New Beginnings

Happy New Year!

And happy new blog site to me!

It's a long time since I last blogged. Nine months. Enough time to grow a baby! Which I haven't. But many women have. Over four and a half million babies born already this year.

I think I'll call the lull in my blog The Gestation Period. I like that. It sounds like I was deliberately withdrawing from blogging while I developed my musings into something beautiful and full of life. It's a lie, of course, but a lovely one. And it sounds a whole heap better than The Great Disorganisation of 2016.

I haven't been idle, though. I've been doing stuff all over the place. Here's a quick fill-in:

ONE

I did a road trip, The Telling Tales Tour. I travelled to Melbourne, Bendigo, Sydney and Brisbane with a marvellous group of fellow authors. I spoke to school children, teachers and librarians - anyone who'd listen, really - alongside the amazing authors Judith Rossell, Tiffany Hall and C M Gray.

 

With Tiffany Hall

With Judith Rossell and CM Gray

TWO

I met with a range of lovely friends for lunch, dinner, craft sessions, life-changing chats and wildly competitive games nights. Yes. You read that correctly. GAMES NIGHTS. I have a friend who fancies herself as Grant Denyer and likes to host Deal or No Deal nights. It's a hoot.

THREE

I ushered two new books into the world - Olive of Groves and the Great Slurp of Time  and Olive of Groves and the Right Royal Romp. Both true stories, of course.

FOUR

I continued to garden like a maniac. Episodes of frost, flood, scorching heat, earwigs and thistles have made this a challenge, but I still truly believe that I can make my one and a half acres of earth look like Versailles.

FIVE

I crocheted a dashing new coat for Olive, my precious little whippet. It keeps the winter chills at bay and she’s terribly proud of her herself when wearing it. 

 

I know! She looks a little sheepish here, but when she
heads out into the lane, she trots with pride. Truly!
The Great Dane slinks behind, blushing with
embarrassment.

SIX

I hit the road again for Book Week, visiting wonderful schools in Wagga Wagga, Jugiong and Canberra. And I did my all-time favourite Canberra thing, which is eating cake with my mother.

SEVEN

I fed my already raging Scandimania by travelling to Sweden, Norway and Denmark. My love affair with all things Scandinavian began 30 years ago when I first met the Great Dane and it was wonderful to expand my horizons. (Actually, I’m not sure that you really can expand your horizons within the confines of an obsession, but I gave it a good shot!)

Boat houses on the harbour at Smogen, Sweden.

Reflections on a lake near Sognefjord, Norway.

On the Pulpit Rock with the Great Dane, 605m above
Lysefjord, Norway.

EIGHT

I spent lots of time daydreaming, reading, writing, drawing, taking photographs, arranging treasures in little trays, baking, experimenting with computer graphics, splashing ink about  - wandering wherever the creative spirit led me.

NINE

I harnessed some of that loopy-la-la creativity and wrote a new children’s story. The manuscript reached my publisher just five days before Christmas. There’s action, adventure, mystery, romance, travel,  ravioli and gelati. Sounds like I’ve written an Italian soap opera. Maybe I have!

TEN

We bought a block of land - our own little slice of hill and granite and grass. Stay tuned for more details and dreams and schemes. 

The Great Dane pretending to be an Aussie farmer.
That's our hill in the background!

Have a squiz at this!

For a mind-boggling glimpse at the rising tally of births this year, 

CLICK HERE.

I'll be blogging every Friday, so feel to drop on by or sign up for blogs by email. (Look up to the right!)