Anita Heiss's Blog, page 19
May 24, 2018
May 18: Happiness is breaking bread loved ones
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My Mum, my brother and one of my favourite local restaurants back in Sydney. Not a lot more makes me happier than this right here. It was a night of laughter also, as we made approx 3,687 attempts at a selfie – this pic taken by the waiter.
May 21, 2018
May 16: Happiness is running and reading
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Just a little reminder to self and others today… I’m glad I’ve got the keys to happiness – reading and running! And thanks Will Smith!
What are your keys to life / happiness?
May 15: Happiness is slowly getting faster
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Marathon training is not just about building up the distance. It’s about building strength and speed as well. So there are days when I have to run 400m fast then jog for a minute or two. And it’s all relative of course, and my fast is someone else’s medium pace. But today, I was really happy to knock over 4.5km in 23 minutes. I’m slowly getting faster, and that bodes well for the Gold Coast marathon less than eight weeks away.
May 20, 2018
May 14: Happiness is letting go…
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I don’t think I need to say anything about the above… if it makes sense to you, then it makes sense. If not, then maybe you don’t need the reminder like I do! 
May 13: Happiness is daybreak at Southbank
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I took this photo at 5.45am this morning before I went for a run. It’s possibly one of the most beautiful visuals of the Brisbane river I’ve had here. It made the early start to the day worth it.
May 12: Happiness is the SLQLD ‘Unstacked’
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Today I was excited to receive an email from a colleague with this photo attached. It’s a pic of my books appearing as part of ‘Unstacked’ – which is a real-time visualisation of the resources people are accessing from the State Library of Queensland‘s catalogue One Search. It is a visual showcase of the items in the library collection, curated by library uses. How cool is that? I won’t lie to you, it made me smile.
You can read more about how ‘Unstacked’ works here!
May 11: Happiness is visiting #QLDLibraries Day 2
What a beautiful sunrise this morning in Cairns. I managed to get a quick 4km run in before the Board of the State Library of Qld headed north to the Douglas Shire to meet with Council staff and a visit to the Mossman Library.
A bonus for me while there was meeting Bill Wilkie (pic in slide show above). Bill works at the library and is also the author of the award-winning book, The Daintree Blockade. Have you read it?
The afternoon was spent meeting with staff at the Cairns Public Library – and a short stroll through and I was hooked. As an author, I’m always looking for libraries where I can go to write. And wow, I know this library will call me back for sure.
I’d like to thank all the dedicated librarians and wider staff there for their commitment to making locals and tourists alike feel welcome into such a fantastic space.
Libraries make me happy!
May 19, 2018
May 10: Happiness is visiting #QLDLibraries
Today I joined the rest of the State Library of QLD (SLQLD) Board and headed to Cairns. We met with staff at the Cairns office of the SLQLD to hear first hand about public libraries in the region and the fantastic work being done on the ground for the community. Libraries are no longer just quiet places for reading, rather, they are social and interactive hubs for all people – from toddlers to our most treasured elders.
As part of our trip, we visited the recently refurbed Gordonvale Library which has a fabulous storytelling space. And from there we drove to the community of Yarrabah, meeting with the Mayor Ross Andrews, local councillors and staff at the Indigenous Knowledge Centre (IKC). The Centre is one of 12 IKC’s in Queensland supported by the SLQLD.
It was inspiring to see how the IKC has become a focal point for the community, with the First5Forever program, school holiday programs and a soon to opened radio station. I take my hat of to the team doing such a wonderful job in delivering the services on the ground, and I was incredibly proud (and happy) today to be part of making that possible via the SLQLD.
May 9: Happiness is a head-clearing-run
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If you’re a runner, or even a walker, you’ll know the benefits of a good sprint or stroll to clear the head. This morning’s smile is because by the time I got to the 6km mark along the Brisbane River I had sorted myself out for the day, the endorphins had kicked in and I was happy!
May 8: Happiness is experiencing the generosity of Andy Griffiths
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Ok, put your hand if you are a fan of Andy Griffiths?
Yes, I can see them all shooting sky high right now. He’s a legend in the writing world and as an author, there’s nothing worse than having to sit next to Andy a book signing, as you watch your last fan walk off and the line for his autograph weaves it’s way for another kilometre or thereabouts.
But that aside, Andy G is a wonderful, and very generous Ambassador of the Indigenous Literacy Foundation, and today he generously offered to attend Kick on for Literacy in Melbourne on May 30 and help raise much needed funds for he ILF. And as one of the organisers of the event, and an ILD Ambassador as well, that made me VERY happy.
So, if you’re fan and keen to get an autograph and a photo with AG, then come along, meet him PLUS see Archie Roach perform, watching a lively debate about locker rooms and libraries and be in the running to win lucky door prizes and bid on fabulous auction items. Tickets to KOFL are on sale now from here!
