"Trees, Trees, Trees"

Well the weather last nice was very very ferocious. The wind was so strong I thought the hotel window was going to explode. Day two started as quite a nice day, there was sunshine and the drive from Warrnambool to Colac was quite enjoyable. Country Victoria is so beautiful, I just love all the old houses, it makes me think - who has lived there - what was there life like - what happened them???

The weather forecasts had been warning all day of gale force winds / hail / lightning / rain all around the area we are driving. Mmmmmm just the sort of weather you would want to drive under heaps of trees. The Mt Gambier lunch was very enjoyable and then we had to hit the road. As you can see from this photo there were a few things that hit the road and they were all green and leafy. The drive from Mt Gambier to Horsham was literally littered with fallen trees, this one was over the road completely and I almost had to drive into the paddock to get around it. All is well now though and after enjoying a lovely Thai meal with Kristy and Emma I am now in my PJ's and ready for sleeping.

"Warrnambool"

Here I am at the end of my first day of my road trip and I am pretty tired I must say. Warrnambool is a really lovely country town - city actually - I think I could live here. Right from the word go the weather today has been pretty rugged. I really got hammered by the wind while I was driving between Melbourne - Geelong - Colac and Warrnambool, the car was doing a bit of "Road Rock n Roll". But because Warrnambool is on the Victorian Southern Coastline the waves were absolutely amazing. I could have stayed and just looked at it's ferocity for ages but reality and work were calling.

"Working way to much"

I can't believe I haven't been on line since Wednesday. I have been so so busy with work - that's my Travel Sales Manager job not my Jewellery Design job. Part of my job is to go and do Tasmanian travel presentations to various groups. They take quite a bit of organisation, so they have they kept me very busy. I have also been busy organising my upcoming week. This week coming I am joining two Spirit of Tasmania girls (Emma & Kristy) on a week of visiting heaps of Regional Victorian Travel Agents. Our visits take in Geelong, Colac, Warrnambool, Hamilton, Mt. Gambier, Horsham, Ballarat, Bendigo, Shepparton, Numurkah, Cobram, Yarrawonga, Echuca, Albury, Myrtleford, Bright, Benalla, Mansfield and then I travel home and climb into bed for a week!!!! For anyone who doesn't know the towns of Victoria - this is a really long distance and heaps of kilometres.

"Angel Lunch"

"Angel Lunch" today was so amazing. Other than "Goddess Michelle", I really didn't know anything about the other girls. Right from our very first self introduction, I was like a sponge, soaking up all the interesting conversations that were happening. Even though we were all interested in angel business, we were all totally different, with different lives, likes, passions and experiences. The conversations were so interesting, taking me to places I didn't think I was going to visit over lunch. I could have sat and listened all day, but I guess I had to come back to my little world at some stage. Isn't it great spending time with people with different life experiences than yourself, it just opens your eyes and your mind. Thank you girls for making my "Angel Lunch" so enjoyable.

"Variety is the Spice of Life"

I have had the best day. I finally got up enough courage to go to a gift store and see if they would be interested in selling some of my jewelry. I was so excited when the owner Samantha bought over 5 pieces. Isn't it funny how we don't have as much confidence in our ability as other people do. Friends have told me that my jewelry is really nice, but in my eyes it is JUST something I have made for years. It is such a good feeling doing something that you really enjoy doing. Tomorrow is going to be a big day. I have an "Angel Lunch" at Eltham Glasshouse which I am really looking forward to. Then tomorrow night I have to put my "Groups Tasmania" hat on and do a travel presentation for the "Jackaroo 4WD Club". I certainly can't complain I have no variety in my life!!!

"Happy Birthday Shane"

This time 29 years ago I had not long given birth to my first child "Shane". Wow now he is all grown up and I must say into a really nice man. I had my doubts how he would turn out during his teenage years!!!!! But now I am so so so proud of him. It is pretty hard not being with him today, but these things can't be helped when he lives in the top of Australia and I live at the bottom. So really all I want to say tonight is

"Happy Birthday Shane - LUVUMUM".

"Circles"

Today while I was making another bracelet out of my tiny little round jump rings I realized I LOVE circles. It really got my brain thinking - WHY do circles hold such a fascination for me. There are quite a few intriguing famous circles - Stonehenge - Crop Circles - Mandalas. What is it that makes this shape so fascinating to me and many many other people. When I doodle I also do some sort of circle design - not always the same - but always circles. I also think the allure of circles has been with me all of my life. I remember as a young teenager having reoccurring dreams and sometimes nightmares of circles. I think I am going have to do a bit of circle research. If anyone has any circle suggestions that will help ease my brain drain please let me know.

"Eltham Town"

I have lived in the Eltham area for about 19 years now. I moved here because I loved the quiet country, arty, greeny feeling of the area. But oh my, how things have changed. I know with population growth there has to also be growth in the infrastructure, but come on does a small township like Eltham really need three big supermarkets. The traffic is chaotic - there are so many short tempered drivers. The other morning I needed to go to the shops so I decided I would go early to miss all the work, school and general traffic - like at 7.30am. It was so nice when I got to the carpark and it was empty, even the little town square was pretty much deserted other than the council dude doing some sweeping. I did my little bit of shopping in peace and headed back home. Didn't take long for reality to hit home when I was once again in the traffic - even had a tractor in front me.

Oh how I would like to move to a little country town!!!

"Tragic Loss"

My heart goes out to all the families and friends that lost someone in the

tragic plane crash on its way to the Kokoda Track.

"Emails"

I had my post all sorted - I knew exactly what I was going to write. This doesn't happen very often, I am usually deciding on what my words will be as my fingers hit the keys. Then I got one of those emails that have lots of cute photos and lots of quirky sayings and then tell you to send it onto every person in the world and if you don't you will have bad luck for the next zillion years. Usually I just hit the delete button unless it hits a cord with me. Anyway this one I received was a cutsie one but I really liked the quote at the end, so I thought I would share it will you tonight.

Life is short!

Break the rules!

Forgive quickly!

Kiss slowly!

Love truly,

Laugh uncontrollably,

And never regret anything that made you smile!

"Household Jobs - Boring"

Today was such a lovely "Sunny Winters Day", I think it reached about 18c. When I woke this morning I decided it was really going to have to be a day where household stuff got done - ho hum!!! So I wrote my trusty list and set my intentions and off I went. Well surprise surprise I got almost all of my jobs done and I actually enjoyed doing washing and ironing. As I hung my clothes on the line they were almost saying thank you - don't the clothes smell so good when they are dried outside. Even my little lemons on my little lemon tree were smiling. We do really need the rain but it is nice to have a day like today now and then.

"Angel Thursday & Affirmation Boxes"

Oh what a lovely morning I had at "Angels Thursday". It was my turn to be the "Angel In Charge" so to speak. I basically had to organise the format of our morning. I was a bit nervous how it would all go, cause I'm pretty new at all this stuff and my little "self doubt gremlin" in my head kept putting in her pennies worth. But there was really no need to worry - I think it turned out really well - even if I do say so myself. What does that little gremlin know anyway. I based the morning on affirmations and promises to ourselves. The girls all wrote their special affirmations and placed it into their little handmade boxes. Then as everyone relaxed I read a list of special self promises that resonated with me. The morning was filled with lots of those special small moments that will stay with me forever.

"Quotes Quotes and more Quotes"

I just love finding interesting quotes. I have kept a little quote journal for years and every time I read something that hits the spot I jot it down. I read this one on an "EFT Insights Newsletter" today and it hit the spot.

"Change the way you look at things and the things you look at will change." Dr. Wayne Dyer

"Inspired"

Oh what a great day I have had. My day started of with a text message from lovely Michelle giving me a wonderful affirmation to get my intentions for the day set in the right direction - "Be The Change You Want To Be" - Michelle you are such an inspiration, thank you. Then I was of to another day at the "Reed Gift Fair", this time at the Exhibition Centre where yesterday was at the Showgrounds. This is such a huge event, for a first timer it was a bit mind blowing. At the Showgrounds there were 700 stands and at the Exhibition Centre there were 500 stands. I would never think of stealing another designers work, but after enjoying the day looking at so much beauty I am feeling really inspired to be creative. I must say my life is in such a good place at the moment.

"Panic"

Well I started writing tonight's post about my fabulous day I have had at the "Reed Gift Fair". It actually makes my new business "DavineRaeDesign" real. There are so many talented designers out there. But before I could start writing Rachel and I were sent into a panic. Every Monday night I record "Desperate Housewives" for us to watch later. The panic set in when my T.V decided not to work - Rachel can't get the channel it's on. We both tried to contact everyone we knew, but people either were not home, couldn't do the recording or we couldn't get hold of them. To make it more urgent it is the "Season Final" - OMG we were like crazy women trying to work out what to do. Finally our beautiful Rebecca came to our rescue and is going to record it for us. Funny thing is she lives 21/2 hours from us so she is going to mail it tomorrow morning. I know Bec will read my blog so Bec from Rach and I "WE LOVE YOU".

"Lazy Weekend"

I have had the laziest of weekends - just pottering around - doing some scrapbooking - surfing the web - little bit of gardening - bumping into lovely Michelle early this morning - having a chat to my boy (Shane) from Cairns - having a laugh with my Dad - preparing for my eventful Monday - sitting with my dear old cat (Caspa - 16yrs old) on my knee. It really is the small things in our life that make our lives full of joy and satisfaction.