1. Lunch with my son. It was great to catch up with him and it was also nice to get out of the house.
2. The more tolerable weather. Looks like the heat wave is over.
3. A free movie ticket. Yaaay, loyalty card pay off.
4. Getting back into reading. Finished another book yesterday.
5. The companionship of the Star Dogs. We had fun last night playing ball games and tug of war. 4 months ago
OMG! I was in agony yesterday and booked a remedial massage with my usual place in the local shopping centre.
The girl that did the massage was amazing. All I can say is for someone so petite she had magic hands and sure knew how to pound out those knots in my back muscles.
I walked out of there feeling like I was on cloud 9. I am so glad to have found a good masseuse. Will definitely be booking with her again.
Ohhhh heaven, bliss and relief from my back pain.
Thank you thank you thank you. 4 months ago
Finally!! The cutlery/gadget drawer has been a mess for ages. I knew I was in trouble when I shut the drawer one day and something moved. Whatever it was it meant that I wasn’t able to get the drawer open again. I had to use a large knife and a lot of jiggling to re-settle the offending ‘whatever’ before the drawer obliged by opening again.
So, yesterday I emptied the contents and had a good sort through. How many knives does a cook need? I found two and three of some gadgets which I have never really used. Had a good sort out.
R has started to develop an interest in cooking so I will offer those bits and pieces I don’t need to her.
It feels really good to open the drawer and see it all organised. 4 months ago
1. The most amazing remedial massage I have ever had in my entire life. I walked out of there on cloud 9!! Thank you thank you thank you massage lady.
2. A wonderful day of reading, browsing the shops, massage.
3. The fantastic weather continuing.
4. De-cluttering the cutlery/gadget drawer.
5. An amazing sleep last night. Boy did that massage free up a lot of tension. I slept like a baby. 4 months ago
1. A really beautiful 8km morning walk thanks to the cooler weather.
2. Getting a lot of reading done.
3. Realising it will take time to find balance and allowing that to happen.
4. Lemon poppy seed muffins! Yum.
5. Funny dreams. 4 months ago
1. The cooler weather. At last a cooler overcast day. It was a grateful relief from the heat wave.
2. Talking to a financial advisor due to the change in my work/life status. I’m feeling a bit more positive about my financial situation.
3. Dreams and fun fantasies about winning the Lotto ;-) It’s fun to play ‘imagine’.
4. A beautiful early morning walk in the cooler daytime.
5. Antihistamines. Hay fever season is with us and the hot dry weather has caused the pollen count to skyrocket. Thank goodness for antihistamines. 4 months ago
Finally! Things have settled down a bit and I felt the need to read something inspirational. This is a bit like the Celestine Prophesy
48. The monk who sold his Ferrari – Robin S Sharma
47. The Turning – Tim Winton
46. Love Ellen – Betty DeGeneres
45. The end of overeating – David A Kessler MD
44. Savor – Thich Nhat Hanh
43. Breakfast with Buddha – Roland Merullo
42. Mindless Eating – Brian Wansink
41. The Passage – Justin Cronin
40. Detour – James Siegel
39. The Ice Cream Girls – Dorothy Koomson
38. A Beautiful Place to Die -Malla Nunn
37. The White Tiger – Aravind Adiga
34-36. The Hunger Games – Suzanne Collins
33. The Medici Secret – Michael White
32. The Courtesan and the Samurai – Lesley Downer
31. Unbearable Lightness – Portia de Rossi
30. My name is Mary Sutter – Robin Oliveira
29. The Officer’s Lover – Pam Jenoff
28. People of the Book – Geraldine Brooks
27. Where the Love Gets In – Tara Heavey
26. The Doctor and the Diva – Adrienne McDonnell
25. Snow Crash – Neal Stephenson
24. Love In The Time Of Cholera – Gabriel Garcia Marquez
23. A Woman’s War – Barbara Angell
22. The Kitchen House – Kathleen Grissom.
21. Sarah’s Key – Tatiana De Rosnay.
20. Ghost Song – Sarah Rayne.
19. The Messgae – Julie Highmore.
18. Goodnight Mister Tom – Michelle Magorian.
17. The Devil’s Queen – Jeanne Kalogridis.
16. Rainwater – Sandra Brown.
15. The Help – Kathyrn Stockett.
14. The Last Book Of Salem – Katherine Howe.
13. Days Like These – Virginia Duigan
12. Play to Kill – PJ Tracy
11. Of Bees and Mist – Erick Setiawan.
10. Alone in Berlin – Hans Fallada.
9. Water For Elephants – Sarah Gruen.
8. The Street Philosopher – Matthew Plampin.
7. Child 44 – Tom Rob Smith.
6. Blood and Ice – Robert Masello.
5. Maralinga – Judy Nunn.
4. The Dracula Dossier – James Reese.
3. Portobello by Ruth Rendell.
2. The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas.
1. The Lay In Blue by Javier 4 months ago
We never really used the ensuite shower bay and when I did my ‘blank canvas’ clearing out of the study I put a lot of stuff in moving boxes and stacked them in the ensuite shower.
The boxes have been there for a few months. Life took over and went spiraling into a bit of turmoil.
After I put up the floating shelves, I found that sitting on the potty looking at all the boxes in the shower bay was giving me the irrits, so I bit the bullet and moved all the boxes out and into the spare room that has become the ‘Box Room’.
While this hasn’t really dealt with the issue of having too much stuff, it has made another area of the unit more Zen and pleasurable to be in. I even had a shower in there this morning and cleaned the shower bay before I got out.
Basically the only area of the unit that needs real attention is the ‘Box Room’.
The rest of the unit is a pleasure to be in. The study is my favourite place, the bedroom is restful, the ensuite is functional, the big bathroom looks beautiful, de-cluttered and even has a Lucky Bamboo plant on the sink to bring life into the place. The lounge room is tidy, the dining area is tidy, the modular shelving is clean, neat, tidy and uncluttered. The kitchen bench tops are always clean and uncluttered. The laundry doors are always kept closed so the laundry is hidden. The garden is a delight. Beautiful, green, restful and a very very peaceful place to be in.
The only part of my life that needs sorting out now is the ‘Box Room.’ It will be a big job but when it is done I will be free of all that stuff that has been weighing me down.
In the meantime I need to find a way to stop the Box Room clutter bursting out into the living areas again!! 4 months ago
1. A wonderfully peaceful day.
2. Getting through some box sorting. I managed to clear about 6 boxes.
3. My new food processor. I made satay sauce last night and had to chop a cup of peanuts. 20 seconds and it was done! I love it!
4. Finding a great book in one of the boxes I unpacked. Ended the day with several hours of reading instead of vegging out watching TV.
5. Letting go. 4 months ago
I took the Star Dogs to the beach on Friday and two dolphins came swimming into the bay. It was awesome. They were in water that would have been about waist height and they caused quite a stir wherever they swam. They did a lazy circuit of the beach side all around the bay. Such a wonderful sight. You couldn’t help but want, almost will them to come up to you so you could touch them.
It was a beautiful gift to see them. 4 months ago
1. Another good early morning walk, but boy it was getting hot at 7am even! The heat wave continues.
2. Getting some health club stuff sorted and some grocery shopping done.
3. Air conditioning. It was truly hot hot hot around 36 degrees, so I put the air con on.
4. A long catch up conversation with a friend.
5. A conversation with the X where, for the first time in 2 years, I actually felt validated. Wow! but then when I thought about it, I realised that I have knowledge and expertise they needed, so they listened. Still, it was a nice feeling to be listened to and not be told ‘ONLY in YOUR opinion.’ 4 months ago
1. A wonderful day at the beach with the Star Dogs. DOLPHINS!! Two dolphins swam into the bay and did a circuit around the whole beach, they were only waist deep out in the water. It was awesome!!
2. The beach taking the turmoil in my mind away for a few hours.
3. The most amazing Moroccan chickpea casserole served with minted couscous with apricots that I made for dinner.
4. A good night’s sleep despite the heat.
5. The beach shelter I bought to take to the beach. It was a blessing and provided great shade in the middle of the day.
6. A call from the financial advisor. I have booked an appointment for Monday. It’s time I looked at how things are going now that the household income is somewhat reduced. 4 months ago
1. A nice 7.3km walk. Getting fit and losing weight.
2. Another hot hot hot day.
3. Bringing some relief from the heat to the Star Dogs. They went for another clip and boy did they like losing their fur this time – we have been having constant 30+ degrees, so they were feeling the heat.
4. Catching up with the Thursday night Pub Lovers dinner crowd. D&C were there this time so that was nice.
5. Feeling more comfortable with single life. It’s strange not to think of someone else first, but I guess it’s time I made my way just thinking of me.
6. The movie Quartet – great actors and a bit of fun. 4 months ago
As part of my commitment to taking care of myself I have been walking 5-6km on the mornings that I don’t have the Star Dogs. My X and I share the dogs, they have them 4 days a week and I have them from Thur – Sunday. I usually took them for a walk every morning. It seemed odd at first, going for a walk on my own, but now I am getting used to it and find it is good for me. It’s a kind of meditation. 4 months ago
1. Air conditioning. It was about 36 degrees today and it was so nice to have air con.
2. Being less wasteful and making sure I use up all the left overs.
3. Getting some little jobs done in the garden despite the heat.
4. A call from the employment agency asking if I was still interested in the March project. A gentle reminder that the universe is looking after me.
5. A good nights sleep. 4 months ago
1. Doing two walks yesterday. One 6km one in the morning for myself and one 5.x km one with the Star Dogs when they arrived from the X’s.
2. The book I ordered from The Book Depository arriving in record time.
3. Rediscovering tofu. It has been years since I have had tofu as a staple in my diet. I’d forgotten how good it is.
4. Recycling night in the garbage. Christmas saw a huge surge in recycling in my house and seeing as it is only collected once a fortnight the bin was filled to overflowing. I am sooo glad it is recycling pick up today.
5. Downloading and putting together the 3 bike pathway maps to take with me on walks.
6. An early night. After walking 12km today I was happy to go to bed early. 4 months ago
Yes, I loved the movie. Ang Lee is a great director and the story is really interesting too. Some amazing cinematography. 4 months ago
1. An awesome 10km walk. I was lost for most of it due to poor signage on the bike track, but hey what a great place to be lost in. LOL
2. Rain overnight, so heavy that it woke me up. Lovely for the garden.
3. A prompt email reply regarding the table I am interested in.
4. The joy of a clean and uncluttered study. I prefer being in the study to any other room in the house.
5. Going to the movies to see Life of Pi in 3D. 4 months ago
1. An 8km walk with the Star Dogs. It was such a lovely morning and the brook was beautiful.
2. Getting little jobs done in the garden. Putting the finishing touches to a couple of things.
3. The unplanned putting up of the floating shelves in the en-suite. It looks great and that nasty rickety ‘over the loo’ stand is finally gone!
4. The honey soy chicken with stir fry vegetable and rice that I made for dinner last night. It’s the first time I’ve eaten meat in a fortnight.
5. I gave the new lawn it’s first mow yesterday! Woo Hoo.
6. The massive downpour of rain we had last night. It woke me from a solid sleep and it was just beautiful. Won’t have to water the lawn. 4 months ago
I finally replaced that rickety rusty “over the toilet stand” that was ugly as and had been bugging me for ages. I took the thing out and put in some floating shelves.
The ensuite looks very Zen and functional. I now have a nice place to put my walking gear ready for those early morning walks. The best thing is that it isn’t crowded in there when you sit on the loo.
Very nice and neat and a beautifully simple solution. 4 months ago
This time I won $16.35
I figure the universe is giving me the money to re-invest in a Lotto ticket for a Mega Millions draw that I will win this year. Thanks for the win. I really am the luckiest person I know :-) 4 months ago
R came over for dinner last night and she has decided to change her lifestyle and go organic and healthy. It was wonderful as she said she wanted to learn as much as she could about cooking and eating healthy. We talked foodie things, pawed over all my recipe books and I offered to help her learn how to cook and time things so that a meal comes together and things are not under or over done.
We are thinking she will come around for dinner once a fortnight and we will cook together.
It’s nice to have a foodie friend. 4 months ago
1. A fantastic early morning walk with the Star Dogs. 5.8km
2. I gave the new lawn its first mow. It was a good feeling to see it all neat and trim.
3. A wonderful evening with R. We had the best time talking foodie things and going through recipe books.
4. A beautiful vegetarian lasagne made with pumpkin. Very yummy.
5. We had rain overnight. How wonderful, I don’t have to water the lawn today. 4 months ago
T and I took the Star Dogs to the beach yesterday. Spent a good 5 hours there and it was just fantastic. The dogs had such a great time. The water was so warm. I had a bit of a splash around, Douglas played swim and fetch endlessly. I took them to the other side where the surf beach is and we had a long walk and play in the waves. It was an awesome day. 4 months ago
1. A wonderful day at the beach with the Star Dogs. The water was wonderful and warm, the dogs were inexhaustable in chasing and swimming for the ball. It was a great day.
2. A conversations with the LOL that revealed people I have been confiding in have been passing on my conversations. Ah well, at least I now know who does not respect confidentiality.
3. Another amazing home cooked pizza for dinner… yummo!
4. That the Christmas binge eating is over and done with. Starting to feel much better from eating less.
5. Contact from my cousin. We speak infrequently but when we do it’s great conversation. 4 months ago
Good to read your post Songwine. I’m glad the New Year is beginning with greater prosperity for you.
Cheers
Chester 4 months ago
1. Another beautiful day weather wise.
2. A safe journey to pick up the tricycle I bought. Made especially more aware as I passed a two caravan accident on the highway. Nobody was hurt fortunately.
3. My friend’s excitement over the tricycle. They loved it and (unbeknown to me) had been trying to find one for themselves. Jealous as! LOL
4. My beautiful garden. It is green and lush, everything is growing so well. I love this little oasis.
5. Looking forward to taking the Star Dogs to the beach tomorrow. 4 months ago
I had a couple of tickets in the Mega Draw on 29th Dec. Didn’t bother to check the tickets until 2nd Jan and found I had won $12.30 on both of them. What a great way to start the New Year!! 4 months ago
1. Another glorious day. I was up early and went to the gym for a weights workout. It feels good.
2. Air conditioning. It was over 30+ today, so I’m grateful for the AC.
3. Two small wins on lottery tickets. This year… a big win! :-)
4. De-cluttering another box of stuff.
5. I bought a trike! I never learned to ride a bike as a kid and we have some amazing bikeways where I live. I have wanted to get on wheels and explore them but the whole balancing on two wheels thing scares me. Then I saw an adult tricycle (trike) for sale on Gumtree, brand new, never been ridden, still under warranty and I thought ‘Why not?’ In fact, I think it will be even better than two wheels as it has a basket on the back axle and I will be able to use it for triking to the local supermarket and getting my groceries or pack it up with a picnic rug, lunch, water, even train the dogs to ride in the back LOL and go for a big trek on the bikeway. I could become a local identity hahaha. 4 months ago
