Truth, scariness and elections

Australia just had a general election; and there has been an (unsurprising) change of Government.

The main candidates were both very unappealing to anyone who wasn't a mainstream Australian.  

There were many jokes in the social media about one candidate in particular (the winner in this case too) that focused on his penchant for white anglo saxon ordinary people.

Apparently ...

If you are gay, female, refugee, recent immigrant, work in education or medical establishments (or don't work at all), wear religious items of clothing (such as a burqa) or possess one of a host of other non-mainstream un-typical, un-Australian traits ... beware.  You are most likely one of those most likely to suffer under the new government.

I am one of the many who swear 'I didn't vote for him'.  Well, I didn't; but I didn't vote for the other guy either. 

I wanted my vote to help another candidate get a position in government to  'keep the bastards honest'. 

Whatever does eventuate  - every Australian has to watch events over the next term of office with a clear and unbiased mind; and be strong enough to support those who will be suffering.

We tend to forget that Australian's are privileged  - we have the right to vote unmolested.  We won't be murdered for having an opinion. Women, gays, ladies wearing burqas, teachers and nurses all have the right to vote without fear of reprisal in Australia.   Isn't that what it is all about?  

Sure, not everyone is happy with the result.  But we all had the chance to make it happen.  

PS I bought some yummy home-made jam at the polling booth fete at the local school.  Win/win all round!

Grounding and belonging

I have been feeling very disconnected lately. I feel 'temporary' (it is the way I feel) in my new house, in my job/s and in my life, and for no apparent reason. And it  is unfounded too. 
  
It may be spring fever (every year I get the spring restlessness in a serious way, and it totally throws my life in turmoil) or just that I am doing too much and not taking enough care of myself) too much running around and eating rubbish; and not enough R and R.

Gala Darling wrote this in her blog recently (and interestingly Sarah Wilson has written similar).  Maybe it is spring fever! Perhaps this is a reason too ..... 

 'I believe that one of the major reasons people feel lost, sad and disconnected from reality is because we’ve replaced nature (getting outside, walking on the grass, enjoying a cool breeze or splashing in the ocean) with technology (sitting inside, in the air conditioning, staring at a screen for hours on end). In a lot of ways, I think we’re detached from the seasons, and I believe it has a much greater negative effect on us than we realise.'

I am still here, just having a blog break

Just to let you know, I am still alive and well, and not blogging because I am doing other things (not exciting things but time consuming things).

Will post again soon.

xxx

I wanna do it my way .... Yoga

I have been practicing self-designed yoga  for a while now.  I am not very good at it, but that's ok. It is my 15 minutes of feel-good breathing and stretching, whenever I can manage it.  

I have a standing up routine for outdoors (on the end of a pier, or a quite spot in a park) and a lying down routine for the carpet at home.

My  life timetable is so erratic that making a proper class is a major issue.  When I did make it to a class, the teacher spent a lot of time correcting my position.  It hurt.  That isn't what I wanted, I wanted to enjoy it, not grimace and feel stupid.

I bought a couple of yoga books - especially two by Tara Stiles (yoga guru to the stars!) and put together my own routine; included positions I like to do and found easy to sustain and generally made me feel good. 

And I do it - at least 3-4 times a week.  Badly and awkwardly, but I do it. And I love it.
 
Choosing the positions that I love makes me enjoy it totally.  I do it when it is quiet, or I do it playing music I love. My time, my choice.

My yoga and my walking (read ... dawdling while daydreaming) make me happy.  Riding waves in summer is fun.  Dancing to great music (either by myself or with good friends)  is good for the soul.  Gentle and no pressure. 

I have come to terms with the fact that it doesn't make me happy to do exercises I don't like to do - at least not anymore.

I used to be really into the adrenaline rush.  I did fun runs, half marathons, triathlons and trained and pushed and motivated myself into every bit of pain. 

Then, I decided .. NO MORE.   

'Push ups' may give you gorgeous arms but they are a chore, not a delight.

Sprinting up hills may be great for fat burning, but it is not fun.

Hey life is too short ... I will do it my way; gently, relaxingly and happily.  Just not gracefully!

For those of you who chase the rush; if you love it ... do it.  After all, happiness with yourself is  the reward.

Simple pleasures

It has been a while since I went to my local library.  I decided to have a browse to get some new reading material for a cosy night at home.

I ended up with;

Two cook books by Gwyneth Paltrow and Alicia Silverstone

A novel that I had already read – bummer

The first and only fiction work by Woody Guthrie (still to read)

A novel by Nikki Gemmel – too explicit and cruel for me.  Not a genre I like to read – I got to chapter 3 and felt uncomfortable.  All kudos to Nikki for her writing however.

A book I had been trying to find elsewhere; by Kelli Cutrone … which my teenage daughter promptly grabbed and, after an hour, tells me ‘this book is great!’

Cosy night was had – blanket over knees; on couch with dog; glass of red and cup of green tea; reading cook books that made me feel hungry.  

Where's the chocolate? 

remembering something funny

If you are a hoarder, like me, you keep things that seem special at the time; and then re-find them years later and sometimes wonder why you kept them.

Then, there are the other things that you love to re-find.

Sorting through my stuff (in my continued quest to de-clutter) I found this gem that never fails to make me giggle.....

A newspaper article titled 'Wonderful world of wacky words'.

Word meanings....

Coffee: a person who is coughed on 

Flabbergasted: appalled over how much weight you have gained

Abdicate: to give up all hope of ever having a flat stomach

Esplanade: to attempt an explanation while drunk

Willy-nilly: impotent

Lymph: to walk with a lisp

Gargoyle: an olive flavoured mouthwash

Balderdash: a rapidly receding hairline

Testicle: a humorous question on an exam 

Negligent: describes a condition in which you absent-mindedly answer the door in your nightgown

Oyster: a person who sprinkles their conversation with Yiddish expressions

Pokemon: a Jamaican proctologist

 

Still giggling

SURPRISE PARTY

Very dear friend turned 50 years young. 

‘No, no party please’.  Oh yeh!  They may not have wanted a party – but I did!

So we (very dear friend’s sister and I) had a kind of reverse surprise ... a small family dinner and after an hour, everyone turned up through the back door – including the musicians!

It was a fabulous night – guests contributing in some way with food or drinks. The music was fantastic – thank you to Mick Thomas and ‘Squeezebox’ Wally (both ex Weddos!) for the fantastic intimate gig. 

Too much food left over (lots to freeze for later) and enough wine etc to bring out around Christmas time. 

Still trying to catch up on sleep tho’!