MMM this year is just streaking by. A minute ago it feels like it was September and all the Christmas stuff was in the shops, a black man as President seemed like wishful thinking and there were jobs everywhere and we didn't have Global Financial Crisis. How soon it all changes.

A friend of mine wrote recently she 'loves that everything doesn't have to be perfect to have a great day'. WOW this is earth shatteringly brilliant. Yes we do not always have the most perfect lives...who does?

There is joy in the moment. This is always important to me and yet I forget it so easily. I become distracted by the imperfection, the dust build up from lack of vacuming... even lost in it...but then a friend, an angel, or a co-incidence happens that draws me back to that place when happiness resides...the moment.

Life is grand! Shit happens but then we have friends, family and joyous moments. I am busy marketing the Canberra International Music Festival at the moment., I know absolutely nothing about music except that I like stuff from the '80's and here I am working with quite amazing people who sacrifice a lot for their art, their passion. it inspires me. Who knows I may even come to appreciate somehting without a heavy guitar riff in the background...I am developing a passion for the cello.

I am really excited, I have some very busy months coming up...working 2 jobs, hosting a 21st, trying to stick to a diet, maybe even change my life a little. Most people I know have a very busy year full of life chagning events and opportunites. it all starts with living and finding joy in the moment.

January 25

Well it is the day before Australia Day and we should be doing something really really exciting...but we aren't!
I am bored and when I am bored I am naughty and destructive!
I could be painting the hallway...I love painting walls...but Henny Penny won't let me
I could be watching a movie...but No 1 Son is hogging the tele with his x box
I could be walking...but it is too too hot
I could be writing a grocery list...but I am too lazy...actually I may just go and do that
I could be playing my husband in scrabble but I get very competitive and just cannot bear to lose so I put down words just to hog the triple word score (not even good words)

I love my friends Friday favorites so to help myself get a little positive towards the coming week I am making a list of things I am grateful for.

I love that I was selected to put in a proposal to write a marketing and communications plan for the Australian Orangutan Project. Even if they don't choose my plan I am glad I was invited to submit.
I love my friends. I have a few and they are all exceptional people.
I love Ginny for her love of life! She is an inspiration for me. I have watched her allow her children to grow, blossom and develop and she revels in their company. It is a blessing to be around her and her energy filled delightful family.
I love my friend Crafty 'cause she is just so clever she can do anything and she empowers others to do the same.
I love my friend Scarpetta cause she is wise, flamboyant and always cries in movies
I love my friend Busy 'cause she never sits down and just works really hard for her family - cooking, cleaning, activities and she does it never grudgingly
I really admire a special girl called Del 'cause she is really gentle and it comes across in her blog and I especially love it that she loves her husband soooooooooo much. It is very cute.
I also admire one of Ginny's Girls Kirsty 'cause she is soooooo full of life fitting in so much while busy with a job and three small children. It is really exciting seeing young people with old fashioned values, seeking out simple fun...she too loves her husband soooooooooooo much it is inspiring!
I think I am really missing that time of life when although life was really busy with small kids we managed to pack so much in. Now that we work full time, it seems to take all your energy just to cook, clean without any added extras.
This year...even though I have 2 1/2 jobs for the first part of the year I am going to adopt some of those younger girls energy for projects and do stuff!
Did I mention Henny got into University to study art - primarily glass but I really hope he does painting as well ( it is easier to give a painting for a present than another piece of glass and our walls are bereft of art). So three students in our family and one full time worker (me)
The year ahead is exciting. 2009 is The Year Of Astronomy...I think shooting for the stars this year is my motto.
All the best to those losing weight...one day at a time. One good food choise at a time and we may just get there this year!

Happy Anniversare!

Henny and I have been in love for 24 years today about Midnight tonight! We have been living together for 23 years and 46 weeks of those 24 years and married for 17 of them.
I chose the best anniversary card for him with 2 chooks on the front. it is a Klimt painting. I wrote my own caption and said 'I am glad you are the rooster in my chookyard!' I really am your basic romantic! I did have two other captions...'I love you Henny Penny' and the other was...'You are a top cock' ( I only thought this one and didn't write it 'cause as we know after the 'f' word incident with Ginny that some people may have taken it the wrong way.
We have had some great news The Princess and the Gas Man have had their baby boy at 6.45pm last night he is 8.3 pounds or 3.8 kilograms and it 56cm long. They are very tall so I wouldn't have expected anything less. I am off to see him at 5pm today...can't wait. Scarpetta has already dropped off a pressie because that it how organised she is!
Well i always get soooooooooooo excited about New Year, not sure why but I guess because it is the beginning of perhaps the unknown.
Anyway as this new year rolls out, my hope for you and all of those you love is... that each day is filled with many rich blessings for you. That your eyes are always opened to the wonder that fills each new day. We really ARE blessed people! No matter how you look at it, we really have so much going for us all, especially as free people living in this most blessed country. We have so many choices ahead of us.
In 2009 let us live in love and joy and beauty and friendship and awe and wonder and delight in the extraordinary that is a part of our ordinary and keep celebrating the wondrous peace that fills our hope-filled lives.

Hurrah it's Saturday and my family gets home in five days from Italy on the morning of the 5th day. HURRAH! It has been a long couple of weeks. Kirsty I am in awe of you lasting 12 weeks.
I am a bit of a fraidy cat and so for the first few weeks of being on my own I felt the need to cook for others or be out and about.
The result is I am exhausted! and I have had some pretty appalling dinner guests but also some nice ones...and of course there was the awful problem of the dhal...
Last Sunday I had some mates over and thought I will whip up a quick Vindaloo. I was out there on the edge and just kept adding the chillies...how far could go? I did show a small amount of restraint and 5 dried chillies and 4 long green chillies later, I thought this it it!
And it was...hot but still able to be tasted and enjoyed.
What would I serve with the aforementioned Vindaloo...dhal I thought. Then, great idea No. 1.
I was in the city shopping and there was an Indian place...I would just buy a container of dhal to accompany the Vindaloo (minimal effort but maximum presentation value). When I inquired the chap said $10...ten bucks says I for a container of lentils that cost 50c to make...I was of course completely undervaluing the cost of his rent, staff and other overheads. No I said "I will make it myself".
I rang Scarfetta - the source of all information. 'Oh it only takes about an hour or so', says she. I chopped onions, rinsed lentils, added spices...All done in 30 minutes. "How good it this?" I say to myself. Dinner of course is a raging success (my words not theirs). I farewell my guests and clean up. (it sucks that you can't make guests clean and wash up...like you have put in a whole lot of effort!)
I clean up, go to bed, get up, go to work thinking about the nice plate of left overs for dinner that evening.
...4am in the morning after two consecutive nights of hot curry and dhal for dinner I HAVE THE WORST PAIN IN THE WORLD! OMG Are my ovaries going to explode? Do I have some cyst that has burst? How am I going to get to the hospital when I am all by myself. How will I notify my husband Henny all the way away in Italy. Am I going to die? Will I have to take the day off?
Well, I calm myself down and hobble to the kitchen and administer panadol. I decide to remain calm...alert but not alarmed. I take myself back to bed and give myself til 7ish before I head to the hospital.
About 5am I realise am not having quite the close brush with imminent death that I originally was anticipating... more like a brush with the foul and nasty gas generated by lentils that have not been correctly soaked to remove noxious gases.
it was nasty! Very nasty! Do not try this at home...and always soak your lentils and discard that noxious water. That is all I am going to say.

At Home in Life As It Is

When the idea of keeping a blog first came (thanks to Ginny) my plan was to keep a journal of my journey to being me. Maybe what I first forgot was that I am already me even with the bits I don't like.
After being someone's partner for 24 years on the 31 Dec, I felt I was losing a bit of myself. While my family are away (They are on a huge adventure 3 weeks in Italy - Just the boys...oh a one hanger one)I am going to do a bit of looking for me. I think sometimes I am very lazy and choose the path of least resistance. This is not good!
Today is the day! Discipline and a sunny outlook with a forward heading direction. I CAN make the difference in my own life! And walk up a hill (see already I am saying "Do I have to?", "Can't I just drive there?")
I actually do like being me, so that is a beginning. I was talking to the Princess yesterday, her and the Gas Man are having a baby very shortly (like in 2 weeks). Poor Princess was a bit distraught at leaving her job in the hands of someone else. The fact that they would do it their own way and maybe even do it a bit better than her. "But" I said "They may do your job more efficiently but they simply are not you!". When you think about it, when people love or like us they are looking for the good not the faults. isn't that nice...we are looking for the good!
It's Christmas!
I am so going Christmas shopping this afternoon.

Friday Faves

Now, I have been following my friends Friday Faves for weeks now and I did notice that their Friday Faves were late this week and I kept looking and looking...it had crept up on me. Their simple idea of finding 5 things that were adding joy and happiness and then blogging them is something I look forward to. I missed them when they weren't there.
Nb. They have since appeared.
How delightful to know what brings your friends joy and happiness and that a glass of iced water or a phone call from a Son who lives close by becomes a highlight.
Life is indeed grand!
I am reading this lovely Advent reflection guide. It is so good!
In one of the first reflections we read ' Feeling at home for Christmas is difficult if we don't feel home in life. Life turns out to be much more complex and challenging than we expect: illness and accidents, failures and broken hearts. Making it worse we may think something is wrong with us, as if life shouldn't be this way.'
Then it goes on to compare the differences between the Nativity stories in the two Gospels. Luke's version is the bright side of the story - singing angels, kneeling shepherds, the donkey and the ox. Matthew's Gospel is the adult version fraught with difficulty and danger, vulnerability and flight.
In this busy season, as we prepare singing 'Silent Night Holy Night All is Calm All is Bright' we can also be comforted in knowing that there is consolation for us in the two tellings of the gospel story. This original story relates to us where we are right now. A child is always a blessing! But we know sometimes the beginnings are not always so grand and so bright. Careful planning goes awry... it is our challenge to look and find the joy in the moment.
I am going to keep looking to find Friday Faves ( it is a nice surprise when they arrive early)

Christmas statistics
fruit mince pies 2
melting moment 1
choc coated almonds 6
exercise 0
I really must eat some vegetables

Exactly why I have to go to the gym

Christmas statistics
fruit mince tarts 1
peanut m&m's 7 handfuls
fruit 1