sunshine, an interesting idea and 12 extraordinary friends

this week has been tough, and so it felt awesome to wake up to glorious sunshine this morning, and somehow find a way to keep sneaking outside to get a sunshine fix

hmmmm an idea has been planted in my head like a seed..... and it feels like it has already started to sprout

words cannot describe how blessed I am to have such amazing friends.... tonight we all went out for pizza and, despite my current tricky circumstances, I felt like I was the luckiest person in the restaurant.... I have magnificent friends :)

knowledge, pink sky and a message

sometimes all you need to feel a little better is some knowledge, some answers and a path to follow

after a grey day it felt like the universe was saying, hey ! its all good !!! with it's beautiful pink sky that glowed over the ocean

a message from Jeff made me really smile today.... the kind of smile that seems to make your whole being warm and fuzzy

underwater, day by day and university challenge

I have a new rule (well, Jeff kind of set it..) that whenever I go for a SUP, even on the coldest, darkest, winter day, I have to dunk myself. To be honest I pretty much always jump in for a swim, but there are days when it feels like I should try and stay dry and warm..... today was one of those....but I jumped in, swam under the cold, grey water for a bit and came up feeling refreshed and very pleased with myself

this week was always going to be hard, but I am trying to remember that each week can only ever have 7 days in it, so with each day and it's tricky moments, it is one less to contend with.....

we have watched Univeristy Challenge on a Monday night for as long as I can remember..... most of the time, the questions are so ridiculously hard that I can't begin to answer them. But every now and then, I get on a little lucky streak and give the geeky contestants a run for their money.... well....almost :)

spring flowers, wow this is kinda fun and very kind man

there is a beautiful plum tree in the garden, and over the past few days I've been watching little green buds turn into tiny white flowers.... spring is coming, and it smells good...

who knew ?! today I spent an hour or so doing our budgets, and I actually kinda enjoyed it !! huh..

tonight I had to call the bank in Aus, and the guy I spoke to, and the conversation that followed was so unlike any communication I have ever had with a bank.... I got off the phone with a little more faith in human kindness

a friend who'll do chores with you, planning time together and a nature show

you know a great friend, when they want to come along for the ride when you're doing chores, just so you can hang out

wow, we're actually planning time together... which means I'm going home very soon...

there is something so relaxing about watching a nature show.... I don't know whether it is the fact that you spend a whole hour learning about the planet rather than the people, or the beautiful and inspiring images, or just the soothing voice of the presenter... love them

Mum's kindness, the stillness of fog and a very good person

sometimes I am blown away by the kindness shown to me by my mum....she's always looking out for me, always there for me, and always ready to help put a smile on my face

the past few days have been super foggy, and up here, on top of a hill, we feel stranded. I love the stillness and anonymity of it all.

this afternoon I was reminded just how awesome someone was, always ready to help us out and shine a little perspective on to our situation.

just do it, unsubscribing, and team work

I got a sucky email last night that resulted in a lot of worrying and fretting.... but when I woke up this morning I realised the only sensible thing to do was to tackle it head on and get the job done.... as soon as I started it didn't seem like such a big deal anymore

today I spent some time unsubscribing from things that don't bring me any happiness..... status updates from people I don't count as great friends, pointless emails that clog up my inbox and old messages and connections that don't serve me anymore.... felt pretty damn good

another day at home, so we call got stuck in to the wallpaper scraping and pretty much finished the job.... what a team :)

wallpaper scraping, hanging out and a happy sticker

started the pretty lengthy job of scraping off all the old school wood chip wallpaper in my sister's old room..... turns out its actually a pretty therapeutic job

might sound silly, but it has been awesome just to hang out at home with the folks today.... both Mum and Dad are kinda housebound and so it was nice to hang out together and just enjoy everyone being together. Dad and I ventured out this afternoon to get some inspiration for dinner, and came home and made a super delicious steak au poivre with green beans and frites....yum

a little sticker arrived in the post the other day, and I have decided to stick it on my laptop so I am sure to see it every day.... it has a smiley whale on it and says LIVE SIMPLY

delicious sushi, Dad back home and wunderkit

Mum and I sneak into town whilst Dad gets ready to leave hospital..... we eat delicious sushi.....mmmm teriyaki salmon, edaname beans, prawn gyoza and avocado and chive rolls....oh so good

so nice to come home with Dad this afternoon.....we all sit around reading in the sunshine

another awesome app to keep all my projects in one place...... yup, I'm a geek, but a happy one at least :)

low tide paddle, green of the sea and togetherness

an paddle around St Brelades Bay feels almost brand new because the tide is so low.....feels like a totally different place

stoked to paddle twice today, and loved the colour of the sea when Jess and I cruised round to Belcroute.... the most beautiful deep green

pretty scary evening with Dad going into hospital, but felt good to all be together as a family when it matters the most

wunderlist, leftovers and re-jiggle

today I found an awesome app called wunderlist.... it helps me make awesome lists and stops me from carrying around a zillion different notebooks.... love it already

mmmmm baby spinach, goats cheese truffles and capsicum dip on rye toasts..... gotta love leftovers

ha ha my brilliant budgeting took a bit of a hit today from Jeff and his not so brilliant pub fever.... but with a little re-jiggling and some tender words, I managed to re-balance our bank account :)

job done, sunset attitude and cartoons

I was asked to do a catering job for some friends, and so spent most of my day yesterday prepping and cooking..... mission on this morning to get everything ready, but it all went to plan and everyone was stoked....including me

I love Jess's attitude.... I text her today to ask her what time she wanted to meet for pizza tomorrow, and she sent me a message back saying' shall we time it to catch a mega sunset ?' ....

pretty happy to flick the tv on and find Surfs Up just starting tonight, nothing like a good cartoon to settle in on a sleepy evening

a definite answer, booking a flight, and scoring a parking spot

after 8 weeks of waiting and wishing I finally have a definite answer..... it isn't the perfect one, but I'm pretty happy just to have something concrete to go on

yaaaay..... I booked a flight home today..... it's countdown time :)

we went to Nat and Daves for dinner, and it's always a mission to find a parking spot nearby....so I smiled when I cruised up to the top of their road and found an empty spot waiting for me

tone of voice, budgeting and vanilla yoghurt

this might sound silly, but I can tell that Jeff is happier just from the tone of voice on his voicemail message....every time I hear it, it makes me smile

yikes....something that I normally hate was actually pretty enjoyable today....I spent a few hours doing sums and sorting out our budget... felt good to be in control

I love love love vanilla yoghurt... I know it's not fancy, and there are a zillion more exciting flavours, but it's my favourite and I'm sticking to it

technology, good deeds and fitting yoga in

wow, this morning I took part in a webinar with a bunch of people who are training to be life coaches.... technology is pretty awesome

spent some time cooking some yummy stuff for Alex & Paul today.... they are pretty flat out looking after baby Jack so it was nice to do something nice for them

I've been pretty stoked on how disciplined I've been with my yoga recently....its been about 6 weeks since I started doing an hour every day.... and love how I manage to sneak it in at some point even if I can't make it happen first thing

I heart it, a desk to sit at and lovely words

I've stumbled upon an awesome website that helps you find beautiful and inspiring images and create your own online collection

after a few weeks of using the desk to store things and generally a place to throw stuff on, I cleared it out and really enjoyed actually sitting at a desk

Elsie sent me a message today with words I know I will cherish

fringe cut, fun dinner and calypso on the way home

I love that, if you feel like you need a change, you can get a fringe cut for free and with appointment.... awesomeness

dinner with Jess and Wag is always fun....... filled with laughter, yummy food, wine and good times

On my drive home I tuned into an amazing radio show about the history of calypso.... I love stumbling on a little gem like that

scoring the best part of the day, meeting someone brand new and re-reading

I woke to blazing sunshine.... so I raced down to the beach, jumped into my slightly freezing wetsuit and went for an early paddle... it was on my way back home for breakfast that I realised the clouds had come over and the weather was getting worse. Feels so good to score the best part of the day

today I made somebody brand new.... little baby Jack..... he's gorgeous and tiny and it was such a pleasure to hang out with him, Alex and Paul and just see how much love is in that household

sometimes it is good to re-read books that you have loved.... and if, like me, your circumstances have changed since you last read it, it feels like you are learning awesome new lessons all over again

frosty start, sunbeams and hawaiian inspiration

an early start to grab some croissants was made twice as nice by making a detour via the beach to breathe in the frosty-ness and sea air

I managed to sneak my way into sunbeams at various times in the day, and close my eyes and enjoy the glow on my skin

I've found a blog that I love, that gives me a tropical hit every time I need one.... Hawaiian art, design and lifestyle.... makes me smile

admin, double good news and family feast

sometimes it's good to sit down at a desk and actually sift through all the admin and random bits of paper that have been floating around...

wow, this upward spiral keeps on going :) I was stoked to get one bit of good news today, and then blown away 25 minutes later when another awesome bit of news came my way

a family dinner tonight...... it was fun cooking up a mexican feast, it was fun

upward spiral, light at the end of the tunnel and garlic

today was proof that upward spirals exist.... we all believe in downward spirals (those days when one bad thing follows another), but somehow we lose faith in the upward spirals, where one positive thing leads to another. Why if we're so certain that one exists, do we question the other ? Well today was one of the good ones..... where every job I had to do worked out awesome, and I skipped from one bit of good news to the next

at last ! some light at the end of the tunnel !!! closure..... and the opportunity to start fresh..... so excited to be heading home soon

ahhhh roasted garlic..... so incredibly divine, it's sweet stickiness and amazing flavour

hot cross buns, making the decision and epic roasted veggies

sometimes you get something in your head, and you just can't think of anything else. Today is was hot cross buns......mmmmm toasted with butter..... so I rushed out and bought some, and rushed home to get them in the toaster...

when you're in the middle of a sucky day, a downward spiral, there is always the opportunity to knock it all on the head and make the decision to turn your feelings around and do something that makes you feel happy again

wowzers, tonight's dinner was truly delicious..... roasted sweet potato, parsnips, garlic and potatoes sprinkled with sesame seeds, raw baby spinach, roasted capsicum, fennel, tomato, red onion and zucchini with a little balsamic vinegar, drizzled with a homemade pesto dressing, and a little goats cheese crumbled on top...... yum yum yum yum yum

excitement about the sea, play date and awesome news

feel pretty happy about the shift that has taken place inside of me over the last few weeks.... I wake up now and the first thing I do is look at the beach, is there any surf ? What is the wind doing ? What about the tide ? I've gone back to the old me, the one I left behind 6 years ago, who loves nothing more than being in the ocean

I love Jess's way of thinking, according to her, we're FUNemployed.... so today we hung out together all day. Made yummy soup, talked about life, brainstormed ideas, watched a movie and generally had a lot of fun. Life is what you make of it.

Late afternoon we heard the news we had been waiting for all day....... Alex and Paul had a baby boy, Jack. Happy happy days :)

purpose filled day, woohooo finished and interesting questions

In the past couple of months, I've been playing a waiting game. It has felt a bit like living in limbo... so it was awesome to wake up this morning and have a tonne of work to do.

ahhhh the biggest chore I have had to do is now finished..... it has been sitting there half finished for a few weeks now, mainly because it isn't the most inspiring work to do and always stirs up some emotions and negativity. But looking at it now, all neatly filed and finished makes me really really stoked !

we have this amazing little box filled with cards that have interesting questions on them....... tonight we turned off the tv, and talked, laughed, debated and learnt more about each other than we could have ever done sitting in front of the television every evening

goofing around, restorative yoga and stillness

I love having friends that you can goof around with..... it's a pretty important factor in friendship I reckon.... goofing around, being silly and laughing a lot ..

Sore after yesterday's monster paddle, I find a quiet spot mid afternoon and spend an hour doing some restorative yoga, the slow stuff.... the poses that feel soooo good, and make you feel all brand new :)

I walked outside this evening to put some rubbish in the bins, and stopped to enjoy the dark night's sky and the stillness in the air

absolute bliss, magic circle and sleepyhead

this morning I woke to a clear blue sky, sunshine and not a breath of wind...... today's paddle took me further beyond the reefs than I have ever been. The water was so incredibly still and clear, the sun glowing in the sky. I felt so blessed to be out there.

I read a book recently, where the author describes something her husband talks about. He calls it his 'magic circle', a kind of aura of luck that surrounds him and brings the right things to him at the right time. I love this idea.... pretty sure you need to be throwing out your own positive thoughts and deeds to get your circle working.

Despite the fact that it is February and mighty cold, I love the fact that I've been going to bed completely exhausted from physical exercise in the ocean.... surfed out sleepyhead is the very best type of sleepyhead you can find

kind gesture, just me and the sea and natural wonder

my lovely friend Alex called me up this morning and said 'oh man, I forgot how much you love acupuncture, you should have reminded me.... it makes you happy, so come round and I'll give you some'... this in itself is a very awesome, selfless gesture.... but Alex is pregnant, and due tomorrow ! I tell you what, I feel pretty blessed to have such a special friend ...

a paddle today, in the cold sea with a brisk wind blowing against me..... I enjoyed the challenge, the fierce-ness of the elements and it just being me and the sea

the view from the deck of my folks place is beautiful.... and forever changing depending on weather and the ocean.... but somehow it doesn't seem to matter how often I've stood there and seen an amazing sunset, it blows me away every single time

sunlit downward dog, frangipani memories and a wizard

during yoga practice this morning I stretched into my first downward dog of the day and found the sun waiting for me, shining it's light, warmth and glow on my face

I have this beautiful frangipani & monoi oil, that takes me to a tropical place every time I use it..... I always remember the first time I had a frangipani massage.... the surf was so good that day that I snuck back to the beach afterwards and went for a super fun longboard..... it was the perfect balmy summer early afternoon, everyone hanging out at the beach, and I left a waft of frangipani behind me everywhere I went......  :)

this afternoon a nice man came around and picked up some stuff from the shed..... I asked him if he would like to take a look at the wood behind the shed to see if he wanted any..... he took a peak, and came back and said, I'll take the lot if thats ok with you..... wooooopa .... a wood wizard.... everybody wins :)

smiling strangers, time out to chat and being the calm one

on a bus journey today a lady got on and smiled at me as she walked past to find a seat..... and then an old man got off and smiled at me through the window

some time out in a different place, with no real distractions or agenda gave us the time to chat and reconnect

after a few years of chaos, stress and losing my way, I feel like I'm slowly finding my way back to me.... and being mindful about my choices, actions and reactions..... finally I am on track to being the calm one :)