhood do GOOD stuff! You get a book at a good price whilst supporting an awesome charity and keeping more stuff out of landfill. A total win-win situation! Another favourite is my local second-hand bookstore Desire Books in Sydney, run by the very lovely and creative Katy, and her partner.  

Gratitude for the opportunity to bury my nose in a book and for the places it takes me. 

I'd love to hear what some of your favourite books so please do share. 

More gratitude. More hope. More love. #11

26.09.12
A Handy Tip for the Easily Distracted.

I could watch Miranda July for hours and remembered this clip as I was looking for inspiration and distraction. Oh the irony! 

Feeling grateful for the inspiration this clip sparked in me again.

More gratitude. More hope. More love. #10

25.09.12

More gratitude. More hope. More love. #9 (Gluten & sugar free blueberry muffin recipe)

24.09.12
Gluten and sugar free blueberry muffin goodness. 

I love baking with the music turned up and was grateful to have time in the afternoon to indulge this pleasure. I made these lovely muffins singing along to Regina Spektor's - 'What we saw from the cheap seats'. 

I adapted and halved the recipe from gluten-free goddess.
Makes 6 muffins.

Ingredients:
1 cup plain gluten free flour (mix from packet)
1/4 cup xylitol
1 teaspoons double acting baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup olive oil
1.5 free-range organic eggs, beaten
1/4 cup almond milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla paste (the paste makes all the difference- expensive but worth it)
1 cups frozen blueberries

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Grease a 12-muffin tin- as I was only baking 6 I filled the empty tins with water so they would cook evenly.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flours, xylitol, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Add in the olive oil, eggs, almond milk, and vanilla and beat to combine. Continue beating for 2 minutes until the batter is smooth. It should not be overly wet or too dry- this batter is a fairly moist batter, akin to thick cake batter. If the flour has absorbed too much liquid and the batter appears dryish, add another tablespoon of almond milk to loosen it. Stir in the blueberries by hand, using a big spoon.

Using a spoon, drop the batter into the 6 muffin cups, leave the top a bit messy with a bit of a peak and the muffins will rise nicely. Bake in the center of the oven for 22-25 minutes, until risen and golden brown. A cake tester inserted into the center should emerge clean.

Cool on a wire rack of five minutes, then turn out the muffins to continue cooling on the rack. Delicious when still warm.

More gratitude. More hope. More love. #8

23.09.12

Today I'm greedy and sharing two things I'm grateful for both under the theme of art and creativity. 

Most radio stations in the Gold Coast are either stuck in the 80's and 90's or play the worst of commercial pop and rock! I was screaming out for decent music, interviews..anything but another furniture store ad or Billy Idol song.  Finally I stumbled across ABC Gold Coast just in time to listen to Clare Bowditch discussing touring with Leonard Cohen and her exploration with happiness for her new album 'The Winter I Chose Happiness'. 
This interview in SMH is very similar.

Dreamy carnations a pleasure to the eye. 

More gratitude. More hope. More love. #7

22.09.12