Overnight stay at Brighton savoy

Dear friends, as I can’t travel far I went and stayed at a local motel 25 minutes away. I went shopping and visited the local library and got a book out on Paris where I was when I was 20. In my room I journaled, read, did cryptics, knitted, reflected, sketched and had a spa bath before bed. went shopping and bought charms for a necklace for my birthday and some pens at a shop that had a wonderful shop keeper in. we chatted for ages. we are both unwell women and exchanged notes about living with chronic illness. A friend came and we went to restaurant for dinner in the motel.Had skewered prawns and salad and Tasmanian salmon and potato latkes and meringue, berry and cream dessert. I had a wonderful time. The room overlooked the sea and had a wonderful panorama. Saw lots of birds and the city lights. Watched the dawn come up while I knitted dish cloths for summer!!! my knitting is a whole other story. It was fantastic stay. lots of love from susan JOY

Plans vs going with the flow

Dear friend, I think I am in my next zippy phase which is usually why I come and blog. Quiet isn't into blogging. anyway I had plans to go to the Langham overnight but now it is time to plan to go I don't want to. haven't figured out why. I find I want to go with the flow in other directions maybe to the Savoy in Brighton. question is should I follow plans or go with the flow. i seem to go with the flow more. makes more sense to me. do you go with plans or go with the flow? lots of love from susan JOY

Update

Dear friends, was going to share my cooking journey online but am doing it on the CCS (coachcreativesite) and in my own notebook so that is enough. did a lot this zippy time. had two chauffeur drives in one week..one to the National gallery / international section to see Napoleon which was awesome and then to the museum in Carlton to see Mesopotamia which was wonderful with all its cuneiform tablets. loving writing the way i do it was wonderful. also visited section with australian bush and saw a blue wren and the famous bower bird that collects blue things like I do. my home used to be called "The bower". went to australian garden area and saw plants used for healing, craft etc. there was noone there and it was so special. the chauffeur was so friendly and chatty. still no yoga and aiming to get a new teacher next week having given my old teacher a few weeks to contact me. Was planning a jet ride like on Bold and beautiful but will prefer a small plane ride where I can see out the front. planned for next year. all in all a great zippy this time with lots of notes and phone calls to attend to. Doing my own weeding at the moment and discovered a little tulip and other things growing. glad to be doing it in the spring weather. need a kneeler though and going to Gardenworld today. lots of love from susanJOY

Mushrooms and avocado

Dear friends, Cooked some finely chopped mushrooms in olive oil and served it with sliced cold avocado. delicious. will try again tomorrow and will add marjoram and parsley and a squeeze of lemon. I always like to try the basic ingredients on their own and then add things later. lots of love from susan JOY

First adventures with cod

Dear friends, A friend the other day mentioned cod and I thought I haven't had cod since my breakdown 10 years ago. I loved cod so bought some and did it plain with some vegies including mashed potato. a friend shared his recipe where you cook onion, garlic, oregano and cumin, tomatoes, green pepper and break up the cod into pieces in the mix and cook. it was delicious and have had a couple of meals. of course I had to have it with mashed potato. lots of love from susan in australia

Good eating

Dear friends, I have been doing a discussion about my cooking on my favourite site CoachCreativeSpace. I started this blog because I had trouble traveling and wanted to get to New York. Instead I am traveling by chauffeur to different places around Melbourne. Now I am on an adventure teaching myself to cook again since losing my ability when I had a breakdown. A friend on CCS said...Susan have just looked through your thread and love your descriptions of food and cookery. You have a way of describing things which is very fresh , clear and sensual which is perfect when it comes to talking about food! Your notes are mouth watering and are making me hungry. Thank you! :-0 This has inspired me to share my journey of cooking here as well. didn't do the cooking this time but went to the National gallery of Victoria in melbourne..international part and to the restaurant and tried my first truffles. 56 and only just now having truffles. they were delightful. also had cherry tart for the first time served with chocolate sorbet and homemade dark chocolate and cherry jelly and little flowers. what a great meal. what is your favourite restaurant meal? I have had a few lots of love from susan JOY

"Make visible what, without you, might perhaps never have been seen'. Robert Bresson Makes you feel special doesn't it lots of love from susan JOY

My own best friend

Dear friends, since my breakdown 10 years ago I have found it hard to trust myself. Now I can honestly say I am my own best friend. I can seek my own counsel and feel strong and confident with myself. I am so pleased. I may have said all this in another blog post but I say it again as I am at another phase of my life where I am needing to be strong and centered having just lost a close friend to life's journey. I miss her daily company but know it is for the best and Divinely anointed so on I go. It is so nice to have my own company and to feel great in my own skin. Having said that the doctor and dietician are both really pleased with me and my weight and how I am going. I am so pleased even though I would indeed like to be thinner. I'd also like to travel the world and have a heated pool in the back yard and a large garden. there are a few things on my wish list. meanwhile I visit a local motel to swim in their pool. I am grateful I am the size I am and not larger. I can travel to Napoleon exhibition on monday. yes indeedy life is good....great...... lots of love from susanJOY my best friend

Playing with children

Dear friends, the other day I visited a friend and her little granddaughter at her sons place. I don't have many children in my life and not being a mum or grandma have very little contact with children in my life. it was such a joy to be sharing my time with a 13 month old. they are so curious about the world. I look forward to my next visit lots of love from susan JOY

Little things

"The little things? The little moments? They aren't little" jon Zabat-Zinn I try to remember this in life and respect all the little baby steps I make in my life that add up to the whole. I try to see how special my life is even though I do simple things and don't travel far lots of love from susanJOY

Gratitude

Dear friends, Perpetual gratitude toward people around us initiates habits of thankful prayer. it also starts a chain reaction of giving thanks, till our friends and loved ones and our world become imbued in grateful living. Edward Hays The great escape manual I live with gratitude every day of my life since discovering its blessings and my life has been all the better for it. WHat about you? lots of love from susan JOY

Beauty

Beauty seen makes the one who sees it more beautiful David Steindl-Rast I always feel good seeing beautiful things. it does make me feel more beautiful lots of love from susan JOY

Simple things

Dear friends, The best things in life are nearest: Breath in your nostrils, light in your eyes, flowers at your feet, duties at your hand, the path of right just before you. Then do not grasp at the stars, but do life's plain, common work as it comes, certain that daily duties and daily bread are the sweetest things in life. Robert Louis stevenson this means a lot to me as I live a very simple life and love the daily routines that help me to feel safe and joyous. lots of love from susanJOY

health

Dear friends, My back and shoulder have been troublesome when i walk for quite some time now. I stopped walking for 6 months but I mentally need to walk. it clears my mind particularly if I have been sitting and talking for the afternoon. I also love the beach. My hip is also out and I am scared I may need a hip replacement in the future. at least I can walk far with my hip. only able to walk about 20 minutes. i am glad i made the most of my hour to hour and a half walks in the past. always make the most of things lots of love from susan JOY

faith

Faith is the courageous confidence that trusts in the Source of all gifts. David Steindl-Rast My faith helps me get through every day. it's gifts are limitless lots of love from susanJOY

Loving God

Refuse to fall down. If you cannot refuse to fall down, refuse to stay down. If you cannot refuse to stay down, lift your heart toward heaven, and like a hungry beggar, ask that it be filled, and it will be filled. You may be pushed down. You may be kept from rising. But no one can keep you from lifting your heart toward heaven. Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estés Sometimes when I can't see anything more I can do with a situation and I feel overwhelmed and down hearted I chat to God. it always helps me feel better. lots of love from susan JOY

Life's little surprises

Dear friends, A group moderator friend on one of the sites I am on has just told me I am now officially on the list of contributors on the main page and I am so thrilled. life is full of wonderful surprises. I knew I could never promise to contribute once a week which was required for the official list so never imagined being on the official list and a place of importance to the site. just shows you to be yourself and not try and compete with others and surprises will come your way. they sure do for me lots of love from susan JOY

Thought for the day

"The time of the lone wolf is over. Gather yourselves; banish the word 'struggle' from your attitude and vocabulary. All that we do now must be done in a sacred way and in celebration. We are the ones we've been waiting for." — Hopi Elder, Oraibi, Arizona lots of love from susan JOY

Away overnight

Dear friends, Can't remember the last time I stayed overnight in a motel which I have enjoyed so many times before. finally got my act together and stayed at motel near my brothers and had swims in the pool, sat in the spa, journaled, read, wrote, rang my mum and generally had a good time for the afternoon and the next morning. visited my brothers family in the evening and both my nephews were there so it was a real family affair. really nice time. I am hoping to do this on a regular basis but have said this before. time will tell. I need to be able to do it regardless of my moods. lots of love from susanJOY

thought wonderful

Dear friends, loved this poem. don't know who it is by Can You? Can you, for just a minute leave the white tablecloth, the washing the sorting, the scanning the lists, the date books the .coms, the inbox the goals, the resolutions the plans, the labels, the schedule, the old stories the scars, the scales, the bruises the pains, the aches the what ifs, the should haves the pointing fingers the too small boxes the questions, the containers the dividers, the protectors the sickening paralyzing expectations? Can you, for just a minute hush the voices that howl madly at your old, tired little self? For a brave minute or two can you pry open the bars and listen to the wordless – to the hum between to that which births snowflakes and stars and sighs and moonlit little streams? On this frozen winter night when your heart especially needs warming, I'm wondering can you, for just a minute get quiet enough to hear the silent flutter of this one precious life of this one precious breath?

A special quote

Dear friends, I was surfing the net and came upon this....."I am as we all are messengers, messengers of the Divine. What message will you deliver and how will you go about listening for the message? " just got me thinking about how I listen to God and how I can listen more to what i am guided to do and be in life lots of love from susan JOY

Conflicting dreams

Dear friends, I was thinking on my walk the other day how sometimes in my life I have conflicting dreams. as a child I wanted a childhood sweetheart but I also wanted time alone, time alone won out. I also wanted to be married but also dreamed of a life of my own and to have my own home. A life of my own and homes of my own won out. I have wanted to write books and be famous and well known but also value my privacy. privacy has won out. do you have conflicting dreams? lots of love from susan JOY

Chimonanthus praecox...wintersweet

Dear friends, Had to share my wintersweet which finally bloomed this year after a couple of years of maturing. I am so blessed to have it lots of love from susan JOY

A great book idea

This post is from February but I am getting so much spam on it I have shifted it Dear anonymous friend, How cool would that be a book written about a person like me who is blogging mostly with no audience and an anonymous friend turns up and they end up with a wonderful friendship via the blog. cool. I love that. Meanwhile I will enjoy your being here. it is such a nice treat. i have had friends and others commenting but not often but I still love blogging as i never know who I reach with my love and care. Was out to lunch today and trying to figure out the next step in my blogging journey. I was blogging every two days with one of my questions but now I am not sure how often to blog. I will ponder this some more. wishing you well dear friend. lots of love from susan in australia

what if .....

Dear friends, Have had a few days worrying about friends in hospital and how I can help and then worrying about what would happen if I had to go to hospital. I have been to hospital 5 times in my life and survived but was going through a whole lot of what if this happens, what if that happens. goodness What ifs can go on forever. had a really good chat with my spiritual director and got things in hand. realise I need to give up on the what ifs and focus on what I can do right now. do you worry about What ifs? lots of love from susan JOY

Cooking challenge

Dear friends, After 10 years I am still trying to be a better cook. I used to be a great cook but since my breakdown it has been a very hard road getting to do even the most basic of meals. I have a few cook books that use four ingredients and working with those. Most of my meals are very simple and I depend a lot on tinned and frozen items. i used to use mostly fresh ingredients particularly when I had a large vegie and fruit garden. I am sharing my cooking journey online with a group of friends and they are being so supportive and they are inspiring me even more. are you a great cook? lots of love from susan JOY

May entry

Dear friends, Haven't been around much this year on this blog. You guessed it I am in zippy, up mode again where I usually am up really early and have time to blog. Was interested my last entry was about being alone. I am OK with that now. As a friend said I have a lot of friends and a small loving family. I am very blessed. For the first time in 10 years I am coasting along with no major pressure to change things. it is a strange situation as i am so used to changing and growing and focusing on the next challenge. Not that I am not but I am also happy where I am which is such a nice feeling. I have worked so hard these past 10 years since my breakdown I forgot that life can be enough just the way it is. Is your life coasting along? lots of love from susanJOY

We are all alone

Dear friends, It has only taken me 56 years to realise each one of us is really alone with ourselves in navigating life. One might have a best friend, a spouse, an animal that you go to often to help you out but even then they can't help you with everything. most of my life I have looked to other people to help me not feel alone. I recently lost a couple of close friends realising they really aren't there for me all the time even though in my mind I thought they were. I am OK with all this but just find it so strange I never knew this earlier. I was thinking of doing some online dating and realised once again i was looking for a constant companion which doesn't exsist. off I go into the world realising I am alone. we are all alone on this journey. noone can know all of who we are Do you understand what I mean? lots of love from susan JOY

Blogging

Dear friends,
I have kept two blogs now for a few years...one for art work and one to chat on and ask questions like now. I love it and aren't bothered about privacy or feeling foolish. mostly it is for me but I love that others read them and comment. do you have a blog? Why or why not?
lots of love from susan JOY

7 year journal

Dear friends,
when I was a child I had little diaries with locks as presents and always tried to keep one but always thought my life wasn't interesting enough so didn't get past the first few days. I bought a children's diary at the op shop and started keeping it a year ago. now I have gotten onto my second year and have 5 more to go in it. it is such fun writing a little daily entry at bedtime and reading last year. can't wait to have 7 years of it and see all the changes. Did you ever keep a diary as a child? Have you ever kept a two year diary or a little diary with more than one year for each day?
lots of love from susan JOY

Affirmations

Dear friends,
affirmations are very popular. I can't stand doing them. I don't like the repetition. do you like affirmations or not? Why or why not? do you find they work for you?

lots of love from susan JOY

Changes in friendships

Dear friends,
It is a major time for changes in my friendships. some are getting closer while others are moving farther away. I used to think friendships stayed the same when i was younger whereas now I am older I see how they ebb and flow. do you notice changes in your friendships?
lots of love from susan JOY

Spiritual name

Dear friends,
the other day a dear online friend of mine told me about spiritual names. Here is an article about it...http://www.3ho.org/spiritual-names/
I realised straight away that my spiritual name is JOY. I have been living with JOY for over 9 years now since my breakdown.
What is your spiritual name or what would you choose for a spiritual name if you chose one?

lots of love from susan JOY

Coffee with friends

Dear friends,
I love having coffee with friends in our homes in the afternoons. I love sitting around chatting for hours about what we have been doing. usually I only have one friend at a time as I like to give them my undivided attention. Do you like seeing friends for coffee. when? How many at a time? Why?
lots of love from susan in australia

Massages and relaxation

Dear friends,
My masseuse N. was asking me if I zone out when I am being massaged as i don't like our talking through the first half of the massage when i am on my front. I realise I have gotten into the habit of problem solving through my massage and I can do that anytime and I need to relax and focus more on the massage and relaxing. Do you talk, listen to music, zone out, during your massages?
lots of love from susan in australia

Walking

Dear friends,
I have walked most days for over 30 years and suddenly since Christmas i have stopped my daily walks. I did a very short walk yesterday. i am so perplexed by this. I used to love clearing my mind, talking to God, doing walking meditation and now i have stopped. It seems to have something to do with my doing yoga now and clearing my mind with that. Then I wonder does it matter if I don't walk at the moment. I miss the beach. I miss the gardens. all quite strange. Any suggestions of what to do gladly welcome
lots of love from susan in australia

Recipes

Dear friends,
i am sorting out all my recipes so I can find things that I can cook as opposed to all the recipes I no longer cook or am unlikely to try. I have a recipe box with recipes on file and I also have a journal with recipes in and then books with recipes marked down. how do you arrange your recipes?
lots of love from susan in australia

journals

Dear friends, Having thrown out most of my journals written since coming out of hospital I now have a problem solving general journal that I will destroy each time it has finished and a journal of highlights in my life that I will keep. It is interesting the way my journaling changes over time. I still have a lot of my other journals like my walking journal and the one I write at my mothers. do you have journals? does your journaling change over time?
lots of love from susan in australia

Valentine's day

Dear friends.
I have no special man in my life but I celebrate Valentine's day. this year I have presents, a beautiful bear, a rose bush with two red roses, a cup cake with hearts, a card, champagne. I am having my nails done and going out for dinner. certainly making a big deal. I love it but most of the people I asked yesterday don't do anything. Do you celebrate Valentine's day?
lots of love from susan in australia

Rings

Dear friends,
I just had one of my rings put onto one of my bracelets and bought 2 new rings. I now wear rings on 6 of my fingers. i look like a gypsy and love it and all my rings. how many rings do you wear? do you enjoy them / it?
lots of love from susan in australia

throwing out old journals

Dear friends,
the other day i decided to throw out most of my old journals. i have done this once before when I had moved on to a better place and didn't want to be reminded by the old. A lot of my journaling was problem solving after a breakdown over 9 years ago. A lot of the writing was difficult to reread. now I am at a much better place.
Have you destroyed any of your journals? Why?
lots of love from susan in australia

Comparing

Dear friends,
I have the terrible habit of comparing my size to other people. i am so aware of being a big person and often look at the size of other people and am often critical. I am trying to stop it and appreciate people for who they are.
Do you compare your self to others with size?
lots of love from susan in australia

e-book

Dear friends,
I was on amazon ordering a book and as I got off it said on my computer my book was ready online!!! I had just accidentally ordered my first e-book on line. I had had little pdf files and small e-books from online courses but never ordered a kindle book before. I wondered how I would go with it. I love keeping my books but many books I read and give to the opportunity shops so kindle is the way to go with many of my purchases. it was great fun and easy to read. do you read e-books? do you like them?
lots of love from susan in australia
PS Today's entry is thanks to a new anonymous friend here. I so enjoy having you dear friends who enjoy my blogging. I love to do it

Not set in concrete

Dear friends,
I had my usual fortnightly massage and my face was hurting from lying on my stomach and the masseuse said at the end I didn't seem to enjoy it as much. we discussed how we could change it and I realised i had set in concrete how the massage would go each week not realising I could change it around each time. do you set things in concrete and forget to change and vary things?
lots of love from susan in australia

Dear anonymous friend

Dear anonymous friend,
You have been leaving me a few comments and said not to stop blogging. I thought I was just doing it for me so decided to have a break for however long. then I decided I would check in with myself with lifes little high lights again and there you were encouraging me. Leave comments when you are able as it encourages me. thanks so much
lots of love from susan in australia

Silent retreat

Dear friends,
I went on my first silent retreat a couple of weeks ago and learnt one huge lesson. I took too much reading, writing to do instead of spending at least some time in quiet contemplation like most of the other participants did. have you been on a silent retreat? what do you do there?
lots of love from susan in australia

Losing an online friend

Dear friends,
One of my dear online friends has died of cancer. we used to email every day and I am so sad at losing her. Have you lost an online friend through death?
lots of love from susan in australia

Favourite tree

Dear friends,
My favourite tree is the oak tree and there are a few of them in my area and one in my back yard. I also love the silver birch which my mum has in the front yard. what is your favourite tree?
lots of love from susan in australia

Daily newspapers

Dear friends,
I get a Sunday paper for the TV guide and to catch up on news. My mother gets two papers a week and my brother the daily paper. Do you get the newspaper? How often? WHat do you enjoy about it?
lots of love from susan in australia

Naps

Dear friends,
WHen I am up at 3 am due to my sleeping problems I often need to have a nap later in the day. do you have naps? How long? DO you do it regularly or occasionally?

lots of love from susan in australia

Bucket lists

Dear friends,
A friend and I were talking about bucket lists as she was starting hers. I have only just started a bucket list. over recent years I have had goals but not a bucket list. I look forward to seeing what gets on it. My helicopter ride for one. DO you have a bucket list or do you want to make one? What's something that is on it?
lots of love from susan in australia

Favourite quote

Dear friends,
My favourite quote is ....."when you know better you do better". What is your favourite quote?
lots of love from susan in australia

Helicopter ride

Dear friends,
For many years now I have wanted to go on a helicopter ride. I have always loved helicopter rides and as a kid didn't realise anyone like me could go up in one. Yesterday I had my first helicopter ride and it was awesome. I never realised how slow and cruisy it would be and how much I could see through the windows. I had a wonderful, caring pilot. the helicopter went along the coast line to the city of Melbourne and back. even flew over my childhood home which is still where my mum lives. Have you ever been on a helicopter ride? where to?
lots of love from susan in australia

Enthusiasm

Dear friends,
a friend did an oracle reading and I got enthusiasm for January. I did a blog post in Jan 2010 about enthusiasm and how enthusiastic a person I am in my zippy phase of my mental illness. Enthusiasm is defined as being divinely inspired and that is just how I feel. I feel alive, that the sky is the limit, boundless, energetic, full of ideas, happy. DO you get divinely inspired? what does it feel like?
lots of love from susan in australia

Forgiveness

Dear friends,
I have done a couple of things that I can't forgive myself for. I won't go into details as they aren't huge issues or problems but I am stuck in unforgiveness. I am easy to forgive other people but can't seem to do it for myself. How do you forgive yourself for things?
lots of love from susan in australia

SLOW...word for the year 2012

Dear friends,
My little area on the computer is abuzz with the word of the year and one friend also has a motto for the year. My word for this year is SLOW and I have started a new journal to celebrate. On FYW there is a new group started and I am contributing. I also have a web site I am visiting myoneword.org that I will work through with past prompts and share more online as I do it. I will dedicate my new entries to the word SLOW
lots of love from susan in australia