It's a beautiful day!

"We are all travellers in life, and the best we can find on our journey is an honest friend."
by Robert Louis Stevenson

We have extreme westerly winds blowing crazily all over the place today, which I am using as my excuse not to be out in the garden planting my new seedlings and pots of herbs.  Yes, I know I could put some cotton wool in my ears to protect me from an earache or borrow someones beanie.  I would love to have a special groovy beanie.

However, it is still a beautiful day.  The sun is shining at its best and I am so grateful for the strong metal roof over our heads.  I hope your day is being filled with sunshine in some form.

My best thing I've done today is... go out to the airport and welcome home a very close friend (and her husband) who have been on the most amazing travel and work adventures for what seems like yonks, but it's not quite that long!  While she was away, we chatted on the phone, emailed, followed each others blogs, and facebooked to keep in touch.  So I am also very grateful for the wonderful advancements in technology to allow two special friends to not feel so far away from each other for all that time.  But today at the airport, when the magic customs doors opened and there she was, it was the best moment!  To see her real face and give her the biggest hug, to see with my own eyes that she is 'safely home' meant the world to me.  This is the friend (among others) who was there for me in my most difficult days of my life.  This is the friend who I have laughed and cried with, all in the same minute at times.  This is also the friend who will transform into a 'rock chick' with me in December when we go to see Cold Chisel!  I love you dear friend.  Welcome home.

 Other wonderful things have been happening too... I have some favourite websites, and I think it's only fair that I share them with you.  Etsy! Say no more.  I think you would have heard of them, bought from them, been inspired by them, perhaps you even sell with them.  I love their daily email of fresh ideas and brilliance.  The world is so blessed with amazing and talented people.  I sometimes feel that as a member of blogland, through the new 'friends' I have made in different parts of the world, that the good people in the world, really, must surely, outweigh the bad (misguided).   The give love, get love concept!

If you've ever been to Bangalow in Nthn NSW you might have walked around the corner from the main street and come across Lazybones.  They have beautiful dresses, PJs, cushions, bedlinen and other yummy stuff.  I love to shop in their online store where I often find little treasures (usually in the shape of PJs) in their sale section.  So comfortable and easy to wear, and the service from placing my order to quick delivery is really great.  They deserve this little bit of free advertising!  So, check out http://www.lazybones.com.au/

Books, I love them and my current favourite place to buy books is from http://www.fishpond.com.au/  Have you tried them?  I have found their prices and free delivery really really good.  I spotted a book I "just had to have" recently when I was out shopping with a girlfriend.  It was $22.50.  On that day, I had already spent some "just for me" money and didn't want to stretch to buying the book.  Long story short... I checked on Fishpond when I got home, same book, $13.30, free postage.  Is it any wonder that we are losing some lovely bookshops around the place.  That is pretty strong competition. 

Do you read books?  Novels?  What kind do you like?  I enjoy a bit of a mix up of mystery, personal discovery, friendship.  A few authors I've enjoyed... Jodi Picoult (i read My Sisters Keeper before it was ever a movie and couldn't put it down), Liz Byrski (especially Belly Dancing for Beginners), Jane Green (Dune Road, The Beach House), Monica McInerney, Rachel Treasure (aussie author), Elizabeth Berg (especially The Pull of the Moon).  I've just started The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein.  So far so good, I love a good story told through the eyes and ears of a dog! 

I have come across some lovely quotes recently, which is stirring me to paint some more canvases.  I'll show you soon.  Enjoy the rest of your weekend friends.

Jane x