I think I'm getting old......

Well in the words of Ed Sullivan:

It's been a really big shewwwwwwwwwwww or in my case weekendddddddddddddddd!!

Of course it all started on Friday night as I mentioned funny enough in Friday night's blog.... when I went to dinner with Amanda and Jeff/Geoff. You knowwwwww I think I might call him Jeff Jeff/Geoff Geoff from now on. Of course I just need to find out the right spelling! LOL

It's funny isn't it how we love the good old nicknames. I've had a few in my time and yesss I know it's hard to believe right!!! hehe

My Grandad used to call me Fuzz Face when I was little.

At school I was known as Livvy (after Olivia Newton-John who I loved) or Meady-Chick as Mead was my maiden name, Mum, Shorty, Short Arse and to this day a few of them still call me this!!!

In jobs I have been known as Morley-Mead, The Cheryl, Morley and prob some I wouldn't want to know!! LOL

Jake calls me Mumma D - as in Mother Dearest which considering it was a memoir and expose on the American actress Joan Crawford by her daughter who claimed she was a victim of child abuse and that her mother was more concerned with her career than being a good mother! Might not be a good thing!!!!

Mmmmm that reminds me: I need to talk to Jake about this.....

And of course the good old fave "Kazzachezza" which is the combination in Aussie slang of Karen Cheryl, because between you and I am not a huge lover of my middle name!!!

But I digress..... sorry Groover's back on me being old!

So there was Friday night dinner and then yesterday was spent at the Rachael Bermingham event called "How to write a book and make it a BESTSELLER" which was just amazing and def mind blowing.

After my big day with Rachael I came home to my normal welcome of Funny Nana opening the front door and little Embee Louise running outside with excitement that her Mumma is home and then doing a nice wee-wee (as we like to call it here in Morley Manor) on the grass in the front yard.

I guess at this point to our new readers I need to point out that Baby Jake doesn't have a sister called Embee Louise... but that Embee is our dog! Although I always say that Jake is Embee's boyfriend! So not quite sure how that all fits in now that Jake is at Ayers Rock working and somehow his "girlfriend" is left behind in my house and shares my bed..... Maybe there is more to that Mommie D title than meets the eye hehehe.

Anywaysssss after the front yard wee-wee I took Funny Nana and Embee Louise on an outing to Redcliffe beach for Fish & Chips! It was such a lovely night down there with a wonderful "Summer Breeze" as Funny Nana called it. And she had fun reminiscing on all the times they went to Redcliffe when she was a child for holidays.

She talked about the carnival they used to have in the very park that we had our dinner in last night, to the big Ferris Wheel they used to have at the end of the jetty in the main street of Redcliffe. She talked about going to the picture theatre and for those of you who weren't aware did you know that the Bee Gees lived and went to school there!

And later in the night I had my nightly spa whilst looking out at the stars and kids I even saw me another shooting star last night! :)

And then today I had a lovely Sunday Morning sleep in followed by a catch up phone call with Baby Jake!

Was great to catch up on the goss in his world and hear all the nice drunken stories of him trying to come home one night and putting his key in someone else's front door and then deciding to return to the bar rather than try and find his unit and then when he did arrive back home a few hours later leaving his front door open and stumbling into his unmade bed that he tried to make and then whilst we were talking on the phone remembering only then that he even collected his washing and brought that in with him whilst stumbling through the door.

Did I mention that this drunken night happened just over a week ago and he only just remembered today on the phone that last bit!!!

This is an actual picture of Jake's bed! I have no words.....

Then it was time for me to go along to a work BBQ at one of the guys place. I had a really lovely day catching up with everyone away from the workplace. I am sooo lucky to work with such a great bunch of people and then to meet their partners and kids was just great!! :)

Next time I am going to take Embee along as she would have loved it and let's face it, she can be my "Proxy Kid" andddddddd she is much better behaved that Jake! LOL

Of course after all this excitement when I arrived back home it was time for the AMAZING Nana Nap that we all crave and love! And so here I am.... writing in the dark, no dinner, Funny Nana has gone to bed and Embee Louise is passed out on my bed.

One of the joys of technically being an Empty Nester is that I am going to go make some Vegemite toast for dinner and watch some TV and hit the sack again.

Yep I'm telling you life doesn't get much better than this weekend!

Hope you guys had a great one too!

Me xxx

Everyone has a good book in them ~ Rachael Bermingham ~

So Groover's today was one of those Uhh Haaa Days as Oprah would say. Some might call it a Light Bulb moment others an Epiphany, me well I call it as I see it and I would call it def a "Life Changing Moment".

And before you all go and get WAYYYY excited thinking I saw another 8 naked men like back at the end of December on Hamilton Island.... I need to reel you all back in and put you on the right track :)

Today I attended the "How to write a book and make it a BESTSELLER" conference hosted by the amazing Rachael Bermingham. Now you may know her from the 4 Ingredient Cook Books or even the 4 Ingredient show on Foxtel and some may even be familiar with her publishing company Bermingham Books and the numerous best selling books that she has written.

I have been a big fan for a few years now and last year I was booked in to do this conference in Sydney when it was postponed at the last moment and I was devastated as I had been looking forward to it for ages, and was already in Sydney for work. But as the saying goes - things happen for a reason and I truly do believe this from the bottom of my heart!!

Only two weeks ago I found out about today's workshop and it was only 15mins from home, just a tad closer than Sydney don't ya think :)

It was so wonderful to be surround by people that have the same passion for their writing as I do and what I found remarkable was listening to their own personal stories and ideas that they want to write about and share with the world.

I guess I was like a Sponge and please... not in the Sponge Bob Square Pants way! (Although we do look similar if you squint hehehe) My pants were not square and def not sponge like but my minddddd well my mind Groover's was a HUGE SPONGE. And I took it all in, asked my normal 101 questions (thanks Rachael, it's something that I do to clarify and understand things so I really did appreciate your time) and found it very inspirational.

Now we all have busy lives that my friends is a given fact! But here is a woman, a single parent may I just add of three boys, which include twins that knows only one speed and that kids is FULL SYSTEM A GO-GO!

The whole room was mesmerised and we all were inspired to take lots and lots of notes, advice and tips that only Rachael could provide :)

Now as quite a few of you know writing a book has been something on my mind for quite some time and can I just say that the feedback, kind words, support and encouragement you guys give me both publicly and privately mean the world to me and it is from these things that I have decided to start writing a manuscript.

Tonight we also have a few new visitor's to The Morley Report as I spoke about it a bit today with people and shared some of my stories and tried my best to convey just what The Morley Report is all about.

Now I know that this current site has had a few glitches with leaving comments but Groover's tonight I would love it if you could try and leave a comment on the bottom of my this blog to share your thoughts with our new readers about just what it is that makes you keep coming back each night to read my stories, why some of you hound me with texts, comments and private messages when I am late uploading it LOL and what it is that you enjoy about my site.

I give you my word that very soon we are going to move across (keeping it in the same layout) to a better hosting site so that you can bombard me with all you comments, the good, the bad and the ugly!

I walked away today from the conference with admiration for the women that I met and I have to say that I am a little bit excited for the coming months to gather my thoughts and stories and make one of my dreams come true.

On Thursday a friend of mine shared a story about an actor friend of his that has never given up on his dream and has just landed his first big role on Australian Television. He told me that his mate told him many years ago:

That you only ever fail if you give up! If you never give up than you haven't failed!

Never a truer word has been spoken.

I count myself very lucky that at the end of the day I got to have some one on one time with Rachael (isn't she lucky....)

Or hang on a sec... Maybe I was the one that was Lucky!!!

And Rachael was soooo lovely and spent time with people writing in their books and having pictures taken.

I found her so approachable, friendly, helpful and I have to say that I really enjoyed her sense of humour too... because without humour we would all be very dull and boring!

Here is the link to Rachael Bermingham's website:

Rachael Bermingham

Today was one of those special days when you realise that anything, ANYTHING my friends is in fact possible in this life that we have been given. All you need to do is to never EVER stop believing in yourself and as the song goes

I get knocked down
But I get up again
You're never going to keep me down....

So Groover's batten down them hatches cause this little Morley has some exciting times ahead andddddddd I may just have to call you kids to help me out from time to time with your opinions of what you might like to see me write about and maybe what not! Of course I can't promise to stop calling my 21yo son Jake - "Baby Jake" or never talk about his Large Head, because let's face it I'm such a loving mother and that's just how I roll! hehehe.

And I give you my word that I will continue to write The Morley Report nightly (unless Funny Nana writes me one of her famous notes...) and share the going on of all thing Morley because I couldn't imagine my life now without you guys in it!

Love ya

Me xxx