There is one lady who is considered the ‘Queen of the Santa Barbara Solstice Festival’, and that is Claudia Bratton. I was honoured to have been allocated her as my subject to follow on the recent documentary storytelling workshop I attended in Santa Barbara. Here is a little more about her…

I don’t quite know how to start writing again. It’s been nearly 6 months. I’ve wanted to, but couldn’t find the strength. You see, my Dad died….

On Christmas Day, I went for an early morning walk before the busyness of the day. It was magical - with clear blue, sparkling water lapping at my feet, seagulls flying overhead, and a pink glow saturating the sky before the sun peeped out over the horizon. Mother Nature seemed to be sending me whispers - with one clear message ‘everything is connected’.

Some connections and reflections of 2022.

My fifth and final blog on the theme of abandonment, and a continuation on the topic of abandonment of self - but from a positive and spiritual perspective. This blog is about how we transform through the process of metamorphosis, or ‘spiritual alchemy’, to find our true self; and it’s a reflection of my journey of the last seven years - what I learned along the way from some of the amazing adventures I went on and the people that I met.

When I was a child, I wondered what it would be like to live in someone else’s body, and I would envisage morphing into my little brother. As I've grown older, this feeling hasn’t gone away - but it’s now more about wanting to morph into people’s minds. A little strange and abstract, I know…..

Read on to see how this relates to the Netflix hit ‘Stranger Things’, see some fabulous abstract artwork from my daughter, view some of my ‘Strangerthingsesque’ photography, and listen to some iconic music.

“Mum, mum, mum, guess what? I’m so excited - I got the Wordle in one go today, and I didn’t even get any clues! Look, it’s ‘SHINE’ - I thought this word was a bit too easy, but I tried it anyway and I got it. I just can’t believe it!”

A blog post about my daughter and what makes her shine - particularly her artwork which I showcase in this blog. But it’s also a post about me, and what made me shine on this particular day - Astrology.

“The glistening, creamy sea foam I waded through at the beach last week, made me think of delicious, frothy, milky coffee - particularly the cappuccinos I used to make nearly 30 years ago when theatre-goers would pop into the cafe I worked in after their show. I was taught that the froth on a capp should be so thick that a spoonful of sugar wouldn’t pass through it. ” …. Cont. in blog.

It’s been just over two years since I started this little blog. I had no idea what it would become, much like we had no idea what was about to hit us back in February 2020! It’s been a crazy couple of years, not just for myself, but for the whole of humanity. (on a side note, diesel costs $2.22 a litre today - I like the synchronicity in this, but not the price or the reasons why).

On a personal level, I would have to say it’s probably been one of my biggest emotional growth spurts I can remember. I believe one of the best things I’ve ever done for myself is to start writing - about anything and everything. Originally I started this blog as a place to showcase my photography, and whilst I have certainly done that, it’s been the writing that I’ve probably gained the most from. Cont.

Dear Z, I, A and L,

You’re aged from 10 through 15 as I write this, so you probably won’t read it now (you’ll think I’m giving you another lecture!), but hopefully, one day you will. Some pivotal conversations around women have been taking place in the Australian media landscape of late, and I don’t want you to miss them.

There are two voices in Australia right now that I want you to take note of - Brittany Higgins and Grace Tame. They both came to our attention about a year ago - Grace, since she was announced Australian of the Year in January 2021, and who has become a household name as a brave and passionate advocate for systemic change to prevent child sexual abuse; and Brittany, a former political staffer, who has been credited with sparking debate on gender-based violence and safety within Australian politics - and the workplace in general - following her brave decision to publicly allege she was raped by a colleague inside Parliament House. cont….

You can almost hear the collective sigh of relief as we round out another chaotic year that was 2021, but it seems to be coupled with a sense of foreboding about what may lay around the corner. The frailty and uncertainty of life has been a topic weighing on my mind throughout much of 2021 as I experienced the loss of my step-father at the beginning of the year, and have grieved with others on losses of their own family members. Mother Nature has proven that once again, she will breathe fire and fury over whoever walks in her path, and she’s particularly shown us this year just how explosive her power really is. Her intensity seems to be growing each year - but are enough of the right people ready to hear her message? How significant are we humans really, in the grand scheme of things? Do we really have the power to change the course of the trajectory of the planet, or are we just mere mortals on a tiny blip of the infinite Universe? So many questions to ponder at this time of year, most which will go unanswered, but at the least, we can try and look after our own little patch. As the recently departed Desmund Tutu says: “Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.”

Are you a collector? Do you get fascinated with one particular item or topic? Do you turn it into a hobby where you seek out that item from all parts of the globe? I didn’t think I was a collector, and consider myself more of a minimalist - finding it a tad stressful to have too much stuff lying around for sorting, but then I realised after going through my photos, that I absolutely AM a collector, a collector of images!

I ‘collected’ hundreds of photos of signs while we were living abroad. Following is a selection of images of those signs, along with a wonderful TedX video discussing spiritual signs.

Since I arrived back in Australia from the US just over five months ago, my mind has been whirling and twirling with so many varied thoughts. But I’ve found a great new word to describe how I’ve been feeling, which you may also relate to whilst we’ve been living in a COVID world - ‘Zozobra’. It’s a Spanish term for anxiety, but with connotations that call to mind the wobbling of a ship about to capsize. It describes the sense of having no stable ground and feeling out of place in the world.

I’ve started a range of blog posts, drafted when I’ve been struck with a blast of inspiration, but my enthusiasm seems to have waned for each of them once I’ve released the initial thoughts from my mind. I think that’s partly because of this ‘zozobra’ that I’ve been feeling. I haven’t been able to ground myself into any one perspective due to the conflicting nature of the different cultures, which has then been compounded by the lockdowns.

I wasn’t going to post these unresolved thoughts, but then I had another thought, why not? From topics such as mullets, Indigenous culture, climate change, guns in the US, grief and kindness, I welcome you into the unresolved ‘Assemblage of Thoughts’ from my mind these past few months.

As I sit here in the passage of time between one life and the next, I reflect back on the epic adventure that my family embarked on three years ago - a family of six moving to the other side of the world for 2.5 years then journeying home again. The children visited (or drove through) 35 states in the US, and it was a few more for my husband and I as we did some additional travel. I realise, with even more clarity now that I’m home in locked-down-Melbourne, just how lucky we all were to experience so much of the education, diversity and brilliance of travel and living in another culture. We lived in the US through one of its most defining times in history - the early stages of COVID, Black Lives Matter protests, and the 2020 election. The following photo story is a journey of emotions, through the colour that I experienced in the US. I discuss the meaning of - and my relationship to - each colour, as I go; with a few final thoughts at the end.

I’m in a quandary. I think it’s one of those mid-life ones where you really question everything you were brought up to believe. I’ve been doing this for a while now, as you’d know if you’ve read any of my past blog posts, particularly this one Mississippi Soul, but I’m really grappling with one particular area right now - and that’s religion and spirituality. You see, contrary to what I would have thought a few years ago, if someone was to ask me what one of my favourite experiences in moving to Memphis has been - besides the travel it has allowed me to do and the friendships I have made - it would have to be the two programs of Bible Studies I have completed. Surprising, yes! It’s pulled me out of my dormant slumber of relative detachment from the Catholic Church over the last 30 years, and has shaken me with a force that I can no longer ignore.

I wish to share with you today, a short, true story, that is both beautiful and tragic in the same breathe. A story that traverses three continents, during a global pandemic, with a wonderfully synchronistic element. It’s very sad, but tinged with joy, creativity and kindness, and I think needs to be shared in the world.

“Don’t believe everything you read.”

After two months back in Australia after living in the US for 2.5 years, I’ve been pondering some of the extreme differences in the COVID response between the two countries. One thing that has really struck me here is that many people can’t imagine there was a positive side to the COVID response in the US. Well, there was, and I’ve jotted down a few things in this blog post that I thought were impressive, as there is so much we can learn from others.

As I edit this blog post that has been drafted over the last month, Australia has just delivered a serious blow to Australians abroad, and Australians with loved ones abroad - the arrival caps have been HALVED to a measly 3,025 people per week. I am beyond disappointed with both the Federal and State Governments of Australia that no other solution could be found for the #strandedaussie situation. Reading the #strandedaussie Facebook pages is absolutely heartbreaking today. Stories of people diagnosed with stage 3 cancer that fear they’ll never see their children again, people seriously contemplating arriving by boat as ‘Australian citizen asylum seekers’, and people just absolutely distraught and stressed about what will happen to their upcoming flights. We are the ONLY country in the world that has done this to our citizens and I fear the ramifications for this country that is becoming more divided and xenophobic by the day. I am feeling even more appreciative (and somewhat guilty) of the fact that my family have recently made it home, just in time before these draconian rules are put in place for at least six months. I understand first hand just how difficult it is, and we’ve had it very easy compared to most. Here is our story of getting home - part reflection, part diary.

For something a little different, this week I am sharing with you an upcoming online course for mothers. If it was out around 10 years ago, I think I would have jumped at the chance to do it, such was my need for something like it when my kids were little.

“Mamas Gone Wild is the salve, fuel and nourishment you need to…

Reignite your soul fire

Restore your power

Revive your Wild Mother within

Part online course and community, part virtual retreat, Mamas Gone Wild was created not only to lift the veil, but to serve as an initiatory journey for any and every mother who’s ready to remember the fullness of herself and revive the Wild Mother within.”

Read on to find out more about Beth and details of this wonderful course.

Currently, there are almost 40,000 Australians stranded across the world wishing to go home, with approximately 5,000 of them classified as vulnerable. But strict border policies put in place to combat COVID - which have been hugely successful - have created a crisis, #strandedaussies. In this 4th installment of my ‘abandonment series’, I explore this issue and the opposing attitudes that surround it.

Here is a short excerpt from my post:

“I wonder, if the public knew the facts, would so many Australians still be victim blaming? Maybe - this virus is a scary thing, and the media have made it even scarier. If I was in Australia looking out to the US or the UK, I’d be fearful of the virus too; and if I had lived through one of the strictest lockdowns in the world for nearly 6 months, I would want to do everything in my power to stop that from happening again. But I’m currently residing outside of Australia, so I guess that gives me a different perspective, and what I see is political spin, thrown in with some media sensationalism, tall poppy syndrome and a growing lack of empathy for any issue ‘that doesn’t affect me’ - all perpetuated from the highest leaders of our country.”