Sunday Selections

Kim over at Frog Ponds Rock hosts the Sunday Selections meme - pop on over and have a look. The premise is to share some photos that have been hanging around on your computer that you haven't had time to share.

My photos this week are from one of our trips to Melbourne, we regularly stay at Quay West Apartments on South Bank (and no I haven't received anything from them to say this - lol).

We always get a suite overlooking the river and I love taking shots from the balcony. Melbourne, or should I say Victoria, is a place I could easily move to. I always feel at home there.

Sunday Selections - Outside My Study Window and Beside My Feet

It is a beautiful Autumn day here in Perth today, blue skies, crisp cool breeze and warm sunshine on my back as I hung out the washing. Hubby is in the garden pruning for our green waste day and I thought I would just pop inside to share, what's outside my study window by joining in with Kim over at Frog Ponds Rock (don't you just love that blog name).

Kim hosts the Sunday Selections meme - pop on over and have a look. The premise is to share some photos that have been hanging around on your computer that you haven't had time to share. Well I am cheating a little this week as I have just taken these photos, but I am sure Kim won't mind, she is kinda generous that way.

So without further ado, look what is just outside my study window and what's sleeping by my feet.

My little fairy garden

and my beautiful climbing rose

and my equally beautiful sleepy Max

Today is feeling nice and relaxed and beautiful, I can almost forget the pain in my hands and feet by just letting myself soak up the sunshine.

Perfection

One of my favourite flowers are roses. My favourite rose is called Double Delight. Today my hubby cut some of our roses and in came 3 pieces of perfection - sweetly scented, creamy centered with outer petals tipped with vibrant hot pink - pure perfection. 3 Double Delights mingled with other roses from our garden, our kitchen is now filled with the heady perfume of roses.

The flash has bleached this slightly so the photo below is with no flash

Weekend Rewind

Even with the big blogger crash, the lovely Alison is still hosting Weekend Rewind. Pop on over to Life in a Pink Fibro and see what's on offer.

This week's rewind is to recycle an older post on blogging, so without further ado - here is my post on Do Followers = Popularity and Should It Matter.

Insanity - Menopause? Drugs? Life?

Over the last few weeks I have had days I could have sworn I was going insane. Jittery nerves, sensory overload, lack of sleep, exhaustion and rage.

I never really suffered PMS or PMT (depending on where you grew up) during my reproductive years. Maybe every 3rd or 4th period I would have a day or so of short temperedness, although maybe my family would say differently. But never the all out symptoms I heard lots of my friends talk about.

Menopause has been sort of the same, minor hot flushes, a few 'blonde' moments here and there, but nothing too bad. Now I am only just beginning down the road, although over 15 years of being told I am peri-menopausal makes me wonder how long this journey actually takes. So far I have avoided HRT and hope not to have to take that path.

I am also on new drugs to try and help my arthritis, they can affect mood. I am also stressed at work. So Menopause? Drugs? Life? What is causing this insanity of mine.

This insanity picks away at me, and I am sure others should be able to see it, but they don't. Which just makes me feel more insane because does that mean on the outside I look fine and it is only in my mind that I am screaming at everyone? And really, yes that is the case, I take all my power and control myself, so it is only me that hears my voice in my head screaming ... screaming 'shut the f... up' when people are talking to me, or seeing myself take a baseball bat to the neighbour because he is laughing to loud while I am trying to go to sleep. I am not a violent person by nature, but truly if I had a baseball bat I think I may have jumped the fence and beaten him to death.

I can not stand crowds at the best of times but now even small crowds, even if the crowd is my family, is too much. It all takes too much of me to smile and stay sane. I think that is part of the reason I am so tired all the time, all that effort is exhausting.

My hubby sees a little bit of it, but not all, he sort of gets it, but not really - I don't really get it myself so how can he. But he is made of strong stuff and still cuddles me and loves me, ignoring the prickles that must be poking out from my skin. And his hand on my head, his caress of my back, they soothe my soul.

Insanity, is not all it is cracked up to be, I am not of in cuckoo land, or with the fairies, I am still walking, talking, working, but at great cost. I feel like I am running on adrenaline, it is not a good feeling.

I can categorically say it is not depression, I am not depressed, but bloody cranky pretty much every other day. It is sort of like PMS on steroids.

So the question still remains, menopause, drugs or life? Or is it just a combination of all three?

Weekend Rewind/Sunday Session - For Melissa

So I had nothing for this week's for Alison's Weekend Rewind with the chilly theme, so thought I might link up with Thea's Sunday Sessions. Then I saw my cyberfriend Melissa's Weekend Rewind and her post moved me to tears. But it also gave me an idea, so I am bending the rules and combining 2 of my favourite memes (hope that is okay Alison and Thea).

So Melissa this is for you and your beloved Joel.

Strangely enough this song has been in my head for the last week. Rain by Jose Felicanio - sorry the Mac thing means you have to follow the link - enjoy, and may you have many more restful rainy nights nestled with the man you love. xxx

For My Mother - Happy Mother's Day

To my Mum

When I was small you nurtured me,

you sewed me beautiful clothes,

you brushed my hair,

you cared

As I grew you encouraged me,

you saw my potential when others didn't,

you let me fly free

When I got pregnant just before my 17 birthday,

you did not turn your back,

you backed my decisions and defended me

All through my journey as a new Mum at such a tender age,

you continued to encourage me,

you loved me and you loved my daughter unconditionally

When others were harsh when I stumbled,

I never got that from you,

you knew I did my best

When I finally met my soul mate,

it was because you saw him first and

knew that he was right for me

When as a young family we struggled financially,

you where there to help us through,

with a guiding hand and a bag of groceries or a bill paid

When I had to return to the workforce,

you were there helping me adjust and opening doors

When people compliment me now for the way I mother,

the way I work, the way I give, the way I love,

I have only to look back to the mother who taught me all these things.

I love you Mum, always and forever.

xxx

Sunday Selections

Kim over at Frog Ponds Rock hosts the Sunday Selections meme, a chance to find some photos just languishing on your computer and share them.

Trees always fascinate me with the texture of their barks, so there are a lot of them on my computer - the selection here are just a few - lol. Then there is the form and texture of plants as well, and general flotsam and jetsam that the ocean's deliver to our shores. Hopefully I haven't gone overboard as I realise there a few here to look at.

And the last one here is a fossil in rock in the Devonian Reef in WA's north west.