Well, that week certainly was weird, topsy-turvy, happy and sad- all at the same time. We celebrated my cousin’s wedding on Friday, and said goodbye to my grandfather on Monday- he passed four years to the day since Nan. It was certainly strange to see the picture of the 94 balloons we released for her turn up on my timehop on the day of his funeral. I guess though, that’s the way life goes sometimes. There are endings, and beginnings, and clouds, and sun.
Speaking of change and seasons, we have a very short Spring here in Sydney- it’s really just a couple of weeks squeezed in between winter and summer- but it’s lovely to see the blossoms out.
Ok, to the five…
What I celebrated…
My cousin’s wedding. The ceremony was in the Botanic Gardens. The bride looked gorgeous and the rain stayed away- mostly. The thing I like most about weddings is the collective sense of optimism that is in everyone there. It’s so strong in the couple themselves, that you can’t help but feel it yourself.
Oh, and the food at this one was very good.
Where I wandered….
My long walk this week took me to the paths and walking tracks of The Ponds. It’s a relatively new area not too far from where I live. It’s one of those suburbs that’s been master planned and designed specifically for a community rather than the community growing around it.
Anyways, I love the names of the streets. Around the lake the streets are named after spices: vanilla, peppermint, spearmint etc. Around the shops there’s Waterfall Boulevarde, Drift Street, Meander Cres. Another part of the suburb has names after Blue Mountains suburbs and landmarks. As I said, master planned.
What made me feel better…
Somehow, touch wood, I’ve managed to avoid my annual cold this winter- although everyone else in my house has been sick. I’ve been fighting it off, but haven’t yet succumbed. Touching wood again. I put it down to whisky and pho. Not at the same time. This pho was at Me Pho Vietnamese Street Food in Eastwood- and it instantly made me feel better.
And the lime, mint, and ginger drink could have had something to do with that too…
What lifted me…
There’s something about seeing your by-line in a real life able to be touched publication that still makes my heart swell just a tad. This week the two big astro jobs I worked on earlier in the year were published: the diaries and the article for Wellbeing Astrology.
What I’m working on…
Wish You Were Here has gone off to be copy edited. The feelings at this stage of the process are hard to describe. One minute I’m super proud, the next I’m super scared. Logically I know that not everyone will like the story or the characters, but that doesn’t stop me from worrying about it. I just hope that the people who do like my work like this one too- and that there are new readers who’ll discover that they too like it.
In the meantime I’m into arranging the cover and I’ve also started on book no. 4… although started is probably a little inaccurate- I wrote about 10,000 rather rambling words on it before Wish You Were Here started yelling out to me. My goal is to get 50,000 words done by the end of September. Just a reminder- you can keep up with all my writing posts over on Joanne Tracey
What abut you? How was your week?
And Anyways... 
I can’t believe you’ve started No. 4. Very impressive. And well done on the two bylines. Very exciting indeed!
Sorry about your grandfather, but as you said – with the wedding – someone else just getting started in life. Or something.