Shine A Little Light

A weekly meme from Karen and Write from Karen.

1. How long have you been blogging? Who is your target audience? How often, if at all, do you think about quitting or taking an extended break? What do you do when you start feeling burned out with blogging?

I started blogging just over two years ago - starting out with my MySpace blog. Perhaps because I'm never sure on my target audience I never hone in and develop a steady following. I write/blog about writing (Write Anything), breastfeeding (Type A Mom), the joys of motherhood (here) and post up my short stories and other writing bits and pieces at my base blog Writing With Passionate Abandon! I'm sporadic in nature - so I blog hard core for a while, then drop off though two regular writing gigs are putting pay to just dropping off the face of the earth every now and again.

I'd never consider taking an extended break or quitting. There are days when I would prefer not to have to front up to my Type A Mom writing gig ... but I remind myself it's all experience and exposure. Plus I have information and wisdom to share. When I feel a bit burnt out - look for something fun to write about ... or consider keeping to a routine that brings me into contact with lots of interesting things to blog about.

The greatest enemy of my blogging is time - the time to sit and write!

2. What’s on your mind now?

The rain ... well it's almost 9:30pm here in Australia ... and it's been the main thing on my mind, other than the articles that needed to be written today and tomorrow ... and wondering if the rain will continue for a friends kids birthday party tomorrow.

3. If you were able to live to the age of 90 and retain either the body or the mind of a 30-year old for the last 60 years of your life, which would you want? Explain your answer, please.

I would go with my 30 year old body - because I believe that the mind, if kept active never deteriorates, whereas the body, even with the best of care and nourishment will fade and fall apart eventually.

4. What would you constitute a “perfect” evening for you?

Perfect evening - would start with not having to hang out for half an hour with my son helping him go to sleep. Someone else cooking dinner and washing up, a chance to snuggle with my partner and a book/or movie. Getting to swim under the moon before bed.

Or - if I really push the limits - having a brand new rave outfit and go dancing until the sun comes up ... and have the stamina and fitness for one night to do it!!

As a spin off from Reclaim Sex After Birth Annie and I decided to run a "Date Night Challenge". We've got couples to sign up and committ to spending two hours a week with their partner/spouse - in a date scenario.

So I mentioned this to Dave on Monday. We've already got into the habit in the last month or so of watching a DVD together on a Tuesday night - but I wanted to get us out of our comfort zone. All week I've been asking Dave what he wanted to do for date night ... and we finally decided today.

It's going to be Scrabble and a bottle of wine. Very reminiscent of our early days together as a couple.

I have to admit to feeling a bit trepidatious about the idea of wine - I really have lost the taste of it and since I'm meant to be sugar free, the idea of quoffing down liqueurs is both tempting and terrifying.

I'll be back tomorrow to share how our date night went.

You can find more information on Date Night on the Reclaim Sex After Birth blog.

As I procrastinate from returning to the cold dish water to finish off the evening's dishes ... here are my reflections for the week past and all that I am grateful for.

1. I am grateful for unexpected cheques from Centrelink in the mail, the small personal crises that arise from such windfalls and the transcendence and clarity that follows.

2. I am grateful that true friendship only builds and strengthens with time and that the Universe saw to send me the abundance and love of my beautiful soul sister all those years ago.

3. I am grateful to my gorgeous partner for giving me the freedom to roam with my bestfriends this weekend and for understanding how important that time with them was. And to not begrudge me for it.

4. I am grateful that Mr D has begun to see the value and fun in chronically life - and hope that one day he can proudly admit he started writing a journal at the ripe old age of four!

5. I am grateful for not having ripped anyone's head off or said anything that I may regret in the lead up to my moon time.

6. I am grateful to have found live green smoothies and the health benefits that I am already receiving from drinking them.

7. I am grateful for all the work that we've been putting in with Reclaim and all the ground work we did last year - and celebrating the 6th day in a row of 100+ visits to the site. Now to sell some books.

8. I am grateful to the Universe for sending us the interest and support of Pinky McKay for our Reclaim Sex After Birth book.

9. I am grateful to my soul sister for staying up way to late to read my tarot cards and to give me clarity on an issue that I have been strugglingn with.

10. I am grateful that we're coming up to the dark moon again - I feel the need to clean and downsize.

11. I am grateful that I saw Tim Minchin at the Brisbane Comedy Festival on Thursday night - and that I dragged myself out despite wishing that I was going to bed. It was more than worth the trip out. And grateful to see an artist so publicly shaming the monster that first shamed him.

What are you grateful for this week?

I've always been terrible when it comes to eating fruit. I don't mind the occassional apple - and I do love stone fruit and berries, but the problem lies in that I'm lazy about the process. I don't like the sweet sticky mess of juice running through my hand and down my arm. I get cross with having to take the time to cut the skin off (in the case of pineapple - one of my favourite fruits). Basically I'm a fruit feeb!

My Mum was never a keen fruit eater so it was never pushed when we were kids. So like anything, I never formed healthy habits with fruit. I'm am trying to change this with Mr D, encouraging him to eat fruit though it's hard when you can't lead by example.

Greens ... well I do love my greens.

A few weeks ago I discovered The Green Smoothie, which combines the health benefits of greens and fruit.

My friend Annie and her family have in the last month converted to raw foods and it was through Annie that I had my first green smoothie. Annie's been chronically their experiences at Our Journey to Raw. I will admit - I was a little horrified seeing the bok choy, the parsley (which I HATE!) and the spinach all being thrown in. I really liked it though- despite the less than appealing swamp green colour, and discovering later that the fruit base of banana (which I am allergic to)

But it didn't stop me.

Since then I've been found (don't you love the way the Universe works) by Angela Leeds and her fabulous site The Live Green Smoothie Diet and the wonderful articles What's a Live Green Smoothie Anyway? and How to make a Live Green Smoothie.

As I write this I'm quoffing a mango, pear and endive smoothie and encouraging my partner to do so. Who would have thought?

In the past half an hour the fog has lifted from my head, I feel like I can focus and finally the motivation to work is building. If only that had have been the case at 10am this morning, rather than at lunch time. Oh well.

Thanks live green smoothie!

Would you ever consider making live green smoothies part of your diet?

Image: Zugreenie compliments of Annie Evett from Our Journey to Raw

Following on from my rant about French Onion soup, and in the midst of writing a Type A Mom article on natural remedies for treatment of colds and the flu, I went back to do a little research on the essential oils we've used in the past for colds and flu. I've always loved working with essential oils but it is something that I've dropped as part of a daily practise. Being sick has reminded me of how effective they are.

As such I thought that I'd share and have in one place for myself the list, because I never seem to find the right page in Valerie Ann Worwood's The Fragrant Pharmacy - a book that EVERY home should have.

To create the following recipes for immune boosting - you need five oils

• Thyme (red preferrably)
• Tea Tree
• Eucalytpus
• Lemon
• Lavender

Based on the Handmade Natural price list excluding the thyme (which is a special order item and the price has rubbed off my bottle) you would get change from $40.00 - which is about the cost of seeing a doctor BEFORE filling your perscription. Actually, it's been that long since I last saw a doctor I have no idea what it would cost to see one.

Colds
For hot bath

• 2 drops of Thyme
• 2 drops of Tea Tree
• 1 drop of Eucalyptus
• 3 drops Lemon

Inhalation
1 drop each of

• Thyme
• Tea tree
• Lavender
• Clove

Flu
For a warm bath

• 5 drops tea tree
• 2 drop lavender
• 2 drops thyme

After bath

• 2 drops tea tree
• 3 drops Eucalyptus

Diluted in a teaspoon of almond oil (or the likes) and rubbed into the body

Teas
Clove and Lavender tea is especially good for helping combat the onset of the flu. Even though ingestion of essential oils is not usually encouraged this particular one is fantastic.

To make, create combined clove and lavender oils at the radio of 1 drop of clove to two drops of lavender in a separate bottle and clearly label.

Put one drop of the clove/lavender mix on a spoon of honey and mix with boiling water. If you don't want to take it with honey (as I do) you can put one drop straight into the water. It tastes quite foul but works a treat.

Image from The Joy of Reflexology

The mere mention of French onion soup used to conjure up images of Maggi instant soup packets, philly cheese and the horror of the spac-like filler of my mother’s French onion dip between two pieces of wholemeal bread for lunch. This was her version of a ‘gourmet sandwich’ of which I never had the heart to tell her, a peanut butter one would do just fine.

And then there’s the images of Stephen Giacometti, my partner in crime, squishing a non descript summer creepy crawlie and poking it into the same French onion dip at a New Years Eve party at our house when we were 11. I remember us, my sister included, standing around the corner giggling as adult after adult dug into the dip.

So that last thing I ever associated French Onion soup with, was comfort food. That all changed a few years ago when I decided to breastfeed beyond the first six months of Mr D’s life and I had to get creative with ways to treat myself when I was ill. I had not idea of the wonderful health benefits of onions – much less the magic that could be woven with French onion soup.

Suffering a head cold last week and worried that everyone else in the household was going to come down with it, I whipped up a pot of my French Onion soup – an adaption of one that appears in a wonderful Kate West book.

Ingredients

• 1kg brown onions – peeled and sliced thinly
• 2 cloves garlic – peeled and grated
• 30-50g butter
• 1 – 1.5l vegetable or beef stock
• 1 tbs vegemite (yeast extract) if using vegetable stock
• Cracked pepper
• Dash cayenne pepper (optional)

How to

1. Spend 10 – 20 minutes sautéing the onions in the butter over a low heat - until they are golden.
2. Add the garlic and cook for a minute, stirring to stop the garlic from sticking.
3. Stir in the stock, vegemite and cracked pepper. Bring to a low boil and simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Take off the heat and cool for at least an hour – this helps to blend the flavours and yes, you can taste the difference.
5. Re-heat the soup and serve with your favourite crusty bread.

Using a good quality organic vegetable stock or home made beef broth will enhance both the flavour and the restorative qualities of the soup (the Chinese feed their new mums broth made from ox bones because they believe it is imbued strengthening properties!) Unlike most French onion soups (commercial and restaurant ones) this soup is not salty if you get the stock right. And will help you feeling better sooner rather than later.

Monday we were at kindy gym.

At the end of the class we get out the parachute, the parents hold onto it and the kiddies get to jump the air out of it, then giggle and squeal under it as it balloons out over the top of them.

As I grabbed my section of the parachute I looked across. The lady opposite me had a SuperGirl t-shirt on and I was smiling thinking it was so apt. I realised then that she was looking at me and that my silly grin was being reflected back.

I was wearing a Wonder Woman t-shirt.

It's been two weeks since I was last here - and even though there's lots to be a grateful for, I will try and keep the list compact.

1. I am grateful for having had four days at the Sunshine coast - time to stop, relax, build sandcastles and frollic in the surf. It also meant not having to cook dinner for three nights.

2. I am grateful for surprise lunch dates and having wonderful friends who bouy me with their enthusiasm for what is going on in my life.

3. I am grateful that Dylan is enjoying going to kindy gym and to introductory gymnastics. I continue to be amazed by his fortitude and determination.

4. I am grateful I am coming from a position of building bridges rather than burning them .. and for Dan sharing the philosophy of non-resistance.

5. I am grateful for supportive and clued in writing colleagues who were able to support me through the Facebook article debacle. Now I'm just glad for the traffic going to my blog.

6. I am grateful for free tickets - and thankful to Kerry and Kylie from Mothers Toolkit for the opportunity to go to the International Women's Day Luncheon last Friday.

7. I am grateful that networking is really just talking about yourself - and oh how I love to talk, and don't mind sharing a bit about myself either.

8. I am grateful that I still have a Facebook account.

9. I am grateful that the car is still running despite a massive oil leak. It WILL go to the car doc this week.

10. I am grateful for chances to rest in bed on the weekend - even if it comes in the guise of a headcold.

11. I am grateful for a resourceful partner who managed to find me sugarfree throat lozengers - so I could have a less sore throat without the sugar rush.

12. I am grateful for the continuing adventues of the amazing shrinking woman ... I am now 7kg lighter than I was at the beginning of the year ... and revelling in the comments from friends about the glow that I currently have.

13. I am grateful it was my turn to write some Captain Juan this week - I feel as though my fiction muscles as been atrophied of late.

What are you grateful for this week?

It's time once again to pause, reflect and give thanks on the week that was (again late!)

With things back on a slightly more even keep than the have been in the past few weeks ... I should be back on track in a fortnight to start posting these wonderful lists on a Sunday evening.

1. I am grateful for the time and space that my partner's business trips bring.

2. I am grateful that I had my mother in law here to share the job of keeping Mr D amused while his Daddy was away.

3. I am grateful for high school crushes and the interesting twists they bring to life 20 years later.

4. I am grateful that the IGA down the road opens at 6am for emergency supplies of flour.

5. I am grateful that I am still moderating my sugar in take and continuing on my path as the amazing shrinking woman.

6. I am grateful for long cool glasses of mineral water and easy conversation.

7. I am grateful the Mr D is finally settling into kindy and enjoying himself.

8. I am grateful for kindy gym.

9. I am grateful for routines that fall into place without any thought or effort.

10. I am grateful for both my writing roles at Type A Mom and Write Anything for creating some structure to my writing week.

11. I am grateful for the writing courses that the Queensland Writer's Centre puts on.

12. I am grateful to have a business partner and writing colleague in Paul Anderson, and all the wonderful gifts he brings to these collaborations ... as well as being a wonderful friend.

13. I am grateful that after all this time Chinese Whisperings is starting to move forward and gain momentum.

14. I am grateful for the gifts that the Universe lavishes me with and for the moments of synchronicity.

What are you grateful for this week?

It's time to give gratitude and thanks for the week that was (very very late I know)

1. I am grateful that I horded clothes for years and was able to donate them to the Victorian bushfire survivors. I thought that I was saving them for a rainy day - seems I was waiting for a fire storm. In doing this I was able to consolidate some of the trauma I felt from the '83 Ash Wednesday bush fires.

2. I am grateful that Dylan is back at kindy full time.

3. I am grateful that I am beginning to refill my cup again.

4. I am grateful that I have my mother-in-law staying while my beloved is away.

5. I am grateful for beer at the pub and conversations about quantum physics.

6. I am grateful that I collaborate with writers who are as crazy as I am.

7. I am grateful that I can say 'I love you' to my sister.

What are you grateful for this week?

It's taken me two days to work up to writing this post. In the aftermath of the Victorian bushfires I've felt guilty about coming here to write what I have anything to be grateful for, when so many others have lost more than I can ever imagine.

I am grateful that all my family and friends, both north and south are alive, safe from fire and floods and have their homes intact. I am also grateful that out of the death, destruction and anguish that a family rift has been healed. We've been estranged from my aunt's family for the past 16 years. The fires around the Whittlesea area were the impetus for my Mum to pick up the phone and ring her sister. Now there's a new chapter to look foward to in our family history - when chapters for other families are closing forever.

My heart and thoughts go out to not just the victims of this weekend's fires, but the survivors from Ash Wednesday in 1983 and Black Friday in 1939 - who must be reliving the horror all over again.

Tomorrow I will be going through our wardrobes for clothes and Mr D's room for toys to put with loads of other donations being shipped to Melbourne from Brisbane. I will also be donating blood next week. I am grateful that I have a chance to give something despite being so far away.

It's time again to give thanks for the week that was.

1. I am grateful that I am still awake to write this post - it seems to be a mammoth effort. But I am here.

2. I am grateful that we not only survived, but enjoyed our first camping trip away as a family.

3. I am grateful for the natural beauty that is so close to Brisbane.

4. I am grateful that I am fit enough to almost climb to the top of a crazy mini mountain. Check out the facebook photo.

5. I am grateful for having partaken in some sugary food and drink last week and discovered as a consequence that sugar now gives me a hideous headache. Now I have something else to sure up my resolve to stay away from the nasty substance.

6. I am grateful for Annie's folks for putting us up at their place for two nights.

7. I am grateful to Annie for inviting us all up to the Stanthorpe show and to revel in the excitement, via Dylan, that I once had for the carnival during summer as a child.

8. I am grateful that I am still crazy enough to consider the dodge 'em cars great fun and even more grateful that the head on collision I had didn't give me a sore neck like I feared it may have.

9. I am grateful that Dave's Mum is here allowing me some time to really get stuck into my anthology editing.

10. I am grateful for the new insight for a theme for my anthology and for the new challenges it poses to the creation of the anthology.

11. I am grateful that the weather has cooled a little and that the rain held off for my washing to get dry today - no more smokey camp fire smell infusing our clothing.

12. I am grateful that my internet is running at full speed again.

13. I am grateful to be doing the Artist Way with old friends and new ones, and to have Simple Abundance by Sarah Ban Breathnach complimenting the wisdom of Julia Cameron.

14. I am grateful that I was able to devour Twilight despite having a busy weekend and spending one night without electric lighting! It will be easy to hit my February target of two books - though I might not learn much about good writing, just a little about the trascendence of a brilliant story over clumsy and immature writing!

15. I am grateful to Tallula for putting us onto the brilliant camping store - so I could get a camp fry pan, a toaster for the open fire and a few other necessities that large franchises don't bother to stock.

What are you grateful for this week past?

This week it's been the end of my creative year and the beginning (today) of a new one. It's also been ridiculously hot and humid for Brisbane, and the end of my love affair with the school holidays.

Having said that - it's the time of the week to look back and give thanks for the week that was.

1. I am grateful for airconditioning - I cannot believe that I am writing that as my number one for this week, but it's totally and utterly true. Those who know me wont believe it. I've lost my Cairns fortitude for the humidity.

2. I am grateful that I am look back and give thanks on my first year of writing .. and to also offer thanks to those who have travelled that path with me.

3. I am grateful that yesterday there was some quiet time to make card to say thank you!

4. I am grateful that I know my limitations and boundaries and that I can ask for help when needed.

5. I am grateful that I am bleeding today - one more day of PMT and the family would have relocated.

6. I am grateful that I can create a Red Tent in my head and retreat there.

7. I am grateful for good friends, good good and conversation.

8. I am grateful that it is the Year of the Ox and I feel fantastic about it!

9. I am grateful that Mr Dave and Dave spending time together is win-win-win for all of us.

10. I am grateful for discovering the pink bubbles that Annie left behind.

11. I am grateful to my beautiful friend Michelle for opening her home to us last week and allowing us to romp and play in the surf.

12. I am grateful also to my friend for Michelle for being flexible and allowing Mr D to camp out under the massage table so I could have my KaHuna body work and still allow Mr D to have the connection and sense of safety he needed.

13. I am grateful that childeren tell the truth - there are no veils, not deceptions - all you have to do is listen!

14. I am grateful that I will only have to sit through the Tale of Desperaux ONCE!

What are you grateful for this week?

It's time again to reflect back on the week that was and give gratitude and thanks.

This week it's a bit tough, as I sit here (a day late), in a less than gracious mood, being hassled by Mr D to make porridge (because they had porridge on Sesame Street) to be grateful, but I'll give it a try.

1. I am grateful for making this weekly post, because it forces me to be grateful when I'd rather be writing a list of things to be p*ssed off about!

2. I am grateful to have a new writing and editing gig at Type-A Mom in the breastfeeding section.

3. I am grateful that the Universe always knows the best place to put me - that breastfeeding is probably a far better (and safer option) for me to be in, than birth.

4. I am grateful that I might actually earn some money from writing or editing.

5. I am grateful that my partner has a sense of humour and can tease me about my friendship with Paul - calling him 'my other boyfriend' - without any element of jealousy.

6. I am grateful that my profile as a writer is increasing.

7. I am grateful that I've enjoyed most of the school holidays.

8. I am grateful that we are on the count down to the start of the kindy year (with Orientation morning this Thursday).

9. I am grateful that Mr D has been asking when kindy starts again - missing it makes m hopefuly that the transition back in will be easier than last year.

10. I am grateful for really cool, free public activities like Disco Puppy at the Ipswich Art Centre.

11. I am grateful that Mr D and I will be spending the day together doing fun stuff on Thursday.

12. I am grateful my nephew really liked the the Wedgeits that we got him for his birthday.

13. I am grateful that I am now in a better mood for having written this list!

What are you grateful for this week?

It's that time of the week again when I pause, ponder and give thanks for the week that was - and encourage you to do the same.

1. I am grateful that Pluto is out of Sagittarius and that Jupiter is moving into Aquarius - for I now feel freer and lighter, expansive and confident that I have in - well I can't remember when!

2. I am grateful for IKEA and the fact that my partner and son can assemble the flat packs without too much trouble.

3. I am grateful for Facebook hooking me out with long lost friends. I feel truly blessed.

4. I am grateful for having wonderful writing colleagues such as Annie and Paul.

5. I am grateful for having decided to compile and anthology of my short stories even though it is currently a painful process of editing and rewriting which I wish would just end. I know the end product will be worth it.

6. I am grateful to all the friends I have in Brisbane who expect nothing of me other than my friendship.

6. I am grateful that Rachael turned 40 recently - so she could have a cracking party at the Jazz Club last night.

7. I am grateful that I have given up sugar (it is now 12 days but I'm not counting) I have currently lost almost 2.5kg and it continues to drop off.

8. I am grateful that my digestive functions are getting a change to return to normal after years of abuse.

9. I am grateful that I didn't have a hangover this morning - though there was definitely a threat of it.

10. I am grateful that there seem to be enough job opportunities out there to keep my darling partner bouyed in his efforts to find a new job. I might even say one day that I am grateful to Rio Tinto for making him redundant and slashing 90% of the old Alcaneng workforce.

11. I am grateful that I have wanderlust - this means that it isn't so daunting to have a partner applying for jobs in the United Arab Emirates.

12. I am grateful to be right here, right now.

13. I am grateful that we can go to the movies and get tickest, pop corn and a frozen drink for less than $20. The Balmoral Theatre rocks!

14. I am grateful that I chose to have a down year last year and am now ready to attack this year with passionate abandon.

There's been some massive shifts in the astrological energy of late. Pluto moved out of Sagittarius ( hurray!) and into Capricorn late last year. Now Jupiter has moved into Aquarius where it will spend the rest of this year. I wouldn't normally go on too much about feeling 'shifts' etc but this time I have definitely felt the moves. That's probably not surprisingly considering that I am a Sagittarian and part of me is very glad to see the last of Pluto in my sun sign. Pluto is revolutionary and evolutionary and I'm certainly a stronger person for having survived 12 years of the Lord in my sun sign. Pluto for me feels like a heavy weight bearing down on you - at best a wet blanket. In terms of Jupiter and Aquarius - I have my natal Jupiter in Aquarius. Jupiter is also the ruling planet of Sagittarius.

Lots of things from the past few years that have seemed unmoveable or beyond my emotional resilience have, literally, just dissolved away. And part of my wonders what the big deal was? There is enough residual to remember that it was a big deal, yet now it seems hard to really comprehend how hard and difficult it was (a little like labouring I guess). I feel light, unfettered and free of the baggage of the past. It feels good!

Now with Jupiter slipping into Aquarius I am already feeling the expansion through there. Aquarius falls in my 11th house mainly, so a very Jupiter feel hitting on goals, friends, community. For the first time in a year I feel not just ready to crawl out of last years cocoon and meet the world, but feel more like my happy go lucky self. Ready to have adventures and do slightly bizarre things. Like my trip to Ikea today.

Mr D went off with Annie and her tribe, while I was planning to dump my flat packs at home, pick up my computer and go back to Annie's house. When I got to the car I realised I needed someone else to help me get the largest flat pack into the car. Looking across to the neighbouring car, I could see that there were two teenage boys there. After a few more attempts of sliding it into the wagon by myself I resolved to go over and ask a lend of a son.

If this were last year I would have thought it, cringed away from it and just battled with the flat pack.

Luck (Jove?) was on my side, because the lady with the teenage boys saw me and asked if I'd like help and sent one of the boys to lend me a hand. Then it was my turn to lend a hand.

Getting flat packs, your other assorted loose items, all your children and yourself into the car can be the real life equivalent to 3D tetris. I could hear one of the boys saying 'It's not going to fit Mum.' I was invited over to have a look and give my ideas on how it might all fit in. It didn't take long to realise that no amount of creative thinking, laying down of seats of squeezing in was going to make it all fit in. They decided that they'd need to go back upstairs and organise to have it delivered.

I couldn't help myself: "Where do you live?"

As it turned out quite a distance from where I was heading, but factoring in Mr D at Annie's place, and ignoring my 'need' for my computer (as opposed to my 'need' for a good excuse to swear off editing a short story today!) their place was actually near to where I was going. So I ended up taking Meg's flat packs in my car, followed her home to her place and voila! And the generosity worked both ways - with Meg's very generous donation towards fuel. Thanks Meg!

It's the sort of crazy thing I would never have contemplated a few months ago. I would have scurried back into my car and left - probably beating myself up on the way home for not at least offering to help. In doing this not only did I help someone out but stepped out of my comfort zone to meet someone new. How exciting!

So the Universe works in strange ways ... and, if being totally honest, I'm glad to have been made a deposit in my karma bank.

When Mystic Medusa's site goes live again (she's currently in the process of upgrarding and shifting things across into their new format) I'll post a link for some great information regarding what to expect from Jupiter in Aquarius and the impending Mercury Retrograde that kicks off over the weekend.

It's that time of the week again when it's time to pause, ponder and give thanks for the week that was.

This week was one of those lovely quiet weeks where life gets put on hold for a while and you can just hang out. It was also the week that saw one door closing and another on opening.

1. I am grateful that my neighbours are happy to co-exist happily beside me, without the need for storming my sovereign territory and exerting the idea of rulership over me.
2. I am grateful to see the end of 2008 and to embrace a new year. One that I feel offers all manner of wonderful opportunities to grow as a person, a mother, a partner and a writer.
3. I am grateful for having been able to see the dawn of a new year - and to have a pool in which to take a dip in as the sun rises on that very first morning.
4. I am grateful for having written enough stories to compile a professional anthology of short stories this month.
5. I am grateful for having the skills to be able to create above mentioned self publishing ventures and to share those skills with my fellow writers.
6. I am grateful for the fact that my connection to the creative stream has been strong.
7. I am grateful for a new year, for resolutions, action plans and the likes that provide ample fodder for blog posts and keeping goals of writing every day.
8. I am grateful to a wonderful partner who helped to clean and tidy the house over the weekend - grateful that we're almost there!
9. I am grateful that play dates have resumed and that the holidays are almost half over. And to think that I was worried that I wasn't going to cope?
10. I am grateful that we've decided to take a more active role socially and will enjoy many more wonderful bbq and social gatherings in our home and beyond.
11. I am grateful for my 4c a day funding of the ABC (Aunty) - it's the cheapest babysitting especially on New Years Day.
12. I am grateful that my partner had lots of time off over the festive season and had a chance to reconnect with Mr D.
13. I am grateful for being busy!
    

What are you grateful for this week?

You can find Give me the Grateful Life at Merlot's Mum, where the original idea comes from.

Image found at Powerful Intentions