Too much water - here AND there...

We have just spent a wonderful weekend away in another beautiful part of New Zealand  but it was wet, so wet that the usually clear aqua water turned an ugly silty brown.

When we returned to Auckland last night we found that a king tide and a sea swollen with rain had caused  flooding in parts of the city. Nothing of course like Australia's issues... but it did make me think once again of the massive clean-up in Queensland and the continuing crisis in Victoria.

Books have been on my mind too - thanks for all your suggestions for my 2011 Reading List. I spent some time on Sunday grilling my Kiwi friends about must read NZ books so they'll be there too. It's beginning to look like my Reading List for Life!

Then today I found mention on Twitter (I lurk there but don't tweet) of Writers on Rafts.

A whole bunch of Australian writers (130 so far) have got together to raise money for the Premier's Disaster Relief Appeal. There are wonderful prizes on offer - the raffle tickets are $5 each and you can win book packs, help with your own writing, author visits to your school, local library or book club and tickets to writers festivals or even the chance to have a character named after you in a book... that rather appealed to me (as if starring in my own blog isn't enough!).

So if you're in Australia and you're a book lover - head on over and get buying. Every little bit helps and 100% goes to the Appeal.  Actually if you're anywhere in the world you can enter (I checked) but you won't qualify for a book visit - book packs and online writing support could be yours though and a warm fuzzy feeling for helping!

I also have a small thank you of my own too (all business here today). If you look up to the top of the screen at my site address you will see a lovely little house now adorns http://myvillalife.blogspot.com/  

I didn't know but it's called a favicon - short for favourites icon.  Cool isn't it? I won it in a lovely and very unexpected giveaway over at Striking Keys.  It's a giveaway you don't even have to enter... My very favourite way to win! Thanks again Angela for the gift and the blog tutorial!