It's lovely to have you back

When Firegazer returned early this morning after a few days away on business I said how lovely it was to have him home.

However I mentioned that ...

I will miss being able to leave the doors open and the blinds up at night so I can welcome the sun as it rises.

And I will miss being able to leave my bedside light on as long as I please and read for as long as I like. In my bed.

Such is life when living with a modern caveman. He just doesn't like morning sunlight and late night reading the way I do.

Luckily he has other redeeming qualities. :-)

What can you get away with when the other half is away?

Childhood Dreams

There is a meme travelling around blogland. It's called 200 things you must do before you die, or some such. You know the ones - you highlight which ones you've done already. I read through one a couple of days ago and it was a bit of fun.

Yesterday I watched Randy Pausch's Last Lecture. Have you seen it? Randy Pausch, a professor of computer science at Carnegie Mellon University delivered a 76 minute speech in September last year on lessons he had learned in life. It was neither a dry technical argument nor a self-help guide but a sharing of what his life had taught him. He was suffering from pancreatic cancer and wrote the speech for his children. Randy died in July this year, aged 47.

What spoke to me was that Randy didn't talk about what he wished he had done; he didn't refer to a "bucket list" that he developed later in life and he didn't refer to lists that had been written by other people. Rather he drew on his own childhood dreams (from the perspective of a 9 year old) and how and to what extent he achieved those. Surprisingly, and through dogged determination, he had achieved them all in one way or another and spoke about what it was that enabled him to do that.

That seemed to me to be perfect. To think back to when you could dream big dreams and be confident that they were within your grasp. And that they are your dreams and not the dreams other people think you ought to have. That is your true bucket list.

As a child I can remember I wanted

• to be a spy, an Egyptologist, and a journalist
• to be able to sing (and be in a West End musical)
• to visit the Pyramids
• to paint my room deep purple
• to own a pair of high-heeled boots

At 40 years of age I have the boots, my room as a child was painted a pale lilac and at 12 years of age, when asked during confirmation classes, I told the Bishop that Jesus would want me to be an Egyptologist. I think Randy Pausch would tell me that I haven't been trying hard enough.

What were your childhood dreams?

Friday 17 October: Ballet Exam 2008

This was a day and a half. I had just learned that a friend had died, it was Dad's birthday and I hadn't finished his gift, and Blossom had her ballet exam.

Blossom took the day off school, we went to the markets in the morning and in the afternoon we headed up to the ballet school to get ready.

The hair was done
(apart from gluing up the wispy bits, which I did just before she walked in).

The ribbon was attached.

(this differentiates her from the pink girl, or the white girl, or the yellow girl)

The shoe ribbons were tied. And re-tied. And then checked again.

She was ready to go in.

Blossom said the examiner was friendly but she wasn't sure it was her best exam.
Despite all the hairspray on the shoe ribbons, they still came loose.
But that's all part of being a dancer and the show must go on.

Now we are all about the end of year concert. And Grade 5 next year.

The Cat Post

I am fairly sure it is considered polarising or social suicide to blog about ones cats. I'd just like to point out for the record that I am not exclusively a "cat person". I do love dogs and have picked out a lovely dog I would like. However, I am waiting until my children are willing to take it for walks and to clean up its "business". Cats, for the moment, suit us because they don't require walkies and they are happy to amuse themselves. Even if that amusement is detrimental to our carpets, and sometimes our sanity.

We have two Australian Mists. These are the only Australian breed of cat and are a combination of Abyssinian, Burmese and Australian Domestic Shorthair (ie moggy).

This is Biggie. He should have been called Forrest (as in Gump) because he is not a smart cat. Handsome, loving, but a little challenged in the cranial area. He is the minion of Marble below.

This is Marble. Evil conspirator. Boss of Biggie. Like the head of any evil empire she has the ability to turn on considerable charms.

Here I show you evidence of my excellent training techniques. Biggie is not afraid of my water squirter. It think he is a little like a goldfish:

SQUIRT "Whoa, what was that?!" back to scratching the carpet

SQUIRT SQUIRT "whoa, what was that?! back to scratching the carpet.

My water squirter also has similar impact on Biggie's table-leaping and sleeping in my freshly laundered washing pile.

See this? This is the sort of device one puts on ones cupboards when one has a curious toddler. Or an Australian Mist.

Marble, the evil conspirator, is adept at leaping tall cupboards and opening low ones. This one is her favourite: the bin cupboard. She opens it then invites her minion, Biggie, to feast on the contents. We only knew Marble was the culprit because we know that Biggie is incapable of such a feat.

But then, just as I am about to put them up for sale on EBay they do this:

Like children, they're gorgeous when they're asleep.

Bondi Saturday 3pm/Thursday 11am

Saturday, 3pm.

This is what iconic Bondi Beach looks like on a warm Saturday afternoon. People throng, it is difficult to park and tanned bodies play beach volleyball.

People swim laps in the famous Bondi Icebergs pool. You earn the title of Bondi Iceberg once you swim here at least once every day for a year. It is frigid here in winter.

Mere mortals enjoy the Bondi to Bronte cliffside walk. It is magnificent. And for three weeks each October-November it hosts Sculpture by the Sea.

This is a small sample of what you get to see along the way.

But to see it, and the ocean, in all its glory I suggest doing what I did. Go back when the Southerly (cold) wind is howling and a thunderstorm threatens.

Thursday, 11am

Yesterday a friend and I braved this weather and felt that the experience was all the better for having BIG dramatic seas, a howling gale and dark storm clouds as a backdrop.

And it was much easier to get a parking spot.

Laid to Rest

It was a beautiful, dignified service.

We heard stirring eulogies from her husband, her sister, her mother-in-law, her friend Fairlie and her 9yo daughter.

Her distraught sister, with whom she shared a special bond, and who was with her right through her illness and at at her deathbed spoke so beautifully and read out this poem:

I read of a man who stood to speak, at the funeral of a friend.
He referred to the dates on this tombstone from beginning ….to the end.
He noted that first came his date of birth and spoke the following with tears.
But he said what mattered most of all, was the dash in between those years.
For the dash represents, all the time he spent alive on earth.
And how only those who loved him know what that little line is worth.
For it matters not, how much we own; the cars, the house, the cash, what matters most is how we live and love and how we spend our dash…
So think about this long and hard. Are there things you’d like to change?
For you never know how much time is left, that can still be rearranged.
If we could just slow down enough, to consider what is true and real.
And always try to understand, the way other people feel.
And be less quick to anger, and show appreciation more,
and love the people in our lives like we’ve never loved before.
If we treat each other with respect, and more often wear a smile…
Remembering that this special dash might only last a little while.
So, when your eulogy is being read, with your life’s actions to rehash
would you be proud of the things they say and how your spent your dash?

By Linda Ellis

Afterwards we met up at a Melbourne icon to celebrate her life. Her daughter was surrounded by close friends

and by her classmates.

Just as her mother would've wanted.

Next week is Brain Tumour Awareness Week.

RIP

RIP

S from TeamSAK

1967-2008

Wife.Mother.Friend

Bravely fought The Beast
until she could fight no more

Great friend to the EasternMax family. Sadly missed by all of us. We know that Heaven will have the best value phone plans from now on.

Fairlie has lovely words here.

This post is closed for comments. Please direct comments to http://teamsak.blogspot.com or to Fairlie.

300 Posts

Happy 300 posts to me, happy 300 posts to me.

I thought this would be a good time to acknowledge the generosity of my friends.

Fe gave me this award. Thanks Fe!

Fe is a real-life as well as blogging friend of mine. She says I am never ever boring which she knows is a complete and utter fabrication. She just wants me to let her know when the next Miss Poledance Australia competition is on. Fe, herself, is never boring and will, one day, write a best-selling autobiography that no-one will believe (except those of us who know her).

And Le from Third on the Right gave me this award. Thanks Le!

Just so you know, both Fe and Le have names that rhyme with Tree. Le has the coolest range of blogger-wear for sale on her site. I am totally going to buy a Gen-X t-shirt. Go over and check out the range.

Le's award came with a meme. I'll try to answer as truthfully as possible and not reveal how terribly dreary I am in real life. You may need to go and grab a coffee/tea/herbal concoction.

1.Where is your cell phone?

Oh god, I don't know. In my bag? Which one? Probably out of charge by now.

2. Where is your significant other?

Hopefully at work. Hopefully not at the golf driving range.

3. Your hair color?
Chocolate (that's fancy for Brown)

4 . Your mother?
A long way away. Probably babysitting one or more of my nephews. Or playing bridge? Or washing. Actually, at this moment - possibly eating lunch. Hopefully keeping up to date with my blogs. There will be a quiz on Sunday.

5. Your father?
A long way away with my mum. He was pleased to be able to point out a spelling error of mine the other day. Doesn't happen often. It's important to still be getting wins over your children when you're in your advancing years. It's his birthday tomorrow. I tell you, advancing years... he has a 40-year old daughter. I haven't quite finished his present. It will be posted ... soon.

6. Your favorite thing?
Oh I don't know. I have lots of favourite things. I do love my office 'though, 'specially now it has a recliner chair in it. I'm waiting for someone to point out that my office is a place, not a thing.

7. Your dream last night?

I can't remember that far back.

8. Your dream/goal?
New ones every week.

9. The room you're in?
My office. Did I mention I LOVE my office?

10. Your hobby?
Finally, at 40 I have hobbies. I write, I knit, I boss my children, I read, I garden a bit, I blog, I boss my husband (favourite hobby), I organise people even if they don't want or need organising, I make people stuff they don't want or need.

11. Your fear?
Fears people fears, plural. Heights, closed spaces, flying, children getting hurt/taken,

12. Where do you want to be in 6 years?
Haven't thought that far ahead. Blossom will be 16 eeeeeeeeek. PL will be 14 double-eeek. Now I think about it I want to be...sane.

13. Where were you last night?
Great! I have something to tell! I went to see Just Macbeth by the Bell Shakespeare Company with the kids. It was so totally fabulous you just HAVE to take your children. Suitable for ages 7-70. Really, even teens would dig it. I totally cacked myself all.the.way.through. At the Seymour Centre until 26th Oct.

14. What you're not?
A yummy mummy. But I do drive a Volvo.

15. One of your wish-list items?
A new kitchen and laundry.

16. Where you grew up?
In rural Western Australia, on a farm.

17. The last thing you did?
Before writing this post? Talk to a friend on the phone about how fabulous Just Macbeth was last night and how we wish the whole school could take the kids for an excursion.

18. What are you wearing?
Denim skirt, Birkenstocks (red with white paisley), navy polo shirt, navy sweater/jumper. A bit preppy? Probably.

19. Your TV?
God, these questions just keep coming. None of the three tvs we own are mine. I disown them.

20. Your pets?
Two Australian mist cats - Biggie and Marble. Love dogs too but fear that I couldn't train them and they would just slobber on my bed or worse, poo on my carpet.

21. Your computer?

Newish but completely stuffed. Vista is giving me the shits.

22. Your mood?
Generally good. I have a charmed life, really I do. Except when the Tween is grumpy in the morning and I have to be tough mummy.

23. Missing someone?
It would be nice to have family around and some of my closer long-term friends but otherwise I do alright.

24. Your car?
Volvo. Fabulous vehicle. Boxy but good.

25. Something you're not wearing?
Fabulous shoes.

26. Favorite store?
Any store that has a 14 day no questions asked return policy, huge change-rooms, free alterations and will put clothes on hold for 3 days.

27. Your summer?
Hot and humid.

28. Love someone?
Yes.

29. Your favorite color?
My favourite colours are Orange and Purple.

30. When is the last time you laughed?
Last night at Just Macbeth. I tell you, I cacked myself silly. This guy stuffed 19 marshmallows into his mouth. What's not funny about that?

31. Last time you cried?
I don't cry. Well my friends think I don't cry. It's my secret if I do.

I think I'm supposed to tag someone with this award. Do you mind if I do it another time? My brain hurts from all those questions.

Typical Day Project: Just another Manic Monday

Monday October 13 (or was it Sunday?) was set aside by Mrs G for bloggers to pictorially represent their day. Poor you because Monday October 13 is back.to.school day after two weeks of holiday. Bleh. I love having the kids on holidays - it means no getting up to make school lunches.

If it was Friday October 10 I could've regaled you with stories of trips to the beach and an evening at the finals of Miss Poledance Australia. But, alas, you have a stock standard Monday here. So grab your fluffy slippers, a warm cocoa and soak up my day...

Sydney Harbour at 6.45am.

I wake up to this view only to be hit with reality when I walk downstairs.

Reality Hits 7.15am.

The family consults the Magic Whiteboard so we all know what we are doing.

This is known to be successful 50% of the time.

7.15 - 8.30am:
It's back.to.school day so the morning is all about making lunches, writing out recess and lunch bags and packing for school (I was asked to write a special note on each one. PL got sick of waiting so he wrote his own special note to himself).

Mid-Morning: Monday is wash day, shopping day, Pilates and changing linen day. I hate laundry and I hate supermarket shopping so as you can imagine it was a fun morning.

Early afternoon: Phone calls and writing/researching for a new project.

Can you see the comfy chair in the distance? Firegazer dragged it up to my office last weekend. It's fabulous for reading, knitting, thinking. I stare at it wistfully wondering if I can justify time in it today.

3pm-7pm: Is it Wine-O'Clock yet?

Pick up the kids, debrief on day, take to music class, check emails/blogs/pay bills, cook dinner, blah blah blah you know how it goes. Kids made afternoon tea without killing each other - a miracle. Clearly they were hungry. Must make them hunt down or make own afternoon tea more often.

6.45pm on Sydney Harbour.
Aaaah.

8pm Bookclub: Finally, it's wine-o'clock

We discuss Half a Life by V.S. Naipaul.

Fe's choice. Some love it, some not so. Great discussion. Need.to.get.home.to.bed.

Somtime after 11pm: Tea, chocolate. Now, to bed. Goodnight!

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

What did you do on Friday night?

I went to the finals of Miss Poledance Australia. As you do.

My pilates instructor (stage name: Porche) was a finalist. My friend L and I did not find it difficult to convince our husbands that it was a good idea to go along and support her.

It was fabulous.

The show was emceed by a drag queen (stage name: Maxi Shield) and an amazing burlesque dancer (can't remember her stage name). It was a little bit Moulin Rouge and a little bit classic Darlinghurst.

We saw a wide variation in styles and routines. Pole Dancing is classically derived from the strip clubs and thus has some of the trappings of that environment - most noticeably the stratospheric heels many of the girls wear. The skimpy gear comes with the territory because they need skin contact to stick to the pole (this need to stick to the pole is also enhanced by the liberal use of hairspray and resin, bleh). In this competition, however, about half the girls wore flat shoes and costumes that were more than just underwear with sequins, which was refreshing.

I couldn't take photos inside the theatre, but I did manage a couple of grainy shots in the lobby.

There was the opportunity to purchase a memento t-shirt, or hotpants.

And you'll be relieved to know that the immutable law of girl/lavatory ratio was upheld. Six bathroom stalls for about 1000 women.

So how did Porche fair? She was fantastic, fabulous, amazing.

We felt that she deserved to come second (the first place getter, from Perth, received a well-deserved standing ovation). However, like all competitions this was political. The winner deserved to win. Second and third places were given to popular performers who had been around a long time.

C'est la vie. Porche was so rapt to just be in the competition and said she will find it hard to come down to earth to her role as mild-mannered pilates instructor on Monday.

UPDATED TO SAY: Porche came fourth!!! That means she really came second because second and third places were political. Yay Porche.

A blogmeet and a wardrobe malfunction - but not on the same day.

I'm loving this whole blogmeet thing.

Yesterday I met up with my friend Fe, and two other great bloggers Guera and Super Sarah, along with their beautiful children. Guera was holidaying here in Sydney and organised the meet. Thanks Guera!

Again, it was so easy to chat to these people you have 'met' on-blog and it was a lovely morning.

Unfortunately, I had to run off to other (ballet class) commitments after an hour so I think I missed meeting one other blogger which was a shame.

Next time we've resolved to make a long lunch of it.

**********

Oh, and I have to tell you about my wardrobe malfunction today...

I was walking to the ferry for a 9.30am meeting in the city. At 8.40am I arrive at the ferry stop. Just as I was congratulating myself about being at the ferry in plenty of time I notice that one of the buttons has popped off my new shirt dress. The button was in a very strategic position and now I am gaping somewhat inappropriately. My ferry was due to leave at 8.52am.

A friend lives about 100m up the road. I run up the road hoping that she is home. She is. I arm myself with a needle, black thread, a safety pin and some scissors and resolve to work out a plan on the ferry ride. I just make the 8.52am ferry.

Of course the ferry ride is too bumpy for operations that involve scissors, sharp needles and a fully-dressed woman.

Once at Circular Quay, I duck into the Ladies Bathroom (noice) and perform an intricate operation involving removing my top button and transferring it to the gaping hole - all while remaining fully dressed, dignity intact, minutes to spare before my meeting.

Who says the modern woman has no need for needlecraft skills? Or a friend that lives near the ferry.

The Attraction of Socks

These socks are coming along...slowly. I am drawn to their tiny little double-pointed needles, and teeny yarn.

Don't you think that sock-knitting is like a grown-ups version of french knitting? Instead of a long tube of yarn emerging, you get a long tube of sock.

And after a few rows you get used to holding four needles at once.

Made all the better with these fabulous new stainless steel needles that Firegazer picked up for me last week.

I'd like to announce...

...that sugar snap peas are now available in my garden.

Three WIPs and a finished double moss scarf

Many, many moons ago when the bus ride to my primary school was an hour I learnt to crochet granny squares along with the other girls on the bus (it was the 70s, the revolution hadn't reached my country town, and boys did not crochet).

That was also the last time I crocheted, or did macrame or wound bits of wool around sticks. But then I saw a 1975 copy of The Complete Book of Knitting, Crochet and Embroidery in my local second hand bookstore and thought, well, why not.

It's not that easy you know. It requires dexterity that I left behind as a child but, finally, I got the hang of it. Trouble is I don't know how to stop so I think I will end up with the world's biggest granny square - which is okay, because I have lots of left over wool in PL's favourite colour - yellow. This will either be a rug for his teddies or a rug for his bed. Who knows.

Last night I started my second pair of socks. These are a birthday present for someone who has a birthday in October. Just a warning to anyone with a birthday in October...these may or may not arrive on time (I'm confident, but Firegazer is doubtful).

A few weeks ago I started knitting a brown dog. Or a brown bear, I can't decide which. It's actually a 1930s-Hollywood-glamour-style cape from this pattern. I can't tell you how difficult this yarn is to knit with. One mistake and the whole thing needs to be unravelled. Not something to knit in front of the TV.

And finally, a finished project. This scarf, knitted in a double moss stitch, will be a gift for someone sometime soon.