Happy 10th Birthday Facebook

Post by Grace Mimmo Fitzpatrick.

A beautiful and treasured gift I received today.

- Grace xo

Life begins...

I had a wonderful day and a superb evening celebrating 40 years of life.

I've been on a roller coaster ride these last few weeks and I'm now on the way home (literally typing in the car), where I anticipate getting off (the roller coaster).

It feels premature to end Project Grace 2010 today. I still have so much to say, so many insights and so many acknowledgements to make. So while the official project is finished, I am going to take the liberty to take the time to communicate everything I want and need. Let's just say I'll be making up for all the posts I missed out on.

Until tomorrow take liberties to finish off any incomplete business.

Grace xx

ps. This photo is a self portrait of me in the car on the way home after a day of celebration. I'm wearing my fabulous Desigual coat, which is an amazing piece of artistic attire that I first saw in Galleries Lafayette, Paris, for 500 Euros. I thought it was a bit too extravagant for this fledgling author and soon gave up on the idea of owning it (despite fantasising about it for over a month). After unexpectedly finding myself in Penang (due to my failed attempt to visit India), I stumbled across the same coat on sale in a department store (yes, it is an original). All along I thought this technicolour dreamcoat would make a great 40th birthday present to myself though the price had me give up on the idea. However after seeing the price tag reduced by 75%, it was time to bring it home. So here I am on my 40th birthday wearing my dream coat, and it got me thinking... isn't my life supposed to begin today? According to popular culture, the answer is 'yes'. So I will take a further liberty and call this gorgeous piece my birth-day suit.

I get by with a little help from my friends...

Last night we celebrated my impending 40th birthday. Here I am (pictured) surrounded by friends I went to school with. I love them all.

In 11 minutes I will turn 40 years old. These are the last few minutes of being thirty something.

My recent posts have been short. I have been crazy busy. I am looking forward to life taking on a slower pace.

Tomorrow marks the end of my project - Project Grace 2010 - and the beginning of a new chapter.

I am interested to see where it goes from there.

All my love and gratitude to you for being with me along the way.

Until tomorrow, savour the last few moments whenever impending change is upon you.

Grace xx

PS. Thanks Sam for the gorgeous photo, I lifted it from Facebook ;-) xx

The Blues Strike Back

Have you ever had an ailment or chronic condition that disappeared in response to medication or lifestyle modifications, yet you didn't realise how far you'd progressed until one day it all came back?

Well, that's what happened to me this week.

Since adopting a low GI (Glycemic Index) diet several months ago, my moods have stabilised and I have generally been feeling positive for days on end. I cannot remember a time when I felt content day after day, week after week, even month after month. A miracle really.

This ongoing cheer was particularly surprising when I returned from our European summer to a cold and drizzling Melbourne winter. I kept waiting for the bubble to burst and the blues to return, but I managed to keep it at bay. That is, until Sunday.

I woke up Sunday feeling flat and gave myself permission to rest after a succession of hectic weeks with trips to Adelaide, my brother's wedding, fairy parties and numerous dinner dates. I didn't feel much better yesterday and today I can say I honestly feel the blues. This is particularly perplexing since we depart for Bali on Thursday. Shouldn't I be full of rapture and delight?

Tomorrow I have an appointment with my healthcare practitioner who diagnosed me with high insulin levels earlier this year. I am interested to see if there is a biochemical explanation to my current blueish state... or perhaps it has something to do with the big four O coming up in three weeks time. Not that I'm upset about the number, but perhaps I thought my life would be different to what it is today. Who knows.

Until tomorrow, take time to acknowledge how far you've come in health matters and pray they do not return.

Grace xx

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My Lucky Number

Today is Friday the 13th. It is also my husband Patrick's birthday.

Up until meeting him, I believed 13 to be an unlucky number. Oh how wrong I was.

Patrick is more than my husband. He is my mentor, confidante, best friend, sidekick, travel buddy, counsellor, business partner and of course, my most desirable lover.

He is also my No.1 fan, so I know he'll be reading this (won't you?).

Patrick believed in me when I had lost all faith in myself. He reminds me of my greatness - who I was and who I want to be, which makes me who I am. He shines the light when all I see is darkness. He gives me strength, courage, confidence, balance and a fair share of belly laughs. Patrick is my hero, my love, my saving grace, my lucky number.

So today, on this birthday, I want to dedicate this post to the man behind the woman...

Thank you Patrick for noticing that I was miserable living a life that I thought I 'should' be living. Thank you for liberating me by supporting my transformation and self expression. Thank you for your endless encouragement as I create a life that is authentically me. Thank you.

Until tomorrow, take time to give thanks to your lucky number.

Grace xx

PS. This photo was taken in front of the world's most famous love monument, the Taj Mahal, in 2006. I thought it was appropriate for my personal monument of love.

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Happy 75th Birthday Dalai Lama

Today marks the Dalai Lama's 75th birthday.

You know when you're asked "If there's anybody in the world, dead or alive, that you could have dinner with - who would it be?"?

More often than not, I'll answer "The Dalai Lama".

I don't know what I'd say to his holiness face to face as I had a hard enough time signing his birthday global tribute.

His balding head, square glasses and warming smile reminds me of my late grandfather - though I'm not so sure that's appropriate dinner conversation.

What I'd like to know is how he feels. What's it like to be a world spiritual leader. Did he graciously accept his destiny or were there times when he questioned it. I'd like to know the human being behind the smile and the words of wisdom.

In the meantime, I'll keep feeling all warm and fuzzy over his likeness to my beloved Nonno. That'll be our secret.

Until tomorrow, is there someone in the world that you'd like to have dinner with? If so, who and why?

Grace xx

PS. Back in France on day one of our pre-tour reconnaissance. The tour starts in one week and we have a LOT of work to do - yikes!

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Happy 100th Blog Post!

This is my 100th post - can you believe that?

Today also marks 101 days since embarking on Project Grace 2010, which I think is equal cause for celebration, albeit a virtual one.

In case you're thinking this doesn't add up, you might recall I took the first weekend off, then did a catch up post called The Polyfilla.

So how do we virtually celebrate?

We could eat virtual cake and not have to worry about sugar, wheat, gluten, fat, dairy or how high's the GI (Glycemic Index).

We could virtually drink the finest French Champagne - how about Krug? or Louis Cristal? Why not both? We don't have to worry about the price, getting tipsy or waking up with a hangover.

Sometimes it's nice living in this virtual world. Perhaps that's one of the reasons I love blogging so much. Right now you're in my world and I'm in yours. Physically, we could be a gazillion miles away and yet virtually, we couldn't be any closer.

As with all celebrations, it's time to say thank you speeches at the end. I'm all for short speeches, so here goes...

Thank you for joining me on my journey. Thank you for being by my side. Thank you for standing up for me when I was beating myself up. Thank you for showing compassion and love when I was going through hardship. Thank you for your suggestions and ideas. Thank you for contributing and allowing me to realise I am not alone... and that I'm not crazy.

Most of all, thank you for allowing me to be the full spectrum that makes me - Me.

Until tomorrow, and the next hundredth post, thank you for being You.

Grace xx

PS. Since starting Project Grace 2010 I've completed a web design course, studied French level one and two, learnt Bollywood dancing, attained my First Aid certificate and lost over 22cms (8.8inches) from my body. All in all, a great result from such an inspiring project. I leave for France next Monday, which I'm sure will launch an exciting start to the next chapter - the second 100 days.

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A winner, hot yoga and a half-birthday dance party

Congratulations Jaala, you guessed correctly, an eye, heart and ewe (female sheep) decodes to I LOVE YOU - well done!

Please go to my Blogger Profile Page and contact me via the email link so I can arrange to have your prize delivered. Just remember to let me know which prize number you'd like to claim and know that you can have it delivered to anyone, anywhere, anytime.

Well that was a bit of fun!

Okay, so what's new today?

I found a hot yoga place near here on one of those 'find your local blah blah' websites. As they're notorious for being outdated, I rang to see if their advertised 9.30am class was still running. They didn't answer, so I left a message (I still haven't heard back from them).

I was left wondering, "Will I? or won't I?" and then I thought, "Bugger it!" and went anyway. The freeway was like a car park and I very naughtily drove on the inside lane (which is supposed to be for emergency stopping, but I was emergency going).

I arrived at the studio three minutes past the scheduled start time. The door was locked. I could hear people talking and laughing so I gave a gentle knock, but it was in vain. I returned home feeling deflated. "Bugger 'em," I thought.

Upon entering my abode, I decided to empty my fridge of outdated, half mouldy and 'we'll never eat that in a bunker' food (as you do when you're rejected from yoga). I felt much better. Then I remembered that today is my half-birthday, remember them?

I know most people outgrow celebrating half-birthdays when they stop playing on the monkey bars, though I never did (stop celebrating half-birthdays OR playing on the monkey bars). The reason for this is that I have a cousin that was born exactly six months before me. As long as I can remember, whenever it was her birthday - it was my half-birthday.

Well today is her birthday - so a BIG happy 40th to my cousin Rachel, and a not quite as big '39 and a half' birthday to me. I'm celebrating tonight by going to a Zumba dance party at my gym. $10 entry, finger food, drinks and a master Latin dancer teaching us some grooves - what a perfect celebration - woohoo!

So it' s hip, hip, hooray from me.

Until tomorrow, decode 'eye heart ewe' to someone dear to you.

Grace xx

A Matter of Balance

On any given day, you'd typically find me perched at the far end of the seesaw of life. I'll either be high on optimism and happy as Mr. Smiley, or down in the dumps and as blue as Mr. Grumps.

It's exhausting.

I have read, heard, watched and sensed that balance is a state we should all strive for - though in all honesty, it's something I've found the most difficult to achieve.

Since embarking on Project Grace 2010 58 days ago, I am making regular attempts to centre myself. While I can't say I'm brilliant at it (yet), I know that focus, intention and practice will make me better at smoothing out the bumps in the road.

Today is my mother's birthday and we are off to celebrate at a nearby restaurant. I have a few things to do before I leave here, so I'm keeping it short today (in order to maintain balance).

What I'd love to know, is how do you maintain balance in your life?

Until tomorrow, may you master equilibrium and share it with the world.

Grace xx

PS. Click link if you want to view this week's Wednesday Weigh-In

The fabric of life

Why do we celebrate birthdays and anniversaries every year?

Granted, there are some cultures that don't celebrate them, however I can only speak for myself and on behalf of those like me.

What is it that we are really celebrating?

As years go by, I care less for gifts and more about those I choose to share these celebratory times with.

To me, these annual celebrations are a cause for reflection. It's like stopping midway trekking to look back and see how far you've come. It's not about reversing or dwelling in the past, a few pensive moments are quite enough.

I love to create experiences where we can (justifiably) put our world on pause and fully indulge in the present for such occasions. By creating special moments, we honour the historical happenings of our lives.

We are no less important than those we dedicate a minute's silence to.
Remember that.

We're often reminded to stop and smell the roses - but in reality, how many times do we do that? Our annually recurring celebrations are wonderful opportunities to pencil in some time for ourselves and those we love. If we can't stop to do that, then we really are walking past the most fragrant rose garden without taking so much as a sniff.

Since I started purposefully creating special moments in honour of celebrations, I have noticed that with each passing year the memories become cumulative.

It's like decorating a piece of fabric with beaded embroidery. Each day is a stitch and on the 365th needle, a new sparkly bead is added. While each bead is beautiful in its own right, it's their clustering that make them really spectacular. What's lovely is that they're all joined by a common thread - and that is the fabric of our lives.

Until tomorrow, may you continue to decorate your fabric and infuse it with the sweet perfume of roses.

Grace xx

The most inspiring family I know

Yesterday my friend Ryan celebrated what he described as his 34th lap of the sun.

Though I must confess, he didn't do it all by himself; he was riding on the coattails of planet Earth that did most of the hard work for him.

Ryan and his clan are currently doing a six month sabbatical in Spain. This is not the first time the family have uprooted themselves from the comforts of their own home to experience life elsewhere.

In 2004, they relocated to Nanaimo (Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada) for a period of two years. It was during this time that I realised the only thing stopping me from being anywhere in the world, was me.

If anybody could find an excuse not to travel, it would surely be a family of four with two children under the age of six. What might appear as insurmountable odds for some, turned into comic challenges for these transient vagabonds.

At the end of their sojourn, they spent three months travelling around the north American continent in 'Wicket', their beloved Dodge mini van (aka caravan of courage). With tales of freezing overnighters in the back of the car (a result of boycotting overpriced holiday parks) combined with their staple diet of porridge (which Jesse fought against with dry retching horror), loaves of bread, roast chicken and ranch dressing, one might be inclined to ask "Why do all that again?"

The answer is simple: Adventure.

Life is made up of experiences, which transform into our most potent possessions - our memories.

When it's time for us to go - we cannot take our house, our cars, our jewellery, our 'toys' and our collection of worldly objects. All we are left with, and what we leave behind, are memories. Our memories belong to us and those we share them with. We cannot be separated from them, they are ours to keep. They cannot be stolen, traded or sold. They remain with us till our final hour.

To Ryan, Jo, Zach and Jess, thank you for being a huge part of my life. Our amazing adventures are now some of my most fondest memories. From our time together in Canada (namely Stobie Pole, Fengi and ice cream the size of babies heads), to our Nubsical journey with our buddy, Mr. Tingwell - not to mention last night's hilarious long distance video call (pictured). You guys rock and continue to be an inspiration to me. Olé!

And to you, reading this blog... be sure to create great memories, for they will surely be the most valuable treasures of your life. Start a new adventure today.

Until tomorrow, "¡Ándale! ¡Ándale! ¡Arriba! ¡Arriba!"

Grace xx

ps. If you want to follow this family's adventure blog, just click here.

BTW did you know that it's 17,310km (10,670miles) between Madrid and Melbourne? Our 'space age' technology never ceases to astound me;
N-V-T-S nuts!