Pluck the day. Not seize it, but simply pluck it. I must force myself to open my eyes to the beauty around me. I arrived Down Under last week. They didn't require any tests, or even proof of vaccination, The trip was grueling but uneventful. No delays, no bad weather no missed planes. I flew … Continue reading Carpe Diem
Love
"Twisted strands to a single center flow. Life is living."
Happiness
Yesterday, Blackburn Lake, Melbourne, Australia, Reflections Looking at clouds up and down, reflections all around. The reflections are my memories, the good, the bad, and the ugly. A cliché that speaks truth. I love the concept that true happiness comes from solving problems. It seems the only constants in this world are change and problems. … Continue reading Happiness
Resurrection – Easter
The Resurrection by Patsy Buell Stierna Description at the end I feel Easter in my soul. It is life, death and rebirth. It begins on Ash Wednesday which brings home the fragile nature of our short stay on this planet. Some would say life is just decay and rebirth through the cycle of life and … Continue reading Resurrection – Easter
Memoir Writing, Undressing My Soul
Unfinished Portrait of me by my mother Sheila Buchanan Buell It's been another extended week of editing. Going out pulling invasive weeds here in Australia, then locking myself up with my computer, with comments from my Beta Reader and my editor. Based on their feedback I pull out and plant more words into my memoir. … Continue reading Memoir Writing, Undressing My Soul
Trepidation-no picture
My second book Getting Beyond... is almost finished. It is about my marriage, and the problems that threatened it both mine and my husband's. Neither of us was perfect. Writing is rewriting. The moment I think I'm finished, and I share the rough draft, I see something is missing. Writing is rewriting, editing again, and … Continue reading Trepidation-no picture
My Mother, Myself
My mother Sheila Buchanan Buell in a tree USA, 1955 Me living Mother's Dream, in a tree 2019, Australia The beginning of a weekly blog series comparing our lives and documenting the process of self-publishing my new book. Getting Beyond… My mother, Sheila Buchanan Buell was a victim. Born in Australia, but taken from her Australian … Continue reading My Mother, Myself
Legs 3 & 4 to Australia, March 2-3-4 2022
I woke up in the Sonesta Airport Hotel, where Delta had put me up when I missed my flight to Syndey. I’d had a nightmare about missing my flight in Syndey, never thinking the problem would be LAX. Refreshed and hungry, I went down to breakfast, but they weren’t open yet. I was stuck where … Continue reading Legs 3 & 4 to Australia, March 2-3-4 2022
First Two Legs of an Extra Long. Austin, Texas to Melbourne, Australia Flight
The first leg: Blow by Blow, Austin to LAX I was riding in the car with my daughter to the airport. I’d been watching the weather in Sydney, worrying about the rain, worrying about catching my flight from Sydney to Melbourne. My daughter said, “Don’t worry Mom, if the rain stops your flight, you can just stay … Continue reading First Two Legs of an Extra Long. Austin, Texas to Melbourne, Australia Flight
The Big Leap
Tree Frog we found at the Wilson Reserve in Melbourne I'm more nervous than this little frog as I prepare to leap across the enormous pond. I've been burrowing through piles of paper work for months trying to get an exemption for a visa to Australia. It was hopeless, I might as well have been … Continue reading The Big Leap
Visions from Two Continents. 