Two weeks to go...

Crafty people - they're doing an awesome raffle over at The Red Thread to raise money for flood victims.  Link here .  You can win a sewing machine, sewing patterns, sewing kits n' everythink...  I was once a crafty person, cross stitch and tapestry being my main vices, however, since the advent of kids... well you know the story.

siiiiiigh.

Two more weeks of school holidays to go... 

• Miss 5 is chucking daily tantrums that she does not want to go to kindi, despite having spent all last year in a 'transition' year at the same school and is moving into the next door classroom.  
• I have spent all my gardening money on school shoes.  
• I have dragged out all the uniforms, and untold random white school socks that I am trying to match according to their level of greyness.  
• And I have whipped out the iron (for the second time in twelve months) to start ironing on name labels. (It was also my inaugural use of my Brand New Mosman-ish Ironing Board Cover - which, incidentally, matches my oven gloves - never let it be said I don't have this interior decorating thingy down pat)
• All of this is in the hope that it will make the next fortnight go faster
• Also my children are nagging me about Easter.

Because I am not quite exhausted enough, I am also making my next assault on the Vile colour schemes in this house which I have lived with for seven long years.  This week I am painting over The Brown in the main bedroom.  This year is the year of me, and me can no longer endure The Brown inflicting itself upon my boudoir. 

Oh and I'm changing the name of the Year of Me - is sounds a bit, yanno, self absorbed (what?), am now calling it the Year of Wellbeing.

Laters :)

Salient Points of Last Ten Days

Three words. School. Fricking. Holidays.

In summary...

• 1.2kgs to go to goal weight - God alone knows how, given I start drinking earlier every day.
• Got self first new swimmers in eight years - Storm in a D-Cup is brilliant for those of you out there who have lost 13+kgs but not One Single Centimetre off their gigantic mammaries (no, there is no justice in this world).  I tell you, when gravity gets to those babies...
• New swimmers led to foray into self-waxing of bikini line (could not face trip to salon with children, explanations would be bad enough...).  Went for landing strip, and after much weeping and swearing, ended up with plucked chicken.
• Watermelon exploded in kitchen spraying several litres of fermenting juice over every surface - as was leaving house at that exact moment threw down a couple of towels and let it fester in 30 degree heat for six hours.
• Luckily children and dog have been using lounge carpet as urinal, so stench of ammonia presently overpowering any lingering rotten fruit smell - WIN
• Found baby Brush Turkey behind drinks fridge in laundry - was, by this point, beyond surprise (took to vet, who will pass onto WIRES)
• Writing? Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, sob...
• Cried over the QLD floods, feeling exhausted by the Victorian ones
• Cried for Lori - in fact still crying for Lori, my heart breaks for you my love, life fucking sucks
• and... nope, I'm done...

RWA Flooded Communities Book Appeal

I know from the Black Saturday Bushfires that there is real satisfaction in choosing a book to send to someone who has lost everything...

We've all seen the devastation the recent Queensland floods have wrought and have wondered how we can help. We know that for many affected families, books will not be high on their priorities list for some time to come.

But...

We also know how valuable books can be in providing time out when reality gets tough.

So…

With the aid of some wonderful volunteers, we've put together a Romance Writers of Australia Flooded Communities Book Appeal.

What we need?

FICTION BOOKS! Romance books, children's books, young adult books, genre books, whatever – either new or in sparkling condition.

Please send them to:

RWA Flooded Communities Book Appeal

PO Box 1717

Noosaville Post Office

Noosaville BC

Queensland 4566

When to send them?

Now! And any time over the next few months. The books will be boxed and delivered to the appropriate libraries/schools/neighbourhood centres/community centres in batches as soon as the communities are ready to receive them. We’ll be liaising with councils, libraries and schools to ensure this is done appropriately. Feel free to pop a note inside, or if you're an author, sign it.

Questions:

If you have a question about donations, email Jess Anastasi:Jess@jessanastasi.com

If you work in a library / council / community centre / school in a flood affected area, email Rachel Bailey: rachel@rachelbailey.com.au

Happy New Year

New Year is always full on at our house, what with one birthday on the 31st and another on the 1st. (Miss 5 and Me, now Mrs 39, sigh).  But we have survived, kind of.

I take my New Years resolutions very seriously.  I am extremely goal motivated, and so when I set out to do something I generally achieve it.  The one grand exception to this has been losing weight, but this year I even managed to achieve that, with my current weight now at a trim and terrific 68.8kgs - just 1.8kgs above a healthy BMI.  Given that I had an obese BMI six months ago I am presently LOVING MYSELF SICK - although I would like to discuss the saggy Mummy bum that's attached itself behind me, not to mention the jelly belly that honestly looked better when it was a bit rounder, and the fact I STILL HAVE FAT ANKLES with someone.

Ahem.

Anyway, resolutions.

This year is the year of Me.

Its going to be about getting myself back, about prioritising things I want to do, instead of leaving them at the bottom of the list, about slowing down and living in the moment, getting space and being better at the things that are important to me (like kids, and garden, and home, and writing).

The last seven years seem to have disappeared into a fug of babies, stress, exhaustion and an endless feeling of being not quite good enough.  I know that this is pretty much par for the course when you've got rug rats about, but now that they're both at school, I think its time to get me back. In fact, its essential for the wellbeing of me and my family.

Blogging-wise, I might not be about as much as before.  Not because I don't want to be here, but I have GOT to get writing.  Boys of Summer has been dragging on for nearly 18months now, I'm over it and I need to get it done, and move onto Fat Chance.  My publisher, Samhain, recently took me off their active authors list, and that has been a big wake up call for me.  My 1000 words a day have to come first.

Its also going to be the Year of Landscaping the Garden and Painting the House.

Actually, I'm excited.  I think 2011 is going to be a good year.