Tarot readings for my fans!

Here are the requested Tarot readings from my last post. I will add to them as I complete them. The newest will be posted at the top. Please check back regularly if you have posted anonymously. Feel free to comment & tell me just how wrong I am! :) And if you want me to read your Tarot, just check out this post and comment: Free Tarot readings!

Miss SAMawdsley xx

PS: Please remember, I do not claim to be a real psychic or anything. This is for fun and you should take everything I have written (borne entirely from what I can see in the cards) with a grain of salt!

~ For Lori_RRSAHM (11/12/11) ~

I've never wanted to rig a reading more than when I was about to read for Lori, but I just don't have that sort of dishonesty in me (even the white lie that may make somebody smile.) So, here goes...

Looking at these cards, it looks to me like you are stretching yourself so thin looking after everyone but yourself - but you're doing a damn fine job!

The Sun: This first card is the card that represents you. And you are The Sun. You are optimistic, you are positive. Brightness and happiness shines down on all your affairs.

The Man: How interesting that you should ask about love and the man should fall immediately after you. This means there is a man. There is definitely a man. And because The Mountain is beside him, he is a foreigner. I'm sure he speaks English, but he is not from Australia - he was born overseas.

The Mountain: Something big, solid and dependable is coming. Think of The Mountain as a rock. Everyone needs a rock and this man will be / is yours. The Mountain next to The Rider suggests it is time for a short holiday.

The Rider: The Rider is often about news but since the reading is clearly about a man it indicates that this man is a gentleman. He comes riding in on his steed, not to deliver a message but as a "knight in shining armour" as such.

The Whip: The Whip indicates troubles. Not everything is smooth sailing. The cards that surround The Whip indicate where the trouble will lie and unfortunately, it will be with your children. One of the cards that can lesson the impact of these troubles is The Sun. You. So you will have control of this situation. Perhaps your children (I hate knowing things about the subject, but I do know you) will not be as initially accepting of this gentleman as you are. but that is OK. Your happiness and calming influence will settle this.

The Child: Miss Lori, in a reading about your love life, I am not in the least bit surprised that your children should pop up. As the story is unfolding in the cards, there will be difficulties, but The Flowers are the last card. And The Flowers falling beside The Child promises a happy event. So although there may be struggles, in the end, it will all come up roses!

The Flowers: I am going to quote my little reference book verbatim, because I can not think of a better way to sum up what this card means, especially as the final card. And it makes my heart beat so big to read it. "This is a lovely card. Anywhere the flowers fall, you are being looked after. The overall meaning of this card is happiness. It may refer to an improvement after a long period of unhappiness or to the return of someone who will bring you happiness again. In either case, the flowers are very encouraging."

And because of The Child and The Flowers, I need to tell you to give your daughter an extra special hug and kiss.

Miss SAMawdsley xx

~ For Tracks4050 (11/12/11) ~

First impression is what a happy and blessed life you have! :)

The Clover: What a super bright and happy way to start a reading. The first cards tends to represent you. And first off the bat, the advice is breathe. Stop worrying, stop stressing and chill out. Everything is fine! Seriously!

The Lily: I would tell you your work is fine and not to stress but I don't feel that is it. The Lily with The Rider suggests it may be your health that is more worrying to you.

The Rider: There is news coming and because it falls next to The Lily, it is positive and your health will improve.

The Star: Another bright, shiny, sparkly and happy card. My, my. Things are going to go well for you! Something of a wish is at hand and some good luck is coming your way. The only clearer indicator would have been The Star falling right after The Clover! Expect happiness!

The Mouse: This is normally not a positive card. It means trials and dishonesty on the part of someone close to you. Very few cards can override the negative implications however, luckily for you, The Star is one of them. There may be trials and negativity in the background but don't let it affect you.

The Garden: Some positive gatherings will be happening soon. It may be as trivial as a fantastic Christmas to be had, but people will gather and it will be great. I'm inclined to suggest this is where the niggling person may appear but you really needn't worry your pretty little head about all that.

The Fish: The fish is a goldfish. Why? Because gold is coming! Because it lies beside The Garden, chances are it is somehow related to work. If there is no possibility of a promotion or a bonus coming your way, if I were you, I would buy a lottery ticket or a scratchie while at work. Is there a Christmas raffle? Chances are you'll win it!

If I could make these predictions come true for you, I would. My goodness, some positivity and happiness seems to be coming your way! It seems you will come through any tough times with a radiant smile on your face! I hope I'm right!

Miss SAMawdsley xx

~ For Robert Kerr (11/12/11) ~

My first impression is of a lot of destiny. I also feel that you believe your future lies in the hands of other people. I'm not sure this is true.

The Man: This is you. That is all. it simply means that this is your journey and this is all about you.

The Cross: This is the card of destiny. It is neither a positive or negative card, it simply says that what follows in the reading must happen.

The Road: This is a card of change. A new job has just begun and as per The Cross, it is what you are meant to be doing. Because it falls beside The Rider, you are soon to undertake a journey. Regardless of the distance or time, this will be a very important journey.

The Rider: There is news that you have been waiting for and it will soon come. As this is a lucky card, the news should be positive. If it is not positive news, it promises improvement once the news has been revealed. As this is your central card, it indicates this news is pivotal. Again, The Road beside this card indicates the trip but chances are it is a small and short trip.

The Ring: This is a positive cards about relationships with someone but considering the cards surrounding it, I am not inclined to say it's a romantic relationship. But it is a deep and important bond, none-the-less.

The Fox: The Fox suggests you need some cunning on your part. Sadly, The Fox appearing next to the Ring suggests that a loved one is not being entirely honest with you. But keep your thoughts to yourself for the time being, just in case.

The Bird: Unfortunately this card rings alarm bells. The fact that the bird is in fact an owl demands wisdom on your part. However, you should note that The Bird is down the complete other end from The Man (you) so you are enduring some grief and uncertainties. The Bird is also close to The Ring and this says that you are acting rather nervously and may be pushing away those you love (and who love you!)

From this reading it appears your life is rather stagnant right now however it will soon change. Some good news will come your way and as long as you can keep your cool through some currently difficult relationships, everything will turn out positively. Your destiny is unfolding...

Miss SAMawdsley xx

~ For The Recipe Binder (10/12/11) ~

My first impression is a rather unsettled life. It looks like people and problems are assaulting you from all angles. Let's look closer.

The Mouse: Someone is not being honest but they keep hanging around. They have self-serving intentions and are making your life rather difficult.

The Snake: So much dishonesty, I feel bad for you. There is somebody very two-faced who is causing you problems. Because this card is coupled with The Mouse, it warns you to be very, very careful. But all is not lost as The Sun is right there and it means that you have the wisdom to overcome this situation. The advice is to hold your tongue for a while. You know what is happening but speaking out is not wise right now. And do not reveal your plans to other people just yet. Keep your cards close to your chest.

The Sun: This is a wonderful card and confirms everything will turn out for the best - no matter how difficult it may seem right now. The Sun is shining brightly and you simply need to be patient and remain true to yourself.

The Tree: This is your central card so it is very important. It demands you sit and consider your situation carefully. You must think things through. Your cards keep getting better so you are not going to be beaten by this malicious person or situation. This card gives you strength, wisdom and  confidence in your situation.

The Coffin: This is a scary looking card, I know, but it refers to your situation. Because it is beside your central card it means your situation is going to remain stagnant for sometime. Unfortunately this will not be resolved straight away. However The Tree promises a recovery from this.

The Ship: Travel. Perhaps you should try to get away from this situation for a while. Nothing significant, just  put some distance between yourself and that person/situation.

The Dog: The Dog represents a friend or someone who is loyal to you. I think you need to get away to a friend who is a little further away than around the corner. Perhaps this will help things back home clear up. But it definitely means you have friends and family who are loyal to you and will support you, no matter what. They will be very important through all of this.

I hope you can relate to this otherwise my whole reading was a complete waste! Haha! Forget that negative person and just be the best person you can be - that is not just enough, that is perfect.

Miss SAMawdsley xx

~ For @CheeseChuckers (10/12/11) ~

First off, my initial impression is your life is rather segmented and separate. You have very different, individual parts of your life and you try to keep them that way.

The Heart: This represent love, naturally. It is well supported by The Flowers and indicates that in regards to matters of the heart, all is well, all is bright and all is happy. It should stay that way too.

The Flowers: Continuing with the happiness of The Heart, you are being looked after. Perhaps something you have longed for will finally come to fruition - this however, may be professionally, as it is next to The Lily, which indicates work.

The Lily: This is a matter of work. I wonder if perhaps you met the person you are so happy with through work? This would not surprise me... Although with The Whip so close, perhaps it indicates you are having a hard time at work. With how segmented your life is, this is more likely.

The Whip: Strife, quarrels, tension and troubles. This card does not bode well and The Lily suggests these difficulties are at work or in your work.

The Book: Relating to The Lily, is it perhaps writing you are having trouble with? Not necessarily difficulty writing a book but with The Letters, perhaps you are having trouble communicating effectively with somebody at work?

The Letters: This lets you know that some news is on the way. Unfortunately, The Mouse beside The Letters does not suggest good news. That's not to say it will be devastating news, but it might not quite be the message you were hoping to get.

The Mouse: Someone is nibbling away at you. They are being sneaky and you need to be alert. I can only assume, looking at the preceding cards, that this is somebody within your work environment.

Having analysed the whole spread, I would think the situation at work may be affecting your relationship at the moment. But don't worry, it will get better and the relationship will overcome these trials.

Miss SAMawdsley xx

Free Tarot reading!

I'm not a tarot reader. But I like to read tarot. I don't know how good I am but there have been times when I have read my own tarot & stupidly read into it what I wanted to read (ie. "my boyfriend is keeping a secret. He must be going to propose!") when in actuality, the truth was plain to see, just not the rosy way I wanted to see it (He was lying to me about something entirely different). Lesson: Never assume.

But my favourite cards are 'Tatiana's Fortune Cards'. They're not quite tarot cards, but they're similar. And since I want to practice, I'm giving away FREE tarot readings. All you have to do is comment below (if you want something specific, eg. love, work, friends - let me know, but you don't have to.)

In the meantime, I've done my own reading so you can see what I am offering. A seven card fortune reading. I've just asked about life in general. But unfortunately, that's not what I got...

At first glance, this is a positive spread but very much about relationships. The moon, heart, star and woman are all concerning matters of love.

The Ship

Represents travel and/or a sudden flurry of activity after a period of stagnation. It is a positive card. So close to The Woman (which represents me) it means I will be travelling. It doesn't necessarily mean overseas, but if I was travelling, I would definitely prefer it be on a ship, not a plane!

The Moon

Indicates a proposal or invitation. Next to The Woman (me) it means an honour will come to me. It means things are going to work out very well for me.

The Woman

This card represents me. It just indicates and reaffirms that the cards surrounding are all about me. But really, when is not all about me? Haha!

The Flowers

The Flowers mean I am being looked after. Falling next to The Heart it clearly indicates that I am in a relationship that is as close to perfect as can be, right now. As it is the centre card, it needs to be looked at individually. It tells of happiness after a long period of sadness.

The Heart

Obvious. It means love, romance, the beating of a heart. For me, it falls beside The Star and that suggests that my relationship will be a long and happy one. Especially being sandwiched with The Flowers on the other side. It means my relationship will turn out positively.

The Star

For me, this card falls in a chain that is The Moon, The Woman, The Flowers, The Heart and finally, The Star. This whole sequence could not be any more positive! The Star is one of the brightest and happiest cards suggesting a beautiful future. It says I am lucky and things are going my way and dreams coming true. Next to The Clouds it means any problems will not last much longer at all.

The Clouds

Worrying. I am not surprised in the slightest that the clouds appeared for me, especially at the end of such a positive spread. Because as far as worrying goes, I deserve a sash and tiara! The Star shining brightly through The Clouds tells me I have nothing to worry about but that does little to comfort me and still, I worry. There is a warning that I can self-sabotage through over-analysing.

So that is an overview of my life in general. All I did was shuffle the cards & lay them out. For any boyfriends that may or may not be reading, don't panic and run away! They are cards! Nothing more! :)

But maybe I'm right. Try your luck!

Miss SAMawdsley xx

PS: I'll post the tarot readings here: Tarot readings for my fans!

Remember: If you want a FREE Fortune Card reading, just leave a comment below. If you want a particular topic to be focused on, let me know.

Please keep in mind it's Christmas & I am busy, but I will get to your reading on a 'first come, first served basis'.

The Scream

Have you ever screamed out of sheer panic? Has terror ever gripped your heart so hard that every last breath in your body escapes your lips in an ear-splitting sound that just can’t be of this earth? There are two scenarios that cause me to emit that horrific noise. One is the Superman ride at Move World. When it throws you out of that tunnel, I just can’t help it. I can’t breathe but I can’t keep quiet either. But it’s a joyously nervous sound and even though I can’t talk for two or three days afterwards, I still love it. The other is out of cold-blooded fear and is during a panic attack.

Well, I guess I shouldn’t call it a panic attack because I’m not sure that is what it is – and nor is my psychologist. The weirdest thing about these episodes is I am asleep while they happen. Or normally I am until the sound wakes me up but sometimes it takes somebody else bursting into my room to snap me out of it. When I wake up the next morning I often can’t talk for a few days, such is the strain on my voice and the length and breadth of my scream.

I don’t remember what leads up to the screaming. If it’s a bad dream, I’ve never remembered it. The closest I’ve come to remembering anything is being aware of the realisation that I will die. I don’t remember thinking anything before that or even being awake to think. I’m not sure if it’s a dream or perhaps I am in a state of semi-sleep. Maybe I even think it while I’m screaming, I don’t know.

I’ve never met anyone who has experienced anything like this. Even the traditional panic attacks don’t often involve screaming. And I’ve never met anyone who has traditional panic attacks that involve screaming either, now that I think about it.

I used to have episodes that involved losing my faculties, screaming and hysterical crying. I’ve never admitted this but from about age 12 I slept on the floor of my dad’s room. (That took a lot to admit, please don’t judge me). I was tearing into my dad’s room so regularly screaming and terrified of imminent death that it just became easier to sleep in there. Perhaps it was the time we suspected I’d fractured my ankle jumping out of bed that triggered it, I can’t remember. Dad would sit up talking to me until all hours of the morning until I was so exhausted that I eventually fell asleep. I didn’t sleep in my own room until I was about 15 or 16. In fact, I don’t actually remember what my room looked like or what bed I had in my actual bedroom. Not before Dad built me an awesome bunk bed that we designed, anyway. My mattress was on my dad’s floor and I had my favourite possessions set up beside me. That was my life. It was embarrassing & I never admitted it to my friends. Well, until now I guess. In fact, I’m not 100% sure why I’m admitting it now…

Miss SAMawdsley xx

Questions:

• Have you ever experienced a panic attack?
• Have you ever screamed? Like, really screamed? Why?

Panic attacks & thanatophobia

Imagine you know for certain that tomorrow you will die. There is not a thing you can do about it, tomorrow will be your last day on earth and tonight will be your last night. How would you feel? I can’t imagine many people, if any, would answer with anything that isn't fear, frustration, anger, confusion or sheer panic. Well I don't know for sure that I will die tomorrow. But what I do know for sure is that there will come a night that will be my last. Following that last night will be my final day on earth. It may not be tomorrow, it may not be the next day. It may not even be for the next 50 years, I don't know. But it will come.

I guess the best way to sum up my thanatophobia is to explain the feeling you would probably be overcome by, knowing you are about to die, is how I feel almost all the time. It is a constant state of fear, of worry, of anxiety. Sometimes the sheer desperation of the situation, the situation that everyone who is born must inevitably face, manifests in what I am forced to call a panic attack.

Panic attacks are defined as "episodes of intense fear or apprehension that are of sudden onset and of relatively brief duration." To clearly define a panic attack, many specialists believe that at least four of the following symptoms should be experienced:

• Clear intense panic
• Palpitations, or accelerated heart rate
• Sweating
• Trembling or shaking
• Muscle tension
• Blurry vision
• Sensations of shortness of breath or smothering
• Feeling of choking
• Feeling waves of being flushed
• Chest pain or discomfort
• Nausea or abdominal distress
• Feeling dizzy, unsteady, lightheaded, or faint
• Derealisation (feelings of unreality) or depersonalization (being detached from oneself)
• Fear of losing control or going insane
• Fear of dying
• Paresthesias (numbness or tingling sensations)
• Chills or hot flashes
• Weakness in the knees
• Confusion
• Tunnel vision
• Blank mind
• Sensing time going by very slowly
• Feeling the need to escape
• Feeling of warmth inside, expanding from within
• Head pressure, unlike headache

In my moments of thanatophobia-induced panic, I have at some point, experienced all of these symptoms and consistently experience 15 of the 25 symptoms. However (and this is very much a point of interest to my psychologist and my psychiatrist) the most glaringly obvious sign of my panic and distress that he hasn't heard of before is my uncontrollable, piercing and blood-curdling screams. I actually reach a state of such frenzy and desperation that I scream, so long and so loudly I often lose my voice for up to four days.

The sound of my screams, usually somewhere between 1am and 4am, would wake my father up with a chilling fright. He has often marvelled that our neighbours have never called the police to report a potential crime. He's explained this as being due to us living on acreage or thanks to the Genovese Syndrome, the bystander effect where witnesses often tend to believe someone else will help. It is because of this that I even found myself in the uncomfortable situation of explaining to my new neighbours, who shared apartment walls with me in my new unit block, that if they were woken by my late night screaming I was simply having a panic attack. I actually had to promise my neighbours that if I was ever in danger I would scream real words such as, "help me, please!" so they would be able to assist me.

I don't remember much about these intense screaming panic attacks. My psychologist is even wary of calling them that, but I have no other word for them. I've been told I scream 'What if I'm wrong?' This alludes to my Buddhist beliefs but obviously, if I am wrong, what is there? Is there nothing? And that is ultimately my base fear. Ceasing to exist. And then I scream.

I do not have these panic attacks in daylight hours – although I have come dangerously close in cinemas. I do however have the traditional panic attacks. I will feel as if everything is closing in on me, the sheer inevitability and overwhelming desperation at my lack of control of death renders me unable to function. I will gasp for breath, my heart will race, I will sweat and I will need to call someone to talk. I often choke down the phone, “talk to me! About anything!” My network of friends and family know not to ask questions and to just start rambling about the first thing that comes to mind – their job, football scores, traffic, the weather, anything to distract my mind. I focus on their voice and their words until I feel it’s safe to open my mouth without a blood-curdling scream escaping.

Miss SAMawdsley xx


PS: For help with Thanatophobia, please join my Facebook support group: Thanatophobia / Fear of death

Questions:

• Have you ever had a panic attack?
• Have you ever perhaps lost control and started screaming?
• What are your thoughts on thanatophobia or anxiety?

Who is Samantha Mawdsley?

I am the girl who loves so deeply she has panic attacks about losing people.
I am the girl who cries listening to both ‘Perfect People’ - Pennywise & ‘What a Wonderful World’ - Louis Armstrong.
I am the girl who owns nearly every Tim Burton movie ever made.
I am the girl who was taken to a llama farm as a surprise 18th birthday present.
I am the girl who is Miss Leyburn 2007.
I am the girl who sleeps with a large hunting knife hanging on her bedpost and knows how to use it.
I am the girls whose favourite Christmas CD is by Hi-5.
I am the girl who still believes she’d be happier if she got that walking dinosaur in grade 6.
I am the girl who has two trophies to prove how smart she is.
I am the girl who swore at age 16 she’d write for The Courier-Mail, did so at 21 and had a book deal two years later.
I am the girl who drove around Mount Panorama at Bathurst on her Learners.
I am the girl who has never smoked a cigarette or tried drugs.
I am the girl who has 717 Twitter followers and has tweeted 40,176 times.
I am the girl who has been diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
I am the girl who pretended to flash her boobs in a grade 11 film project that is still shown at her school.
I am the girl who once had second and third degree burns on her butt and her hand. But not at the same time.
I am the girl who is going to be the Anna Kournikova of golf.
I am the girl who wanted to be a palaeontologist and a marine biologist but hates studying science.
I am the girl who will do almost anything to prove she’s not scared.
I am the girl was was the voice of IKEA Queensland.
I am the girl who was the 'after' photo on the front of a magazine.
I am the girl who is allergic to being touched.
I am the girl who handed in English assignments typed up on a typewriter. In 2002.
I am the girl who tried to grow a peach tree in my backyard.
I am the girl whose first crush was Jim Carrey.
I am the girl who has seen more football matches than girly movies.
I am the girl who will one day know “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe off by heart.
I am the girl who collects snow globes from places she has been.
I am the girl who had the courage and strength to beat a dependancy on anti-depressants.
I am the girl who has been kissed by a dolphin and Michael Buble.
I am the girl who owns over 350 LP vinyl records.
I am the girl who believes in love and magic.
I am the girl who is going to be a star of the literary world.
I am Samantha Mawdsley.

Miss SAMawdsley xx

Who are you?

Speak out against domestic violence!

"One in four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime. That is way too many. The aim of this event is to bring awareness to the cause and encourage victims to speak out and seek help."

- Wanderlust and her Speak Out campaign.

One in four women will be physically and/or emotionally abused by a partner - somebody they love or trust. I am a 'one in four'. But of the many 'one in four' women out there, I am one of the lucky ones because I was able to walk away.

I was 18 and in my first "real" relationship. I was in love, as most people aged 18 in a relationship are. We don't know what warning signs to look for and we don't really have a benchmark for what a healthy relationship looks like. As it turns out, nursing your boyfriend's hangover every Saturday morning after he left you, his underage girlfriend, at home is not a healthy relationship. But ignorance is bliss and I was blissfully happy.

But one night after an argument in a pub, I stormed off outside. I had only recently turned 18 so I was finally able to join in with the Friday night drinking sessions. But I didn't enjoy it. Drinking to get drunk every week is not my idea of fun. So I was happy to leave and walk the few blocks home. It was still daylight.

Well my boyfriend followed me. He called out and I stopped. Words were exchanged. I'm not one to call names as I know how much they can hurt. But he had already started drinking and he yelled names at me. Many names. I don't even remember what the fight was about. But I do remember him practically spitting these words at me: "You are scum." And he hit me. It was one of those half punch, half shove motions that forced me to the bitumen in the carpark. I hit the ground hard. I was too shocked to scream. Or cry. Or say anything for that matter. I just stumbled back to my feet and I ran.

I ran towards home. I could hear him yelling at me to come back. He yelled that he was sorry. He yelled lots of things. But I kept running. There was no force on Earth that was going to make me face him but since we lived next door to each other, I quickly realised I had no where to go. So as soon as he'd safely lost sight of me, I dashed into a random backyard. I sat against a stranger's house and that's when I was finally able to cry - sharp, racking sobs that I desperately tried to muffle. I heard his voice getting louder, and louder and then fainter, and fainter.

I don't know how long I sat in that backyard but eventually it got dark. I snuck out of the yard and made my way home. I peeked into his bedroom and saw it was empty. He'd gone back out drinking. I dashed into his house and grabbed everything I own and ran back to my own house. I locked myself in my bedroom and refused to come out. Late that night, he knocked on my door. He yelled for me to come out. He yelled that he was sorry. Again, he yelled many things. I hid under my pillow and I cried.

The next morning I did the bravest thing a girl in my situation can do. I called for help. I asked my Mum to come get me... and my stuff. I left uni. I left my friends. I left my boyfriend. It was one of the hardest things I'd had to do in my life so far. But it was also the easiest decision I've ever made. Because no girl should ever have to put up with domestic violence. And I Speak Out against domestic violence.

'Sorry' doesn't heal grazed hands.
'Come back' doesn't wipe away tears.

And 'I love you' should never, ever, ever leave a bruise.

Miss SAMawdsley xx

PS: For the record, seven years later my ex-boyfriend contacted me. I felt enough time had passed that I could see him. My only justification was that if he needed the chance to say sorry, I would give it to him. I'd heard through mutual friends that he had changed a lot. And it's true, he had. Apparently his act of violence and my reaction had shocked him so much that he'd become the ultimate peace-loving hippy. He'd not had a relationship since and is now so anti-violent he is a vegan. I'm glad I gave him the chance to say sorry.

But I did not, and never will, forgive him.

"And try not to hurt yourself..."

It's my boyfriend's birthday on Thursday. He has planned his whole weekend out from Thursday to Sunday night. Yesterday he told me all the things he wants us to do - dinner, movie, golf, etc - and he's really excited about the whole thing. At the end of the conversation he asked me to do something for him. He asked me not to hurt myself before the weekend.

I wanted to be offended but honestly, looking at my recent history, he's right. I just asked my dad and he said I was never a clumsy child. I was once able to stand on my dad's hand in the air. There's a photo of him holding me at head height and I'm there, in a little pink jumpsuit, standing on his hand. I was nine months old.

I had childhood accidents like all other kids. I fell on top of eight glass milk bottles once - three stitches in my knee. I fell onto a chair in preschool - two stitches in my lip. I sliced my finger on a cat food tin once. I cut my pinky knuckle slicing cheese too. But in years of trampolining I never once fell off. I also never fell off my horse or my bike either. In fact, I can actually skate ramps and bowls on my rollerblades! I was always the co-ordinated one. But recently, something changed. And admittedly, Clumsy-Samantha is the only Samantha my boyfriend knows.

• We met in March. Our first date was going to be mini-golf. But I had to cancel when I tried to cook burritos. Yes, somehow while cooking burritos I ended up with second degree burns all over my left hand. I spent a night in hospital and two months as an outpatient.

Second degree burns

Bruised knee

• While playing football, I managed to kick myself in the knee. I was only chasing after a ball.
• I was brushing my teeth in my bathroom. I forgot I'd closed the door behind me and when I went to leave, I walked straight into the door.
• I was dancing in my shower when I slipped and fell into the shower screen. Thank God it didn't break or it could have been much worse.
• I walk into doorframes regularly and often simply turn corners too early and walk into walls.
• I so badly bruised my knuckle knocking on doors that I couldn't make a fist.

Swollen knuckle

Scratched cornea

• We were playing golf last weekend and while walking towards my ball, something flew into my eye. I ended up in the emergency room for the second time this year. Scratched cornea and three days of recovery. (That one wasn't clumsiness but these things just keep happening to me.)

In fact, it had become such a joke how often I hurt myself that the radio show I was a co-host of introduced a new segment: Sassy's Accident of the Week. There was not a single week that I did not have an accident to report.

But back to my boyfriend and his request that I please not hurt myself before the weekend. Well not two hours after my boyfriend and I had this conversation, I went to football with my dad. We were warming up and Dad kicked a ball at about shoulder height to me. I could have ducked and headed it, I could have jumped and chested it. But I was lazy so I caught it. And in the process of catching a ball, (yes, simply catching a ball) I managed to stab myself in the eye with my own thumbnail. I wish I was kidding...

Stabbed eye

So now I'm paranoid about it getting infected or something. I'm actually scared that I am going to ruin my boyfriend's birthday weekend with my clumsiness. If I don't hurt myself beforehand, what if I hurt myself while I'm with him?

But it makes me wonder, why am I suddenly so clumsy? I know when kids are growing they lose track of their own lengthening limbs and can become quite klutzy but I've been 167cm for about 10 years now. I'm fairly used to my size. Dad thinks it may have something to do with my anxiety. Like maybe my mind is so busy stressing and worrying that it doesn't properly process my surroundings - or only enough to survive but not remain uninjured. I just hope I live until Sunday night so my boyfriend can have a happy birthday...

Miss SAMawdsley xx

Questions:

• How clumsy are you?
• Have you ever injured yourself in a stupid way?
• Do you have any theories on how a person could "get clumsy"?

My Pet Raptor

Do you know what actually makes me sad? I will never own a dinosaur… This is actually a thought that really does consume some of my time and headspace! I really, really want a dinosaur. A tyrannosaurus-rex, an australovenator, a brachiosaurus, a velociraptor, a coelophysis... I'm really not picky. I was seven when Jurassic Park came out but I already loved dinosaurs. For as long as I can remember I imagined owning my own. It was kind of an impossible dream.

Do you know, once, I was home alone and I heard a weird sound out the backyard. Now I'm twentysomething but in the nanoseconds it took me to properly process the sound I heard, my brain had already made careful calculations and used logical reasoning to decide that it was a velociraptor. In my backyard.

Now you must realise, I fully believed this thought. In my mind, it was 100% fact. So I was super-excited. Like every single one of my wildest dreams had just come true. As far as I was now concerned I had a raptor, my very own raptor, in my backyard. It was going to be my pet, I was going to name it and train it do all sorts of neat tricks and I was going to be deliriously happy!

It was a tarp blowing in the wind. The sound, it wasn’t a raptor. I just thought I should clarify that in case anyone got over excited and started emailing me offering me money in exchange for my raptor before getting to the end of my story. So calm down.

Now in the ensuing nanoseconds, I was imagining the new awesomeness that was my new raptor-filled life. Seriously, just imagine for a second, that you had your own dinosaur. I hope you’re as excited as I am otherwise I might just start sounding ridiculous. But I was imagining how to tether the thing, I mean I couldn’t just have it running around Brisbane. Then I imagined riding it around Brisbane, because it can’t just run amok around the city, but my properly-harnessed raptor and I could totally have our own shenanigans. You know, raptors are OK under adult supervision, and after all, I am a responsible twentysomething. But I was probably going to be famous for having a pet dinosaur. Of course the fame would never get to my head. I mean really, it would just be a way to pay the raptor feeding bill. Whatever that would be… How much do dead goats go for these days...?

I didn’t name my raptor.

I didn’t get that far.

Because it was a tarp blowing in the wind.

I don’t have a pet velociraptor.

Miss SAMawdsley xx

Questions:

• What is the wildest dream you have ever had?
• Have you ever believed in something crazy, even for a moment?

{Note: Initial 'My Pet Raptor' logo borrowed from a band of that name.

Follow the link, I'm sure they rock!}

Check your emotional baggage!

Emotional baggage is something we all have. Sometimes we have so much we struggle and other times it feels like nothing more than a cute glo-mesh sling purse.

I'm one of those people that takes on so much emotional baggage, my own and others'. If somebody has a problem, I add it to my long list of things to worry about. My mind can race so fast that in all actuality, I sometimes can't recognise what it is in particular that I am worried about, just that I am worried. Sometimes if you could see all of my emotional baggage, I would resemble a Clyde Valley donkey...

There are other people, weird Zen-like creatures who, like miniature Buddhas consider emotional baggage and either deal with it or discard it. They hold onto nothing. I once read a story by a stressed out man who told of a conversation with his young daughter.

"Daddy, why are you sad?"
"I'm just worrying about some things."
"Well, if you can change it, change it and don't worry. If you can't change it there's nothing you can do, so don't worry."

That is an amazing attitude and I get that, I honestly do! But really, I just can't put it into practise. I can't quite explain why but I just can't. A sentiment I do understand is 'A problem shared is a problem halved'.

Well I stumbled across this site today. Emotional Bag Check. It's a site for everyone - as long as you love music, but really, who doesn't? When you click the link it will take you to a site with two options.

For the worriers, the donkeys, the stressed out, highly strung jack-in-the-boxes just waiting to unravel in an explosive and teary meltdown, there is this section. Once you can admit you have baggage, you check it here. It's a simple text box and you just rant. That part alone is a catharsis. I poured out everything. I just let it all out. I felt like crying as I wrote it but I kept going. Some things, as I wrote them down, I felt like there was no escape from - that I will be tethered to these problems forever. Others, seemed trivial. I imagined a stranger reading them and thinking to themselves, 'so what?' Perspective, you know? So after unloading as many problems as I could in what is probably a non-sensical rambling diatribe, I felt marginally better. I also gave them my email address. Nobody will see my email and I wasn't asked for my name or any other information. That is all I, the emotionally crippled, have to do. Easy and freeing.

For those peaceful free-thinkers with all the headspace in the world, there is this section. This person does something really wonderful and amazing. They read - the internet equvilant of listening - the problems of another. This person will be a perfect stranger and they will know nothing more about them than their problem. Now these individuals who live in their own personal Zen garden are usually great with helpful advice so it wouldn't be fair to deny them the chance to offer it. They do so in the form of a song. They think of a song that would cheer, uplift, inpsire or sympathtise with the emotional cripple. There's a database of songs on the site, you type in the song you've thought of and it will find it and you send it to the emotional cripple (without seeing their email address). You can add a short message if you like but that person will receive this song and message in their email inbox.

The exchange of baggage is now complete.

I tried out both. Quid pro quo. I checked my baggage in the hopes that someone will read it and send me a song - maybe every time I hear this song I can remember to be Zen-like and take two minutes to be calm and still. (I actually received two! See the songs I received below!) And to balance the Karma, I also sent a song. The baggage I am now sharing was from somebody who has had medical problems and now has another problem added to it. I sent them 'Beautiful Day' by U2 with the following message:

"The world is a beautiful place. It is even more so because you are in it. Be strong. xx"

Perhaps I should take my own advice sometimes, huh?

Miss SAMawdsley xx

Questions:

• Did you 'check your baggage'? What song did you receive?
• Did you carry someone else's baggage? What was the problem and what song did you send them?
• How do you deal with emotional baggage?

"Strong Enough" - Stacie Orrico

"As I rest against this cold hard wall, will you pass me by? 

Will you criticize me as I sit and cry? 

I had fought so hard and thought that all my battles had been won 

Only to find the war had just begun"

"When I'm gone" - Eminem

"Have you ever loved someone so much, you'd give an arm for?

Not the expression, no, literally give an arm for?

When they know they're your heart

And you know you were their armour

And you will destroy anyone who would try to harm her

But what happens when karma, turns right around and bites you?"

Pining for pineapple! (Or 'How excited a girl can get over chocolate...')

Cadbury Snack chocolate. It's awesome because there's something for everyone.

In order of my favourites, it's got:

Cadbury Snack

Pineapple - a delicious fruity flavour with just a hint of tanginess
Turkish Delight - a sophisticated jelly like filling that's very sweet and palatable
Caramel - an old favourite from such familiar chocolates as Caramello!
Orange - a zesty and flavoursome filling with no overt citrusy flavours
Strawberry - a sweet filling. It tastes like pink!
Coconut Ice - a textured, Summery flavour with just a hint of sugary goodness.

Now of those, you'd expect at least the top three to be available as a block on their own. And you'd be right. Except for pineapple. The most delicious of all the flavours of not only Snack, but possibly the entire Cadbury range, is only available in a block surrounded by yummy, but lesser flavours ...Or at least, until recently!

Tonight, the following exchange took place in my local supermarket between my friend @Davefect and I.
Me: What block of chocolate do you want?
David: I don't know, what's your favourite?
Me: I usually get Snack just because I love the Pineapple flavour so much. I really, really wish Cadbury would make an entire block of just Pineapple. Ah well, we'll just get Snack.
*Suddenly, while looking for a second block, high on the top shelf, almost out of view I spotted the Holy Grail of chocolate. Cue emotional breakdown of happiness and much shrieking and jumping...*

FINALLY Cadbury has released a 'Limited Edition' Tropical Pineapple flavour!!!

TROPICAL PINEAPPLE!!!

Cadbury describes it as "Dairy milk chocolate wtih flowing tropical pineapple flavoured centre". I describe it as "The best part of Snack, now in it's OWN BLOCK!!!"

This is a happy, happy day for me but Cadbury doesn't seem to be advertising it! And like I said, it's a 'Limited Edition'. So it might go away. I can't cope with this. I've wanted it for too long and I'll be damned if Cadbury is going to take it away from me!! So please, I'm begging you, I need everyone here to rush out and buy many, many, many blocks of Tropical Pineapple so that Cadbury realises there's a HUGE demand for Tropical Pineapple and continues to keep it as part of their permanent range. Please!

Yes, your homework today is to go buy and eat chocolate. Lots of it.

You're welcome.

Update: Upon further research, this seems to have been already deleted from the range and sold out everywhere. The blocks are now selling for $10 on ebay (click the link, I'm not exaggerating!) There is also a Facebook campaign entitled 'Pineapple blocks should be permanent, not limited edition' (join the cause, dolls!) and pineapple-lovers are announcing locations that have stock and even asking lucky finders to mail out the goodies to remoter locations.  I'm trying to start a Twitter campaign with the hashtag #KeepCadburyPineapple (I've had a few retweets) but in the mentime, tomorrow, I am going to "my source" and buying every single block!!

Miss SAMawdsley xx

PS: I've not been paid or asked to post this blog, I just really, really, really love Cadbury's Pineapple flavour!


PPS: A big thank you to @Davefect for helping me with this blog post and dealing with my minor happy meltdown in the middle of a supermarket!

Top 10 movies I could watch over & over & over...

I just finished alphabetising my DVDs. I have something like 500 DVDs so this was no small feat. I had fun looking at all the old DVDs I haven't watched in ages because I spend so much time watching the same few over and over.

You'll notice a few Tim Burton movies on this list. He's my idol. I love the darkness of his movies. I love when he teams up with Danny Elfman and Johnny Depp. If Helena Bonham Carter is involved it just becomes sheer perfection.

So, in no real particular order, here are my Top 10 DVDs I could watch over and over and over and over and over...

1. The Nightmare Before Christmas

I've lost count of the amount of times I've seen this movie. When I was about 10 I used to hire this on VHS from the video shop and watch it over and over for a week. When I finally owned it myself, I did the same thing. It's a Tim Burton movie. I know this movie word for word and I have the songs on my iPod. My room is covered in Nightmare merchandise, my most prized being the soundtrack on LP. It's one of only 100 ever made.

"There's children throwing snowballs, instead of throwing heads. They're busy building toys and absolutely no one's dead!" - Jack Skellington

2. Jurassic Park

Dinosaurs. Need I say more? I first saw this movie at the drive-in and it always takes me back! I remember getting the showbag from the Ekka too! Sometimes I make a marathon of it and watch all three. The special effects still amaze me and the jokes still make me laugh. What do you call a blind dinosaur? DoYouThinkHeSaurus! Comedic gold!!

"Clever girl..." - Muldoon

3. Independence Day

Will Smith and aliens. What a combo! I love action movies and this is one of my favourites! I saw it at the cinema three times. I rarely see a movie twice at the cinema but this is the only movie I've ever seen three times!

"Welcome to Earth!" - Cptn Hiller

4. Alice in Wonderland

The 1951 Disney classic, my oh my. My dad recorded this off TV for me when I was about three. He'd even gone to that effort of stopping and restarting the recording to skip the ad breaks. I watched this at least once a fortnight. Whenever I was bored I'd whinge to my parents and they'd say 'why don't you watch a movie?' So I did. Alice in Wonderland. I love the storyline, it's also one of my favourite books.

"Curiouser and curiouser..." - Alice

5. Repo! The Genetic Opera

It's a gory rock opera and I absolutely love it. It may have Paris Hilton in it but I manage to overlook that. The music is amazing and so catchy. I find myself randomly singing songs from it all the time. That's usually when I end up throwing it on, because I want to hear the songs better than I sing it in my head!

"Come up and try my new parts, go on and break them in. We both know what we want, shut up and try my new parts." - Amber Sweet

6. Beetlejuice

Another Tim Burton movie. The camp over-acting, the cheesy special effects and the sick humour just make this a joy for me to watch. I am scared of death so watching a movie that has a premise of life after death makes me feel comforted. The movie also casually pokes fun of death and I just adore that. And really like Winona Ryder so I think this movie is awesome!

"I am alone. I am *utterly* alone." - Lydia

7. Wayne's World

This is one of the funniest movies I have ever seen. I remember loving it when I was really young. Then I bought it on DVD and watched it again. Truth be told, I don't think I got it at all when I was young and just laughed because everyone else did. I did that a lot. But now that I'm older Wayne Campbell and Garth Alger crack me up! Mike Myers is hysterical and c'mon, who doesn't love the 'Bohemian Rhapsody' scene? Speaking of which, the music? Oh, it's just amazing!

"I once thought I had mono for an entire year. It turned out I was just really bored." - Wayne Campbell

8. Monty Python and the Holy Grail

Hysterically funny. That's the only way I can really describe it. The Monty Python team rock and The Holy Grail is just the most superb example of their talent. The guys play multiple roles, like they usually do, and there's so many great skits. Even if you've never seen the movie, no doubt you've heard it referenced somewhere.

"Oh, but you can't expect to wield supreme executive power just because some watery tart threw a sword at you. Oh but if I went 'round sayin' I was Emperor, just because some moistened bint lobbed a scimitar at me, they'd put me away." - Dennis

9. Mars Attacks!

Another Tim Burton classic. This is one of his lesser known movies which is ironic because there is an amazing list of huge stars who were in it! Michael J Fox, Sarah Jessica Parker, Jack Black, Christina Applegate, Jack Nicholson, Pierce Brosnan, Tom Jones, Martin Short, Glenn Close, Danny DeVito, Natalie Portman... The crazy sound the aliens make gets stuck in your head and the stupidity of the humans is hilarious, yet scarily accurate...

"Guess it wasn't the dove..." - Taffy

10. Batman

I refer, of course, to the first four Batman movies: Batman, Batman Returns, Batman Forever & Batman and Robin. (It's not cheating because I made up the rules!) If you don't know, you won't be surprised to learn that Tim Burton directs the first two and produced the third. The darkness, the action, the humour, the music...

"Where does he get those wonderful toys?" - The Joker

So tell me, have you seen any or all of these movies? What do you think of them? Could you watch them over and over again? Do you have your own favourite movies that rarely leave your DVD player? Perhaps you're one of those people who hates to watch a movie more than once! Let me know!

Miss SAMawdsley xx