Since having my daughter home with her severely sprained ankle she’s back to being dependent on me, again. It’s been quite some time since she needed my support in this way. Today I had to help her wash her hair. Now that’s something I haven’t had to do in a really long time. The hardest part for her is allowing herself to ask for help. I think a lot of us are like that.
There’s nothing wrong with admitting you need some help now and then. For me a journal acts as a supporting friend. This friend will hear anything …read more

The older I get the more I tend to worry, just a little, about keeping my memory. Perhaps that is one reason I keep a journal. I read an article yesterday how doodling can help memory. All the time I thought the doodling I often engaged in was showing how distracted I really was. All this time it’s been an aid to remembering the details of all those boring phone calls. I tended to doodle instead of taking proper notes in school, too. I always wondered why I still managed to have such good recall later about those same notes. …read more

I don’t know if you’ve ever had this experience, but today I purchased some beads. When I got them home they looked completely different to how they did in the store. Why did this happen? All because of a little thing called light. I went back to the store and found the entire shop lit from the lovely afternoon sun. All the type of beads I’d selected had clearly defined differences in colour, where before I’d had trouble telling them apart. Lesson learnt; only shop there in the afternoon.
This is a lesson we can learn about journal writing, too. A …read more

This morning I dropped the little guy off for his first half day of kindy. It felt fantastic to have the morning to myself, although I needed to stop at the shops first, so I grabbed the chance to write in my journal alone; bliss! I knew I could take my time, which was a great feeling. Most of the time I’m writing and keeping the little guy occupied, although he is pretty good at playing on his own.
So I thought it was even better when the couple who served me in one of my favourite cafés didn’t communicate …read more

Creativity Portal are creating a new daily prompt called 365 Pictures and they’re calling for your entries. Details on how to enter & what to submit are on their website. I sure hope you take advantage of this call to enter some of your photos. It’s a great way to get a little extra exposure for your own work, too, as you will be able to have a link to your website or blog. Even if you don’t enter, there will be yet another cool place to find prompts for your journal writing.
Heather
Photo used with permission from stock.xchng

I received a couple of journals for Christmas, which I shared with you in a photo in a previous entry. Well, today I began writing in the purple Smiggle one. It’s so lovely. But I wasn’t able to give it special time for my usual starting ritual. I’ll have to put that off until I can have a moment alone. I had to fit in an entry with the little guy wiggling all over the seat next to me and going on about his tummy. This isn’t normal behaviour, so I made the journal entry a quick one and hope …read more

I just love reading about experiments using journal or diary writing. Scientist have found keeping a diary can help the body recover from injuries. I blogged about a similar experiment some time ago, which showed how journal writing heals wounds faster. I think it’s amazing that journal writing not only works on healing inner wounds but on physical ones.
I know that since I’ve been committed to journal writing on a regular basis I don’t fall ill anywhere near as often as I once did. Do you have any stories that back up what the experts are learning? Please share …read more

Well, it’s been 2009 for quite some time now. I’ve spent the morning having a sleep in, reading and lolling about in the air-conditioned bedroom chatting with my daughter. It’s been a pretty quiet way to start the year, but that’s ok with me. I don’t get many days of relaxation where no one expects much from me.
Last night we watched some fireworks off in the distance & some the locals popped off in their backyards. Hubby and I held each other out on the verandah and kissed as the neighbours counted the New Year in. We enjoyed the …read more

It’s that time of year when people start thinking about naming resolutions to make for the coming new year. I know what usually happens around our place when it comes to resolutions, most likely the same thing that happens to your resolutions; they go nowhere. Good intentions are a great place to start, but this is where most resolutions end. So, how do we get ourselves over that obstacle of intent & turn it into action?
I believe your journal holds the key. The end of the year is a perfect time to spend rereading your journal, in particular this past …read more

While writing in my journal today I noticed just how close I’m getting to those last few pages. I have journals here I can use, but I’m really hoping my family take my hints and buy me another of those gorgeous handmade journals I purchased a while ago. Mmm, it appears those journals are no longer available. No wonder I couldn’t find one last time I looked. Well, that makes me sad now. I might have to investigate someone else who makes journals by hand. That way I can get exactly what I want in a journal.
What about you? …read more