Random thoughts, not so random?

Between one thing and another -- and none of them bad -- I haven't made it to the computer this week. I have many thoughts drifting languidly like feathers around my head, not yet fully formed.

For once, I am not pushing for coherence. So I thought I'd just share where I'm at, the thoughts I have been marinating in...

* Savouring Oslo Davis' Overheard and secretly fantasising that the woman commenting on the number of Isabelle Allende books at the Writers Festival in Federation Square on p.114 is me.

* A poet was featured in The Age newspaper's financial pages recently! Not just any poet, a highly esteemed and awarded one, who also happened to be my creative writing lecturer at uni. Somehow the feature is quintessentially Melbourne for me. And it includes a Haiku.

* It has dawned on me that many of the books I've read, films I've seen, cuisines I've tasted over the past year have taken me along the Silk Road. Actually, like many ABC-watching Australians over 30, I grew up fixated on a series based in this part of the world.

* On that note, I am fascinated by one of I. M. Pei's magnificent creations and luxuriating in Yo-Yo Ma's exquisite collaboration.

* Danielle LaPorte is impressive at the best of times, but her Manifesto of Encouragement is pure magic and a must-read.

* Rachelle Mee-Chapman (aka Magpie Girl) has been blowing me away with her Magpie Speak: A New Language For Soulcare series. Hard to believe it's free!

* Little 'un and I had our first creative dance class this week. It was fun! And I could see my little girl quite fascinated with all the new environment to offer. The session's structure had various degrees of elasticity, so that toddlers could run and dance and play in different ways but also sit and watch and listen and *gasp* take turns at something!

* I'm delighting in watching my little 'un exploring my bathroom cupboards these days. As part of my clearing a couple of weeks ago, I also purged this particular spot of fascination, removing dangerous items and throwing out things I'd been storing for so many years that I couldn't even remember why. In their place, I put funky little make-up bags full of everyday treasures, including a lipgloss with Pingu on the case that I'd bought a million years ago in Malaysia and found during the clearing. Now that was one happy discovery!