Now 4!

Our little one is now four!

I can hardly believe how much she has grown.

We spent part of our day celebrating with little friends in the back yard.... playing traditional games and enjoying the summer with a swim...

And we ate the (back up) cake after the icecream cake had a bit of a landslide the night before.

But all was a success.... along with the mushroom house.... her birthday gift from Mama.



complete with dolls of course...

We shared the evening with extended family...for more celebrating.... and somehow we managed to fit in some reminiscing...looking back over photos and little video snippets of her life so far. It was a lovely day... albeit a tad tiring for us all so close to Christmas.

Now I can take a breather!.... and smile widely over the (many) photos and the memories.

A New Circle

The next MYSHA Women's Circle will be held monthly in Nerang.

Commencing Monday 12th October.

Leading this new circle with me, from Lavendilly House is

Jennifer McCormack.

Jen is an extremely gifted mama, teacher, artist, and celebrant! Jen will bring her passion for storytelling, sacred ceremony and ritual pampering expertise which will meld with our Meditation Yoga and Self Healing Arts magnificently!

At her new blog http://www.lavendilly.wordpress.com/ Jennifer writes:

I am very excited about our circle – there will be singing, ritual pampering, storytelling and an exploration of a variety of artistic modes through which we will process our experience of the story.
There will be peace, healing, shared wisdoms and creativity to take back home with us into our daily lives until the next circle.

If you'd like one of the candles in the circle to be yours this time, email us to reserve your spot!

Birdlife Presence

In my quest to be more present in my everyday life, I have been noticing more. One of the blessings about living where we do is that we are descended upon each day with a colourful spectrum of birds in the dozens... or more. I scarely know their names nor can I match them to all the songful calls that fill our skies here. I have taken to pointing them out to our little one and while we're admiring, I've been photographing them....
Look at these noisy crazies...

and this little cutie made itself quite at home....

on the edge of my yoga mat...

This is one of many kookaburras that fill the area with cheer each day...

and this little cutie is one of a pair who have been dancing together and

drinking sweet nectar from the pom pom flowers...

There are so many more.... lorikeets, magpies, doves, pee wees (is that really what they're called?)

I am really enjoying connecting with nature in this way. Such lovely visitors.

Bud Babies

Lately, we have had a few special little friends celebrate their winter birthdays. It has been a chance for my little one to delight in treats, laughter, games, and all things magical.

It has also been a chance for me to treat my inner child.

I have carved time out for myself to take my own inner child to the rainforest and even to buy her a garnet ring (my birthstone). In the forest I was blessed with wondrous synchronicities one of which was the materialising of my most recent children's story.

It is a story set in a mountainside forest about a small shrub who feels scared and alone in the winter storm. An ancient tree falls in the storm leaving a vast hole in the canopy. This affects all the trees in the forest, and particularly the small shrub. When the storm passes the new dawn of spring casts her light on shrub's tender green leaves, warming her through in a way she has not known before. She notices herself changing and that she is adorned with sleeping buds. Eventually with some help of the water fairies, she blossoms.



Hear the whisper of the leaves
While softly and still you lie
Tiny buds in your cosy beds
Blossoming time is nigh...

I had written the story some days before seeing the exact scenario before me in the forest... A giant tree had fallen in a storm and left a huge hole in the canopy where the sun was now streaming through, gleamily dancing on the young leaves of many budding shrubs on the forest floor. It was one of those feelings you get that make me feel oh so affirmed and connected to our beloved Earth Mother.

Pictured are the little needle felted bud babies we made as gifts which accompany the story.


Love and Blessings to all our winter birthday friends!

Companionship...

Talking, doing,
being, dreaming
reminiscing, telling,
imagining, beaming

resting in eachother's kindness
leaning on eachother's words
reassurance given on both sides
she held me and I held her

moments of stillness
moments of pace
time spent together
time in shared space

this is priceless
this is sublime
being one
resonant and divine.