After an extended period of absence I am back. My husband was diagnosed with cancer in July last year and it has been quite a saga. The good news is that last month the surgeon successfully reconstructed his bowel and pronounced that it all looks healthy. So now that he is recovering I am beginning to get back my creative energy and it will be go go go at the Soul Food Cafe. Make sure you check in regularly to see what is happening. Cathy Atherton, the webmaster of Prairie Den, recently wrote a lovely piece for my Golden Seed Grove, entitled The Forest For the Trees and Jillian Leslie, the webmaster of the new Everyday Warriors, has taken the plunge and has set up a Patrons page. Patrons at Soul Food are ordinary folks, just like you and me, who have simply been pro-active and taken up the opportunity to work with me. A simple e-mail requesting to join my mailing list is the best way to take the plunge. Writing for Soul Food is like eating soul candy. Check out the beautiful pieces that people have written. I am sure you will be impressed by the way they express themselves and share important memories.

Last Tuesday night I commenced a creative arts program at the Melbourne City Mission Palliative Care Unit. We will be actively exploring the links between the Creative Arts and language development and general well-being. I plan to put a lot of this material on the web so make sure you keep checking in to see what is happening. Alternatively you can subscribe to my Peeling The Onion newsletter to keep abreast of our work.