MOST PEOPLE DON"T LEAD THEIR LIVES

Most people don’t lead their life, they accept their life. 

John Maxwell

John Maxwell  writes about business and life. As I was reading I came across the quote above and it made me stop and think. I decided that I am someone who tends to accept their life, rather than lead it, but I thought of 3 times in my life where I really had to step out of my comfort zone to change things - where I had to 'lead' my life.

 Of course there have been other changes such as getting married and having children, but these were all changes that came as a result of accepting things as they happened along the path of life. They weren't things that I had to work particularly hard to make happen. They just happened - one step at a time, without stepping outside my comfort zone. And I had other big changes thrust on me, such as being made redundant when I was living on my own with a single income. But these weren't changes I deliberately set out to make.

The first big change I had to make in my life was when I was 18. I had been a reasonably outgoing child and was school captain at my primary school. But towards the end of year 8 things began to go down hill. For various reasons, including a genetic predisposition, I began to suffer from a major bout of depression which would become worse the next year.

I knew I was becoming quiet and introverted but didn't seem to be able to do anything about it and I was mortified in year 10 when one of the comments from one of my teachers on my yearly report said that I was 'a quiet girl'. That was the last thing I wanted to be.

Two more years passed and it was time for university. I was going to a different university from most of my peers so I saw it as a chance to remake myself - and I did. I really moved out of my comfort zone. I did a lot of things on my own. I joined clubs and went to all the social events. I made myself talk in tutorials. University work came second to my social life. And it worked. I made lots of friends, had a great social life and married at the end of my third year. And I obtained my degree - but I often wonder what I could have done if I had really put my heart into my university work. That was the first time I really had to work to change the direction of my life. I no longer saw myself as 'quiet'.

The second time I really had to move out of my comfort zone was when I was 40. I had been happily married for 20 years and had 2 teenage daughters. I had been an English and History teacher. I battled depression but kept it under control. But unfortunately it reared its ugly head in my daughters. It became too difficult for me to work when they were not well. I had to home-school my daughters and I was very worried. A psychiatrist my daughter was seeing said I needed to do something for myself, and my whole family would be better off. So after some thought I decided to go  back to university and did a Master's Degree in psychology. It was hard work. This time I took the work a lot more seriously than my first time at University. Again I had to step outside my comfort zone, but my new studies led me into a new job. I began teaching at a small school for year 10 students with major behavioural problems. I could do this and home-school my daughter. I worked there for 16 years.

The third and hardest big change I had to make was when I was 51. After 30 years of what I thought had been a happy marriage my husband left me for somebody else. I fell into a dark abyss and knew I had to make a new life for the sake of my daughters, if not for myself. I became very involved in my church and decided to go online to look for romance. This was really going outside my comfort zone and surprised a lot of people, but I chose to view this as an adventure and had some interesting times along the way. Eventually I met Peter and we have now been together for 10 years.

I am quite proud of the way I made myself a new life but I don't think I have enough energy to remake my life again. I'm just taking it as it comes.
  
The past week

Last Friday, Peter and I went to see a musical, We Will Rock You at Wollongong Entertainment Centre. It was written by Ben Elton and is based on the music of Queen. We really enjoyed it.

We had coffee in the park at Helensburgh, where some cockatoos joined us.

On Monday we went for a walk on Towradgi Beach. 
We  had to be careful of the bluebottles near the water's edge.

There were a few yachts out on the water which was beautiful and clear.

The Plant Paradox

Kelly Clarkson (Photo source)

After seeing Kelly Clarkson talking about her dramatic weight loss on television, and her adherence to the Plant Paradox diet, I decided to give it a go. 

Photo source

I was especially interested since the eating regime was supposed to have a positive affect on auto immune diseases. I have brachial neuritis, also known as Parsonage-Turner Syndrome, which is thought to be an auto immune disease.

Anyway, I bought the book and accompanying recipe book. Although I am not completely convinced yet, I have lost 5 kilos in 7 weeks without being excruciatingly hungry, as I usually have to be to lose weight. But it has meant a whole new way of cooking and eating.

More about this next week.



Interesting sites


1. Borneo cave art may be the oldest in the world

Photo source

Cave paintings in remote mountains in Borneo have been dated to at least 40,000 years ago - much older than first thought.Click here to read more.


2. Finland publishes its citizens' taxes.

Photo source

On November first each year Finland publishes its citizens' taxes'. Click here to read more.


3.Coffee may reduce risk of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's

Photo source

Evidence suggests coffee may reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. Click here to read more.

AFTERNOON TEA AT BULLI

It is difficult to bring people to goodness with lessons, but it is easy to do so by example.
Seneca

 

The days are going so quickly. I am so far behind in where I should be organising my house for sale. A friend suggested it was procrastination because I really don't want to sell it and he is probably right. I do love my house and it holds so many memories. I was 25 when we moved in here, with only one child. I am surprised at some of the things I am finding as I go through everything. Full of memories.

 

 A few days ago P:-) and I drove up to the town of Helensburgh. This flock of Sulphur-crested cockatoos was in the park. These are Australian natives.

Sunday was the first day of Spring. It was also Father's Day. We had afternoon tea at Bulli Beach with some of P:-)'s children and grandchildren. It was a beautiful, sunny day and there was a plethora of mini cupcakes which the little ones devoured.

 There was a great view of the mountains up north and of the beach down south.

 Below is some information on Bulli taken from Wikipedia.

BulliWollongong, New South Wales Australia
Aerial view of Bulli
Coordinates	34°20′03″S 150°54′48″ECoordinates: 34°20′03″S 150°54′48″E
Population	5,453[1]
Postcode(s)	2516
LGA(s)	City of Wollongong
State electorate(s)	Heathcote, Keira
Federal Division(s)	Cunningham

 I am really enjoying having Jasper, my daughter's dog. I will have him for another fortnight.

 Jasper has spent much of his time curled up in front of the heater.

 

 

 

It is really nice having someone to come home to in the evenings, even if he is a bit on the doggy side.

Interesting sites

1.

Photo credit

This is a beautiful house!! Click here  to read all about it. Be sure to click on the thumbnails to have a good look


2.

 Adapting as you go

 

Photo credit

You have freedom when you’re easy in your harness. – Robert Frost (one of my favourite poets.) Click here to read more.

 

LITTLE MICE AND CARROT CAKE

 It is raining here today but  this cockatoo appeared outside my window.

We have had weeks and weeks of sunshine so it is good to see some rain.



Meanwhile I promised to give the links for the felt mice on my daughter's wedding cake and the recipe for the cake itself.

 

I found the pattern for the little mice at Helen's Bustle and Sew.

I used the recipe for Curtis Stone's Carrot Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting.  I mixed a double batch of cake mixture and cooked it in two 20cm round tins.  (This did mean grating 6 carrots!)

I whipped up a triple batch of the frosting. I used it to fill the two cakes and then covered the double layer. I used store bought icing flowers to decorate.

P:-) and I are off to Melbourne tomorrow. Sadly my beloved Uncle Jim passed away and we are off to the memorial service on Tuesday but we plan to spend a week or so down there. We are taking our caravan and staying at Wantirna Caravan Park.

I have been to Melbourne a few times visiting relatives but this time I am being a real tourist and have bought the Lonely Planet book on Melbourne and Victoria.

 

We plan to head home on Saturday 1st June so I may not write my next post for 10 days or so.

Interesting sites

1.

Photo source

This is a great article about spaces that have been turned into homes. These include a train, a bus, an airplane and a submarine. It is really fascinating.   Click here to read about it.

2.

 

Photo source

It is surprising what can be done with cardboard and how strong it is.  Click here to see some really interesting cardboard furniture.

3.

Photo source

What to do when others try to kill your dream. Click here to read more. 

LIFE IS NOT MADE OF MILESTONES BUT OF MOMENTS

 Defeat is not the worst of failures. Not to have tried is the true failure.
George E. Woodberry 

Art around the house.

As I continue to sort piles of folders and papers I came across there cute prints that my younger daughter R did many years ago, before cupcakes were so fashionable.

Cupcake print - ink on paper

Cupcake print - ink on paper

I think I was very spoiled with the amount of creativity at home in those days. I should have had these framed on the wall. I have packed them away for future reference.


The building

P:-) and I bought some 3 metre plasterboard just to practise maneuvering it into the house and down the stairs to the back room. It was very difficult. We both have bad backs and the thought of moving 15 more sheets, 10 of which will have to be 3.6 metres long is a bit daunting. We will have to give it some thought. I am thinking of hiring some young fit men to do the moving when the delivery finally comes.

However, P:-) did get the first length of plasterboard up so I just had to show you.

Plasterboard at end of backroom

A longer view of backroom

WOW! This room was begun before the beginning of the millennium. A divorce and lack of funds prevented it from being finished. P:-), a retired builder, is very generously finishing it for me.

The Helensburgh house


Over a year ago I wrote in my blog of P:-)'s daughter's house. This was how it looked.

September 2011

Helensburgh house interior Sept 2011.

Here is the house today. My mother provided M and B with the agapanthus plants which have settled in and begun to flower.

Helensburgh house January 2013.

View from verandah.

M and B have been in for over a year now. P:-) gave them a lot of help. This is an old miner's cottage and only has 4 small rooms - a bedroom, a lounge room, a very small kitchen and a bathroom. M and B now have a three month old baby and are very cramped but have begun adding on extensions.

In the garden

I enjoy cooking with fresh herbs but don't grow any at the moment. I use a lot of coriander (cilantro), basil, mint, parsley, rosemary and thyme. I have had herbs growing in the past but not had much success at my current house.

This time I have tried planting some basil in pots.

Basil

I have been moving the pots religiously into the sun and out of the sun and into the rain. It is mid-summer here in Australia so I am hoping the basil will take off and now that I have finished work I will be able to nurse it along.

I find it quite expensive buying herbs, and they have to be fresh so I am often popping out just to buy a bunch of herbs. So I am hoping my new plantings will save me some time and money.

This morning there was a great flock of cockatoos in the trees at the back of my house. I managed to photograph a few of them.

Cockatoos in trees

Cockatoos in tree

These birds are very noisy and a flock of them overhead is almost deafening. They make a harsh screeching sound.

I will finish with these pretty pictures of P:-)'s front lawn, which looks like a wild flower meadow in England.

This is not the aim of P:-) for his front yard. It is supposed to be a flat carpet of green lawn.

Even though dandelions are considered weeds here in Australia it is hard not to see the beauty in them.

 I don't think P:-) agrees. He thinks I am a bit crazy, but I think we should look for beauty and goodness wherever we  can find it - especially in the small things. I think it is good to remember that life is not made of milestones but of moments. (Anonymous)

Interesting sites


1.

Photo source

 To see a pink Christmas is a Tiny House click here

2.

Click here  to read how soybeans could be a source of a valuable chemical. 

3.

Photo source

Nicaragua plans to be resourced by 94% renewable energy by 2017. Click here to read more.

RETIRE OR NOT RETIRE? THAT IS THE QUESTION

Next to trying and winning, the best thing is trying and failing.
Lucy Maud Montgomery

It is really important to give things a go. Most of the regrets in my life are not so much things I have done, but things I haven't done. Last year I lost some money on an internet business scam. It took a while to recover from it financially but I learned a lot. I am pleased I gave it a go. Now as my life is changing with the prospect of my redundancy I feel this is going to be another time to give things a try - maybe think outside the square.

Vintage violet.

I have meant to write more blog entries but I seem to have been quite busy lately. I seem to be only managing a weekly post. I must get more organized.

The weekend was quiet again. On Saturday P:-) and I had coffee at one of the little coffee shops down at Balgownie shopping center.

View from the coffee shop.

I had a piece of sour cherry loaf and P:-) had a piece of choc-malt slice.

Yum!

I am very careful about my diet, but this was lunch so it wasn't too bad. I have to have some treats.

I just had to photograph the chocolate  freckle that came on the coffee spoon.

Chocolate freckle.

We came home to find a sulfur crested cockatoo in the blossom trees on the footpath, slicing off pieces of blossom with his sharp beak. 

Cockatoo in the ornamental plum

Cockatoo

I am a teacher. A couple of months ago I suddenly found I was being made redundant at the end of the year. Today I went to see a financial adviser. He was really helpful. What I need to do is decide whether I want to retire or try to find another job, which is going to be difficult at my age. He gave me a lot to think about. I am most likely going to have to sell my house which will be hard. I have lived here for 32 years and I love my yard, it is also a base for my daughters J and R. They no longer live at home but because they rent, and circumstances will make this the case for the foreseeable future, they have stored a lot of their stuff in my house. R especially has had some bad luck with rental properties being sold out from under her and seems to move around a bit. She sees my house - her old home- as her home base. 

Life isn't simple. But I am quite excited at the possibility of retiring. I would love to spend more time on craft - especially sewing, which I have done very little of since I began working full time 7 years ago.

Anyway, I will keep you posted.











Interesting sites

1.

Photo source

 This house in Vietnam has a vertical green wall. Click here to read more

2.

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Click here to check out this leafy tunnel in Ukraine.

3.

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 Click here to see some beautifully carved doors.