dancinginthemoonlight

Living alertly

2011-07-31T14:49:00.000-07:00

This weekend I attended my mother-in-law's 90th Birthday Celebration. It was a very happy occasion. She is pretty alert and spritely for a 90 year old.
However, I was very impressed by her 84 year old brother-in-law who is a 'fit as a fiddle'. Very alert and in great physical condition. Chirpy. Still tinkering in the farms machinery shed. And an active user of the Internet, including watching youtube clips. Amazing!
It got me wondering about how that happens. Sure there is the luck of the genes, the lottery of disease and injury, but it seems to me that there must also be an underlying attitude to life; a curiosity that is never quenched; a hope for each new day.
When asked about growing old my mother in law always says, “Oh, I don’t want to live to 100.” We don’t get to make that choice. We just wake up in the morning and live one day at a time. Maybe that turns into being 100, but whatever happens we need to choose to live our life and enjoy it, whatever stage of life we are at.

The way forward

2011-07-26T04:15:00.000-07:00

I have had the most lovely week's holiday in Hobart.
It was so good to stop and to live at a leisurely rate.
No 'to do' list. No sense of having to achieve or justify every minute of the day.
Occasionally, I pushed myself to keep going despite feeling tired but overall it was a restful and renewing time.
Now, I am back in Melbourne, preparing to return to work tomorrow.
My thoughts as I prepare to do so are about the importance of being focused on what is most important and not letting myself get dragged down by people or issues that will drain my energy and block my ability to be creative and productive.
So I need to get out my strategy plan, evaluate it and edit it. This will help me feel good about where I am and help me to find the way forward.
I also need to meditate in order to ground myself and help me be focused and in tune.
I need to make time to be with people who will enable me to have the energy and direction needed for my work.
I pray that I can hear the voice of wisdom and intuition and dance to their Life-giving dance.
Amen.

Letting go

2011-07-08T02:57:00.000-07:00

This week I farewelled my son. He flew to Canada for a month's holiday on his own. I wanted him to go. I encouraged him to do so. I helped him prepare. I urged him to give himself an overseas holiday.

In short, I wanted him to go and I am glad he has gone.

But the morning after he left was tough. I cried a little bit. I felt some grief. And waiting for news that he had arrived safely wasn't easy. I told myself that 'no news is good news' and that helped me but was nothing compared to receiving an email saying that he had arrived safely and, apart from exhaustion, was fine.

Here's what was interesting to me: I have been providing pastoral care to adult women and men for thirty years. I thought I understood how it was for people when their kids left home. I thought I got it.

But on Monday I found out I hadn't really got it at all. Well, I got it on some levels but not at the level that hit me on Monday when it was me whose son had left home and when it was me waiting for news that he was okay. It was me having to learn more than I have had to previously to let him go and adjust to him not being around.

So I guess that this tells me that experience is a great teacher. And I am glad for the insights I have gained. I hope that they will enable me to be more competently empathic to others in similar situations.

It also humbles me when I think of how, joyfully, aged 19, I left my family home and drove from Adelaide to Melbourne to study.

I knew that this was hard for my Mum, especially as two of my siblings also left home in the same period of time but again this week I received greater insight into what my Mum probably felt.

I need to apologise to my Mum for my insensitivity.

And, for those of you, who are going through a similar experience, good luck.

The good news is that I am doing better now, although I have still had my moments. My son being away feels almost normal. However, I will still be delighted to see him arrive home at the end of July.

Let's say 'No' to 'Protective Services Officers'.

2011-07-01T01:14:00.000-07:00

It feels like every day I open 'The Age' these days I am horrified.

More and more I read dismaying news.

Recently what has distressed me is news of the Victorian Government's plans regarding crime prevention and security.

Their proposal is to have a second tier of policing, known as 'Protective Services Officers'. This will be a team of security who will staff Railway Stations to, supposedly, help create a safer community.

I expect that most of these recruits will be young men.

It is a fact that they will receive less training than normal police, who don't have a good track record themselves in appeasing and minimising violence with those they deal with.

This seems like a recipe for disaster to me. I fear it will create problems re violence as much as it will prevent them. I believe that the Government has not given this adequate thought and I fear the fallout.

Furthermore, I don't want to live in a 'Police State'. I don't want young, officious 'security' people with inadequate maturity and training having power over young people and vulnerable people.

I also fear for how this increased security will affect those who have come from countries where police and armies and other security forces have had too much power.

I know that this issue is not as major as the issues around asylum seekers and climate change but it bothers me greatly.

I think it is a Draconian move that puts people's liberties and wellbeing at risk.

I also don't think it is a good use of Government resources.

For me, this is not a solution. It is a new problem. It will diminish our society rather than enrich it.

I hope that there will be a strong and sustained public outcry soon.

Some doubted.

2011-06-25T04:40:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday I preached. And as I prepared my sermon I noticed a few words in Matthew 28:16-20 that I had never previously noticed.

You know how you think you know a piece of writing well and then you notice a phrase that you had completely missed in the past? Well, that was me.

So, what did I notice? I noticed the following:-

"When the disciples saw Jesus, they worshipped him. But some doubted."

They worshipped him but some doubted.

Oh man, I had never ever noticed that before.

And I love it. I love the combo of those words. And I love that they appear in the Bible.

They worshipped him. But some doubted.

No 'boom boom'. No drum roll.

It's just quietly mentioned that some doubted.

No drama. No catastrophe. No crisis. Merely a passing mention that some doubted. Like it was as normal as anything that it would be so. Like it is normal to have doubts.

How freeing is that?

But wait there's more.

Jesus doesn't have a melt down. He doesn't freak out.

He just tells them all to get off their butts and go tell people about him.

And that is the other part of the reading that I love.

Jesus doesn't get upset or make a fuss but he doesn't give the disciples an 'opt out' clause either.

They are all told to get 'on their bikes' and go tell people about Jesus and what he means to them.

It's totally fine to have doubts but that doesn't give us a reason to be inactive or passive in terms of being involved in Mission. I like that.

Some doubted but they were still called to get off their butts, 'get on their bikes' and do all they could to show the love of Jesus to others.

Yeh! Cool. So very cool.

The Sounds of Silence

2011-06-25T04:17:00.000-07:00

Simon and Garfunkel sang, all those years ago, about the 'Sound of Silence'. Or was it sounds? Anyway, I am enjoying listening to the sounds of silence in my home tonight. There is the sound of my heater. The sound of my fingers on my keyboard. That is about all I can hear.

I did some cross-stitching today. That was nice too. I cannot remember the last time I did any so it was great to do some again.

I find it very relaxing and rewarding and the result is beautiful to behold.

And as I was praised for my stitching today, I acted all nonchalant but, on the inside, I was chuffed as because it is a big deal to me to be doing cross-stitch and to be doing it so well.

Doing cross-stitch well is what my sister was meant to do. I was meant to be the cacky, left-handed one.

Well, phooey to that. I am left-handed, yes,but I am not clumsy. And I do beautiful cross-stitch.

Currently, I am creating a cross-stitch of beautiful flowers in a vase behind a bowl of lemons.

I aim to finish it in 2015. I began it in about 1995. You don't want to rush these things.

Might do some now as a pre-sleep relaxer.

Night all.

May you too overcome childhood scripts, find relaxing tasks and create things of beauty.

If you want to, that is.

Whatever you do, I wish you pleasure and delight.

Cynthia, the moonlight dancer.

Saturday morning - meditation

2010-08-13T17:06:00.000-07:00

It' s 9:30am Saturday morning and I am torn between wanting to take a break and pushing on to complete tasks. I think the compromise is to meditate for fifteen minutes and then get on with my chores.

I took three women on retreat recently and we began by meditating together for fifteen minutes. It took me to such a beautiful place and left me marvelling at my ongoing resistance to making time in my life to meditate or as I prefer to name it, 'practising the ancient art of contemplative prayer'. I know that my resistance is not unique. It's common to being human but it's just so crazy that I resist practising something that is so lovely and so helpful. So, human condition or not, I am going to try to meditate at least once a day every day from now on and hopefully twice a day. Starting with today. I will meditate as soon as I complete this blog.

Have you tried meditation? Did you find it helpful? Do you meditate regularly? Are you open to giving it a go?

I used to find it hard to meditate but now I find it easy WHEN I decide to meditate. It is making the decision TO meditate that is hard for me.

If you want to try it, I suggest sitting in an upright position, preferably with your legs together and your feet touching the ground. I usually sit with my hands together in my lap.

Shut your eyes and breathe deeply. Keep breathing deeply and resting in that breathing.

When I was taught to meditate, I was invited to 'rest in the arms of Jesus' and this is how I continue to meditate. For me it is a really helpful entry into meditation but that is because I am a Christian.

If you are not, you might imagine resting in nature or being held by the universe or by the deity of your cultural tradition.

It might help you to have classical music playing in the background or Celtic music like 'Secret Garden'. I think music can help us when we are getting used to meditating or when we are more likely to be distracted.

Personally, I love meditating in silence as well. Silence can be such a gift. Like fresh, running water.

If you find yourself thinking, ignore the thoughts and focus instead on your breathing. Don't fight the thoughts. Rather let them be present but don't pay them any attention. Some people talk about 'letting your thoughts go in one ear and out the other, without giving them any attention'.

If I have convinced you to give meditation a try or another try, best wishes to you as you begin.

If you are nervous about it, I suggest trying to meditate for five minutes only, initially, and then build up to fifteen or twenty minutes.

I was once told that 'twenty minutes is equivalent to eight hour's sleep' and I see some truth to this. It is certainly rejuvenating.

And now, even though I set my phone alarm to end my time of meditation, my body knows when it's getting near the end of the session. I feel pleasantly rested and peaceful and I just have the sense that it's time to return to consciousness.

But I still set the alarm because it saves me from being distracted about how long I have been meditating for, especially if I have appointments to get to.

Anyway, I hope some of this reflection about meditating has been interesting and/or helpful to you.

Wishing you deep peace and satisfaction,
Cynthia

2009-10-04T18:11:00.000-07:00

Having a quiet Monday in order to create publicity for workshops and services I am taking in October, November and December.
Have completed draft flyers and pleased at how easily they have come together. Emailed them off for feedback from the fresh eyes of others, others more skilled in Publisher than I am.
Aware of mild anxiety but also very aware of the context of the last few days. I have nothing to be worried about really. And my heart goes out to the thousands of people affected by the tragedies in Samoa, American Samoan, Tonga and now Indonesia.
Life can change very quickly. We all know that but we are so safe here in Australia compared to other countries and compared to most of our neighbours in the rest of Asia.
As I prepared this year's flyer for my 'Blue Christmas service', a service for those for whom Christmas is difficult due to grief, loss, depression, loneliness or some other hard stuff in their life, I think of those affected by our tragedy this year - the bushfires - and consequently I have booked the largest public space I can find in Wallan - the hall at the multi-purpose centre. I also did this because some people may prefer to attend a secular space. But now I realise that for those affected by the fires, the multi-purpose hall may also bring back bad memories. I will have to reflect on that. But maybe by using the hall for the 'Blue Christmas service' it may become a place of healing.
I pray for all those who have experienced tragedy, suffering, pain, grief and heartache. May there be healing and renewal, resilience and hope.
May there be people to listen and attend to your story. Really listen. Not just block your pain with platitudes or advice. What a gift it is to have someone really listen to us. To be strong enough to hear our pain and sit comfortably with us as we express it. I hope you who read this know that gift. I pray I bring that gift to others.
Today I hope to bring that gift to Aboriginal women of the north. I pray I can be fully present with them and I can respectfully listen to their story, honouring their journey, comfortable with any pain or grief they wish to share. I hope today will be the start of a long-term relationship with these women that will bring us mutual pleasure and comfort. Amen.

I need to rave

2009-09-06T04:09:00.000-07:00

This is the kind of night when I just want to either submit really long paragraphs as my 'Status updates" on Facebook or just keep entering one 'status update' after another, which makes me think that it's time to blog.

Blog.

I obviously feel the need to write, to express myself and to connect with others.

I am so tired. I am scared of how tired I feel and I just pray that I can have a good night's sleep tonight and wake up feeling fine tomorrow.

This week is going to be tough. Still tired from jetlag and the shock of how I found out my friend had died, I have to push on, through the tiredness to visit, to reflect and to spend time crafting and compiling her funeral service. Once I have completed this latter task and feel satisfied with what I have created, I think I will feel better.

Naively, perhaps, I am feeling okay at present about the actual day. A bit like how flying is better than preparing to fly. Of course it will still be a hard day. No walk in the park but I think for the funeral itself I will manage because I believe it is my task to manage and to be strong for those who come to the funeral, especially the family and close friends. Being strong and in control is my gift to them and somehow, I really don't know how exactly, I am able to do that. I believe it is a gift from God and/or a skill I developed during my ministry formation for the sake of those I care for and minister to.

But 5pm on Wednesday I expect to be spent and the question is how long I will feel that way before I feel 'normal' again.

At this stage I am planning to attend a creative spirituality space with a speaker on the 'Enneagram' and I am hoping that I do feel up to this because I love the 'Enneagram' and I have also wanted to attend this particular space for a few months.

I have booked my son to cook dinner Wednesday night on the assumption that I will indeed be tired so that feels like good self-care and good forward planning.

Thursday I will be at my Playgroup. I am excited about that. I have missed them. They won't be expecting me because they think I am on leave so I will hopefully pleasantly surprise them.

Thursday afternoon I might go visit my friend's parents and see how they are doing after the funeral.

Thursday night I have booked a massage for little ol' me, which I had forgotten about until now. How wonderful is that to look forward to?

Friday is my day off and I think I will need it and Friday arvo I will see two close friends and our 'pyjama party weekend' will begin. Yay! I am so looking forward to this. DVDs, talking, music, op shopping, food, drink, laughter, connecting and catching up.

Worst case scenario, if I end the week feeling like 'Humpty Dumpty' I hope they will help put me back together again. And if they feel like Humpty too we can all put each other back together again. Isn't that what friends are for?

I haven't seen one friend for about two and half months, the other for 6 weeks so I can't wait to see them again. I have instructed them to look after themselves this week so that they stay well and in fit condition to see me because right now it's all about me. Well, only joking. Well, only joking a bit. I mean they want to see me too, right? And each other. So it's in their interest to look after themselves as well as in mine.

Anyway, it is now 10:10pm and time for me to try to go to sleep.

I have finished my decaff tea - I just couldn't come at camomile tonight - and some nougat so now it's time to get ready for bed and sleep.

Thanks for enduring my 'rave on avon stream of consciousness', assuming you are still reading and haven't zoomed off to another blog or your pillow.

I might just try to dance in the moonlight this weekend as a toast to my dear friend and to life and its preciousness.

Gently gently

Blessings from she whose name means 'belonging to the moon' and Oh, I do love the moon.

Tribute to Bernie

2009-09-05T08:42:00.000-07:00

Bernie died on Tues evening, 1st September. Forty-four years of age. That is very young.

Bernie was passionate, talented, loving and caring. She was a minister of religion.

Bernie was my friend and colleague and I loved her a lot. I still do and always will. She was an innovative and creative person with a great love for people and great skills in pastoral care and leading people.

Bernie was also a most creative worship leader. She was highly competent at creating inclusive, participatory, fun worship. What she ran was fun but was also very clearly worship.

Bernie had a deep love of God and a rich relationship with God. She was a person with a strong inner life and openness to the mysterious Spirit of life.

She had a great sense of humour, which was part of what made her such a joy to be with. She didn't take herself or the church too seriously. She had no time for jargon or anything that seemed dirge-like or irrelevant.

Bernie was "down to earth" and worked hard at making the Christian faith accessible to all. She would craft and re-craft sermons to ensure that everyone could understand what she had to say.

What I came to sense over the months of Bernie's horrid illness (cancer) was that:-
* Bernie had great self-knowledge. She knew who she was and who she wasn't. She knew what she wanted and needed and was comfortable pursuing that in an assertive way. Please be clear that I mean assertive and not aggressive.
* Bernie had a great presence and stature.
* Bernie was a person of deep faith in God. She was prepared to face hard things but also chose to hold onto hope and to dream of a miracle.
* Bernie was strong and courageous.
* Bernie loved people - her family, friends, people in general - and chose to put up with pain and suffering in order to hold onto those relationships and to hold onto life.
* Bernie was greatly loved and liked.
* Bernie loved to be free and this made being in hospital difficult. Bernie would claim freedom by walking. She would roam around the hospital, engaging with others.

In case you haven't picked it up yet, I loved and adored Bernie. Being with Bernie gave me huge support in ministry. As a minister, I felt less lonely and alone with Bernie as my friend and colleague. I will miss Bernie's company greatly but believe a sense of her personality and presence will stay with me. I hope so anyway.

I will endeavour to honour who and how Bernie was as a minister in the way that I care for people and seek to be creative, innovative and inclusive in exercising ministry.

I hope this tribute does some justice to Bernie, the minister. May it help those who didn't know Bernie to get some sense of who she was and and how wonderfully she exercised pastoral ministry.
Amen.
Sincerely,
Cynthia

Survivors of the Black Saturday

2009-05-21T16:49:00.000-07:00

Front page story - "The Age", Wednesday May 20th, 2009 - tells of a young family who died in the fires at Kinglake.

This appeared in the paper three months after Black Saturday.

It was painful for me to see the photo of the young mother and her young daughter who died with along with her husband and other child. To see the anguished grandmother. Bereft.

But if it is painful for me to read such articles, how much harder must it be for survivors of the fires to have these reminders of the devastation of the fires?

Or to hear about it on the radio or watch it on TV?

I can only imagine how hard it is.

I wonder if some survivors of the fires are choosing not to read the papers or listen to or watch the news?

From time to time I find myself watching "Neighours" night after night where usually I would watch the news. When I become aware of this, I know that I am overloaded and just can't face the news at seven o'clock on a weekday.

And I think it is legitimate to take such breaks from reality when we are already dealing with enough in our lives.

I am not proud of taking absence from keeping up with what is happening in the world and wouldn't want it to become my normal pattern but I think it is good self-care and wise behaviour to do so at times.

Perhaps it is a modern day equivalent to Jesus rowing his boat away from the crowds and going up the mountain to be alone and to pray.

This weekend I am going to Sydney and this feels like a most welcome retreat for me. Some R&R with my husband, catching up with an old friend and a new one, enjoying Sydney's beauty, a new experience of worship and a bit of connection with Uniting church colleagues. Sounds busy but there will be times for me just to sit and enjoy creation, to meditate and to be still and quiet.

I pray for all of us that there are times of solace and rest inbetween the hard things life brings us. I pray especially for those who went through the trauma of the fires and who continue to do their best to come to terms with that experience and to rebuild their lives.

Monday sunny Monday

2009-05-17T22:07:00.000-07:00

It's such a beautiful autumn day today. Hard to be miserable with such great weather. Warm. Sunny. Glorious.

Made a visit to Northern Hospital today, a hospital I am becoming very familiar with as a visitor only I am pleased to say. Nothing against the hospital. I am just very glad to be well and not needing to be a patient there.

Discovered a TV at the church today which is a bonus. Can only enhance my creative dreams for Craigieburn. No DVD, just a VCR but that is easily rectified. Can always bring my Playstation 2 up and use it as a DVD or a karoake machine!!! Singstar you rock. Let me know if you want to help me christen my new Singstar Queen cd. "We will, we will rock you!"

Having trouble uploading photos. I do what "Blogger" instructs me to but then no photos. Frustrating. May have to consult my IT expert: 17 year old son!

Chai latte with a young Mum and her baby. Then a walk in the sun. There are some huge swans on the lake in Craigieburn and lots of ducks. Saw another young Mum with her 2 year old feeding bread to the ducks and swans. Brought back lovely memories of doing the same with Spencer at Coburg lake so many years ago.

Got a bit chilled walking around the lake because it was 5:10pm before I returned to my car. Otherwise all good.

A lovely day of work in Craigieburn. A day spent well. :)

I hope you all have had the chance to enjoy today's sun also.

Blessings of the Spirit who brings life to all.

Cynthia

Waiting

2009-05-11T05:41:00.000-07:00

It's 10:41pm, I'm tired and I should be asleep but B phoned to say he is worried about his daughter, who was induced today but, despite that, her baby is happy in the womb.
So I phoned the hospital where a midwife quite rightly - (the Privacy act, which I am a big fan of, except when I want to know something! LOL ) - said she could tell me nothing but she would get my stepdaughter or hubby to phone.

So I sit and wait for a phone call and hope I haven't annoyed the parents to be or new parents as the case may be.

I have felt quite anxious as the due date has come and gone and still baby happy in the womb.

As a person of faith I sometimes find myself wondering at my lack of faith and hope.

Perhaps it is because for me it was pregnancy and motherhood that taught me, painfully, that things can go wrong and that we are not always in control.

Mind you I would have learnt that sooner or later and given how quickly life can change, sooner is probably better than later to learn that lesson.

So I say a prayer for L and S. I pray that they are doing okay and that L is not in too much pain. It's naive to wish her no pain. I mean she is having a baby. But I hope that all is going okay and that they are doing well in the waiting if they are indeed still waiting.

I want to know! Now!

Oops! Back to L and S. May they know calm and deep peace and hope and may this new chapter in their life bring them great joy and contentment, along with the hard things that being a parent can bring. Amen.

I remember too how a few minutes after my son was born I got the Cross. As in understood it. I got how a parent would willingly die for their child. I had for a long time been inspired by people who had died for their beliefs and hoped I would be willing to as well if justice called for it but secretly I had prayed it would never be necessary for me to suffer for my faith or for justice. But once I held my son in my arms I totally got the selflessness of the Cross and the generous love that would put another's life ahead of our own.
I pray too that L and S will soon know how big love can be as they meet their little one and fall in love with her or him.
BTW, I can't wait to be a step-Grandma and I am happy for the world to know that. Watch this space for photos of the proud new Grandma. That'll be me!

PS Introducing Chelsea Maie born 9:49pm Monday 11th May. 7lb 5oz. Chelsea and Mum and Dad doing well. Mum clearly besotted and mothering well despite being tired and sore. Stepgrandma bursting with joy and thankfulness. Hallelujah and thank you God and staff at William Angliss Hospital.

2008-12-18T22:06:00.000-08:00

Well, you have to laugh, don't you? I mean as if I wasn't already feeling drained enough after the end of year Staff Farewell at Strathmore Secondary, where I was farewelled along with several other wonderful staff, I came home to find the Cystic Fibrosis(CF) newsletter in the mail. My son has CF and has had his hardest year to date by a long, long stretch. Moving articles. Inspiring stories of adults with CF, the life and lung-changing benefits of lung transplant. Phew! Inspiring but confronting too.
So now I have really left Strathmore Secondary College. I have been farewelled 3 times and said my goodbyes to the school community.
Now I should be walking and getting ready for Christmas with my step-children tomorrow but all I want to do is go sleep or at least rest.
I am sure I am not the only person feeling this way on the 19th of December, especially those of us who have worked in schools.
So I wish you all a restful weekend and pray that it is a recreating and nurturing time.
BTW, I got the most gorgeous chocolate brown teddy from a Strathmore family and it came bearing a box of choccies and I got two gorgeous bone china mugs in a gorgeous gift box that I can re-use. And the super thing is that the mugs have pretty designs inside the mugs and one of them is on the correct side of the mug for me, a left-hander to see as I drink my tea. Bonus and a very pleasant surprise as this is most unusual, having the graphic inside the mug on the correct side of the mug for a lefthander I mean!
Well, I am going to rest before I push myself to do more strenuous tasks.
Zzz! Hopefully soon I'll have energy to dance!

a good day of finding misplaced treasure

2008-12-15T21:41:00.000-08:00

In my office, against the wisdom of a little voice, saying that I have done enough and I should hit the road before the traffic gets too crazy and then I unintentionally found the Iona Christmas prayer book I misplaced and really want access to for Christmas services. Hurray! That's two key items I need for Christmas services that I have found today after misplacing them. Misplacing. Such a delicate way of putting it rather than saying losing. It makes me sound less clumsy and incompetent.

Got a very sexy new printer thanks to Bill and Church Council. Thanks Bill and thanks Chris for freeing Bill at this time of year to go shopping for me.

Had my second chai latte at the Waterside Cafe...really nice staff and I booked a table for lunch for Thursday when several of my colleagues and I are going to meet together. The first meeting of my bigger team.

Latte in cafes. Lunch in cafes. It's orright. It's very orright although I do miss my Strathmore cafe too. They did me a lovely chai latte and lovely lunches every day.

Well it is 4:47pm and I want to try to finish the order of service for my Blue Christmas service before I go home, ready to print off tomorrow.

I wrote a journal for supervision on Thursday and got it back with responses from my supervisor. It was like an early Christmas present. Thanks J.

Well gotta go.

I hope others had a day of good fortune too and if not, I send u peace and hope.

love
Cynthia

Saturday night...doo da doo da...

2008-12-12T23:58:00.000-08:00

Glad to say that my day ended up being a satisfying one. My son drove me to Northland to pick up my watch that was successfully repaired for a wee price....good news. Got a few Christmas presents for family without much drama and got home safely despite wet roads and traffic. Now sitting trying to nut out today's Age-Suduko...why do I find the "Moderate" ones harder than the "Diabolical"? We decided to eat in rather than out due to the weather so thanks to La Botte we will soon have delivered Pizza Margherita for him and Fettucine Matriciana for me. Then no doubt we shall enjoy more "Boston Legal" with the deviant Denny Crane and Alan Shore, tho Alan's heart is growing more compassionate as the series progresses. Can't quite say the same for dear Denny. And as for Schmidt, isn't she marvellous? Long live Candice Bergen. She rocks!
Still got tidying up on the agenda and hopefully we will put up the Christmas tree tonight and the few gifts received or bought thus far can go under the tree. Have managed not to do much work today. A few emails or texts but that barely counts, does it?
We celebrate Christmas as a family next Saturday so I should be panicked but I'm not thankfully. Looked at turkey and hams today to get an idea. Sadly, catering is not my forte and with at least one vegetarian to cater for, it's even more stressful. I think calamari is the answer there.
Need to try to read the front part of "The Age" so I am up to date with news. I did glimpse the article re the 15 year old young man shot at Northcote yesterday. So sad and so terrible. No-one wins out of that event.
I pray for all those for whom Christmas and New Year are difficult and hope that they can find peace and joy amidst whatever darkness and hardship they live with. I am very blessed and grateful re that. Happy Saturday evening all from Cynthia who loves dancing in the moonlight and anywhere at all. In fact dance music got me through housework and some angst today. If only it were always that easy!

Saturday, the day of rest?

2008-12-12T15:49:00.001-08:00

Sitting in a silent house and loving the silence....the peace and quiet. Catching up with old friends and new on Facebook... I still feel a bit conflicted re Facebook but on balance I think I like it more than I don't. Glad it's Saturday and reminding myself not to do any work today...it would be easy just to do a bit but rest is important and I have personal work that needs doing today. Bills, ugh! My new impeccable system has fallen over and needs to be corrected. The ongoing battle to tidy the house continues but will be conquered soon. LOL! Of course, I need to find time to read "The Age" - have started that. I hope to spend some fun and catch up time with my gorgeous son and maybe a movie tonight. Or could just settle for "Boston Legal" or "Scrubs" at home. Well, it's time to get moving and active. I hope everyone has a restful, satisfying Saturday.

2008-12-03T13:31:00.000-08:00

Another beautiful day. Sunny. Fine. Why am I writing when I need to be in the shower? Because I can I guess. But reason must prevail. Blessings to all for a beautiful day. I will be enjoying the fresh air of Bacchus Marsh and the Lerdergerg Gorge today. Awesome. A day to be slow, away from the computer and other distracting preoccupations. More later. The shower is calling. Not quite Gorillaz but will have to do. Ciao. Cynthia

2008-12-02T05:12:00.000-08:00

Well it's 12:13am Wed morning and I should be asleep but I was so exhausted I couldn't sleep - go figure - so I got up to journal so I could get in touch with what I was feeling and you know what I re-learnt? That writing really helps me get in touch with my feelings so I can relax and move on from whatever is on my heart or mind.
As well as this I have finally created a work email address and a name for my blog. I am sure I will decide later that it is crass but for now it feels good to me.

So why dancing in the moonlight? Good question. It came to me today after I already knew I wanted the title to have some reference to dance or at least movement.
I love dancing....love love love dancing and I have a dream to offer others as well as myself the chance to pray via dance. So if this interests you please let me know and that will encourage me to invoke the 'Nike creed - just do it!' and get started on an evening alternative worship, using dance, music, art, silence etc. The sky's the limit.

Suddenly I feel pleasantly tired and like the sandman is calling me to shut my eyes and rest.

But before I do, one more thing about the title. My name -Cynthia - means 'belonging to the moon' so maybe that was part of the attraction of dancing in the moonlight. I do love the moon and some would say I am loony. Does that mean 'of the lunar'? LOL. Goodnight and sweet dreams to all. cynthia aka dancing in the moonlight