Umbrella Brolly Rainshade Gamp or Bumbershoot

The recent rain in Sydney has had me thinking about our umbrellas and umbrella ettiquette. 

As I see it we acquire the best possible device we can, in our favourite colour, size, pattern for whatever use we need for those rainy days. Perhaps to get to and from the bus, train or carpark, to watch the childrens's football match in a downpour or just out walking. The style may vary dependant on our needs. We might buy a fantastic spring loaded action one o open quickly and not buckle under the the blustery conditions in the city or a small pretty folded up one to keep in your handbag for summer showers, a wide super size for golf or footy matches but whatever umbrella we have inevitably we easily lose them almost every time we head out to dinner a  movie, a cafe, sporting event  or  to work armed with an umbrella.

I was thinking we should all just have a non ownership status with umbrellas. All brollies should be free and wherever we go we can leave them behind if it stops raining. We could collect one again if it starts raining and we are in a cab, shopping centre or restaurant before we venture out.

How about small booths in public spaces to drop off or collect ones umbrella as needed.

I say this because the way it is now when you go out in the pouring rain for dinner as I did recently - on arrival at the restaurant ones's umbrella is usually taken from you but alas rarely returned at the end of the evening. It is whisked away from you at the entrance as if " What? You want to bring that in here?"  Then after an enjoyable evening, the rain has stopped you don't remember the umbrella ...no

The logistics of retracing your steps the next day when it has started raining again to try and locate the device is all too much.

I'd say there must be thousands of umbrella' somewhere that have been cherished and lost just as I described. I know myself I have lost my very strong tartan red fold up umbrella, super light handbag sized brolly and a polka dot coloured umbrella  Each year approximately 640 million umbrellas are purchased world wide.  How many do you still have that you've bought?    I suggest we should all just give up ownership of umbrellas  Lets face it, we do it already we all end up with a story of where we acquired the umbrellas we use.

 I'm sure if we asked people on the footpath scrambling  to work in a Sydney downpour 

"Where did you get that Umbrella from "?

Many a story could be told and a few red faces appearing and not from the sprint to work.

So unashamedly pass them around I say - don't hold on to them - with this I give up on the red tartan umbrella, the red fold up umbrella, The super duper black fold up one lost last week, the red and white golf umbrella acquired I don't know where from and the many large corporate umbrellas lost over time.

Your'e all welcome to them as long as when it rains on Monday I've acquired another one from somewhere to get around in the rain. 

pefley.photoshelter.com
http://www.pga.com 

Intuition

" The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has   forgotten the GIFT "  
                                               Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein

One of may favorite topics is Intuition and I, like Einstein consider it a GIFT
Who would ever have thought I'd I have something in common with Einstein !!!
By Intuition I do not mean an intangible  clairvoyance but a useful practical gift that we all can use and access as a compass for our lives. A skill perhaps to be acquired by some, a gift already used by many but I not a talent as such.



To me, being intuitive is a quiet subtle message you get from subconscious information that helps us make right decisions and guides us in life even if at the time we do not know why.
It is not a physic power nor does it have anything to do with crystals, essential oils, auras or predicting the future.







We all have heard or said these  phrases  :

deathstragiftshop.com

I had a gut feeling

I had a hunch

I had an inkling

Struck by something

A Premonition

I just felt like it was the right thing

Feeling in your bones

It struck me like a ton of bricks

Suddenly came to you

" Doh "Moment

I just had to go with my gut

It hit me out of the blue

all intuition.

The only real valuable thing is intuition 
                                             Albert Einstein

  

By using intuition a more balanced decision making process can occur that is extremely helpful in day to day life, as we are using both sides of our brains.
Your left brain offers all the factual information and your right brain all abstract concepts so by using the right side and not ignoring our intuition we are gaining information from a much wider pool than just facts.

rollernews.com

And lets face it in our world we dominate decisions with scientific facts, logical thought and reasoning. Life abounds with problem solving techniques where we gather information, formulate options , evaluate ,  decide while this is all worthwhile and has its place it should be balanced especially in an age where innovation is the key.

We need to allow intuition to fuel our creativity

 You may find intuition is felt as a gut feeling either good or bad,  an inner voice,  a churning in the stomach, or an instant of knowing what you have to do. A brainwave, an  ah haa moment, however you describe it
These sensations or feelings or perhaps  an image, a name  or a phrase or perhaps a mistake or delay that becomes the path to a greater experience.

It is our senses of perception that pick up intuition or knowingness without any conscious reasoning behind it.

If we can trust these perceptions or our inner voice, our instincts and develop a heightened perception it is possible to hone our intuitive skills to our advantage and reap numerous rewards. Call it right action or freedom from problems but the outcome remains the same~ life is easier. You receive intuitive insights when you pose a question to yourself, forget you asked it, and then let yourself gain an answer when you are relaxed. You could be taking a walk or even daydreaming  when the answer “hits you.” You may decide, out of the blue, to call someone and discover that they were just thinking  about you. When you use your intuition, everything feels right and you feel fantastic It is not always easy to trust your instincts. From the small hint to take your umbrella as you leave home in the morning to a hunch not to drive a particular way or to turn off somewhere and YES it did pour with rain and perhaps the delay in travel averted a problem or worse still a near miss diaster to full innovation or conceptualisation and plans that emerge from intuitive thought.  See how intuitive you are try this test http://www.intuitiontest.com/intuitiontest.html unfoldingcreativity.com

                       All great men are gifted with intuition. They know, without reasoning or analysis, what they need to know.

                                           Alexis Carrel

   

FRIENDS our best friends, our intimate friends, confidantes, soul mates, allies, comrades, companions, buddies, chums, partners, mates or pals

"Friends are like melons: 

Shall I tell you Why? 

To find one good one, 

a hundred try "

Claude Mermet

In recent times we there has been an emphasis on  "friends  and friendships " and the accumulation of a excessive numbers of  'Friends'. that past decades may not have experienced to such a degree.  

The friend revolution first began in my family from watching the ever popular TV series FRIENDS always must see in our household. Friends  has continued to bring hours of joy and laughter to my family - we still get together and throw on a friends my son still watches Friends DVD whenever we can.  The show epitomises the close friend's group household with many funny moments and situations - a great laugh.

Then of course came social media, and Facebook with its obsession with the number of "friends" one can acquire

We pick up or " find friends " for our social media sites, from work, family members and extended family, people who are away overseas, acquaintenances, friends from school and Uni, work friends,  relatives, neighbours, friends from the past and everyone new that we meet and then friends of friends of friends. We tweet, chat, skype, like, share, follow, call, text and email to keep in touch with them all.

Many an article has been written about whether these constitute true friends and how many friends is it possible to maintain in a lifetime?  I wonder though are they really your  true Friends and what is a friend really?

I've had my share of interest, success and involvement in all ways of making friends and celebrating the idea and essence of friendship from interest groups, networking through work, courses, clubs, work situations, family friends,community groups,  online dating and friendship sites and more. 






The expression "Strangers are friends we have not met yet" has never been so true as it is now.  
I have had the good fortune or providence to have what I perceive to be a truly great best friend our  friendship has stood the test of time through good times, ups and downs of life to become a strong mutually satisfying bond for life. Someone who knows you better than you know yourself.

New friends still in the exhilaration of  experimenting, learning about each other, enjoying the surprises of what makes two people tick as friends.

What we enjoy about one another and what each one brings to the friendship is a fascinating game filled with excitement  and so much fun.

My intuition is fairly good so I can see a time when new friends will have  become great friends because life has to be experienced first and friendships nurtured through our living.

sylviajustcurious.blogspot.com

So whether you meet online, in unusual chance meetings, or at work or mutual interest groups and pastimes its the passage of  time that tells whether our friends are what I consider to be the meaning of  TRUE FRIENDS.

True friends are based on selflessness they accept differences, support strengths and weaknesses and I believe  to have even one true friend in a lifetime is a major blessing.

Because its the trust and strong bond that develops over time that endures distance and life's up and downs but does not affect the quality of the  friendship at all

A true friend can walk in after years or months away and the friendship is right there where it was - a magic relationship. Where either person in the bond would not think twice if one of them was in trouble or needed help and in fact would probably know already, this friendship never fades but thrives on trust, mutual admiration, inspiration and comfort.

I am lucky to have a few close friends but one in particular that I know a mere hello on the phone can be answered by " tell me " because best friends can sense, listen and understand ones silence sometimes knowing before you do yourself.

a friendly bite

How fortunate am I to  know someone that is completely comfortable to be with - my best friend.

How do we nurture and acquire truly good friends and more importantly how do we spontaneously develop good friends without it being an artificial thing You can't make yourself into what you think others may find attractive its all about being honest with yourself and being You.

Of course, if we are fortunate, our children can become our best friends and know you on this level too.

There is nothing sweeter in life than to be rewarded after the nurturing and sacrifice needed in rearing children to end up with them as your close friends. A group of people who enjoy your company and want to spend time with you and become your other best friends.

So, when you meet new people enjoy all the moments of the initial spark as your own hint to the possible deep friendship that may develop.  The mutual joy of contact and being together, thinking about them as you become friends, being attentive to keeping in touch, listening, giving and sharing but best of all fun, laughter and humor all go to  make lasting friendship

"The only way to have a friend is to be ONE"

      Ralph Waldo Emerson

My lungs feel HAPPY

boneko78.wordpress.com

We all have to exercise.....but after the  long endurance test  at work each week the thought of more strain on my legs with running or aerobics I was just not getting it done...then  I discovered the joy of taking the plunge and swimming....and I'm happy to report that swimming makes me feel fantastic, makes my lungs feel happy and my whole body sing.....

There is a moment when I first get in the water and push off from the wall .........its like flying, weightless, free, where you glide through the warm silky water, the outside world is gone. Its just you, your own thoughts and the sounds of the bubbles in your ears. The moment is wonderful and full of promise.

Its gone by the time you get to the end of the lap as you catch your breath before going off again...

Swimming is exercise and pleasure combined

dayrecipe.com

My skin glows after a swim and I've improved my posture, joint mobility especially in my neck. 
My fitness and lung capacity is amazingly enhanced without even noticing that "I was working out" 
Although its a huge demand on the lungs and heart (but in a good way) there is no strain on the muscles, just a fantastic all round work out.
The next day you don't feel sore and sorry like you do with weights and aerobics and there is very little injury at all - just perhaps the occasional pulled muscle from stretching too much....

When I started I could barely get to the other end without gasping for breath, but now I've used the time  to coach and train myself to perfect "the stroke" remembering all the tips I used to give to the boys.
 I can now do at least a kilometre sometimes more and every week get better.
All those early morning workouts before school - 6am at the pool with the boys have come in handy. 


I've taught myself bilateral breathing andwhen my head is in the water  I use the quiet moments  to reflect on things, plan and ponder. No its NOT boring......

youidiot.org
There's no other sport or exercise I know where you don't feel tired, get rid of tension and stress and see the results so fast. My whole body sings through the day with that heightened feeling of good circulation and increased metabolic rate and it lasts all day...

And there's no danger of hurting yourself. You may have to improve your time management skills and look at goal setting to get going but the benefits are well worth it.
Core strength, endurance, flexibility and balance, relaxation and a fantastic cardio workout.

buzzle.com

I always come out of the water refreshed, awake, rejuvenated and by the time I'm dressed and out and about again INVINCIBLE....... Grab your goggles and take the plunge....

swimming.org.au 

Lots of interesting info from Swimming Australia

Check out Swimsmooth for fabulous instructions from beginners to advanced and Mr smooths animated ideal freestyle stroke console. 

http://www.swimsmooth.com/

PERCEPTIONS OF CHILDHOOD

markherbst.com

Several times in recent years I've been taken back by comments said rather off handedly by my children at times in relation to their upbringing...
It might be a small comment of a memory, a recall of events or a general feeling of how we as parents faired in their eyes.


Almost like a long winded decision or critic on our parenting skills that now after 20 years or more we are  being handed the sentence or verdict on what we did wrong or "What were you thinking? "
Dont get me wrong there is not a problem, but its amazing to me that the age we now live in with all its focus on perfection and  idealistic vision  -  as a parent what we are expected to achieve....

allposters.com

To bring 5 children into the world, healthy, well nourished, educated, nurtured and cared for as the number one focus of ones life......It is surprising to me to hear that the choices we made in relation to education, health, environment and lifestyle may be remembered as an embarrassment rather than a remembrance of a happy childhood.

It got me thinking about our perceptions
What we perceive as a job extremely well done in my eyes, can in the eyes of others or grown up children appear an embarrassment or not be remembered in the way you see it....








The story is that our five children were all raised in a loving environment - albeit sometimes volatile I'll admit - with two devoted, 

easyaupair.com

healthy parents.






I did not work full time until my two youngest children were in high school although I was always busy and involved in my husbands dreams and businesses but I was there - available.................. Always......



We were having children in the "save the world generation "...so we meditated, practised yoga, ate fresh healthy non processed foods bought foods from the local markets.......

alaska-inpictures.com

We made serious decisions about education, feeling that the norm was not good enough for our children.

poemsandnovelsblogspot.com

So they were sent to Montessori preschool, The Best school in Perth and
later on to Rudolf Steiner Schools to be nurtured, cared for and educated in a loving, artistic and  stimulating environment set in natural Australian bushland .

Meditation, artistic endeavours, Indian Astrology, and Ayurveda were a daily occurrence and topic of conversation. As was going away on retreats for my Husband, reading ancient Vedic texts, philosophical literature and having interesting visitors from exotic foreign lands come to stay with us.
We drove the children to and from school for the majority of the years as we lived in a national park without transport. I was  always home after school or accompanying them to sport, ballet or music activities.
Each child was always considered an individual and not sent off to a particular school for example just because Uncle ....went there. We always tried and achieved I think to show the children there were other ways of looking at things.

We were spontaneous, creative and probably a little eccentric but always there.....and how I remember FUN
The boys had the unusual and lost to this generation advantage of being able to roam freely all day on the waters of the Hawkesbury and have as much adventure as they could find.
It was my life and I could not have imagined being able to or wanting to leave them to be at work or to be arriving home from work late ie after 4pm...
So, why is it after all that we did as parents our children only remember the one time you were late, the one time they went to school with the sniffles....the one time you were unavailable or worst still turn up to school on a pupil free day...oh the horror.
They were never left at 7am at the childcare centre........rarely packed off to a babysitter for the entire day....nor did they come home to an empty house and no food on the go.....

art.com

So our perceptions are so different......As my gorgeous daughter approaches the birth of her first baby,  it made me realise that we only see what we want to see, we only hear what we want to hear........and only remember what we want to remember........which is fine. And we start out with such promise as parents and we try with every fibre of our being to do absolutely everything we can to always be the best we can be ....to protect and cherish our child and to always make them our first priority...but with all this, the balancing act of life and all it brings it is hard to do it all
 "perfectly" We make mistakes, we are selfish,bossy and sometimes lazy but always there is Love and Love never fails.
 We all have our own memories and I do not have any regrets about my life as a parent not one....  I've done it all to the best of my ability in the constraints that life threw at me and  I loved it all..........
And funnily,I concur  with the man today writing in Heckler SMH .....what he wants is the 
"having children lifestyle ".......an excuse to be mad and enjoy childish things and be SILLY.........hire a jumping castle and get out with the laser guns.....crawl around the floor making castles and cubbys .....make a mess!!!!
Cuddle up and read silly books about things like "Would you Rather?" or "Avocado Baby" Who would miss out on all the fun you have....we are extremely fortunate...

inphotos.org

 I did a lot on my own (as is required when you have what is now a luxury of not working when your children are small ) as my husband worked hard . We raised all five to be honest, loyal, hardworking, happy, creative but most importantly individual

Ayurveda, Astrology and organic foods are the norm and Eat, Pray, Love has bought us the notion of spending time in Ashrams and retreats, finding oneself and following ones dharma...the way we lived has become mainstream.
I may not have the career of a lifetime spent perfecting one skill but after all that was done and all that is required to do to love, cherish, nurture, look after, treasure, nurse, adore, nourish, discipline, coach, train, teach, develop and enlighten five amazingly different, all fantastic children who I admire and love to bits.....who cares.

nursreyrhymesonline.com

Its the way we did it and I for one am proud of it...........so just remember to always   HAVE  FUN and Enjoy Every Minute of all life brings........

Always jump in the puddles! 
Always skip alongside the flowers.  
The only fights worth fighting are the pillow and food varieties.  ~Terri Guillemets

“Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away”

I am SO Happy that my daughter and wonderful husband are about to embark on the thrill of a lifetime and I wish you all the joys of parenthood together and if you love it only a tiny fraction of how much I did it will be wonderful....

I WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS and a Happy New Year!!!!!!

CHRISTMAS ...
I always like to hear John Lennon's lyrics at Christmas.....you know the tune ...right??

So this is Christmas

And what have you done?

Another year over

And a new one just begun

And so this is Christmas

I hope you have fun

The near and the dear one

The old and the young

A very merry Christmas

And a happy New Year

Let's hope it's a good one

Without any fear

And so this is Christmas

For weak and for strong

For rich and the poor ones

The world is so wrong

And so happy Christmas

For black and for white

For yellow and red ones

Let's stop all the fight

A very merry Christmas

And a happy New Year

Let's hope it's a good one

Without any fear

And so this is Christmas

And what have we done?

Another year over

And a new one just begun

Ans so this is Christmas

I hope you have fun

The near and the dear one

The old and the young

A very merry Christmas

And a happy New Year

Let's hope it's a good one

Without any fear

War is over over

If you want it

War is over

Now

For most of us Christmas is .........warm weather, end of school term,  HSC results, office and work parties, shopping, surprises, Carols, giving, hopes,  holidays and chance to unwind, read, relax, watch cricket, harbour cruises, shopping and buying gifts, making things to give, Sydney to Hobart, the beach, Christmas food, champagne, seafood, picnics, and enjoying family and friends.

I was thinking of what Christmas means to us all recently and realised that although in some sectors like retail, emergency services, health care, aged care, hospitality and essential services  people are working at Christmas but  we all have the same underlying value about Christmas.....a chance to see friends and family no matter how diverse and eclectic it might be...and to CELEBRATE....

I think everyone has their own traditions and hopes for the one perfect day of the year when the shops are not open and no matter how we choose to celebrate -  be it lavish or humble or somewhere in-between we can relax and enjoy our friends and family and spread a feeling of cheerfulness, love and  warmth to everyone we come across.Our traditions and what we do for Christmas does change as our children grow and the family expands and new traditions can begin.....

I was remembering some of my favourite traditions we have had as a family over the years....when my children were younger and we lived in Perth we would wait for the evening light and head into Perth to view the Christmas windows of the stores  It was also my daughters birthday and we would visit Miss Mauds famous smorgasbord for a birthday dinner then see all the light displays around Perth on our way home.

Christmas carols by candlelight another iconic event...whether celebrated in your local area or the huge televised event in Melbourne and Sydney

Boxing day then ....by far THE BEST DAY of the year means and still does the Sydney to Hobart yacht race start on sydney harbour....a magical event of sun, wind, colour and excitement whether we view it from the harbour or the headland or even on TV ...nothing else says Sydney at Christmas than this. Then o the cricket......test match 

Boxing day - we always had masses of food that my daughter and I had prepared the day before as our Christmas feasts were legendary and always food for days afterwards  Boxing day became a day of rest, fabulous food already prepared, leftover Birthday cake, being spoilt after the toil of the lead up to Christmas, loads of guests, friends, children, boats, play and fun......and doing whatever you felt like....sleeping on the deck ...glass of wine ...talking !!!!

Christmas is still fun but different.........I start Christmas in August when I open 40-60 palettes of Christmas stock and Christmas trees then set up the Christmas shop ...everything has to be unwrapped from the palettes down to the cartons then through 4-8 layers of boxes, paper, cardboard and bubble wrap to ultimately reveal all the decorations from large over sized nutcrackers to tiny little mini decorations. These are then hung by hand on shelves and hooks in a pristine order meticulous fashion to show off their style and theme. It is an overly time consuming task that takes 3-4 weeks to complete. It is fraught with anxiety re delivery schedules, tiredness, stress and difficulties due to staff or lack thereof, along with limited storage space ........but the creative side is awesome !! read previous blog

Once we are ready we open the doors in beginning of August and start the daily business of selling Christmas decorations to the firstly, collectors and tourists then mainstream shoppers not forgetting the Christmas Carols continually played in the shop in case we forget that Christmas is coming.

It is a very personal, important and emotional time for many and I hope that we do bring cheer to all that come in and see our display that we spend hours setting up and help them find small or large treasures to take home or send to friends .......
 It is a shame that by now when we have so many people shopping on late and extended trading hours that the best of it has gone. It was fantastic!!

Add to this the rehearsal of the Christmas choir twice a week from October culminating in a daily Choir performance for the customBy now my mind has been listening or singing carols for 4 months ..so no wonder I sing We wish you a Merry......... in the shower...!!!For the most part it is a happy experience, as mostly customers are happy when buying Christmas decorations but it does bring out the nutters and the extremists...who we have learnt to love and if not at least tolerate.We know them by name and their idiosyncrasies We have heard of some amazing Christmas trees and displays that people have and the time and commitment spent to make them It is staggering the extraordinary effort that some people go to, to spread Christmas cheer  for their homes family and friends. 
The best story told so far, from a customer is of her home on the South coast where there is a colour co-ordinated Christmas tree in every room that is matched with the colour of the ocean outside 

I met my son this morning after the Choir  performance and he said " It was very .........you know and banged his chest" People were tearing up....Yes that is Christmas I thought....we miss people who are not with us, we yearn for loved ones , we enjoy memories of Christmas past and we hope for all good things to come .....

We think of John Lennon's song above, we plan our Kris Kringle (as who can possibly buy or make a gift for every person in the family these days) but most of all we dream of that magical day where it is just all about good cheer and being delighted to see and spend time together  and to make it a special and happy day.

I for one have always opened my heart and home to at least one person who was going to be alone on Christmas day ...a ring in.....It is my own favourite tradition 

The family from Canberra that I told my parents I had invited to come and stay ...all five of them

People from work, odd people that you happen to met, friends and children's friends that I now call 

the " mystery guest."

Our American friends who all came for the day ...the year it was 40 degrees and felt like the country was about to burn down ...this one did end with major bush fires in blue mountains. 

It should be a day of sharing, giving, excitement , fun....

I am so busy at the moment that even if I can't get it together to shop and prepare Christmas with the gruelling lead up to the Boxing day sale ( that is now the focus of my once most favourite day) with stocktake preparation and Christmas trading hours at work. Even if it doesn't happen and all I get done is my Kris Kringle and my daughters birthday present then I hope my involvement in Christmas shop and the Choir has bought some JOY to those we helped create their own Christmas, those that listen and hear us sing every day and to everyone else
I  do wish everyone 

a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.......Enjoy

"My Christmas gift suggestions for you  are:
To your enemy.......forgiveness. 

To an opponent......tolerance.

To a friend...............your heart. 

To a customer.........service.  

To all........................charity.  

To every child.........a good example.  

To yourself..............respect. "