my legacy made or lost
by the way I live
Showing posts with label life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label life. Show all posts
Thursday, 28 January 2021
Thursday, 5 July 2012
peaks & troughs
my life has taken on a new rhythm these days. there is a rush to get everyone fed and out the door in the morning, i settle into my chosen pace for school hours (usually slow) and after school i drive the kids to their various activities, do dinner, shop or whatever needs to be done. it's a peak and trough kind of existence and i'm happy with that.
on a different level, i have some troughs wondering whether i will ever work again because as much as i loved my doula studies, love watching birth videos, love reading birthy books and am dead sure i will be a great doula, i have to get some clients. i have had a couple of leads but pregnant women seem not to answer their phones very consistently. then again, i dont answer the phone consistently and i have no distracting hormones or nursery make-overs to blame.
spending a lot of time at home is a peakish thing, i am delighted to be available to deliver forgotten lunches or assignments, visit the lost property department at the bus station, shop for fresh fruit and veg at the markets rather than the supermarket and generally have a relaxed and rich kind of a life away from the sense of desperation i felt when i was trying to please bosses who couldnt be pleased. i miss the social contact of a regular working life but that small trough is a minor price to pay balanced against the psychic pain of being disapproved of every single day.
in a strange little twist my facebook feed has become full of human rights posts relating either to refugee issues or to freedom of choice in birth. i have always been a supporter in theory of human rights but not had any active involvement. i still dont have active involvement but i am surprisingly a step closer. it's not something i ever imagined for myself and it has all come about in a short period of time.
i continue to visit the detention centre and feel comfortable there. one of "my guys" cooks lunch and a few of us eat together. i feel it a privilege to break bread with them, even more so when i realise that the menu is set well in advance. prawn curry was last week's offering and this week will be chicken biriani.
one detainee always calls me "sister" i'm not sure whether that's to save him trying to remember an unfamiliar name or if it's a mark of respect but i have to say i really like it. i feel that i am really trusted and i am honored to have such a position but i discovered, too, the responsibility of that trust when one of those men admitted to me a history of domestic violence. he was unapologetic about his actions and his manner of explaining triggered some uncomfortable feelings for me, for a moment i imagined that i could never visit him again but just as quickly as i thought it, i realised that i could not abandon this man who obviously knew nothing better.
the peaks and troughs of my daily life have changed from a meaningless, extreme roller coaster ride to an exploration of faith and personal values and it all feels so much more fruitful....or potentially fruitful.....or some other poetic and worthy statement.
if you have time to take the slow road, please do. everyone should try it.
 |
| a portrait of our chef in detention, as displayed on the refugee art website. this man, a stateless, minority rohingya from myanmar has spent three years in villawood and a total of six years of his life in immigration detention. he is now very concerned for the welfare of his people as the rohingya people face a new wave of genocide in the violence that is sweeping western burma. |
Thursday, 21 June 2012
drum roll, please!!!!!!
it's a non-doula-ing post!
but there will be more where they came from!
the news this week said that fairfax is going to downgrade the sydney morning herald. it will become a *shock* tabloid. it will lose 25% of it's journos. it may. even. stop. making newspapers ALTOGETHER!
people have been predicting the death of the newspaper for ages but i dont want to see it happen. the sydney morning herald is a sydney institution. the newspaper is a institution period. (gimme a break on grammar there, i gotta be entertained somehow)
i spent my school life quoting "SMH 30.4.85" or some similar date.
i spent my saturday mornings selling the sydney morning herald and the occasional australasian post.
i earned my living at a factory where they invented and refined coloured inks for newspapers.
my mother earned a living typesetting for newspapers. my father reads newspapers. my grandfather used newspaper clippings as intellectual trade.
what will we do without newspapers? what will we use to pack breakables in? start fires? line the birdcage? hang behind the dunny door? what will we forget to buy on the momentous day our kids are born? what will we later pay a small fortune for as a special keepsake?
most distressing of all.......
but there will be more where they came from!
people have been predicting the death of the newspaper for ages but i dont want to see it happen. the sydney morning herald is a sydney institution. the newspaper is a institution period. (gimme a break on grammar there, i gotta be entertained somehow)
i spent my school life quoting "SMH 30.4.85" or some similar date.
i spent my saturday mornings selling the sydney morning herald and the occasional australasian post.
i earned my living at a factory where they invented and refined coloured inks for newspapers.
my mother earned a living typesetting for newspapers. my father reads newspapers. my grandfather used newspaper clippings as intellectual trade.
what will we do without newspapers? what will we use to pack breakables in? start fires? line the birdcage? hang behind the dunny door? what will we forget to buy on the momentous day our kids are born? what will we later pay a small fortune for as a special keepsake?
most distressing of all.......
WHAT WILL SERVE AS INFORMAL TIME CAPSULE AND HOLD US ENTRANCED WHEN WE COME ACROSS IT UNEXPECTEDLY MONTHS YEARS OR DECADES LATER????
Wednesday, 19 October 2011
"The more you have, the more you are occupied. The less you have, the more free you are"
i am on another cycle of not going to work and being at home seems to keep me well occupied. today i decided i would try to rationalise some boxes of "stuff" from my wardrobe. i haven't looked at the stuff or years so i should be able to just bin it but you know how that goes, dont you?
i have a look and find all kinds of things that i'm not quite sure what to do with: a bag full of ribbon & lace from the sewing box of my grandmother, dead twenty years. silver cake forks black with tarnish could be beautiful but i dont live in a way that really appreciates those genteel accessories. there are photos and cards from my courting days, cards welcoming new babes, postcards never sent, random bits of stationery, the first fathers day card i gave my husband, reels of cotton, paper clips, outmoded cookbooks......
maybe i can get two boxes down to one?
Wednesday, 3 November 2010
curmudgeonly
this week the dishwasher got broken. i can take a good guess about who did it in a fit of temper but guessing isnt helping....
this dishwasher is annoyingly off the market and there are no parts so when the broken bit means that the other bit fails under the extra load i wont have a dishwasher. and i am the only person who cares and tonight i got told to take care of it ......
if anyone has motive to take care of the damned thing that would be me!
a good friend told me not to catastrophise (this is a new subject, in case you are interested) only i am not the one catastrophising, someone else is doing that, only my friend cant direct any frustration at the source so i get the lecture. i wont hold it against him but i will hold it against the drama queen who caused it
would someone, anyone, please, please, take the garbage out without being asked and preferably before there is as much overflowing as there is in the actual bag?
and if folks are going to ask my opinion would they be polite enough to wait for and think about my answer? if you dont care then dont pretend. i hate the fakery and i dont want to waste energy thinking about how to present an answer you dont respect
the next person to recommend i get a brazilian, no matter how sincere and well meaning that recommendation is, will be risking a brisk whack (mob style) you might like the idea of getting down on all fours and exposing yourself to a stranger for the purposes of applying hot wax and tearing your hair out but it isnt my idea of a turn on
i think i'm done for the moment.............
this dishwasher is annoyingly off the market and there are no parts so when the broken bit means that the other bit fails under the extra load i wont have a dishwasher. and i am the only person who cares and tonight i got told to take care of it ......
if anyone has motive to take care of the damned thing that would be me!
a good friend told me not to catastrophise (this is a new subject, in case you are interested) only i am not the one catastrophising, someone else is doing that, only my friend cant direct any frustration at the source so i get the lecture. i wont hold it against him but i will hold it against the drama queen who caused it
would someone, anyone, please, please, take the garbage out without being asked and preferably before there is as much overflowing as there is in the actual bag?
and if folks are going to ask my opinion would they be polite enough to wait for and think about my answer? if you dont care then dont pretend. i hate the fakery and i dont want to waste energy thinking about how to present an answer you dont respect
the next person to recommend i get a brazilian, no matter how sincere and well meaning that recommendation is, will be risking a brisk whack (mob style) you might like the idea of getting down on all fours and exposing yourself to a stranger for the purposes of applying hot wax and tearing your hair out but it isnt my idea of a turn on
i think i'm done for the moment.............
Tuesday, 7 September 2010
of camels and straws, of mice and blankets
today maithri has posted a story of a swazi woman, disabled to the point where she must crawl to move around, whose life has been dramatically improved by filling the holes in her home to prevent rodent entry, a mouse baiting program, a new mattress and a new blanket. please take the trouble to read and absorb it here.
it struck me that sometimes it takes the simplest things to make a considerable difference to somebody's life. maithri (or any other observer) might have hoped to restore mobility, or to move the woman to a more comfortable home. in our rich and comfortable western world we might do these things almost by force but in swaziland the very simplest course of action has been taken and the woman concerned has testified to the way these simple actions have transformed her life from one wracked with pain to a life which is pain free.
sydney is a long long way from swaziland but the principle remains: what is the simplest action i can take to improve things for this person (or indeed, for myself)
when a situation seems impossible, unfixable, complicated, overwhelming there will probably be a simple action to improve it and just as a single straw broke the camels back, maybe the camel will be saved if we remove one small straw.
Tuesday, 31 August 2010
Saturday, 14 August 2010
vapour
she fumbled to turn off the alarm and curled into a tighter ball, wishing the world away for another moment before an effort of will pulled her from her bed. she was getting a lift today and it would be rude to make them wait.
a quiet coffee was followed by a shower and then, attempting to avoid a recurring sock shortage, she hung washing. knowing it would be some time before a break she sat at the table with toast and tried to converse but she hit a wall with one being sullen and the other irritatingly absent. it might have been a good thing, the clock had travelled further than she realised and now she was really up against it.
mr sullen was in the bathroom so she moved flowers from the laundry tub and cleaned her teeth. the flowers pained her, last night's attempt to create a bunch of subtle beauty had eventually just been uninspired, reflecting her tiredness. she mused on the beauty of the lilies and silently thanked them for rescuing her.
a little discombobulated by the rush she kissed the children quickly and hurriedly wrapped a towel around the flowers. a diesel motor outside provided the soundtrack to these last moments at home and she wondered exactly when it had started.
flustered and disorganised, with too many things and not enough hands, she laboured outside more than hurried, to find only silence. diesel vapour hung in the air, longer lasting than goodwill.
a quiet coffee was followed by a shower and then, attempting to avoid a recurring sock shortage, she hung washing. knowing it would be some time before a break she sat at the table with toast and tried to converse but she hit a wall with one being sullen and the other irritatingly absent. it might have been a good thing, the clock had travelled further than she realised and now she was really up against it.
mr sullen was in the bathroom so she moved flowers from the laundry tub and cleaned her teeth. the flowers pained her, last night's attempt to create a bunch of subtle beauty had eventually just been uninspired, reflecting her tiredness. she mused on the beauty of the lilies and silently thanked them for rescuing her.
a little discombobulated by the rush she kissed the children quickly and hurriedly wrapped a towel around the flowers. a diesel motor outside provided the soundtrack to these last moments at home and she wondered exactly when it had started.
flustered and disorganised, with too many things and not enough hands, she laboured outside more than hurried, to find only silence. diesel vapour hung in the air, longer lasting than goodwill.
Saturday, 3 July 2010
the $2 a day diet and other ramblings........
one of my most favouritest tabloid tv shows featured a story this week about the $2 a day diet. because it is my very favouritest show i didnt actually see the story but i looked it up on the internet between stops at facebook and blogging and all that other stuff......
the $2 a day diet consists of oats & fruit for breakfast, lentils & rice for lunch and broccoli & sweet potato soup for dinner. you can throw in an egg or two and thats it.
i'm not sure the broccoli & sweet potato soup would be great looking and a nutritionist declared the diet low on minerals but i have to say that the story diet excited me a bit. if you were really short of cash it would be a reasonably nutritious diet, if you could add a dollar or two you could add variety and minerals with some tinned fish or a little bit of chicken or meat. in it's original form the diet is vegetarian, good for the earth and for health.
i'm almost tempted to try it for a little while (i said almost)
in other food news, the folks i work with seem to take a great interest in each others lunches. i find it a bit odd i have to say because i dont really care what other people eat. there was a guy who ate tuna on raisin bread, i thought that was out-there, but i mostly dont care.
yesterday i was tired and headachey and craving something sweet and comforting but i didnt have any normal comfort foods and i wasnt going to go out so looking to use what was available i added some boiling water to apple juice and was inspired to sprinkle some cinnamon on top. i thought it was creative and filled the bill but i was declared to have "lost it"
so, what odd combos do you like?
and what do you think of the $2 diet?
the $2 a day diet consists of oats & fruit for breakfast, lentils & rice for lunch and broccoli & sweet potato soup for dinner. you can throw in an egg or two and thats it.
i'm not sure the broccoli & sweet potato soup would be great looking and a nutritionist declared the diet low on minerals but i have to say that the story diet excited me a bit. if you were really short of cash it would be a reasonably nutritious diet, if you could add a dollar or two you could add variety and minerals with some tinned fish or a little bit of chicken or meat. in it's original form the diet is vegetarian, good for the earth and for health.
i'm almost tempted to try it for a little while (i said almost)
in other food news, the folks i work with seem to take a great interest in each others lunches. i find it a bit odd i have to say because i dont really care what other people eat. there was a guy who ate tuna on raisin bread, i thought that was out-there, but i mostly dont care.
yesterday i was tired and headachey and craving something sweet and comforting but i didnt have any normal comfort foods and i wasnt going to go out so looking to use what was available i added some boiling water to apple juice and was inspired to sprinkle some cinnamon on top. i thought it was creative and filled the bill but i was declared to have "lost it"
so, what odd combos do you like?
and what do you think of the $2 diet?
Saturday, 6 June 2009
someone sent me this in an email. i'm a bit crook for original thought right now but this one really is worth copying.
forgive me if you've seen it before
Written By Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The PlainDealer, Cleveland , Ohio
To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me.
It is the most requested column I've ever written.
My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:
1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion.... Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25 No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'
27 Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
42. The best is yet to come.
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield.
45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.
forgive me if you've seen it before
Written By Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The PlainDealer, Cleveland , Ohio
To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me.
It is the most requested column I've ever written.
My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:
1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion.... Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25 No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'
27 Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
42. The best is yet to come.
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield.
45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.
Friday, 17 October 2008
What a funny kind of a day I've had. Enough highs and lows to last a week, I'd reckon.
I started with good intentions to get lots of stuff done but then I got a bit distracted, a bit cranky and self pitying. I took some photos I was pleased with and promptly deleted them (by mistake of course) then went to see the girls play hockey.
I took the Taffster (our pooch) with me, there are not many places I would want to take him but the hockey was good. He had a grand old time in the park and the kids all adored him.
We came home and young Dimples had a wee hissy fit so his mother had a bigger one.
A friend of the girls' arrived mid-hissy fit for a play date I had agreed to when I had been rather better tempered. They were all sensible enough to stay outside while their ever-gracious mother pulled herself together.
Once I regained my usual state of questionable sanity I took no. 1 son to the shops to rent a dvd or two, came home and cooked dinner, discovered that Authorblog had kindly given me a mention in "post of the day", relaxed in the spa and then settled in to watch the Friday night movie with the kids.
Everything was going swimmingly until I dropped an entire, large mug of coffee on the bedroom carpet. Terrific.
Now that you have suffered all that I just have to tell you that if you haven't already seen Nanny Mc Phee (I'm terribly slow with these things) it was a visual feast. Probably not one for the blokes but full of gorgeous fabrics and colours: wonderful brocades, handmade quilts, beautiful dresses, fabulous wallpapers. It was just divine. And the young 'uns liked it too.
I don't often rave like that, now do I?
I started with good intentions to get lots of stuff done but then I got a bit distracted, a bit cranky and self pitying. I took some photos I was pleased with and promptly deleted them (by mistake of course) then went to see the girls play hockey.
I took the Taffster (our pooch) with me, there are not many places I would want to take him but the hockey was good. He had a grand old time in the park and the kids all adored him.
We came home and young Dimples had a wee hissy fit so his mother had a bigger one.
A friend of the girls' arrived mid-hissy fit for a play date I had agreed to when I had been rather better tempered. They were all sensible enough to stay outside while their ever-gracious mother pulled herself together.
Once I regained my usual state of questionable sanity I took no. 1 son to the shops to rent a dvd or two, came home and cooked dinner, discovered that Authorblog had kindly given me a mention in "post of the day", relaxed in the spa and then settled in to watch the Friday night movie with the kids.
Everything was going swimmingly until I dropped an entire, large mug of coffee on the bedroom carpet. Terrific.
Now that you have suffered all that I just have to tell you that if you haven't already seen Nanny Mc Phee (I'm terribly slow with these things) it was a visual feast. Probably not one for the blokes but full of gorgeous fabrics and colours: wonderful brocades, handmade quilts, beautiful dresses, fabulous wallpapers. It was just divine. And the young 'uns liked it too.
I don't often rave like that, now do I?
Saturday, 30 August 2008
How did my laundry become Mouse Central ??
I knew there was a mouse or maybe two visiting the laundry occasionally, I thought they came in to steal the dog's biscuits on the rare days that he didn't finish them all. Then, last week, I went to get an unopened bag of muesli off the shelf and they had chewed a hole in the bag. They had eaten most of my muesli.
During the week I started to notice mouse droppings. Every day there seemed to be more, many more. In more places. Then, the most horrific of all, I SMELLED MICE.
Yesterday the house was unusually quiet and I could hear them chewing into a pasta bag. They didn't even stop when I kicked at the shelf.
It was broad daylight !
How bold could they get?
I got out the baits I had bought. This was no longer a couple of innocent little mice. This was war.
No longer could I excuse them, no longer would their cuteness save them. I placed the bait. This morning there was mouse crap ON THE BAIT BOX.
Not much healthy reserve with this lot, was there?
I spent the day today tidying the admittedly disastrous dumping ground I call the laundry: moving stuff, binning stuff, washing stuff and vacuuming up mountains of mouse turds........GROSS!!
Obviously there have been more of the little buggers than I ever imagined. And they have been there for longer than I ever suspected.
There is still more to do but tonight, when they were once again boldly acting like they owned the place, I took great satisfaction in knowing that their days are numbered.
Thursday, 28 August 2008
Soul Food
Last weekend our church went away for a retreat. Being one of the rare times that I leave Sydney (actually, it was in the area of greater Sydney but felt like the country) it is certainly blog-worthy but I have been avoiding posting about it because it is sooo painful to upload photos. The process threatens to be even worse this week because we're on dial-up speed until the end of the month.
I decided that tonight was the night to post, I washed up, got the camera and settled down .......and the battery in the camera is flat. When a Salvation Army (my denomination) function suffers a glitch it is traditional to sing a song while someone works furiously to fix the problem........so let's have a song, will we?
And on to plan B: the text only version.
Last Friday I left work early to come home and get organised for a weekend away, it took me an hour & a half to get the four kids to shower, and some more hours to do the washing, pack the clothes etc.
Finally, we were ready. We detoured to my brother's place where we had a enormous and excellent chocolate cake in celebration of Dimples' 12th birthday and my niece's 3rd.
We drove an hour and arrived at the retreat just in time for the first official event of the weekend: a short introduction to the theme and supper.
Accomodation was in bunk-rooms, I shared with five other women all of whom were twenty or so years older than me. It was a delight to be the annoying "young" thing, last to sleep and last to wake, made me feel like a teenager or something.
We had three casual sermons over the weekend and there were a couple of unique prayer activities. Saturday afternoon was very chilled free time. We hung out chatting, reading newspapers, sleeping, playing cards ......and the truly idiotic jumped into the ice covered swimming pool. It's remarkable that humanity has spent so much effort in creating comfortable environs and people choose to swim in icy water. Beats me.
There was a rather large bonfire on Saturday night and I think that will become the iconic collective memory of the retreat.
I will remember the freezing temperatures, the afternoon sun of late winter, young people playing football, constantly available filter coffee ( a winner in my book), the blooming wattle and a bucket labelled "emu" where food scraps were collected for the resident birds.
I decided that tonight was the night to post, I washed up, got the camera and settled down .......and the battery in the camera is flat. When a Salvation Army (my denomination) function suffers a glitch it is traditional to sing a song while someone works furiously to fix the problem........so let's have a song, will we?
And on to plan B: the text only version.
Last Friday I left work early to come home and get organised for a weekend away, it took me an hour & a half to get the four kids to shower, and some more hours to do the washing, pack the clothes etc.
Finally, we were ready. We detoured to my brother's place where we had a enormous and excellent chocolate cake in celebration of Dimples' 12th birthday and my niece's 3rd.
We drove an hour and arrived at the retreat just in time for the first official event of the weekend: a short introduction to the theme and supper.
Accomodation was in bunk-rooms, I shared with five other women all of whom were twenty or so years older than me. It was a delight to be the annoying "young" thing, last to sleep and last to wake, made me feel like a teenager or something.
We had three casual sermons over the weekend and there were a couple of unique prayer activities. Saturday afternoon was very chilled free time. We hung out chatting, reading newspapers, sleeping, playing cards ......and the truly idiotic jumped into the ice covered swimming pool. It's remarkable that humanity has spent so much effort in creating comfortable environs and people choose to swim in icy water. Beats me.
There was a rather large bonfire on Saturday night and I think that will become the iconic collective memory of the retreat.
I will remember the freezing temperatures, the afternoon sun of late winter, young people playing football, constantly available filter coffee ( a winner in my book), the blooming wattle and a bucket labelled "emu" where food scraps were collected for the resident birds.
Wednesday, 20 August 2008
The List
When Peter posted this list, I just had to copy it! Do the same if you want and bold the stuff you've done.
01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said “I love you” and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s nappy
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten tipsy on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse of both the sun and moon
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states (8 in Australia, I've been to 7)
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had/Have amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Played touch football
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted a river
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”
83. Gotten flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in a Rocky Horror Picture Show
96. Raised children (half-way there!)
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
98. Passed out cold
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Touched a stingray
110. Broken someone’s heart (actually, you'd have to ask him)
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a TV game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept 30 hours in a 48 hour time frame
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. touched a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read “The Iliad”
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life
01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said “I love you” and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s nappy
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten tipsy on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse of both the sun and moon
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states (8 in Australia, I've been to 7)
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had/Have amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Played touch football
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted a river
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”
83. Gotten flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in a Rocky Horror Picture Show
96. Raised children (half-way there!)
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
98. Passed out cold
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Touched a stingray
110. Broken someone’s heart (actually, you'd have to ask him)
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a TV game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept 30 hours in a 48 hour time frame
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. touched a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read “The Iliad”
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life
Saturday, 9 August 2008
kylie needs:
Following my boring results from typing "Kylie needs" into google I thought I'd write my own list
kylie needs more patience
kylie needs a haircut
kylie needs an 8 day week
kylie needs coffee
kylie needs more banana bread
kylie needs to laugh
kylie needs chocolate
kylie needs to get some lunch for the young 'uns
kylie needs to take dvds back on time
kylie needs to stop blogging and vacuum the house
kylie needs more patience
kylie needs a haircut
kylie needs an 8 day week
kylie needs coffee
kylie needs more banana bread
kylie needs to laugh
kylie needs chocolate
kylie needs to get some lunch for the young 'uns
kylie needs to take dvds back on time
kylie needs to stop blogging and vacuum the house
Thursday, 7 August 2008
Today's post (don't you love the way I say "today's post" , as if I post everyday?) is just a bit of a ramble.
The great mystery of the day is that I could swear, no, I COULD SWEAR, bet my life in fact, that I posted a comment last night. I spent quite a while writing a comment in reply to one of Mark's and it's just NOT there.......
It's NOT there AT ALL???????
Adding to the mystery, the first time I looked tonight a comment from Robyn also appeared to have gone missing.
Then it came back.
Is there a time portal here that sucks me in and spits me out without my noticing??
Did I imagine some part of the process?
Did I imagine Robyn's comment and then it appeared? was it a prophetic dream? and if I'm going to have prophetic dreams could they be about something useful? Please?
Did I write the comment for Mark? did it not post? and I didn't notice?
Noooooo, I'd notice that.......
Wouldn't I?
I walked up the shop at lunch time today. I have worked in that place FIVE YEARS and never walked to the shop before. Driven, yes. Walked, nup.
I got a piece of banana bread. A big piece. Toasted . And Buttered.
YUM
That's the reason I walked up there. And it was worth every step.
Finally, I decided to check out what would happen if I googled "Kylie needs" a la INNER VOICES.
Very disappointing. Every single one refers to Kylie Minogue.
I can relate to one , though
Kylie needs a year off.
Wouldn't that be bliss??
The great mystery of the day is that I could swear, no, I COULD SWEAR, bet my life in fact, that I posted a comment last night. I spent quite a while writing a comment in reply to one of Mark's and it's just NOT there.......
It's NOT there AT ALL???????
Adding to the mystery, the first time I looked tonight a comment from Robyn also appeared to have gone missing.
Then it came back.
Is there a time portal here that sucks me in and spits me out without my noticing??
Did I imagine some part of the process?
Did I imagine Robyn's comment and then it appeared? was it a prophetic dream? and if I'm going to have prophetic dreams could they be about something useful? Please?
Did I write the comment for Mark? did it not post? and I didn't notice?
Noooooo, I'd notice that.......
Wouldn't I?
I walked up the shop at lunch time today. I have worked in that place FIVE YEARS and never walked to the shop before. Driven, yes. Walked, nup.
I got a piece of banana bread. A big piece. Toasted . And Buttered.
YUM
That's the reason I walked up there. And it was worth every step.
Finally, I decided to check out what would happen if I googled "Kylie needs" a la INNER VOICES.
Very disappointing. Every single one refers to Kylie Minogue.
I can relate to one , though
Kylie needs a year off.
Wouldn't that be bliss??
Saturday, 21 June 2008
My Memoir
There has been an inspiration drought in my corner of blogland this week so Cecile's tag has come at a good time.......
simply put I'm asked to write my memoir in six words
Madonna mother, household maid, bedroom whore ;)
simply put I'm asked to write my memoir in six words
Madonna mother, household maid, bedroom whore ;)
Monday, 7 January 2008
Unavoidable Truths
A friend of mine sent an email titled "Things you should know by now" and suggested that I pinch the idea for my blog. So I have.
Here is some of my accumulated wisdom:
Here is some of my accumulated wisdom:
- cheap ice cream isn't worth eating
- a man would never demand that a woman leave the toilet seat up
- women can kill cockroaches (and, in fact, should)
- you don't actually need to kill every bug that comes into the house
- life is too short for bad coffee
- small children will always make a grab for big earrings
- g-strings are the most uncomfortable garment invented
- lipstick makes your eyes look brighter
- a $10 000 handbag can't really be that much better than a $100 one
- really good chocolate is much more satisfying than the cheap stuff, so you eat less
- as soon as Mum gets on the phone a child will need to ask a question
- anybody over the age of about three who wets their pants is already humiliated enough. Don't make it worse.
- seedless watermelon costs twice as much and tastes half as good, what a crock
Friday, 7 December 2007
Random stuff
My thoughts for today are just a list of random stuff.
- The local school and therefore my girls, play in The PSSA touch football grand final today. My Tomboy got player of the match last week. You Go Girls!
- With the altered routine of the coming holidays I might have to reduce or even stop my blogging so don't be surprised if I disappear for a bit and be assured I'll be back.
- I was going to talk about my latest thoughts on the subject of God, wasn't I? I have'nt forgotten but with one thing and another it's taking a while (and my notes are at work, not exactly easily accessible)
- Oh yeah, and why oh why does my dearly beloved kill cockroaches and leave them in the sink for me to get rid of? I hate it.
OOLF: Fear is temporary but regret is forever.
Sunday, 7 October 2007
The Challenge
I email a buddy. The reply is clear, concise: “I’m impressed with your writing” then “YOU ARE WASTING AWAY INTELLECTUALLY. GET TO DOING SOMETHING”
I feel chastened, perhaps rightly. I know my brain is under used.
What do I do? I ask silently. How? You make it sound so easy, I think. My kids are still young, take time, work, care.
I wonder how I can develop an intellectual life. It would take time, time I need for chores, mothering, all the stuff that I can’t quite name but that is useful and important.
I’m nervous about this idea of “get to doing something”.
I'm not overly bothered by “wasting away intellectually” so does it really matter? If I regard my mind as a gift to be used, what is the best use for it? Do I have anything to contribute? And how about what I’m doing now, doesn’t that count for anything? There is room for improvement but generally speaking I like my internal life. While I might not be in top gear I had thought it was good enough to better my relationship with the world.
I feel chastened, perhaps rightly. I know my brain is under used.
What do I do? I ask silently. How? You make it sound so easy, I think. My kids are still young, take time, work, care.
I wonder how I can develop an intellectual life. It would take time, time I need for chores, mothering, all the stuff that I can’t quite name but that is useful and important.
I’m nervous about this idea of “get to doing something”.
I'm not overly bothered by “wasting away intellectually” so does it really matter? If I regard my mind as a gift to be used, what is the best use for it? Do I have anything to contribute? And how about what I’m doing now, doesn’t that count for anything? There is room for improvement but generally speaking I like my internal life. While I might not be in top gear I had thought it was good enough to better my relationship with the world.
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