Caught in weird gravitational pull... Hayley, Mix FM roadie and me.

I know… when I looked back at my blog I could hardly believe it myself…

FIVE months have passed since I last sat down and wrote a post

Where have I been?  What on earth could have kept me away from the keyboard of sanity that I had kept within arms reach for so many years?

Had I been abducted? Was I simply being lazy? Or was I trapped under something heavy and desperately trying to reach the laptop…?

Nope, it was just because of one word…

ZUMBA!

Yes, I was shoe-horned away from the confines of my study one day by a dear friend who had noticed that

a) I had become somewhat of a recluse

b) Become so horribly pastey through lack of sunlight that my skin had turned a grey, translucent shade

and c) fat.

In fact, if you cast your mind back to those Miss. Marple programmes in the 80’s, I looked like one of those unfortunate victims that had been dragged out the Thames after several days.

So, kicking and screaming I was taken against my will to my first Zumba class in Maroochydore…

And after the first 15 minutes, I was totally hooked.

I left all my inhibitions behind me… I danced the salsa, merengue and some type of hip-hop movement till I could physically dance no more, and loved every minute of it.

Once a week soon turned into twice and before long I was searching youtube clips so I could gyrate in the comfort of my own home.

So obsessed was I, that I signed up for the instructors course in Brisbane… so I could teach my own class!!

And yup, here I am today… writing by day, teaching Zumba by night… 3 nights a week, in little country towns around the Sunshine Coast, were the ladies go wild for it!

So, please forgive me for not posting earlier…

but it really was an itch I had no idea I had to scratch!

x

The first was on how little I encounter any creepy crawlies.  When I first traipsed around Australia in the early nineties, I would often come across a spider the size of my face… and the odd cockroach wing/leg/antenna in my shoe.

My second thought was triggered because it is now autumn in Queensland; which lead me on to think about spring time in England, and how all the delicate daffodils would soon be sprouting up.

I can’t say I have really noticed a whole lot of ‘delicate’ flowers up here in Queensland.  I suppose they have to be hardy to survive the occasional cyclone/monsoon. I also can’t say that I am in any way green-fingered, but to me, the plants here look like an elephants’ trunk awkwardly gripping a flower. 

The very next day, I was with my number 3 child at a friend’s house… and on our way out to the car, he stopped to pick up some fallen petals from under a tree….

They were beautiful, delicate, fragrant Frangipanis…

…So we took them home and made a centre piece for the dining room table.

Next week - join me for some thrilling quilting tips!!!

So that really slapped me back into place! 

And then,  just to add insult to injury, we then went to a BBQ…

Remember I started this post with ”how little I encounter any creepy crawlies…”??

Nooooooooo!!!

I obviously spoke much too soon…

Have a great month x

…and I loathe disorganisation!

But today I felt like I had finally got everything back on an even keel - so this morning I decided to make time to throw on some training shoes and get back into doing some exercise, as it seems my bottom has been widening by the hour.

So my BFF and I took a power walk along the boardwalk next to the beach. It seemed like a great day for it – partly cloudy, with just chinks of blue sky – perfect for a brisk walk and I was sweaty enough with my new-found burst of energy, without the sun beating down on me.

yes, that IS a bum-bag (how 80's)

But so caught up in breathless conversation were we, that we failed to notice the charcoal grey sky that had crept up behind us, so it came as an amusing shock when we turned at our halfway point to go back.

Unfortunately, our car was at least half an hour away – but in true mad ‘I don’t want to get my hair wet’  girly fashion… we sprinted like lunatics, hopeful that we might make it.

Sure enough, within seconds we were being bombarded by raindrops the size of small ostrich eggs… followed shortly by one of Queensland’s famous torrential downpours. And by this time we could run no more, so for the next 29 minutes we walked, slightly less enthusiastically back to the car - dragging our soaking wet bodies along.

Of course, once we got back to the car… the sun came out, as if nothing had ever happened, leaving us looking like fools.

There is no moral to this story, but I have learned that I will probably wait till the dry season to walk any lengths again… and until then I will just stick to ZUMBA…

… But that’s a whole other story.

'Flying the Flag'

We all had a great day floating about on giant inflatable thongs, watching the fellas lollop about playing beach cricket and breathing in the smell of cooked meat and onions as Jamie Oliver-wannabes sizzled not only sausages but their shoulders in the beating sun.

'A washed up thong'

Yes, Australia is certainly a country that loves to celebrate – and many parents will have even more reason to celebrate tomorrow, as the countries schools re-open their doors to a new school year.

I have to say, I’m not one of those parents… I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the last 6 weeks with my three pals. It’s been a never-ending cycle of snorkeling, bike riding, swimming, boating (round Richard Branson’s island!), beaches, ice-skating (I know!) movie-going and generally larking about.

I suppose I should have taken the kids with me really…?

We’ve had a great summer but now the work really begins – with all three kids at different schools with different start times, and different tastes in lunchbox menus… I’m already looking forward to the next holidays.

I hope wherever you are, you get over to Australia to celebrate – and not just on Australia Day, but everyday in a life Down Under…

Have a great week. x.

Well, since then a top bloke called Dr. Rob Brander (a surf scientist) has steered me in the direction of his website, called (would you believe) “The Science of the Surf” … (and I thought I was being clever thinking of that blog title) 

So please take a look at his fantastic short video, and stay really safe!

www.scienceofthesurf.com

Yep, we certainly did rejoice!

As of last week, our family became Australian Citizens…. and what a fantastic day it was.

We were lucky enough to have slipped into the last ceremony of 2009, which also happens to be the year that Queensland clocked up it’s 150th birthday – a double excuse for a celebration.

The ceremony was quite an occasion, with close to 300 people becoming citizens together, including 2 of my very dearest friends, all pledging our Oath to the Australian way of life.

Gina, Vicky and Sam - new Aussies!

Once the formalities and the official presentation of the certificates, flags and small native plants (?) were given, we were invited to gorge on a rather lavish morning tea (complete with Anzac biscuits and lamingtons) under the shade of the swaying palm trees.

Then, when we had exhausted the nibblies and forced the Deputy Mayor into posing for/taking photos of us – we decided to do the respectful Aussie thing – so we headed down to the beach for a barbie.

Deputy Mayor Cr Tim Dyer... and me.

It was a wonderful afternoon, only slightly marred by my friend’s 4 year old daughter who came screaming out of the sea with an enormous Blue bottle jelly fish wrapped painfully around her leg – but in true Aussie fashion, she soldiered on after the initial shock and shaking fits had worn off. Then we all enjoyed an afternoon of sausages, kebabs and prawns the size of a size 5 thong.

I have to say I feel mighty proud to be a semi-true-blue Aussie…. in a very English way.

…”In history’s page let every stage – Advance Australia Fair”

For more information on Australian Citizenship, check out

http://www.citizenship.gov.au/ 

Merry Christmas to you all – hope to see you over here soon.

x

The Wealthy Author by Debbie Jenkins and Joe Gregory has been causing a stir
amongst publishers and non-fiction authors because of it’s radical, and undeniably effective, approach to winning at the publishing game.

I’ve read it and it certainly makes you stop and think about what it really takes
to be successful from books. In fact, the authors’ (sometimes brutal) honesty
about what it takes to succeed makes welcome reading whether you’re a budding author looking for your first break or a published author wanting to take your sales, profile and income to the next level.

However, before you rush off to buy the book from Amazon I’d like to give you a link to get the book and free insider access to the Publishing Academy for 30 days too.

But first, it’s important that you know who this book has been written for because if you’re not that person then it won’t matter if you want to get your hands on this information.

The Wealthy Author is NOT for people who…

1. Think a book should just do well because it’s ‘good’ and marketing is no task for a ‘proper’ author
2. Expect somebody else (publisher, publicist, bookshops) to do all the work to promote their book
3. Just saw the ‘wealthy’ bit of the title and think making money as an author is going to be easy
4. Want yet more theory but are not willing to follow this up with action

The Wealthy Author is for you if…

1. You are serious about writing a non-fiction book and want to get it right first time
2. You have a book in print (self published or with a mainstream) but sales are disappointing
3. You believe that the success of your book is down to the actions you take, not the wishes you make
4. You are a ’successful’ author but are frustrated you still need the day job to survive

Right – this post is getting long so I won’t take up any more of your time. Here’s the link you’ll want to get The Wealthy Author along with free insider access worth £15.00…
http://www.publishingacademy.com/130-6-5-10.html

 
Happy Reading!
Vicky x

…. but obviously I’m not.

However, I have just been talking to someone who is very knowledgeable about that sort of thing, and I felt it was of utmost importance to deliver the information to you!

I have just this minute come back from watching my 12 year old son battle with the surf whilst he was on one of his weekly school ’surf skills’ lessons at one of our local beaches.

Imagine that? Surf Skills -I mean, when I was 12 we were lucky if we got a trip to the community swimming baths. I still shudder to think what lived in that luke-warm footbath we all had to trudge through before we entered the pool, and there were always toddlers splashing about in it ’cause it was warmer than the pool itself …. heeeave.

But anyway, back to the pristine beach today – I was asking one of the lifesavers about ‘rips’ (something I always hear about – but never really know what it means) and he told me that a rip is a current of immensely strong water that washes back into the ocean after the waves have crashed onto the sand.

Apparently the current is so strong, that not even an Olympic swimmer would be able to swim against it, never mind my feeble body.

So in true ‘top tip’ fashion, here is a basic outline of what to look out for and what to do if you get caught in a rip.

• Check the waves on the beach, a rip has noticeably calmer water, with just slightly bumpy water and no crashing waves. (almost as if to entice you to swim there?)
• The area will also be darker blue in colour, as it is deeper there.
• Obviously make sure you swim between the red and yellow flags, but if you do find yourself in a rip – just put one arm straight up and wait for rescue.
• If you are caught in a rip and you are in an area without lifesavers (regretting it now aren’t you!) then swim away (either side) of the rip – not towards the beach.

“We’re always pulling Poms out of the ocean” said the surf lifesaver to me today – how embarrassing I thought, as I faked a terrible Aussie accent.

Have a safe week. x

 You couldn’t be more wrong.

The whole reason why I wrote the book and started this blog became garlingly obvious to me this week, when I was asked to write an article for Living Abroad magazine – about why we decided to move over to Oz in the first place and how our life compares now….

…. Well, that stirred up some great memories of our encounters when we first arrived, and also reminded me of how green we were about life in Oz – so I thought a list post would be perfect for those newbies arriving on the shores.

1. Driving is on the left – (and left is still the same as it is in the UK)

2. Nobody knows what a Hoover is – (I don’t mean their houses are grotty, they just call them vacuum cleaners)

3. You can drink tap water in Australia. (I know, but you wouldn’t believe how many people ask me that one)

4. UK appliances use the same electrical voltage as Oz (but you’ll need an adapter ’cause they don’t fit)

5. The legal drinking age is 18 – same as the UK (but in some states you can’t buy it in the supermarket)

6. Marijuana is illegal in Australia (so in all states you can’t buy it in the supermarket)

7. It is illegal not to wear a cycle helmet (but only when you are riding a bike)

I hope this has put your mind at rest. (resist inserting sarcastic smiley face)

Have a great week and happy bonfire night. x

What could I mean…?

Magpie season!!

During the months of  August to November this little black and white feathered creature transforms from its status of being a slightly aggravating bird - to a savage, demonically possessed suicide-bomber.

Of course it does have a good reason, after all it is nesting season, so it is only doing what any woman suffering with postnatal depression in a hot feathered suit would do.

Only this week I saw the most horrific sight… the local postman was veering his motorbike all over a fairly busy road, waving one arm frantically above his head in an effort to stop the bird from persistently clacking its bill on his helmet – but not just once or twice, this bird had taken it personally and actually wanted the man dead… or at least that’s how it seemed.

OK, it did make me burst into knicker-wetting laughter as an onlooker, but it probably traumatised the poor postie – he must have been miles away from the nest by the time the damn thing stopped attacking and I doubt anyone has had any mail delivered since.

So, just remember to watch out at magpie season – change your walking and cycling routes to avoid areas where they might be nesting or if all else fails, take a helmet/shield/suit of armour/oozie 9mm with you in your bag. 

Have a safe week. x.