The Butterfly and the Diving Bell.

Some years ago, I read The Butterfly and the Diving Bell, a book written by Jean-Dominique Bauby, former editor in chief of French Elle,  after he suffered a stroke when just 43 years-old. Bauby awoke from a 20 day coma to discover he had 'locked in syndrome' and could only move his left eye. Bauby's dedicated speech therapist devised a way for him to communicate which involved him blinking. Not content with simply being able to communicate with hospital staff and friends, Bauby went on to 'blink' a book.
Yep - he blinked The Butterfly and the Diving Bell.
I was incredibly moved and inspired by Bauby's story, courage, patience and intelligence. It's a remarkable example of human spirit. But it's not only Bauby who inspired me but the staff - the speech therapist, the physio, his assistant. Their dedication and persistence is remarkable and uplifting.
In 2007, the book was made into a film, which I finally watched this week. The film is every bit as moving and inspirational as the book.
Read it. Watch it. Be inspired. It is amazing what humans can achieve.

A trip to the zoo...

My niece turned three this week, and as instructed, we didn't forget.
To celebrate, we spent the day at the Open Range Zoo, which is always a fabulous experience.
There is nothing like a child's excited face or squeal of joy at seeing a favourite animal. We strolled, marvelled, ate cake and gasped at the lioness snarling and rumbling behind the cyclone fence.

The cheetahs were less active than the lioness, reclining in the shade of a tree. Clearly they aren't always as docile.  Front and centre of the display lay the evidence of what happens when rabbit (or perhaps two) stray into the enclosure. 

The kids were oblivious.

Debris and a cheetah, just visible by the tree trunk, top left. 

The Big Stuff

 Since reading a few years ago, about the benefits of focusing on gratitude, I've been keeping a gratitude diary.
Each night before I go to sleep, I list at least five things that I'm grateful for. Some days the list fills a page, other days reaching five can be a challenge. (You know the days!).
My diary is nothing flash - a spiral bound notebook - and the entries are often scrawled and are always simple.
So today I thought I'd list a few things I'm grateful for, in no particular order...

• Calls and messages from friends to say,'Thinking of you!'
• Our resident frog's song during the drizzle.
• My two year-old niece's comment 'It's my birthday next week. Don't forget!'
• My daughter's delightful laugh, nearly always provoked by my husband's sense of humour.
• My brother's hilarious Facebook posts.
• My nephew's delight at finding green and purple berries on a bush.
• Footy starts this week!!
• Ideas coming together on the page.
• Blue skies (just looked out my window)

For me, a pathological list keeper, a gratitude list helps me focus on the simple stuff - the important things in life. What are you grateful for?

First school visit for the year...

Yesterday I had my first 'author' visit for 2011. I worked with Year 5 and 6 students at St Aloysius, Redan on ways to make ideas flow and ways to then develop the ideas into stories. One of my favourite things about school visits is watching the students go from fearful and disinterested to buzzing with excitement. That is something special to see.
The students at Redan are a sensational, enthusiastic bunch who came up with such varied and clever ideas.
Can't wait to return in a few weeks
From now on the school bookings come thick and fast and I'm thrilled to have been asked to be part of the Melbourne Writer's Festival.

From Butterflies to Jemima

My daughter turns 17 today. While icing her birthday cake this morning, I got to thinking about the changes and constants over those fantastic 17 years.


Her love of worms has vanished, completely.

Hi5, Elmo and Barbies have been replaced with Florence and The Machine,  Flights of the Concord and Taylor Lautner.

Dale Thomas is still 'the best', I'm still not funny, can't sing or dance and her dad still has the ability to reduce her to a giggling mess with a word.
And the biggest thing that hasn't changed is how much we both love her, more than we ever thought possible.

The other thing I pondered while icing was how I could track her develop via the cakes I've made.
A number one, a caterpillar, a stage complete with ballerinas, Jemima (my personal favourite and triumph!) butterfly, teddy, whale, mermaid, Tweety, ice cream cake (x2) and a run of 'piniata' cakes (they drove me insane!).
So what does a 17 yo request?
A carrot cake.
Yep she's a young lady now.

Definition of old...

As well as writing, I work as a casual relief teacher. I've spent a couple of days teaching, which is always enlightening.
Today I discovered the definition of old while on yard duty.
I stopped to talk to a prep student sitting on top of the slide. This bright little poppet wanted to know my name.
'Sue,' I replied.
 'There was a Sue at my kinder. She helped us.' She looked me up and down. 'She was old too.'
I'm always intrigued to know what kids class as old, so I asked, 'Older than me?'
The little girl nodded earnestly, her sunhat slipping around her head. 'Oh yes. She was very old with curly grey hair. I think...' She scrunched up her face. 'Actually, I don't know how old she was but she was OLD. About 20 or something.'
So there you have it - 20 is very old. I didn't stay to ask how old she thought I was.

New Divas for March!

How gorgeous are the new Diva covers? Black Dog Books has published the re-issued Girls' Stuff and Girls At Sea this month with bright, shiny new covers. Don't they look great?
You can buy the books, or the whole set, from the  Black Dog Books' website.