What I'm grateful for today:

December 18
1. The rain – at long last. I loved it filling up the water barrels, watering the lawns, the roses, and the weeds! And it made it easier to stay indoors and work.
2. Breakfast with Geraldine as we plan my workload and goals for 2010. We were meant to start the day at the driving range, but the weed-watering rain put an end to that lead us directly to Coogee ‘Crumpets’ in Havelock Street.
3. Finally finished preparing my tax info for the accountant... why bother? One must earn an income to pay tax right?
4. Catching up with Terri Janke over Thai – yes I know it seems like my days are only about food, but in reality, all my social life and meetings are around food. I am far happier and much more productive if there’s something to munch on in arms reach!
5. Me and my so-not-cool Planet Hollywood and not-so-merry mood staying away from the local Christmas party. Actually, I think the neighbours were probably the grateful ones!!

December 19th:
1. Waking up to another STUNNING Sydney day. Really, do I live in the best city in the world or not? I am up for the debate if you want to have it.
2. Belting out Mozart’s Serenade No. 13 in G Major “Eine kleine Nachtmusik’ (yes I write that like I know what I’m talking about). I played it over and over again and felt invigorated (and wasn’t it used for the Minchinbury advert back in the 1980s?). I got a little teary also as it reminds me of my late father who took me to Mozart’s birthplace in Salzburg when I was 9! Ever since, whenever I visit Salzburg (indeed anywhere in Austria) I always buy bags of Mozartkugel.
3. Driving to Wollongong to see my gorgeous friends Julie and Ali and little baby Josephine. We dined al fresco under the palm trees and had our annual Christmas catch up. We used to meet three or four times a year, and sitting there today, I wondered how we managed to coordinate those meetings, giving the various distances and extraordinarily busy lives we live. The moment together was pure. The weather perfect. The view over the harbour picturesque. The fish’n’chips something just to put in our mouths when we weren’t yacking!
4. Receiving the stunning book A Survival Guide for Landlocked Mermaids by Margot Datz. My dear sista Leo Princess Julie Ditrich gave it to me, and it is spot on for me, for her and for our other tidda Ali Smith (Ali is the Director of the South Coast Writers’ Centre). From the book: ‘The landlocked mermaid is a symbol of the contemporary woman, trapped in a paradoxical dilemma of being part worldly and domesticated, part untameable and intuitive.’ It is the most beautiful book that I will be buying for other ‘landlocked mermaids’... might I suggest you do too!
5. The most delightful evening at Sonja Stewart’s home, catching up over champagne cocktails for Christmas. I caught up with old friends from Uni I hadn’t seen for years, girlfriends I hadn’t seen for months, and bar men I need to catch up with again :)

December 20th:
1. Seeing my nieces and nephews first thing this morning, and having them do lunges alongside me up the length of the backyard. They are all under 7, and so so so cute!
2. As I left their house watching Joey (5) and Liesl (7) jogging with their father down the street. It was truly precious and I am so proud of how wonderful a father my brother is.
3. The excitement I have knowing that I will be spending Christmas with friends Frane and Mark and New Year’s with VJ. There will be immeasurable happiness and laughter and good fare to be indulged in (is that correct grammar??).
4. My friend Julie in Barcelona who loves me unconditionally. I know I can tell her anything, and I did, and she won’t judge me. I am grateful for her friendship which began back in 2002 when I was her guest at the Kosmopolis International Literature Festival.
5. Hearing from a friend I made in Western Australia earlier this year at a writer’s festival. Having to share an apartment with a complete stranger can go either way. We got on famously and so it was a joy to hear her voice when she called.