Archive for 18/01/2009

Swim, sleep and read

31/01/2009 Joh reading, work

It’s still very warm here. There is smoke hanging in the air and I hope the people out in Mirboo Nth, Yinnar, Boolarra and surrounds are doing ok. It is eerie when it is hot and smokey like this. After swimming today Rhonda and I went down for a lemon tart and the streets were deserted.

My cousin got married this afternoon and I went to watch her enter the church on my uncles arm. She looked beautiful. I hope the high ceilings in the church made it cooler in there.

I’ve spent the afternoon reading the second in the Twilight series in the air conditioned room. They are thick books. I have nearly finished it though. I have been sleeping weird hours. Having a nap after school and then waking during the night and doing bits of stuff in the cooler more reasonable temperature.

I am not getting much done. The students will return to school on Monday and I don’t feel nearly organised enough. If it is this warm still though, I don’t imagine I’ll be able to do much with them. I say if, because despite the weather forecasts I am still hoping that all the ants around, means that rain will come and make the crackling environment a little kinder for the kids starting back. Hope is free!

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Hot Days

29/01/2009 Joh friends, gratitude

It’s annoying to be back at school when it is this warm. I like the heat, but sitting in meetings, crowded rooms of hot air at the best of times… is no way to spend days like these. We have very few air conditioned rooms at our school. I’m not all grumbles though because whilst the students are not here Rhonda and I have gone to her pool for a swim at lunchtime. Tonight I went after school as well. I am very lucky. It was bliss to spend an hour in the middle of the day floating in cool water.

I found the Pomegranate juice in the supermarket tonight. It was in the fruit and vegetable section at Safeway. I was looking in the wrong places!

 One of our teachers got a call from home to say they were being evacuated because of the fires. I hope they are all ok. I can’t imagine how hot it would be for all the firefighters. Thank goodness for them. Makes me doubly grateful for my air conditioning and the swimming pools I get to enjoy.

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Pom Wonderful – Pomegranate Juice

28/01/2009 Joh gratitude

As you know I love pomegranates. I like the smell, the flavour and the appearance of them. I even have skin cream with pomegranate in it. The people from Pom Wonderful recently delivered some of their 100% Pomegranate Juice to try and I am hooked. It is the most delicious juice I’ve yet to try. It’s sweet yet has a slight bitterness that I enjoy. The colour is just amazing.

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I’ve been trying a few brands this summer because I find it really refreshing. This is by far the best I’ve enjoyed. Unfortunately it’s not available in my local supermarket, which is frustrating and hopefully will be corrected, but I’ll be looking out for it everywhere I go. ‘

It didn’t last long enough….

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My Australia Day

27/01/2009 Joh blogging, holidays

I had a brilliant day yesterday. I drove the kids into Flemington, they were all enthused and it was infectious. A great sunny day and lots of laughter. Arrived at Wilma’s and immediately jumped in the pool. It was a perfect afternoon of swimming and horsing around in the pool with delicious food and wine in the company of good friends.

Starting back to school tomorrow comes with a little regret for all the jobs left undone. In reality though I’ve had a very lovely holiday and enjoyed a good balance. I’ve spent time with my family and friends. I’ve enjoyed the beach and swam a bit… although could do with more of it and intend to continue till summer ends.  I’ve got the painting jobs finished and packed up a bit of my stuff. There’s always more you could do.

I’ve opened a twitter account these holidays. I’m not really up to speed with it though to be honest. I’m just watching the stream of comments go by mostly. I wanted to make some changes on my blog, but haven’t got around to it. I guess I will… eventually. I did manage to change the template on poohduck, so that was something. Andy’s post about Ella today was beautiful, she was a real presence.

I don’t know what else I’ve done really, but it’s been good.

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Happy Chinese New Year – The Year of the Ox – 26 January 2009

25/01/2009 Joh astrology, home

I like to consider Chinese New Year as the real start to the year. I always need that extra distance from the Christmas festivities to get my home and head in order to start a fresh year. This year is challenging as I am part way through a lot of little projects to do with moving. I am  cleaning, decluttering and setting my goals.

If you are pressed for time maybe you could just clean up the entrance to your home. That could improve the feng shui for the start of the year. This article Chinese New Year: Feng Shui Doctrine, tells about what to expect for the year.

I’ve noticed today that a few bloggers are talking goals, such as Widget, it’s a great time for it.

The Year of the Ox should be one of hard work and stability. Aquarius Papers has a great explanation, so as usual I will link you to that. I am a Snake, so naturally lazy – have you noticed? It is a good year for Snakes! Ox are kind of like Capricorns… steady, dependable and persistent. I know one Ox and he is a Libran so you have to look a bit deeper to see the Ox tendencies, but they are there… he has worked in the same job all his life has that solid stamina that keeps him going.

Tomorrow I’m off to celebrate Australia Day at a BBQ with friends by the pool. It should be a great day, I’m looking forward to it. I’m dropping Tom and his friend Meagz off in the city so they can go to BDO.  Sadly I didn’t win a ticket, so I’ll just be hearing about it from them. I’ll have to console myself musically with Triple J’s hottest 100 on the radio.

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New Moon in Aquarius – Monday 16th January 2009 – Solar Eclipse

24/01/2009 Joh astrology, friends

Aquarians, well what can I say – weirdos – no, not really…. I have an Aquarian mum and brother and some Aquarian friends. I find them hard to define…that’s my problem. They all seem so different, it seems to be what they have in common, they aren’t very alike. Unpredictable!

The astrologers I read have all indicated this is an awesome time for making big changes and starting a fresh chapter. Eclipses are times of dramatic change, beginnings and endings. In the innovative, passionate, humanitarian sign of Capricorn, I think it will be a very positive time for us all. I refer you to the articles I’ve read, because they explain it best: Mystic Medusa:Monday’s Eclipse wraps it up quite simply, This New Moon expands on the influences in an easy to understand way, Linda Hill’s:Solar Eclipse! The Aquarian New Moon: The Birth of a New Creative Impulse is uplifting and inspiring and if you want the technical version, you can’t go past Aquarius Papers:The Solar Eclipse of January 25-26, 2009 in Aquarius

 It is also the start of the Chinese New Year. It’s the year of the Ox, but I’ll look at that tomorrow probably. It’s also Australia day… big day out… triple J’s hottest 100…huge!

I had an excellent day today. A very positive visit from a real estate agent to bring me up to speed about renting out my house. She had a son in my English class last year and gave me a discount on the agents fees for renting out my house because I’d taught her son and he’d liked me. It was unexpected and lovely… I’d never met her before and had no idea she was a parent of one of my students. I also squeezed in a long, refreshing swim and quick laze by the pool with Rhonda, what a life! My dad has sanded back my bay windows for me today. My parents are awesome… they have done so much for me lately… not sure how I’ll ever repay them.

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Hanging Out With Jane

22/01/2009 Joh friends

Yesterday I drove to Jane’s sisters house out in the hills behind Warrandyte. What a fabulous location! I’d never been there before. She lives in a mud-brick, multi level home that is unique and reflects the owners well in it’s expressive, earth-loving, vibrant nature. It was the most blissful day! I met the Jessa, latest addition to her family and watched her two beautiful girls interact and reveal their precious natures to me.

We watched Obama and shared the joy and hope he’s brought to the world. We saw an Echidna snuffling along. Rosie shared her joyful song about the saucepan stars. Jackie plied me with the yummiest homemade food. The perfect way to break a spell of not being able to eat properly. I watched her prepare food – it was a treat.

I get to catch up with Jane usually once a year and it always fills me up again. She knows me. We’ve been mates since we were six years old. That is a lot of witnessing one anothers lives and choices and mistakes and loves and heartbreaks and messes and triumphs. Our friendship is one of the treasures of my life.

Andy has been really caught out by Mercury Retrograde this transit. His internet service was disconnected. He’s back online now with some great photo’s about his recent beach visit. Too cold to swim in Tassie though. Glad we can here!

I also caught up with Tim and we briefly considered going to see Glenn Hansard who was playing in Melbourne last night. We are both huge fans and really wanted to… but resisted. It was nice to entertertain the thought for a little while. I also caught up with Wilma on the way there and on the way back and had a brief but lovely phone call with a man I adore. It was great to have a social day and now it’s back to the to do list. The phone interview went well I think. Today I need to keep sorting through my possessions and deciding what’s in and what’s out.

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Moving Forward!

20/01/2009 Joh gratitude, health, home

Last night I looked up Tom’s VTAC offer. He had told me not to bother as he didn’t expect to get one. He’d gone off to the Prom without even checking.  He got two offers as he’d applied to a TAFE as well. I feel pleased for him. Both were the courses he wanted, so now he has to choose! He was pretty happy as well as surprised when he called me to say he’d arrived at the campsite and I gave him the good news. He didn’t believe it at first and wanted me to check it again. Two envelopes from VTAC today…. so if there is another person with his postcode and name, as he suggested, there is no doubt now.

I finished the painting today. I had only one coat of paint to do on the upstairs room. I wanted to achieve this yesterday but after the dentist had done some poking around in my back tooth, I had an early night and woke early. It was probably a better time to do it anyway. I am amazed how much better I feel today after nearly a week of feeling so zapped and pained. The blisters have formed scabs and the mouth is feeling a whole lot better. I’ve rested for the remainder of the day because I’m going to visit friends tomorrow. I can’t tolerate another day at home.

I have a phone interview tonight with an agency to get a teaching position in the UK next year. I have the real estate agent coming on Friday to get me up to speed about renting out my house while I’m away. I have storage space that I’ve started moving stuff I don’t use much to. I am getting rid of things as well.

Everything is progressing in the right direction….

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Big Day Out

18/01/2009 Joh blogging, friends, music

I was feeling particularly house bound today, and misery was setting in. Sitting in my backyard in the sun, I decided that a little swim in Rhonda’s pool would be no more stressful for me than a bath! So I went for a dip. I can’t say I swam really, but I floated around and felt more alive when I got home from having made the effort! It was good to catch up with her. I feel ripped off my holidays.

I wrote a post last year when Tom was going to BDO. It was a brief rushed thing: ‘What to Wear to Big Day Out’.  I can’t believe how much traffic I’ve had the last couple of weeks to that post. It seems lots of people want to know what to wear. I don’t think I gave it enough consideration! I didn’t realise people went online about such things. Now I know!

My brother Tim has suggested I should attend BDO this year. Neil Young will be there and he is older than me:-) I doubt I will now, unless I win tickets from Undercover, then I’ll force myself.

I’ve done a little rearranging and simplifying of Joh Blogs today, but I’m still not satisfied. Expect more changes.

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Reflection on Blogging 2

18/01/2009 Joh blogging, reading

I’ve been thinking about blogging, cause I’ve had time on my hands. I’ve been reading new blogs and seeking ones that reflect my new directions. It’s been challenging. Letting go,  working out where I want to be. I was inspired by a post that Miscellaneous Mum featured a little while back, Okay, Fine, Dammit: Because It Needs To Be Said. I loved everything she wrote.

I have over 300 posts in my bloglines feed that I had saved to read later. It’s ridiculous and I’ve decided to do some pruning whilst I’ve been lying around. It’s challenging. I haven’t finished yet. I am about to rearrange my blog to reflect where I am heading more.

 I enjoy blogs written by teachers who express themselves as whole people, such as Frogdancer, Widget and a new discovery Rhubarb Whine. I read the teachers who focus on technology and academics and sometimes I learn something useful. I enjoy those who write about the real joys of teaching as well as living. I read them straight away, I’m inclined to save the others for later… which hasn’t been coming. I love their individual and authentic voices. 

I don’t reveal all.  It is worthwhile when an ex-student makes a comment and keeps the connection up, or a someone you don’t see as often knows what I’ve been up to at a superficial level. I know when I am away, it may save telling the same stories over many times. The other stories revealed to the carefully chosen sources, close friends and my journal.

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