Monday 31 December 2012

When Life Gives You Lemons...


It's been a tough, crazy & also wonderful year, but not just for myself. I have spoken to many people in the past couple of months who share the same view on 2012. It was a monster. Bring on 2013.

ALTHOUGH:
It's amazing how much of the way we choose to see things can change our levels of happiness & motivation in an instant. Personally, looking at my 2012 & concentrating on the life-changing events, bar a couple, I have honestly had quite an awful year. It also occurs to me though, that these events have now shaped my life into the most magnificent & opportunistic playground, that without those misfortunes, mistakes & the utter messiness - I wouldn't be where I am right now.

It's currently 15 minutes to midnight as I write this & I could not thank 2012 enough for the heartache, the whirlwind or the unease it has seen me endure, because I have done exactly that - endured. I am strong, enlightened & motivated. I have decided to follow a simple principle in 2013 that I believe you can only truly appreciate when you have been the lowest of low & know that the only person that can make it better, is you:


So I hope that like me, you can do the same. Be strong, look forward & make life what you want it to be. What a precious gift we have been given. Happy New Year.

Tuesday 30 October 2012

Making a Cuppa


Last weekend, after a big Saturday night of partying, I couldn't sleep. 
So, just before 5am, I took off for home, prepared to put my insomnia to use & get the housework, etc done.

On the way though, I thought of Mum. I hadn't seen her for a few days (unusual for us) so I decided to call & see if she felt like an early morning cuppa. I woke her up. She loved it. 
10 minutes later I came barreling into my childhood home, noisy & full of energy on a Sunday morning. My Step-Dad, Bob, loved it too. 
I made the early morning disturbance up to them by grabbing the morning paper on my way in. Hehe.
I lived in this house from birth until I was almost 19. It will always be home. I always feel like I can go there, I know where everything is & still have the mindless habit of checking the pantry or fridge for something to munch on - though, since I've left, there is no longer anything I would ever eat.
I went about making Mum, Bob & I a cuppa while they dragged themselves out of bed. Growing up, I would make my breakfast cup of tea with the sun coming through the kitchen blinds, listening to the birds chirp while surrounded by the smell of the morning -always fresh & relaxing at Mum's. It had been a long time since I had done this! Nostalgia set in... I was overcome with the urge to cry. This was, at one point in my life, complete happiness & contentment. I was suddenly 12, gearing up for a chapter of Harry Potter & Vegimite Toast before school time.
The moment seemed to go as quickly as it came... Leaving such a light, happy feeling in it's wake. For something that had happened in a matter of seconds, it made a lasting impression in my mind & spirit.
There was a sense of wholeness & rightness to doing this very simple task, in this place, at this time of day.

Friday 14 September 2012

Some time in Moura...


In my bulk of time off, I knew I wanted to fit in driving out & visiting my cousin, Chris, in Moura.

Kick-Ass Road-Trip Care Package!

 



So, with a new stereo installed in Betty, a 3am start & one kick-ass "Road-Trip Care Package" from my beautiful sister... I was off.



Sunrise on the road
 




7 & a half hours, 620km, one speeding fine & a spectacular sunrise later, I was there - guzzling down some much needed coffee & while Chris was at work, meeting up with his wife, Jo & their baby boy, Ken. 



Stocking-up




Over the next 4 days I spent my time enjoying Moura life - taking a trip to the one & only shop in town to stock up on nibblies & reading material while enjoying the absolute quiet that came with the middle-of-nowhere spot.
 



 Most nights we had dinner out the back. It was extremely relaxing to have a few drinks, fill our stomachs & chat by the warmth & light of the fire.





  I also went out in the truck with my Uncle Gary & stopped at the quarry Chris manages to have a look & take in a bit of their every-day.

In the truck
The Quarry
 











Jake & I




 At the moment, my younger cousin, Jake, is staying up in Moura too, so I got to annoy him a bit...






 





































Uncle Gary, Hazey & I having a few drinks.

  


My last night there called for dinner at the Bowls Club. A buffet dinner, a few rounds of pool & complete control of the Juke Box made for a very enjoyable night.





 

 It was a fun trip, so nice to see family, meet new people & experience some new things... with a total of 15 hours on the road, where my car became my personal opera hall & Ice Break bottles piled up on the floor... It was very much my cup of tea & I'll be doing it again as soon as I can.


Monday 27 August 2012

Exploring

I went exploring this past weekend. Just out the backyard of a friends place for a little less than an hour but it was fantastic!
I felt like a kid again, peeking around doors & corners before venturing onward. A little spark of excitement each time I came across something that peaked my interest. Jumping any time something tickled my skin that felt like a possible creepy crawly; giggling at myself when it was a simple weed.

These are a few of the discoveries that made me smile...








I also made a few friends in the paddock...

I've made a promise to myself that I will explore more often in places I wouldn't normally think to. It's liberating, exciting & relaxing. Also a great opportunity to get some awesome snaps.

Tuesday 21 August 2012

Falling in love again...

With three months off work to do whatever I like, I am getting back in touch with things that I haven't done in a while...
Falling in love again with all of the things that I have always enjoyed is amazing... 

Photography



















Capturing these beautiful moments makes me so happy... I take on average 600-1000 photos at any given event & love to come home, transfer all my files to the computer & edit all of my favourites, adding them to Facebook for eagerly awaiting family members...

I have recently entered some old favourites from the last few years into the Shutterbug Competition, not with any desire to win but the excitement of sharing my work with other people like me! More branching out to come in this area... Still-life & landscapes are catching my eye more & more.


Reading




Finally, I can sit down again & get lost in a book, from my old Harlan Coben favourites to new fads like The Hunger Games. So nice to be curled up on the couch getting familiar with characters & places I love to escape with. Or in a coffee shop surrounded by a buzz of people that suddenly becomes a dull drone in the background as the story takes my whole attention... Bliss.


People



The most precious & best part of my every day... the people in it. Family, friends & even strangers. I have taken to my old ways: creating & attending all events possible!
Recently I hosted a Morning Tea at my house for all of the wonderful ladies in my life... There was plenty of food & laughs to be had! 
Road tripping to see cousins in my time off is going to be a blast (especially with the new CD player in my car) & the simple pleasure I get out of saying hello to the employees at my regular shopping/take-out & appointment places makes every day a little brighter.

With all of this renewed love in my life, I am looking forward to getting back to work in October & starting fresh with a whole bunch of new activities, people & motivation.