As the year 2003 gets underway, the cloud of war hangs over all our heads. It is easy to forget that we-you and I, all of us, can change things- If we really want to there is still time- or we can be so busy getting back into our own little grove, that we put it on the shelf for awhile.

Then when the bombs fall, we find ourselves on a road chosen by others. A road we can't see the pot holes or the danger signs, in fact we have no idea where we are going, blindfolded by Bushy, driver of the bus.

While I was away having a wonderful holiday, stepping once again inside the mind of a two year old child in the form of Caitlin Jean, ( the child I use to be) reinforcing my desire, vision and determination to work to make it a better world for her and all other children.

Events around the world were overtaking me on two fronts.

First,North Korea flexed it's muscles.

Reminded me of watching bullies in the school yard.

One Bully, Sudamo pokes faces at the biggest bully Bushy, strutting around with his hands on hips, his gang having run the playground for many years, he is very cocky. Behind him his little mate who wouldn't be game to pick a fight without knowing Bushy is close by, Howardaroo busy poking his head out and has the odd swipe ( talking big with pre-empted strikes) meanwhile out from behind Iraq comes his little tough mate, Korea's Jong-ilnuk, who yells loud and clear "Why don't you have a go at me", stop picking on the guy without a weapon to be seen, I'll show you mine if you want" producing a large loaded weapon, the little bully Howardaroo behind now pulls his head in a bit and has shaky legs, he knows he has to go home and live next door to the new kid on the block Jong-ilnuk, a long way from his bully mentor USA.

Meanwhile a war rages in my own backyard, just as important, it's lesson just the same, showing me that we must work harder and quicker, if we want to see these changes for the children of the world.

Having just returned from the Sunshine Coast I noticed I had forgotten my backyard, too caught up with the glitz and glamour of the Advertiser's Christmas.

Five weeks ago I left a place normally a tropical paradise, but over the past few months of drought it had become brown, dry and dying.

While I was away the rain fell once again turning my backyard back into a tropical wonderland - or is it. Is what I see really what it is? I know it is not as I left it. The rainforest which is only 4 metres away from my little white house. Where each day before I left, I sadly listened to trees falling to the forest floor, unable to wait for the rain to arrive, the scars of the drought and bush fires took their toll.

I returned to find next to one of my favourite spots to enjoy a cup of tea, a large pandanus gave up its fight and collapsed to the ground, it's neighbour a coconut palm still stands, now just a rippled pole of grey, it's wonderful shady fronds now on the pile of rubbish behind the shed. It is so sad they couldn't wait for the weather change.

What would have happened if I had stayed to water them, would they be here now?

Would Froggy who is no longer in his favourite spot in the little white house, have also stayed? I will never know as I wait and hope!. I did leave him bowls of water and a drop of water dripping from the bathroom tap. What made him leave? Now having time to look- really look, I find that most of the green on Lumley Hill is not the green of the trees, but of the strangler vine, which just waited for the chance to catch the trees off guard. It now has a tighter hold, gaining ground. The trees remaining are not so much the rainforest trees, but trees more suited to drier climates, the huge white gums remain, but for how long? As I watch the vines unfold before my eyes? No Belamy, the Bush Turkey, or Ernie, the Echidna, Gerhardt, the Goanna. The little white house will never be the same. I lost so many friends in such a short time. Bear is still here, I had taken him with me to visit Caitlin, she liked him so much, I had to keep him in my suitcase most of the time, as I couldn't bear to leave him with her, with all the toys she got for Christmas, he may have got lost and forgotten after awhile and he couldn't stand that- he had too much to do.

I wonder now if I had left him home, would he have disappeared with the rest! Feeling quite sad, I lay on the bed, thinking about Froggy, wondering if he is okay. Hoping he will return after he frolics in the rain, maybe he has found his mate and is just pre occupied.

Just then out of the louver blades came Ronald the Gecko. Ronald is easy to spot amongst the many geckos that live in the little white house, ( the sex of a gecko is not as easy when you are gecko spotting, so he's called Ronald) he is a bit deformed and wobbles when he walks.

I felt once more there is hope, change happens wether we want it or not, how we help the change, can make a lot of difference.

While the many animals have gone, their memories are here and so is the person who worked with me on a children's book called "Froggy at Lumley Hill".

A book that we wrote last year with Froggy and Bear, before the drought and fire on Lumley Hill, the little book sadly foreseen what has now happened.

Reminds me of the things that have been written about what will happen if the bombs fall over Iraq!

I am again reminded what Ishmael said. As I said before if you haven't read Ishmael by Daniel Quinn, please do. I pick up two more of his books today, can't wait. From his first book he wrote.

See the movie if you can, if you have seen it let me know your thoughts. Don't want to tell you too much, but while ugly, there is hope in the movie and shows what can happen when people persist.

Michael and two victims of the Columbine Massacres manage to get America's Kmart to stop selling ammunition in all their stores. That is a big step in the right direction, Kmart had sold the bullets that killed so many and wounded the two boys.

Imagine what we can do if we all did something to make it a better world for all of us! what a difference we can make for the children of the world.

How easy to get a Billion people to stand up together!

Tell you lots of good news next week. Heard from Dan Spinner the CEO of the Deepak Chopra Foundation who is now also the Chairperson of the steering committee for the Global Strategic Alliance, the group that includes Deepak Chopra, Ricky Martin and so many other well known people, including two Nobel Peace prize winners and also has Granma Kerry and Caitlin Jean, Futurist, Australia. Speaking of Caitlin, one of the many poems I wrote over Christmas, through the mind of a child.