Have you ever made a choice and then found yourself wondering what may have been if you had chosen differently? This week I found myself reflecting on the idea that our life path is nothing more than a map of the choices we make.
Last Sunday, we were in Gilroy. We made a small decision which inadvertently changed our lives …
Read MoreWhen our vacation in the heart of the Sierra Nevada happened to coincide with one of the largest snow-falls of recent Californian history - I was ecstatic! How lucky were we? Breaking 20 year records, the Squaw Valley reported it’s snow bank at 246 inches high (or 20 feet tall). It was a childhood dream of mine to visit Narnia and this was beginning to feel pretty close…
Read MoreIt’s exactly 12 months since we moved to California and I’m beginning to feel grammatically challenged!
During my Mum’s recent visit, we were commenting on the fact that none of us have developed a US accent (yet). What we had developed, however, was a different vocabulary. There was no change to our intonation but we were saying things like candy (lollies), trash (bin), practice (training). It’s funny how we can sound the same while sounding so different. The thing is, it’s quite a funny story…
Read More3 Mathematicians are out hunting when they suddenly stumble across a deer.
The first mathematician takes aim and overshoots. The second mathematician takes aims and undershoots. The third mathematician leaps in excitement and screams “We got him!”
Read MoreIt looks like a cheesy tourist photo on Golden Gate Bridge with people I know, but to be honest I have no idea who these people are. I don't even know their first names, but I want to draw your attention to the orange arm band he's wearing. This makes him a "Bridge Angel" or a volunteer who gives his time to walk up and over the bridge watching for those people who are sad and lonely and contemplating jumping over. It seems sad but actually it was quite beautiful. Every "angel" we passed either smiled or wished us a happy New Year. She wore an arm band too. Some folks are just beautiful are they not...
Read MoreI'm guessing you think I'm super excited to tell you this news.
When the email came through earlier this month, my instant reaction was to screen shot the front page of the contract and share it with everyone. My social media sites were primed and ready to go before I took a moment and thought ... "Hang on; pause a sec’ Wend. This is public announcement stuff and you haven't accepted the offer yet!"
I’m so glad for that pause. It probably saved me thousands…
Read MoreNovember marks the 2nd anniversary of my first book launch.
The road to self-published author was much longer than I anticipated. It took 7 years from the day I sat down to write Dad’s story until I had something to share. Most of this delay was because I was so determined to “do-it-alone”, but there were other delays like finding an illustrator, finding a graphic designer, finding a printer, and so the list goes.
Read MoreFor the first time ever I’ve committed to NaNoWriMo and in so doing have joined the hordes of the suddenly antisocial as we attempt to write as many words as possible over the next 31 days. My goals are modest. I’m aiming for 10,000 words by November 31st.
Here’s a quick glimpse into the novel that I’m writing …
Read MoreAs you can see, Bliss was a real dog. In fact, she was a Red Setter who lived on a farm in Badgingarra (yes that’s a real place - google it - middle of nowhere, Western Australia). Bliss was a very beloved part of the family, but she was different to the working dogs - Chip and Boot. Boot was an awarding winning sheepdog - he was fast and smart and obedient and also a really sweet dog. Chip was his son (chip off the ole’ block; or Boot as it turns out). I actually feel a bit guilty that I’ve used his name to create a not-so-nice character. That’s a little unfair don’t you think?
Read MoreI’ve been a bit homesick this week and I’m not normally the homesick type of person. I’ve spent the last 20 years living apart from family and only ever felt homesick after a big event (such as a 21st birthday, an illness or a wedding). This week though, I got a bit teary and sad. Maybe it’s because I’m so far away? San Jose California is, after-all, about as far away from Perth Western Australia as I can be. So I decided to let my family know that I was thinking of them and made these cute little cards to send home.
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