Gotta love summer in Tasmania. It takes a while to be allowed to kick in, with winter lingering much longer than it should, even to the extreme of dusting the high peaks with snow in December. Not to be outdone, Jack Frost appeared for one last hurrah the very next day. Not a heavy frost, but just enough to make we amateur vege gardeners rush outside before the morning cuppa, to check on our precious shivering seedlings. Miraculously, Jack Frost spared them any damage! Now, only a week or so later, its deliciously warm, and winter definitely seeming a thing of the past finally, and everything sparkles in this scenic place we live.
Not many people visit Tasmania these days, it seems, for various reasons, the experts say. Its a shame, its so picturesque here, I am spoilt to the point of not wanting to venture anywhere else except to visit family now and then on the mainland. I love the serenity here, the uncrowded and less frenetic life. People living here are the same as anyone else living anywhere, we all have things to deal with on a day-to-day basis. But life for the most part suits me here at this point in our lives, and I am content with it. I am not missing the wretched heat waves of the mainland summer of days past that we once endured in the pursuit of all those things that go towards making a happy home for our young family as it was then.
A lifetime ago, it seems now, and I am grateful that all is well as we blissfully enter another season of Mother Nature's gifts of plenty, in this island state. All seems well. I do count my blessings in our Tasmanian home. None of them is material, all of them are irreplaceable.
Saturday 8 December 2012
Sunday 25 November 2012
CONCRETE & BRICKS & MAYHEM
Why does ANYONE choose to continue to live in Sydney (having just spent 4 days there out of necessity I will use Sydney as my most recent experience in the "city")?
Granted, my hubby and I did not venture to the tourist traps on Darling Harbour and beyond - however I believe our location was a truer reflection of day-to-day "life" in this city. We were there for medical purposes only, and went directly from the airport to our destination close to a large hospital. The only other suburb we visited was 20 minutes away by taxi.
Both of these suburbs reflected quite plainly that our majority of inner city (and beyond?) suburbs are dominated by one ethnic group in each case. It is obvious that the shopowners in the streets we visited are hard workers, busily going about their own little enterprise with vigour (probably in a more upbeat fashion than our home-grown Aussies, but that's another subject for another day). The traffic on streets is beyond the ridiculous, roaring in your ears all day and well into the night. And yes, the suburb where the hospital is and where we stayed, was definitely a residential suburb also. We stayed 2 doors down from a daycare centre!
How much would some people TRULY sacrifice if they "upped stakes" and moved a thousand or more kilometres away, to where the air is breatheable, the silence is deafening, and I promise quality of life is way better. I think people these days are way too insecure about the perceived "unknown factor", which in truth, is a part of our every waking moment! I say get out while you still can, put your kids in a country school, and learn to actually look around you, and just linger, and feel that this place is just as liveable as your grey, cold city was. Dare to get out of your comfort zone!
No, there are no guarantees that you will settle magically into this new place, but we humans have that inate ability to communicate in a positive way if we so wish, and reach out if that's what it takes to start a fresh way of life. You can choose what you want to pursue in the way of work, because there is always work out there if one is willing to try new experiences. I'll bet you wont be financially worse off than you were in your frenetic city life, and the fringe benefits will be priceless.
Granted, my hubby and I did not venture to the tourist traps on Darling Harbour and beyond - however I believe our location was a truer reflection of day-to-day "life" in this city. We were there for medical purposes only, and went directly from the airport to our destination close to a large hospital. The only other suburb we visited was 20 minutes away by taxi.
Both of these suburbs reflected quite plainly that our majority of inner city (and beyond?) suburbs are dominated by one ethnic group in each case. It is obvious that the shopowners in the streets we visited are hard workers, busily going about their own little enterprise with vigour (probably in a more upbeat fashion than our home-grown Aussies, but that's another subject for another day). The traffic on streets is beyond the ridiculous, roaring in your ears all day and well into the night. And yes, the suburb where the hospital is and where we stayed, was definitely a residential suburb also. We stayed 2 doors down from a daycare centre!
How much would some people TRULY sacrifice if they "upped stakes" and moved a thousand or more kilometres away, to where the air is breatheable, the silence is deafening, and I promise quality of life is way better. I think people these days are way too insecure about the perceived "unknown factor", which in truth, is a part of our every waking moment! I say get out while you still can, put your kids in a country school, and learn to actually look around you, and just linger, and feel that this place is just as liveable as your grey, cold city was. Dare to get out of your comfort zone!
No, there are no guarantees that you will settle magically into this new place, but we humans have that inate ability to communicate in a positive way if we so wish, and reach out if that's what it takes to start a fresh way of life. You can choose what you want to pursue in the way of work, because there is always work out there if one is willing to try new experiences. I'll bet you wont be financially worse off than you were in your frenetic city life, and the fringe benefits will be priceless.
Tuesday 6 November 2012
THANK YOU GOOGLE BLOG SEARCH !!
Seriously! Just randomly looking (as no doubt we all do when we first become a "blogger"), at Google blog search and lo and behold, I am quite beside myself! There in the cyberworld of Google blogging is someone called Kevin Mitchell who has a blog all about what helps to quench my thirst for insight, opinion and discussion about what some of the things are, that afflict and affect our very human BRAINS!! Very human, because as far as is known, and going by what I am reading on the subject, no other animal has such a complex computer sitting on top of their bodies as we humans! Too complex for our own good I am quite sure. Animals have that "sixth sense", that inherant "instinct", that does away with the need for them to have this massive lump of, so far, pretty much "unfathomable" grey matter sitting on top of their shoulders such as we humans do! And to think we only use 10% or so of it. One has to wonder what the "go" is there!?
Some people obviously use much less than this allotted 10%, a fact made obvious by some bureaucrats and others, who are missing the (probable) 2% of common sense which is meant to exist obviously in this part of the brain, as some people actually do capably demonstrate from time to time this particular 2% of their useable 10%!
However, back to Kevin Mitchell, thanks for your blog. I shall be following it, who knows I might learn something, or if not, at least give others that contribute therein, some "food for thought" via my own modest comments occasionally perhaps?
I look forward to the next instalment of his "Wiring the Brain" blog. Thanks again!
WHERE HAS ALL THE MONEY GONE !!
You know, it really does make my imagination run wild as to where all the missing money is as we speak.
Well.. you know what I'm talking about, don't you? Let's use as an example, the bank cheque you just got in your hot little hand for finally selling that antiquated old clock on gumtree. God knows, you have been counting on selling that dust-gathering old relic of a mantle clock for months, and now you actually have a real honest-to-goodness sum of money to show for it. Off to the bank! Quick! So excited!
"Can you cash this bank cheque for me please", says I, with all the innocent, excited expectation of a 5-year-old... silly me!
"Oh, no, sorry... can't do that, this cheque will take 5 days to clear".
"Clear?" I query. "Clear?" "Clear what?", I ask in a slightly more high-pitched voice. Clear out? Clear off? Clear?
"Clear..you know, before you can draw it out of your bank account", says the person across the counter, peering at me like I am the "slowest" creature to venture up to her hallowed perspex panel this day.
"Bank account?" It's not in my bank account! I just want to cash it....it's a bank cheque!" and then, somewhat sheepishly, "please ?." Rats, I could tell my face was beginning to flush! Now I'm creating a spectacle of myself. I would have thought that being a bank cheque, perhaps this illustrious institution within the halls of which I was beginning to feel like Bonnie of "Bonnie & Clyde" fame right about now, might actually be good for the money!
"Sorry ma'am, you can check your bank account on Friday if you deposit the cheque into your bank account with me now".
"But.....but, where will my money actually be ???", (my earlier euphoria and child-like anticipation totally out the window by now).
"Well, it's not actually anywhere, it just has to clear, as I just said..."
Why do I feel like we just went full circle?
"But can it get lost?"
"Of course not!" (condescending chuckle, really meaning to shout "WOULD YOU JUST HURRY UP AND DEPOSIT THE CHEQUE!!")
Anyway.... you know the rest. You've been there. All I can say is that somewhere out there in cyberspace, there is this ginormous money-pot with probably trillions of our dollars in it if truth be known, freely available for such institutions to decadently wallow in, a never-ending supply, to do with whatever strikes their fancy, so that when you and I finally are able to withdraw our collective investment, they have probably made a cool 10% or something on it! How rude! Then they will have the hide to rub our noses in it by telling us about their billion-dollar annual profit! Grrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!
You know, it really does make my imagination run wild as to where all the missing money is as we speak.
Well.. you know what I'm talking about, don't you? Let's use as an example, the bank cheque you just got in your hot little hand for finally selling that antiquated old clock on gumtree. God knows, you have been counting on selling that dust-gathering old relic of a mantle clock for months, and now you actually have a real honest-to-goodness sum of money to show for it. Off to the bank! Quick! So excited!
"Can you cash this bank cheque for me please", says I, with all the innocent, excited expectation of a 5-year-old... silly me!
"Oh, no, sorry... can't do that, this cheque will take 5 days to clear".
"Clear?" I query. "Clear?" "Clear what?", I ask in a slightly more high-pitched voice. Clear out? Clear off? Clear?
"Clear..you know, before you can draw it out of your bank account", says the person across the counter, peering at me like I am the "slowest" creature to venture up to her hallowed perspex panel this day.
"Bank account?" It's not in my bank account! I just want to cash it....it's a bank cheque!" and then, somewhat sheepishly, "please ?." Rats, I could tell my face was beginning to flush! Now I'm creating a spectacle of myself. I would have thought that being a bank cheque, perhaps this illustrious institution within the halls of which I was beginning to feel like Bonnie of "Bonnie & Clyde" fame right about now, might actually be good for the money!
"Sorry ma'am, you can check your bank account on Friday if you deposit the cheque into your bank account with me now".
"But.....but, where will my money actually be ???", (my earlier euphoria and child-like anticipation totally out the window by now).
"Well, it's not actually anywhere, it just has to clear, as I just said..."
Why do I feel like we just went full circle?
"But can it get lost?"
"Of course not!" (condescending chuckle, really meaning to shout "WOULD YOU JUST HURRY UP AND DEPOSIT THE CHEQUE!!")
Anyway.... you know the rest. You've been there. All I can say is that somewhere out there in cyberspace, there is this ginormous money-pot with probably trillions of our dollars in it if truth be known, freely available for such institutions to decadently wallow in, a never-ending supply, to do with whatever strikes their fancy, so that when you and I finally are able to withdraw our collective investment, they have probably made a cool 10% or something on it! How rude! Then they will have the hide to rub our noses in it by telling us about their billion-dollar annual profit! Grrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!
Friday 2 November 2012
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
"Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence"...
- Desiderata
Can anyone beat my record of having had this inspiring and meaningful composition sitting in a frame on a shelf somewhere in whichever house we happened to be living, no matter where in this world we might have moved to, for at least the past 30 years... I would never have left behind my "Desiderata"!
Isnt it funny how something can grab us as so inspiring in one instant of our complicated young lives, and stick with us forever, as if ever letting it go, will bring us bad karma.
I guess as much as I hate to admit it, somewhere deep inside of me dwells a superstitious creature, not to the point of being obsessive at all, but never EVER daring to let go of a particular intangible precious thing, or dare to do a particular something in a different way than I have ever done it before. You know what I mean... these can be some pretty mundane things such as being pedantic about the way I hang my clothes in the wardrobe. They absolutely MUST face a certain way before I put them in their place on the hanger! Or as a certain family member does, always skipping the third step! That's not so bad if you are 12, but can raise a few eyebrows if discovered by someone when you are 30-something!
Not that there's anything wrong with those things. And, just to clarify - I am definitely not talking about OCD sufferers, I feel empathy for those people and do not begin to assume that I could compare what I am referring to, with the struggle many of these individuals must face in the normal everyday world which most of us take for granted..... but it does still make you wonder why some of us do this other very odd behaviour I speak of, no matter how old we get.
And so it is with me and "Desiderata". It is something I need to see on my shelf every time I dust around it, and I always pause, as if acknowledging an old friend, and silently read even just one line or two each time, as if to pay my respects to something I find I can identify with, as if it knew what I was thinking and still does. Kind of a reassuring old friend, I suppose, one who makes me feel calmer and brings me back to the time where I first saw it half a lifetime ago, and how it made me feel, and still does, even if just for a few fleeting moments, whenever I look at it.
I am nobody special, but the human traits that this particular composition "Desiderata" alludes to, such as respect for everyone where respect ought to be given, an ear to really just listen with when that is all someone is really asking of you. Being humble, honest and gracious, but above all, trust in your own judgment, whilst still listening to others. These are things I aspire to, but mostly these days, we all fall far short much of the time, for reasons or excuses which we never seem to run out of. Still... looking at my framed "Desiderata" now and then, I still feel than same inner peace for those few moments, and it will inspire me to keep striving for those ideals, however impossible they seem some days, as we often get through those days in the best way we can.
- Desiderata
Can anyone beat my record of having had this inspiring and meaningful composition sitting in a frame on a shelf somewhere in whichever house we happened to be living, no matter where in this world we might have moved to, for at least the past 30 years... I would never have left behind my "Desiderata"!
Isnt it funny how something can grab us as so inspiring in one instant of our complicated young lives, and stick with us forever, as if ever letting it go, will bring us bad karma.
I guess as much as I hate to admit it, somewhere deep inside of me dwells a superstitious creature, not to the point of being obsessive at all, but never EVER daring to let go of a particular intangible precious thing, or dare to do a particular something in a different way than I have ever done it before. You know what I mean... these can be some pretty mundane things such as being pedantic about the way I hang my clothes in the wardrobe. They absolutely MUST face a certain way before I put them in their place on the hanger! Or as a certain family member does, always skipping the third step! That's not so bad if you are 12, but can raise a few eyebrows if discovered by someone when you are 30-something!
Not that there's anything wrong with those things. And, just to clarify - I am definitely not talking about OCD sufferers, I feel empathy for those people and do not begin to assume that I could compare what I am referring to, with the struggle many of these individuals must face in the normal everyday world which most of us take for granted..... but it does still make you wonder why some of us do this other very odd behaviour I speak of, no matter how old we get.
And so it is with me and "Desiderata". It is something I need to see on my shelf every time I dust around it, and I always pause, as if acknowledging an old friend, and silently read even just one line or two each time, as if to pay my respects to something I find I can identify with, as if it knew what I was thinking and still does. Kind of a reassuring old friend, I suppose, one who makes me feel calmer and brings me back to the time where I first saw it half a lifetime ago, and how it made me feel, and still does, even if just for a few fleeting moments, whenever I look at it.
I am nobody special, but the human traits that this particular composition "Desiderata" alludes to, such as respect for everyone where respect ought to be given, an ear to really just listen with when that is all someone is really asking of you. Being humble, honest and gracious, but above all, trust in your own judgment, whilst still listening to others. These are things I aspire to, but mostly these days, we all fall far short much of the time, for reasons or excuses which we never seem to run out of. Still... looking at my framed "Desiderata" now and then, I still feel than same inner peace for those few moments, and it will inspire me to keep striving for those ideals, however impossible they seem some days, as we often get through those days in the best way we can.
Thursday 1 November 2012
OOOOOOOOOOOOKKKKKKKKKKKKKK.......
Now that I have your attention... wow, what a day! more of the same, but today I spoke on the phone to a nurse who actually works for a very eminent surgeon here in OZ.. u see, we do have some medical issues my hubby and/or I, and how refreshing is it to talk to someone who has a brain! YES a BRAIN!! Someone who actually "GETS IT" !!
Someone who actually thinks "outside of the box", will take that "extra step", sees where u r "coming from", can "find a way" to solve a problem. AAAHHHHHH!!!
Now I ask You... IS THAT SO HARD??????
I watched another program last night on the Science chanel, another in the series presented by Morgan Freeman. I LOVE this series. Bottom line is.. even the most illustrious and decorated Physicists that are and have ever been in the world, really have NO IDEA where we came from or where it will all end! Which seems to me, that people like me arent so dumb after all! You see, we are all the same, no-one is better than me, no-one is worse than me. I have a right to be here, and so do you, as long as we do, in some small way, CONTRIBUTE! How do you contribute? Do you pick up a gum wrapper in the park and put it in a bin? Do you actually CARE about tonight's dreadful story about the lady whose family are kicking her out, because she is a little too "eccentric" perhaps for their comfort? Yes OF COURSE YOU CARE, you are OUTRAGED!... but come this time tomorrow, you, like everyone other one of us including me, will say, "ummm.... what lady was that again??"
You see, we really do need to persevere with our efforts whilst we still have the privelege of occupying this planet, to HELP in some way, you dont have to bellow it for all the world to hear, you dont have to be a so-called HERO (I hate that word!). Just be kind, and considerate, truthful, and loving. Gosh, if only we all could be. Maybe we could all withstand the next "ice age" by acting as if we are united in our cause, passionate about our existence, and feel priveleged to be here at all!
What was YOUR contribution today?? Personally, I decided to chill a little, because there really is MORE to life!
Now that I have your attention... wow, what a day! more of the same, but today I spoke on the phone to a nurse who actually works for a very eminent surgeon here in OZ.. u see, we do have some medical issues my hubby and/or I, and how refreshing is it to talk to someone who has a brain! YES a BRAIN!! Someone who actually "GETS IT" !!
Someone who actually thinks "outside of the box", will take that "extra step", sees where u r "coming from", can "find a way" to solve a problem. AAAHHHHHH!!!
Now I ask You... IS THAT SO HARD??????
I watched another program last night on the Science chanel, another in the series presented by Morgan Freeman. I LOVE this series. Bottom line is.. even the most illustrious and decorated Physicists that are and have ever been in the world, really have NO IDEA where we came from or where it will all end! Which seems to me, that people like me arent so dumb after all! You see, we are all the same, no-one is better than me, no-one is worse than me. I have a right to be here, and so do you, as long as we do, in some small way, CONTRIBUTE! How do you contribute? Do you pick up a gum wrapper in the park and put it in a bin? Do you actually CARE about tonight's dreadful story about the lady whose family are kicking her out, because she is a little too "eccentric" perhaps for their comfort? Yes OF COURSE YOU CARE, you are OUTRAGED!... but come this time tomorrow, you, like everyone other one of us including me, will say, "ummm.... what lady was that again??"
You see, we really do need to persevere with our efforts whilst we still have the privelege of occupying this planet, to HELP in some way, you dont have to bellow it for all the world to hear, you dont have to be a so-called HERO (I hate that word!). Just be kind, and considerate, truthful, and loving. Gosh, if only we all could be. Maybe we could all withstand the next "ice age" by acting as if we are united in our cause, passionate about our existence, and feel priveleged to be here at all!
What was YOUR contribution today?? Personally, I decided to chill a little, because there really is MORE to life!
Wednesday 31 October 2012
THINGS THAT MAKE YOU GO MMMMMMMENTAL !!
Here's your opportunity to say what you'd like to say, but were maybe embarrassed to say it? Or maybe someone might think that you dont fit their definition of what is "normal" in our judgmental and hypocritical society? Its about speaking your mind in a way which is perhaps unconventional, but as long as its clean, and not inflammatory or illegal, get it off your chest where NO-ONE will know you or judge you! Most importantly, have some FUN with it!
IS IT JUST YOUR IMAGINATION?
How brave am I???
First of all, I am putting my picture up on my very first blog! Now, if you knew me well, you would know that this is by no means an easy thing for me to do... putting it out there for the world to see, (given that this blog no doubt will take off like hotcakes globally!) - so from this point on, I cannot hide who I am from anyone out there, no.. this is me warts and all!
Now, this old gal is in her 65th year, so aside from the above intrepid move for one of advancing years, truth is, at last I have a sounding board besides these four walls, and my poor long-suffering other half! I am not a wilting violet type, but neither is most of us. We do get "peed off" about many, many things in everyday life. It's just that we tend to keep it mostly all inside.
For example, I know that I, on the other hand, do tend to lose patience outwardly more than many these days with incompetence, attitudes that are way too laid back (for my liking) of people who are meant to be doing their jobs, and complacency shown by many of our critical service-givers amongst others!
This place will be my attempt to get it "out there", hopefully inoffensively, albeit truthfully, and hopefully encouraging you to engage with all and sundry who may post herein by posting what drives you nuts (I firmly believe each of us has a vastly different level of mental tolerance, hence when I use the word "nuts" I mean this to cover the full spectrum of what we might each, as individuals, perceive this to mean to us!)... and what do I get out of this? Hopefully the fringe benefit of maybe lowering my blood pressure a bit more, by having a sounding board, soapbox, hopefully having always a keen contribution from you out there, and hopefully no small amount of well-meaning fun along the way!
Please do not let my age be an indicator of perhaps an element of frailty of mind or character. I can be a bit feisty, but I have deduced by now, that my brain is programmed that way! I make no apologies, I grew up to respect people where respect is deserved, but respect in itself I believe is a rare commodity these days and, although shown, is often not reciprocated, you will perhaps agree if you are still reading this??!!
I believe it is OK to be a bit controversial and to feel a bit jaded without being offensive. I am actually quite a private person by nature, so this medium strikes me as fairly unobtrusive and suits me personally, and I look forward to being here.
I believe mental health has many variations outside of what the medical fraternity know or understand. Just because you may border on being an extrovert in someone else's opinion, you are welcome here to speak your case, I will be listening, I believe I have quite a bit of insight through life experience, and there is nothing you can say which I will not take on board. I have probably experienced some of the highlights of life that you have, and also some of the lowlights.
So please comment here freely, but just remembering always to stick with anonymity, as we can never, ever, take back anything we put in print. Having said that, I want this to be insightful, fun, controversial even, but always respectful.
Here are just a few examples of what can drive me "nuts"! Not comprehensive of course, but a start nevertheless, and hopefully we can start the ball rolling!
Has any of these "situations" ever made smoke come out of your ears?
- Some (perhaps wellmeaning) person saying "It's just your imagination, you'll be alright"...
orrrrrrrrrrr,
- When we phone one of the "13" numbers (as a last resort because we can't find what we're after, on their dodgy website) and the first thing the robot voice on the other end says is "If you're calling about 'such and such', did you know you can do this online by going to our website and doing 'blah blah blah'..or you can also sign up for 'blah blah blah'.. but if you are calling about.."blah blah blah"
orrrrrrrrr,
- patronisation in ANY form!
AAGGGGHHHH!!!!!
What have you experienced? What makes your hair stand on end? What does the word "mental" mean to you? Can it really be pigeonholed as just one thing such as the term "mental health" is, when used in various programs in the general community? Or is it even in today's high-tech environment, a totally misunderstood phenomena by those who think they know?
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE see this as your opportunity to have a laugh, or be serious, or whatever "rocks your boat". Keep it clean, keep it fun, but tell us, anything and everything ! Talk soon...
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