30 Days of Happiness - Day 12

Happiness is...


A decadent, creamy hot choccie for mamma and


a chocolatey cino for bubsy. Mmmmmm.

30 Days of Happiness - Day 11

Happiness is...

Need I say more?

Grumpalot and the Crochety-Witch

Yes, despite my 30-days of Happiness, I have been dwelling in the land of Grumpalot behaving like a right old fish wife for the last week. In my defence I have been heavily, pre-menstrually hormonal and therefore a bit of a weepy, irritable and waspish mess. This leads directly to Grumaplot without passing go and without getting anywhere near $200.

So - I have been trying not to give in to it and have focused my attention on the little things in the day that make me happy. (*Generally anything containing chocolate). And I have found happiness every day which has been uplifting if only for a moment or two.

The second reason for my Crotchety-Witchypooness is due to my darling daughter deciding to wake up at 5am instead of 6am for the last 3 days. She has also been waking up screaming at 12.30 every night for the last 3 weeks, necessitating the Hubble moving into her roome very night from then until morning! Lonely bed for mummy and uncomfortable nights for Daddy. Our sofa bed needs throwing out to be honest. Every time you get into it all the blood rushest to your head! It's never been the same since the stupid 12 year old removalists we hired let it drop out of the unsecured back of the removal van. These are also the boys who put our microwave on top of our beautiful wooden table with nothing in between resulting in two deep scars in the wood! Dickheads!

Third reason for crochety state is that aforementioned darling daughter has stopped eating anything remotely resembling food and osscilates between demanding 'Bic! bic!' (her word for biccies) and 'Weeuws' (her word for, you guessed it, the Wiggles). this has been very frustrating for me because she flat out refuses to even taste the food in front of her most of the time. If she does eat it she will pick out the pasta, or the cheese and leave whatever veggies are in it. It drives me craaaayyyyzeeeeee.

So - for these three reasons I have been less than chipper in general. I have been short tempered with Hubble and frustrated with bubsy. I have also been beyond tired. If there is something magical that I can do that will make me feel somewhere approaching human, I would be glad to know of it. I am taking vitamins and tonics from the naturopath but still I feel like a washed out dishrag.

Anywhoo, I am about to begin week 3 of my 30-day meditation programme and I am slowly working my way through all the of the tasks in my Artists Way. It's been interesting to see from where the blows have come to my creativity. It took me a few days to remember the abusive principal of my post-graduate drama course in Oxford and the way he systematically made my life a living hell. He is, for the record, a tool. A tool who should NEVER, EVER be allowed to teach - ANYONE. I won't go into the horrible, stupid and selfish things he did to us as students nor the very obvious dislike he had for me. I told him I thought he was a terrible teacher (though no perhaps with a tad more diplomacy than he ever used)so I at least didn't lie down and let him walk all over me like some of the more timid students did. He was responsible for almost destroying my love of Shakespeare - thankfully it was rescued by a lovely voice teacher from The Royal Shakespeare Company at the end of the course. Anyway, as an actor he made me feel less than useless and he never took a single minute to think about the way he talked to me or whether what he said was an honest appraisal or just vindictiveness. Mostly it was the latter. Like the day he told me taht I had never felt anything deeply, he could tell by my eyes. I was, at that moment in time, in the midst of the most painful separation of my life and was struggling to stay on top of a crippling year long depression (only realised in hindsight). Like I said. A tool.

So - the creative process is unfolding, the wounds are being revealed, the scabs are being peeked under and the healing is underway. At least I hope it is!

I'm going to grump off now to the coffee table for a muffin and some tea.

30 Days of Happiness - Day 10

Happiness is...




Freshly baked Pear, Ginger and Dark Chocolate muffins (thanks Docwitchy!)


and


hair long enough to go into a pony tail!

30 Days of Happiness - Day 9

Happiness is...

The Night.

Because the Night...

belongs to lovers...

and all who dream...

and wish upon a star...

and let that dark stillness in.

You know you a part of an intelligent Universe when nature produces wonders like the Aurora Borealis and we have only to look through a telescope or a pair of binoculars to see the spectacular beauty of creation right above us in the night sky.

My dream is to one day see the Aurora Borealis for myself.

Photographs (most from Flickr) in order:
Sea of Tranquility by Storm Cript
Starry Night by Paul Lawley Jones
Galaxy by unknown
Aurora Borealis by Fjalarinn
Aurora Borealis by Kristian Karijord
Skywatcher by Susan Seddon Boulet

Here's wishing you sweet dreams.

30 Days of Happiness - Day 8

Happiness is...


A good fire in the hearth on a cold, wet, Winter's day.

I have a bit of a thing about the element of fire in general. Perhaps I was a pyromaniac in my last life - tis possible. I find that just having a fire in the hearth makes me feel somehow more positive about everything. Like a cat, I gravitate as close to it as I can get without getting paws burnt or whiskers singed. I long to simply curl up and stare into its dancing orange flames until I am absorbed. In my post, The Stillness We Seek I have talked about a deep spiritual experience that occurred while fire gazing. I love that if you look hard enough you can just make out the dancing Salamanders, leaping lightly from log to log in search of more flame to consume. I (figuratively) want to be consumed by it too. Like the Phoenix, I long to be reborn from the ashes, cleansed and renewed.
Can you see the Phoenix in the flames?


My favourite evening is one in front of the fire with a good book, a cheeky glass of Merlot and some choccy.

*Note to the Sod's Law Fairy - I DO NOT want to be caught in a fire, have my house burn down or otherwise be involved in any kind of unwanted fire shennanigans!

30 Days of Happiness - Day 7

Happiness is...

Mini-Video Stardom courtesy of the Emily Everywhere Blog.

It is also...

driving through

the very atmospheric early morning mists of the Dandenongs. Oh, you can almost taste the magic.


Getting up close and personal with our very inquisitive neighbours.


Next to cheese and sleep, Kitty's idea of heaven is a bar of Organic Roasted Hazlenut & Coffee choccie. (Sorry Hubble, I couldn't resist).

30 Days of Happiness - Day 6

Happiness is...


anything with cheese and...


...an unexpected opportunity to sleep.* Oh, what bliss.

Daddy stayed home from work today and I was able to go back to bed for an hour or two. Then it was time for Lily's early nap, so there was another hour and a quarter. I then read in bed while my man brought me muffins smothered in marmite and tea before finally hauling myself out of my cosy little nest and going for a walk in the forest in the rain. And tomorrow is my official day off!

*Aphrodite by Susan Seddon Boulet

How's the Serenity

Photograph 'Absolute' by Imapix

I have to say that if my meditation looked anything like this or even inspired in me the same kind of feeling as this photograph does, I'd be well on my way to enlightenment.

There are some people out there (on flickr!) who seem to be able to catch the pure, unadulterated spirit of nature in a way that makes your breath catch and your heart ache. I have experienced moments like this back home in the UK, a simple garden at twilight, a ring of stones shrouded in early Autumn mist, a church veiled in spring rain, the first heavy frost of Winter gilding the ordinary. All of a sudden the world shakes off its cynical grey and reveals itself to be a pulsing heart of vibrant and unearthly beauty. These moments make the Soul sway with longing and the heart expand, wanting once more that deep connection to something unameable, something more, something we sense is there, just on the edge of our consciousness, but tantalisingly out of reach. Or perhaps that's just me.


Brilliant by Imapix

It is this feeling of deep, rich, full-bodied connectedness that I am seeking in my meditations. A chance to rest in the stillness and the beauty of the Beloved. To be held in the strong arms of peace and know myself again. Truly know myself. It has been one full week of 5am rising and disappearing into my meditation room. Though I have not yet even touched the surface of what is possible, especially for someone like me - plagued as I am by a busy, stubborn mind, I still sense something shifting softly. A touch more patience here, a breaths more control there. I have not dipped into the silence for more than a few seconds but I feel that I have at least begun the journey towards it. And this is enough. For now.

The Artists Way is still at my side and I have been slowly working through all the tasks for week one and have been doing my morning pages faithfully if without much consciousness. It's early people! I enjoy them - they make me feel one step closer to realising some long cherished goals and I have to say that again, this is enough. I am proud of the commitment I have made to myself and to my own journey of unfolding. I am becoming though quite what I am not sure. It is good. I can feel a sense of hopefulness permeating my everyday life and it is linked to my need to share my 30 Days of Happiness. There is a childlike charm and anticipation about what I will share each day and what I can show here that reflects how blessed I feel, even when life is less than perfect. But then, I am a great believer in imperfectly perfect being just right for me.

Well, as I slip away to yet another evenings meditation before bedsie, I will leave you with a love poem from Rumi - a man who knew a lot about Serenity and even more about the touch of the Beloved.

Some Kiss We Want



There is some kiss we want with

our whole lives, the touch of



spirit on the body. Seawater

begs the pearl to break its shell.



And the lily, how passionately

it needs some wild darling! At



night, I open the window and ask

the moon to come and press its



face against mine. Breathe into

me. Close the language- door and



open the love window. The moon

won't use the door, only the window.



Translator: Coleman Barks

30 Days of Happiness - Day 5

Happiness is...

Watching my wee girl demolish a Baby Cino - look out!


Ah, so dainty with her tiny cup.


Lips pursed with concentration, Lily works on her next masterpiece. Crayons and crayon roll kindly provided by DocWitch.


Eating spaghetti for the first time!


It looks like I painted her doesn't it?


Lily and Daddy moments - so precious.


Playing hidey with Daddy


Where's Daddy?

30-Days of Happiness - Day 4

Happiness is...


Spending a lazy Sunday wandering around the beautiful city of Melbourne.


I do love the architecture of Melbourne - its a shame they don't build them like this any more. Looking out over the river makes it an even more special view.


Rambling around the artists market on St Kilda Road.


Trying to resist the urge to buy, buy, buy!


Little felt elf booties for a pregnant friend. I just couldn't resist!


And a little sumthin sumthin for mummy. I do love these beautiful old burlesque photos. Not a very good image I'm afraid but hopefully its visible enough.

30 Days of Happiness - Day 3

Witchy-pooness


The house of my dreams. The house where they filmed Practical Magic.


Kim Novak from Bell, Book & Candle - one of my favourite movies. She is one foxy witch.


Once Upon A Time by Ben on Flickr


Standard witch wear by Boopsie.daisie on Flickr


Kate Bush - one of my all time favourite singers.


Every home should have one.


Of Darksome Night and Shining Moon - photo by Tim Hartridge go here to find out more about what he does and to see some more of his amazing photography.

I feel that this will be a subject to which I return many, many times.

30 Days of Happiness - Day 2

30 Days of Happiness - Day 2 - Happiness is beautiful friends...


Me, my wee sprite, Kath and her wee sprite Lana, at Lily's First Birthday Party



Lily, Lana and Kath


MoonTurtle and Isis-Rose - witchypoo sisters

...and coming home to my lovely wee hoosie at the end of a long day.



Me wee hoosie