Two of the most remarkable friendships ❤ 💜 I have had in my life are with Michael and Liz, who both are from Ireland, and they have both had a profound impact on my life.

Michael was a friend of mine who worked for VMIAC ( the Victorian Mental Illness Awareness Council) and throughout my career in mental health I worked on many projects with Micheal around out combined love of art, creativity, advocacy and healing

Michael had a profound impact on my life, and largely I would not be where I am now without his subtle guidance and support. He was like a father figure to me, as my Dad had been involved in oil painting when I was a teenager. Often I would be in the back garden of VMIAC and Michael would be painting and I would have the strangest sense of dejavue . It was like God had brought Michael into my life for a reason and although Michael passed away several years ago I still feel connected to him in some way and whenever I am facing a conundrum I ask myself what would be Michael’s advice to me. Normally I come up with a very wise answer in response and sense Michael’s spirit is very much alive in my life. I know I was meant to meet Michael on some spiritual level.

Liz too I think I was meant to meet Liz is one of three older lady neighbours I have become friends with at my current home. Liz is the one I am closest too. She has such a lovely happy go lucky disposition. I love visiting Liz at her home with my dog Lily and her dog Becky.. I could talk to Liz for hours, she is wonderful to talk too and I love hearing her accent. She has been a lovely friend to me over the past few years, and I really appreciate her support.

Like Michael, meeting Liz has got me interested in Ireland, my favourite author from Ireland is Cathy Kelly. I dream of what Ireland must be like based on Michael and Liz and Cathy Kelly write about it

. If they say home is where your heart is, then part of my heart belongs to 🇮🇪 Ireland because two of the most wonderful people I have met have been from there. Everyone we meet, we meet for a reason and I know that it was part of Gods plan that brought Michael and Liz into my life

Both Michael and Liz have made me understand the term The Luck of the Irish, because two better examples of positive, good peopke you could never meet. Both have guided me and shoewn me kindness, with a gentle sense of humour, and generosity of spirit. God bless them both for they beautiful souls.

Today I also want to write about Lani, who is my hairdresser and so much more. I have enjoyed getting to know Lani and we have become very close in the time we have known each other.

I do describe Lani as an earth mother. She is very well connected to her spiritual side. I would describe her also as a mermaid. She grew up on the beaches of NSW and feels a strong connection to the ocean. She too believes in angels and it is her dog Ruby that inspired my blog story Ruby The Angel. 💖.

Lani has two daughters, whom are now young women. It is hard to raise girls in this day and age given the existence of social media and cyber bullying. I feel for Lani as she gently guides her daughters through this minefield. Lani is a good role model for her daughters and I have no doubt that as they grow, their appreciation of their mother and all the values she is teaching them will help them to develop into wise young women with compassion and empathy

Lani is a great hairdresser and a great counsellor and advocate . She naturally gets on with so many people. I love spending time with Lani. We have some really deep discussions about life 🎶 🎵 and the fact that we were both teenagers in the 1980s. Life was simpler then. We talk about moives and the fact that we were teengers in the day that John Hughes was directing teenage coming of age movies like Sixteen Candles and Pretty in Pibk.

Imagine raising daughters in this age. A modern version of Pretty in Pink would be a nightmare with social media. At least that’s how Lani and I both see it.

We both love out furbabies to bits and share the belief that our furbabies are angels. A more devoted dog lover you could not find than Lani.

I appreciate 🙏 our deep and meaningful conversations so much and hope they continue for years to come.

Lani you too, are an angel on this earth teaching us all to tread lightly.

Today I am inspired to write more about my beautiful angel lady Susanna. As my readers will be aware Susanna is my most beautiful friend, an angel, a true gift 🎁 from God.

As with most of the world, we are going through a terrible time, here in Melbourne. Our daily numbers for new covid infections are around 40,000. These shocking numbers have propelled both Susanna and I into action, and whilst we may be isolating, we spend out days texting and ringing those we love. We do this to support our loved ones, to show we are truly never alone.

Susanna amazes me. Here is a lady, whom is battling cancer, and she spends the great majority of her time ⏲ being ❤ loving and caring to all who are blessed to know her. She never complains about her cancer, if anything, she has a sense of humour about it. She jokes about her life and her predicament. She literally gives all her energy to being a positive force.

Susanna says she will always chase the rainbows 🌈 in life and always see the bright side of things. She literally is a 🌈 rainbow, a bright shining 🌟 star. She does not have a mean bone in her body, she has compassion and empathy for all. At a time like this in Melbourne, her attitude is a lesson for us all. Instead of being overcome with negativity over covid, let’s take the opportunity to be a loving support to all who we know. Take a leaf 🍃 out of Susannas book and start regularly contacting our loved 😍 ❤ one’s by phone 📱 or text and share some gentle humour or positivity. Be the rainbow 🌈 in the lives of the lonely who are finding covid just too much to think about. Start a chain of rainbows 🌈 and focus on being a positive life force. If Susanna can do all that she does, whilst going through her own difficult time, then we people should a least be able to spread a small amount of love .

It is compassion, positivity and love that will ultimately overcome this pandemic. Susanna is right ✅. Let’s all begin to chase our own 🌈 🌈 🌈 🌈 rainbows The pot of gold is the love that will grow for us all.

I’m lying here on the couch with the greatest muse of my life lying beside me.

Lily has no idea she is my muse. She is my loving, protective 💖 little dog, who is at her happiest, when she is near me, next to me touching me in some way. I really love her little body close to mine touching me, as I feel her total unconditional love for me. She is a cavoodle, who has a lot of cavalier in her. King Charles Cavaliers were initially bred to keep King Charles the first feet warm, and it is part of their genetics to be physically close to their owners This is not a negative form of neediness. It is the most wonderful genetic thing, that these dogs🐕 require to feel close to the person they love ❤ most in the 🌎 world

Lily has been a great ibpiratuon for some of the children’s literature I have written, so she definitely is my muse. She is very easy to write about and I will write more about her in the future. She is the absolute best thing that has happened in my life in a long time.

It was hard to leave her, during my last hospital stay. The hardest thing I ever had to do was leave her, when she was screaming for me, to enter the hospital. During lockdown in the hospital I was in agony that Lily couldn’t visit. One of the kind nurses suggested that I train Lily to be my assistance dog, then she could come into the hospital with me. I am seriously locking onto that .

Lily brings me so much love and joy and she definitely 💗 has a tremendous positive impact on my life . I don’t have a human muse, I have a canine muse and she brings rainbows and sunshine to my life. She inspires me to write ✍

God bless you Lily. You are amazing.

Today I had an appointment with my psychiatrist and upon reflection decided to write about him and the positive impact he has on my life.

To begin with I have not always had a great psychiatrist in my life. My past psychiatrist was not a nice person and I would often leave my sessions with him in tears. Enough said of that. Begone to negative experiences.

My current psychiatrist is a wonderful man. He is highly educated and respected as well as being respectful 🙏. I kiterally thank God he came into my life. He has counselled and guided me through the most challenging times in my life. My workcover case, my marriage breakdown. He has been there for me with a gentle caring and appropriate manner . We talk about the big things in life, like faith in God and life 🙏 purpose .

I trust him immensely and when I have to go into hospital, he is there to support me on my journey back into life. He does not judge and always is polite I think he has well developed compassion and empathy becuase his formative years wwre spent living in a poor, overpopulated country where poverty beyond what we exoerince in Australia is common. He is appreciative of the fact that through education he is able to live a great life and provide for his family. He is a psychiatrist based at a private hospital and he always looks the part. He wears suits and 👔 ties and always looks immaculate and represents the hospital well

Would I recommend my psychiatrist to other people in need. Absolutely 💯 100 per cent.

He always has time to hear whatever it is you need to talk to him about. And gee can I tell you that when you are unwell and in hospital, you really do need a listening 🎶 ear to vent and make sense of what is going on in your mind

I think that is the mark of a good psychiatrist, if you would graciously recommend them to others

I don’t need to name my psychiatrist. I only have two words that say it all..THANK YOU.

As my readers know I was looking forward to Christmas. I certainly had a nice Christmas full of goodwill and cheer.

I also was spoiled by my loved one’s. Susanna and Pat were extremely generous to me and I feel honoured to have such beautiful friends in my life. The gifts 🎁 they gave were extremely thoughtful and it is obvious they know me well.

I also got to give a personal Christmas message to Neil Finn and his family 👪 when on Christmas Eve Neil dropped online a special song for his fans, that we could leave online comments about.

I got to spend Christmas with my family 👪 ❤ 💕 and delighted in seeing my nieces home and her baby bump, as she is pregnant with her first child. Many happy memories were made on the day. I am a very proud Aunt and love my niblings with a passion ❤ 💕 💖 💙.

I had the joyful, peaceful Christmas that I was hoping for and appreciated 🙏 the little things that go along with celebrating the festive season.

I hope all my readers also had a joyful peaceful 🎄 Christmas and that Santa was kind to you. Santa was certainly kind to Lily, she was overwhelmed by 🎁 gifts and treats and didn’t know what to play with first. Lily just loves getting presents and she has the joy of a small child, that is infectious to watch.

I wish all my readers a Happy New Year and will ✍ write more as I am inspired.

Christmas would have to be one of my favourite times of year, because I have faith in God, and relish the opportunity to give and show my love to the special people ❤ in my life.

I have already received what I wanted for Christmas. I wanted to see my friends, Russell, Susanna, Liz and Helen, and got the opportunity to spoil them a little. To show them what their love and support means to me. I don’t take friendship for granted, because I know how it feels, to feel neglected and isolated. Through my exoerience of mental health issues, I know that feeling only too well. So now I go out of my way to spread a little goodwill and cheer throughout the festive season. As I said in previous posts goodwill generates goodwill . In reality only good can come from doing good. It may not happen overnight or instantaneously, but ultimately we reap what we so.

I love getting together with my brother’s and their families over Christmas. I ❤ my niblings with all my heart ❤ and am genuinely happy to see how wonderful their lives are progressing

Not everyone I know is filled with the milk of good spirit over Christmas. Some people I know are determined to make every situation, selfishly all about them, and say only negative things about their supposed loved ones and friends. I find these people difficult to be around, and no matter hiw much goodwill I try to put into the situation, they are determined to spread illwill. Because I find the energy these people put out into the world, draining to say the least, I limit my time with them throughout the festive season and silently say a prayer for them, that maybe someday they will know the Grace of God, and show gracious loving behaviour. One can always hope for that.

I guess my advice to people not looking forward to Christmas festivities with those we find challenging, because of their illwill, is to say a silent prayer for them and cherish the time spent 🙏 with those we love, and feel grateful 🙏 and yes gracious for those who make our lives utterly pleasurable and delightful, by their very presence ❤ in our lives . Enjoy feeling their love and the love of God

As for the naysayers in our lives, limit the time they have to impact on us, and If you have to endure tine with them, wear earplugs and mentally sing Christmas carols in your mind to drown out the negativity they spread .

I wish all my readers and 😍loved one’s a very Merry 🎄 Christmas and thank you for reading my 📫 posts. May your Christmas wishes be granted, as mine already have been

Today I saw Neil Finn speaking on the ABC news and it brought back so many happy memories for me of being a teenager in Melbourne in the 1980s. I have loved Neil for about ninety percent of my life. I can vividly remember seeing him in Split Enz on Countdown and loving him singing I Got You. Split Enz then became 👌 my favourite band and I joined their fan club Frenz of the Enz. Split Enz were the first band I saw in concert as a 13 year old at the Myer Music Bowl. I was devastated when they announced their break up. I didn’t know at the time that Neil was destined for bigger and better things. I wish I had a crystal 🔮 ball that would’ve shown me Crowded House.

Crowded House are Mt 💯 100 per cent favourite band, and like many Melbournians are happy that they began their journey here in Melbourne.

I have lost count how many times I have seen Neil perform 🎭 with Crowded House, Spilt Enz, with Tim Finn and as a solo performer. They are my most treasured pleasurable times and I will carry the memories of them in my heart forever.

Neil is my absolute favourite songwriter and is an inspiration for my own writing ✍ ❤. He and two New Zealand authors Janet Frame and Margaret Mahy are my writing icons and if I can write even half as good as them, then I would be extremely happy and grateful 🙏 for that. Neil’s songs 🎵 are like beautiful poetry that is inspiring and empowering all at once. He is very eloquent and measured with his words, something his son’s Liam and Elroy have inherited from him.

I was devastated when Paul Hester committed suicide and all whom loved Crowded House could see and feel Neil’s pain. I hope Paul Hester is resting in peace. I like to 🤔 think he is watching over Neil and is delighted that Liam and Elroy have joined Crowded House. Neil’s wife Sharon is also amazingly talented. Check out her business Sharondelier online and prepare to be amazed just how awesome she is. Neil, you have picked the perfect partner for you in Sharon.

In the early 1990s Neil moved back to Auckland to live in Parnell. Having seen Parnell for myself, I must say it definitely is a beautiful part of Auckland, if only I had the money 💰 to live there.

Paul McCartney considers Neil a wonderful songwriter a fact one of my brothers disagrees with. My brother can’t see that their are other great songwriters other than McCartney, and that Neil is actually an antipodean version of Paul McCartney for my generation. He tells me that Crowded House are merely Split Enz mark two, which I now have the perfect comeback for him being What Does That Make Fleetwood Mac? Obviously Neil is super talented and very well thought of by his peers to end up in Fleetwood Mac. Neil has many friends in the music industry too many to name. I will end my piece by saying one of Neil’s Australian friends is Jimmy Barnes, whom affectionately calls Neil’s family the Finn Laws. Need I say more.

Neil you are a gifted legend and I hope you keep performing for a long time to come. Thank you. You are a gift 🎁 and an inspiration.

When I read back over my last post I realised something was missing. I had forgot to mention the other creatures whom are naturally both grateful and gracious. Our pets, our loved companions.

As I sit and write ✍ this piece, my darling dog Lily is by my side, which is where she spends the majority of her time. I treasure her all year round, and love ❤ being able to spoil her on her birthday and at Christmas time. I tell her regularly that because she is a good girl, that Santa will be coming to her. I have already started to buy little things for her for Christmas. She will receive a couple of new toys and some treats.

Lily loves Christmas. She may not know the Christmas story, but like a small child, she enjoys receiving presents. Last year when a friend visited on Boxing day Lily brought out all her new toys and treats to show my friend. It was like Lily was overcome with the oleasure of receiving and was saying to my friend Look What I Got.

On her birthday Lily also gets 🎁 gifts and this year again was overcome with joy to receive treats. She may have no concept what a birthday is, but somehow she knew it was all about her. I managed to make Lily’s birthday last for about a week. She is very 😍 loved and very spoiled.

Our pets are naturally 🙏 grateful. They can happily eat the same thing everyday, enjoy eating it and always are happy to receive their daily treats. They are deliriously happy when we pick up their lead to take them for a walk and enjoy the adventure of meeting people and other dogs.

The innocent joy they show at being given presents 🎁 show they are naturally gracious. They don’t care how big or how expensive the present is, they are just overjoyed to receive it

So please at 🎄 Christmas remember our little gifts from God and enjoy making them delighted at the magic of the season. They give us so very much and ask for so very little ❤

For our companions big or little make Santa real for them and give to them wholeheartedly 🙏.

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If there is anything that the festive season should teach us all it is to be both grateful and gracious. To be forever thankful for what we have in this life and not be selfish is to be truly grateful and to be thankful and polite for what we have and what we have given to us is to be truly gracious

I have learned a lot over the past few years about being grateful and gracious. I may not have a lot of expensive possessions, but what I have I am truly grateful for what the Lord has provided me with. Some of you will remember that in my previous post I spoke of being truly wealthy in in terms of the quality of relationships in my life

I have learned the most about graciousness from Susanna and Russell. Susanna truly is an angel 😇 💖 who is the most generous giving soul I have ever met. She has given me so much, had a generosity of spirit that can’t be equalled. She has taught me to just politely accept whatever people want to give me. She models true graciousness and is my role model. Russell too would have to be the most gracious gentleman I have ever met, he shows that truly chivalrous gentlemen do still exist. He helps so many people and he too has a generosity of spirit that is powerful. Whenever I pay Russell an honest compliment he always just politely replies Thank you Kaye. He obviously has healthy self esteem and self worth. These two people are two of the most important people in my life and I love ❤ to spend time with them, creating happy memories.

I ask my readers at this time to think of the people that are important to them, and to think of ways that we can all express gratefulness and graciousness. I know as I spend Christmas 🎄 time with my family I will enjoy giving and receiving both qualities in my life.

Have yourself a merry little Christmas by spreading the cheer I talk about in this post. ❤.