Cutting off the Knots

You know I was reading a book the other day when I was struck by  a phrase that just sang to me off the page. I would like to share that with you as sometimes we need a nudge to do something that we have wanted to do for quite some time.

Speaking of time, and we are now, as a small digressive move :) , it is only three weeks till the house will be full to the brim again. Chris will be home in three weeks; Emily and Farooq will be home two days before him; then Danika and Shaun arrive closer to C. Day!  There will not be a more excited household in Launceston than right here on this street at No. 20!

Some of the beautiful people heading my way soon 

The fly in the ointment though is the huge amount of work that I need to complete before then. Those blasted lists are back with a vengeance. There is always a fly, isn't there.

I had Dad and two sisters here when I got back from Karratha on Thursday, which was lovely. I was talking to Dad about the move and everything and I said to him that even though I am going to be exhausted, tired and worn out by the time Christmas rocks around, I am happy.  I am happy that I can do all these jobs that I need to do. I am happy that I have been able to finish "work" sooner than I thought, to enable me the luxury of only having 1 full time job to do instead of two. I am happy that all this planning is going to lead to us having a great new adventure.

This is a good place to insert the Happy Face 

Anyway back to that book; There have often been times in my life when I really needed to let something go. For my own health; my own sanity; for the end to relentless ruminations in my head at night when I should be sleeping.

I'm not good at letting things go.  Chris will back me up here as he has been on the rough end of the pineapple at times with this particular fault of mine.  Pig headed determination can be a good thing at times but ....anyway you get the picture.

People let you down, you can be certain of that.  The choice that we have about that is to let it go and get over it, or doctor it along like a festering pimple.  The more you poke at it, the redder and more irritated it becomes; A sore tooth that you just cannot leave alone. 

When people let me down, I tend to think that it is my fault - that I must have done something to cause that.  Instead of just thinking, "well that's human nature for you - people can be shits".  A hurt person hurts; a happy person is too busy being happy to want to out and out hurt someone else.

I would like to think that as I get older I get wiser.  At times I get that down pat.  Other times not so much.  But I am learning. I am learning to let it go, to not keep poking that sore tooth with my tongue until both are so sore that I cant think or talk of anything else.

The thing that I would like to share is this - Sometimes you just need to cut the knot off instead of trying to unravel the mess. 

Sounds really simple doesn't it?  I'm going to leave that with you cos I need to think a bit more about it too.

Hope that everyone is having a lovely sunny Saturday. Thank you to the lovely people who are leaving positive encouraging comments, I love those.  Remember you can leave a comment, you may need to set yourself up a Google profile but that's easy :)

Next post I will put up some photos of the new house in Karratha.

Band of Four

* tissue alert Alarna

 I spoke the other day about Mum's three best friends.  I seem to be constantly thinking about Mum lately.  Maybe it is writing this blog daily that triggers many memories of Mum.  I think a lot too about what she would have thought about our move. I wish I could ask her advice.  I'm pretty sure what she would say, but it would be great to hear it. Maybe if I listen more closely.

Anyway about those girls, they were always The Girls to each other, always girls. Lorraine, Faye, Shirley and Mum, Minnie.  Typical names of their era and typical of the kind of ordinary small town working mothers. But truly remarkable in their own way, each one of them.

They probably all knew each other previous to working together, such was the community of our home town in the 60s.  That was when Mum went back to work and when to a certain extent, her independance  strengthened.  I reckon Dad would agree with me, Mum was never a dependant person, she rowed her own boat and stood firm on her own set of values and attitudes. However she must have relished being more financially independant of the household only budget. With six children, I reckon Dad was pleased about that as well, the extra money must have seemed God sent. The added bonus of course, was her life long friendship with The Girls.

Between them these mothers had 17, or is it 18, children. Shirley, who I believe was the youngest, had two children - sign of the times with a changing attitude and  contraception probably. So they all had their plates full already with all those kids.  They were all good cooks, who was the best is still being debated; they all supported their husbands in their given fields, cared for elderly parents and they all made real time for each other.

Mum worked mostly night shift in later years, as I think Lorraine did as well. Mum used to  come home from work and sleep until noon. Then she would do her jobs and go into town.  We lived 5 miles out of town  on a small farm, a hobby farm it would be called now.  I reckon most days she would visit one or other of her friends. 

Every now and then her little white Torana would be waiting at school to collect me. I used to love that, no bus home plus it meant we were going somewhere together. I can't remember ever being bored or disappointed if that was to visit one of The Girls.

Those four ladies supported each other through illness, death, marriages, births of grandchildren, arguments with their husbands, trouble at work and I imagine the trials that come with all those kids. They used to laugh, cry and get angry together. They never had to ring or text before hand; they knew each others routines and they knew that all they had to do was turn up and the kettle would be put on.  Jobs  would be put to one side and total concentration given. No beeping mobile to distract them, no TV blaring in the background, just the beautiful art of friendship.

Those Girls were fabulous women, strong hard working women, loving family women but my godness they could be devils.  I can remember heaps of stories about them that I don't think are approrpiate for here. Let's just say they had fabulous senses of humour.  As I sit here I can picture each one of them, their faces crinkled, heads thrown back laughing uproariously  at something one of the others had said.

Like the time they were all taking Mum taking ouf to lunch on her birthday and Mum asked Faye if she could possibly borrow a pair of pants as she had fogotten to put hers on. Now my mother was an impeccable dresser - hat, jacket and gloves always matched, lippy always on.  And there she sat in her lovely Fletcher Jones kilt with matching tweed jacket and thistle pin, without her knickers on! Of course when Mum passed away, all these funny stories came out.

The Girls all came out to the farm together when Mum died,  that memory is just so vivid.  Mum had made plans and had completed little jobs before she became ill.  One of those tasks was to choose a piece of jewellery for each of her friends. She wrote a little note and put either a favourite brooch or necklace in a box for each Girl.  When my sisters gave them Mum's gift, we were all huddled in the bathroom (don't ask me why, except to say it was just off the kitchen), they said "oh Min, that's just like you!"

Each friend had a specific role in the group. Lorraine probably held the role of spiritual counsellor.  I know she served that role to me after Mum had a heart attack and I went to her for counsel. I asked Lorraine how I would ever cope if I lost my mother. She said, "When you need it, Kathy, God will give you the strength you need." And thank goodness, He did, because I certainly needed it.  Wise, wise women, all of them.

Last year at the local Christmas Parade, I ran into Shirley. I have to say it was nearly as good as if it were Mum. She was so happy to see me and my word I was happy to see her too, dear thing.  Sadly Lorraine passed away not long after Mum and I am not sure about Faye. Like me, Shirley still misses Mum and the other girls.

Those girls remained friends all their lives.  I bet there were times when one or another would hurt or piss them off, but they got over it. Theirs was a honest true friendship and they each treasured it. It was a balanced relationship based on love and respect for the other. 

Mum said to me, more than once, " true friends are like diamonds, precious and rare. Fake friends are like sand, found everywhere. "  The trick is to know the difference and then protect it once you have found it like a precious diamond deserves.

Make Do And Mend

One of the interesting things that I found out on our recent holiday in the UK was that Winston Churchill coined the very popular phrase, that is used on advertising and labelling and all sorts of merchandise these days - Keep Calm and Carry On.

This along with all sorts of little quirky sayings, has made it's way into our everyday vernacular.  It is used everywhere and on everything but it's original use was something quite different.

Churchill was famous for his speeches and for his extremely quick wit - I knew there was a reason that I  was fascinated by the man. He coined this phrase during World War II to bolster the morale of the good folk of London, who were copping a lot of the fallout, literally, but also the country folk whom he didn't get to interact with other than through media; press and radio. The phrase, Keep Calm and Carry On, was plastered all over the city to let people know that they had to keep their shit together and live their lives as best they could in such terribly frightening circumstances. Stiff upper lip and all that. It seemed to have worked as Churchill was very well regarded and some of his decisions for the war effort are legendary.

Another idiom to emerge from that same era and for the same reason, was "Make Do and Mend".  This one is my favourite at the moment.  It was to encourage people that they could get by with what they had and mend anything that needed it rather than throw it out and buy something new.  Definately different from today when  you can't even fix a kettle; it is cheaper to throw it out and buy  a new one. Plus during the war, a replacement was not an option anyway. Often a repair job could offer up another use as well.

Not only does this little saying remind me of my love of sewing,  it also reminds me that we don't always have to have the latest, the best, the greatest, the most expensive.  Sadly this does seem to be the norm in our culture now.

A few years ago I started reading a blog called Down to Earth.   www.down---to---earth.blogspot.com.au  A lot of the things and ideas that Rhonda wrote about, I was already doing, but there was also a lot of new ideas for me to consider and adopt. I have to say that it changed my life in regard to my reconsideration of spending and making do.

Chris and I were already growing a lot of our own veggies, making most of our meals from scratch.  I already sewed and knitted, l had always been a keen old fashioned home maker. We did start making our own bread, that saved us a motza; we tried making our own soap and then washing powder. So much cheaper than bought washing powder and the soap was just nicer and a fun thing that Chris and I did together.

 As we were saving for our next holiday, I followed Rhonda's other suggestions for saving the pennies and the pounds would grow.  All my life my father has said, "It's made flat to stack and round to go round." I told you he was smart :)

Anyway, we tightened up a little on expenditure, only buying things that we really needed. I just didn't go into the town centre, if  I wasn't near shops then I couldn't spend.  I  have never been much of a shopper, unless we are on holidays and then it is usually gifts for others as well as a few treats for ourselves #insert jewellery here :)

When Chris was made redundant, we were financially in a pretty good position with no debt. A little careful planning and a fair amount of lucky timing. The fact that I had a well paying job, meant that we could still go on holiday and save for that to happen.

I think too that as children, we witnessed Mum and Dad making do.  Not rushing out to buy the latest or best.  There were definately times when I wish this wasn't so, when it impacted on me directly especially. We went for years without a telly cos Dad didn't think we needed one. I think Mum got a new colour TV when my brother was coming home from the army on leave and the Olympics were on!  That was the excuse she used anyway , LOL.

Making do can be a kinda fun challenge too. I find that by the time you go out to get dinner, you can just easily boil a couple of eggs and make some toast. Saves money, saves petrol, saves the ozone a little with a gentler foot print and all that. Plus that food will be better for you.

Now as we set up our new home in Karratha, we will again put our frugal selves to the test.  Although the house is fully furnished, there are obviously 'bits and bobs' that we will need. I am counting on getting these second hand next year, as it would not be at all cost efficient to bring them with us.  The removal costs would exceed the value of the items. There are a few exceptions to this rule ; my sewing machine and a few quilts.

I know, Karratha is no place for quilts. But I ask you what would my home be like without a few strategically placed quilts??

So as a wise man once said, "Make do!" Reduce, reuse, recycle and repair!

Bend Or Break

Inspiration sometimes comes in the weirdest forms.  A movie, a book, a passing phase or indeed a passig phrase.  For me inspiration usually comes from my family and friends. The people I love and respect inspire and encourage me to try new things or just give me the push to do the things that I need to that might be hard.

My parents are a great source of inspiration.  I love to listen to Dad tell me stories about the stuff he used to do as a young man and a kid growing up in the depression of the late 1920s early 30s. That was when life really was tough, not just "oh God the internet has crashed again" tough.

Dad tells me the story of his younger brother, Jim, who didn't have a pair of shoes until he was 8. Dad said he had feet as "hard as the hobs of hell".  I asked Dad once if he knew how hard the hobs of hell were and he said that yes, he did cos he had been there.

 No doubt living through a world war, a depression the likes of which one of our recessions seems like a garden party and bringing up a family of 6 children, one does see the tough side of life and the struggles that can be associated with keeping your family fed and together. I think Dad is well accustomed to bending. He must be because in all my life, I have never seen him break.

It's only when I look back on my younger days that I realise, we are all tougher than we think.  We have all had times that we have had to bend or break.

The last time that I made a really big move like this, I was only 21 and had a 10 month old baby boy.  My husband, Keith (the children's father) and I packed up our little maroon Sigma and drove to Canberra right before summer to make a new life for ourselves.  Goodness, we are doing it again insummer, what's wrong with us -LOL!!

Anyway we did it.  With hard work we succeeded;  we built our own home there and had two more babies while we lived in the
Nations capital.  We had a good life and  stayed for nearly 7 years.  It was family that brought us back to Tassie. No doubt the same drawcard will make us return this time.  Probably sooner than 7 years but that is the unknown at this stage.

The first few months in Canberra were hideously hot, no air conditioning then.  I used to fill a big round plastic tub with cold water and sit baby Jonathan in the dish on the front verandah and we would go to the pool a lot too.

I went back to school to get my matriculation so I could persue nursing (that's another story) and a couple of days it was so hot, they sent all the students home. I think once it gets above 40 they used to close the schools.

So in that time, we became quite accustomed  to learning how to do things differently. I looked forward to getting  a letter from Mum every week and only occassionally  a phone call, it cost too much back then to make STD calls very often.




Mum had always been a bender. She had made her life doing things that people might have said she couldn't.  I know she certainly used to rock my Papa's boat by being a headstrong young woman and that determination allowed her the strength to do remarkable things.  Well they are remarkable in my mind.

 Mum was a Land Army Girl during the second World War and worked on farms in northern Tasmania.  Ploughing paddocks, putting in crops, looking after hens and walking from Sasafrass into Devonport on her days off. Dad and Mum married in December 1945 and through hard work they had a good life together and made one for us kids as well.

 Mum went back to work when I was 2. She worked as a nurses aide in an "old folks home". Most of my young life she worked night shift while being very active in charity work for disabled children. Mum was a fabulous cook, always making cakes and meals for other people, not just the family; she was a sewer, a knitter - making lots of our clothes when we were little. She may not have been the best of housekeepers, our place was clean, not spotless. But I would rather have had a trip to the beach when she got home from work than a dust free zone!  She was a contestant in Woman Of the Year and maintained beautiful friendships with three equally inspiring women.  I
will write a post one day about Shirley, Faye and Lorraine. They deserve a post of their own :)

I could write all day about my parents and how wonderful I think they are.  How their hard work, love for their family and their dedication to making the best of things, enriched all our lives. I like to think that their example made us all hard workers too; people who know the value of having a loving supporting family.  Their life was an example and an inspiration to us regarding the true meaning of what a
successful life is. More importantly how to know when you have achieved that.

For myself, I already believe that I have acheived that.  Please God don't let it happen yet, but if my life was over today, I have succeeded.  I have a given three fantastic children to this world and they have served it well already. I am proud of the young man and women that I have left here as a legacy. They are smart, kind, caring and mindful young people. They are loved and are loving in return. They are a joy to those around them. They think about people other than themselves.

I have worked hard in my  jobs and tried to make the people I come into contact with feel at ease and welcomed.  I may not have always been successful  at that , but I have tried. I have cherished my husband and been a partner to him in all things. I have no real regrets. Well only a few tiny ones, again another story.

For this reason alone, we have nothing to lose by marching into this next phase of our lives, nothing at all, not even time. Time will be spent where ever we are, it will not stop for us or anyone else,  so we may as well do it anyway.

It will be hard, it will be lonely at times, we are going to miss our family and friends.  We have their love and their support though and that means a lot.

 We will bend and not break because that is our way. That is they way we have been brought up to do things. That is the inspiration that I want to be.

Lazy Sunday

Today we have had a lovely lazy day doing not very much at all.  Chris has been assembling a new barbeque, I gave him a haircut and we did the house work.  I vaccummed and Chris mopped the floors.  We did that early this morning though, as it is a bit hot to being doing house work later in the day.  But that's OK, it's just about learning new routines. 

The rest of the time, I have been watching Mad Men Series 6 in between cricket.  Emily and Farooq bought  it for me just prior to leaving Tassie.  Such a thoughtful gift to while away some time.  Plus I had better fess up, I did get my head on the pillow for a little snooze :

Chris and I have been discussing how best to get my car here; I know I keep dancing around this issue but now we have a new idea.  Our latest rumination involves leaving the car in Tassie until after Emily and Farooq's wedding in April.  We are, after all, going to need a car for the 2 or three weeks we are home and then maybe selling it after that.

In Karratha there is a vacant lot on the highway into town called Dreamers Corner. What happens is that anyone who has a car, boat, caravan, or bike to sell, take it to Dreamers Corner with the details on the window and if you are interested you get their details and follow up.  The Shire regulate the activity and you need a permit to park your sale item there. But is seems very popular, there are plenty of people stopping by to peruse the wares.

 Chris and I went to check it out to see if there was a car there for me, or something that would be suitable for me. I'm thinking just a decent sized 4 cylinder with low kms.  I only need something reliable to get me to work.  It is just another idea.  Watch this space because I am sure there will be another option up for discussion soon.

We are also making lists of things that we need to buy for the house here.  While it is fully furnished, there are just the odd little thing that the owner has not thought of.  Things like shelving in the bathroom, walk in robe and more bedroom furniture, tall boy and some outdoor easy chairs etc. The furniture is very modern and retro, 60s styled low studded couches etc. They look really good but are not very comfortable. Well I just can't get comfortable on them.

Luckily, Sherry, at Chris' work, has given him another hot tip. There is a Facebook page that is by request membership only, called Karratha Buy, Swap or Sell. It is for Karratha residents only and is a free site to acquire or dispose of what you need to.  We are awaiting membership so that we can check out lounge suites and shelf units.
Apparently it is a Karratha institution and everyone uses it but you have to be a resident.

Another place to find stuff is fhe local paper, The Pilbara News. So I will get Chris to get a copy of that. There is a Harvey Norman here and a hardware shop but not a lot of choice in either.





Out the front of the house is a huge verandah which has drop down shade blinds; it looks to be a lovely spot for an evening drink but nothing to sit on yet. I am not expecting everything straight away, but we can keep our eyes and ears open.

The saucepan set that is in the house is very cheap and flimsy, so we bought a new fry pan, a Cuisinart; good buy as it cooks beautifully without burning everything to a crisp or teflon coating your meat. :)

So little bit by little bit we are turning this house into our new home where we will be comfortable and have a place that is welcoming to our visitors!!  It's all part of the adventure and we are enjoying it together.

I'm Here

Oh my goodness, so much has happened since I last wrote.  I have ben experiencing computer probs again, so that took me a while to figure out, othwise I would have written sooner.  More than one way to skin a cat....not that I would skin a cat, Emily, honestly it's just a saying.

Well I have arrived in Karratha and from the little I have seen, I reckon we will be pretty well set here.

The house is really big and well set out, brand new with four big bedrooms.  Most things that we will need are here, but I wil be bringing up a few of my wants. Like  decent frying pan.  I cooked Chris bacon and eggs for breakfast and the coating on the tiny fry pan came off onto to the bacon. Added protein, I think not. 
Small thing but if I have it at home, why not here? I can bring our good stuff up here.

The town of Karratha is undergoing a big spruce up.  There are major works in progress in the town centre to open it up and increase the roads and parking.  They have recently opened a huge, big leisure centre which has pools, netball courts, volleyball courts etc. We are going up there for a look later today.

Everything that we need shopping wise is here, banks, Target, The Mart, Woolies, Coles and lots of little specialty shops. I was amused the other night, we called into the bottleo to get a couple of  coldies and it is a drive thru in the true sense of the words.  The young lady comes up to the car, you dont even have to get out of the car!!  I made my first friend, as we left she said "Bye Girl."

People here are very friendly and welcoming.

Of course the fact that I have already scored a job, makes it even more attractive.  I will start work the week after we come back in January, being the relief administration person at the Nickol Bay Hospital. So every time someone makes a crack about the weather, I will just smile and think of the money. The financial advantage of working in Karratha is very appealing.

The weather cracks, I must say, are really starting to annoy Chris. After all, you do get weather everywhere and it seems to be the thing that all folk moan about no matter where they live. Too hot, too cold; too dry, too wet etc etc. And it's one of the few things in this world that you can do naught about :)

As the lady said to me yesterday, who conducted my job interview, the summer here is like the winter in the south. In winter, you stay in by the fire, dont go outside unless you need to and pretty much hibernate. Well that's what we will do in summer.  In winter we will go camping, have lots of BBQs and get out and about. It's all to do with adapting and learning to go with the flow.

We have both done it before and I am confident we can do it again.  I will get off here now and go spend time with Christopher, after all that's what I'm here for ;)

Learning to walk on the slow side...

is not easy for me ~  not that I walk terribly fast. Ask any of my kids who all have legs double the length of mine, I can hardly keep up with them. But figuratively speaking, slowness in any form is not my forte.

Generally I have never taken things slowly ~ despite what my general appearance may lead you to believe :) I like to do many things at once and if I am doing anything, I try to get it finished as quickly as I can so I  can get onto the next thing.  I hate to waste time; I don't even really enjoy the hairdressers cos I think of all the things that I could be doing instead of sitting in the chair.  When she tells me that she is going to put the heater on my hair so the colour takes quicker, I love it!

Impatience is my worst trait, which goes hand in glove with this other "bad" trait of mine.

Point of example, my love of lists.  So as soon as I cross one thing off, I can get straight onto that next thing. My tea often gets cold as I set it down to just do a little something and then after 20 minutes, 40 minutes, I will come back to it and of course it has gone cold. Even as I write this post, I am doing a bit of the washing up, blanching some broad beans Jonathan and I picked out of  the garden and trying to enjoy a cup of tea, which of course has gone cold.  It's crazy ~ I'm crazy

It's an annoying trait for some people who are in my vicinity too.  I know a couple of my immediate family shake their head in dismay as I tear around the place doing all sorts of little jobs, when I could be sitting with a drink and enjoy a quiet minute talking to them, instead of shouting out conversations allover the house!  It is not a good trait.....all of the time

Years ago I had to train someone to take over my job of Night Classified Clerk at a newspaper. After a couple of nights, she said, "I just don't know how I am going to get all this done. You do everything fast p- you talk fast, you type fast ( but alas not well!! ), you move fast and you think fast. I just don't think  I am going to be able to keep your pace up." Poor dear thing.

So see I have been like this for years.  Sadly I do believe that losing my dear sister, who was still quite young, made me a bit worse. I don't want to miss a thing and that sense of urgency is getting stronger as I get older. Steven Tyler sings my theme song!

It has its advantages - I get loads and loads of stuff done. Others may say it could be put off, done by someone else, not done at all or delayed until I have a proper window of time.  I don't have a lot of unfinished sewing projects on the go and I finish my work quickly too.  I can get a meal together quickly, run errands quickly and multi task like a woman possessed.

It has of course distinct disadvantages too.  A few weeks ago I drove two hours to visit my Dad. Dad lives alone in his own unit and is completely self sufficient.  When I go there I like to do things to help him, wash the floors, clean the loo, change his bed.  This particular time I visited him on my own as Chris had already left for WA.  I made us some scones for lunch and then we just sat at the table and chatted.....while I knitted  (I cant just sit there, this includes while i am watching TV, listening to music etc. The only time that I do sit and do nothing is at the movies and when in another persons house)

Anyway I asked Dad if there was anything that he would like me to do for him while I was there. "No, I just want you to sit there and talk to me." But surely there was something that I could do to help.  He said, "I don't need any help.  I just want you to sit there and talk to me.  You drive all this way and then say, 'I went to visit Dad' but you go off  and do things and only talk to me for 10 minutes before you have to leave again."

WOW! If ever I needed a wake up nudge to make see the big lights coming at me, that was it!  I told him I feel bad if I don't do something for him.  Really it is all about me learning to do nothing, savouring the moment, basking in the joy of calmness, peaceful togetherness.  Don't just sit there, do something is my mantra.   I need to learn to do nothing! Oh I bet my daughter is nodding her head so hard that she has a headache right now!

'Don't just do something, sit there' is what I need to be comfortable doing.

The other big disadvantage is that I sometimes expect those around me to run at my pace, do things quickly and instantly like i do, never put things off and do everything NOW!  I'm sure that can be very annoying. Danika loves to say to me, "It's a marathon not a sprint, Mum!"

It is difficult for me to slow down.  I am mindful - mindful that I need to cram every little thing, experience, travel, song, movie,  book, quilt, knitting pattern, gift, everything into my life. I want to do everything and not waste a second.  I find it hard to relax, impossible to just sit. Poor Chris on holidays with me.  No wonder I always come back much more tired than when I left!

When I was a kid though, I remember lying on my back staring at the clouds for ages, trying to make out what the clouds represented.  Where did that ease of doing nothing go?  I would like it back.  I would actually love to be able to just enjoy the art of nothingness.

I can hear you all screaming at my in my head - well practice doing nothing! Meditate! take up yoga! Make friends with a nice anaesthetist...oh hang on, that's me. One of my good friends is going to give me a book on mindfulness - I think I do need it!  My very good friend Garth Brooks says, " You can always smell the roses when you are running with them in your hand."  That man is a bad example for me.

Someone once said to me that I have a lot of energy - being someone who suffers with fibromyalgia - I never considered myself terribly energetic. But I guess that drive to just achieve, achieve, achieve is more powerful than slim long legs that can run like the wind.

Any tips on slowing down?

It's such a prefect day

First of all, I would like to thank Mr Reed for that fantastic song; but really today has been tops.

My good friend, Kerry, organised a little celebratory BBQ today with a couple of my workmates.  Thank you Kerry.

I prefer to think of it as a celebration rather than a going away/farewell BBQ.  I was certainly celebrating what a very lucky lady I am to have such fabulous friends. I was also celebrating, in my head, that I have worked with over 1600 people in the last  9 years, all in one organisation and I can honestly count on one hand those that I have had a less than agreeable relationship with.  That's pretty good odds isn't it?

Well that's the ones that I know about - LOL - of course there may be many more that are out there right now currently having their own little celebration!! 

But over those 9 years at the hospital, I have met so many really lovely, interesting people. Friendly folk; happy folk; reliable, helpful people. People that you would love to have in your own home and we have had. I feel so fortunate to walk down those corridors at the hospital and say G'day to many people as I walk by. They are nice guys and fun  girls.  Yes I will miss that and I will miss them but only cos I have been lucky enough to have had it in the first place.  I feel blessed.  Seriously blessed.

And you now what  - I think we still have many more people like that to meet.  I am pretty sure that these good souls don't only live in the 7250 postcode. Chris has already told me about some friendly good people that he has met and struck up conversations with. So I am hopeful I will meet some of them too. 

But I am digressing.....back to today.  Sunny, warm, slight wind, BBQ spitting and smelling yum.  We had a lovely time reminiscing about funny things that had happened over the years and not so funny.  We spoke about what a  wonderful boss I had in Stephen and how we used to have Friday afternoon ice creams every now and then.  I have a very good boss now by the way (just in case he is reading :))  We just had such a relaxing happy time and it made me realise that good company is not measured in the amount of friends you have but in the quality of those friendships.  Friends that you can go months or years without even speaking with and yet the love you share and the  fun you have together is the genuine measure of a true friend.  Good Times, Good Times!

I struggle  sometimes with how quickly the months fly by; how much time goes by in between talking to someone.  I mean to call and then I get busy.  We all tend to get far too "busy" these days.  But that is a whole other post about slowing down! Time does fly.  So we need to remember to make the time to keep in touch with our friends, they are the peppermint crisp on our cheesecake!  The surprise Mars Bar in our lunch bags!

Side issue - today is my Dad's 93rd Birthday - Happy Birthday to the most wonderful man I know, not counting the one that I am wedded to :) Look at that cheeky face. He has been a strength in our family and to the community and we love him to bits. I don't know of another man who has worked so hard all his life and continues to be the font of all common sense and rationality - He is also the King of the Understatement!

Another blessing, another joy and another reason to be dancing on table tops - not that I am going to cos that's just dangerous.  Today is just a perfect day.

Happy Birthday Dad

A Little Lapse in Happy Face

You know I have been doing pretty good.  Most days I smile and laugh and forget that in just 6 sleeps, I will no longer work at the LGH  (Launceston General Hospital) and will be saying a temporary goodbye to some of my friends and a true goodbye to a lot of others. 

I try to remain positive so that I don't bring down Chris and I don't worry him; he is too far away to be worrying about me and things that he can't help me with right when I need it. It is bad enough when he calls and I am tired and just want to go to bed.  That three hour time difference can be a bitch at times.

Most of the time, I just tootle along and do what needs to be done.  Every now and then I get a little sad face when I think about leaving my mates but you know what makes it better? 

My true lovely friends,  that's what. These are the ones that are happy for us because they know that this is something that not only do we want to do but something that we need to do for our future. These are the ones who make it so much easier for me. 

The ones that are happy for us and encourage us really buoy me.  Especially when I am missing Chris and having to think of many things myself. Especially when some of the brown stuff hits the fan and splatters.                
                    
Cue the Sad Face:

Today we had just such one of those moments  at work.  I thought that I was being helpful but in point of the actual, I side stepped the correct and proper way to do something - not the end of the world normally except that it involved Chris and his new manager and the managers manager.  Oh dear,  it was a bit much for me, I just dissolved into Wet Eye Syndrome.  I felt so bad that I may have embarrassed Chris with his boss.

Chris was so sweet; he assured me that this was not the case but I still felt really bad.  Add in a bit of tiredness (OK a mountain of tiredness), missing Chris and dealing with a negative, it became just a bit OTT for me. 

And there were the mates, Karen and Hannah, saying and doing all the right thing, making me feel OK. And Hannah giving an in-depth and very visual description of our reunion at the airport, complete with me doing a full on knee slide the length of the arrival hall in Karratha Airport straight into Chris' waiting arms! If I were on my knees though, I would actually miss his arms by about 70 cms!

Thanks Guys, you're the best :)

Cue the Happy Face:

More Good News

Oh Wow  - I cant believe that already my little blog has had over 500 page views. Thanks everyone who has clicked in and had a gander.  Leave me  a comment or two; we could get a little chat thing happening. 

In other news today.....Through one of my former bosses, I have made contact with a potential job offer in Karratha - and I'm not even there yet!! Wowsers. I will tell you more about that when I get back home but thank you John, thank you very much. 

I don't know why but I am dog tired tonight so this will be a quickie.  When I was talking to Chris over the past few days, we have been discussing the trip north (west) in January and have now decided to drive as far as Adelaide and catch up with some dear friends on the way.  Then we plan to fly to Karratha with Dizzy dog and put my car on transport. This means that we can spend more time at home  with the kids too :)

It  really is too far to drive in a minimum time slot, with big days, intense heat, and a dog panting in your ear for 4500 kms! I don't think so and on top of that, Patsy was right, my back would not be a functioning thing by the time we hit WA. So now we need to get quotes for the car, book the boat and flights from Adelaide. Add those to "The List".  It is great though having made the decision, at least now I know which way to proceed so that is a big relief.

This week seems to have flown by and  I now only have four days left at work - mixed emotions about that.

Neighbours - Friend or Foe?

Many years ago when I was a young single mother, I made a friend.  It was a typical way to make a new friend as  young mum, through your children who were already friends.  Ms S was a single girl as well with one little girl the same age as my Danika. Her daughter, let's call her Kasey, and Danika were about 7 or 8 at the time . I was about 30, newly separated, three children under 10, working part time and studying full time towards a diploma in Social Welfare. 

I tell you this just in the way of setting the scene - time poor, busy, financially iffy and a bit keen to make new friends while trying to make a new life for myself and the children. 

Anyway, with the small amount of settlement that I retrieved from the marriage, I had just enough to buy a small house. Dad pitched in a nice little amount to help with the deposit. So  I started looking about for a suitable home for us close to the kids school.  Ms S said, "Oh there is a cute little place in our street, just over the road from us."  Now at this stage we weren't really close friends just acquaintances, really. So I checked out the house. It was tidy, clean, big enough for us and within my budget - what's not to love ??  I made an offer and it was accepted. 

My family did the moving in for me one Friday (as I always worked Friday)  and we went about making it ours, comfortable and putting in  a garden.  It was a good little house.

I have moved quite a bit since I first got married - we had moved several times, for instance when we lived in Canberra for 6 and a half years, we moved four times. Soooooo.....get the picture.  To say that I was excited to have my own little house to make into a home was kind of an understatement.

The children and I were really happy there but as time went on, the friend, over the road, who lived on her own with her one child, became a bit of a burden. She started dropping over at inappropriate times on the weakest of excuses; asking for assistance at busy times; and inviting herself to my  place at the times when I really wanted her to not be there.  Then onto the scene came an old boyfriend of hers and she began to drag me into her drama.  One night at midnight, when my brother was staying, she rang saying that I had to go over there because of some reason or other as her ex was there making a nuisance of himself. It got to be too much.  She was just sucking dry my good nature and neighbourliness.  She knew how to pick her target though - a trainee welfare worker!! Who else would be so willing to help and try to sort out your emotional messes?? Perfect!

Isn't it great though that there is always a ying in your yang.  Enter Mr and Mrs Bugg, the neighbours on the south side. Mrs Bugg was the most gentle beautiful soul, all snowy curls and a sweet, sweet smile. Twin set and pearls.  Mr Bugg was a returned service man, tall, proud and with a lovely warm smile and a beautiful nature.  The Buggs were about the same age as my parents, who lived at least 30 minutes away in the country.  Excellent proxy grandies for my three.

Mrs Bugg kept to herself mostly with just a little wave and hello; Mr Bugg however, was one of Emily's best friends when she was a pre-schooler.  He had a fantastic garden with many garden rooms and great hiding spots.  He also had a lot of time for a cute little blondie, who had a penchant for mischief and charm. 

There was a jasmine vine in between our drives and paths, which handily had ideal little kid sized holes, that Emily could sneak through, nearly undetected, by both me and Mr Bugg. Emily loved Mr Bugg and I do believe that Mr Bugg was really quite fond of Emily.  She would often slip through the jasmine when she was in trouble at home and more than once I heard Mr Bugg say, "What have you done this time Emily?"  She would follow him around the garden, eat his strawberries, go and say hello to Mrs Bugg, most probably get a biscuit and eventually come back home, usually when the kids got home from school. 

I was truly blessed to have the Buggs as neighbours when both my children and I really needed an older friendly couple living next door.  When Mr Bugg got sick and went to heaven, I was really sad.  There was definately a gap in our lives.  He was such a dear gentleman; he was a friend to us all  but mostly it was Emily who had spent the most time with Mr Bugg.

We have been blessed here in Launceston too with a lovely neighbour in the form of Terry. But Terry deserves a post all of his own, so I will save that story.

Normally it is my habit to keep to myself in neighbourhoods, but every now and then you meet a Terry or a family like the Buggs, that make it so worthwhile to put your reticence in check.

The Value of Solitude and Change

You know when we have a change to undergo, there will always be those around us that help us, encourage us and those who have opinions that although they may believe, is offered in a spirit of friendship - turns out to be distressing to me.

I am thankful for the friends and family who offer us wisdom in the form of ideas that we hadn't considered.  One of my good friends today, brought something to my attention that I hadn't considered when trying to decide on how we actually GET to Karratha.  She suggested 10 days and 4500 kilometers in a car may not be the best thing for my back, which at the best of times, is unreliable.  Good Point Pats! that helped us make the decision to drive only as far as Adelaide, then put the car on the transporter.

I appreciated her input and I appreciated that she gave it to me in the true spirit of wanting the best for me and to help us.

Another acquaintance went to great lengths to tell me of her opinion and bring to me all of the negative things that may or may not surround such a momentous change.  I think she thought that maybe I hadn't thought of all these negativities - I had. I have thought a lot about how this is going to effect Chris and I.  I choose not to dwell on these however.  I choose to go ahead. Then again, that advice could only come from her perspective. That does not correlate with my perspective.

This is a choice that we have made after careful consideration and thoughtful preparation - but I have made my decision to love and support my husband.  He is my life and he is my love.  I would do anything for him and he in turn would do anything for me.  I would be lost without him.  My home is in his arms and wherever he is, there I shall be also. Simple really; that's the promise I made 16 years ago.

I am so lucky that my children wholeheartedly support and love us in the move.  They have encouraged us to follow our dream to live and work somewhere else before it's too late and we are too old!! LOL  I am also very, very lucky that we have a close and loving relationship, not only with the kids but also my sisters, father and brother.  Distance will not diminish that love.

I know that this move will have many downs and a few big ups in the first few months. I remember what it was like when I moved to Canberra many years ago with a young baby.  It was hard but my goodness those years in Canberra were a lot of fun.  The  things I learnt cannot be understated either - both about myself and about life in general.

Moving to Karratha, literally  on the other side of Australia from here, will most likely have it's lonely, solitary times. Especially if Chris has to go out in the field and stay overnight.  I'm pretty used to that - Chris has always travelled for his work the entire time we have been together. It is hard but luckily, I quite enjoy solitude.  I quite relish having time to myself, sitting quietly or tearing around feverishly, as I am known to do - pottering around the house, loitering in the playroom or just knitting or sewing while watching a DVD.

Solitude and being lonely are two very different things - I understand that too.  I know I will be lonely at times; I also know that I can be lonely right here, right now.  People can be lonely even when they are surrounded by people. Luckily to for me, I am not a very lonely type of person.  If I get lonely, I get out and do something.  I do enjoy my time alone and I try to make the best of it.   Solitude gives me an opportunity to think, plan, revisit happy memories and think about the people I miss.  It's not so maudlin, missing people - it makes you appreciate them all the more and realise how lucky you are to have them in your life.

Film Festival Weekend

This last weekend, my friend, Kerry and I attended the BOFA (Breath of Fresh Air) Film Festival. This is run by a local group and celebrates both documentary type films as well as short and long feature films and international films. I hadn't been to any of the films last year and with Chris away, it was the prefect time to catch a couple.

On Friday we went to see "Tenderness", a French film about two people who had been divorced 15 years previously and come together when their son is injured in a skiing accident.  The opening scenes are magnificent - shot from a helicopter, we follow the path of two snow boarders making their way down hill in pristine, powder snow.  It is breath taking in its simplicity and the pureness of the unblemished snow. Then bang! the accident. Well that brought me back to earth.

The story follows the tender scenes of the the mother and father on their road trip to pick up the injured son from the mountain hospital.  Beautifully, simply written and shot.

The next film we went to was a documentary called "Then the Wind Changed" and followed the story of about 6 families that had been affected by the Black Saturday Bush Fires in country Victoria back in 2009.  I remember this day clearly as it was my niece, Claire's, wedding day, February 7th. 

One family lost everything, the  next had the fire destroy all around them but their house was left untouched; the lady called Dini lost her husband and her son; a man had lost his wife and son; a market gardener lost everything including all his gardens that were ready for harvesting and then there was the film maker who documented the recovery of the town of Strathewen, particularly the local primary school. The strategies that they utilised to assist the children in their psychological recovery was really great and creative. 

This film was hard to watch, but endearing at the same time. It really made me think about the importance that I put on "Things".  Are they all just an accumulation of stuff and frivolous material possessions or are they beautiful links to precious memories.  Would I recover as well as these people if I had lost everything I had ever bought, been given, treasured?  Some of my souvenirs that I have collected over the years, presents from the kids, paintings and such, could I handle the loss of those things ? Hard to know.

The third and final movie we saw was called "Inch Allah" and was set between Israel and Palestine. It tells the story of a French obstetrician who lives on the Israeli side of the border but goes into Palestine each day to work in a free clinic. Chloe befriends both an Israeli checkpoint guard and a Palestinian activist, whose husband is awaiting sentencing for his part in supposed warfare activities. The film is told beautifully but is heartbreaking, shocking in content.

At the end of this film, I didn't walk out into the sunshine feeling entertained or light.  My heart and mind felt very heavy. I also felt ignorant as I do not understand the background or the proper story of the conflict between Palestine and Israel. It made me realise just how lucky we are here in gorgeous Tassie to live in such a peaceful, beautiful place. 

We really do take our blessed lives for granted, don't we.

Furry Friends - The importance of pets

While Chris has been away, I have found myself paying a lot more attention to Dizzy. And he has been paying a lot more attention to me, I guess he is getting his normal love quota completely off me and Jonathan now.   Previous to our trip overseas, Dizzy was spending all day with Chris, helping with the yard work, the housework and getting lots of treats and tickles under the chin, all day!

He has been giving me the shits of a morning though, as he wakes up so early on the weekends.  I would like to have a sleep in, even if my back is killing me and I HAVE to get out of bed.  That is completely beside the point - I want to decide when I get out of bed. Oh I have just realised, Dizzy probably feels the same way - HA HA HA
Having said that, I would not be without him, just look at that little face, guarding his blankie for all he is worth!

Anyway, the point to my story and I do have one - how do people living alone cope without a pet? Who do they talk to?*  Who gives them a cuddle on the couch while watching TV?  Who greets them at the top of the stairs, happy to see them at the end of the day? Pets can give you such comfort and all that unconditional love.

When our last little dog, Max, died, to say I was devastated by his loss is an understatement. He had been part of our lives for thirteen years and we had been through so much with that little dog.  He had been our comfort and our joy; he had played with the kids and Max had given us years of faithful puppy love. 

In August 1998, our mother had recently passed away and our sister, Julie, was gravely ill. It was a terrible time. Then at this same time, our little Max got hit by a car and just ran off.  We don't know why he ran away, may have been chasing the car that hit him; not sure but he was missing for two or three days.  I felt as though I couldn't cope!  
There was just too much happening. Danika and Emily were both very sick and I was taking Emily to the doctor every day.  In the end the doctor told me to take her to the hospital and not leave until they admitted her, strong directions for a seven year old. I was beside myself with worry for the kids, grief for my mother,worry for my father,  dread for the what the whole family had yet to go through and overwhelming sadness for our sister Julie and her family. And then to top it off, where was Max?  It makes me weep now just the memory of those awful weeks.  But as Fonz said, "Kathy, you  have to cope, what is your option?"
In other words pull 'yourself together girl, people need you' - my family needed me.

I prayed to God, I said "I know that we are going to lose our beautiful Julie but can you please send Max home, I need some hope." I don't know why I clung to that, but God answered my prayer.  At 4 a.m. one morning, Max was scratching at the back door, near Danika's bedroom window. Danika, still sick herself, got out of bed to let him in.  We heard the yapping and excitement, got out of bed and we were all so happy to see him.  I can still see us all,  crouched on the family room floor gathered around Max.
Thank God, Max was home.  Bedraggled, covered in blackberry twigs, dirty, hungry and thirsty but home. 

I think Max coming home was a promise that we were all going to be OK. Life is brutal at times and I know we are more blessed than a lot of people, but at that time, life was pretty brutal to our family. But in the midst of it all, there was a little miracle - our little dog had found his way home.  We had a reason to be happy for a few short days.  It's funny how much I associate Max with that time in our lives.

Oh gosh, this post has gone so far from where I started and what I had in mind but somehow the story has written itself. 

The segway, I guess is how much I loved that little dog and how much a dog can mean to a family or an individual.  Chris and I got Max as a puppy when we were first married, he was our Love Pup! We did not have children together and intended not to, so Max was our little "bonder".  When he died, I could not get over how much I missed him and how much I had loved him.  Pets can become such an integral part of our lives, they can become such a comfort and we can find ourselves loving them so much without realising it.  It is quite amazing that little furry friends can enrich our lives so much.  I cant understand people having pets that they don't care for. (another story) 
I swore that we would not get another dog, as I didn't want to go through that again.  But two years later, Danika and I are in the car heading off to Spreyton to pick Dizzy up from the RSPCA.  That's another story for another time ! 

The crux of this story though is, who would I talk to now when I am here by myself if Dizzy wasn't here? I mean, who do people living alone talk to?  Dizzy and I have some in depth conversations, well that could be an exaggeration, but we do talk. One sided conversations but I know he is listening intently, just in case I say "food" or "walk". 

One day, I will tell you the story of Rosie and Basil. This post may not seem to have a lot to do with "The Move", but as I ruminate about the importance of pets, I am thinking about how lonely I would be without Chris if Dizz was not here. I had better get off the Maudlin Chair and start the day, it's sunny out there, let's do something! 

*Jonathan is away for the weekend - at other times he is here with me, of course  :) and then I talk to him!

YAY SUCCESS!!!!

OH MY GOODNESS!! 'scuse the capitals but I am so happy  - I finally got the computer to accept my loading page for new blog posts. Wanna know how I did it. I loaded a new browser - Chrome. Thank you Mr Computer, even though half an hour ago I hated you with a vengeance and was going  to throw you out and get a new one. I am so pleased that you decided to play my game and not yours anymore!
 I forgive you, but you are on notice, one more stunt like that of the previous week and I will seriously re-think my new found admiration. 

Now what did I really wanted to talk about - of course being a cold, wet Saturday when all I really wanted to do was catch up on my lost hours of sleep - was to sleep in - Dizzy decided that 5.40 was a good time to go out for a wee this morning. Bad Dog Dizzy, seriously??  When your Father gets back, well he will be getting up to let you out, not me. Be warned Chris you are taking over the early morning calls when you come home. I do Love you Dizz, but we gotta talk about this and we will later. 

I must admit that my back has been giving me such jip, that I don't think I could have stayed in bed much longer anyway.  Will have to get a nap in this afternoon - ha ha ha , I crack myself up!! that's not going to happen either - more chance of Ryan Gosling dropping by to help me fold my fabric :)

Gratuitous inclusion of said Mr Gosling, just cos I know how:

Close enough for me Mr Gosling ~ LOL

It is a wet cold weekend and while I am thrilled about that for two reasons, one reason I am not of course involves Jonathan's washing, small detail.
The reasons for being thankful for the current weather situation,  not in any particular order:

•  I can stay inside all day and play in the play room
• the garden really needs the water
• saves me out there for ages watering the pots and the new vegies
• need for comfort clothing, warm woolly hand knitted cardigan prime example of this
• plan on something warming for lunch
• good weather for movie watching with Kerry later today
• I can listen to the last CD of my audio book in peace without the nagging thought that I should be washing floors - you can't wash floors in bad weather, the dog just makes it dirty again as soon as he goes out for one of his numerous pees.

So now I am feeling so much more positive, thanks to working useful computer, I will have a lovely cup of tea and head off to the playroom. 

If you are reading - please feel free to leave a comment, I'd like to hear from someone :)
Of course if it something derogatory or negative, I reserve the right to delete it before anyone else can read it and agree with you.  

Another Appointment Done

Last night I had an appointment with my superannuation company.  I had quite a few Questions about how being on long service leave and then Leave Without Pay will effect my superannuation.  My main concern is that being on leave will negate my life insurance policy which  is attached to my super plan. 
 When I first got there,  I was met by a nice chap and asked to take a seat.  I was about four minutes late and apologized for that but then the person who was going to be my consultant,  was late but he never apologized.  Bad form, that kinda put me on edge and got my back up a bit. 
 Anyway, I settled in and asked him all the questions that were on my list.  Apparently I can make contributions back to RBF no matter where or who I work for.  I want To keep putting contributions in myself to keep the policy growing because my super is the greater of the two of ours.  Plus as I am A fair bit younger than Chris, so I will need to work for quite a few more years than Chris.
The other main question I had was the projection that my super looks like being worth by the time that I would like to retire at.  The consultant advised me to work in some capacity until I reach 60 years of age, that way the tax will not be quite as much and that will be a good thing.
 I need to make sure that my planning is as well thought out as possible to take advantage of our financial circumstances over the next few years ago.   But a lot of that will be a guessing game.

Computer Woes - cant add a post, will keep trying

It seems that the only way I can put a post up at the moment is via my phone. Oh it's at times like this that I wish I was very technically savvy. It is so frustrating that I have so much I want to say and can't get it onto my blog. My keypad on the phone is tiny and as I have already confessed, typing is not my greatest virtue. Drat it all.
 My backspace button gets a fair workout.

I have started telling folk at work that I am leaving - the responses are really interesting. Some people immediately light up and say good on you, that's fabulous; others say, where is Karratha?; and others first utterance is, gosh it will be hot, won't it? The few that are truly delighted for us, is heart warming and they obviously are the ones that I am going to seek for encouragement and support.

My very dear friend, Kerry, wants to give me a little send off. I just wanted to slink away, but apparently that won't be happening. I spoke to Chris and he said, basically, that I should feel honoured that I have friends that will want to say See Ya! He also pointed out that I would want to do the same for one of my good mates so to be gracious and even though it willbe hard, to smile and say, thank you.
I just don't want to cry in front
 Of everyone, which of course is well on the cards.

The good news for the week is that I have had several lines marked through items on The List!! Yay, go me. Everytime I mark something off, I feel a little better, not so frantic.

I have also got over the novelty of Chris being away. Now I just really miss him and want him back.  Two weeks though and I will be with him. The separation is difficult, but hey suck it up, Kathy, it's not that long.  The tiredness and joint aches are wearing me down a bit as well. Tried sleeping in the spare bed and I think that's a little better.
Anyway my lovelies, I will try posting tomorrow about the information I found about superannuation and LWOP.