Health, friends, revelations

1. I'm back! As well as being busy I've felt a bit under the weather in recent days with an intermittent tummy upset. However, I feel much better today which is wonderful. Just in time for the school holidays!
2. I had lunch with friends today and the chef was our very own local domestic goddess, Elizabeth. The meal was exquisite, the conversation hilarious, the company warm and the builders noisy. However, renovations or not, it was a memorable and well needed interruption from my self inflicted schedule. Aren't friends a wonderful gift!?
3. I had three revelations this morning. One, I am the servant I wish I had for myself. Of course, I've created this rod for my back and it's my job to wean my family away from my constant help and attention. The process has begun. Two, my children are growing up into wonderful, funny, happy, bright individuals and I really enjoy their company. I look forward to the teenage years! Three, my husband has a great job with wonderful future prospects. I have lots to be thankful for.

Still busy, weather, emotions

1. I've just realised how long it's been since I added something new to this blog! Too long. Sorry about that. Still busy with heaps of writing and research for writing as well as being a mother, friend, wife etc.
2. Our weather has been very stormy for the last three days or so. Very cold in the with lots of snow and things being cancelled. Up here in the north it's just been windy, stormy and wet but not too cold at the moment which is a bonus. I'm travelling to Auckland tomorrow with the children to see the stage show of High School Musical with thousands so I hope the weather takes a settled turn, at least for the drive there and back.
3. Things have been tough emotionally in our circle of friends recently. One of our number has had some bad health news which has left us all in a dazed state as we come to terms with it. Positive vibes are called for in huge doses.

Busy, writing, speech finals

1. I've had a very busy week which has been made busier by needing to spend a lot more time reading through the invented meanings on my blog! The numbers are still high a week after gaining Blog of Note status and I feel very honoured. I must say a big thanks to all the very loyal word imps who have been with the game since its early beginnings late last year. I kept going through thick and thin because of all your encouragement and this week has certainly made it all worthwhile. Long may it last.
2. I am working on at least three writing deadlines this week. It's not easy because I have also had several workshops to run with gifted young writers - not to mention the daily motherly tasks I am supposed to be performing... I have been so busy that I have been forced to take the advice of my good friend Rhonda who advised that, when all else fails, live in a state of denial. No, the house doesn't look that bad. No, it's not impossible to finish that book by the end of the month. Of course you can be in three places at once on Friday afternoon!
3. I am a very proud mum tonight. We have just arrived home from the speech finals which our son was part of. His speech was about "annoying flies" and he won the trophy! He was in the eastern zone junior speech competition which consisted of about 7 or 8 other local schools who each sent one or two of their best speechmakers. The two speakers from our little country school did very well indeed. Well done to Abby who was a clear second. Our daughter didn't speak tonight, but she was in the top six at school with a very funny speech about her career options. Next year will be her big chance, with her brother gone to intermediate! So, I'm smiling.

Blog of Note, yachting, squash

1. Today's big achievement has been to have my word imperfect blog chosen as a Blog of Note. It's been a long held dream of mine, since I started that blog in October last year. I am absolutely thrilled and humbled by the wonderful response. And so glad to bring the happiness of this enjoyable word game to even more bloggers than before. I'm not sure who to thank for becoming a Blog of Note but, whoever you are, many many thanks. I appreciate it very much.
2. Today was also a great day for us all here in New Zealand. Our Team NZ yacht won the fifth race in a row and took out the Louis Vuitton Cup which means we can now challenge for the Americas Cup. Well done to you, Dean Barker!
3. My son Gregory had a wonderful win at squash this evening. He played an older boy and won. He plays twice more over the next two days and hopes to repeat his performance. It's very exciting to watch a sporting son play a game like squash - especially when you're a mum like me who didn't get picked for any teams at school!

Reunion, family, friends

1. I enjoyed my high school reunion immensely but was disappointed about the number of people who stayed away. It was great to see some of my favourite teachers again and I thoroughly enjoyed hearing a speech made by our former principal. Lots of great memories came flooding back. It was also fun spending time with my sisters.
2. My family coped extremely well while I was away in Auckland. Well done to them!
3. I used my time in Auckland to spend time with some special friends and that was definitely a big highlight of the weekend for me. I'm so fortunate to have wonderful friends who know me well. I enjoy the way different friends relate with me in different ways. It feeds my soul.