too hot yesterday

forty degrees is okay if we can build up to it.

Luke turned 18 and we had guests for tea and lots of heat with little warning so I did as little as possible online.

Here are my two Christmas themed sketches for yesterday and today.

May your days be merry and bright

It was wonderful having the number one son come to visit for Baby son's birthday, now all my boys are adults and it feels right and good. Baby girl in two years. :)


It is 18degrees right now after yesterdays forty it feels positively chilly but I am not complaining. There is rain on the way. I won fifth place in the Ho! Ho! Ho! The 3rd Annual Holiday Writing Contest on Susanna Hill's blog and you can read my entry a few days ago. I get to choose from a marvelous selection of prizes.

Last night I had an awesome email about my art and four of my beta readers have come back to me with all sorts of messy bits in my latest WIP to fix. Spelling mistakes mostly and I need to make a bought brought poster to remind me to use the correct word.

The cicadas were singing yesterday because ti was warm enough to bring them out, I bet they are snug and hiding today.

Tuesday

a woolemi pine with decorative Australian flora and fauna.


Today I bid fare well to two lovely ladies heading back to Melbourne after a very pleasant visit. Read some delightful commentary on my short story entry in the 3rd annual Holiday competition which has 14 finalists (of which I am one) from 118 entries. It has been a lovely day weather wise, not too hot, not too cold. A baby bear kind of day, just right. I had another visitor and several phone calls all of a positive nature and I wrote another 3000ish words on my novella.

I think I should have an early night tonight because quite frankly I am a wee bit weary and should take advantage of the opportunity to do the wise thing.

Monday Monday can't stop that day

and a smiling Koala to start the day off right.

I slept in today after being up until 2am reading more than one hundred flash fiction pieces in a competition to write a holiday story. I really like the children's literature world I am diving into. People are so kind and supportive and the stories are lovely. I would recommend reading them all on Susanna Hill's blog http://susannahill.blogspot.com.au/2013/12/ho-ho-ho-3rd-annual-holiday-writing.html

I hope some of these stories end up in a Christmas/Holiday anthology for next year.

It is already Tuesday and I am heading to bed in a few minutes. My Goddess story is at 8000plus words and I am liking where it is going. Mirrors is still under review. I managed to get most of the paperwork for the school done without strangling anything. I had such a bizarre day. I need to get back to Goldilocks soon and finish the first full draft. I ran out and put the bins on the curb and fixed the toilet cistern and ironed some wet clothing I pulled off the line as it started to rain. I think the whole day needs to be tucked into a 'look at it all later' corner. I bought a tin today with the words for thankyou in many languages and I am going to make it my gratitude tin and every time I think of something I am grateful for I will put some coins in it and then when it is full I will find something really lovely to do with it to 'pay it forward'. There are so many wonderful people in my life who fill me with love and kindness, who support and encourage me and who make my world a wonderful place. I am supremely fortunate to live here in this country in this time and to have finally reached a point in my maturation to realise how fortunate I am.

On that night I bid you a fond goodnight and hope if you are reading this that your life is full of love and gentle things. xoxo

Ho! Ho! Ho! The 3rd Annual Holiday Writing Contest

The school Concert

This was the first time Dad had ever come to the end of year concert.
Annie peered between the shoulders of the two children in front of her in the choir.
The teacher had lined them up so they could all clearly see their parents in the audience.
Annie was so excited her skin felt too small to fit inside. Dad was finally going to hear her sing.
The teacher began to play the introduction on the old piano and everyone stood up straight ready to sing their best.
Annie had the solo and had practiced for weeks. She was going to sing her best for her Dad.
A movement at the back of the hall caught Annie’s eye and she saw the Dads whispering to each other and begin to stand up.
Annie felt her throat tighten as she watched her Dad stand up too.
Soon only the mothers were left in the hall with little babies and high school kids.
Annie couldn’t sing. Tears slid down her face.
She knew he had to go. Christmas was fire season in Australia.
All the Dads and some of the Mums had to leave. They fought bravely to save homes, farms and live stock.
Annie wished just once it could be cold and snowy at Christmas, like it was on the Christmas cards.
Then her Dad could hear her sing in the school concert.
The other children kept singing and soon it would be Annie’s turn but she just wanted to run off the stage and hide.
She closed her eyes and tried to hide behind the boy in front so the Mums couldn’t see her cry.
“False alarm” someone whispered loudly at the back of the hall and all the Dads and a few Mums came tiptoeing back into the hall.
Annie’s heart swelled with joy as she watched her Dad sit back down.
She lifted her voice to the stars above and sang like an angel.




The PiBoIdMo (Picture Book Idea Month) community has many connections one of whom is Susanna Hill, who is running the Third Annual Holiday Writing Contest. Writers are challenged to write a children's story about a holiday mishap, mix-up, miscommunication, mistake, or potential disaster. The story must be 350 words or less (not including the title), and must be posted and linked to her blog post by 11:59pm ET on Friday. Finalists will be posted on the blog the following week and winners will have a choice of some fabulous prizes donated by more amazing people in the world of children's literature. The preceding story is my entry in the competition.