Hi all,
sorry it's been a while since I last wrote- xmas; you know
how it is.  I'm feeling a bit in pain and humiliated because I
just managed to spill a pan of boiling water on my face and
down my chest (hehehe hot flushes! NOT!).... On her
face?? You may wonder...... well I wasn't holding the pan
above my head or anything wierd like that, I just had this
phenomenal upward tremor of my arm while I happened to
be holding the pot.  Now I'm walking around with a frozen
steak clutched to my cheek and the mantra "I  CAN look
after myself I CAN look after myself I CAN.........."

In answer to someone's recent question about Xmas, I am
psyching myself up for an 8 hr drive interstate this
weekend, where I'll spend Xmas juggling visits to various
strains of my somewhat disjointed family.  I am really really
looking forward to seeing my neice who has apparently
started standing and "talking" (babbling) since I last saw
her in october.  I think that will be the highlight of my trip.

When I get home in mid-jan I'll be housesitting a gorgeous
house up in the foothills of adelaide- surrounded by native
garden and overlooking a tree-filled gully.  I can't wait; I'm
seeing it as a bit of a post-xmas retreat- hopefully get lots
of writing, reading, sleeping done.  Does anybody else feel
the need to escape after xmas??

While I think of it, for the next 3 wks or so I might not have
much access to email- does anybody have any
suggestions bc my email a ccount will just stop recieving if
there are more than, say, 150 emails...... I wonder if I can
just stop recieving them for a few weeks but still be able to
re-join?  What do others do in this situation?  I really loving
getting all the news, but the rate this list goes, my 150 limit
will b e reached in a matter of days!! (Not complaining, btw,
wouldn't have it any other way!).  Anyway, please don't take
me off just yet, because I'm not going till saturday.

I hope everyone's plans/shopping/cooking for the festive
season is going  well and not too  stressful.  Happy
solstice, xmas etc.  Be well.
emma