I Need My Sunnies

As I write, there are only 8 sleeps until my baby leaves.  7 mornings of waking up and going and looking at her sleeping because next Sunday I doubt she will be asleep when I get up - I doubt I'll get much sleep but hey, I'll have the whole day to sleep when we get home from dropping her at the airport.  She has to be there at 5.30am so we will probably have to leave home by about 4.10am.  There is a late GC Suns game on the night before so I imagine it will be close to midnight by the time we get to bed and then we will have to be up before 4am in order to get dressed, get the car packed and get going.

I know that I am thankful for my sunnies because they have already saved me some embarrassment when driving along while crying !  On my way to work the other morning, after I had heard when she was leaving, I was busy telling A and he said "Geez, it's getting close isn't it ?" and there was nothing I could say because I was already crying !!  And, I'm sure, that they will come in very handy over the next couple of weeks for the exact same reason.

I know that I am thankful for this fantastic opportunity that she has to live in another country and experience a way of life, and weather, completely different to anything she has ever experienced before.

I know that I am thankful that I will have the Learn To Run program to concentrate on which will help to take my mind off wondering what she is getting up to although I doubt there is anything that I can do that will stop me missing her.

A, later than I'd like, link up with Sarah from Creating Contentment for Thankful Thursday and Ann from Help! I'm Stuck for Thing I Know.

Have the best weekend and take care !

TFTD :  Sometimes people come into your life, not to love you, but to help you realise that you are worth loving.

Why I Blog

Firstly, I want to apologise to the lovely ladies who left comments on my last post (which was over 6 weeks ago - where does the time go to ???????????), who kept on coming back to check up on me and couldn't see their comments.  They hadn't been published because apparently there is a setting that says I need to publish them if they are over so many days since the blog post was published (need to change that quick smart !!)

Secondly, I was tagged by Lydia C Lee over at Where The Wild Things Were to write about'Why I Write' which I did change to 'Why I Blog' mainly because I don't really see myself as a writer - in fact I know that I have no imagination to write anything other than the truth !!!

Why Do I Write What I Write ?

I started blogging back in the day when blogs weren't even cool to have a blog in April 2005.  I 'met' some lovely ladies and we were, generally, all on a weight loss journey.  Then FB came along and some moved to FB, some stopped blogging and I had a break.

Then I started blogging again and, again, it was a weight loss blog.  Then it turned into a healthy living blog. Then it turned into a running blog.  Then it turned into a coping with menopause blog.  Of late it's been a very quiet blog.  I have signed up with Operation Move for their 'Learn to Run' program - not because I can't run because I used to run and run, a lot.  But I need the motivation to get running again.  For too long I have had a lot of excuses but August will see me say goodbye to my baby and I need something to take my mind off her leaving.

The MAIN reason that I write what I write is that I hope that I will be able to help others, even just one person, to know that they are not alone in whatever challenges they are facing.  I have faced weight challenges time after time - the ups and downs of losing and gaining weight.  I have faced running challenges.  I was absolutely ecstatic to read on FB that when I was running, I inspired someone else to run and she now runs marathons - that really blew my mind !  I have faced health challenges - and anyone who has been or is going through menopause - will know exactly what I am talking about - so if I can share my story and it helps someone else, my writing has accomplished what I set out to do.

How Does My Writing Differ From Others ?

Well, I definitely don't fall into the category of 'Mummy Bloggers' - and I loathe that term but don't know what else to call them.  I am waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay older than most of them.  I don't share recipes or any type of craft.  I guess this is more just a way for me to document what I have achieved - or not - depending on what stage I'm at.  I suppose there are a few of us 'oldies' (and I use that term in the nicest possible way now that I am getting up there !!!!) who really just blog about life.

What Am I Working On ?

Well, other than this particular post, nothing !!  I don't plan my blog posts.  Most times I have no idea what I am going to blog about - it's a case of, 'OK - I've got 20mins - what can I write about' - especially when I am not really focusing on anything in particular in my life.  Currently I am doing the I Quit Sugar program and feeling heaps better for it although I have had the odd slip up and haven't followed their menu plan exactly.  I have enjoyed some of the food I have tried but I haven't tried every single dish on the menu plan.  And, from August, I will be working on my exercise / running so hopefully I will get some posts out of that.

I am going to ask for a watch that will track my pace, distance etc for my birthday next week - not sure whether I will be asking too late because my birthday present may already have been bought.  Oh well, it will then be a case of driving around to work out distances.  The one challenging thing in this program is going to be the hills - where we used to live, it was flat - like absolutely no hills other than the little bridges over the canals flat - where we now live, it is hilly - like every where you turn, there's another hill.  Am I ready for that - I don't know - we'll see next month when I start !

And now, to pass this on to two other amazing bloggers - I nominate Jules from The Bumpiest Path.  I can't even remember how I 'met' Jules but she is one amazing lady who, not only looks after her own children, but fosters children and recently started to foster Baby Bella who was only 5 days old.  She is selfless in her actions and, you can see, that she would do anything for 'her' children.  They are truly blessed to have her looking after them.  I nominate Chris from Diet Coke Rocks who is in the same age category as me and blogs about her family and her sewing - she sews the most amazing quilts and blankets and pretty much anything that can be made with fabric and a sewing machine.

This is going to be a double link up post - with Sarah from Creating Contentment for Thankful Thursday and with Ann from Help ! I'm Stuck for Things I Know - basically because this post covers both !!!  I am thankful for being tagged by Lydia - it was the prod I needed to get blogging and it's what I know about why I blog !!!

Have the best weekend !!!  I have a weekend full of pulling weeks to look forward to - yay .............. not !!!

TFTD :  What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived.  It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead - Nelson Mandela

Thankful Thursday

Thankful Thursday - it's such a long time ago since I wrote a TT post that I'm going to have to have a look around tomorrow to check whether Rhianna is still hosting or whether someone else has taken over !!!!!! (Yes, Rhianna is still hosting - here)

This week I am thankful for :

- signing for the roof over our deck

- only having to wait 2-3 weeks for delivery (although technically this won't happen as A is going to Mackay for a month and we have to take the roof down off the small veranda so it will have to wait until the weekend after he gets home for them to install)

- cooler weather

- spending time with K before she leaves for Chicago given she is going to be house sitting for a friend for a month between now and when she leaves

Have you joined in for Thankful Thursday ?  You know you have lots to be thankful for.

Have the best day !

TFTD :  It's not a daily increase, but a daily decrease.  Eliminate the inessentials.

#100happydays

This week I have so much to be thankful for - and happy about.  Since starting #100happydays on 1st April, I have found so many things that make me happy during the day - even on the cr*p days.  This challenge has shown me that there is definitely happiness to be found during the day every day of the week - no matter how bad things seem to be.

These are my #100happyday photos from the past week :

Day 3 - tickets to John Edward 

(I love this man and his ability)

Day 4  -sunrise in the loungeroom

Day 5 - a winning scoreline at 3/4 time

that grew by the end of the game

Day 6 - seeing someone use a quilt I made

as the evenings get a little chilly

Day 7 - after a few really bad nights of sleep,

my bed never looked this good !

Day 8 - not having to cook - YAY !!!

Day 9 - sitting on the swing chair on the deck

watching K on the ride on

Linking up with Rhianna for Thankful Thursday and so glad that my work is almost done as I go on leave for two works tomorrow.

Have the best Thursday EVER !!!

What are you thankful for this week 

or 

what has made you happy ?

TFTD :  When it comes to choices and change, always do a gut check.  What do YOU want to do ?  What would make YOU feel joy, passion, healthy or on the right path ?  Do that.  No other opinions are needed.

Thankful Thursday

It's been a while since I joined in with Rhianna forThankful Thursday, not because I haven't been thankful but because I haven't really had the time.  Who knew moving would be so exhausting and take so long ?  Who knew that we would have to get rid of some of the stuff that we moved because there is just not enough room for everything - especially 'stuff' we don't use and are keeping for 'just in case'.  And for this I am thankful, truly, because we have been able to get rid of stuff based on space available so things we were keeping 'just because' have had to be culled.  This is a good thing !

Anyway, this week I am thankful that K was accepted into the Au Pair program that she applied to and has already had one family make contact as they are interested in hiring her to look after their children.

While I will miss her dreadfully when she is gone, I am thankful for the great opportunities this will expose her to and the different cultures she will learn about.   I am thankful that she will get to experience a completely different way of life (I just hope she will be happy to come home to our little humble abode given the house she will be living in if this family decides they would like her to look after their children - a mansion is a bit of an understatement !!!)

I am thankful that she has grown up into a mature young lady who is ready to move overseas and stand on her own two feet (to a certain extent) and take responsibility for two children (or one child and one teenager to be more specific).

I am thankful for telephones and computers and skype which will allow us to stay in contact with her.

I am thankful that we will be in a position to go over and visit her while she is there because, while we can stay in contact by phone and skype, nothing compares to a really big, really squishy, really tight hug.

What are you thankful for today ?

Have you joined in with Rhianna ?

What are you waiting for ?

My day 2 #100happydays photo is 

How could knitting needles with this smiley face

not make you happy ?

Have a terrific Thursday !

TFTD :  You are not what you have done, but what you have overcome

Thankful Thursday

Today I am thankful that I have a husband who understands how telephone lines and internet connections work.  I tried to move our home phone and internet online this morning but, sad to say, Optus advised that, due to network constraints they are unable to provide a service to that address.  My mind immediately said we would have to change to Telstra and all that would entail as far as a new family e-mail address etc etc etc.  And, because I don't pay attention when A talks about these things, I called him and told him the bad news and he didn't seem too phased by it and said we could do xyz to get around it and then we could do abc to get that done and then efg to do something else - so I very nicely said that, while I had been happy to move the service over, I felt that it was way beyond my understanding of what we needed and could I please put him in charge of getting the phone and internet moved and he said yes - woohooo thanks A !!!

Now tomorrow I just need to see if I can get onto Origin again as I managed to get myself locked out of the account today by trying, incorrectly, three times to access our account online.  I may have to resort to a telephone call to get this done EXCEPT that the bill is in A's name and I bet they will want to talk to him about it even thought he would have told them a gazillion times that I deal with anything accounts or paperwork related.

So, today I am thankful that (a) I have a telephone line and electricity that I can transfer and (b) that my husband is happy to handle the stuff that he knows is beyond my comprehension !!

Have the best Thursday e-v-e-r !!!

What are you thankful for today ?  

Have you joined in with Rhianna from A Parenting Life ?

TFTD : When we stop resisting what we don't want to feel and embrace the state that we are in, we move through the difficulty and confusion must faster and find out way back to truth and clarity.

Auslan Is Fun

I think I mentioned before that K and I had signed up for an Auslan course.  Well last week was our first lesson and, to say I drove home feeling more than a little over whelmed would be a total understatement !  I wondered how I would manage to remember anything she had signed.

That night we had an interpreter which was great - he was fantastic (I know, it's his job, he should be good at it) but it was amazing to watch the interaction between the two of them as they were signing and he was telling us what Diana was signing.  It was quite a technical night in terms of explaining how signing came about, Diana's story (she was born deaf, her parent's are both deaf and her siblings are all deaf but none of her grandparents were deaf), sentence structure (or lack of) and where we can go online for help during the week if we need it / get stuck.  And then he told us that he was only there for one night and there was a massive "What ?" from everyone.  "How are we going to manage ?" - and he just laughed and said we would be fine.

Well, last night was the second lesson, and the first lesson with no interpreter, and it was amazing.  It was so much fun and there was so much laughing - not at people because they got things wrong - but because of what the sign actually meant when they made the wrong sign !!!  We had been shown 'light' and then a little later she asked us what we thought 'photocopier' was - we all had some funny action with a camera and a light - but no, it was paper with the light underneath it.  Later on during the class we were going over all the words written on the white board and she got to 'photocopier' except, we couldn't quite remember it, and if you have the light the wrong way i.e. facing up instead of down, that's the sign for 'fart'.  There were huge shrieks of laughter as she told us what some of us had been signing.

On our way home I said to K that we are definitely going to have to put aside time every day to practise because, like any language, you can't expect to be proficient in it if you don't practise.

I am joining in with Rhianna over at The Parenting Life for Thankful Thursday because I am very thankful that I have this opportunity to learn another language which may open doors for a future career move for me (apparently interpreters are highly sought after and there is a very limited supply to meet the need).

Have the best Thursday !

What are you thankful for today ?

TFTD : When people undermine your dreams, predict your doom or criticise you, remember, they're telling you their story, not yours.

Woohooo !!

WE HAVE A CONTRACT ON OUR HOME  !!!!

While our home hasn't been on the market for months and months, or heaven forbid, years, it has been a rather stressful time for me since we put it on the market on Christmas Eve.  But, today, we finally agreed on a price with a prospective buyer and have a contract on it.  Now it's just for the bank to find value in it and the building and pest inspection. Then we are good to go !!!

Well - sort of - there have been a few hiccups with the place we are buying BUT, I had another win this morning when A agreed that even if the purchase of the place we want falls through, we will rent and be a cash buyer and just look for something else - win, win all around !

If you had told me years ago that I would be the one who was positive about a tree change and happy to let my home become someone else's home, I would have laughed at you.  I would have said that you 'were smoking your socks' (as we say in our family).  I can see just how much I have grown and changed my attitude about how I deal with issues that come up.  I have, finally, realised that there is no point in worrying about the things that I have no control over.  I have realised that worrying about the things that I cannot change is a waste of my energy.

Today I am thankful for the contract that we have on our home but more importantly, I am thankful for how I have grown and how my attitude has changed to allow me to enjoy life more fully instead of spending so much time worrying about the things I have no control over.

Have the best day !

Have you joined in with Rhianna from The Parenting Life for Thankful Thursday ?  

What are you thankful for today ?

TFTD :  It's better to look back on life and say "I can't believe I did that," than to look back and say "I wish I did that."

Thankful Thursday

As I write this I am sitting with an ever growing shopping list next to me.  This Saturday some family arrive from Perth.  This Saturday some family arrive from Rocky.  This Saturday some family arrive from Adelaide.

Thankfully they aren't all staying with us - just the 4 from Perth.

This Sunday we are having an open house - but not the open house that we have had over the past 3 weekends - an open house for all the family who have arrived on the coast from around the country.  We will all be together on Saturday night for a nephew's engagement but on Sunday it will be a lot more casual.

Thankfully we have a pool that the children (and adults) can swim in should the weather require it.

It isn't very often that we manage to get this many of our family together in one place so I imagine that there will be lots of talking, lots of laughing and even more drinking of alcoholic beverages.

Thankfully we have aircon that can be switched on, so if it gets too hot outside we can all move inside to the cool.

There will be lots of food and drinks.  I am sure that there will be lots of 'remember whens' as well.  At this stage I'm not really sure of exactly how many people will be there but that doesn't really matter - whoever pitches up, will be there.  Whoever doesn't make it will probably miss out on giving their tummy muscles a good workout.

Thankfully we are financially able to do this for our family.

There will be tennis and cricket on the TV.  Unfortunately we only have one TV so it will be a case of majority rules as to what we watch.  I don't think the children will get much of a look in to watch any movies on Sunday - unless it's in the afternoon when everyone has eaten and drunk too much and crashed on the couches and mattresses for an afternoon nap !

Thankfully I am not the stress head that I used to be and can do casual, open house without worrying to much about it.  At the end of it all, the house will probably need a really good clean but that is OK - so long as it's done once the visitors have left on Wednesday night - it will all be good.

For any South African's reading this - on the menu (so far) are boerewors rolls and milk tart - I am thinking of making at least six milk tarts because no matter how many I make, there never seem to be any left overs. I get that those are probably both rather un-Australian but, given how multi-cultural Australia is, we should be good.

Because it's Thursday, I'm joining in with Rhianna for Thankful Thursday over at A Parenting Life - why not join in as well because we all have 'stuff' to be thankful for.

What are your plans for

Australia Day ?

Do you have any traditions for

the day ?

TFTD :  Getting over a painful experience is much like crossing monkey bars : you have to let go at some point in order to move forward. 

Thankful Thursday

Who forgets it's Thankful Thursday ?  Me, that's who !!!!  I am so out of the loop of blogging I completely forgot about TT over at Rhianna's A Parenting Life - but this post will make it all good for the day !

Right now I am thankful for all the new and returning clients I have had to The Body and Feet Retreat.  It has been so good catching up with clients I haven't seen for a while and meeting new clients.  I am even more grateful for the word of mouth advertising that my clients have been doing which has resulted in the new clients coming to see me.  One lady is up from Sydney visiting family and she wanted to know if I had ever considered moving to Sydney because she would come to me every week for a massage !!!

When K called just now to have a chat, I mentioned that I had a client at 6pm tonight and her reply to that was "Gosh, you have been a really busy bee with your business this year haven't you" - and she wouldn't be wrong.  I have had more clients come for treatments since the beginning of the year than I had in the last two months of last year !  Most nights I start between 5-6pm and finish around about 9.15pm.  While it has been tiring, it has also been so fulfilling.  I love being able to watch clients walk out feeling better than when they arrived.

I will probably continue to see clients for another two weeks and then, all things going according to plan, we will be busy packing up to move.  I am very excited about my new therapy room which has direct access outside so it will be more professional and less stress for me in terms of making sure that the kitchen / diningroom  / lounge are all tidy before clients arrive.

Have a terrific Thursday !

What are you thankful for today ?

TFTD  :  The biggest lie "When I get what I want I will be happy."  The truth is, you will be about as happy as you decide to be.

First World Problem

And so it begins.  The constant phone calls and viewings and indecision about what to do.  Weighing up the pros and cons and trying to make the best decision for all concerned when really, all I want to do, is find a little corner to hide in and rock myself to sleep !

I'm talking about house hunting and selling our house - and dealing with the dreaded estate agents (having said that the two we have dealt with so far have been very nice).  I have been involved in buying precisely one house - the one we currently live in.  A had bought his house just when I met him so I wasn't involved in that in any way.  We sold that to move to Australia and after renting for 6 months we bought our current home.  It wasn't an easy process because we didn't know good and bad areas, and, if we had listened to some of the agents, we would have landed up in a house built on marine mud where whole streets are subsiding or in a dust bowl that gets all the afternoon sun and no breezes.  But, it was an easy process from the point of view of being able to buy for cash.

This time around, it's not so easy - we need to sell in order to buy BUT A doesn't want to sell if we can't find somewhere suitable to buy - I feel like I am living the chicken or the egg scenario - which comes first - selling and hope we find somewhere to buy or buying and then hope like hell we can find a buyer so we aren't left with two mortgages and finding a suitable tenant.

Like I said before, first world problem !

Factor in a very fussy child (who will have some say but not a lot of weight given to said opinion) and parents who are going to live on the property with us, menopause cr*p happening and a husband who is now leaving on Monday for a month away - and my stress levels are probably reaching an all time high.

So, today I am thankful that I have a home to live in, that I have the opportunity to buy a property which may, or may not, have something suitable for my parents to live in, and, if there is nothing suitable to live in, we will build something suitable for them.

I am thankful that a typhoon hasn't come through and taken my home away.

I am thankful that my husband has a job.

I am thankful that I have the opportunity to have my folks live close by so we can keep an eye on them as they get older.

I am thankful for Rhianna who hosts Thankful Thursday because it makes me take stock of what is happening in my life and realise that, while there may be a lot of cr*p going on, I certainly have a lot to be thankful for !

What are you thankful for today ?

 

Have the best Thursday !

 

TFTD : People who lack the clarity, courage, or determination to follow their own dreams will often find ways to discourage yours.

Thankful Thursday

It's time for Thankful Thursday again and this week I truly am very thankful for A who puts up with me so patiently.  Honestly, I am sure that if I was him I would have given me my walking papers by now !!  In fact, I have suggested I leave but he keeps telling me to stay !!!

I don't know what I want. I know I am tired. I can't be a*sed to plan or cook meals.  It's all I can do to stay on top of our laundry although last night he got home from work and put a load of washing on and then took it out and hung it up so clearly I missed the boat on that one.

I am feeling very 'blah' at the moment and don't really know why.  Life is good - in fact life is bloody fantastic and yet everything seems such an effort to me.

Last Sunday I think he was up at about 6.30 - I think I woke up at about 8.00 - wandered through to the lounge and he was watching something on National Geographic - so I lay on the couch with my head on his lap.  At about 9.00 he got up to go to the loo - came back and I was sprawled across the couch so he went to potter around outside.  I walked outside at about 10.30 and said "I think I am awake now."  He just laughed at me and said "It doesn't really look like you are."

I know my sleeping patterns aren't the best - OK, who am I trying to kid, they are cr*p. But I don't really know what else to do.  People have said - exercise, you'll sleep better (In fact, I was one of them because that is what happened to me years and years and years ago, before K was born) - not so much now - even on the nights I go to gym - my sleeping is still not that flash.

I know I am going through menopause, but honestly, I thought it was all under conttrol.  Clearly some of it is because I don't have the depression or anxiety attacks that I was suffering from but I certainly don't feel like I am entering the best years of my life or anything like that.  In fact I feel like I am slowly just breaking down into a feeling of 'blahness' !

Is it just a mind set that I have to change ?  I have been checked out medically and there is nothing wrong with me from that point of view.  Is it just near the end of the year and everyone feels like it's all just a little bit too much ?  I don't know.  But, what I do know is that nearly 26yrs ago, I married a man who has stood by me through thick and thin (literally), who is as patient as the day is long and who gets that right now I just need to be, and not do (which can be frustrating, I know, when we have so much we want to do to the house before we put it on the market - I get that totally). 

I just wish I knew the right way to tackle this - do I throw myself into busyness over the weekend and then start off next week even more tired than I am now or do I just say, you know what, maybe the house has to wait.  Except then I feel selfish because it isn't only us wanting to sell our house and find another house to move into, it's my folks waiting to sort out their future.  I know that it isn't a big thing for them but, my Mom being my Mom, this appears to be stressful for her too - waiting to see where they are going to live.

I think that this weekend may be the weekend we decide what to do and take it from there.  I do know that with all the painting that needs to be done, I am going to have to take some time off work because painting only on the weekend or trying to paint at night in the dark, is not the best way to get the job done.  Maybe I need to get a quote to get the two loungerooms, diningroom and kitchen painted - that would help but, of course, it depends on the cost.

What I do know is that nearly 26yrs ago, I married a man who has stood by me through thick and thin (literally), who is as patient as the day is long and who gets that right now I just need to be, and not do (which can be frustrating, I know, when we have so much we want to do to the house before we put it on the market - I get that totally). For this man, I am totally thankful !

Linking in with Rhianna from

A Parenting Life

for Thankful Thursday.

Have you linked in yet ?

Have the best day that you can !

TFTD : Love yourself for what you are, instead of hating yourself for what you are not.

Thankful Thursday

So, Thursday has come around again, funny how that happens once a week, and I am totally unprepared for Thankful Thursday !  Last week I didn't even get to  post other than my #IBOT post which I didn't even get to post this week !  Basically - I've been a bit slack, and, unless my writers block disappears, this is how it's going to stay !!!

TT has moved ! 

Thank you to Francesca for the wonderful job that she did of hosting TT while it was hers.  It now resides with the lovely Rhianna over at A Parenting Life.

So, without further waffle, this week (in no particular order) I am thankful for :

- the rain that came (although it wasn't nearly enough) - it was certainly better than nothing

- clients who come back for massages because they were happy with the treatment they received

- a sore foot which appears to not be as serious as we first thought

- sharing birthday's with my folks 'cos I know that they won't be here forever

- it being Thursday which means the weekend is just around the corner

Have the best Thursday that you can.

What are you thankful for ?

Have you linked in with Rhianna ?

What are you waiting for ?

 

TFTD : Life is not fair; but it is still wonderful.

Australia - A Great Country

About 20 years ago, A mentions that he wants to leave South Africa - I say no.  There is no way I am going to leave my folks.  End of story - if you want to leave, that's fine, go, but without me, are the words I say to him. (Or at least words to that effect !)

Fast forward 3 years, and the National Party pull out of the coalition government and I realise that there really is no future for our then 4yo daughter (or for us for that matter) and I turn to A that Sunday night and say "Right - I'm ready to leave." which he finds rather strange as it's 8pm on a Sunday night and we weren't planning on going anywhere.

Then, I patiently explain that I am ready to look at moving countries and he does a happy dance - because he has been waiting 3 years for me to change my mind !!!  So we look in the paper, find an immigration agent who just happens to be advertising a seminar the next night.  So I phone the next morning and book us in.  We drop K with my in-laws and off we go.

Because A has a trade and is under 35, we qualify on points - it's just whether or not Australia actually want us.  And so the long, drawn out process begins.  We put in our application in May 1996 and we find out we had been accepted in March 1998.  We come out here on an LSD (look, see and decide) trip in October 1998, go back to South Africa, put our house on the market, tidy up our affairs (well as much as we could) and land here on 29 January 2000.

I cannot begin to express how thankful I am to have the opportunity to live in this wonderful country.  To be able to call this country home.  To raise our daughter in a country that has far less violence than we are used to.  To be able to let her ride her bike in the street and play outside without fear of what may happen to her.

Yes, I know that bad things happen in this country.  But they are far less frequent than what happens in SA.  The fact that I can go for a run at 8pm at night is something I am so thankful for.  The fact that I can drive around with my doors unlocked and my windows down are things I am thankful for.  The fact that I can wear my jewellery without fear of being strangled as someone tries to yank my necklace, or actually chop my hands off to get my rings and bracelets - these are things that I am thankful for.

Do I miss South Africa ?  Absolutely - it is one of the most beautiful countries I have ever travelled through.

Do I miss the violence and blood shed ?  Not a bit.

Would I ever go back ?  Highly unlikely because I am too scared I won't make it home.

Am I worried about the increasing violence in Australia ?  Absolutely - where would we move to from here to get away from it ? 

What are you thankful for today ? 

Why not join in with Francesca at Francesca Writes Here ?

 

Have the BEST day !

 

TFTD : You are a human who is not perfect. You will make mistakes. But life is not about the mistakes you make, it’s about what you learn from them, and the unique steps you take to rectify them.

Thankful Thursday

I know I sound like every other blogger / person on the planet, but where is the time going to ?  How can it be 9 days since I last posted ?  How has that much time passed without me having anything to say ?  Gee, I never realised I could be so quiet for so long !!!!

And, because it is Thursday, it's the day I link in with Francesca from Francesca Writes Here for Thankful Thursday.

This week I am thankful for :

- an unexpected trip to Rockhampton to see A (although it did mean that, while I was coping really well before I left, I found it a little more difficult when I got home.)

- the safe arrival of K home from her holiday in NZ

- and even better than her safe arrival home was hearing her say that she missed me !!!!!

- and then reading it on FB !!!!

Have you joined in with Thankful Thursday ?  I'm sure that we all have something to be thankful for - sometimes we just need to take a minute to think about what it is that we are thankful for.

Have the best day !

TFTD : Make the world a better place one person at a time. And start with yourself.

Thankful Thursday

Today A left for Townsville ........ again.  I had got very used to having him around the house.  I am going to miss him heaps while he is gone.

Tomorrow K leaves for NZ.  I am going to miss her when she is gone.

Today I am thankful for :

- A's safe descent into Townsville - he said at one point he didn't think they were going to make it down it was so very bumpy.

- another night with K before she leaves

- some quiet time to myself while they are both gone even though I know I will miss them both

- my friends in my computer and phone who are always around if I need to 'talk' to someone.

As Francesca is on holiday, there is no Thankful Thursday link up but that doesn't stop me from posting my own TT post anyway !!!

Have the best day - only one sleep until Friday !

TFTD : If you don't design your own life plan, chances are you'll fall into someone else's plan.  And guess what they have planned for you ?  Not much - Jim Rohn

Thankful Thursday

It's time for Thankful Thursday with Francesca from Francesca Writes Here and, although I am a little late in linking up, I still have so much to be thankful for.

This week I am thankful for :

- being able to take a day off yesterday to spend with A to celebrate him turning 50 !

- being married to someone who qualifies for a Seniors Card and any discounts that entitles us to !

- being able to have a party to celebrate his 50 years with family and friends on Saturday night.

- being able to buy in dinner for Saturday so that I don't have to stress at making dinner for 20 odd people.

I hope that you can find something to be thankful for today and if you can that you have linked in with the rest of us for Thankful Thursday !!!

Have the best week !

TFTD : Nobody who ever gave his best regretted it - George Halas

What I Am Up To

As it's Thursday and time to link in with Francesca from Francesca Writes Here for Thankful Thursday, I thought I would play along with this post that I saw at The Muddle-Headed Mamma.  I am thankful that I get to express how each of these relate to me. I really enjoyed reading hers so I decided to copy it.  Please feel free to copy it if you want to play along :

Making : Baby blankets for unknown babies

Cooking : Chicken casserole for dinner

Drinking : Water

Reading : Why Men Are From Wagga And Women Wish They Weren't

Wanting : Sleep

Looking : A bit daggy in my jeans and thongs (on my feet thank you !!!) at work but I just had my hair done and that looks fantastic !!

Playing : A word game

Wasting : Time at work

Sewing : Nothing - it's been too many years since I used my sewing machine

Wishing : I was retired

Enjoying : The beautiful weather

Waiting : For ProBlogger to start

Liking : Native CD by One Republic

Wondering : When my phone contract is up so I can get rid of this phone and go back to a Blackberry

Loving : Being so motivated to exercise

Hoping : That the weight loss I have achieved will continue until I am at goal weight

Marvelling : At the wonder of new born babies (cliched I know but oh so true - especially if they aren't mine !!!!)

Needing : A can of ice cold Coke (but I won't because I know it won't help me achieve my goal)

Smelling : Youth Dew

Wearing : Jewellery

Following : AFL Finals Weeks

Noticing : How the clouds are floating across the sky

Knowing : I am good at the work that I do

Thinking : I wonder if I will find new frames this afternoon after work

Feeling : Happy that my life is on track

Bookmarking : Some great blogs

Opening : My handbag to put my diary and phone away

Giggling : At Gerard Whately and Mark Robinson on AFL 360 and the tweet about the kid whose father wouldn't let him go to see the stripper after the 2002 grand final

I had heaps of fun doing this - if you decide to play along, please leave me a comment so I can come and check out your answers !!!

This afternoon I am off to pick up Eleise from A Very Blended Family the airport and then we are off to have a look around the Coast before heading out to dinner.  Of course tomorrow ProBlogger starts and, while I am nervous, I am starting to get a little bit excited.  I just know that it will be great and if the worst comes to the worst, I can hide in a corner and regroup !!!

Have a fantastic day and weekend !

Have you joined in for Thankful Thursday ?

If not, why not pop across and see

what others are thankful for

and then join in yourself ?

TFTD : The key is to keep company only with people who uplift you, whose presence calls forth your best - Epictetus
(I think a very apt TFTD given I am off to ProBlogger !!!!)

Thankful Thursday

It's been a few weeks since I have joined in with Thankful Thursday and that is because I have been on holiday - so, while I was thankful to be on holiday, I can't say that I am all that thankful to be back at work.  Having said that, working means we will be able to plan another holiday, so I guess at the end of it all, I am thankful to be working again !

I am thankful for the absolutely beautiful weather we are having - it's been hard to believe that winter has come and gone already given that we have been walking around in shorts and T-shirts in August.  The one worrying thing is that if it is this warm in August / September, what is it going to be like in January / February ?

I am thankful for the hard work that I have put in with my eating and exercise as I am starting to see these kilos move.  A doesn't say much about my weight, but the other night when I was getting ready to go to a bloggers dinner, he looked at me and said "How much weight have you actually lost ?" and when I asked him why he was asking, he said "Because I can see a difference in how you look."  Well that definitely put a spring in my step and helped me walk with my head just a little bit higher instead of trying to shrink into myself and make myself as small as possible.

I am thankful for the lovely evening that I had with Josefa, Aroha, Emily, Kathy and Renee on Tuesday night.  There was lots of laughing and lots of talking and I had a really good evening.  I was very nervous about going, but once we were chatting away, I wondered why I had been so nervous.  Everyone was so friendly and it was lovely to get to meet the faces behind some of the blogs I read.

I am thankful that it is Thursday which means that the weekend is just around the corner.  I don't want to wish my life away, but I am hanging out for the weekend !!!

Linking in with Francesca for Thankful Thursday because we always have things to be thankful for.

What are you thankful for today ?

Why not join in ?

 

Have a terrific Thursday !

TFTD : Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant - Robert Louis Stevenson

Thankful Thursday

Today is Thursday which means it's time to link in for Thankful Thursday with Francesca of Francesca Writes Here.

This week I am thankful for my work colleague.  There are only two of us in the office apart from the two directors and she only works four days a week (lucky lady !!!) - but we have so much fun together.  It actually makes going to work a pleasure.

She is slightly older than I am and has way more children - some older and some younger than K.  She has some very different views to me about 'stuff' but that doesn't seem to matter to the two of us.  We get along so well and have so many laughs.  I can't think of many days when we haven't found something to laugh about.

Thank you K for all the wonderful times we have at work !!  Thank you for being such a great friend.   I'm going to miss you while I am away (even if right now you are luckier than I am !!! LOL)

I am also thankful for music - music that I enjoy - like One Republic's Native album !!!  I am really enjoying listening to this and am thinking about taking it away although I'm not sure if A will like it quite as much as I do.

There is a line in the song called Preacher that goes like this :
"He was a million miles from a million dollars
  But you could never spend his wealth."
That is exactly how wealthy I feel lately - a million miles from a million dollars but still, so very wealthy.

Have the best day !!

What are you thankful for ?

Have you linked in with Francesca ?

 

TFTD : A beautiful day begins with a beautiful mindset. When you wake up, take a second to think about what a privilege it is to simply be alive and healthy. The moment you start acting like life is a blessing, I assure you that it will start to feel like one. Time spent living is time worth appreciating.