Diary of fun

There's quite a bit of fun stuff in my diary for the next few weeks. Plenty to be excited about and look forward to. I love that feeling.

On the weekend I will meet Thomas James, my friend's baby who was born last week, and I'm also seeing by fave band Wagons (again!) supporting US alt-country singer-songwriter Justin Townes Earle (son of Steve Earle) at the Thornbury Theatre.

Next week I have tickets to see UK comic Daniel Kitson's show We are Gathered Here, which is showing as part of the Melbourne Fringe Festival. The Festival kicked off last week. I haven't had a thorough look at the program yet, but so far I'm also going to the opening night of iMap at the City Library, which features a gigantic map of the CBD on the wall of their gallery space. Visitors will be able to share a memory of something that happened to them in the city and it will be attached to the corresponding place on the map. I need to think of something worthy of sharing....

The Melbourne International Arts Festival starts in a week or so too and I've decided I'm going to go see the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. I've never been to see an orchestra before. The London Philharmonic Orchestra is performing also, but tickets are, unsurprisingly, a little on the expensive side.

The opening night celebration also looks good. Better put that in my diary too...

And I'm doing sewing classes! I'm going to pretty much learn to sew all over again since I remember very little from high school textiles classes. My friend Anna and I are going to do classes at the very groovy Thread Den. There's three modules to equip you with the basics and then in the fourth module, we'll make an A line skirt. I hope I don't suck at it...

In the gardens

Intaxication

Wooo! My tax cheque came back yesterday. I was told I'd get about $900, which I was super chuffed about, but it turns out I got $1200!

No shopping spree for me though. I'm going to be sensible and save it towards an overseas trip next year.

OK, I might spend a little, although there's nothing really that I'm hankering after...I'm sure I'll think of something!

Like comfy slippers

I had drinks after work tonight with a friend I haven't seen all year and it was really great to see her again. We had a good chat and it was just like old times (well, perhaps more sober than the old times).

She's one of those people who always makes me feel good about myself - she has such a knack for giving compliments!

We used to work together at the firm where I work now, but she's only just across the street from me, so there's no excuse for us not catching up more often.

I'm a little annoyed with myself because I seem to have quite a few friends I don't keep in regular contact with for various reasons - and often for no good reason, but on the positive side, they are the kind of friendships that can withstand the neglect. They take up where they left off and still make you feel good. Like slipping into a pair of old comfy slippers!

Hello, baby

While NSW and Queensland choked on dust today, Melbourne had a purdy rainbow.

Photo taken by my Twitter pal Nathan Milson

Yay! I'm a quasi-aunt again! Thomas James was born tonight at 7.12 pm weighing in at 3.39kgs. Mum and bub both doing well.

And in more baby news, I found out tonight that another friend is expecting her third baby in March!

Baby eve

Big day tomorrow. My best friend is having her second baby by caesarean in the late afternoon. She is already mum to Nathan, my quasi-nephew, who is a gorgeous little boy.

I already know what she's having so the only real surprise will be what they name him. But still. A baby!

The joy of blogging

Curly cloud!

I can't believe I forgot to mention the best thing about yesterday!

Some of you might know that I've been writing a blog on Myspace since 2006 which has chronicled the ups and downs of my life. Among many other things, I have written about my adventures in online dating and the rollercoaster that was my previous relationship.

I've gathered a small but loyal band of readers on there and yesterday I got an email from one of them in response to the news that I was planning to move the blog from Myspace to Blogger.

She said that she read them back when she was "single and lonely" and struggling to balance life as a single mother to a special needs child.

"I would creep into my little room, while my son slept soundly and read your dating adventures and laugh. It was all exciting and I got a bit addicted at one stage of my boring life as I never got out that much because of [her son's condition], and my work and just basically balancing life as a single mum....So thanks for making me laugh and maybe feel a bit sad reading your blogs...I feel your frustration sometimes, and happiness. Thank you."

I was so touched. Blogging - particularly personal blogs - can be a very self-indulgent exercise, but it's so gratifying to know that your ramblings mean something to someone else, even if they are just a distraction and some light relief at the end of a hard day.

It's a wonderful feeling knowing your words - something you have created - can make an impact.

Daisy chains, new growth and biscuits

I love these little daises. They're growing everywhere along the banks of the Yarra at the moment. I know they're only weeds, but they remind me of when I was a kid, sitting in the paddock behind our house with friends making daisy chains.

I was also pleased to see, on my walk into the city this afternoon, that the trees along the north side of the river are starting to get their leaves back. For some reason, they take longer to recover from winter than the trees on the other side, but I was a little worried that they weren't going to recover from the scorching heat of last summer at all. I think they'll be OK. For now...another hot summer is forecast. Yikes.

I just made some Anzac biscuits and the kitchen smells yummy. The biscuits are tasty too. Better than my last effort! I'm six days into another attempt at completing an allergy elimination diet, so it will be nice to have a tasty treat for morning tea this week. I just have to try not to eat them all tonight. Not my strong suit.

I love wisteria

This is growing over my neighbours' front fence

Very Seussian...

I think the tree outside my window came from a Dr Seuss book... It always gets those little tufty things before its leaves sprout in the springtime. I took this photo from my laundry window this morning.

I had a dream the other night that it was National Skipping Day and everyone had to skip everywhere (the sans rope kind of skipping, I mean). It was pretty funny seeing men in suits skipping down the street.

I've had the flat to myself all week. Ah... It's just so relaxing not having another person around. When I have to leave this flat (which could be in February), I'm going to try to go back to living on my own.

I love Anne

I watched Anne of Green Gables on the telly the other night. Saturday night, actually. I'm living it up in the big city. I don't care how uncool it makes me - I LOVE Anne of Green Gables and have since someone gave me one of the books when I was a kid.

I didn't know it was coming on and I happened to see it in the TV guide just as it started.

It was the 1980s telemovie version with the adorable Megan Fellows as Anne. I laughed and thankfully my flatmate was working a late shift, because there were several moments where I sat on the couch and had a little sook, like at the bit where Anne is leaving Avonlea to go to college and Matthew says to Marilla that it was a lucky mistake the orphanage sent Anne and not the boy they had wanted.

Marilla replies: It wasn't luck; It was Providence. He knew we needed her.

Matthew: Even with her queer little ways.

Marilla: I loved her for them.

For those of you who don't know the story, Matthew and Marilla are an elderly brother and sister who run a farm on Canada's Prince Edward Island. They send for an orphan boy to help run the farm but they get the wildly imaginative, impetuous, precocious, talkative Anne instead. Matthew loves her from the start but Marilla, the no-nonsense matriarch, has to be persuaded not to send her back. Of course, Marilla eventually grows to love Anne like her own child.

Even writing this I could have a little cry. Geez, I'm such a sook. I've just decided I'm going to get it on DVD and buy the books and read them again. (I only ever had the one and I don't know what happened to it.)

Oh, and you know what else? Today I answered the phone at work to a woman called Marilla!

Watch out, Post Bill

I'm glad they've finally decided to ease up on Bill Posters. This is in Caledonian Lane in the city.

Ah, spring

And how's this for a flower? Think that's an agave plant

Gleeful is 1!

Today is special for three reasons: it's the first day of spring, it's Gleeful's first birthday and this is my 200th post. Yay, yay and yay!

The blog has turned out to be a little less frequent than I envisaged, but I still can't believe it's been 12 months since I kicked off with a post about the Muppets and an R rated movie. And I can't be stopped now. I'm the Glee Monster. Rarrrrr!

It's been a joy to write Gleeful - to go through the year seeking out and celebrating the simple pleasures that life can offer if you open your eyes to them. I know it sounds cheesy, but I really do believe that the secret to happiness is being able to appreciate small things, because that's mostly what life is - a string of small things. I'm certainly a lot happier - and a lot nicer to be around - since I worked that out.

Of course a big, big thank you to all of you for reading and commenting. I would have kept writing the blog anyway if nobody read it (well, I think I would have...) but you've made it so much more rewarding. You've been the yummy icing on the chocolate cake of glee.

And now for some Muppets to celebrate:

PS I also celebrated with actual chocolate cake.