I had the fortune to be able to attend a friend's business launch last night. Her business 'Under Seven Skies' is graphic design and fine art, and her intent is to make a living from something she is passionate about - incredibly talented in, under the guise of sustainability.

I haven't yet worked out how to connect to art very well at this point. There are plans ot address this, but even considering that: her art is amazing. My favourite piece is 'The Love Tree' and alas I haven't got a spare $n to buy it - but I desperately wanted to. If there is a central tenet of my life it is 'love'.

She has an amazing style - that I've now tried to write about several times, and still can't figure out how to use words appropriately, go and have a look at the website:

http://www.undersevenskies.com.au/

The launch itself was just beautiful, interesting and amazing people come together from many communities to celebrate and I loved the opportunity meet some of them. In particular I was ecstatic to be introduced to the person coordinating my foundation unit. Amusingly enough, about 30 mins before I'd been in the midst of a casual conversation gushing excitedly about how ecstatic I was to hand in my first assignment - which turned out to be for his unit. He appreciated my current love of and fascination in the superscript footnote numbers. (Also, the bit where 250 words is -nothing- why on earth would you want to use anything other than footnotes to reference it?)

If anyone's particularly interested (and hasn't already had it foisted upon them) I'm happy to send you the final piece I submitted.

I had some wonderful conversations, and found another recruit to my beloved's Jedi Boot Camp. And actually on Jedi Boot Camp, can I express how proud I am of kae_dash for all the amazing hard work he's put in over the past few years that has resulted in this culmination - this weekly workshop that people get to enjoy. I personally am completely star-wars'd out. Having said that, I never get tired of seeing peoples' inner eight year old coming out to play. It delights me.

Sleep is taunting me at the moment, I had the very rare experience last night where I couldn't fall asleep. *fingers crossed* that it doesn't recur tonight.

Also? I am busy right now. I am a little boggled by the sheer fullness of September and October.

On my current plate:

- Swancon 2009 (I'm still in love with my committee)

We're starting to put together PR2, and also still looking into the next picnic and the Cosplay Day. I still need links to Cosplay games.

Movie Screenings are still going strong - although the Melbourne Office for Reading stiffed us with times for Hellboy II which meant that the screening fizzled - our own local Belmont branch however? Still fantabulous - they cemented 7pm for me for Wall-E as I was ringing to cancel Hellboy.

- Uni

Still adjusting still figuring out how it all works. Utterly enthralled.

- Femmeconne

3 weeks or so and counting! Also, I've picked up organising the bulk of the programme courtesy of Life tm being slightly interesting for the two main coordinators. I have the delightful neleh13 to assist me and you'll be hearing much from me over the next week or so with regard to what kind of things we want to do, where and how etc.

I can't wait for this.

- Margaret River Trip

In the works, and omg I am counting down!

- Wasteland II: Age of Iron

cheshirenoir is still looking for people interested in being on the program, see my earlier entry related to this.

( Less PSA stuff... )

I have too much pent up joy, would that I could distill and pass it out to those I know and love in short supply.

Where am I? DPC Feeling... ecstatic Compelled listening... "Missing" - Evanescence Define... # amazing friends, amour, busyness, femmeconne, inspiring, movies, organising, poetry, projects, sc2009, schedule, self, social, swancon

This is an incredible story - that should be shared:

http://www.irenasendler.org/thestory.asp

From part of the story:

They found that Irena Sendler, as a non-Jewish social worker, had gone into the Warsaw Ghetto, talked Jewish parents and grandparents out of their children, rightly saying that all were going to die in the Ghetto or in death camps, taking the children past the Nazi guards (in body bags, saying they were ill, or using one of the many means of escape from the Ghetto-the old courthouse for example), and then adopting them into the homes of Polish families or hiding them in convents and orphanages. She made lists of the children's real names and put the lists in jars, then buried the jars in a garden, so that someday she could dig up the jars and find the children to tell them of their real identify.[sic]

Where am I? home Feeling... tired Compelled listening... nil Define... # amazing people, changing the world, inspiring, rememberance, sharing

It's done, and dusted and over. Wow. I had one of the most amazing weekends of my life.

I spent time with a woman who has changed the world, made it a better place. I spent time with another woman who gave up the opportunity to appear at the final wrap party for the series she's been involved with, in order to be here in Australia.

And if that wasn't shiny enough... I met the people who put the supanova event together. I met the Joffre Street guys who do Cool Shite, I adored catching up with mdep again - it's always too long between chats! Also, this is the best chance we've had for catching up since I had her over here for Fandomedia :) I met F and M who are just amazing as far as guest managers go, and hot damn I aspire to be like them.

I caught up with Jennifer Fallon again and really enjoyed chatting to her - and the hugs. She gives good hug. Met her Secondborn and dearly enjoyed the conversation and company... it was all just freaking amazing. I finally met DZ the event director, his best friend and right hand, various others of his family members - all there helping out, making it run, and it was so awesome! He was so awesome! I'm so deeply pleased to have been able to put a face to the name, and enjoy seeing him do his thing, and do it well. So very well.

Perth Supanova rocked. We had more people through the door here than in Melbourne :) Also, it's not a once off - they're committed to coming back. They're pairing the line up of guests with the Sydney event which makes the break even a whole lot easier to reach as far as these things go.

I'm amused that Perth Convention Centre continues to price itself out of the market.

It was a great event and it was an incredible experience to see some of the way it works - I'd love to be more involved as a volunteer, it was amazing. It's also totally different to Swancon, it does different things, and there's a great crossover, but it's never going to be a replacement and they're not interested in doing that - they want to work with everyone, and have a community where everyone gets ahead, everyone benefits. It's not lip service either, I saw it in action.

Bring on Supanova 2009! I am so very there!

I learned so much that I hope to apply to Swancon as well, just minute things, comparison things, ideas and approach and appeal. It'll be interesting and very cool to debrief with my committee.

I'm too tired to gush any more, but if you thought it was all about the commercial side, then you'd be mostly wrong, because there is a bottom line element to it - you can't bring A list guests to Australia and not be thinking of it on some level.

But there is a whole lot more, it's a family run business, they're real people and they keep it down to earth and accessible and interesting - something different, and a little bit of something for everyone, also what an awesome array of sellers from over east coming over to Perth! Lots of new and interesting stuff I haven't seen before, and wished I had more spending money to appreciate.

As it was my overspending on budget went to photos, a portrait with Nichelle Nichols, and autograph - because having the opportunity to freeze a moment in time with a woman who is so deeply amazing, utterly worthwhile. So inspiring. And one with Kandyse Mcclure - because she's a darling person and she's become utterly smitten by Australia and Perth. I can buy 'stuff' any time, but something to remember to very special women by... you can't just make that appear out of thin air, and I never want to forget those moments shared, and all the things I wonder and hope for and want to do, pouring forth.

My beloved was in the cosplay and came runner up in the best individual overall section, which was incredible! He looked so pretty and was obviously having the most amazing time (while I was running around doing all of the above). I'm so proud of him!

I spent heaps of time with the Swancon stall, and we had great success in talking to people and getting the word out there, I am feeling fairly confident that we'll get some very positive results out of it. Now to collate all the mass of the information we received.

Also, kathrynlinge is worth a mountain of gold - the fliers and posters were spectacular hon, and you utterly deserve eleventy billion internets for doing such an amazing job! People were impressed and drawn to them and I can't stop looking at them! I think they'll be totally worth the cost of printing - even if that's wince worthy right this second. Many thanks to the amazing 2009 committee for weathering colds and honeymoon take offs in order to sit the desk and put Swancon out there to the Perth masses :)

Where am I? home Feeling... enthralled Compelled listening... nil Define... # amazing friends, amazing people, events, fandom, inspiring, moments to remember, sc2009, supanova, swancon, transcending

So I have this thought running around in my head, its floating and skimming there - kind of like a very tiny hyperactive fairy in the back of my conscious imagination.

Being in love. I am actively in love with someone, with a number of someones on an every day, every minute, every second basis - mind you, its not always the same person, obviously there are consistencies :P

I love the feeling - i can't really imagine a day to day life without it. What would it feel like - I imagine that it would feel quite empty, that something was missing, that I'd be searching for that missing piece, that thing that made the shape and colour of my world kind of skewed.

So at the moment, I'm just smiling, because I'm so in love. I'm so in love with my world, I'm so in love with the people around me and the time I get to spend with them, spend on them, so damned rewarding.

I guess you have to inherently understand that by being in love, doesn't mean i want to go and shag the better part of my flist - that's not an admission that you'll a) get, and b) that would be true. Oh, sure there are people on there :)

There are a myriad of different facets of that love, a million different ways in which it comes together, each individual contribution, the things I learn from, the things I can teach, the things that make a difference, that I notice...

From each person in my life, there is something, a gift, a lesson, a test, a challenge that only they can give... and I hope it works in the return - i have to assume so and hope that I'm not being too immodest.

What has prompted this is my lunch hours. I have the best lunch hours. I get to see several times a week the people i love most in the world - reach out to them and hear the bits and pieces running through their immediate brain, and hug and love them deeply always, and more when they need the extra confirmation that they are real, they are loved, and they matter.

The people in my life i can liken to the internet. Each one is individual, unique and operates under its own parameters, rules and governance, but each one is connected and allows me to build things, the greater picture, bigger understanding of the universe that is so much bigger than any words can encompass. No connection along this 'web' can take away from another - it would have to be a very destructive relationship, and it would damage the surrounding relationships - i hope now that i have enough awareness and wisdom to care for that in whatever means necessary before it gets to that point.

At which point, you're left with a web of connections that don't detract. Basic principle. Energy plus energy still equals energy - and most definitely not LESS energy... you could probably successfully argue the same amount of energy, but i'm betting on more...

That sense of reaching out and the gentle humm of the people around me, the love shared and the sparkles of individual gifts that influence it. This is how my world is connected, coloured and textured.

I'm in love with my life, and all the wonder and amazing in it. For the wonder and amazing, the inspiration and the incredible amount of challenge and wisdom I can learn from, i have to thank all of you on my flist. I have gorgeously glowy moments ala Doctor Who, and Torchood (though i don't need to snog people to find the glowy) all the time - I love that!

Thank you.

Where am I? The House of Books and Dogs Feeling... loved Compelled listening... "On and On" - Cookie Jar Define... # amazing friends, being loved, connectionism, emotional, falling in love, inspiring, intimacy, loved, loving, relationships, sensualism, thankful