Life is good

I am excited today, because I have time to work on a project I am starting Monday.  It is a personal 12 week project, and has been a long time coming.  But now is the moment to begin, and the excitement bubbles in me as I prepare.

To get to this point there are so many people who have supported me and been there for me.  Some of these I have met, and some I may not have met in person, but they are net friends.  Each and every one of you has given me something precious.  Every person who pops by here and reads my ramblings brings me bubbles of joy and companionship on my journey. Thank you.

There are others, too, who share values and special friendships that transcend time, or distance.  There are some very, very special people in Europe who would be my friends in any Universe or place in the world.  And not just Europe.  Americans, and Canadians too own some of the real estate that is my heart.

Can’t forget my family – which is more of a tribe.  Whenever I look for my reason for being born, I just have to think of ANY of you, and I know.

2012 is my year to begin to fulfil some of my hopes and dreams.

I BELIEVE it is possible.

I BELIEVE it will happen.

Life is good.

Amazing moments in life “Miracles come in moments. Be ready and willing.” ~ Wayne Dyer

1. Holding hands
2. Waking up and find the scales are .5 of a kilo past your goal weight
3. Donating an entire wardrobe of larger sized clothes to charity stores
4. Hanging up a smaller size of clothing in the wardrobe, knowing it now fits perfectly
5. Finding amazing clothes on sale when you need them most
6. Unexpected moments that become your favourite memories
7. Answering the phone to hear a totally unexpected and much loved voice
8. Talking on the phone until 5 in the morning
9. Resting on someone’s chest, knowing you are safe and cherished
10. Taking long showers to wash away worries, AND letting them go.
11. Feeling as though you FINALLY belong somewhere
12. Deciding what you want to do with your life
13. Setting what seems like an impossible goal and beginning to believe you really will get there
14. Meeting someone who happens to change your life
15. Drinking a cup of tea and enjoying each sip
16. That wonderful feeling when you have pushed JUST that little bit further, running or with exercise
17. An unexpected letter that arrives at JUST the right time from someone amazing when you need it most
18. Knowing everything is going to be okay

What are your amazing moments?

Australia Day

It is nice to have a Public Holiday mid week not long after returning to work after Christmas.  This has enabled me to do all sorts of things:

• collect daughter’s warranty repaired laptop from the Apple store
• collect some stationery from Kikki K ( some to assist Geni in course planning and assignment tracking for this year and some for me – because I am addicted to stationery!)
• caught up on email
• slept in
• and now at 4.48pm I am thinking about breakfast.  Yes yes I know.  I have been up since 9am but somehow have managed to forget food, Ooops.  However I did get a 2 hour walk in and a kettlebell workout.

It has rained on and off ( more on than off) for the last three days with more predicted.  Northern NSW is a flood as is Queensland, and down the East Coast a bit, we get the run off.  I met up with friends after work yesterday and my conscientiously straigthened hair barometrically curled almost afro like.  URGHHHHH.  I should know better.  BUT I like straight hair!!!!

I have not made a pavlova or lamingtons, nor indeed am I hosting a street party of wrapping myself in the Aussie flag.  I am, instead, taking leisure for myself.

Both teens are attending Big Day Out so it is just me, and I am enjoying the peace and quiet.

 

Maggie’s Morning Thought

A Bit of This and That

After a week where I seemed to be moving somewhere, doing something or several things all day every day, the lazy Saturday start was a nice counter balance.

Lazy for me, means puttering about planning weekly menus, purchasing the fresh food I need for the first three days of the coming week, organising my vitamins and supplements so I do not have to plan and think, inputting exercise sessions into my calendar as appointments ( four 20 minutes session spread through each day – sometimes 5 if I include stretching/flexibility).  And then stop and read a few pages.

Geni worked in the afternoon and we decided to have a nice meal out at Hardeeps where I had lamb korma and Geni ate butter chicken.  Of course there was garlic naan and steamed rice.  I can honestly say that I ate a small amount of the  korma and the majority of it came home and sits now in the fridge, likely to be inhaled by Geni sometime today or tomorrow.

We followed this up with a movie.  We Bought a Zoo at the local cinema.  Geni was in tears in the sad places and in tears in the happy places.  and thought it was the best movie ever.  It certainly tugged at the heartstrings. It is a feel good movie and is based on a true story.  Although this movie is set in California, the real story took place in Dartmoor in UK.  The man who wrote the book and lived the story had a cameo in the movie with his daughter and son who still live at the zoo.  I find those bits interesting.

I can honestly say I enjoyed this more than Alvin and the Chipmunks, Chipwrecked ( which I saw with Miss Lizzie on Friday!!).

Maggie’s Morning Thoughts

Just before Christmas, each and every work morning, the first thing I did at work after logging into the network and opening email, was to send out to my entire work team ( plus a few add-ons scattered throughout the building and across the city) an email with Maggie’s Morning Thoughts in the subject line.

“Dwell not on the past. Use it to illustrate a point, then leave it behind. Nothing really matters except what you do now in this instant of time. From this moment onwards you can be an entirely different person, filled with love and understanding, ready with an outstretched hand, uplifted and positive in every thought and deed.” ~ Eileen Caddy

All this email contained was a positive and/or uplifting quote or image and quote.  The purpose was to reboot the way the people I work with approach each and every day in a small way.

Think about it.  How many have suffered through commuter traffic snarls to get there, or had a bickerfest with a grumpy non – morning – person child or partner before even getting out the door?

It cost me nothing.  And heavens – why NOT share?

“If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else.” ~ Booker T. Washington

I had been sending these for a week and a very very quiet colleague came p to me and told me she was printing these and pinning them up in her son’s room.

That touched me deeply.

When we reach out, we often don’t know how far these small gestures reach.  All it takes is a thought and then to follow through.  The key is the action that goes with the thought.

“It is never easy to keep reaching for dreams. Strength and courage can sometimes be lonely friends. but those who reach, walk in stardust.” ~ ANON

Can we change the world?  Yes.  I believe we can.  We start with ourself.  In changing ourself, this touches and impacts on the lives of everyone who comes in contact with us.  In turn that could touch on every life that touches every life… you get the picture.  The snowball effect.

Toe Update

My toe is sore (-) , but I can still walk with only the occasional twinge (+).

It is not swollen to the size of my big toe, therefore I believe it is not broken (+) just severely bruised.

Am I being a baby?   Maybe.  Just a bit!!  Yes, I know.  Suck it up and get on with it.  Worse things happen every day in the larger world, and of more import!

Everyone, please meet my “human” side that sometimes feels sorry for myself and is not always noble, or uplifting or inspiring.   And whines somewhat. Consider this my token sincere complaint for 2012.

My toe hurts!!!!!!!!  ( Thank you Miss Lizzie.)

Morning all!!

Ouch!!!!!!!!

Today saw Nan ( me ) meet Mummy and Miss Lizzie (5) at Mummy’s work.  I collected some sliced roast turkey breast, some wraps, some cabanossi, strawberries and watermelon.  Mummy went to work and Miss Lizzie and I headed across the road and waited for the bus to GG ( my mother, Lizzie’s Great grandma – all of 85 years old).  While waiting for the bus, while Miss Lizzie was practising her “shuffling” there was a fumble and Lizzie fumbled onto my toe.  With both feet and her full weight and tipped onto the side of her foot for emphasis in “saving” herself from falling.  Good save.  Luckily she didn’t knock over some poor unsuspecting passer by!  More on the toe later.

In no time we were there.  GG doesn’t get too many visitors during the day and she has become increasingly frail across the last couple of years, so although it was a long day for Lizzie.  Mum isn’t up to getting out and about these days.

Mum used her walking frame, Lizzie picked up a soccer ball, and we three girls, from very young to middle aged to frail aged, strolled across the road kicked the ball around for a while in the park I grew up opposite, and then while GG and I sat in the shade of a tree, Lizzie used the play equipment.  It has been a humid and hot last few days, so the breeze that blew up while we dallied in the park was lovely.

We made our way back to GG’s place, I made Lizzie a turkey wrap and some watermelon and strawberries for myself, and my toe started discolouring and hurting.  Every time I stood, or moved it ouched me.  The Ouch bit.

Lizzie, GG and I played Snakes and Ladders for several games.  GG and I lost it in uncontrollable giggles on more than one occasion.  Bless Little Miss Lizzie as she is so serious and sincere ( and like so many 5 year olds a stuffy know-it-all!)  and it tickled our senses.  We, of course, had to stifle our unseemly giggles to protect Miss Lizzie’s dignity. As I lost every single game, it  provided me the opportunity to underscore clearly for GG why I dislike Board Games.  I hate to lose and I have no luck.   So, I prefer not to play.

GG and Lizzie then played SNAP with a deck of cards.

Before we knew it and after being told “My mummy knows EVERYTHING!!” several times, it was time to decamp and head back into Town to meet mummy.

Oh that toe I mentioned before…..This was a day which cost little but we all caught some Vitamin D, a cooling breeze and showed GG she matters to us.

And my toe does hurt!!!!

Mecca for kiddliwinks

Ms Lizzie and I had a slow start yesterday.  Ms Lizzie has had a dicey tummy all week, so after her fantabulous sleepover with Nan ( me) and Geni ( aged 16), I allowed her to sleep until she woke naturally just before 9.  Breakfast was leftover cheese pizza for Lizzie.  I m grateful because I certainly don’t like pizza and hate waste, so when she ate her last 3 slices as a breakfast I was over the moon.

Geni slept on as she did not need to be up until 11ish ( her MacDonalds shift began at 12.)

While I showered, pottered with washing and packed Lizzie’s bag with snacks ( 2 wraps – one with cream cheese and one with turkey), half a sliced apple, a K time bar (rice bubbles with dried fruit with a base dipped in chocolate) a couple of caramello koalas Lizzie watched episodes of a series franchised as Lazy Town . The young girl with pink hair is energetic, dances all the time, eats fruit and vegetables and does the splits.  QUOTE: ( from 5 year old Ms Lizzie) : ~~~sigh~~~~  “I want to be 10. ” ~~~~~sigh~~~~~ “…so I can do the splits like Stephanie! ” (girl with pink hair in show).  Okay.  My reply: “That’s okay Lizzie.  Doing the splits takes time, persistence and practise.  And lets not forget CARE.  If you push too hard, too soon, you can hurt yourself.  So this is something you work at every day over time – like playing the piano!!”

We met Mummy and Amy at a little cafe in town where Mummy and I often have lunch during our work week.  Amy had been to Moonlight Cinema the evening before with her gal pals to see Dirty Dancing.  Pack a picnic, take a bottle of something to drink and your pals and a good time is had by all.  These girls, knowing the entire soundtrack sang along raucously at the top of their lungs to the amusement of everyone else attending.    Small note – Sydney during the summer months is a mecca for all outdoor things social.  We have been blessed with fabulous weather and a wonderful city.  The evenings are glorious and we all make the most of our each and every opportunity to get out and about.  January is traditional The Festival of Sydney so there are lots of events to choose from.

Not everything you do has to cost.  After lunch Amy Lizzie and I walked through town to Darling Harbour where we spent a wonderful handful of hours supervising Ms Lizzie at play with what seemed like a squillion kids.  The new playground is fantastic and much thought and care has gone into it’s construction.  We slathered on the sun screen, and I still caught the kiss of the sun.

We finished the afternoon with an icecream for Lizzie.  Amy and Lizzie caught a ferry home and I walked back into Town to catch a commuter train home.

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Winny the Dinosaur

Today Geni and I got up and ready and left the house at work o’clock, although we were not heading to work.  At Tess’ workplace we sipped a belated morning coffee while waiting for Tess and Ms Lizzie to arrive.  Which they did rather quickly.

In time for the 9.30am opening of the museum Geni Lizzie and I walked across Hyde Park – it was a pleasant morning stroll.  Towards the College Street side I was briefly stopped by a middle aged Canadian tourist who mistook a Moreton Bay Fig for a eucalypt of some sort.  Yes, well.  I put him right.  Happy to help.

Then it was down the sandstone steps almost as old as Sydney itself and into the Australian Museum building.  The general admission charges were reasonable and gave us all access to the collections, and special events or exhibitions were extra.  The Winny the Dinosaur talk at 11am was an extra $5 per person.    In all we wandered all floors, thoroughly engaged and involved and enjoyed the live show which even engaged and involved little ones.

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Lunch followed and the long train trip home.  Geni Lizzie and I had a relaxed and fun afternoon and evening. Please see Geni’s image below.  This is Geni wearing every single piece of Lizzie’s clothing.  Interesting.

Lizzie is sleeping over this evening and we ordered in pizza.  Both girls had their favourite type with plenty left over for snacks and whenevers. Lizzie chatted by phone with her mum, dad and little sister, watched NCIS ( I must pass down my addiction to this show to the next generation of girls!!) and she is now sleeping.

I loved today.

I did.