Time flies

I seem to catch a moment or two to live along side during my frantic race through the multitude of small things which makes up my day and cumulqatively my life, but sometimes I feel a need to just sto0p and look.

Altready we are moving into June and that is yet another half a year chewed through. I know I have lived through much and learned a lot but if pressed I could not sit down and draw huge brush strokes to mark the passing of this time. I have stopped not global conflicts nor saved anything or anyone in dire need. Rather my life appears currently to be lived in the quiet small moments that amass and thn fall away - perhaps forgotten.

My fitness plan is moving apace and I am thoroughly enjoying each moment at the gym. I am currently resisting the temptation to go overboard with this and to pace myself.

Tagged by Xanadu

1) What is your current obsession? 
Fitness and optimum health - I am on a 12 week body blitz ; curious to see what the best me could be - physically.

2) What are you wearing today?
Black leggings with a white seam down the side, white socks, a black long sleeved t short and a black white and grey cardi...  I shall leave my underthings to anyone's imagination 

3) What's for dinner?
Grllled fish on a bed of wilted english spinach with mushrooms and a squeeze of lime and loads of garlic and ginger

4) What would you eat for your last meal?
Barramundi grilled in a white wine and butter flavoured avocado sauce. Lemon cheesecake.

5) What's the last thing you bought?
A train ticket to get Lonnie home with me last night

6) What are you listening to right now?
The silence of a winter morning, punctuated by the laughter of 4 kookaburras trying to get me out on the back vernadah with morsels of meat to feed them.

7) What do you think of the person who tagged you?
I have read her for some time and always come back to read about her life.  Her honesty and candour and loyalty is refreshing.

8) If you could have a house totally paid for, fully furnished anywhere in the world, where would you like it to be?
I would like a place in Glasgow in Anniesland - not far from the station and in a refurbed old warehouse/tenement, with wood panelled walls and light twinkling in the double glazed windows, with underfloor heating.  I would like another one in Gulshan n the outskirts of Mumbai, and another on Denman Island (between Vancouver Island and the mainland - Canada)- a log cabin.  And one right where I m now.   Is that too much to ask?

9) If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go?
To Tess' place to spend some time with Her, amy and my two grandbabies!!

10) Which language do you want to learn?
I need to resue some of my Arabic and Hindi - I am out practise.

11) What's your favourite quote (for now)?
"I trust, but I verify!!"  from Gorbachev's autobiography!!.

12) What is your favourite colour?
Blue but I am also fond of red and yellow and orange...and green..LOL

13) What is your favourite piece of clothing in your own wardrobe?
My black boots

14) What is your dream job?
I am in it.. someowhere I can help people grow

15) What's your favourite magazine?
Don't have a favourite.. although will buy any magazine for health hints and tips and for crosswords ( not necessarily in that order.

16) If you had £100 now, what would you spend it on?
A new refrigerator

17) What are you going to do after this?
read and do some work on Farm Town

18) What are your favourite films?
Too many to name.

19) What's your favourite fruit?
Strawberries, passionfruit, crisp tart green apples sliced so thin that eating them raises goosebumps

20) What inspires you?
Beauty, loyalty, caring, selflessness

21) Your favourite books?
Anything printed

22) Do you collect anything?
Black and white cows, children, family, people I love, thoughts, artwork, bags..LOL boots

23) What are you currently reading?
King Arthur - Dragons Child by M.K. Hume

24) Where do you want to be in five years? Loved and loving

25) By what criteria do you judge a person?
I try not to.  However I have a low tolerance level for fools or malicious souls.  


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The rules:
1. Respond and rework; answer the questions on your blog, replace one question that you dislike with a question of your invention. 
2. Tag eight other people. Tagging, with love: Dorrie, Dustbunny, Lermontov, Chaz, Wizardress, Fin, SilentWhisper, and Justfly. Anyone, though, please feel free to participate (or not) just as you desire.

Shivers

Winter nibbles my bare fingers in my very own loungeroom as I type this.    Outside I can see the grey skies, hovering over a shadowed land.  I am grateful to be alive, and grateful to feel cold.  As it is morning, I have made a warm bowl of oatmeal and cut into it a small apple before cooking and I am sing a tiny teaspoon to consume small mouthfuls of the sweet natural warmth.  Morning fuel for my body.

I am taken in my mind and heart to revisit a past where my father yet lived and had oatmeal every single morning.  He did not add the apple, and sweetened his with refined white sugar instead and floated a jug of milk on it.  He passed away in 1984.  My older children were younglings then.  Tess who most recently gifted the family with sweet lovely Abigail was a mere little one herself and dandled on his knee being fed small mouthfulls from his very spoon.  Yet now she is fully grown.  

I vsit in my thoughts m own mother, who to this day - winter and summer still has oatmeal to begin her each and every day.    And I have avoided it all my life - until now and find I rather like it.  This makes me smile.

The house is full of snug snuffling and sleeping bodies - plus me; awake.

Good morning!!!

I have a noon 15 appointment with a personal trainer.  I will be buying white jazz shoes for Leonnie for a school recital.   I am seriously considering buying Leonnie and Geni each some boots....

As my borthday is coming round so rapidly, I am trying to think of what I wnat to do and how the family will celebrate this.  Mum is a fan of Fu Lin but aftwr mothers day and feasting far too much I suspect the rest of us want a Fu Lin break.  That said I will happily cut a cake at Mum's on my birthday.  Any ideas or suggestions??

Amy sent me a text telling me she was wrapped in the blanket I knit for her two years ago and she thanked me for the soft warm gift.  Each of my children has a custom knit blanket and I have enough pieces for several more.  mental note to self sit, match up and sew in my spare hours..  This years I am working on something rather special for someone rather special...  I can't wait to send this.  Guess I will have to finish it first!!

What  does your weekend hold for you?

Morning...in the dark.

Gymclothes on CHECK

Shoes on CHECK

Gym bag packed and by the door CHECK

Hair brushed CHECK

Workclothes CHECK

Work shoes CHECK

Jewellery CHECK

Bus ticket CHECK

Train ticket CHECK

Coat CHECK

Soemthing to read on the train CHECK

Drink coffee - underway

Made and delivered Geni's lunch, and prepared her white blouse and put out the hair straightener.  I will telephone her from the gym to make sure she is up and again when I am on the train to make sure she is out the door in time for the school bus.

Oops time to go 

*peeks at seldom sighted sunshine****

Good morning, as Tuesday crawls steadily towards lunchtime.  The weekend is over and the house is still a bit chaotic as the washing and drying I wanted to get done, well - between social and fitness and wetness, c'est la vie!!

The fitness challenge is progressing well.  I suspect I picked the best time as after two days and two gym sessions plus 4 hours dancing and another session, my legs are telling me loudly and long they are there. 

I have noticed this morning ( Day 2 of early arising to got to the gym) that a quiet voice in the back of my mind kicks in and tries desperately to persuade me to stay wrapped in quilting just 10 minutes more...or "since you are going to the gym after work , why go this morning? Stay here, write in your blog, chat with your friends....".  Interesting what speaks to you and tries to control you.

Since I have committed to this wellness journey, I am more conscious of the need to break old patterns, accustomed ways of behaving and living and doing things.  A shake up is galvanising!!!

So, here I am, feeling happy with myself and determined to see my way through this 12 week challenge. 

What does your inner voice say?  I have realised you are able to break old subversive patterns in the way we talk with ourself.  I am conscious that I CAN do this.  Not that I will start and not finish, then then give myself 5 different acceptable excuses.    I want this investment of time in myself.   I want to give this example of self love in a positive way, to those I love.

Goodmorning Noah - where is the Ark??

Goo morning all from a wind swept and rain sodden world!! The valley I sit here looking out over as I type is a breeding ground for clouds and the rain flings itself steadily downward drenching and soaking everything.  I can hear it.  I can almost feel it - yet I am grateful I am inside and warm sipping my second thick black fragrant coffee of the day and eating a bowl of oats cooked with half a cup skim milk and a small chopped apple with a teaspoon.  

The sweet glutinous warm is a sensation that is comforting.  As I nibble my way through this,  think of my father who ate a bowl of oatmeal every morning.  I think of my mother now 82 and still following this habit.  I feel their spirit acutely alongside me.  And I am grateful for their love and nurturing, for their lived example of the true meaning of love and for being inside while it is so deeply and vigorously sodden outside!!!

I adored Star Trek and found myself smiling at all the allusions to the first series.  I sat on the very edge of my seat totally engrossed for the entire 2 hours and 2 minutes and hardly noticed time ticking over.  The action was superb and the characterisation was effective and believable.  I want to go again!!!!!!!  But Terminator: Salvation is soon to be released so that and the second Transformers is on my list.  Terminator simply because the very first of this series was the most heart breaking romance movie I had seen up to that point...  STOP IT - DO NOT LAUGH AT ME!! I mean it.   Imagine someone loving you so much they would come across time for you?  Who would not want to be loved like that???

The program for the day runs something like this; breakfast and a lazy languid start, a shower and a quick tidy and then into Hornsby for a coffee out, a 6mm crochet hook and a wander round the shops ( new boots mayhap??? or perhaps something irresistable to wear this evening and certainly a new book as I have read everything available here up to and including labels on cans....)

Once home I will stow my bots and bobs and dress and head into town to meet my grown up gerlies as we are going to dinner followed by a session of latin dancing at Vivaz.  I adore dancing and I am so out of practise.  I am also out of practise trudging out and about socially so this is a nice toe in.   

I have signed up for a 12 week fitness challenge and will explore the gyms locally.  I have seen two which might do, where I might pop in on my way home each evening which will work to helping me achieve my goals.  As I age it has become obvious that what one doesn't use, one loses.  I have had a series of health issues across the last five years that show me I need to keep my body finely honed and well nourished and to be as fit as I can - just in case.  I am treating myself with the same level of consideration and care I treat those I love.  This is good as an example and also acknowledgement of investing in health.   ( okay - I will put away my soapbox!!)  I am aware I have aged well, thus far and wish to continue, in a healthy and productive way!!!  I will be the very BEST me I am able to be.    I do so adore having goals.!!!

What are you plans for this day?

Storms and angry weather

I live at the very end of a valley where noone lives except a creek and the tributory of a large river.    I also find it delightful to wake to the sounds of parrots and cockatoos and the raucous laughing of kookaburras who seem to think my backyard is their personal hunting ground.   Right now a chorus of lovesick frogs serenade the momentary cessation of the wild wind and bucketting storm.  

The weather was so angry that I woke many times through the night as whole rivers cascaded down the gutters and spilled like a dam overflow down the walls.  Inside we are safe and dry, but outside the elements are showing us that man dreams if he believes he can tame this.

I love it.  I glory in this violence and the sensations that come with it.  Even though I battle to maintain my precarious health, I adore each and every moment here listening to this.  The very wildness strikes a chord deep within me and I rejoice in some primal way.

Good morning all - as my friday begins.

Tonight I plan to take in the new Star Trek movie as Geni is with her dad and I believe it is time to take some time.  Tomorrow night it is dinner and dancing at a latin club in the city with my grown up girls.  They love to dance and share this with me, so watch out Sydney, we are out and about!!!  Sunday we have a soccer game just before lunchtime but I doubt this will go ahead with the weather as it is - in fact, if this continues I can see it being rained out with the grounds closed.  

Time for my shower and to get myself all gussied up for work.  Have a wonderful day all of you.  I know my American, Canadian  and European friends have summer in their care and I am glad they ae making the most of it and caretaking for me.  But I find beauty in this dark loud and almost-angry world we inhabit down here now.  Today I am alive and breathing and I delight in this and the possibilities which lie before me.