A little piece of peace...

I have had some ups and down this year. Today I want to look back at a moment of my life when all I felt was calmness and peace. During my Summer, I was lucky to travel to and around Australia. I have friends there from my travels in the US and Canada who I was able to see again. 

While in Australia, I travelled around a few Whitsunday Islands. The collection of islands are vast and vary but one thing is the same, they are all peaceful and beautiful. I spent some time out on a boat, Whitehaven Island and a couple nights on the island of South Molle. Obviously the sunshine is a big pull for these islands but for me it was the ultimate tranquillity which I adored. I have been to beaches and even beautiful beaches but neither like this.

At the time of my visit, it was Australian Winter time but the temperature was still in mid 20s - I know, lucky aren't they? I spent some time doing something I never do...sitting still. I decided to spend time lounging on the beach while others went fish feeding and walking. I walked onto South Molle beach and I was the only one on it. 

I decided to walk to the very end of the beach and set up my towel. While lying I just let myself relax and be at peace. There is nothing like sunshine, alone time with the sound of the ocean lapping at the shore to make me feel calm. What I thought about I don't know, it was like a blank mind which for me is a rather large feat to reach. If I could have a wish, it would be to be able to  have this place easily accessible for a down day. Imagine if you could just have some Narnia time wold through your wardrobe to your 'calm place'. I would definitely be back there. 

That's why today I want to share a couple pictures of my 'calm place' with you all. It's difficult in this mad world to find a moment of peace but when you do, appreciate it to its full extent.
 

South Molle beauty...

Where would your calm Narnia be?

Have yourself a merry little Christmas...

Christmas is such a fun and exciting time. What I love about it, is that it means something different for everyone. I love hearing of Christmas traditions and how people close to me celebrate. For me, Christmas is all about making people smile and be happy.

My traditions start before Christmas. As a school teacher, I spend time with the kids at school singing carols and making cards and decorating the classroom. Their faces light up the day they come into the classroom and the tree is up. They know then it's nearly Christmas and the excitement starts. The naivety of children is something to behold. One of may favourite comments from one of my class was in the last week of school when he told me seriously, 

"Miss, I would love to be Santa when I grow up." I mean come on, who wouldn't love to have that belief again? 

On Christmas Eve, I go ice-skating and have food with my close girlfriends. We didn't subconsciously start it as a tradition, just a fun thing to do but after the first Christmas Eve day out we thought, Hey, we should do this every year. That is where 'Christmas Eve Festivities' came from. I love it. We go out together and have good fun. We don't party or get really drunk, just good old fashioned conversation and hopes of breaking no bones on the ice. 

My Christmas Day is usually a quiet affair with parents and twin. We eat, talk and share gifts. It's one of the most chilled days of the year. Then comes Boxing Day... it's my family's mad day. We all get together at my parents and celebrate till late. Again, it is a tradition. Gifts go flying, more eating and drinking, a million conversations going all over. It is one of my favourite days of the years. As I have such a big family, it is one of the few days we all manage to get together and have family time.

This year will be a difficult one. We will be a family member down due to the passing of one of my big brothers in November. This is something we're all still trying to come to terms with and something I still find upsetting. We are such a close group who are very protective and not being able to look after him and save him just hurts us all a lot. Christmas was his favourite time of the year so I am determined to make it a good one for him.

Christmas for me is about family, being happy and having conversations, irregardless of the topic, with the people I love so dearly. This year I will be thinking about those I can't be with and remembering them, I know they will be with us all in spirit.



Merry Christmas to you all. I hope it is all you want it to be!!

Missy
xoxo

When your thoughts get 'stuck'...

I have now penned at least 7 unfinished blog posts. I start...then stop and wonder, 'Where am I going with this?' It's not what I would call a 'blog block' because I haven't ran out of things to say. I guess it's more like I keep losing direction.

I have always been very honest in my writing and that is something which I was never sure I would be able to upkeep in my blogging life. Would I run out of ideas? Would I stop finding inspiration in the smallest of thoughts? I never did. I then suffered a moment of absolute sadness and my inspiration was a string as ever with thoughts about life, death, love and how our lives are so fragile. The issue has arose that I have been unable to put these thoughts into words. I get halfway through and my mind races ahead to something else, leaving the ruins of my thoughts lying behind it. 

Is it a lack of concentration? Too much emotion? Not feeling brave enough to be honest about my thoughts and feelings? I can genuinely say I don't know. I don't know why I can't write but I haven't given up. I am still going and beginning to see a cloud lift from my life. I am still hanging out in blogging land, I'm just trying to find my focus is all.

Thank you for many lovely supportive comments you wonderful people.

You are not alone...

Just remember....