boo hoo

I found out the other day that Bon Iver will be playing at the Sydney Opera House the week of my 40th birthday.  How memorable would that have been?!Of course the whole TOUR is sold out.

Enjoying

I enjoyed watching Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries last night.  I haven't read any of Kerry Greenwood's books before, but know plenty of people who have and have spoken highly of them.  It is exciting to read a novel with local settings.



I stayed with mum at the Windsor Hotel once, when we went to see Phantom of the Opera.  Loved the High tea.

I thought of my grandmother today.  because I bought The Woman's Weekly.  :) Not my usual magazine reading choice, but I would love to duplicate Princess Mary's wardrobe.  I know I have said it before, but I have never seen her wearing anything that I wouldn't covet for myself.  Confession is good for the soul. ;)






pictures from here.

Another Danish thing we love in our house.  Lego.  And this blog is just too cute.  Imagine designing for Lego.  :)

I stood at the front counter, waiting to settle my account.  We had worked since breakfast, drafting/writing our final report.  It was now dinner time and I decided that, with a 3am start the next morning, it was best to pay before settling in for the night.

I turned and saw a familiar face.  A women from the office, standing with a young girl.  Matilda had come to the hotel to say goodbye.  I hadn't spoken with her much as the team was pulled from one meeting to another, almost becoming a political football ourselves.

She explained she had told her husband she wanted to say goodbye to me.  She bought me a packet of Simbu coffee.  He had told her to write me a note and he would drive her to the hotel so she could leave it for me.  I was grateful that I happened to be at the front desk at just that time.

She handed me the bag of coffee and introduced me to her five year old daughter.  She asked if I would come to the car to meet her husband.  I would be delighted.  As we walked toward the car a man stepped out.  Polite and humble.  I thanked them both.  We said our goodbyes and I stood at the front and waved as they drove out of the hotel.  Again the tug at my heart.  Someone with much less than I have and yet she wanted to share something. 

I am grateful again, that at a time when I mostly feel as though I am simply trying to keep my head above water, God shows me that when all is stripped away all we have is ourselves to give.  And the smallest gesture of kindness can be enough.

* photograph from another trip to PNG.  In 2001.

Home Sweet Home

Back from all of this...

Ballet

Audrey was so excited about her ballet class that I could barely get her to stand still for a proper photo!

Saturday

I sit and drink my coffee, doing what I have struggled to do for a while now. Quietly read. Uninterrupted, except for when my pear and raspberry bread arrives. I am struck by three things I have read in the past week. A friend emailed me some observations he had while recently visiting Myanmar. He has travelled there many times in the past 20 years. Something he said struck a chord with me.

While I could hardly blame Myanmar people for wanting a better life, I fear they will ... turn into yet another materialistic society. People who had very little and were ready to share are now having a little more, which they have no intention to let go!

This morning David showed me a news article from yesterday's paper. An Afghan family living in a displaced persons camp have just buried their three month old son. He had frozen to death. The father described how his son was breasted, how they family lay together under only a couple of blankets to keep warm. His son cried and cried through the night because of the cold. By morning he had died. I cannot fathom a situation where I am trying to keep my family alive with only a blanket and limited food supply.

I think of my own comfort. Yes we have to stick to a budget. We bemoan the cost of housing but we still manage luxuries we could probably live without.

The book I am currently reading is about a man who found himself lost in the mountains while attempting to climb K2, He stumbled across an impoverished village in Pakistan and was cared for by those who lived there. He was immediately welcomed and provided with tea, shelter and blankets. He Maraini who in 1958 when he visited Askole village in Pakistan, "...all this gives rise to a question.  Isn't it better to live in ignorance of everything - asphalt and macadam, vehicles, telephones, television - to live in bliss without knowing it?" (pg 30) 

(I understood this sentiment. When visiting Mizoram some years ago I felt the peace of having no baggage. Nowhere to be urgently, not structured by time and others expectations.  It is easy to be enamoured with the lifestyle when you know you will return to your 'creature cumforts' back home in a short while...)

So touched by their generosity he desired to return their kindness. He has done so by building schools in remote villages and training teachers.

I guess my point is, why do I place so much emphasis on gathering material possessions?Why, when I have much, do I hold tighter to what is "mine". The more we have, the tighter the grip. The less we have, the more we share.  It is something that bothers me often, I stop and wonder at it all, and then am drawn back into the imbalance of wants and needs in life. 

Rhythm

So we are nearing the end of the first week at school.  I still feel a little all over the place.  I went back to work after Christmas and no sooner had I settled back in there then I was off on another three weeks leave.  I start back at work next week and immediately fly out to Papua New Guinea.  At the moment the assignment for that week is taking up a lot of my head space.  I guess once I am back I will find that rhythm in our daily routines. 

Nicholas with school and Joeys, Audrey with preschool and ballet,  David with work and university.  Me with????

Nicholas seems to be liking being back at school. 

He is fairly understated in how he feels about many things. 

We had a nice afternoon at the library last week.  I read one of the library books to him last night (he helps read the Magic 100 words).  It was about a boy who loses his puppy.  Nicholas' favourite bedtime toy is a toy dog, called 'puppy' so he loved the story.  In it the little boy draws 'lost' posters at his desk.  Nicholas made a desk for his room.  He put the lamp from when he was a baby (which I had tried to take to the op shop the week before) pencils, crayons and a pile of paper on his desk.   he gets so excited about new things and new experiences.  If he is interested in something he wants to learn everything about it.  Paleontology, astronauts and, at the moment, spies. He loves lego.  I think when I am home I need to work on making his room a bit of a bigger boys room.  I am also have the dilemma of what to do with some of his baby toys and books.  He is very sentimental and wants to keep everything...

Monday

We listened to Greg Attwells a bit while we were on holiday.

New Beginnings

Day one of preschool.  Despite the knots in my stomach last night I left Audrey at preschool this morning feeling really happy and filled with love!  I think partly it was because she has the teachers I was hoping for and is in Nicholas' old class room, which she is very familiar with.

I am sure David and I could have left her at the gate and she would have run off to her classroom.  She was so excited that she squealed when we got in the car.  :)  Nicholas has happily taken on the role of proud big brother.

All was good and David, Nicholas and I left with kisses and smiles.

Happy Anniversary...

... to us!  Dinner and a movie tonight to celebrate.

____________________________________________________

And a quick photo of this little girl.  Just the two of us went to see Angelina Ballerina.  It was so sweet and it is no surprise that Audrey LOVED it!  I can't believe she will be at preschool in just a couple of days.  :(

cross stitch

This post from Posie Gets Cozy has lots of lovely detail.  Hmmm.  Will my eyes survive one more?

I have said it before, but I think women, in all cultures and ages are amazing. Mothers especially. This virtual exhibition is brilliant. 

on the mend

Our annual Merimbula holiday was held at a different pace this year.  We still had brunch at The Lott in Cooma.  An inclusion that we look forward to each year.  I keep saying to David that we should drive there on our own to have lunch some time - when we can linger over our lunch, rather than trying to eat quickly while the kids are still sitting still at the table.  They are getting better at this.  (The link is simply to another blog which has photographs of the Lott.  As well as some really gorgeous looking place they went to in Jindabyne.  Actually, I think I really like this blog.  I wish i took photos of the food we ordered.  I will have to add it to my list.)
Mornings began slowly, with the kids having breakfast and playing with the three large tubs of lego the manager of the units had left for us.  I took a couple of recent issues of Country Style magazine and the latest book I am reading.  I actually took time to read.  I spent mornings on the deck with a cup of tea looking out to sea and actually reading magazine articles instead of flicking through them.
We go to the beach each day.  The kids play.  Nicholas loves to climb the rocks and Audrey loves to chase the sea.

David helps to build sand castles and forts.  I sit and watch.  Have I mentioned I have been desperate to simply be still? This will be my year of 'quiet'. 

We go out to lunch and visit our favourite Pambula  bakery for coffee.  It is surprising that as we no longer drink coffee regularly we really can pick a "good' coffee over a "bad" one.

This year, instead of wild rides and a day at Magic Mountain, we go for bush walks, eat dinner on the beach, take Nicholas and Audrey to a petting farm and travel home via a different route to visit some gold fields.

This year we also seemed to have spent more time dealing with sibling issues than I remember doing before.  I unashamedly took pleasure in seeing a 4 year old girl having the queen of tantrums at the last coffee shop we stopped at in Tilba Tilba.  Nicholas and Audrey were having fun playing "adventures" together in the gardens nearby as David and I sipped our tea.  Nasty of me, I know.  We also had yet another visit to Pambula Hospital, having a split in Audrey's head glued back together.
I have enjoyed taking advantage of the quiet times, while they last.  Next week school resumes for nicholas, and begins for Audrey.  I think that is why I kept wanting to photograph her over our holiday.    I am noticing how she is growing up.  I am taking her to see Angelina Ballerina tomorrow and all the while hoping she won't scar too badly...
I will let this year unfold as it wills.  Instead of always battling for control and fighting the currents I will let it take me where it wills.  Apparently to a few places this year.  Already I am possibly overseas with work on two occasions before the end of February.  Then I come home and I will be 40.  What will it bring?