Childhood 101- What Do You Think

Take a visit to Childhood 101 and check out my eldest daughter's blog. She is currently talking about the African philosophy of how it takes a village to raise a child and making child friendly communities - she would love to you stop by and leave a comment plus there are lots of photos of my little munchkin out and about in the world.

Spooky, Spookier and Spookiest

Do spooky things happen to you? Small things happen to me all the time like the times when I am about to ring my Mum and she rings me - happens with one of my friends a lot as well. But some extra spooky things have been happening over the last month or so.

Spooky - Went to a shopping centre near where I work, looking for a parking spot in the very busy carpark when I spy a yellow Mazda 6 with a spot next to it. Now if you remember I drive a red Mazda 3 MPS with a personalised number plate KAZZOOM, before that I drove a yellow Mazda 6 - and its number plate was 1BLZ 991. Check out this pic and don't you think this is a little spooky - only car spot available.

Took the photo with my mobile phone and yes that number plate does say 1BLZ 991.


Spookier - Then on Friday 12th June I had the day off and I was listening to Tina Arena's CD - Songs of Love and Loss and she was singing To Sir With Love - I happened to think to myself "WOW I haven't seen that movie for ages" - next day Channel 7 showed To Sir With Love as its midday movie - goosebumps.


Spookiest - Then on Sunday 14th June I was on FaceBook and suddenly a picture and a name popped up in the Friends suggestion area - I didn't pay much attention to the photo but thought that's funny that is the name of the lovely lady who does my Corporate Massage each week, as I clicked to go to another page. A couple of hours later I am back on FB and the same name pops up again and this time I look at the photo and think - well it could be her but probably not. Then a little later it pops up again and I think okay this is a little too spooky better check it out and lo and behold it is her. Now we had no friends in common and I have unchecked the 'check your email list for friends option' so how on earth did she appear? Anyway I took it as a sign and we are now FB friends too. Totally spooky I think.

P.S. Okay this is added later today - driving along thinking about a song (not a recent one either) and within 10 mins song come on the radio - what is happening??

A Change of Look

Loved my old blog background but something strange happened to it today, so until I can get it sorted out, enjoy the new look. You never know I might grow to like it as much as the other one.

Menopause - The Things They Tell You & The Things They Don't

Menopause :

normally happens between the ages of 48-55 - the Australian average is 51-52 years - trust me to not be average I'm 54 this July. Then I read it can sometimes blow out to 60 - whoopee.

20% of women have no symptoms, 60% have mild symptoms and 20% have severe symptoms - good odds for me as so far I have had very little in the way of symptoms - fingers crossed.

Your period becomes irregular - can be longer, shorter or just totally irregular - that would be me - 5-6 months free then wham - here it is again

Bleeding can become lighter or unpredictable and heavy - yep the last one for me too.

Eventually they will stop - but you need to not have one for 12 months to assume they have stopped and you have achieved menopause - remember my post about that?

Common signs and symptoms:

Hot flushes and night sweats - minor for me so far

Aches and pains - lots of those but then I have arthritis and dish so what's new.

Crawling or itching sensations under the skin - mild for me

Headaches - so far so good although had a doozy the other day but sure it was sinus

Vaginal dryness - not a problem so far (TMI for my kids)

Reduced sex drive - also not a problem (yes I know TMI)

Urinary frequency - nup still got the old bucket bladder

Tiredness - oh yeah that one - lots of that one

Irritability - none - what do you mean I'm kidding myself

Depression - no not really apart from wanting to beat the dog next door to a pulp because of its barking - oh but maybe that is anger - oops

Sleeping difficulty - mild but yes but again put that down to arthritis

Lack of self esteem - but I've had that all my life so nothing new there

Forgetfulness - ah the old menopausal brain - getting more of that one - and a good excuse as well.

Here's some helpful information if you want to find out more.

Then there are the things they don't tell you :

extra hair - yep - on my toes - eewwhh - a couple on my jawline - but I've seem some women get super hairy faces and my legs have got hairier too!!

loss of bladder control - the old cross the legs when you sneeze and cough routine - but maybe that is due to the four big babies I've had

'Going South Syndrome' - you know everything heads south - your boobs and skin in particular

personality changes - I've read and believe that sometimes menopause causes women to have more than just mood swings but actually changes their personality. But maybe rather than change their personality it somehow gives them the chance to become who they always would have been. Maybe this is partly empty nest syndrome as well after all menopause and your children leaving home quite often happens at around the same time. Now you will have to ask my family if that is happening to me - I feel just the same, but maybe I am also learning to stand up for myself more.

So for all you women out there going through menopause, like me, embrace it and for those who still have it in their future - just chalk it up to us being the stronger sex - we can deal with periods, child birth, and menopause - and now the men are trying to jump on board and claim they have it too - I don't think so.

Innocence And Wonder

Yesterday my eldest daughter and I took Immy to have some lunch and do a little shopping at their local shopping centre. Immy is such a social little person - every child and baby she sees she stops and talks to in her own baby language and then says 'bye' in that cute little sing song way of hers as we call her to walk on. She pays little attention to the adults she passes unless they talk to her directly.

After lunch we were walking to Target and Immy was skipping/running/stopping to chat/look - when all of a sudden she stopped dead with her eyes wide open looking up at a very tall African man - I realised that she probably had never seen a man with skin so black and teeth so white or one so tall. He reminded me of a Masai warrior. She just stood there and stared as he walked towards her - it was obvious to all that she was awe-struck. Rather than be offended, and how could you be with this little precious bundle, he stopped and spoke to her and she smiled at him and as he walked off she turned around to watch him depart and in her little sing song voice said 'bye' and waved.

I loved her sense of innocence and wonder, not yet being controlled by the polite society in which we live, not realising that she was staring and that it might make the man uncomfortable - no just this sense of stopping to see the difference and not to judge it but to understand it. We as adults forget or take for granted the many colours of the people of this world, but to a little girl who has just encountered her first really black man, it stopped her in her tracks. How wonderful that instead of being scared, she just wanted to look and talk to him, how she just accepted him for who he was once she had stored that image in her mind and worked out that he was just like her Dad but a different colour (her Dad is also very tall).

Reading

One of my most favourite things is to read, I don't get as much time as I used to and sometimes now I am just too tired to concentrate on a good book, but when I am in the mood or when I have a particularly wonderful book, I can lose myself for hours in the story. Many a time my hubby (and kids when they were younger and living at home) have spoken to me and I just don't hear them - that is how completely I am absorbed by what is unfolding. I remember when the kids were little and I had no time to read during the day I would often sit up until 1 or 2 in the morning just to get a book finished.

I have always loved reading, as does my mother and all 4 of my children and it seems both of my grandchildren. My eldest daughter recently blogged about Immy's love of reading and books. I love the fact that the time I took when my children were little to stop and read to them instilled a love of reading in them too. From the time they were little I read to them pretty much each day and each night at bed time. It got harder when I had 4, but each little one got a story and the older ones were allowed 15 mins of reading time each night before lights out.

Each of my children couldn't wait to get to school and start to read, the first thing they wanted to do when they got home was their reading homework, and they had such a sense of achievement as they moved through all the different levels of reading books. While it takes time in your busy day, it is such a worthwhile investment.

I have fond memories of all 3 of my girls tucked in my Mum's double bed when my son was just a baby and Poppy perched on the side of the bed reading them Wind in the Willows. They would get a chapter each time we went to have dinner.

Most recently I have started to read some of the classic books I loved as a child/teenager again - and I am currently reading a 1915 copy of Dear Enemy by Jean Webster. Got the book on eBay from America - it is in near perfect condition for a book that is nearly 100 years old. It is still as funny and enchanting as it was all those years ago.

Friendship and Love

Last Friday I had lunch with one of my 'sisters' and we were talking about relationships and I came out with what I later considered to be brutal truths. Normally I am reluctant to say much about other people's relationships as I don't want to hurt people. I then worried all weekend that I may have overstepped the mark and so many times went to pick up the phone and call, but never had the courage.

Today I apologised for what I said. Having reflected all weekend I realised that I said what I said out of love for her, as I believe that she deserves to have a perfect life - she is full of love and caring for others, she deserves to be rewarded with the same love and caring in return.

She was not worried about what was said at all, as she could see why I was compelled to be so honest with her and appreciated my honesty.

I also realised that in the last 4 days I for the first time have said the words I love you to two of my sisters - I hope that they knew that through my actions, but for some reasons the words tumbled out of my mouth to both of them. Boy it felt good to say it out loud, I wonder if we actually say those three simple words often enough to the people in our lives that we love. We assume that they know through our actions - but maybe we need to say the words as well.

A Wonderful Weekend - Almost

What a beautiful weekend we are having here in Perth - it is officially winter - but we have blue skies, crisp but gentle breezes and glorious sunshine to warm your bones. My hubby is home and we have shared a wonderful weekend together. Our 2nd daughter turned 32 yesterday and all the family gathered for breakfast in beautiful Kings Park over looking our small but lovely city with the large and beautiful Swan River crawling below us.

I sat there at breakfast and looked at my children and my grand-children (I include my 2 in-law children in this statement) and how lovely it was to see them all together celebrating and chatting. For a moment I was taken back to how sometimes it was a struggle bringing them all up as a working Mum, and I gave thanks for my hubby. For without him it would have been impossible. Once I went back to work he became the cook every night as he got home a couple of hours before me. Without my eldest daughter - it would have been a struggle - she stepped up without being asked to make sure all the children got home from school okay. Without all my children being 'good' kids and not playing up too much before Dad or I got home life would have been a lot harder. I look at them now with pride, they have all blossomed into wonderful adults. I know they have there faults just like I do, but they are wonderful none the less.

Then last night my hubby and I went to the movies - haven't done that in years, and we really enjoyed Star Trek and the meal we shared before it.

Today it is just a beautiful sunny winter's day, I have done some more sorting in the "junk" room which is to become my study - my eldest daughter will be pleased and without her help getting me started last weekend - it would still have looked a mess.

And the almost bit that has only taken a little shine of this weekend, was the news of the death of a man I admired greatly - Dr Chris O'Brien - didn't know him personally but through watching RPA grew to admire him as a man of compassion and understanding, of having a beautiful gentle caring soul. That he was struck down with cancer in itself was horrible, but the courage he showed and the fact that even in his darkest hours he put others first and used his illness to raise awareness proved that my assumptions about who he was as a person were correct. To his loving wife and children - keep his memories close, he was truly a man to be proud off. Rest in Peace Dr Chris, the world is truly a poorer place without you.

Ladies Please - Would You Do This In Your Own Home?

Now I am the first to admit I am not the tidiest person in the world, so I am not saying I am perfect as a housekeeper, but I am in my own home so I do have a little leeway.

What I can't understand is the behaviour and consideration of some of the 20-30 odd women who use the toilet at my work. I have lost count of the times that I go to the ladies toilet at work and find empty toilet rolls on the floor - sometimes more than 1 - or left in the toilet roll holder - can't you take them to the bin, is it too hard? Do you leave them on the floor in your own toilet?

Once it wasn't toilet rolls but tampon wrappers - come on - do you really think the person who uses the toilet next wants to pick up your rubbish. Or do you think "oh well the cleaners are paid to do it". Common decency should dictate that you respect your co-workers and the cleaners - after all they are not paid to pick up after pigs. Do you drop your rubbish next to the rubbish bin next to your desk and just leave it there as well - I bet you don't because then it is on public display?

Not to mention the skid marks - there is a toilet brush in each cubicle for that very reason - I know we can't help leaving marks - but we can attempt to remove them so the next person is not confronted with what you have been doing.

Do you think that because you are anonymous it is okay to let the pig out? Well let me tell you I don't think it is - show some respect for those that share the toilets and really for yourself as well.

Overwhelmed

Ever have one of those days, a day when you just feel overwhelmed. Well today has been one of those days. Even though it has had the joy of having my youngest grand-daughter being here for the morning with her smiling face and amazing sense of humour, it has still been one of those days.

Overwhelmed by how much stuff I have, trying to sort out a new study with the wonderful help of my eldest daughter.

Overwhelmed by not having my plans really turn out the way I would have liked, in my plans that room would actually have been my husband's drum room and where his drum room is now would be our bedroom and where our bedroom is would have become a study we could share.

Overwhelmed with sadness right now as he has just left yet again to fly to Adelaide. I have even begun to miss him before he leaves now - that sense of melancholy that starts just after lunch and gets stronger the closer we come to the time for him to drive to the airport. Today that sense has truly overwhelmed me.

Time for me to find a way to turn this glass to half full - but maybe I will just allow myself some time to cry first.