Monday, October 31, 2011
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Sunday Sounds: Michael MacDonald vs Warren G...
Michael MacDonald released "I Keep Forgettin'" in 1982 and Nate Dogg feat. Warren G allowed us to re-live it when they sampled it on 'Regulate'. The original will always be the best, but Regulate is still a great track. I've posted both versions below for whichever way you like it and a re-mix of Michael MacDonald vs Warren G for those of you who can't decide!
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Saturday Soul: Real Love...
Osho wrote that "Real love comes not from trying to solve our neediness by depending on another, but by developing our own inner richness and maturity. Then we have so much love to give that we naturally draw lovers towards us." And that "We come alone into this world, we go alone. The very idea of togetherness arises because we are alone, and the aloneness hurts. We want to drown our aloneness in relationship."
Right on Osho, couldn't have said it better myself. At certain times in the past 3 years I have experienced that feeling of self love and the empowerment that comes along with it. It is the most amazing feeling to be so tapped into your core and inner self that you can fill your own tank of love. It doesn't mean that you don't want or have any people bringing love into your life - but it means you aren't dependent upon another person or anything outside you in order to feel complete. Their love is a bonus, but not the necessary component. And its the law of the universe that once you are in that state, all the events or people you could ever have wished to draw into your life magically come in.
Having said this, I also need to make a disclaimer right about now, that it is A BLOODY HARD STATE OF MIND TO MAINTAIN!!!!! I am currently trying to ride out a state in which, even though I know I am the only person who can truly make myself feel loved and not alone, I just don't seem to be able to do it. Or rather my self just doesn't seem to be able to fill the tank. And it is in times such as these that my head reverts back to the 'I need a person ie man in my life so I won't feel like this'. Totally not the case, but once frustration and impatience kicks in, its a slippery slope for the old mind off into exactly the places I know I don't want it to go.
I do know that struggling for an answer or solution won't help the cause, so for now I am doing my best to accept that these feelings are there, try as hard as I can to make myself feel loved and know that, as is the case with all feelings, they will come and go.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Fabulous Friday: I Heart Maverick...
Regardless of what you think about Tom nowadays you cannot deny that he was mighty sexy back in his Top Gun days. Highway to the Danger Zone indeed.... Must be those totally fabulous aviator Ray-Bans......
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Thursday Thoughts: This Is The Kind Of Friend You Are...
This week my heart was a little heavy and I really just needed someone to re-fill the tank. Like an Angel from heaven, one of my bestest friends, Ange, rang me on Monday night and her words were exactly what I needed to make my heart full again. I went to bed with her words of support, comfort and love in my head and felt so much better when I woke up. So when I read this quote I knew it was the perfect way to say thank you to her:
"This is the kind of friend
You are -
Without making me realise
My soul's anguished history,
You slip into my house at night,
And while I am sleeping,
You silently carry off
All my suffering and sordid past
In Your beautiful
Hands."
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Wednesday Words Of Wisdom: Dragon Mom...
I had already posted by Wednesday Words Of Wisdom but came across this article this afternoon, via A Cup Of Jo. It seemed so appropriate given that I posted about Motherhood today. The article is truly heart breaking but so beautifully written. Its so easy to get caught up in your own little world of grievances and inconveniences. But when you are reminded of the lives and circumstances that so many people in the world find themselves in, all you can do is stop and say "Thank you for my blessings."
Article By: Alexandra Huddleston for The New York Times
MY son, Ronan, looks at me and raises one eyebrow. His eyes are bright and focused. Ronan means “little seal” in Irish and it suits him.
I want to stop here, before the dreadful hitch: my son is 18 months old and will likely die before his third birthday. Ronan was born with Tay-Sachs, a rare genetic disorder. He is slowly regressing into a vegetative state. He’ll become paralyzed, experience seizures, lose all of his senses before he dies. There is no treatment and no cure.
How do you parent without a net, without a future, knowing that you will lose your child, bit by torturous bit?
Depressing? Sure. But not without wisdom, not without a profound understanding of the human experience or without hard-won lessons, forged through grief and helplessness and deeply committed love about how to be not just a mother or a father but how to be human.
Parenting advice is, by its nature, future-directed. I know. I read all the parenting magazines. During my pregnancy, I devoured every parenting guide I could find. My husband and I thought about a lot of questions they raised: will breast-feeding enhance his brain function? Will music class improve his cognitive skills? Will the right preschool help him get into the right college? I made lists. I planned and plotted and hoped. Future, future, future.
We never thought about how we might parent a child for whom there is no future. The prenatal test I took for Tay-Sachs was negative; our genetic counselor didn’t think I needed the test, since I’m not Jewish and Tay-Sachs is thought to be a greater risk among Ashkenazi Jews. Being somewhat obsessive about such matters, I had it done anyway, twice. Both times the results were negative.
Our parenting plans, our lists, the advice I read before Ronan’s birth make little sense now. No matter what we do for Ronan — choose organic or non-organic food; cloth diapers or disposable; attachment parenting or sleep training — he will die. All the decisions that once mattered so much, don’t.
All parents want their children to prosper, to matter. We enroll our children in music class or take them to Mommy and Me swim class because we hope they will manifest some fabulous talent that will set them — and therefore us, the proud parents — apart. Traditional parenting naturally presumes a future where the child outlives the parent and ideally becomes successful, perhaps even achieves something spectacular. Amy Chua’s “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother” is only the latest handbook for parents hoping to guide their children along this path. It’s animated by the idea that good, careful investments in your children will pay off in the form of happy endings, rich futures.
But I have abandoned the future, and with it any visions of Ronan’s scoring a perfect SAT or sprinting across a stage with a Harvard diploma in his hand. We’re not waiting for Ronan to make us proud. We don’t expect future returns on our investment. We’ve chucked the graphs of developmental milestones and we avoid parenting magazines at the pediatrician’s office. Ronan has given us a terrible freedom from expectations, a magical world where there are no goals, no prizes to win, no outcomes to monitor, discuss, compare.
But the day-to-day is often peaceful, even blissful. This was my day with my son: cuddling, feedings, naps. He can watch television if he wants to; he can have pudding and cheesecake for every meal. We are a very permissive household. We do our best for our kid, feed him fresh food, brush his teeth, make sure he’s clean and warm and well rested and ... healthy? Well, no. The only task here is to love, and we tell him we love him, not caring that he doesn’t understand the words. We encourage him to do what he can, though unlike us he is without ego or ambition.
Ronan won’t prosper or succeed in the way we have come to understand this term in our culture; he will never walk or say “Mama,” and I will never be a tiger mom. The mothers and fathers of terminally ill children are something else entirely. Our goals are simple and terrible: to help our children live with minimal discomfort and maximum dignity. We will not launch our children into a bright and promising future, but see them into early graves. We will prepare to lose them and then, impossibly, to live on after that gutting loss. This requires a new ferocity, a new way of thinking, a new animal. We are dragon parents: fierce and loyal and loving as hell. Our experiences have taught us how to parent for the here and now, for the sake of parenting, for the humanity implicit in the act itself, though this runs counter to traditional wisdom and advice.
NOBODY asks dragon parents for advice; we’re too scary. Our grief is primal and unwieldy and embarrassing. The certainties that most parents face are irrelevant to us, and frankly, kind of silly. Our narratives are grisly, the stakes impossibly high. Conversations about which seizure medication is most effective or how to feed children who have trouble swallowing are tantamount to breathing fire at a dinner party or on the playground. Like Dr. Spock suddenly possessed by Al Gore, we offer inconvenient truths and foretell disaster.
And there’s this: parents who, particularly in this country, are expected to be superhuman, to raise children who outpace all their peers, don’t want to see what we see. The long truth about their children, about themselves: that none of it is forever.
I would walk through a tunnel of fire if it would save my son. I would take my chances on a stripped battlefield with a sling and a rock à la David and Goliath if it would make a difference. But it won’t. I can roar all I want about the unfairness of this ridiculous disease, but the facts remain. What I can do is protect my son from as much pain as possible, and then finally do the hardest thing of all, a thing most parents will thankfully never have to do: I will love him to the end of his life, and then I will let him go.
But today Ronan is alive and his breath smells like sweet rice. I can see my reflection in his greenish-gold eyes. I am a reflection of him and not the other way around, and this is, I believe, as it should be. This is a love story, and like all great love stories, it is a story of loss. Parenting, I’ve come to understand, is about loving my child today. Now. In fact, for any parent, anywhere, that’s all there is.
Emily Rapp is the author of “Poster Child: A Memoir,” and a professor of creative writing at the Santa Fe University of Art and Design.
Santa Fe, N.M.
Article By: Alexandra Huddleston for The New York TimesMY son, Ronan, looks at me and raises one eyebrow. His eyes are bright and focused. Ronan means “little seal” in Irish and it suits him.
I want to stop here, before the dreadful hitch: my son is 18 months old and will likely die before his third birthday. Ronan was born with Tay-Sachs, a rare genetic disorder. He is slowly regressing into a vegetative state. He’ll become paralyzed, experience seizures, lose all of his senses before he dies. There is no treatment and no cure.
How do you parent without a net, without a future, knowing that you will lose your child, bit by torturous bit?
Depressing? Sure. But not without wisdom, not without a profound understanding of the human experience or without hard-won lessons, forged through grief and helplessness and deeply committed love about how to be not just a mother or a father but how to be human.
Parenting advice is, by its nature, future-directed. I know. I read all the parenting magazines. During my pregnancy, I devoured every parenting guide I could find. My husband and I thought about a lot of questions they raised: will breast-feeding enhance his brain function? Will music class improve his cognitive skills? Will the right preschool help him get into the right college? I made lists. I planned and plotted and hoped. Future, future, future.
We never thought about how we might parent a child for whom there is no future. The prenatal test I took for Tay-Sachs was negative; our genetic counselor didn’t think I needed the test, since I’m not Jewish and Tay-Sachs is thought to be a greater risk among Ashkenazi Jews. Being somewhat obsessive about such matters, I had it done anyway, twice. Both times the results were negative.
Our parenting plans, our lists, the advice I read before Ronan’s birth make little sense now. No matter what we do for Ronan — choose organic or non-organic food; cloth diapers or disposable; attachment parenting or sleep training — he will die. All the decisions that once mattered so much, don’t.
All parents want their children to prosper, to matter. We enroll our children in music class or take them to Mommy and Me swim class because we hope they will manifest some fabulous talent that will set them — and therefore us, the proud parents — apart. Traditional parenting naturally presumes a future where the child outlives the parent and ideally becomes successful, perhaps even achieves something spectacular. Amy Chua’s “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother” is only the latest handbook for parents hoping to guide their children along this path. It’s animated by the idea that good, careful investments in your children will pay off in the form of happy endings, rich futures.
But I have abandoned the future, and with it any visions of Ronan’s scoring a perfect SAT or sprinting across a stage with a Harvard diploma in his hand. We’re not waiting for Ronan to make us proud. We don’t expect future returns on our investment. We’ve chucked the graphs of developmental milestones and we avoid parenting magazines at the pediatrician’s office. Ronan has given us a terrible freedom from expectations, a magical world where there are no goals, no prizes to win, no outcomes to monitor, discuss, compare.
But the day-to-day is often peaceful, even blissful. This was my day with my son: cuddling, feedings, naps. He can watch television if he wants to; he can have pudding and cheesecake for every meal. We are a very permissive household. We do our best for our kid, feed him fresh food, brush his teeth, make sure he’s clean and warm and well rested and ... healthy? Well, no. The only task here is to love, and we tell him we love him, not caring that he doesn’t understand the words. We encourage him to do what he can, though unlike us he is without ego or ambition.
Ronan won’t prosper or succeed in the way we have come to understand this term in our culture; he will never walk or say “Mama,” and I will never be a tiger mom. The mothers and fathers of terminally ill children are something else entirely. Our goals are simple and terrible: to help our children live with minimal discomfort and maximum dignity. We will not launch our children into a bright and promising future, but see them into early graves. We will prepare to lose them and then, impossibly, to live on after that gutting loss. This requires a new ferocity, a new way of thinking, a new animal. We are dragon parents: fierce and loyal and loving as hell. Our experiences have taught us how to parent for the here and now, for the sake of parenting, for the humanity implicit in the act itself, though this runs counter to traditional wisdom and advice.
NOBODY asks dragon parents for advice; we’re too scary. Our grief is primal and unwieldy and embarrassing. The certainties that most parents face are irrelevant to us, and frankly, kind of silly. Our narratives are grisly, the stakes impossibly high. Conversations about which seizure medication is most effective or how to feed children who have trouble swallowing are tantamount to breathing fire at a dinner party or on the playground. Like Dr. Spock suddenly possessed by Al Gore, we offer inconvenient truths and foretell disaster.
And there’s this: parents who, particularly in this country, are expected to be superhuman, to raise children who outpace all their peers, don’t want to see what we see. The long truth about their children, about themselves: that none of it is forever.
I would walk through a tunnel of fire if it would save my son. I would take my chances on a stripped battlefield with a sling and a rock à la David and Goliath if it would make a difference. But it won’t. I can roar all I want about the unfairness of this ridiculous disease, but the facts remain. What I can do is protect my son from as much pain as possible, and then finally do the hardest thing of all, a thing most parents will thankfully never have to do: I will love him to the end of his life, and then I will let him go.
But today Ronan is alive and his breath smells like sweet rice. I can see my reflection in his greenish-gold eyes. I am a reflection of him and not the other way around, and this is, I believe, as it should be. This is a love story, and like all great love stories, it is a story of loss. Parenting, I’ve come to understand, is about loving my child today. Now. In fact, for any parent, anywhere, that’s all there is.
Emily Rapp is the author of “Poster Child: A Memoir,” and a professor of creative writing at the Santa Fe University of Art and Design.
Santa Fe, N.M.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Tuesday Tunes: I Look To You...
Tonight definitely called for something up-beat. So enjoy Miami Horror feat. Kimbra. (You might know Kimbra from the female vocals in Gotye's "Somebody That I used to Know.").
Monday, October 24, 2011
Monday Musings: The Light and The Shadows...
"To truly understand the light, you must also understand the power and mystery of the shadow. It has taught me to embrace the shadow parts of myself - because without the wisdom the shadow provides, I cannot truly understand the power of your light, the depths of your beauty, nor your capacity for empathy. I cannot know, love or honour all parts of you unless I know, love and honour all parts of me."
Seane Corn
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Friday, October 21, 2011
Fabulous Friday: Take Me Away...
Today friends, I can honestly tell you all that I am completely and utterly drained. Every ounce of my being is exhausted, depleted, used up (I think you get the picture....!). So tonight I am dreaming of rest and relaxation. Of batteries being recharged, a body and mind being rested and total peace and tranquility. Perhaps somewhere fabulous like this.....
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Thursday Thoughts: Fire Snake...
The owner of the cafe where I get my coffee gave me a book to read on Chinese Horoscopes (we got into a discussion about personalities and relationships and he whipped the book out from behind the counter). He and I are both Snakes, but when he found out I was a fire snake he said 'woah, I better watch out for you!'.
So I read up on my sign and the main things that stood out as really resonating with me were:
- The snake is not usually plagued with pimples or blemishes even when not taking particular care of her skin. It seems that tension tends to affect the Snake's digestive and nervous systems more than his epidermis. Underneath their flawless good looks (ha, I like that part!), a good many of these natives succumb to stomach ulcers or nervous breakdowns from containing all that stress internally. (Bingo, been there got the T-Shirt!).
- Ms Snake opts for well cut clothes and she loves high quality jewelry and perfume. (Yes, yes and yes).
- No matter how rich or powerful her man is, she will be his biggest asset once they are married.
- You won't find her agonizing over women's rights. Why should she compete when she feels superior to men in the first place?
- Very much a lady who sets her own agenda and makes her own rules, she can be a formidable opponent when challenged.
- All snakes have a sense of humour. Some prefer a dry wit, others are sardonic, scintillating, or, at times, even diabolical. Nonetheless its there. The best time to observe this is when she is under duress. In a crisis, even when weighed down by enormous troubles, the Snake can crack a joke to lighten the atmosphere (So true!!!!).
- Snakes have an ability to be reborn and to emerge from conflict with restored vigor (Yep....).
- Best partners for the Snake will be the Ox, Rooster of Dragon.
- In times of confusion and trouble, the Snake is a pillar of strength because she maintains presence of mind. The snake can deal with bad news and misfortune with great aplomb. She has a profound sense of responsibility and an unsinkable constancy of purpose. If these are coupled with her natural hypnotic charisma, she can reach the highest realms of power.
- Being a fire snake, I am passionate, ambitious, exude self confidence and have an ability to lead.
- I was born in the hours of the Dragon which brings a touch of egalitarianism and philanthropy. With the combination of the Snake's wisdom and Dragon's power, I could instigate real and lasting reforms - especially since you tend to espouse mainly noble causes that benefit all humanity. Whatever happens, my commitment is always total - whether it be for good or bad. A natural leader and inspirational speaker, you will never lack for believers (I think this is really spot on).
- I'm a Winter Snake so I am a guardian of wisdom and wealth. I am usually docile, peaceful and guarded in my emotions. Philosophical and patient, I am not one to venture out and court trouble. I am a more retiring snake who stays close to the bosom of Mother Earth and who relies on the tried and proven way of doing things. Still, it is never wise to take me for granted and I may not be as harmless as I look. Underneath whatever disguise I choose to assume I am still be a lethal and vindictive foe if attached (Spot on).
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Wednesday Words Of Wisdom: John Lennon...
Today I dedicate the Wednesday Words Of Wisdom to my friend Alison. Much love going out to you!
“There are two basic motivating forces: fear and love. When we are afraid, we pull back from life. When we are in love, we open to all that life has to offer with passion, excitement, and acceptance. We need to learn to love ourselves first, in all our glory and our imperfections. If we cannot love ourselves, we cannot fully open to our ability to love others or our potential to create. Evolution and all hopes for a better world rest in the fearlessness and open-hearted vision of people who embrace life.”
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Tuesday Tunes: Boyce Avenue...
I've been listening to Boyce Avenue for quite a few years now and I always love hearing the different versions of songs. Love hearing a new spin on old songs. Enjoy!
Monday, October 17, 2011
Monday Musings: Light hearts and free minds...
I've just started reading a book called "Phra Farang - An English Monk in Thailand". It is written by a man who, in his forties, decided to cast off the life he had known to become a Buddhist monk. Part of the process involved him giving away all his worldly possessions, about which he writes:
"I'd spent most of my life acquiring nice things and surrounding myself with stuff, so it was initially quite difficult to give up these props. That's all they really were, even though every one had seemed essential for my comfort, happiness and well being. However, I soon discovered that every time something left my life, my heart became a little less heavy and my mind became a little more free"
Over the past couple of years I have learnt a great deal about the value of letting go of 'stuff' and can absolutely relate to the freedom and light heartedness that Peter describes. For most of my twenties it felt as though most of life revolved around acquiring things. A career, a good car, a mortgage, expensive clothing, pay tv etc. There was a definite sense of always looking towards the next thing or things outside myself in order to achieve a sense of satisfaction. This isn't even really because I'm a materialistic person, because I wouldn't say I am. But in reality it was what surrounded me for most of my life. Its the way society is geared and its quite hard not to be influenced by it.
But now I appreciate the fact that my life has less 'stuff' in it but feels more full than it ever has. What I do have, I really appreciate, I find the beauty and enjoyment in small things, I feel so much more connected to so many people in my life, I know myself better than I ever have, my heart is less heavy and I feel free. And I totally believe that much of this is the result of simplifying my life, removing the unnecessary 'stuff' and distractions and changing my idea of what I 'need' in order to be happy.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Saturday Soul: The Optimist's Creed...
THE OPTIMIST'S CREED - By Christian D. Larson
To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.
To talk health, happiness, and prosperity to every person you meet.
To make all your friends feel that there is something worthwhile in them.
To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.
To think only of the best, to work only for the best and to expect only the best.
To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.
To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
To wear a cheerful expression at all times and give a smile to every living creature you meet.
To give so much time to improving yourself that you have no time to criticize others.
To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.
To think well of yourself and to proclaim this fact to the world, not in loud word, but in great deeds.
To live in the faith that the whole world is on your side, so long as you are true to the best that is in you
Friday, October 14, 2011
Fabulous Friday: ET...
In honour of the fact that my little man and I are watching ET (probably for the 5 millionth time!), I can't resist putting in one of the most fabulous scenes from the movie. Such memories..... Can you believe the movie originally came out nearly 30 years ago? Scary.......
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Thursday Thoughts: Letting Go...
This week I was offered a new job, pretty much out of the blue, which I am going to take. The reason why I am bringing this up is because its quite miraculous what happens when you sit back, let go and trust in the universe. Its not often that I have been able to do this, but sometimes when you reach your absolute limit in terms of being overwhelmed you have no choice but to let go (as has been the case for me about 6 months ago). I made a conscious decision not to worry about things that I was worrying about ie money, what I would do career/job wise, what's next in life and really just let it all go and only looked ahead one day at a time. I had my moments here and there where panic or anxiety would set in but each time it did, rather than let it overwhelm me, I would repeat to myself "This is just for now" or "It will pass". And lo and behold, this week I am offered a new job and start in two weeks. One that I think will suit me better long term, give me financial stability and provide a more enjoyable day to day work existence. (Plus its 2 minutes from my house - bonus!). Without looking, stressing or worrying. Amazing........
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Wednesday Words Of Wisdom: Music...
Given my love of music - as evidenced in all my music posts, this quote caught me straight away when I saw it:
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Tuesday Treats: I Heart Coffee...
This looks gorgeous - what a lovely idea to serve your coffee like this!
Tuesday Tunes: Sade...
I can't hear this song without having flashbacks to the Sex and The City episode where Samantha dances on the roof top with Richard. I could dig dancing with a certain someone on a New York city roof top as the sun comes up.....
Monday, October 10, 2011
Monday Musings: Before You Were A Victim...
Tonight I came across this post as I was flicking through Karen Maezen Miller's blog, Cheerio Road. When I read the words and thought about what they meant, I could actually feel all the layers and labels and baggage we place upon ourselves, and that are placed on us. And I imagined the 'before' that is spoken about and thought how 'light' and 'pure' we would feel if we could drop all of those things that are not really us and know our true selves. And see the truth in each other. What a beautiful thought.....
I knew you before you were a victim,
before you were a wreck, a mess, and a bomb.
Without a crowning success or crippling failure.
Before you had an issue, an axe, or a cross.
No disorder, no syndrome, no label –
undiagnosed,
without a blemish or scar.
Before that night and the morning after,
before the after and before the before.
Before the fall, the crash, the crime,
without an upgrade or makeover.
Version 0.0
No story,
no narration, no closed captioning,
no footnotes and no bonus features,
before you remembered to forget and forgot to remember.
I knew you before you were what you say –
what you think, what you fear, what you know.
Without a crowning success or crippling failure.
Before you had an issue, an axe, or a cross.
No disorder, no syndrome, no label –
undiagnosed,
without a blemish or scar.
Before that night and the morning after,
before the after and before the before.
Before the fall, the crash, the crime,
without an upgrade or makeover.
Version 0.0
No story,
no narration, no closed captioning,
no footnotes and no bonus features,
before you remembered to forget and forgot to remember.
I knew you before you were what you say –
what you think, what you fear, what you know.
Do you know yourself before?
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Saturday Soul: Make The World Worthy of Its Children...
"Each second we live is a new and unique moment of the universe, a moment that we will never have again. And what do we teach our children? We teach them that two plus two equals four, and that Paris is the capital of France. When will we also teach them what they are? We should say to each of them: Do you know what you are? You are unique. In all the years that have passed, there has never been a child like you. Your legs, your arms, your clever fingers, the way you move. You have the capacity for anything. Yes, you are a marvel. And when you grow up, can you then harm another who is like you, a marvel? You must work, we all must work, to make the world worthy of its children. "
Pablo Picasso
Friday, October 7, 2011
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Thursday Thoughts: A Brilliant Man...
It would be remiss of me not to quote Steve Jobs on this day....
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Tuesday Tunes: Taio Cruz as you've never heard him before...
Not cool that the video cuts out before the song actually ends, but you get enough of it to appreciate what an amazing voice he has (which isn't always reflected in his commercial stuff).
Tuesday Treats: Nutella, Oh how I love thee...
Nutella pudding, ice-cream, meringues and cupcakes. I'm in Heaven!!!
Monday, October 3, 2011
Monday Musings: Happiness Is...
After the sadness of my previous post I want to balance it with an injection of happiness (which is the emotion I feel the most these days!). So here goes:
Happiness is...
chocolate pudding with vanilla ice cream
a cup of tea
falling asleep to the sound of rain
chatting with a friend over coffee
a good book
sliding under freshly washed sheets
a glass of French champagne
a bubble bath
sleeping in
singing along to your favourite song
daytime naps
being creative
fairy lights
friday afternoon
perfume
the night before Christmas
scented candles
autumn leaves
a warm breeze on a summer's day
the smell of jasmine
ice cold coke on a hot day in India
curling up on the couch with a stack of magazines
watching Sex and The City
being Bailey's Mum
Monday Musings: Eight Years Ago...
Note: I actually wrote this post last night but wanted to share it as part of Monday Musings (so that is why I am referring to 'today' as Sunday even though today is Monday).
This day has been a strange one. It started out for me with a feeling of happiness. Not for any particular reason but just because thats what I felt. I just chilled, hung out, watched some movies, had a nap etc. But as it got to about 4pm or so, I started to feel really agitated but couldn't really work out why. So I went over to my sisters place to have dinner, thinking that I just needed to get out for a while and have some company. But still the feeling lingered and I continued to feel unsettled without knowing why. Then, as I walked from her apartment to my car, it hit me like a tonne of bricks. On this day (the Sunday of the October long weekend, 8 years ago) it was my wedding day. And it seemed so surreal to me, even as if it was part of another life. That I had that day, a day that is one of the most significant in a persons life, and yet I am no longer sharing a life in that way with the person who I married. That at one time this was the most monumental day in my life and now it is an 'ordinary' Sunday.
I want to clarify that this isn't an expression of regret - where I am now is where I am meant to be and how things were meant to turn out. But that doesn't mean that I can't feel immense sadness for the two people who stood in front of everyone that day, truly believing that they would be together for the rest of their lives and sharing a vision of what it all looked like. Who thought they could be what each other needed and wanted. But they couldn't and it didn't turn out that way. And tonight that really does just make me feel sad. I do want to say though that even though we are no longer together, my wedding day was one of the happiest days I had ever had and I enjoyed every minute of it. It was everything I had hoped it would be and for that I will always be grateful.
So tonight, even in the midst of my sadness, I would like to thank the universe for allowing me to experience a wedding day and share something that amazing with all my family and friends, as well as all the beautiful and fun times I had being in that relationship. I'd like to ask that the universe help and guide both Lachlan and myself to find our own places in this world. Places where we can be our true selves and experience joy and happiness, whilst being the best parents we can be to our amazing little gift, Bailey.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Sunday Sounds: Elisa...
An oldie, but still as beautiful now as when it first came out. The music. The lyrics. The voice.
And watch below for one of my all time favourite SYTYCD performances featuring this song.
And watch below for one of my all time favourite SYTYCD performances featuring this song.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Saturday Soul: The Element, The Kite Runner and Personal Happiness...
A book I would recommend everyone read is "The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything." The Element is the point at which natural talent meets personal passion. In this book, world renowned creativity expert, Ken Robinson considers the child who is bored in class, the disillusioned employee and those of us who feel frustrated but can't explain why - and shows us we all need to reach our Element.
Through the stories of people like Paul McCartney, Arianna Huffington and Richard Branson, who have recognised their unique talents and made a successful living doing what they love, Robinson explains how every one of us can find ourselves in our Element, and achieve everything we're capable of.
Below is an excerpt that really resonated with me, given that this year I have found myself doing a job that has nothing to do with my Element (for the first time in my life) and hence have made it a priority to ensure that I incorporate my passions into my every day life in other ways.
Robinson says:
"Finding the Element is essential to a balanced and fulfilled life. It can also help us to understand who we really are. These days, we tend to identify ourselves by our jobs. The first question at parties and social gatherings is often, "What do you do?" We dutifully answer with a top-line description of our professions: "I'm a teacher," "I'm a designer," "I'm a driver." If you don't have a paid job, you might feel somewhat awkward about this and find the need to give an explanation. For so many of us, our jobs define us, even to ourselves - and even if the work we do does not express who we really feel we are. This can be especially frustrating when your job is unfulfilling. If we're not in our Element at work, it becomes even more important to discover that Element somewhere else.
To begin with, it can enrich everything else you do. Doing the thing you love and that you do well for even a couple of hours a week can make everything else more palatable. But in some circumstances, it can lead to transformations you might not have imagined possible.
Khaled Hosseini immigrated to America in 1980, got a medical degree in the 1990's, and set off on a career practicing internal medicine in the Bay Area. In his heart, though, he knew he wanted to be a writer and that he wanted to tell the story of life in Afghanistan prior to the Soviet invasion. While continuing his medical practice, he began to work on a novel about two boys growing up in Kabul. That novel became The Kite Runner, a book that has sold more than four million copies and generated a film.
Hosseini's pursuit of his most intense interests, even while he was working hard at another profession, transformed him in profound ways. The success of The Kite Runner has allowed him to go on an extended sabbatical from medicine and to concentrate on writing full-time."
"Whether or not we can spend most of our time in our Element, its essential for our well being that we connect with our true passions at some way and at some point. More and more people are doing this through formal and informal networks, clubs and festivals to share and celebrate common interests. Personal happiness comes as much from the emotional and spiritual fulfillment that this can bring as from the material needs we meet from the work we may have to do."
It is a great read that encourages you to enhance creativity and innovation by thinking differently about yourself and inspires you to reconnect with your true self.
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