www.ballinamore.net

No … I didn’t die … I just rested a while from blogging here.

It’s been another interesting year … as life tends to be.

Let me see what I can remember.

January and February were just bloody cold … ice and snow and lots of broken bones … thankfully none were mine. I pretty much stayed in the house for weeks on end and got a lift into town to do shopping. I really didn’t want to break bones or pull muscles.

There’s Coco playing happily in the field next door. We used to pop across every day and it was great when it was snowing. Unfortunately, one day a lady with a rage on her stomped up to me and told me very rudely to get off the land. I smiled … wished her a good day … and began to walk off the field [even though I believe the Dept of Education owns it ... but I could be wrong] with Coco.

She literally stormed in front of me and then started a tirade of comments that was completely uncalled for as I was leaving. I feel sorry for anyone [and all the people around them] carrying that sort of rage inside them. I smiled at her again and just kept walking with Coco … who was very confused by the womans rage. And I realised with some delight that I don’t have that kind of person and rage in  my life … it was so unusual and rare an occurrence for me … thank goodness.

I haven’t gone back to the field … partly because of that womans complete and utter rudeness … and partly because I need more exercise than walking to a field next door.

Jan and Feb were a lovely quiet time and I had 2 friends … Miriam and Jimmy … come stay for a few days when they couldn’t get through the snow to their home up the mountain. That was great fun and I love their company.

Jimmy and Miriam run very successful Build Your Own Wind Turbine workshops here in Ballinamore and they told me that their next one is pretty much booked out [they might be able to squeeze one more person in]. People are coming as far away as India and Argentina to attend. Well done you guys.

March to July were a blur of weekly trips to Dublin for work.

Any of my long time readers would know that I was at the cutting edge of the recession here in Ireland and experienced genteel poverty from 2008 and through 2009.

Of course I also became a time billionaire in that time and was able to develop Life Dreaming and SKIL2 … checks and balances … always about checks and balances.

This year I was busy with a couple of contracts working with a consultancy in Dublin. Both contracts needed me to be in Dublin every week to facilitate meetings and interviews.

I was away for 2 to 3 days a week [and many thanks to Maggie for taking Coco into her dog pack every week] working very intensively … then travelling home … unpacking and repacking … synthesising results from meetings and interviews … planning the sessions for the next week … writing reports … researching online … playing with Coco.

I just didn’t have the energy to write posts so I wrote wee updates on my Facebook and Twitter pages.

When I was home I could be found in the garden planting and seeding stuff. It really is an unplanned and serendipity space … full of flowers and herbs and vegetables.

It looked like this in March and April

May and June.

August and now.

I’ve had my own rocket and nasturtiums and herbs to eat … and a few tomatoes are now starting to go red. The sweet peas are a scent delight.

And all through August and into September I have been working on Life Dreaming.

Talk about work feeling like play. I’m am having the best time working 4 to 6 hours a day on LD … and sending poor Marc batty as I bombard him with ideas and thoughts via email all day. I painted my office walls with this amazing paint called Idea Paint from the UK … it creates whiteboards on your walls and I use it to mindap and list all my work.

Coco make sure I do my work and delegates all the typing to me.

That wall is pretty much full up now with Life Dreaming ideas and plans.

Marc and I are launching the Life Dreaming blog in the next week or so and I have been writing many many posts and Life Dreaming Morsels [free activity sheets]. We really want to give people a lot of value … and all of it free on the blog.

Marc also created a completely new look for Life Dreaming that is edgy and powerful … and I adore it.

When we launch the Life Dreaming blog you’ll get to see it.

I want the logo on a tattoo [afraid of needles so I'm going to get a temp one made], a black dress and an old leather satchel [note to self ... need to buy black dress and leather satchel.] Marc played with ideas of heraldry and graffitti fonts … and has created something that’s just wonderful and really kicks the feel of Life Dreaming up a few more levels.

I made a screen saver of the new look and every morning when I power up the laptop … there it is … my Life Dreaming business. Makes me smile.

We’ll be launching the Life Dreaming site and the online paid Life Dreaming Expedition modules later in 2010 or in January 2011. We’re also planning a 4 to 5 day Life Dreaming Voyage to Bali in 2011 and already have a few people booked in … only taking around 8 [maybe 10] people.

So I haven’t been idle dear readers.

And living out of town in my new house has been lovely. Lots of space and light and a yard for Coco to play in … she loves it.

She literally patrols the perimeter overlooking the big field next door … and will stand for ages wagging her tail at birds or fairies … I can’t see them but it doesn’t mean Coco can’t.

Those photos were taken earlier in the year … the grass is very high now and there are plants all along the fence.

It’s about a 10 minute walk in to town and I’ve been taking Coco to the canal at the bottom of town nearly every day for a walk … so that’s about 90 minutes exercise. Keeps me fit and Coco happy.

One of my Life Dreams for this year was to lose some weight [around 14 pounds ... sorry I can't think in kilos] so I could be in my 50′s and beyond with a healthier body.

Living out of town has been a great help as I don’t drive … so fast food isn’t fast when you walk in and out of town … and I can’t just pop out to the shops and buy cakes and chocolate when I’m bored. I love cooking and planted lots of herbs so there’s a great incentive to eat healthy … which isn’t boring at all. I drink heaps of water and there are no sweet things in the house.

As of this morning I weigh less than I did through my whole 40′s and late 30′s!!! Yah Liz … I lost 24 pounds this year. No pain at all … just a step at a time … literally. Walking is great.

Coco dog is wonderful and has matured into a delightfully sweet animal. She’s extremely gentle and all my friends call her the supermodel. Coco is a great companion and I’m very glad I took her in 2 years ago when she had been abandoned in the street.

Socially I have led a very quiet life this year. I’m one of those people who really really enjoys their own company and time alone. I look at people living together and it baffles me how they don’t all go mad … all that constant noise and contact.

I’m delighted that the majority of people aren’t like me … the species would die out!

I’ve had visitors come stay from Germany [hi Kimme] and Dublin [hi Maria and Feargus] and Ballinamore [hi Miriam and Jimmy; and Brent and Mary] … and  Boyle [hi Linda] … and they were all a delight. I do enjoy the company of others … when it’s temporary. And all these guests are wonderful people.

And when I was in Dublin I socialised happily with my friends living there as well.

And the future?

Who knows dear reader.

I will be putting a lot of time and energy and heart into Life Dreaming … launching it and making it practical and useful for people around the world. That should keep me busy for a few years to come.

I’ll be writing here more often than every 6 months and letting you know what’s happening in the mad Liz world.

And when we launch the Life Dreaming blog … you will be among the first people to be given the blog address.

I hope your year has had more ups than downs.

Enjoy your Sunday.

Slan

Liz

p.s …Oh yeh … and I’ll be moving from Ireland to Ubud Bali by the end of 2011 … but that’s another story [and has nothing to do with that dreadful book and movie Eat, Pray, Hurl] and I’ll tell it next week. Nothing like a big piece of news to end a post!