It's Friday - almost the best day of the week.

TGIF!
I think I've been grateful before that it's a Friday, but that was when I was really busy at work.  Now I'm really busy with other stuff outside of work, so it's a different type of thanks!  That's my theory anyway!

The value of time

The year is flying by!  I don't like it.  I feel that part of it is my fault.  I'm wishing the year away because I'm getting excited about January - when I'm having time off work, and going on a good holiday!  Ridiculous really!  Fact is that I will never have this time again.  I will never be 44 and have 12, 14 and 16 year old children.  It's time that I need to enjoy.
I remember at Uni one of the more interesting assignments in economics that I undertook was an attempt to articulate the value of time!  I also remember that I didn't do very well in the assignment because I became obsessed with the feelings rather than concentrating on the facts!  I still don't regret that because time is often about feelings.  Anyway, I'm grateful for time and for THIS time!

Decisions

I'm grateful that I have the opportunity to make decisions for myself.  I just need to remember to make them!  Sometimes you make a decision by not making a decision...

Weekend of netball

Well, another year of representative netball has finished!  Both girls ended up having relatively disappointing championships - but that is part of the experience.  Natasha's championships ended today with a loss in the semi-finals, where they were playing the number one team.  Potentially there could have been an upset, but it was always unlikely!  I always end up analysing the games WAY too much and thinking about all of the permutations!  Anyway, it is over and I need to relax!  What a weekend!  I'm so hyped up I think I need the relaxing bath more than Tash!  :)  Next year will be Natasha's last year - and I'll be very sad about it all ending for her, but I'm getting ahead of myself!!

Facebook

I really enjoy Facebook.  I find it a great way to keep in touch with people and find out what friends are up to.  I know that it can be a little impersonal, but that is also part of the fun.  I particularly like looking at people's photographs.  You can look through them as fast or as slow as you like!  In 2007 I asked someone on our holiday in New Zealand to please take a photo for me and to send it to me.  I then asked him if I could put the said photo onto Facebook - because it was a good photo!  Anyway, we became Facebook friends and keep in touch.  He has just spent three days in Canberra with us and it's been quite to have an international visitor (aside from the fact that Sam and Rachel joined messes when they shared a room).   It's a positive thing and I'm grateful for the connections that Facebook allows me!

It's a blog!

I want to say a big thanks to my cousin Andrew who has kept me entertained with his blog for many years.  And before that his witty letters, and before that I didn't exist!  Andrew was part of my inspiration for starting my blog!  He wrote every day - well most days - and he was brutally honest.  This year his blog has been a little short on substance and much more reliant on funny photos with captions.  I figure that's because he is happy, so I don't mind!  Anyway, this evening before I got onto my blog, I was looking at his blog and he had one of those (generally) fantastic 'cards'.  This one said:

I appreciate this!!!  This is me!  Thanks for the laugh, Andrew!

The iPhone

I love my iPhone.  I don't need to say more than that!  If you have an iPhone you will know what I mean and if you don't, well, either I don't want to make you jealous by going on, or you might actually think that your phone is better.  In any case, I thought I should acknowledge that the phone is now fixed (rice works!) and, while I didn't miss it for the three days, I'm glad I'm BACK!!!!  I just love my iPhone!

Intergenerational soul passing!!!

Education is simply the soul of a society as it passes from one generation to another.  G.K.Chesterton

I am very fortunate that I had supportive parents who were great role models and took an active interest in my education.  In the last part of my career we've often had to look at some of the issues around education - or lack of it.  I'm not just talking about school, even though that is vital, it's also about "life skills" - manners, money management, food preparation - and the list goes on!  I'm so grateful for my education.  I hope that I pass on my education to my children!

Oil and Water

Oil and Water don't mix.  It's true.  I've also discovered that iPhone and Water don't mix either.  Very depressing!  I accidentally put my drink bottle in my bag without putting the lid on properly.  The iPhone seems to have suffered the most - fortunately the camera is OK.

But never fear, Natasha has done some 'web' research and discovered that a SURE (!) fix for a waterlogged iPhone is to place affected iPhone in a ziplock bag of rice!   Apparently we have to wait for 3 days....  I don't know if I can survive without my iPhone for 3 days.  No.  That's not true; it won't be that difficult!  We'll just have to wait and see!  In the meantime, I'm going to enjoy being uncontactable!!!  Will be grateful for the opportunity.  I just hope that there isn't any appointment that I have in the next three days that I've put in my iPhone diary and not synched with my computer!!!! Gulp.  Time will tell with all of the above!

Happiness

"You are invited to the August Health and Wellbeing Seminar on 

Happiness where you will discover how happiness is more than 

just a set of circumstances.  

This session is about learning the steps you can take now to help 

you along the way to real happiness through the detailed findings 

from some of the leading researchers in happiness. 

Debug the myths surrounding the link between money and happiness and experience the difference a change in mind set can really make."

I received the above in an email about sessions at work on happiness.  I scoffed!!  I think I'm happy enough without going to a seminar to find out how I can become happy.  So I guess I'm grateful that I'm happy!!

Dreaming a little....

I've discussed this before, but I love organising holidays.  Maybe I haven't mentioned it before on this blog - because up until now, I haven't been organising a holiday this year.  Right now, today, I've been organising three different holidays - four if you count a three day trip as a holiday!  I think this is my record!  Can you be grateful for the fun of organising a holiday?  Well, I am!!!!  Not sure whether all options will actually happen, but sometimes that isn't the point!

And once you've finished planning, the actual doing is pretty fun as well!  The above photo was taken in Capri, Italy in September 2010.  It feels like a long time ago now - but it was just wonderful and I loved it.  I hope that we can go back again one day...

Olympics

I freely admit that I am a fan of the Olympics!  I'll sit and watch most things just because it is the Olympics (except for Judo and dressage!).  It's a fantastic two weeks of wall to wall sport and it's fun!  I guess I'm grateful for the Olympics, or maybe it's the ideal of the Olympics!  I'm certainly grateful for the time that very talented people put into getting even better at their chosen sport; and the sacrifices they make to get there!  But most people would be prepared to work their guts out if they were THAT good at a sport!  I know I would!  Australia hasn't got as much "gold" as expected at these London Olympics; and, notwithstanding my love of the Olympics, I don't believe that we should suddenly increase the funding to sports - particularly elite sports people - because of it!  We already spend lots of money on sport!  My completely lame and probably baseless theory is that we just didn't quite start with the normal 'spark' this year, and it's permeated all Australian competitors!  That's just life!  Remember the Olympic creed (most of us have done at least one school assignment on the Olympics in their life!):


"The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well."  


Maybe that's why the long events, like the marathon and triathlon are so good - where just finishing is amazing!
Anyway, I've got to finish up here so I can keep watching the coverage!  

Beethoven's Ninth Symphony

Last night I went to the Australian Chamber Orchestra Concert.  I had forgotten (!) the previous concert - which was very distressing!  I knew that I'd enjoy the concert.  I always enjoy it, but I particularly love music from Beethoven and I really enjoy performances when the ACO joins with other groups.  Last night's performance was sublime.  I can't say much more than that.  Except that I feel privileged to have sat and listened and watched such a fantastic performance.  I've been thinking about it all day.  I feel like I can't listen to other music at the moment, because nothing will surpass last night!!!  Ahhh.......

Watching

Today I watched Sam's hockey.  Ian and I were both going to go, but logistics meant it wasn't possible. So I said I had to go because her team was playing Dara and I wanted the chance to catch up with Megan.  It's great to have friends that I can watch sport with!  I'm grateful for the company I have whilst watching girl's sport.  It's amazing how friendly you get with parents!  The photos is from last game I went to of Sam's - because I don't have a lot of people to chat to normally while watching hockey, so I can take photos.