Help with Maths

I pride myself on understanding High School Mathematics!  However, tonight I was ambushed by two children requiring assistance and I didn't quite understand what was being asked.  Actually, it didn't quite happen that way, as it was Ian who was ambushed.  I just heard what was going on as I was madly packing my stuff for the weekend - and exercising!  I did have a look at the Year 9 assignment.   Although I could work out the answer, I wasn't sure on the method (a 'value' table!?).  Anyway, we had to get professional help!  I was very grateful to Andrew Jackson, who came over with very little notice and stayed for some time working through the two assignments.  He's a great guy!  The girls are lucky to have such a great cousin!

Just an ordinary day

I've been sitting at the computer wondering what to write today.  I didn't have a bad day.  I didn't have any epiphanies either!  Just an ordinary day...  And I guess that is something to be grateful for.  Ordinary days!

And as an aside, did you know that there are 50 different versions of songs called 'Ordinary Day' on iTunes.  Obviously 'Ordinary Day' is considered a good title.

Watching Netball

Ian and I spent a lot of time watching netball this week-end.  I started out with a hockey game at 9am on Saturday morning.   Ian was on the BBQ roster at the netball courts.   It was really cold!  Very cold.  Anyway, Sam had a frustrating loss (2-1).  Her opponents scored a goal with less than 2 minutes to go.  Then it was off to the netball courts to watch Rachel play (a good win 22-11), followed by Natasha's first game (a nail biting 33-26 win, but they were even at 3/4 time) and then I was on duty as Convenor - which requires pressing the buzzer and reminding umpires to check nails and for jewellery!  Fortunately I could watch Natasha's second game from comfort of the office!!!  Today the girls were playing in a Netball Carnival at Belconnen.  Both of their teams were undefeated.  Natasha's team came second overall - because they had two draws and the winning team only had one draw!  Anyway, it's always a busy day.  Why do I enjoy watching netball so much?  I think it's because both girls work so hard.  I must admit that I also like being able to watch Emma's team play as well.  In some ways it's a bit pathetic.  Anyway, I'm grateful for busy days watching two of my daughters engage in something they love.  It's OK - in between watching netball (and enjoying Eurovision) I still managed to get on the machine that is changing my life!!!  (Now I am being pathetic).  Anyway, next weekend is my yearly scrapbooking weekend.  So I've got something fantastic to look forward to!!!!  

Eurovision

Big night at our place!  A Eurovision Party.  I'd never been to one before, but now I want to have one every year.  I'm so grateful that Eurovision gives us an excuse to act crazy for the night (everyone had to choose a "country" and then perform a song).  Our family (Penny had to stand in for Rachel - who was at a party) were from Nerdland.  We were Nerds (it wasn't hard for some!).

Cooking

I enjoy some cooking.  I enjoy cooking things that are sweet!  So mint patties, cakes, biscuits - and now, Cake Pops!  It's fun to create.  I'm grateful for my wonderful kitchen.  It was definitely a draw card when we first looked at this house.  Anyway, our recent cake pops are above. (I confess that while I organised everything, it was Sam who decorated them in the end!  She made me do the sausage rolls!!!)

My Down Jacket

A few years ago I purchased a second hand Kathmandu down jacket from a work colleague.  In reality, I wasn't even sure if I'd ever wear it - because it was seriously puffy and I thought it made me look really fat!  However, it is the warmest jacket I own and I just love wearing it - and I LOVE putting my hands in the pockets.  I've even decided to wear it when I walk to and from work, and I'm always toasty warm.  I'm very grateful for such a warm jacket...

Kangaroos

There have been a number of recent articles regarding the upcoming cull of kangaroos around Canberra parks.  It always seems very sad to me!  Of course, the reason they need to do the cull is because there are too many kangaroos around Canberra.  We often have kangaroos at the top of our drive and the girls get scared getting the mail (some of those kangaroos are BIG).  Anyway, one of the problems with too many kangaroos is that they end upon the roads - which is quite dangerous.  But I don't quite understand how kangaroos are more likely to go on the road just because there are more of them!  They are moving about where ever they like.  I guess it's slightly irrelevant - just to ponder.  Today I am very grateful that Ian didn't have too much damage to the car - or himself - when he hit a kangaroo this evening.  I'm grateful that he didn't injure the kangaroo - because an injured kangaroo is heart-breaking.  All that aside, I'm rather grateful that we live in a city where kangaroos are just bounding around!  Anyway, I'd better hop to it and get to bed!

Party Time

There's a party at my house.....
I'm not invited!  It's for 16/17 year olds.
Sam asked me if she could have a party for her birthday - and we haven't quite managed to get our act together until now.   So there are currently about 20 teenagers in the house.  I like most of Sam's friends, and quite a number of them have come and spoken to me specifically.  I'm so grateful that I don't have to think up party games...
However, Sam and I made some pretty cool party treats.  Including Cake Pops and Mint Patties!

Friends, food, fun and fellowship

We said Grace before our dinner tonight.  I said Grace and I used Ian's standard Grace which incorporates the word above.  I really like the idea of saying Grace on a regular basis but we generally forget.  It's a nice way to start the meal together.  Anyway, the specific reason we said Grace today was because we had visitors over for dinner.  It was a very rushed afternoon for me and I was exhausted by the time we'd eaten!  I really should go to bed...  But I'm so grateful that we got to see Jenny and John when they were in Canberra.  It's so wonderful to have friends that you can catch up with "every now and then" and still not run out of conversation.  I should add that we also had Charo and Patrick for dinner and it was nice to talk with people we don't know as well.  And I love having people over...

Pain...

Today I had root canal treatment.  It doesn't actually hurt until you pay!! (Oh, the needle at the beginning hurts a bit!)  Kelvin thinks that I might end up having to have RCT on another tooth as well, but not just yet!  As I was driving home with a numb mouth, I remembered that my mother describes her face as always feeling like she's just been to the dentist.  I don't like the feeling and it makes me sad that my mother has constant numbness in her face.  For mum, my sister and about 21,000 other people in Australia, symptoms like that are common and something that they just have to deal with.  May is "Kiss Goodbye to MS" month for the MS Society.  So I've gotta remember to wear bright red lipstick to support the cause!

I think I've said this before, but I'm very grateful that I have such good health.  Hopefully continuing to use the "machine that is changing my life" will assist with keeping me in good health!  But a lot of my ongoing good health rests with luck and genetics.  I just hope that I'll be able to withstand whatever life throws at me.

Good Teachers

Today Natasha and Rachel participated in the annual High School Netball Carnival - Rachel in the Year 7/8 team and Natasha in the 9/10 team.  They both had a good time - Natasha's team came 4th (I think) and Rachel's team came 2nd.  I believe that these 'days' make the High School experience what it is.  But they don't happen without teachers putting in extra hours and selecting a team and then training with them.  I'm very grateful for the two teachers who went with the girls to the carnival today, and for the work they put in leading up to the carnival.

Budget

It’s Budget Day.  And so that means that Ian will be locked to the TV for the evening.  I had enough of budgets after working in Department of Finance for 10 years – I never watched the budget then and I’m not ever starting.  My aversion of the budget is a mixture of not interested and too depressing – and that is the case every year, not just this one!  Yesterday Justine Davies, a news.com.au money writer, submitted an article entitled “So are we just a nation of whingers?”.    Like me, she was avoiding an actual discussion on the 2012-13 Budget (in her case because she didn’t have the details yet).  She was commenting on the NATSEM report called “Prices these days – the cost of living in Australia”.  NATSEM released a report which basically said (and it was a “basic” assessment) that the average household today is better off compared to 1984.  My mother actually called me about this report because she wanted to say how people complain about the cost of living when the ‘facts’ state that we are better off.   I do agree with mum with regards to some of the report, people do generally moan about how tough life is now without acknowledgement improvements in our lives.   

Now we might be better off, but we “need” much more today than in 1984 (I’m specifically thinking about the third computer that our children are telling us is desperately required).  Remember the “Wants versus Needs” exercise that every High School student is given at some point.  Samantha was telling me that her group had a major discussion about the inclusion of mobile telephone on the ‘need’ list – in 1984 mobile phones were a luxury item, that probably wouldn’t have even made the ‘want’ list!

The main problem with the NATSEM report – and the reason I highlighted “basic” above – is that the report didn’t actually look at the number of hours worked today compared to 1984.  This is a bit of a deal breaker for me, a major deficiency of the report and the point that Justine Davies was making as well.  It’s all very well to be better off – and it’s only slightly better off – but that additional money is due to additional hours worked. 

So today I’m going to be a little bittersweet in my gratefulness.  I’m very grateful for the additional salary that the average householder has today compared to 1984, but I’m a bit sad that it comes at the expense of working more hours.   Then again, as I’ve said before, I work so that I can have good holidays!  I think I need to start organising…

The Gift of Sight

I've previously mentioned hearing, but I haven't mentioned sight.  I am very "proud" of my eyesight.  I don't need glasses and I'm sometimes a little cocky about this.  My sight is only the result of genetics - and I could say that there are some things things in my make-up that genetics have got wrong!  Last week has been annoying because my eyes have been hurting me.  I'm pretty sure that it is nothing major, but it is THERE and so I've been noticing it.  Today someone told me that I should check it out because you only get two eyes and you shouldn't risk it!  So I'll keep watching it  - or feeling it - and see what happens.

Love the sight...

Stop and Smell the Roses

When we lived in New Zealand I used to sometimes take the girls to the Rose Garden in the Botanic Gardens after school.  It was relatively close to our house and we would wander around the roses and the greenhouse eating ice-creams (did I mention that I had to bribe the kids).  I used to say to the girls "We are stopping to smell the roses".  I don't think they understood what I meant!  But it used to make me smile!

Today I read an article called “Don’t miss out on happiness; stop and enjoy it”.  It was written by Kimberley Cohen – who is a personal insight coach – and I thought she made a wonderful point.  Everyone needs to remember that life is wonderful and enjoyable every day.  So stop and take things in for a moment.  For me, that stopping might actually be writing on this blog.  I’ve decided I really need to be a little more disciplined about ensuring that I use this blog.   But it’s true that even if I am having a bad day (and today had a few 'bad' bits'), just by pausing for a moment and thinking of nice things can break the day up and change my outlook.

Remember: “Life isn’t going to wait for you: you have to make time for life and live it.”

Below are my three children enjoying ice-creams in the Rose Garden, Wellington Botanic Gardens.  It makes me smile...

Beautiful Sunsets

On the way to drop Natasha at netball training, we both commented on the beautiful sunset.  I am very grateful for beautiful sunsets.  There is something magical about the light bouncing off clouds as the sun sets.  I also enjoy sun rises - I just don't see them very often.  Anyway, tonight's sunset was magnificent - so good that I had to try and photograph it!  Unfortunately photographs never work well when you are trying to take a photo out of a car window with your iPhone!!  (Although I was stationary at the time!).  But you can still get the basic idea.