Relief, blogs, more relief

1. My first reason for being relieved today was that I finished my manuscript (until my agent gives me reason to think it's not finished, that is). My deadline was the end of November and, being a very legalistic girl, I finished it today. I'm amazed that I managed to complete it, as it was a mammoth task for me. I'm only used to writing manuscripts of about 1000 words or less. I have done 10,000 before but 30,000 plus was uncharted water. I don't know if I'll do it again either. However, for now, I'm done. Phew.
2. My son keeps a reading log for school. I noticed that one of his entries this week features my blog. He's written the blog address for his teacher as www.wordimperfect.blogsplat.com. As far as I know, there's no such thing as blogsplat! But it sounds kinda cute, doesn't it?
3. More relief. As I realised that today is the last day of November, I found myself feeling very glad that I hadn't attempted to participate in NaNoWriMo as well as doing all the other things I had to do this month. Maybe I'll do that next November, as long as I don't have another important deadline, two school camps, and numerous other intervening factors.

Singing, shopping, sleeping

1. I went on a kindergarten trip to our college marae and adored the kapa haka group's singing. There's something emotional and uplifting about a group of teenagers bonding together through the songs of their forbears. Made me wish I was Maori.
2. Finally got to do the Monday shopping today. Whizzed round and avoided biscuits and potato chips successfully. Trying to wean the children off potato chips and bought biscuits in favour of homemade or, even better, fruit. So far, it's working well. No complaints or questions.
3. Have I ever mentioned how much I love sleep? I would swap it for chocolate any day. Sleep is a gift from God. It's my favourite "s" word!

Husbands, waves, quiet women

1. I felt so lucky that my husband was happy to sleepover in the tent with three children he doesn't know and then get up and go to work. That's dedication.
2. We've been at the beach for room 3's class trip. Children and waves went together well, despite the water being very cold. Peer pressure took over and everyone got wet.
3. I was a passenger on the beach trip. My driver is the quiet mother of two quiet daughters. This is far from my ken but I really enjoyed letting the silence be silence for once.

More camping, brownie, editing

1. My husband and daughter are overnighting in tents at school. I think school camps are a highlight of the year for children. Their social interactions get extended beyond the norm. I hope she has fun. My turn when we go to the beach for the day tomorrow. Hope the weather is kind.
2. I make a lot of chocolate brownie. I love baking and it's the one recipe I know by heart. Nothing much can go wrong with it and everyone seems to love it. It's my contribution to the home baking for the beach trip tomorrow. It's baking as we speak. And smells alluring.
3. I've spent all my spare time editing my manuscript today. I keep thinking of new things to check and recheck. I thought I might have used the phrase "a bit" a bit too often. I was right. Actually, I used "a bit" a lot too often! Thank goodness for "find" on the keyboard.

Concentration, stones, book

1. The end is in sight. By that I mean my deadline of course. I'm feeling very happy because I've almost completed my manuscript to the point where it's suitable for my agent's critical eye. Just a few more hours in the next day or so and I will be able to relax. I managed a good number of hours working on it today and feel happy with the result. Yaaayyy!
2. My daughter and her friend painted large river stones today as gifts for some of the teachers at school. I noticed that my daughter has started using the painting techniques she's been learning at her art class. It's great to see her transferring her learning to the painting she's doing at home. Money well spent.
3. My son has been teaching us one of the games he learned at camp. We sit in a circle acting like chickens and passing round the "book". It's very funny but hard to translate onto paper.

Sleeping in, helping, summer fruit

1. My post-camp sleep in was delicious and much-needed.
2. Our son has never shown a great interest in helping dad with outdoor chores, apart from on the odd occasion. This has started to change slowly and today he proudly prepared 12 wheelbarrow loads of pit sand for the swimming pool hole. And not a word mentioned about monetary reward!
3. I'm ga ga over strawberries. We also have the juiciest pineapples available at good prices. Apricots are just on the scene as well. Melt in my mouth, juice runneth over, summer fruit. I love to savour the flavour.

Synchronicity, school camp, ducklings

1. We are having a lot of trouble getting our pool from Auckland to our home two hours south of there. It's because it's the pool season and all the pool installers are so busy. We have options though, both expensive and possibly risky. But which way to go? In a moment of beautiful synchronicity, my friend in Belgium phoned about a decision she needed help with. I helped her through the decision making process and, in doing so, realised the same process could be used to help us decide which option to take for the installation of our pool. We feel a baby step closer to having a pool instead of a hole in the back yard.
2. I've just returned from a three day two night school camp in Auckland with my son's class. The highlight for me was climbing Rangitoto, a dormant volcano in Auckland's harbour. It was a long climb but one that reminded me that my body actually enjoys exercise.
3. Ducklings featured on the television golf news tonight. They were having trouble getting out of the bunker (something I am very familiar with, sadly). My sister's friend also has an orphaned duckling living in her swimming pool at the moment. He's called Daxter and, by all accounts, is very cute. I have a soft spot for downy baby birds. They make me say aaaaahhh.

Tickets, hole, weta

1. Tickets for the Rugby Sevens in Wellington went on sale today. It's always a mad rush and those who miss out (namely me, my friend and my sister) then have to pay exhorbitant prices on Trade Me (the NZ version of ebay). We thought we had a plan sussed, but tickets were all snapped up in minutes. We know we can get some on trade me though, so we'll still make it. The positive thing that came out of that is keeping focussed and looking on the bright side of life. I realise there are thousands like us who are disappointed at missing out. We're not alone in our plight. I wanted to dwell on the misery of not getting tickets in the mad internet rush at 9am but instead I focussed on the fact that I'm alive and well and have a wonderful family. I like the power of positive thought.
2. We have a rectangular hole in our backyard. A digger came today to create it so we can have a swimming pool installed. We all marvelled at the expertise of the digger operator and the machinery he used. It was fascinating.
3. My husband pointed out a weta on our curtains. We don't know how it got inside. He suspects it was inside some clothes that had been drying outside and were now inside waiting to be folded. Yikes! Imagine climbing into your und... no, I won't go there.

Little legs, baking, company

1. We had our interschool athletics in town today. It's always a great day for supporting the children and encouraging them to try things they're not necessarily good at. They do everything from long jump to shot put and from sprints to long distance. Neither are my children are gifted athletes. Both are average and enjoy the day to varying degrees. They try very hard at everything and have fun with their friends which is the main thing. I particularly love watching the youngest five and six year olds competing. Some have little legs that churn at a surprisingly rapid rate along the track. Others are happier to take a less hurried approach, turning to wait for a friend or stopping to tie laces in the middle of the track. But my favourite part of all is the relays. Our school did very well in the relays today. Cheering them on is very uplifting.
2. I did some baking today - partly for the upcoming school camp and partly for my husband who'll be at home with our daughter while I'm at camp with our son. I love baking. Today, among other things, I made a batch of custard squares. Mmmmm.
3. My lovely eight year old daughter had a couple of difficult moments today. One was caused by a missing hat in the morning and the other by a misunderstanding this evening. In the end, she came supermarket shopping with me tonight after telling me that she likes to keep me company in the supermarket so I don't get lonely. I kept my own feelings about the matter to myself and took it as a compliment. And indeed, we had a delightful time together deciding between choices of muesli bars and flavours of yoghurt, among other things.

Rugby, Shark Tale, Pancakes

1. We watched the All Blacks defeat France on television today. It wasn't the same comprehensive display of last week, but beautiful nevertheless. I thought the French rugby players were beautiful too.
2. The weather remains crappy, to put it bluntly. The children amused themselves variously but at one stage resorted to watching the Shark Tale DVD. It's one of my faves and I watched some of it with them in between household chores. I love the quick wit of it and caught several lines that I don't remember hearing the first, second or third time around.
3. We had pancakes for breakfast, made by yours truly. It was a yummy treat enjoyed by all - including two rugby watching guests - and I am indebted to Sophie Gray, Destitute Gourmet, for the no-fail recipe. (Not to mention my mother-in-law who gave me the cookbook!)

Neck, children, freedom

1. I wanted to work harder at my deadline today but I woke up with an astonishingly sore neck. Not sure if it's from sitting at the computer or perhaps a chill while reading in bed last night. Either way, it's been a pain all day long and hard to concentrate around. Since this blog is about beautiful things, however, I will have to say that the good thing about it is that it reminds me of how I take health for granted until something goes wrong and then I realise how topsy turvy the world becomes when one part of my body is not feeling in sync. So, if you're reading this and nothing hurts, appreciate it! Be grateful! Dance for joy!
2. The children each had a friend over today. It rained persistently from dawn til nearly dusk when the sun decided to make a brief appearance. That meant they were cooped up inside. The girls were okay about that, and enjoyed playing with tiny polly pocket stuff and making mad dashes out to play in the rain every now and then. The boys were harder to please. I needed my wits about me to keep the happiness cogs clicking over but finally resorted to a borrowed Playstation! Bliss returned.
3. Australian Shapelle Corby is in the news again as her book hits the shelves. After a news item about her ghastly life in a Bali prison I asked my husband to remind me about Shapelle the next time I uttered a word of complaint. It wasn't long. I can't remember what I was moaning about 10 minutes later but he turned and said "Shapelle, remember Shapelle". Grrr! Okay. Shapelle, I admire your capacity to choose life under the circumstances which have befallen you. I wish you every success for your upcoming last chance appeal. I believe you.

Flow, happiness, focus

1. I love writer's flow. It's much more acceptable than writer's block.
2. I was very happy today because the bad weather meant the children's sports day was postponed. I know that inconvenienced lots of people but it convenienced me because I wanted to be at home and write - and I was able to.
3. This is a very boring blog right now because all I am doing until the end of November is working towards my deadline. However, I can say that my ability to focus on that goal is actually surprising me. For ages I couldn't/wouldn't work on this project but suddenly I have all the energy in the world for it. However, tonight I'll have an early night and work again at the weekend.

Acting, energy, writing

1. I realised today that my daughter is the proverbial chip off her mother's block. I was taking a small group of writers for a play writing session at school and she was in the class. She was quite the little actress - more so than I had realised. It was wonderful to see her so full of life.
2. I spent money on myself today. I needed an energy boost to get me through the next two weeks and realised it had been a while since I'd bought my favourite health product - coenzyme Q10. So when I was at the health food shop getting something for my son, I decided to indulge in my own health as well. It's about valuing myself and that's always a good thing.
3. The children played so happily this evening that I got some writing done at a time that I normally wouldn't be able to concentrate. The power of a deadline is great.

Chicken spots, apprentice, Brazilians

1. One of the kindergarten children told me that her friend wasn't at kindy today because he had "the chicken spots". I remember when my two children were afflicted. I was confined to my home for a month. One had two weeks at home with "chicken spots" and on the day she was deemed fit to return to society, the other one burst out in the dreaded things. Another two weeks at home. So the beautiful thing about that is chicken spots is a distant memory.
2. My father in law came to do some string lines for a swimming pool we are planning for the back yard. I was required as his apprentice to hold the string or the tape measure at various points. I carried out my role with ease but have no desire to enter the building trade. However, the string lines are perfectly square and we await a digger.
3. My son attended his weekly Brazilian futsal class today (indoor soccer for the uninitiated). The three coaches are all Brazilian. I think I'll leave it at that.

Deadlines, memory, love

1. It's nice to have this blog and know that my friends and family can catch up with my thoughts and news even if I'm too busy meeting deadlines to chat in person. Thanks to those of you who I know are reading this as a way of keeping in touch with me at this busy time. I appreciate you!
2. I've had cause for concern about my own memory as well as the memory of someone close to me lately. I think I took memory for granted for a long time. Now I realise it's something precious, to be prized and can be easily lost.
3. My children are always telling me they love me. I never tire of it.

Deadlines, sleep, squash

1. I am remaining calm despite an impending deadline. One of the beautiful things about getting older is realising that everything passes and there really is nothing to worry about. If I do start to panic, I remember the people who are worse off than me, such as Rove who lost his beautiful wife to cancer at the weekend. So sad.
2. I had a wonderful, deep and restful sleep after our long weekend away and feel surprisingly with it. I love sleep. It's my favourite emotion.
3. Our son enjoys playing squash and was excited to be nominated for inclusion in our region's development squad for junior squash players. He's very competitive so that sort of thing is right up his alley. I feel so proud to have produced a sporting child - definitely unexpected! I think he must have my husband's genes. However, I shall take some of the credit nevertheless.

Wedding, anniversary, home

1. My sister's wedding was beautiful. She looked incredible in chocolate brown with sparkles. The occasion had exactly the right mix of ceremony and informality. It was great to be at such a happy event with my family. We wish you a wonderful life together, Sue and Brent.
2. Today is our wedding anniversary - 11 years. We were in Auckland because of my sister's wedding, but spent the day with our nephew Kendall and our children at the zoo. The highlights for me were being the in the parrot enclosure, seeing the orangutan who celebrated his first birthday and my husband's jokes.
3. I love being home again.

Trains, family, editor

1. I love trains. When I'm in Auckland I try to take a train journey somewhere. My latest was one hour long and culminated in a rendezvous with my family. Wonderful.
2. I love my husband and children. I enjoyed my time away, but I'm glad we're reunited. Yay!
3. My lunch meeting with my agent and editor was excellent. I feel that much closer to my goal.

More rain, big city, good food

1. I'm in Auckland for various reasons including a birthday, a wedding and book research. It's cold. And wet. And windy. But the library was warm and cosy and didn't have any windows, so I was happily oblivious.
2. Auckland is enormous in relation to the small town where we live. However, I felt quite at home among the city slickers and enjoyed being overawed by the sheer volume of people, shops, signs and traffic lights.
3. I'm spending the night with my sister and her husband. They cooked me a delicious meal of roast chicken, kumara and salad. It was exactly what I needed. It was wonderful to be "treated". Thanks Jude and Tony.

Vellicate, acceptance, husbands

1. I was teaching at kindergarten and the office administrator used the word of the day from my word imperfect blog, giving me a wink as she did so. She used it to describe a "very delicate" situation. I had told her about my blog but had no idea she had looked at it more than once. Turns out she's a very regular reader (possibly addicted), just not a contributor as yet. I was really thrilled. She says she loves reading the word each day, looking at the meanings contributed by others and trying to figure out what the real meaning is. Thanks, Lesly. You made my day!
2. I told the children that I'm going to Auckland a day earlier than I had planned. Usually this would result in something of a monumental meltdown, particularly with our daughter. However, I timed the discussion exactly right, said all the right things about how much help she'll be while I'm away and somehow managed to swing it so that no tears were shed. Hallelujah!
3. My husband was very happy about me going to Auckland a day earlier so I can do some library research for my book. They are coming up to meet me on Friday for a family birthday followed by a family wedding. I appreciated his willingness to cope alone with all the packing and planning. And, of course, he'll do a superb job.

Friends, letter, rain

1. I've just returned from enjoying an Indian meal with some close women friends. The food was delicious. The company was outstanding and the laughter was contagious.
2. My daughter wrote me a letter and made an envelope. The letter describes me as the "best mum ever". She writes lots of love letters to me, but this is one of the most precious.
3. It's raining and I don't particularly like rain. However, I know the ground loves it. The plants love it. And we need it. So I'm okay with the rain.

Rocks, surprise, salad

1. I drove out into a relatively remote rural area this morning. On the way, I passed the most amazing rock formations. It's my favourite part of the landscape near our home and whenever I drive through it, I try and imagine the conditions which led to the rocks ending up where they are, oddly angled and jutting from the landcape in clusters. I'm no geologist so the answer still eludes me. Probably volcanic, but I think I like the mystery of it all.
2. My sisters and I surprised our mother today with a birthday lunch. They all live in Auckland, two hours drive away, and she was only expecting to have lunch with me. It was a wonderful loooong lunch with lots of giggling - always the case when four sisters gather together. Very special memories for us all.
3. My lunch consisted of a moroccan lamb salad which was scrumptious. I'm finally learning to order light lunches and I've developed a strong enjoyment of anything leafy. I still had the obligatory moccachino of course.

Vermeer, cricket, Nemo again

1. I've just finished watching a beautiful tv movie about the Vermeer painting "the girl with the pearl ear ring". Very different. Every second scene could have been a painting. The scenery was moody, evocative and brought 17th century Delft to life. Highly recommended. And not just because Colin Firth played Vermeer either!
2. We played cricket on the lawn again today. I was crap at catching, not that good at batting, but excelled at bowling. I like it whenI do well at something which is far outside my real skills.
3. Nemo (the bird mentioned in a previous post) seems to be the parent of triplets. The parent and baby birds have been seen around our property a few times today. We have to keep the cat occupied though. Not sure how long that can last.

Gardening, homecoming, Nemo

1. My husband and I did some gardening together today. The weather was gorgeous. It's Spring here in New Zealand and, although bad weather is forecast for the week ahead, today was mainly clear, warm and calm. My husband gardened almost all day, apart from taking my son and his friend fishing for an hour or two. I helped intermittently, but enjoyed it very much. Great for the soul.
2. My daughter had a sleepover at a friend's place. Whenever the children are away for a night and I see them again, I'm reminded of how special they are to me. She was excited about her news, the different food she ate, the lamb called Fluffy and the duckling called Daxter. It was wonderful to catch up with what she'd been doing and be close again.
3. Nemo is a wild bird we rescued last year. He became very tame and we finally released him at the children's school because we were worried our cat would get him since he was so fearless around people. For the last few weeks, we have had a similar looking bird visiting us and he has been named Nemo. Some family members believe it's The Nemo. I'm not so sure. He certainly seems very friendly. Who knows?

Sisters, a book, bargains

1. I felt the love of my sisters today. Sisters are a special gift.
2. My neighbour loaned me an old book titled "Enquire Within Upon Everything". Each page is topped with lovely old sayings such as "hope is a better companion than fear" and "do a little well and you do much". I've enjoyed perusing the wisdom within.
3. We went to a school fair today and filled a box with bargains - books, cds, cassettes etc - all for $6. Everyone in our family enjoys pre-loved stuff, and there's something for everyone. Six dollars worth of fun for the weekend to come.

Characterisation, surprises, mown grass

1. Being a writer when the words flow from your fingertips (a phrase stolen from Clare of 3BT fame) is a wonderful thing. The character I'm creating came to life today. Just quietly, it was a bit of a relief!
2. My son received a surprise invitation to surprise birthday party for his friend at - you guessed it - the big M. It was fun keeping the surprise from everyone concerned - knowing something they didn't know. And knowing it would bring smiles all round.
3. I love a freshly mown lawn. My husband came home from work and duly mowed our half acre on his ride on mower. I asked him if he enjoyed it. His answer was "compared to what?"