Archive for 12/07/2009

Learning to Cook

29/07/2009 Joh family, learn

The best thing Darin has taught me about cooking, I realised while I was making chicken curry for dinner is to prepare everything before I start. To chop everything up and have it in little bowls like you see on the cooking shows. I must admit I am probably the only person in this country who didn’t watch Master Chef. I know… hard to believe. I just don’t watch much TV, although lately I have watched a few sporty things. The things you do! I get to watch a chef in my own kitchen, and to ask questions and get feeback:-)

I always thought it was quicker to just chop it up and put it from the chopping board directly in. I thought I was saving time and dishes. The fact is though most of the food I cooked wasn’t really that good to eat. I burnt things while I was chopping things up to put in and the ingredients weren’t always cooked properly, some things over cooked and some things undercooked. I have a dishwasher, so why worry about extra dishes?

The other big thing I have learnt is that salt really does make a difference. I haven’t used salt in my cooking ever. My nana used plenty of salt and her food was always delicious, but I decided it was unhealthy and haven’t used it at all. I was wrong. It tastes much better with salt.

I’ve been cooking a bit when we’ve been home because Darin is at work and it doesn’t seem fair to lie around all day amusing myself and then expect him to cook when he gets home. Secretly though I love cooking when I have time. I’ve enjoyed shopping and cooking with the luxury of time. I have been chatting to my daughter most days and she’s expressed that she wishes I’d been in this mode when she lived at home. I don’t blame her, but hey, she contributed to the lack of time!

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Harry Potter

25/07/2009 Joh family, film, reading

Asha and I went to gold class to watch ‘Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince’ this week. I missed Tom. I have such great Harry Potter memories with my kids. The most amusing was when we lived at our old house and the kids climbed up on the garage roof, with a chair each and read the books (they’d both bought one each) so I couldn’t con them out of it to read it myself. They were quite smug about it, ignoring my pleas from the ground with their noses in their books.

I enjoyed spending the day with Asha though. We met at the Jam Factory, had lunch and a shop, then finished off the day with the film. This film was different to the others. I think because the characters are older and the focus was more on relationships. I don’t think younger children will enjoy it as much as the other ones to be honest.

The kids are here tonight and we got the Wii game from the film. It’s got a different focus to the film and you have to collect things, play quiddich and make potions.

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Honey Beer

24/07/2009 Joh health, home, travel

To continue with my love of all things honey flavoured I tried Beez Neez beer whilst I was away. I loved it. Why have I waited so long? I couldn’t imagine honey flavoured beer and thought it would be too sweet and defeat the whole beer experience. That’s not how I found it. The only part of honey flavour I got was the aftertaste. Not a bad thing when it comes to beer. The next morning my mouth had a honey taste and as anyone who’s woken up after having a few beers could imagine, the morning after taste was a very good thing.

When I went to my local bottle shop to get some more the guy there pointed out some other brands to me and recommended a Mildura beer that is honey wheat. I will have to try them all out and I’ll let you know what I like best. It could take some time though as I don’t drink beer every day of the week!

In perfect timing Mystic Medusa has a post about bees I read this morning. She links to some interesting reading about bees and honey.

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Class Clown

22/07/2009 Joh travel, work

One of the sights that really made me smile whilst I was away was a group of statues in the front yard of the Bayview Christian College in Portland. They created a wonderful vibe and I am curious to know what that school is like. It’s architecture really captured my imagination. The jester as shown in the photo below would represent a common archetype found in schools. One that ought to be celebrated, yet is often met with exasperation.

jester

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New Moon – Solar Eclipse in Cancer – Wednesday 22nd July 2009

21/07/2009 Joh astrology, family, friends, home

In the lead up to this eclipse/new moon, I have been madly decluttering as recommended by Mystic Medusa in many of her posts and communiques. I am subscribed to her services for many reasons, mostly because I love her expression. I feel like I have been letting go and decluttering since my holidays began, first shedding layers of basic household chaos, followed by day to day stress, then outmoded ways of thinking and relating and finally getting to things I really don’t need in more practical terms such as paperwork, negative self-talk, debts, clothes that are too big or ugly and other random things. I feel totally rejuvenated already and I still have a couple of weeks to spare of freedom.

The Aquarius Papers goes into the finer details of what can happen during eclipses and more specifically this eclipse. Change happens and this eclipse will have a long effect as it lasts a very long time. I’m hoping it does have a long lasting effect as the changes I’m feeling are positive and if they are long lasting, all the better.

Cancer is a very homey sign. When you set your new moon goals, you could focus on how you want your home to be. I don’t mean just physically, home is a lot more than that. My home life has undergone massive changes this year with Tom leaving home and Darin coming. The children every second weekend have added another, much welcome and delightful dimension to my home. I have rearranged and it all looks different, yet it feels different too. There is a big difference between having teenagers and small children, to be honest I love both stages.

I have been cooking the last couple of days. I had a bit of reluctance to cook for Darin after experiencing his expertise. I have never been a consistent cook. I want to be good at it, and it’s a great opportunity to learn, so I’m willing to make a few mistakes. He’s always very polite and I have to beg him for feedback, but I am slowly making finer distinctions and I hope one day to be confident at cooking for people. I’ve had some great mentors at cooking, even apart from my grandmother and mother, Gail, Jane, Wilma, Sonia, Rene, Maureen and Rhonda have shared recipes and know how with me.

I have also been having very vivid dreams lately. I have been sleeping really well. I only hope this refreshment I feel will last when I go back to school.

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Winter Sunrise at Queenscliff

20/07/2009 Joh holidays, relationships, travel

Our first night away we left a little later than intended. We had dinner at the Drysdale Hotel, and then headed on to Queenscliff. There is a heap of building going on down at the ferry, looks like a commercial development. I didn’t notice it last time I was there. I hope it doesn’t spoil the vibe of the place.

Queenscliff Sunrise Winter 2009I got to enjoy a sunrise at Queenscliff in the winter. It was colder and I was staying at a place around the corner from the Queenscliff Inn. I was wrapped in a blanket, wheras last time I was in shorts and a singlet. The bed was uncomfortable in this well decorated place, yet that was probably what led me to being up early enough to see the sunrise. I think the room was too small for me. I need space! The breakfast was lovely, my eggs were perfectly cooked.

Queenscliff in winter is much quieter. Many of the shops weren’t open and there was barely a soul about. The pub on the corner was very quiet when we went there for a beer before retiring. I enjoyed the quiet chat in front of the fire there without the crowds and noise. It was a relaxing first stop after an interesting day.

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12 Apostles and high heels

19/07/2009 Joh holidays

I’ve been away for a few days. We did the Great Ocean Road and then went on as far as Portland. I got some photos and saw some interesting things but I haven’t really unpacked, let alone got the photo’s from my camera yet. We drove a lot and had lengthy and interesting conversations. Darin is definately easy to be with.

The 12 Apostles was a surprise. I visited probably 20 years ago and the place has changed in more ways than a few of the structures falling into the water. There were helicopters buzzing over the place and it was swarming with tourists. It reminded me of visiting the penguins at Phillip Island. It could be lovely but there were just too many people there to feel that you were connecting with nature. It had more the feel of a shopping centre, crowds, frenzy and lots of camera’s clicking. We didn’t stay long.

I got some new boots last week and I was wearing them the day we left. I didn’t realise that I had neglected to put my walking boots in when I packed, so I was basically stuck with the high heeled boots and a pair of thongs. It was a little chilly for thongs, yet I did elect to wear them when we stopped at beaches, or barefoot. Walking around with high heels is something I have rarely done for a long time and I must say I have been reminded why. I walk fast, but not with heels. I don’t enjoy the noise they make and walking is not the pleasure it normally is. They look great though, so I’ll just keep them for times when there’s not much walking involved.

I’ll upload the photo’s during the week. I am halfway through my holidays now. I feel entirely relaxed and have achieved a lot on different levels in the time I’ve had. I feel really blessed to have this time and the lack of planning anything to do with it has enhanced both my efficiency and enjoyment of the time.

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Astrology Consulation

15/07/2009 Joh astrology

Yesterday I consulted an astrologer about my chart. It was like a counselling session and it was wonderful. She knew who I was, I didn’t have to explain myself to her. She got me. I realised there was a lot more to my chart than I understood. I have been reading about astrology for a long time and I have never actually consulted an in person astrologer. I will be going back for more as it gave me such insight and relief. I feel have gained some real direction from the meeting and was more efficient than any other counselling I’ve had. She did ask questions as a traditional counsellor does, yet she also had effective advice about how to handle tricky parts of my chart. I loved it. She very quickly summed up my loved ones in brief as well as our relationships. It was stunning and affirming at the same time.

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The Art of Trust by Lee Jampolsky

14/07/2009 Joh reading, relationships

I bought this book a few years ago when I was feeling a lack of trust in my previous relationship. When I was bringing my books inside a few days ago I realised I never read it. It has been a really great guide to me for an interesting internal journey I’ve had over the past few days. I’ve had a lot of relationships and most of them haven’t lasted as long as I would have liked. I judge myself for that and it creates certain self defeating behaviours that I have been looking at over the weekend. Darin has been spending time with his mother and I have been spending time with myself. Just quietly I think I have had it easier!

I thought ‘The Art of Trust’ was written by the same author as ‘Love is Letting Go of Fear’. I read that book years ago when I was into reading psychology books and especially ones about relationships. I haven’t read any for a long time. I didn’t really feel like they worked. I didn’t feel fixed. I wasn’t getting results.

Reading this book has given me some peace of mind though. I know it’s not going to ‘fix’ me but it has guided me to look at a few thoughts I have been stuck on and I feel more peaceful. I recommend it to you if you think you may have any trust issues. I wish I’d read it when I bought it, but maybe I wasn’t here yet.

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Not Going to UK

12/07/2009 Joh holidays, home

Last night I got an email to confirm that I would still be available to work in the UK in September. I have been keeping that option open. It is scary to abandon a plan you felt so sure of. A friend at work questioned me about my decision not to go one day saying that I haven’t had that much luck in relationships so is it wise to abandon my plan for one. The truth is that I kept it as an option. I didn’t abandon my plan. I needed some time to think about it.

These holidays I have had some time to think about it. It is not just about the relationship with Darin, although that is a good enough reason for me. There have been so many times in the last few months when I have felt relieved that I had changed my mind. When my mum was in hospital last week and my sister Kate called from Edinburgh I imagined how it would be to be away at a time like that. When Tom moved to Airlie Beach and didn’t have a job, I was glad I was still here and that I could provide somewhere to return to if it didn’t work out. I’m also glad it did work out.

I really like my life. I like my people, my job and my home. I decided to go to the UK because I was scared of being here alone without my kids. I missed Kate. I thought it would be a good challenge. When I met Darin and we hit it off so well, it changed everything because being in love to me is valuable. It’s risky and scary, but it’s worth it. If it doesn’t work out will I resent it? No. It’s been worth it already. Travel is something that can always be done. I enjoy going anywhere. Seriously! People are what I value most.

So I confirmed that I wouldn’t be available to start in September last night. I feel really pleased with my decision.

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