My response to 6WS comments

My Six Word Saturday post yesterday generated some disbelieving comments and that's good because if we all agreed and were all enthusiastic all the time then life would be pretty boring. For the record I'm not enthusiastic all the time and I'm also not a positive thinker all the time.

That makes me human because I still moan and groan, I still get annoyed and despondent. If I could get away with it, I would throw myself on the floor and kick and scream occasionally about the unfairness of life.

Let's face it, people who are over the top with enthusiasm all the time are quite simply a pain in the butt.

One of the things I did mention in the post was that enthusiastic people are completely open in their interactions with others so yes Audrey, I agree anyone who doesn't complain is not being totally honest. Nothing in life is perfect, nor is any one person.

Ron - I love the word 'bunk' and you would probably get on really well with my hubby, because he is a disbeliever as well, but that's fine because as I've mentioned before, I have enough enthusiasm for both of us and it's contagious so he can't escape from it.

I guess what I was trying to get across was that surrounding yourself with positive people and trying to find the positive in things can help you overcome obstacles and challenges quicker than if you let it bog you down.

So maybe my post yesterday should have been called 'Living, loving, laughing - enthusiastic about life (most of the time)' - only that wouldn't have been six words.

Cheers, Fi

Living, loving, laughing - enthusiastic about life

Enthusiasm is contagious, but you can't share it if you don't have it and you can't catch it if you don't surround yourself with it.

Enthusiastic people are those who smile readily, who really listen to what another is saying, are passionate about the things they believe in, are completely natural in their interactions with others and are living in the moment. They gather people up and carry them along with their enthusiasm for life.

These are the people we like to be around because they make work more interesting, socialising more fun and life more interesting.

Six steps to help develop your enthusiasm;

1) Counter negative thinking, try to look at the positive side of things. There's always good in everything if you look hard enough.

2) Do things you enjoy that make you feel happy, don't wait until you have time - make time. Make a list of things you want to do and choose one to start now.

3) Surround yourself with enthusiastic people, people who laugh and are positive about life will boost your mood.

4) Get inspired - do something to express yourself; read, write, create.

5) Challenge yourself and try something new, step out of your comfort zone. Always wanted to try something - well what's stopping you, give it a go.

6) Remind yourself to be enthusiastic, it takes practice. If you find your mood is slipping backwards then get energised by doing one of the five things above.

"Reasearchers have found that enthusisastic people have greater peace of mind, higher self esteem, a stronger sense of well being, better physical health and increased success at work and school." Tom Bay, Ph.D

I hope you have something to feel enthusiastic about this week.

Cheers, Fi

Enthusiasm releases the drive to carry you over obstacles and adds significance to all you do ~ Norman Vincent Peale

Same, same but different

Psychic, tuned in or incredibly switched on? I'd like to say all three, but dumb luck or life is probably a better explanation.

On more than one occasion in the last week I've posted something on my blog which has corresponded with something happening in a friend or a followers world.

The reality is I'm writing about things that happen in my life or things that have made me stop and think. I actually read something really cool the other day which are exactly my reasons for writing this blog. It stated that "recording your life is a powerful means of organising your thoughts, understanding your motivations and giving you a valuable perspective on life"

I guess that's why others can identify with what I write because we all experience the same sorts of things, we all go through similar dramas and we all react in similar ways to certain events. That's probably a very generalised way of looking at things because no two people have the same experience or reacts exactly the same, but you get my line of thinking.

I read other people's blogs because they provide an insight into how others deal with things and it also validates the way I react to happenings in my life. I like feeling that I'm not alone with drama and happenings in my life and I also love nothing better than reading about good things happening to people.

So rest assured that I'm not actually reading your mail, listening in on your conversations or peeking through your windows to learn what's happening in your life, I'm simply sharing my life and my experiences.

I wish that for those of you who are experiencing similar pain or stress that you didn't have a need to relate (and you know who you are). For those of you who are experiencing great times who can relate to the good things I'm writing about - well keep on keeping on, because everyone needs good things in their lives.

To my darling friends who I had dinner with tonight and who I don't see nearly often enough any more, thanks for a fantastic night. You guys keep me real and remind me of the good times when we all worked under one roof. I'm humbled that so many of you read my blog and mentioned it tonight. When we all get together, we're a force to be reckoned with and I miss that more than anything.

The title of this post 'same, same but different' is a saying we picked up in Bali last year which I absolutely adore because it can be used for so many things and in so many ways.

Cheers, Fi

Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending

Making the pieces fit together

What makes one marriage last and another end as quickly as it started? Marriages in many ways have become throw away commodities. Where divorce was once a dirty word and almost unheard of, these days it's more common and I wonder if sometimes people give up too easy.

The media is full of stories about celebrities who are not the most shining examples of the sanctity of marriage when they drift in and out of numerous marriages with all their dirty laundry on show for the public.

I'm learning with this blogging caper that I also need to be really clear in what I'm saying to ensure I don't send the wrong message, so let me add at this point that not all marriages are worth fighting for. Physical and emotional abuse are not worth enduring and in this case walking away can be the only solution.

My husband and I are both very stubborn people, we fight, we argue and we make up. We've been together 18 years which is almost half my life - gees when I say it like that it's a really, really long time. He frustrates the hell out of me sometimes and I have moments when I want to throttle him. At the same time I know that I can be really annoying and stubborn and pig headed as well. Don't I sound a treat to live with?

I guess I'm not entirely sure why some marriages work and why some don't. I think that when the shiny newness of a relationship wears off you've got to have similar goals and values to get you through the tough times. Tough times are a fact of life, they will happen and they can destroy even the most rock solid relationship.

The one thing that I've discovered through the years is that respect for one another is essential, as well as a balance of give and take. There's lots of things that can make or break a relationship and forgetting that you need to contribute to the relationship be it a year old or thirty years old must be the greatest mistake that people make.

My hubby has his faults and for the most part I can live with them (or ignore them) as I'm sure he has learnt to live with and / or accept my faults. Nobody is perfect and I believe we all have someone out there who is the other half of us.

I think relationships are a bit like jigsaw pieces, sometimes you think the pieces fit together until you find a piece that fits even better. Some of us choose the right jigsaw piece first time up and some of us spend a lot of time trying to make the wrong pieces fit together.

Cheers, Fi

We fit together so well...it's like pieces of a puzzle, the way your hand fits the curve of my hip and the way my head rests on your shoulder, the way our hands just melt into one, and the way I feel complete when I'm with you...like the picture's finally completed and I'll never have to wonder what I'm missing

Words of Wisdom 1

I've discovered that Wednesdays seem to be my go slow day especially in terms of blogging, probably because it's the middle of the working week, life is busy and the weekend is still so far away.
 
I thought about participating in Wordless Wednesday blog hops which would simplify things because I'd only need a pic and I wouldn't necessarily have to write a post, but I don't have time during the week to give the attention due to fellow blog hoppers.
 
Besides the thing is, words are what I'm all about, so Wednesday's are now going to be my Words of Wisdom posts. They will be brief (as opposed to my normal long ramblings) and hopefully interesting. In essence I will share with you something I've discovered, read or learnt during the week.

Cry your blues away - source Australian Womans Day

-  Women cry 30 - 64 times in a year
-  Men cry only 6 - 17 times a year

Research from German Society of Opthamology found women cry mostly because they feel inadequate or when they remember past events. Men are more likely to shed tears out of empathy or due to a relationship breakdown. Men cry only for a few minutes where as women cry longer and harder.

Crying is good for us - it helps release tension and helps rid our bodies of a build up of chemicals and hormones.

There you go, I knew I was crying for a reason, because its good for me (although I'm probably on the upper scale, because frustration makes me cry and I get frustrated a lot)

Would love to hear your thoughts on Words of Wisdom.

Cheers, Fi

wis·dom – noun
1.the quality or state of being wise; knowledge of what is true or right coupled with just judgment as to action; sagacity, discernment, or insight.
2.scholarly knowledge or learning: the wisdom of the schools.
3.wise sayings or teachings; precepts.

I need to clarify something

I'm big on positive thinking - and yeah I'm good at stating the obvious. A comment on my blog this week had my stomach churning though, suffice to say it's not for me to mention the details of why that comment was made.

What it did do was make me realise that here I am yapping on about the things we attract with our thoughts. The reality is that there are bad, no I'm going to rephrase that and say - shitty things which happen to good people.

Unfortunately all the positive thinking in the world can't stop the shitty things which happen to people. Some things happen as a result of shitty people (pardon my word usage but knowing the reason for this comment prompts my use of the word)

Positve thinking can certainly attract better things into our world and helps us better deal with the rotten things that happen, but it doesn't cure or fix everything. Speaking from my own experience, and yes I've had some shitty moments through my life and been through the depression and anxiety attacks, positive thinking has helped me gain control and attract better things.

I'm no expert, I don't understand half of what happens in this crazy old world but finding a way to step up and take control of your life is better than letting it knock you down and then sink in the boot while you are down. Positive action and one little step towards improving things is a step in the right direction towards a happier life.

I for one, never ever want to return to the depths of despair where I was too afraid to leave my home (not an easy task with a school aged child and a toddler). So that thought is always in the back of mind. The reality of how bad I felt during that time makes me continue to step out of my comfort zone, take a risk and make my life a better one to have.

Now when IT (and there's a story here about when IT came to visit me) knocks on my door I put out the do not disturb sign, because the truth is I'm leading the charge these days, not IT.

Every day may not be good, but there's something good in every day

Life works in mysterious ways

Image Credit

I promised yesterday that I'd share another story about the power of positive thinking and I'll try to be succinct (my new word for the week and meaning 'expressed in few words; concise; terse') Yeah okay you don't believe I can be succinct at all do you?

Anyway, in 2006 I was working part time in a crappy little job in a factory so that I could finish my university study. The family owned company that I worked for had just been bought out by a large national company and everyone was feeling unsettled by the changes. I'd heard that the new boss had arrived but I knew very little else about him.

The one thing that I was entirely certain of was that he was a man I had to meet, that in some way he was going to be important to my career future, I just wasn't sure how or why I thought this. I considered interviewing him for an article I was writing for uni and then decided he would probably think I was a twat for wasting his time when he had more important things to focus on, so I chickened out of asking him.

Not long after his arrival there was talk of forming a consultative committee to formulate an enterprise agreement for the employees. I was incredibly busy with uni study and three boys who were playing numerous sports at the time so I didn't give it much thought. By default though I ended up being the representative for our department.

Remembering here that I'm trying to be succinct, suffice to say that during those meetings about employees rights I was my usual outspoken and forceful self and following a 100% approval by employees for the new enterprise agreement, the HR Manager approached me and said he wanted me to come and work for him. At this stage I'd only briefly met the 'new boss'.

Their incredibly generous offer (remembering I was on a pitiful part-time factory worker wage) coupled with the knowledge that I could finish my remaining 12 months of study and then move to a full time role was enticing. This was all despite the HR role not being related at all to what I was studying.

Six months after I completed my study, the 'boss' who I'd had a number of dealings with, approached me about moving into a role as his personal assistant. I told him while his offer was an honour I was not prepared to lose my handle on HR. I'd found a role that I loved - working with people to improve their working environment.

I was doing a lot of focused positive thinking at this time about what I wanted for my future. My refusal actually worked to my advantage because the HR Manager and boss agreed to split my duties so I could have the best of both worlds and they hired a HR assistant to help me.

The thing is, when the boss left the company in May last year to move to a new role at the corporate office, I was devastated. I was also doing some heavy duty thinking about what I really wanted to be doing with my future. Ironically when my position was made redundant in August last year guess where I ended up - at the corporate office with the boss.

Admittedly it was an administrative role on a project that had yet to receive approval. My boss is one of those people who doesn't think much of position descriptions and focuses more on a person's talents and abilities, so I was willing to give it a go. Now in just one short week I will move into a role in communications which has been my main goal since I first signed up for uni.

So five years after our company was bought out I've finally got to the role I wanted, a role that didn't exist at my original company. A role that evolved out of my communications work in HR. Ironically the HR role was one of the greatest learning curves for me and strengthened my communication skills tenfold.

So was it positive thinking, coincidence, dumb luck or hard work. It's probably a combination of all of them. The thing is I believed that I would eventually get my dream job and before even meeting the man, I knew he would play a part in my career future. Amazing how things work huh?

So if there's something that you really want badly; imagine it, work towards it, believe it and then just do it.

and yes you're right, I have no ability when it comes to being succinct.

Cheers, Fi

I don't believe that old cliche that good things come to those who wait. I think good things come to those who want something so bad they can't sit still. ~ Ashton Kutcher

Believing in the power of thought.

This post is not what it was meant to be. The title is correct and I spent a lot of time writing my thoughts on the power of positive thinking. In fact I wrote a whole lot of words and then I added an awesome image with a positive saying on it at the bottom and as I went to add a caption, I inadvertently deleted the whole post and then Blogger did an automatic save and I lost everything.

I've now spent several minutes staring at the screen in absolute disbelief and the reality is that no amount of positive thinking is going to bring my 'wonderful post' back. I have to laugh or otherwise I'll cry.

I'm not going to write all the words again, besides the fact that I can't remember half of what I'd written. I am going to re-write the essence of what I was trying to say and here's positive thinking for you - maybe this post is going to be better than the last. The thing is I do believe in the power of our thoughts, that what we think is what we attract be it good or bad. Not sure how my thoughts led to deleting my post but anyway....

There are people who will passionately agree with the theory that what we think we attract or there are others who will vigorously argue the fact. My hubby is one who will vigorously argue about it because he's a black and white man - unless he can see it, feel it or hear it he won't believe it.

I've had too many occurrences in my life where what I've truly believed in and / or pursued has eventuated. That's not to say that my thoughts are always happy, shiny positive ones either. Sometimes life is bloody hard and I have times that I feel like everyone and everything is against me. Good or bad though - I believe we attract what we think

Several months ago I was going through some really difficult times with my two eldest boys. I wasn't sleeping well, I wasn't eating properly and I was making myself unwell through the stress of it all. It was only when I started suffering from migraines on a weekly basis that I realised I wasn't following my own beliefs, I was letting my fears get in the way of my positive thinking.

So I did an about face and started going to bed with my mental tape re-programmed in my head to remind me that 'everything will work out the way it's meant to and I trust in the universe to provide all that I need'. This was my sleeping thought for several weeks and I don't know why I was suddenly able to discard the worry and negatives thoughts but I did and I truly believed in my mental tape.

This post was the result of my positive thinking

The thing is, it doesn't matter whether any of you believe in this concept, the important thing is that I believed it. Trust me when I say that I live with the biggest disbeliever on the subject of positive thinking and the power of the mind - but that's okay too because I have enough belief for the two of us and I wouldn't change his beliefs because then he wouldn't be him.

and while I'm on a roll, tomorrow I'll share another story about the power of my positive thinking

So the question is - do you believe that what we think, we attract?

Cheers, Fi

Affirm the positive, visualize the positive and expect the positive, and your life will change accordingly.
When you have control over your thoughts, you have control over your life.
You can close the windows and darken your room, and you can open the windows and let light in. It is a matter of choice. Your mind is your room. Do you darken it or do you fill it with light?

Image Credit

Happiness = music, colour and quirks....

It doesn't take much to put a smile on my face because it's the little things that my family and friends do that make me happy.

My son downloaded a song for me tonight to put on my new phone as the ringtone for when my hubby calls me.

I've been talking about this song for ages and it took youngest mm about two seconds to navigate the music sites for what I wanted - whereas me, I had no idea where to even begin looking.

I don't visit music sites online and I've been told I have old fashioned taste in music - well that's according to the hip, young things that live in my house. I'm one of those people who likes songs that actually mean something, the ones that have words that tell a story as opposed to mindless, repetitious and meaningless words and sounds.

The song I've put as my ringtone when hubby calls, is 'I want a lover who won't drive me crazy' by John Cougar Mellencamp. Anyone who knows my hubby will appreciate how appropriate this song is.

In fact I've always had individual and personality appropriate songs as ring tones for certain people who call me. Eldest mm is 'I want it all' by Queen, middle mm is the 'Bad Boys Theme' by Will Smith and youngest mm is 'Flaunt it (what your momma gave you)' by I can't remember who. All chosen for their likeness to my boys characters.

My ringtone for my boss is 'These boots are made for walking' by Jessica Simpson, not because he walks all over me but because he always goes a hundred miles an hour and I always feel if I don't keep up, he'll walk straight over the top of me. My general ringtone for my phone is 'Some people think that I'm crazy' by Billy Thorpe.

Am I the only person who does this? My boss used a good word today - quirky, this was his polite way of describing people who have 'interesting' personality traits. So yeah I guess I also have a few 'quirky' traits. Quirky meaning "an individual peculiarity of character; mannerism or foible".

My other quirk which has some people smiling with amusement is my love of colour. Boss affectionately calls me the 'pantone queen' - I can't help myself, colour makes me happy and it sure makes reading a dull document more interesting.

I've always found quirky people to be interesting and entertaining, they tend to walk their own path through life and don't always follow the pack. In my eyes this is a good thing, yes they can sometimes be annoying - but everyone needs to exhibit their individuality at times.

What about you, do you have any 'quirky' traits?

You were born an original. Don't die a copy ~ anonymous

Technology always beats me

Here's where I have to admit to being totally technologically challenged. I got my new phone today, and it's all good - I will probably need another university degree to work out all of the different parts of it, but it looks and behaves very well.

In setting up my gmail account and facebook on my phone tonight, I read a message from Maggie in Melbourne regarding the use of one of my pics.

So because I'm prone to being quite wordy I figured I would send an email from my computer - bigger buttons and all, plus I can type as opposed to pressing tiny buttons - only now I can't find where the message was or what her email address was (or more importantly whether I may have inadvertently deleted it)

Maggie you said you had added me to your favourites so I'm hoping you're checking in today to read this post. Yes you can use the pic of Renmark and if you need any more (being that half of my family now live in Renmark) please leave a comment and I will respond. How embarassing is it when technology gets in the way of communication. I'm sure that it won't be the first thing that I delete or lose as I learn how to use my new toy.

My part in the project is definitely educating me on the finer points of communication and just how much it can affect the outcome of any meeting, conversation or happening. Lets face it, some of us are good at communicating, some of us just open our mouths and give no thought to what flows out, some of us just talk for the sake of talking and some of us just plain suck at it.

There is an art to communicating well - with the most important components being to listen to what the other person is saying and also allowing ourselves to stand in the other persons shoes and imagine how they are receiving our message.

Communication is going to be a huge part of my life for the next few years in my new role (not that it hasn't always been) but especially so now. Reading and writing are my two favourite things in the whole world and are important forms of communicating, as much as verbal communication.

So maybe I'll be sharing more of my thoughts on the process of communicating and doing it well. Not that I always get it right, but I have at least learnt to stop and consider more carefully before I let it all spill out. What about you do you have problems with words that just erupt from nowhere?

Cheers, Fi

Speak when you are angry - and you'll make the best speech you'll ever regret. ~ Dr. Laurence J. Peter

Getting a new toy - no not that sort of toy!

Internet connection is as slow as a slug tonight - maybe because I had two profiles open on my laptop. We have unlimited usage so it shouldn't slow down - we'll see though.

Now for my latest news, I'm getting a new toy. It's probably not that exciting a toy for most people, except for me that is.

I have just ordered myself a new mobile phone, my old one is painful and I'm eligible for a new one on my plan (at no cost) which is always an enticement. So in two days this is what I will have

Yeah, not exciting for most, but for me it is. Small things amuse me and keep me happy. I was not happy this afternoon though when I went into the phone shop to organise my new phone and was told I couldn't have one without hubby's permission. What the....?

Basically they wouldn't give me one because all of our phones (hubbys, mine and the boys) are all on one bill. This means we only get one bill a month and have free calls between us. But... there's always a but, because the bill is in hubby's name I can't organise anything without his signature. I pay the bill you morons!

Sometimes you just have to wonder at how stupid things can be. The phone will not cost anything, my plan will still cost the same amount but I have to have my husband's signature - argghh!!!!!. I came home and chucked the standard wobbly at not getting my own way.

Hubby then got on the phone (anything to shut up my whining) and it turns out I can order it over the internet, get three months free rental, no delivery cost and I get it in two days. So as the saying goes everything happens for a reason, even if we can't see the why at the time.

So if anyone has a bad story to share about Blackberry's please restrain yourself from sharing - because I've ordered it and it's coming and I don't want to know. If the phone packs it in I'll chuck another wobbly when and if it's required.

Who would have thought I could dribble so much about the purchase of a new phone? Yeah you're right, I can dribble heaps on pretty much any topic.

Cheers, Fi

Everyone has a 'risk muscle.' You keep it in shape by trying new things. If you don't, it atrophies. Make a point of using it at least once a day. ~ Roger Von Oech

Out of step on the merry-go-round of life

Back to the grindstone today - it was a bit hard to get back into the swing of things when my sleep patterns got all messed up on the weekend.

My day started off with an interesting topic that I was listening to on the radio on my way to work this morning. It's amazing the things you learn about and hear.

The topic this morning though got my stomach churning and then got my mind spinning when I considered that maybe I was behind the times; way, way behind the times.

Believe me when I say that I've had several occasions lately when I've been forced to consider how out of step I am with things happening in the world. The subject this morning though (and I hope you're not eating while you're reading this post) was about keeping the placenta from your babys' birth and eating it.

Okay I've heard about burying it under a tree and the like, but they were talking this morning about the rising popularity of 'placenta parties' and cooking it up in all different forms. For starters I'm not a huge meat eater and secondly my meat has to be well and truly dead on the plate with not a skerrick of blood to be seen before I can eat it. The thought of eating a placenta (which is supposed to be like liver) is just not on my list of things I should try or even want to try.

So I accept the fact that maybe I'm really out of step with the latest trends and things that are supposed to be good for you - but in this case I'm quite happy to be like this. Added to my list of being out of step - apparently things like pilchers or 'fluffies' which were exceptionally popular when my children were young are now nowhere to be found.

The saleswoman at Target the other day looked at me like I had two heads when I explained what I was looking for. Thankfully a young mum overheard the conversation and knew what I was talking about and said that cloth nappies now come all as one with the pants built in, so things like pilchers or waterproof pants to go over cloth nappies are very hard to find as in almost non-existent.

Then I went to a nightclub on Friday night (yes nanna in a nightclub - how old did I feel?) which added to feeling out of step with the world. Riding a mechanical bull in a nightclub with a miniskirt and no knickers under my stockings - mmm so glad I missed that trend.

So how 'bout you, what have you had happen lately that left you feeling out of step with the merry-go-round of life?

Cheers, Fi

Everyone rides on the merry go round of life, but very few ever take the chance at the brass ring! ~ Kevin Veitch

Big weekend requires nanna nap

My weekend has been big which required my requisite two hour nanna nap this afternoon. There was so much that I could have been doing and just no energy to do so. Friday night we stayed in the city with another couple and I think in total I got about 4 hours sleep Friday night.

Last night was family and friends time and roughly 15 people for dinner. It was a great night - good food and good company. Brother and sister-in-law were down from Renmark so there was plenty of catching up to do, my new grandson to show off and brithday presents to be given out for my nephew and son - both of who have birthdays this week.

We also managed to finally get photos of hubby holding new grandson, he's just unable to say no to DIL when she's on a mission to get photos of all family members for the baby book, but I'll restrain myself from posting them on here. Hubby hates having his pic taken and usually avoids holding newborns for fear of 'breaking' them - he'll take toddlers any day.

Today was cold and raining and SIL and I spent most of the day lolling around the house, watching kids DVD's with my nephew. Brother and the MM's went and cut down some tree branches at their rental property and hubby was working on a mates industrial shed that they're building.

My houseguests left mid afternoon and I took to my lounge and slipped in a little nanna nap. I could of slept for a lot longer, honestly life can be so exhausting at times. The next three weeks are going to be hugely busy at work so I knew that sleep was more important to get me through the next week.

I've spent two days away from the computer and not blogging and guess what, the blogosphere survived without me and I survived without it. Hope you've had a fantastic weekend.

Cheers, Fi

Here's a thought from Nubia for the coming week

You can click on the image to make it bigger

Mini Meltdown

See I'm human - my life is not all rosy. I had my mini meltdown today and boss had to re-calibrate me (his favourite word) because I was feeling a little bit lost and unloved.

I'm training a HR person to take over the HR side of my job from the 1st of August and we have a new administrator joining the project on the same day.

So basically I have to brain dump 12 months of living and breathing this project to enable these two people to take over those parts of my job.

I guess I was feeling a little lost as to what there was for me going forward, which is made more difficult because the third party consultants have yet to assign a Change Manager to the project. So my boss in true form, sat me down and talked me through all my concerns and made things clearer for me. My biggest problem is that I'm pretty good (no I know I'm damn good) at guiding and leading others but get a little bit lost when it comes to faith in myself and my own abilities.

He knows me well and we both understand how each other operate, so after the chat today I felt a lot better about things and the direction my new role will take. My fortnightly chiro appointment tonight earnt me a good telling off - she wanted to know what I'd been doing to have messed up my neck and back so badly - I told her it was life in general.

I missed my 200th post milestone which occurred earlier this week and forgot about my 10 years service which happens on Sunday. My boss and another project team member took me out to lunch today and gave me my 'gold watch' which was a surprise. Yes I know stop, breathe, relax and smell the roses on the way. Well roses make me sneeze.

While I remember, I've got a post called 'Holiday from Hell' up on World Moms Blog if you want to pop by and have a read.

On a positive note, last night was at least beautifully relaxing - I think I'm turning into one of those boring people who raves about their grandchild all the time, but what can I say I'm besotted. Last night I was there for 2 hours before he even woke up, much to my dismay. Son and DIL gave me the choice of giving him a bath if I wanted to so of course I gave him a bath when he woke up. Mind you I haven't given a newborn baby a bath for 14 years and in one word - it's scary.

How dumb does that sound?

I don't think (make that I know) none of my boys were that incredibly tiny, in fact all of my boys were built like sumo wrestlers as babies. He loved his bath and just floated and squirmed around, not a whimper except for when I first got him out which is understandable. Then I fed him and by then his mum and dad had come home which was much too soon.

If my babies had been like him, I probably would have had 10. Mellow, chilled out and relaxed - so he definitely gets his happy genes from his mother's side of the family.

Here's something that we all need to keep in mind - me most of all

Another Nubia treat to share - Click on the image to see full size

Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure. ~ Oprah Winfrey

Cheers, Fi

The sounds of silence

Do you hear that - it's the sound of silence. There's just me, myself and I in the house, oh and my new grandson - who surprisingly is asleep. One could get a complex from the amount he sleeps when I'm around.

I'm on Nani duty tonight because eldest son has taken his girl out to see the latest Harry Potter movie which she has been wanting to see. She didn't know where they were going up until I arrived, she just knew that she had to be dressed ready to go out. My son does have a romantic side.

You know how some people glow during pregnancy (well except for me and DIL) well DIL now has that glow after the birth. Health problems have gone provided she takes things easy and now she's glowing, not sure how you do that with a brand new baby but she is and deserves to after the last two weeks she's had.

I arrived with my laptop, book and a magazine because grandson avoids my company and I knew he would probably sleep through most of my visit - and I was right.

Today was an absolute feral day at work and is set to get worse. The week after next I have to be in three different places - not quite sure how I'm going to accomplish that but it seems to be a common occurence with projects. Our full project team of 70+ people doesn't come together until the 5th September because it will take us that long to get all of the required people out of their individual businesses, although starting next week some of them will start joining us.

I'm quickly starting to realise that working on a project the size of this one is extremely challenging and stressful. To think I have three and a half more years of this to come - should be an interesting time.

A side benefit to Nani duty tonight is of course free use of the computer and no need for guilt over setting a bad example. I'm pretty sure my grandson won't give me away on this one, he'd have to wake up first anyway.

Well I'm off to read some blogs, flick through my magazine and enjoy the peace and quiet until the little man decides he's hungry.

Cheers, Fi

True silence is the rest of the mind; it is to the spirit what sleep is to the body, nourishment and refreshment. ~William Penn

My kingdom for some sanity.

Not that my kingdom is worth much and the bank still owns half of it, plus there’s the fact that I don’t know anyone powerful enough to restore my sanity. Seriously though, my children are keeping me on my toes.

We’ve had drama in recent months with middle MM and police curfews as I’ve mentioned in previous posts and then the fun with oldest MM finding a regular paying job accompanied by the trouble with DIL and the birth of my new grandson. So it only stands to reason that youngest MM has jumped on the ‘challenge your parents’ bandwagon and demanded some attention as well.

His problem - a serious addiction! He is addicted to X-Box Live. This means he can play X-Box on line with a headset and compete against his friends who are sitting in their own homes. The last few months the amount of usage has been getting progressively worse. We’ve been monitoring the usage and allowing him to set some boundaries – because he’s normally very mature and reliable. Yesterday, the first day of a two week school holiday break and he had a marathon session that had hubby seeing red last night.

Eight hours in one day is neither normal nor healthy. Hubby was ready to pull internet connection and / or take to the machine with a hammer. Obviously this resulted in momentary massive panic from me at the mention of cutting internet connection. Okay so maybe I also have a slight addiction to blogging, but I certainly don’t spend 8 hours a day doing it.

Hubby on a roll meant of course that my computer usage at night came into question as well. Despite my explaining that writing was a total different kettle of fish to shooting bad guys and yelling at your mates through a headset, it still remained that I was partly to blame for son getting away with ridiculous amounts of X-Boxing time and that I was setting a bad example.

The result, youngest MM is banned from the machine for several days and I’m writing this post at work in my lunch break. Take away my blogging and I might just slip into total insanity. Honestly though, we’ve never experienced this problem before with the other two MM’s and it still remains that youngest MM’s friends’ parents are allowing their children to do the same thing.

What ever happened to school holidays being about riding bikes, kicking balls around and generally being kids and having fun? Youngest MM moans then that there’s nothing else to do during the holidays. Which means it’s going to be a very long two weeks. Thankfully hubby is home the remainder of the week with him and can put up with the sullen ‘woe is me’ mood of a teenager denied his fun.

What is the world coming to when gaming machines and computers are ruining our children? I’m quite lost as to how to deal with this other than a) taking a hammer to the machine b) cutting internet – neither of which are really options in my book or c) being nasty ‘abnormal’ parents and massively limiting access.

Wish me luck, Fi

A little kingdom I possess, where thoughts and feelings dwell; And very hard the task I find of governing it well. ~ Louisa May Alcott

Wake up to a smile

How cute is this pic - another one from Nubia. Despite the picture I didn't wake up to a smile (hubby had gone to work) or with a smile this morning because it's winter; it was too early and it was Monday. My three non favourite things in the world. This has been the coldest, wettest winter I can remember in a lonnngg long time. I know we need the rain, but arggh it's so de-motivating.

I've got lots happening at work and a big weekend coming up so that motivates me even if the weather isn't co-operating. Good thing I caught up on some sleep this weekend. My brother and sister-in-law are coming down from Renmark this weekend coming so I'll get to catch up with them and my darling little nephew. You've probably cottoned onto the fact that I'm a sucker for babies and toddlers.

Hubby and I, and another couple are having a night in the city again on Friday night, the same place we stayed at a while back. The long and short of it, friends of our friends who booked two rooms at the same time we did have been unable to use the rooms and the voucher runs out so they've given them to us at no cost. Woohoo another night in a luxury hotel, yeah you know that I had to be talked into that, not!.

So the plan is to go to the city markets on Friday night and then out to dinner and then a nice soak in the heated pool and spa back at the hotel to cap off the night. So looking forward to it.

We also have friends coming for dinner on Saturday night and son, DIL and newest addition are coming as well to catch up with the family. Yes, I'll stand back and let them show off their bundle of joy and try not to hog him the whole night. Only because it's the polite thing to do.

Before I get to the fun things though, I have a huge week ahead of me at work. Three more weeks until I move into my new communications role and when I'll finally get some help with the mountain of work I'm trying to burrow my way through.

Well that 's my week ahead - what about yours? Whatever you're doing I hope you have a smiley one

Cheers, Fi

Everytime you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing. ~ Mother Teresa

Send in the guilt police

Because shock horror, today I am doing a fair bit of nothing. I slept till 10.50 this morning and then was totally annoyed with myself for wasting half the day. Hubby and middle MM are both working today (even though it's Sunday) and youngest MM is out riding his bike with friends, so the house is still clean from yesterday and is blissfully quiet, if you don't count the sound of the clothes dryer.

Its cold and the rain comes and goes, so not good weather to be doing the gardening or even hanging out washing. What else is there to do other than read, write, comment and blog? Okay I could be folding the mountain of clothes which obscures the lounge room floor. I could probably also be cooking goodies for the coming week. But honestly I just can't be bothered.

So while no-one is home to witness my sheer laziness - I'm going to do zip, nada, nothing. Sssshhh don't tell anyone. Why is it we feel guilty when we take time out for ourselves? I do and then I run around like a crazy fool at the end of the day to make up for doing my 'own' thing.

I'm sure my hubby and boys don't feel guilty when they sit and watch car racing and drink a few beers (that's hubby not my boys by the way) or spend hours playing X-Box or chatting with mates. Why as mothers do we feel like we should be doing something substantial - or is it just me who feels this way?

I have several hours of uninterrupted 'me' time ahead of me which I plan to make the most of. I've actually nearly finished reading a second novel this weekend. Me the read-a-holic who hasn't sat down and read a book for weeks is on her second one for the weekend. Ahhh the guilt of it all.

Catyas all later, that's if if I haven't expired from the guilt of doing very little today.

Cheers, Fi

Today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday

Doing nothing - just can't do it!

None of you believed me yesterday when I said I was going to do nothing this weekend did you? Because what mother can actually do nothing? So when I said I was going to do nothing this weekend because I was too exhausted, what I actually meant was that I was still going to do all of my food shopping, clean the house and catch up on a weeks worth of washing. That's what I meant by doing nothing!

You could almost say that a mother who does nothing is an oxymoron (love that word!) Dictionary meaning: A rhetorical device in which two seemingly contradictory words are used together for effect:

I also fitted in a visit to the latest addition to our family, just to check in of course. They twisted my arm and asked if I wanted to feed him, so I let myself be talked into cuddling him and wasting an hour sitting and gazing at his gorgeous little face. DIL is actually looking like her old self again (finally!) and almost two weeks after his birth she is actually starting to enjoy being a new mum.

I did have a nice sleep in this morning which helped restore some of the waning energy levels, not quite back to having the energy of an eighteen year old but I'm working on it.

July is going to be a month of milestones for me. I'm five posts away from my 200th post on this blog and July 20 is my one year birthday for this blog. What a lot has happened in the last 12 months. That's a lot of words that I've put out into the blogosphere, a lot of happiness, a lot of angst and a lot of me out there for everyone to see.

This blog has become an important part of who I am because it has strengthened my writing and has assisted me in finding answers and strength when times have been tough. I've met some amazing people along the way and reconnected with friends who I haven't spoken to or caught up with in a long time. It's also helped my family stay up-to-date on happenings in our world even when they're a long way away.

The other biggie this month is that I will reach 10 years of service with my employer on the 17th, the longest I've ever worked for any company so that's a little special for me as well. Youngest MM (my baby) will also turn 14 on the 22nd. What a month it's going to be.

Well I'm off to do some more 'nothing' - like serve up the roast dinner that I found the energy to make today. There's only so many toasted sandwiches and soup that you can eat in a week. Just kidding, I may not have done much cooking this week, but hubby likes his food too much, so he's been on kitchen duty this week.

Have a great weekend all

Cheers, Fi

Any mother could perform the jobs of several air traffic controllers with ease. ~ Lisa Alther


Want to play along with Six Word Saturday, it's easy? All that's necessary to participate is to describe your life (or something) in a phrase using just six words. For more information, try clicking here. Feel free to explain or not explain. Add an image, a video, a song, nothing.

Realisation - I'm getting 'old'

It's Friday and I'm overjoyed because this week it felt like there were about 10 days between Monday and today. I'm sure I've done enough work for there to have been that many days anyway.

I was meant to be heading to an UnderCoverWear Party tonight and I normally love these parties because it means catching up with the girls from my old job, a few relaxing drinks and an opportunity to spend some money on ME!

Late this afternoon I received news that the party has been postponed till next Friday, so while I was somewhat disappointed, I also had an overwhelming feeling of relief that all I have to do tonight is sit on the lounge and do 'nothing'. It's cold and raining outside and I couldn't think of anything more enjoyable right at this moment then curling up toasty and warm and doing absolutely nothing.

Becoming a Nani has turned me into a - dare I say it - 'an old woman'. So here's my thoughts for the week - you know you're getting old when:

1) A 'nanna nap' on a Sunday afternoon is simply because you're tired not because you've been out partying like crazy the night before.
2) Late nights are about waiting up for a child to come home from partying
3) Sleeping in is any time after 8am.
4) You get excited by a night curled up on the lounge - alone.
5) You colour your hair to cover the grey and not simply as a fashion statement

There's a thousand more things that I could add to this list and really in terms of my years on this planet - I'm not really that old, I still have a few months to go before I reach the big 4..0. It's just that after a week like I've had, I feel so exhausted and old.

It's true that you're only as old as you feel, so this weekend is all about recharging my batteries, catching up on some sleep and generally doing very little of anything with substance. By Monday morning I plan on having the energy of an eighteen year old, okay maybe I'll settle for the energy of a thirty year old.

Hope you all have a super relaxing weekend people.

Cheers, Fi

Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter. ~ Mark Twain

Dare I say it - Happy Days, finally!

She's home, all the tests were clear. Woohoo! DIL looks almost back to her normal self tonight. I'm not going to cross my fingers though, I'm just going to think lots of positive and happy thoughts that everything improves from here.

The thing is it's hard to think happy thoughts when you're experiencing tough times in your life, despite the reality that it's when you need to be thinking happy thoughts the most. I do believe though that it's true that happy attracts happy.

Sometimes the most annoying person we know can be the person who is eternally optimistic. I think having a happy life is about balance. No-one can ever have a perfect life, one with no drama, no hassles, no pain and I'm not sure that a life like that would even be perfect. Sometimes the dramas make the good moments even better.

I do try to look on the bright side of life, but the last few months have challenged even my normally optimistic view. So here's some happiness reinforcement for anyone that may need it this week:

1.  Expect happiness, because you deserve it.

2.  Change the way you look at things, try to always look on the bright side. While your mind might drift towards the negative side of things, don’t let yourself. Focus on the positive.

3.  Take care of yourself and remember to take time out for you. Small things, like a relaxing bath, a walk on the beach, spending time doing the things that make you feel happy.

4.  Think of how to solve problems, not about the problems themselves. Action can help minimise anxiety - doing something, anything, is surely better than sitting around worrying about a problem.

5.  Be proud of the things you have done, not of the things you haven’t.

6.  Be happy for others when things are good in their lives.

7.  Surround yourself with positive and happy people, it’s catching.

8.  Making others happy also contributes to your own happiness. Small thoughtful actions can mean a lot to another person.

9.  Smile often and laugh out loud regularly.

10.  If it makes you happy, then just do it!

I've got a lot to be thankful for in my life. My grandson is happy and healthy and DIL is home and well on the way to recovery. All of my family members are safe and healthy, I have good friends and the one thing I realised this week is that when life gets tough, your friends and your family are there to support, to listen and to provide a shoulder.

There you go, I told you light hearted and energised was coming and there's more to come in my life and yours - why? simply because I believe it!

Have a great week guys. the sky is the limit.

Cheers, Fi

The three grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love and something to hope for. ~ Addison

Challenges come so we can grow and be prepared for things we are not equipped to handle now. When we face our challenges with faith, prepared to learn, willing to make changes, and if necessary, to let go, we are demanding our power be turned on. ~ Iyanla Vanzant

Lighthearted & Energised - coming real soon

This is the best I could do for lighthearted and energised today

I can't help myself, I wasn't going to post tonight because I was meant to be posting something uplifting and energising. Quite frankly I don't feel in an energised or uplifted mood tonight, but writing is what makes me feel better because it's my brain dump at the end of the day, so of course here I am, emptying my head to prevent an overload.

Another long day today but at least this morning grandson was considerate enough to be awake and share some time with me. DIL was up and feeding him when I arrived, slight headache but definitely looking brighter than she has all week.

Phone call this afternoon from son changed all that - DIL was re-admitted to hospital this afternoon and was undergoing a MRI tonight. Headaches have gone but backache that came on suddenly today is enough cause for concern apparently because of the risk of blood clots, hence she's back in there.

I had an epidural with each of my boys and never suffered a problem, in fact no-one I know has had any of these problems (although I'm sure they do happen, you just never think it will happen to you or one of the people you love) I've never heard of any of these sort of problems up until now. Had I have been aware that any of this could have happened I probably never would have had one myself. Well maybe I would have, because lets face it childbirth is no walk in the park and you can't realise how bad it is until you watch a loved one suffering.

DIL was concerned about getting an epidural because of her fear of needles, I was one of the people who told her not to worry because it was a piece of cake. Do I feel guilty, somewhat, but I'm also realistic enough to know that I'm not to blame and that it's a pretty standard thing these days (or so I thought)

Now we sit and play a waiting game for the results from the MRI. I'm frustrated and worried, which is nothing on what poor son and DIL are enduring at the moment. Bugger, bugger, bugger! Sorry but I just don't know what else to say that won't be too offensive for some of those that read this blog.

DIL was at least still maintaining her sense of humour tonight when she texted me to tell me that she'd had the MRI and was on the way up to the ward. She told me she was checking back into the Hotel Flinders for the night (as opposed to Flinders Hospital). That comment gave me some small measure of relief, she was at least making jokes and trying to remain light hearted, despite enduring more blood tests and needles today and not being at home where she wants to be.

We're all hanging in there and trying to stay positive and I will be back to post a genuine uplifting and positive post real soon.

Cheers, Fi

Every day may not be good, but there's something good in every day. 

Its been a long, long day

While it's been a long day, out the door by 6.45am and not home till 6.30 tonight, it's also been a good day. Arrived at DIL's about 7 this morning, grandson just would not cooperate and wake up to play with Nani Fi - he just slept the whole time, not the most considerate baby in the world is he? So I folded clothes, put dishes away and gazed in awe at him. I exercised extreme control and although I was tempted to poke him and wake him up, I didn't. Aren't you proud of me?

I woke DIL up just before 8.30 and what a joyous task it was because she woke up with a smile on her face and pain free - yihoo. First time since last Monday, so definitely worth celebrating. She's got through the whole day today with no headache, just some neck pain and discomfort, so fingers crossed she's now on the road to recovery.

Well I'm all done in and don't have the energy to type any more tonight, but here's two more pics of the little man who has turned our lives upside down and given all of us extra reasons to smile and laugh. (I lifted them from DIL's Facebook page - see that's how much better she is, she's uploaded her photos) Now that things appear to be on the mend I'll have to go and take a bunch more photos of my own.

His first car ride home from the hospital

He's so tiny, but isn't he the sweetest little thing?

Maybe I'll come back tomorrow night to post something uplifting and energising - now that the fog seems to be lifting. I do have my fingers, toes and eyes tightly crossed that her recovery continues which admittedly makes it a little hard to type (with everything crossed), but you all know what I mean. Cheers for your support and well wishes this last week.

Cheers, Fi

A baby will make love stronger, days shorter, nights longer, bank balances smaller, home happier, clothes dirty, the past forgotten, and the future worth living for

Many hands make light work

Wow, I read all your comments and started crying again - thank you all so much for your kind wishes and thoughts. At the moment we have the most amazing tag team happening. Our main aim being to keep new mum at home with her new family and not in a hospital bed, and keeping son in his very new job.

Son left for work this morning and I arrived just after 7. I did the shift till 8.30, put hungry bub on the lounge with mum who had woken looking marginally better than she'd been when I spoke to son earlier in the morning. Made sure she had everything she needed, fielded a call from the hospital checking up on her and then rang her mum on my way out the door, so her mum knew what was happening and to ensure she wasn't far away.

Her mother arrived just after 9 for the day shift, bathed bub and made sure dinner was cooked for the evening, and then her amazing 'baby' sister turned up this afternoon and did the washing and dishes. Son arrived home mid afternoon to take on the night shift but with all of the duties done other than caring for junior.

I'm back there tomorrow morning and we'll keep doing the tag team effort until DIL is back on her feet and feeling 100% better. Two or three months ago when I was twiddling my thumbs at work and had nothing to do I could have spent the whole week with her. Now I'm running around like a headless chook at work and don't have a spare second in my day. That's Murphy's Law I guess.

My hardest task is spending an hour and a half of quality time in the mornings nursing my gorgeous grandson who still remains the most well behaved baby on the planet. I wish I could be doing more to help out but am glad that I can help in some small way.

We will get them through this trying time and I appreciate all the positive thoughts being sent their way.

Cheers to all of you, Fi

The family is one of nature's masterpieces.

I am in awe (and I am speechless)

To say I am proud of my eldest MM at the moment would be a gross understatement. My boy has stepped up and become the man I knew he could become and has taken to fatherhood as if he was born to it.

He's doing all feeds, bathing, burping etc. Washing dishes, sterilising bottles, clothes washing and cooking dinner. He is caring for a brand new little baby and a very unwell fiancee who is on total bedrest and he is doing a gold medal effort at all of it. In fact my pride brings tears to my eyes at the moment.

He has worked 12 hour days all week, along with nightly visits to the hospital and then has survived on limited sleep all weekend since they came home. This afternoon he catered to additional family members who dropped in to see the new family whilst feeding baby and making coffees with a minimum of ease.

DIL is still very unwell and my heart goes out to both of them during this extremely hard time. MM has also arranged for DIL's sisters and mother to be with her during the week so that he can still go to work. His sense of responsibility at the moment is heartwarming to say the least.

Being a new parent is extremely difficult, most of us have done it and we all remember how hard those first few weeks are. I can honestly say that I don't think you truly appreciate motherhood as much as when your child becomes a parent. Watching my son cope with the amount he has on his plate at the moment brings home the reality that we did a pretty damn fine job of raising him.

My darling boy never have I been so incredibly proud as I am of you at this moment. To think of the troubles we have had over the years and even in recent months I can not adequately put into words my feelings at this moment.

I love the person you have become.

Cheers, Fi

When you have brought up kids, there are memories you store directly in your tear ducts. ~ Robert Brault

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What an unbelievable week it's been

My new grandson

Whew! I'm glad this one is over. I feel like I've been running uphill all week.

A healthy gorgeous little man joined our family this week but his poor mama has had a real rough run. I took DIL back to emergency today because she was in such a bad way with headaches and complications from her epidural. Proud daddy and youngest MM stayed home and manned the fort with the little man.

Hopefully they've got her sorted now and all done without another hospital stay which was a concern but was thankfully avoided. Flinders Emergency is the craziest place on the planet and was exceptionally bad today due to the torrents of rain falling from the sky. For all the bad stories you hear about emergency and the massively 'long' waiting times - I have nothing but good things to say about how we were treated and the speed with which she was seen and taken care of today.

Today I also met one of the most decent and understanding 'anaethesists' possibly in existence. His bedside manner, explanations and solutions to the problems were 'A' class. So after being filled full of pain drugs and anti nausea drugs and a stint on an IV drip I took the girl home pain free and with prescriptions for pain relief and an item of gold.

That golden item being the phone number and name of the head anaethesist and the 24 hour registrar phone number so if things deteriorate she will be re-admitted without enduring the emergency department and she also has access to 24 hour advice. Lets hope she won't need any of it.

My quiz night last night was an absolute resounding success - went off without a hitch and I was extremely proud of how it all came together. By the time I crawled into bed last night at midnight I was beyond tired and felt like I had run a marathon this week. Work and babies and worry are exhausting. I slept for almost 11 hours - so I must have needed it.

I'm hoping for a calmer week next week, I think we're about due for one in this family. Fingers tightly crossed that DIL stays well. She's on strict bed rest for the next three days at least, no lifting, no standing, no anything and eldest MM has dived into parenthood feet first. He has taken over everything and is doing a simply amazing job while DIL is regaining her strength and health. I am so proud of the pair of them.

Hope your week has been a little calmer than mine.

Cheers, Fi

Fear can keep us up all night long, but faith makes one fine pillow

Want to play along with Six Word Saturday, it's easy? All that's necessary to participate is to describe your life (or something) in a phrase using just six words. For more information, try clicking here. Feel free to explain or not explain. Add an image, a video, a song, nothing.