A gift of the heart.

Yesterday we came close to losing a member of our family, our cat, Katie.

She had been outside and when my son noticed she wanted to come inside he let her in. That's when he noticed she had one leg caught up in her collar, he and his sister got the collar off. They said she looked distressed so my daughter took her into her bedroom so she could keep an eye on her. She noticed that she was panting and that her tongue was bright red and got onto the computer to Google those symptoms, she found out she was suffering heat stroke. They ran the bath and tried putting her into it, only succeeding in getting her paws wet, before calling my Mother to come over. Mum once ran a pet shop so knows a bit about animals and told them that they did the right thing.

By the time I got home from work the cat was fine, at one stage she took a little swipe at me as I passed her by. But she seemed a little subdued, my cat is usually a little bitchy, she slept by my head last night and then today she happily sat on my daughter's lap - usually she shows contempt for my daughter and will not stay on her lap at all without scratching and or biting to get away.

Just now I heard her making strange noises and ran to investigate, she had bought a mouse in and was calling us to come. She knows she is not allowed to bring them inside and usually sneaks in or races past us in the hope we won't notice that she has something in her mouth. But this time it was as if she was bringing us a gift. We let her outside, I praised and patted her. She had dropped the mouse in the grass and even pointed it out for me. She's still calling us to come outside to get our gift.

Don't mess with traditon

For the past few years we've celebrated Australia Day the same way, with a barbeque at a local reserve mainly with my husband's extended family. Usually we get a large turnout and then sit complaining about the heat. For this year I made a suggestion, instead of the local reserve why not go further afield to somewhere we could swim to cool off. My husband didn't want to change it but then booked an area at Bent's Basin for the day.

Only a small part of his family turned up, less than a quarter, most didn't even respond. My parents said it was too far away (just over half an hour), a cousin of his traveled 2 hours.

I realised while there that if all the family had turned up only a few would have swum so it would have been lots of complaining about the heat by those who don't. What it seems like in his family - actually in a lot of families that once you become an adult you give up things that you did as kid, swimming is one of them. Not for me, I love being immersed in water especially since losing my fear of deep water. It's really nice to swim out to the middle of the basin and just float there, usually. There were a lot of watercraft, blow up boats and a couple of canoes and after coming close to being run over by big inflatable boat I decided it was better to stick with the more crowded edges. It snuck up on me silently while my back was turned, the first hint I got was when I heard a voice say "oh sh*t, sorry". Turned a round to find the boat coming at me sideways, was able to put my hands out to fend it off and work myself around the bow, it was the largest toy inflatable boat I had ever seen.

We took our canoe which has gathered dust for the last couple of years in the garage and I had a paddle across the basin but decided that it was too nerve racking to be on the lookout for people in the water, hitting someone with a hard sided canoe would be much worse than an infllatable one.

Next year it will be back to the old faithful and back to complaining about the heat.

Birthday Sailing

Today is my 46th Birthday, there I admitted it and it wasn't as painful as I thought.



We went sailing on the Southern Swan on the harbour.




It motored up to Watson's Bay and then set sail back down the harbour. Lunch was a simple BBQ while underway. The weather was gorgeous and even though I put sunscreen on I did get burnt.

Afterwards we walked through The Rocks, which would have to be my favourite part of the city, the weekend markets were on and I chose a pretty freshwater pearl bracelet.

Then we got onto the free shuttle bus and headed back towards Town Hall, stopping in a couple of bookstores to search for the first Grow Your Own Drugs book that my husband wanted to get me as a gift - after much hinting by myself, he hadn't been able to find it before Christmas. We couldn't find it but found the second Grow Your Own Drugs book. It's ok I like working backwards.

On the drive home I was asked where I wanted to have dinner, chose City Extra at Parramatta. The food was good and I knew that the fussy eaters - husband and daughter would have plenty to chose from.

When we got home my husband handed me a simple yellow envelope telling me that it was my present. Inside were 2 Chris Isaack tickets, WOO HOO!! I had heard an interview on the radio saying that Chris was coming to Australia and had wished I was able to see him.

I did find that applying sunscreen does not always mean you will not get burnt. I missed a spot on the top of each arm but know I did not miss my chest, my necklaces have left interesting tan/burn lines. The rest of my arms and face did not burn. I put a soothing mud mask on tonight and massaged in Rosehip Oil. My skin feels lovely and smooth, also the heat has gone from the sunburn.

Went out today and as pretty much is normal found myself at 2 book stores. At the first one I bought Easy Garden Projects to make, build and Grow and Outdoor Kids both were on special but because I spent close to $20 the offer to buy other books at just $7 was made. I chose Auras and Chakras, Magnet Therapy and The Search for the South Pole. 5 books for $40 not too shabby. Then went on to another bookshop, bought Art of Abundance, Angel Words and Book of Angels plus I finally found a jewelled book mark with my initial. Spent $45. Yes I spent $85 but they are all books that I will read and refer to more than once.

Tomorrow is my Birthday and we are going into Sydney for a tall ship cruise and BBQ lunch around the harbour. I bought the tickets for the family for Christmas and booked them for my birthday. Was having a conversation with my son the other day, he was lamenting the fact that the new season of Chuck was starting on Saturday and asking why I couldn't have booked it for Sunday instead. We spent about 10 minutes talking about it and my birthday was mentioned by both parties several times The conversations was bought to a hilarious conclusion when my son suddenly yelled "OMG, your Birthday is on Saturday!!!". I cracked up and he then clicked that it was what we had been talking about.

This week my laptop spat the dummy and refused to start properly, when it was turned on it came up as saying 3 of 3 updates were being made and not to shut the computer off , then it would shut itself off. I had to press the Lenovo button which set it back to factory settings, I lost some files, but not those I had put onto the second drive. I hadn't deleted photos from the camera for months so they were safe too. The only thing I miss is my favourites, lost them all.

Good news is that my boss agreed to letting me have 2 days off together and one of them actually being on a weekend. I asked for Friday and Saturday, he originally agreed to Friday but tried offering me Sunday instead of Saturday. Saturdays I want to be available to watch my son's games or be available to work craft stalls with friends. To top it off Sunday pays better than Saturdays.

Up until last week I was getting Tuesdays and Thursdays off, I never quite relaxed knowing I had to be at work the next day.

This Saturday is my birthday, usually we would go somewhere like Lonestar but this year I took matters into my own hands, for Christmas I gave my family tickets for a BBQ on a tall ship cruising Sydney Harbour booked for this Saturday.

I just reminded my son about it and he whined that the new season of Chuck starts Saturday. Then he asked what date my Birthday was, told him the 22nd and he said "yep that's when Chuck starts". He mentioned the day and my Birthday a couple of times again before it hit him and he yelled "OMG SATURDAY IS YOUR BIRTHDAY!!" So glad it finally clicked.

Going up in the world

There's renovations going on here at the moment, my husband and son are cutting a hole in the ceiling to install an attic ladder. We've discussed it for a while and a couple of years ago had a quote to get one installed. The installer only considered putting it in the garage and told me that we'd get 4 square metres of storage and then when the quote came back it was close to $1000. He wouldn't even consider putting the ladder into the house.

David is installing the ladder in the dining/kitchen area, which means that we will have storage area right along the centre of the house. There is a wall that stretches from the front to the rear of the house giving ample support.

Can't say we have a lot of stuff to store, there's the Christmas stuff and there are things taking room in the garage such as camping gear. I am hoping that the opening will be a good heat extractor for summer - once they get the hole cut it'll be interesting to see if it makes a difference. Update: the hot air was sucked out of the house as soon as the gyrock was cut out, we've gone from being over heated to much more comfortable. It did help that outside had cooled down. Insulation is supposed to keep us more comfortable but I've noticed that it tends to hold in the heat when outside cools down.

I managed to sweet talk the boss into letting me have Fridays and Saturdays off, instead of Tuesdays and Thursdays. It now feels like I get a proper weekend and when school goes back will be home for one day on the weekends for family stuff. Over the years working weekends always made me feel like I was missing out. I can still do things on my own on Fridays, which is also a day my husband has off every few weeks.

The weather lately has been so unusual and unpreditable. We've had mid winter temperatures, mid summer temperatures, humidity and lots of rain. I don't want to complain, right now there are thousands who have been flood affected up north. Praying for them.

Right now our house is a mess, last week my husband bought a new big screen tv for our loungeroom, which meant that we needed a new entertainment unit for it as it wouldn't fit in our old (but still good) one. What else it means is the loss of storage space, for books and knick knacks. My daughter decided to sort them into stacks, all over the family room floor. My craft books alone were 2 stacks about a metre high each. Decided that humane culling was in order and by the time I finished I had 2 stacks almost a metre high and 20 cm stack of giveaways. Last night at 1.30 I decided some inhumae culling was called for, the stacks are much shorter now. The thing is - these are not my only craft books, which are also in my bedroom and sewing room.

I am hoping that I can find somewhere that is accepting goods for flood donations, I think that those who have lost their books might appreciate them.

While I was sorting I was also watching a lifestyle show that was pointing out to a lady that buying things, even on sale, that don't get used is a huge waste of money. This woman had unworn clothing still with labels on in her wardrobe, amounting to several hundred dollars, I looked at my books, a lot unused, with pricetags still on and realised that I've wasted thousands of dollars. I do have my favourites and will still buy books in the future but a lot of self debate will go on before forking over hard earned dollars.

The books I am keeping need to be sorted and housed on shelves where they are easily accessable, they were mostly in cupboards and random piles before making looking for a particular book a huge undertaking. Will save me time.

Gift Ideas for 2011

luck and bliss: The Incredible Magnetic Boy

I love this idea from Erin, absolutely brilliant for Grandparent gifts. If only I had seen this when my kids were small, I don't think they would appreciate being stuck on Nanna's fridge - not at 18 and 15, it's out of the realm of cute and into the realm of just plain weird.

But it's given me an idea for gifts for my great nieces, Birthday, Christmas or just because gifts. While reading a magazine today I saw an ad for a children's sewing pattern website, all the patterns are displayed as paper doll's dresses along with corresponding paper dolls.

Paper doll images.


Both my kids did have commercial versions of these, Cassie was given a fairy book that had magnetic fairies to dress up, we still have a mermaid tail on the fridge. Thomas had an action man version.

Christmas Ghost.

Thou shalt not whine: The mystery of the Christmas Eve ghost dog

I loved this post and it reminded me of my own little ghost story from a few years back.

I was home baking on Christmas Eve, singing along to Christmas Cds - badly of course, when something made me turn around. I noticed someone's shadow moving down the hallway from the doorway of my then sewing room, now the computer room and into the loungeroom. I called out to it to come back and join me to sing some songs before turning back to rolling out gingerbread dough. Next thing that happened was that my back got very tingly and it felt like I was being hugged from behind. At the time I was alone in the house, my husband and family were visiting his parents while I finished up Christmas preparations. Everytime I think back to that day and wonder who it might have been first person to come to mind is my Grandmother on my Dad's side.

I started reading The Alchemist on New Year's Day, it's a book I had seen often and was tempted to buy but kept putting it off. Last time I was in QBD I found it in the damaged book section with slight damage to the cover at 50% off.

What I've read so far I love, I can see the message in the writing and since then the word Alchemy keeps popping up. I am just about to settle down to read more.

We had a big storm go through yesterday evening, our lights went out for a few seconds I had been looking out the window at the time, the thunder and lightning came at the same time and I thought hit very close. We can't see the street from our house but I was sure it hit the pole in front of the neighbours house. Tonight on Facebook I noticed a status from my neighbour who had been videoing the storm at the time and recorded the strike on the pole. Will have to take a look at it and hopefully post it when she uploads it.

Because of the strike we have no television until Thursday, it took out our cable tv but not the phone or the cable internet. Don't know how that works when it comes along the same cable.

Same day a little later.

It was hot today and I certainly didn't want to stay home in a house with a broken air conditioner so I suggested we go out somewhere, we had no idea where to, a few suggestions were tossed around. When we got in the car David asked what if we head south as we hadn't been there for a while. So south it was, first we tried The National Park and Garie Beach but there was a traffic jam and the sign said the carpark was full, so we headed further south. We bought some lunch and again tried heading to a beach but found no carspots. We passed a street and I noticed a parking area that had a lot of room in it and we walked down to a sandy and rocky area, there were rock pools and swimming pools.





We sat on the rocks in the shade and ate our lunches before Thomas and I explored the area. We didn't swim as there was no place to change but I paddled in the warm water in the rock pools. I love the feeling of walking in salt water, it always energises me. Had a song we were playing in the car going around my head, A Way Back into Love from the movie Music and Lyrics.

I decided that I'd open myself to the power of the Universe and immediately another song popped into my head, A head without a Heart from the Rock Opera Paris, I couldn't find a clip but the first couple verses are below.

Oh Aphrodite, seductive and mighty
we bow to the splendour of
your love

Goddess Athena, the wisest demeanour
shines like a beacon
from above

One calls to the mind
The other the Soul

As I was getting into the car I noticed this little cloud. I told David I was taking a picture of the angel cloud. It looks so angelic to me.

A new Start

I just sat and wrote in my journal my gratitudes for last year and my intentions for the New Year. I don't often write in my journal, I'm only just over half way through the first journal I have ever had, had never gotten into writing a diary ever.

I just looked back to see when I started this journal, I can not believe the first date in it is May 2006, I orginally started it as an Angel Journal for recording the messages I received and my card readings. The first time I wrote in it was 31st May 2006 and the last time had been 31st May 2010 - how funny is that. It will not be so long between journalling in future, my intentions are to record something at least weekly.

One of the things I had intended was to use the same pen colour when writing in it and had a Sienna coloured pen, if I couldn't find the pen I simply didn't write. The last time I wrote had been in a plain blue pen. This time I am writing with a special new pen, a glass pen that uses real ink. I did have some sienna coloured ink that I found somewhere and had squirreled away but it wasn't great for writing with, too thin and only wrote a word before needing to redip. When I tried the black ink that came with the pen it was great, wrote for words before needing a redip. I even like the smudge of in that I get on my index finger when writing with it, makes me feel like a writer. Just like Jo in Little Women.

Happy New Year.

This year I've decided to add some more excitement in my life, things are getting way too boring and predictable.

One of the things I've already done is arrange my own birthday celebrations - for Christmas I bought tickets for a BBQ and harbour cruise on a Tall Ship for my family and booked for my Birthday. I need to remind my boss that I need the day off.

Oh and the day off for Australia Day too. We usually do the same thing on Australia Day, a picnic in a local reserve, mainly for my husband's family. This year I suggested a change in venue to Bent's Basin, further afield than 5 minutes down the road but I think much better for a hot Summer's day. Instead of sitting around complaining of the heat we'll be able to cool off by having a swim. My suggestion was met with derision at first - nothing unsual about that, but the seed was sown and now a picnic area has been booked. I know some members probably won't go as they will decide it's too far to go and know if it fails to please it will be my fault and I will be reminded of it for years to come.