A new year
Wednesday 31 December 2014
Choose your attitude
Monday 29 December 2014
I've always been in awe of the "Little Miss Sunshine"s of the world. Some people progress through life easily with great things happening regularly with life's road being a smooth and trouble free journey. I can understand how these people are able to be happy all the time, but there are also people who manage to have a smile for the world despite their life's ups and downs.
The joys of facebook
Sunday 28 December 2014
I am a big fan of facebook. I love catching up on people's news and re-connecting with old friends from school, or youth group or work. I think facebook has a different feel to it for my generation. We use it to share our highlights - children's weddings, Christmas get-togethers, new grandchildren etc.
Facebook for the younger generations is all about "me, me, me" and the minuatae of their lives. I like being friends with this generation but I have "unfollowed" so many of them because I get so tired of seeing what Lord of the Rings character they are, or what colour they like, or what their precious little child is doing on a daily (or even hourly) basis. So my facebook news feed looks pretty lean at times, but what can I expect when I am so uninterested in the triviality of people's lives?
I've never met a potato I didn't like
Sunday 21 December 2014
Everyone has an Archilles heel and mine is the love of chips. I LOOOOOVE chips! I could go to AA and confess to my inability to resist their salty, fatty goodness. But I wouldn't give them up.
Some people have a chocolate addiction, or a coffee addiction or some other gourmet habit but I am unapologetically addicted to potatoes. I will eat them as fries, as wedges, as potato chips, as potato fritters, mashed, baked, you name it I love them.
A TASTE OF MIDLIFE DEPRESSION
Friday 19 December 2014
WHEN LIFE TAKES A TURN
Last year parts of my life imploded before my eyes. My husband, who I had been supporting financially since his redundancy 3yrs before, decided he didn't want to be married any more and I was looking down the barrel of starting life over again with just my cat and a part time job. The scary thing is that there were parts of that scenario that were strangely appealing.
EXPECTING HEALTH AND HAPPINESS
Monday 15 December 2014
THINKING EVERYONE IS THE SAME
I’ve always been a healthy person – fairly robust and not prone to illness in general. I expected that this was the same for everyone and had never heard of the term “depression” until it took a swipe at my family. Pre-Google, “depression” was what people got when someone died. I have subsequently found out it is also what people get when their family has a predisposition towards Seratonin deficiency.AN UNMET EXPECTATION - HAVING A NINE TO FIVE HUSBAND
Sunday 14 December 2014
EXPECTING HIM TO DO THE 9-5 ROUTINE
Somewhere in my upbringing and also from what I’ve observed in general around me, I expected I would have a husband who worked nine to five and stayed in the same job through several sets of long service leave.EXPECTING TO HAVE THE 'PERFECT FAMILY'
Saturday 13 December 2014
THE PERFECT FAMILY
My first expectation relates to family – I have this absurd notion (that my family refers to as my “Brady Bunch Mentality”) that families want to spend time together sharing happily in each others’ lives - because they have been parented that way.EXPECTATIONS - THE UNDERMINERS OF HAPPINESS
EXPECTATIONS
I have come to realize that my whole world view is based on my expectations of what life should be and how people should behave. This can lead nowhere except to disappointment because I cannot force life or people into the mold I want.MY LIFE AS THE ANTI-CRAFT
Wednesday 10 December 2014
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| The dreaded padded tissue box holder |
WHEN CRAFT JUST ISN'T YOUR "THING"
As a good Christian woman it is an embarrassment to admit that I loathe any type of craft. I can admire the dexterity and "creativity" of those who immerse themselves in the latest crafting fad, but I just cannot get inspired by padded tissue boxes or scrap booking or quilting or any of the myriad of other activities that others thrive on.A VERY BRADY CHRISTMAS.....OR NOT
Sunday 7 December 2014
BRADY BUNCH CHRISTMASES
I seem to have fallen down the rabbit hole of Brady expectations all my life. It particularly manifests around the Christmas season and it brings with it a plethora of feelings of not having achieved the perfect parenting ideal.
TOTALLY ADDICTED TO PINTEREST
Wednesday 3 December 2014
MY PINTEREST ADDICTION
How did this happen? I've become addicted to Pinterest! What started out as somewhere to collect a few apt quotes has taken over part of my life. I thought I'd beaten my family heritage of being "collectors" - I'm a Minimalist and proud of it....except in one area - Pinterest!WHEN LIFE DOESN'T GIVE US OUR JUST DESSERTS
WHEN LIFE ISN'T FAIR
Something I've been pondering a lot lately is why some people have everything fall into their lap and others struggle time after time. I had an assumption in the back of my mind that you get what you deserve and I believe this is called "linear thinking" - basically that a + b = c. As life goes on I'm finding that logical thinking does not apply to all of life's circumstances.A LITTLE MORE ABOUT ME
Monday 1 December 2014
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| Me with my lovely husband, Ross |
This is a stage of life where our children are independent adults who are thriving in their own lives. Our parents are older and approaching elderly but are still self-sufficient enough to get by with only a small amount of input from us. We have reached a point where we are financially stable and although we don't have piles of money to spare, we are living our lives comfortably and can afford to work less because we spend less. (Retirement is far enough away that I'll worry about it more when it gets closer to reality.)
Speaking of working less, I currently work 3 days a week in the office of a General Surgeon at our local hospital. I also do some volunteer work at a nearby primary school, and spend the rest of my time blogging, drinking coffee with friends, and generally chilling out.
We have two adult 'children' - Jared who is 31 and married to Hannah, and Erin who is 28 and married to Luke. They both moved to the city to go to university and settled there in great jobs, met their spouses and are happy living in the big smoke and making occasional trips back to check we're still alive.
Last year Jared and Hannah had a delightful little girl named Sophia, so I am officially a Nan and also officially in love with that child. The joy of grandchildren was a complete surprise for me - it just keeps getting better as she gets older.
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| Jared and Hannah Erin and Luke |
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| Sophia |
BEGINNING IN THE MIDDLE
Sunday 30 November 2014
BEGINNING
I've often thought about blogging but never felt brave enough to give it a shot. Now seems to be as good a time as any - midway through life with lots to look back on and learn from, and lots to look forward to and share as it comes. Midlife is not as bad as it has been made out to be and I thought "cresting the hill" summed it up because I'm not over the hill yet, I've just reached the top and the view is proving to be an eye opener to me as I take the time to stop and look around.
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