I'm Spoilt

I've got some awesome presents this month. I haven't really had time to take it all in before now. Everyone seems to have left town now and I am home and have the house to myself so I have been noticing how spoilt I've been.

My kids gave me a pile of my favourite DVDs as well as aromatherapy treats, new headphones for my much loved and used ipod and a great photo file. My dear brother has delighted me in many ways by giving me a beautifully framed family photo taken at his wedding last year. I treasure it. He has also given me a stack of great music, which is an annual treat from him. I have been enjoying them for the past couple of days. He also got me a grill as my family has a Kris kindle type thing with the grownups. My parents gave me quite a few great gifts, as they always do, it's cause I still believe in Santa and I'm a very good girl, but my favourite is the crisp white sheets. I love white sheets, especially new ones!

This month of December, with my birthday as well I have been literally showered with great presents from all my friends. The kinds of things I really wanted too. The kids at school spoilt me as well on their last days with very generous pressies.

Tonight Andy has surprised me with a belated gift and I am gobsmacked. I love astrology, yet most people in my life don't seem to recognise that. Not sure why that is, anyway he has given me a Jonathon Cainer subscription for the next year and I am over the moon about it.

Home for Christmas

I arrived home this afternoon. My house is beautifully clean and looking good. My son and mum have looked after it well whilst I've been away. My family (most brothers, sister, kids and parents) had their Christmas lunch on the weekend. I missed it! I feel relieved that I don't have to do a big family Christmas tomorrow - I'm so tired.

My kids are at their dads until lunchtime tomorrow. I am going to the parents tomorrow morning for breakfast and to open the pile of remaining presents left under the tree for me. I saw this postcard on Post Secret and felt pretty sad for this lady. I remember when my kids were younger, it was a bit of a struggle to celebrate without them, or even to know my ex had to when I had them. I never had to cry alone though, so I feel very blessed. My family were always there to support me.

I remember when I worked in an Early Adolescent Unit for a couple of years I found Christmas pretty heartbreaking to be with children who had no parent present and felt it deeply. Reading this post on Imaginif: We are not victims we are survivors reminded me about that. I cried a lot those Christmas's about the injustice of a world that could go on oblivious to some. I found advertising and materialism quite painful to tolerate.

My Christmas this year possibly sounds pretty sad doesn't it - NOT! It's bliss to me. I have always wanted to be an only child and as I left mum and dad's tonight after being well fed on the pseudo Christmas day lunch leftovers tonight, I informed them that this was the perfect Christmas for me! I insist on having all their attention and I am glad I will be the only one there. It is very noisy and demanding being the oldest of six kids and this will be the Christmas morning of my dreams. I won't have to wait for anyone to arrive, just me. I won't have to wait my turn to speak, or any of that sharing stuff. I will finally be the centre of the Christmas Day! Dad reminded me that I have had that experience once before, being born first. As I don't clearly remember it (I was 23 days old and my brother was there the year after), it doesn't count!

Asha's Birthday and The Camels Hump

Asha has had a great birthday. I have just got off the phone to her. It's weird not seeing her on the day. I enjoyed the afternoon I spent with her yesterday. I have taught her well about birthdays and hers is being spread over a couple of days. Today, on the day, she has spent with her boyfriend and close mates enjoying a variety of pleasures. Her boyfriend filled a room with ballons to 'wrap' her gift. She had fun with that! Tomorrow night she is having a party with her friends.

She works at a new coffee shop, whilst attending Uni. I called in after we went for dinner last night, with the intention of meeting and thanking her boss and co-worker for the great care they take of her. She often talks about the lovely things they have done for her. They have been very sweet to her whilst she has been working there and it's reassuring for me when she lives away.


She did describe how good it was to me, but to be honest I was expecting some kind of trendy place that wouldn't really appeal to me. I have to share with you all the ambience, coffee and cake of this place! Where do I start?


The atmosphere is warm and very comfortable and cosy. Soft lighting, variety of fabrics and textures and all with a rosy glow and clean. I immediately wanted all my closest dearest friends to be with us and to spend a few hours there kicking back. It has comfy couches with cushions. It feels very much like home with the secluded partitioned spaces to nestle into. A home where someone else would be bringing the coffee and doing the dishes!


On arrival, the water and chocolate covered coffee beans were enough to indicate this was going to be a delicious and well thought out experience. There was a slight hint of lemon and orange juice in the water, it refreshed my mouth in preparation for what was to come. It was the right temperature too, I dislike chilly water.


The cake I had, 'Sultan's Citrus Tart', was great. I wanted to bring some home for Rhonda. It is our favourite so I have many to compere it with, and can be ordered in the slim version, which was abundance for me. It melted in my mouth, the presentation was attractive and it was just yummy.


The coffee I have saved for last because it was just the best coffee. It was perfect coffee. It was pretty and the crockery was cool. My mouth felt at ease after I had finished, apart from the desire for more. I had the Jamacian Blue Mountain, as recommended by my previously non coffee drinking daughter.


So apart from being really good people who work there, which is usually enough for me, everything else rises to the occasion to make it something out of the ordinary and wonderful. I wish it was around the corner, yet the 2 hour drive will probably save me from gaining a lot of weight. I don't think I will ever be able to drive past it again, without stopping for some more of that. I intend to work my way through the menu!


Some others who are not related to the waitress have reviewed it, so I will add the links for those who suspect my alliegances:


IronEaters:The Camels Hump
My Journey: Camel Hump

The Camels Hump Website (has details of menu and how to find it, when it's open etc)

Happy and Tired

It's been very busy at school. I have farewelled my much loved year 9 students. They head off to the senior campus next year. I was immensely touched by the warm good-byes I received from the students and their families. They are amazing young people and the future looks bright for all of us if it's in their hands.
Today we had the last school day for the year 7's and 8's and it was typically energetic. After last nights events with the year 9's graduation mass and social, tonight I had a farewell dinner for two wonderful women who are retiring from teaching. If it had been anything less than such an important occasion I would have 'wagged'.
So now I am feeling quite exhausted but immensely satisfied with my working year. I have another week of attending work to get through, yet without students, it tends to be less demanding.

My Birthday Wish List For Sunday

I'm taking a break from my report writing to indulge my wishes for Sunday's big 42nd Birthday!! For my birthday this year, apart from world peace, I want these things in the year ahead.
Good health and love of my family and friends and to make the time to enjoy their company, especially my wonderful son, who will be completing the last year of school.
A home with less clutter and more laughter. I have lots of home projects planned and hope I can see them through. I want it easy to clean and rearrange as this is a favourite past time of mine.
To be more conscious, considerate and present with others. My family, my friends, co-workers, the wonderful students I get to teach would all benefit from this one as well as my own peace of mind.
To exercise daily, eat fresh, delicious, healthy food and drink plenty of water. To continue regular chiropractic and massage appointments because they bring ease to my life. To give massages with my newly learnt skill to my family and friends.
Good books to read, good films to watch, music to listen to and trips to new places. To take great photo's of the people and places I get to see. I want to learn how to use Flash this year. I want to write and make clips that give satisfaction and pleasure.
To give my best in all areas of my life.
To be grateful EVERY day and not just those occasions I remember.

That's plenty of wishes. This last year I've experienced lots of changes in my life. Some were very unwanted, yet out of my hands. I have achieved a few things I'm pleased with. I've learnt some great lessons and improved areas of my life as a result.
I'm not entirely looking forward to my birthday, as there will be a couple of precious people missing. I want to accept that graciously and enjoy the ones who have stayed.

Who Do Teens Admire?

This week in my year 9 English class, students were delivering prepared oral presentations on the subject "A Person I Admire". I love this assignment. Every year, I have been delighted as students have usually prepared well and revealed the heroes in their lives.

Most years there are a couple of 'celebrity' heroes and they have predominantly been sporting and entertainment heroes until this year. I was delighted with the 'famous' heroes chosen this year, social activists, business people doing extraordinary things and courageous survivors were the only 'personally unknowns' in the speeches. This is really important to me because I feel young people need real role models. Role models that are worthy of their admiration and worth imitating.

Most students select a family member. Grandparents, mothers, fathers, aunts, brothers and sisters are all the people most looked up to by teenagers over the 6 years I have been teaching year 9 English. The love and gratitude the teenagers express in these speeches are precious. Whenever I can, I let parents know this because I wonder if they realise how much their young person appreciates and respects them.Usually they are surprised.

Tears came to my eyes in class a few times whilst listening to the speeches as they were so touching. As I looked around the room, some of the students were feeling similarly moved. I felt proud this class has created such a safe learning environment that they can share their passions and express their emotions within it. It feels human to me.

Mum's Cooking

The cool change has made us all tired and hungry. This morning at work people were ravenous and heading off to all directions to chow down. I ate lunch about an hour early myself. I'm sure the chocolate fundraiser sales in the staff room went through the roof.


My wonderful mum is cooking at my place lately because they are having their kitchen renovated. Tonight she made a roast and I arrived home from work to the divine smell of roasting meat and veges. It was heavenly.

There is just nothing like your mum's cooking. My son refuses to eat potatoes, yet will eat my mum's, even mashed! On occasion I have managed to get a roasted potato into him, but never a mashed one. I am his mum, so I wonder if he will ever come to relish my cooking as much. To be honest, as a kid I didn't appreciate the goodness of it.

The tradespeople were coming this morning to install it, so long as it wasn't raining. When I woke up today and saw the rain, I must admit I thought, the delay to their new kitchen would mean more of mum's cooking for me. Selfish aren't I? It wasn't wet enough though, so they went ahead. I'd say by the weekend this lovely time of having dinner cooked for me each night will be over!

Anyone else need to use a kitchen whilst they renovate theirs? I don't eat much.

Namowrimo Abandoned for Beach

I concede defeat. If you look at my stats, there is very little hope for me. Last year I predicted my inability to do it and didn't try, this year I am quite willingly surrendering. It must have been beginners luck the first year and I feel doubly successful in my original effort now that I appreciate what it must have taken. I take my hat off to all those who are soldiering on with it and will now be a supporter from the sidelines.

My weekend went in directions I didn't expect. I was too leisurely on Saturday, although thank goodness I did clean my house! Often I put that off till Sunday as well. I enjoyed it all very much though and feel no regret for the price I have paid.

On Sunday after his work, my son suggested we get out of the house and go to the beach. So we did. He brought a couple of friends and Rhonda called and decided to join us. We took our work with us, study, unfinished essays, corrections were all packed up and away we went. Driving there, about an hour away from home, the sky was dark and rain spits were disheartening on the windscreen. Rhonda in her car was thinking I was mad.

We arrived at the beach, whilst most were packing up to leave we enjoyed a couple of hours of swimming and lying in the gentle afternoon sun. It had been hot and muggy at home, yet was clear and still warm on the sand. The sea was refreshing and I enjoyed playing in the chilly waves. We then went into town and the six of us ordered a variety of yummy food and sat out on the street table and satisfied our after swimming appetites, tasting all the variety and laughing a lot. The sun was setting as we drove home and the world was beautiful. As we came through the hills the air smelt of eucalyptus's and the thunder storm we could see ahead.

It did my spirit good. I'll write the novel another day. Now I need to get moving for the busiest time of my year. Corrections, report-writing, Christmas shopping and mega birthdays (including my own!) all loom in the next month. This time next month I will be in WA with Jane, so I need to be effective in my actions and letting go of NaNoWriMo is the first step.

Links to Great Online Posts

I've read some really inspiring and uplifting blog posts this week that I'd like to share. It's a good place for me to store them too I might add, I'm fairly confident I'll want to reread them.


Christine Kane: 9 Irresistible Reasons to Go Complaint-Free Starting Right Now
Christine Kane's blog is usually a great read and one of my favourites. Going complaint free seems like a very positive way to make a major change in your life. It sounds simple but I'll let you know how I go!


Ruth Ostrow: Seek Your Own Fez House
This is just the kind of inspiring story I love. It involves renovating and exotic locations and throwing caution to the wind.


Craig Harper: The Choices We Make When We Choose Nothing
Another great reminder from Craig Harper about being proactive in our lives. He makes me laugh, even when I intensely dislike the truth he is telling.


Duncan's TVAdland: Dove Boy Meets Amy
I love these Dove Self-Esteem fund clips and this latest one is simple, yet beautiful.

Today I am Grateful for my Grandparents

Tomorrow it will be two months since Pa left the planet. I visited his wife this week because she had a birthday and I wanted to be there for her at such a difficult time. She's a wonderful person. She cared for him so well and misses him too.

After my Nana went in 1999, my pa remarried at 80. He had such a positive loving relationship with Nana, I don't think he would have known how to live alone. The year he was alone was terribly sad. It was great to see him setting off on adventures again with a companion to care for him. He was a big traveller.

Today I have been thinking how lucky I have been to have a grandfather, that I enjoyed being with, until I was 41. I lost my Nana when I was 34. They were both really important loving forces in my life. I lived with them (and my parents and Auntie) for the first 5 years of my life. Pa used to say to my boyfriends, "She's a wonderful girl, bit spoilt though!". He should know, they were the one who couldn't let me cry as a baby so my parents tell me and endless other kindnesses in the years to follow.

When my daughter was two months old, my husband and I moved in with Nana and Pa for some months whilst we looked for a house. Nana had just had a hip replacement operation, so I cooked for Pa and helped out whilst she was on the mend. It was a beautiful time of my adulthood and I cried when we moved. Everyone was astonished thinking I'd be delighted to be buying my first home, but I didn't want to leave their warm and loving home.


My children were old enough to know both of them and loved them as I did. I think we were incredibly lucky.

They were really there for me for such a long time. I remember as a child asking my Nana to promise me she would never die. She never would make that promise. She reassured me telling me I would be fine when it happened, I would be ready. I wasn't, but I can't complain how long they stayed nor the quality of their presence in my life.

I like this New Moon!

Today has been great for me! It's a good start to the lunar month I must say.
I have received another gorgeous, hand picked from the garden, bunch of tulips. They are multi-coloured and absolutely lovely. This time the student was brave enough to bring them to the office for me himself and coped very well with all the extra attention he got for being so thoughtful.
Two tulips have bloomed in my own little Andy planted patch.
My best friend Rhonda has brought in piles of chocolates every day because her son sent her a large box. He's working in a chocolate factory.
Tonight I had my monthly massage and I was intending making it every 6 weeks to save money. It was so divine, I spontaneously booked another for 4 weeks from today! Surely there is something else I could go without :-)

Anita Roddick - Thanks for a Life of Service

I am deeply saddened to hear that Anita Roddick has passed away.If you are not familiar with her great deeds this wikipedia article is a good starting point. When I began my first business at 20, I bought a copy of 'Body and Soul' and it became like a bible to me. I have also read and reread 'A Revolution in Kindness' and 'Business as Unusual'. She was such an inspiration to me. The world is truly a better place for her being in it. I am grateful to her, for all the examples she set. I wish her family and friends my condolences.

I Can Be Nice!

I have received my first award. Thanks Kim from Laketrees! I understand I can pass this award on to others now, yet I will need to think about it on the weekend as life is a little pear shaped for me right now. I appreciate this though and just quickly wanted to mention it.

Lost and Found Women

While I was cooking dinner this evening, the phone rang. I nearly didn't answer it, expecting a telemarketer! I couldn't resist. It was my long lost friend Ronece. I was speechless with delight, for about two seconds. We have just enjoyed a long chat on the phone, catching up on over 5 years that we haven't been in touch. Our children have grown, my career has changed, I live in a different town, but we picked up as though it were back in the day when we chatted at least every other day.
Great Women Friends
When I got off the phone, I was on it for a couple of hours, I reflected on how blessed I have been to have such awesome women friends. I don't really mention them on my blog much because I feel it would be invading their privacy somehow. I want to mention them tonight though because I appreciate them all.
Old Friends
Some have been around for a long time, like Jane who I met when we were 6 years old. Wilma has been around for a long while also. I met her in my first year at Monash Gippsland. Neither of us finished our degrees at that time, but we did go on to have a business or two together in soft furnishings and we're still in touch. She introduced me to Dallis and Shirley and many other great friends.
New Friends
Rhonda is like a twin soul. We were born on the same day, yet a year apart. We have the same middle name! We work together and see each other every day. It's such fun! She is currently injured and at home for the week, but I will be popping in to see her each day. She was such a treasure to me over the past hard weeks with the flu and the loss of pa. We share our daily ups and downs and amazingly are often feeling exactly the same way about all kinds of things.
Work Friends
Having had over 20 jobs since I left school, I have enjoyed some great friendships with people I've worked with Maureen, Jenny, Sonia and Wilma have been fabulous mentors as well as friends. I catch up with them all, although not as often as before and enjoy their company. I have learnt so much from each of them. I currently have a great bunch of women I work with. Too many to name! It's another thing I really value about my job.
Great Friends I rarely see
I was so close with Rene when I lived in Harkaway. She is a beautiful and amazing woman who brought such a delicious presence to my life. We had great times and excursions with our kids and her large and wonderful family provided a haven for me when I was missing mine.
I had a great road trip with Lisa to Queensland and her gentle and generous nature tolerated me through the journey.
Lost Friends but not forgotten Friends
I learnt heaps from Bronwyn and she supported me through some painful growth times in my life.
I had some great friends at school. Kim was one I have never caught up with again, but would love to hear from. We had some times together!

Thanks And Sorry
Writing a post like this worries me as there are probably people I am leaving out. Sorry if I have. I feel immensely blessed by the all the great women I've had and have as friends. Bronwyn once said to me that your friends are your family of choice. I liked that and am happy with my choices.
I also have a lot of great male friends, but tonight it's about the girls.

Mr Wong Delivers Prize

I got my black nano iPod today. It's 8 GB! I am thrilled with it. It's my first iPod. I have been happily listening to Kate Bush today among others. Thanks Mister Wong. In case you missed my previous post, Mister Wong is a new bookmarking tool that began in Europe and has recently launched in English speaking countries. I was invited to beta test and won this iPod as a result.

Back to Living

Re-establishing Order
It's been a pretty demanding week, yet I am blessed with another day's grace from facing work. We have a mid-year break long weekend. Today I get my home in order! It's ridiculously messy and chaotic. I have been coming and going for almost a week. So many family members have been at my parents home and so I have spent most of my time there.
Little Incident
We had a thief in the early hours of Wednesday morning, last week. I disturbed him/her because I was sleepless and stepped out my front door and noticed the light on in my car. I panicked, rushed back into the house and locked the front door. I lay in bed really still hoping I was wrong. Pathetic reaction I know. When I told the men in my life the next day, they dismissed it as a reflection. With all the chaos, Andy didn't notice until Saturday that his good camera had disappeared from his car. He phoned the police, who came around and took a statement. An hour later they phoned to say they had the camera and had caught the culprit. Great result.
Pa
There is so much to say one day about my amazing grandfather. I am bursting with gratitude right in this moment for having been blessed with such a role model and loving person in my life. Other moments I feel crushed and just want to pop over and visit him one more time.
Support
I have received so much support and love from others. Visits, flowers, chocolates, consoling books, phone calls and a most wonderful card from my students. The card had a loving message from each kid in my class and I can't find words to express how much that meant to me. I knew I had an awesome group this year and they just keep proving me right.
Raining Challenges
When I look back on the last two weeks, I feel strong. Apart from the shattering loss of Pa, I've had gastro/flu, a theft, we had a fire at our school and the art rooms burnt down last weekend (not that I was too helpful as I've been so absent lately) and numerous small incidents that occur when large families gather, yet it's over now and I am ready to return to living.

I'll leave you with this quote from my Pa that captures his essence brilliantly. He said this at my cousins wedding in his speech a couple of years ago:

"It doesn't matter what wealth or worldly goods you accumulate in this life, the most important asset you will ever acquire is your family"

Cyril Lyons 2005

Back Soon

My pa died on Wednesday 14th. I loved him so much and feel so blessed to have had him in my life. My large and wonderful family and awesome friends are spending time together crying and laughing and remembering all that we loved. I feel loved, supported and devastated all in waves. The funeral is tomorrow. That's all I can say for now.

Cow Poo

In 1983 when I was doing year 12 or the HSC as it was called in Victoria then, we were studying a theme of 'The Future'. Interestingly many of the books I read at that time and things I learnt have had big impacts on my life. We had to write an essay on what would happen if the oil ran out. One of my friends came up with what I thought was an amusing story about using methane gas from cow poo. We all cracked up and thought this was an amazing joke. I saw this a couple of months ago and wondered whether Greg was perhaps just a bit ahead of his time.
inhabitat: Poo Power:Could Cow Poo Power Your Home?



Snoskred recently wrote a very informative post on cows also, which reminded me of this Habitat article I'd saved. She asks "Everybody Loves Cows, Don't They?" Well here's yet another reason to be grateful for all that cows can offer the world. Read the comments as there are lots of interesting links.

Mister Wong Winner

I won an iPod! I am astounded. It has been quite a while since I've won any kind of random thing, like a raffle or such. I want to play with the toy I've won.

Mister Wong is a new social bookmarking site that originated in Germany. I received my invite to beta test, I was curious to see how something that started in a different part of the world, worked. It's also available in Russian and Chinese.

I have found it easy to use and thought it would be useful as an online backup for my ever-expanding and cluttered bookmarks. After uploading them, I deleted a pile that I rarely use, yet couldn't bear to lose track of since I knew I would need them once I did.

There has been some controversy about the name and stereotype evoked by the use of the name, yet it seems to have been addressed. Mashable wrote a review of the site last month: Mister Wong Launches Social Networking Tools in US, so if you want to learn more about Mister Wong, read it.

In the meantime I'm feeling quite grateful.

Thanks J K Rowling

I have finally completed the latest Harry Potter. I guess it has only been a week, yet it was really burning a hole in my attention span so to speak. I kept wanting to read it and attempting to steal time from other activities. I had a delightful surprise this week at school when a friend put her copy (she had finished it) on my desk with a block of chocolate after hearing me complain about sharing with my son. He finished the same day! So I had a copy at home and at school and slotted in reading in every spare moment.
I was totally satisfied with the conclusion to the story and am very grateful to J.K. Rowling for the many hours of pleasure she has given me and my loved ones. We have all read it now and can discuss how it ended. It is the general consensus in my family that we are satisfied with how it ended up.