I have written all my life in one form or another, but something changed for me in the last couple of months. I started to study Media and Communications at TAFE, completed a course on Social Media, started a blog and got serious about making writing my career.

Smells Good Feels Good is me writing because I can’t help it. I feel better and understand more about myself and my life if I can nut things out with words. I am not sure what the attraction is for having an audience rather than just scribbling away in my journal or on bits of paper…perhaps there is a little of the performer inside this writer. It’s certainly fun playing with all the themes, links and graphics that are part of blogging, and it’s wonderful to open this hidden doorway into the world of blogs where there are people just like me who write because things are better when we do.

I see this blog as a way to express my creativity in the spirit of radical honesty, compassion, sensitivity and authenticity, as well as just to indulge myself

If you’re interested, here’s 10 things in no particular order you might find interesting about me:

1. I love all things esoteric – astrology, numerology, palmistry, tarot – anything that helps me to understand my self and others. In the light of that knowledge, you might or might not be interested to know that I am a 1976 fire dragon, a Taurus with an Aries rising and a number 4. Three out of four people in my house are Taurean (me and the kids), much to Alex’s dismay, who is convinced he severely erred  in a past life.
   
2. I have lots of names. My parents named me Mellissa Runciman before I was born, and then changed their minds when they saw me. It took them a year to decide that Sara Runciman would be a better name for me. They divorced not too long after that, and I was Sara Foley for all my childhood. I am still Sara Foley, but I use Sara Runciman for all of my official things like bank accounts and my drivers licence. I like them both, because both sides of my family live in those names. My partner Alex would like me to change my name to his. What, so I could have 3 last names? Not likely.
   

   Me in our backyard paradise.

3. Speaking of Alex (I call him the Bear sometimes in blogs), we have been together for 12 years. Our has not been a peaceful relationship – more like the clash of the titans lol, but as we go on, we have become much more adept at compromise, thoughtfulness and cooperative communication. We love each other, our family, where we live, our community, bravery, starting new things, authenticity, politics, music, books and food
   

   Alex

4. We have two children together: Nickolas (the soccer star), who is 8, and Alani (the Fairy Queen) who is 4. Nick is solid, reliable and altogether sensible. He loves sport, reading, playing games on various electronic devices, his friends, bouncing on the trampoline and pancakes for breakfast with lemon and sugar. Alani is a fiery sprite, unpredictable, emotional, affectionate, engaging and charming. She throws the worst tantrums ever and never forgets a name or a face. She also loves pancakes with lemon and sugar
   

   Nick and Alani swimming in their clothes

5. I was born in Sydney, moved to the country when I was 5, left the country for the city when I was 17, and came back to the country when I was 25. I’m not going to say I’ll never leave country life, because I said that I would never come back to the country all the way up until I did. Never say never. Still, it would have to be a  pretty bloody good offer.
6. At various times I have wanted to be a writer, poet, journalist, National Parks Ranger, Environmental Scientist/warrior, Massage Therapist, Naturopath, Homeopath, Health Food Store owner…and now the circle closes in on itself again.
7. I live across the road from the school that I went to as a child, in a town that I said I was never coming back to. Ha!
8. I select my clothes entirely by how I feel. If I don’t match my clothes exactly to how I feel, I will feel uncomfortable all day. I never wear brown, it makes me feel awful. At the moment I can’t wear enough purple
9. I love music. Mostly roots, blues, folk, world, electronica and jazz with a bit of classical thrown in. My heart nearly burst with joy when Michael Franti made it onto my son’s mp3 player . Alongside Queen. Well. You can’t win them all, right?
10. My very favourite place is the river. If I am feeling out of sorts, depleted or disconnected, I take myself there. There is a beautiful place less than 5 minutes up the road where I take the kids for a swim on hot Summer afternoons. A bit further up the road is the part of the river that was ours when I was a kid. Lots of fairies live there.
    

    Our local swimming pool.

    Nice to meet you, I’m sure!

    Namaste.