Archive for family

2011 – Thanks for coming:)

31/12/2011 Joh family, friends, gratitude, learn, love, random, relationships

I have lots to write but for now I’m just glad to put this year to bed. It’s been ‘interesting times’ as the curse goes. It’s turned out really well and I’m glad I put off worrying for another time, because now that I have a little time, I have no need.

I could list milestones and events that have rocked my world but not now.

This year has been special in so many ways. I have been blessed with new friends and aquaintances and a whole new cast of characters in my life. I treasure the people who have travelled a way with me as others have dropped by the wayside.

There is lot’s I want to plant here on my blog in 2012… I’ll wait and will enjoy sharing all the seeds and blossoms of my life then. I’m setting this blog post to publish in the last minute of this year. So farewell 2011… I know I’ve lacked appreciation at times but truly now I see that it was everything I asked for:).

 

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What Katie did Next….

23/11/2011 Joh family, travel

Tonight I called into my parents after work to hang out a little with my baby sister on her whirlwind visit home. She’s been home less than two weeks and she’s off again. Since she was home last she’s worked on Rottnest Island and travelled around NT to the Kimberlies and other locations such as Broome in WA. Now she’s off to some place in QLD that I must say I’ve never heard of. She’ll return in several months for a quick visit before she heads off overseas.

She is well travelled that’s for sure. She has lots of interesting anecdotes about her adventures. This time involving snakes and tour guides, as well as silly things tourists do. It’s great to listen to them. What I enjoy most though are the laughs I have with her. I don’t even know what we laugh about half the time. Just at each other.

Tonight she was banging on about a fairly typical theme of how old I am. Kate is 16 years younger than me. Then my daughter arrived and demonstrated an amusing exchange on ‘hey tell’ and she was suddenly feeling old and out of the loop. Quite amusing for me… although she’d never admit it.

She’ll be off tomorrow. Mum and dad will resume their quiet, retired, summer at home, and I won’t laugh as hard next time I visit.

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Bonfire Night and the weekend

13/11/2011 Joh family, gratitude, home

This weekend has been full. We had the kids this weekend and they went for a swim with their dad on the way home whilst I was still working. I got to have a quick beer with Cath and Scuzzi whilst admiring her new wood carving in her back yard. He’s done a great job transforming a tree into a sea eagle. I want one!!

Yesterday whilst I worked Darin and J(10) prepared a garden bed. I am really pleased because J knows a lot about gardening and often tells me about what he’s growing at home. I’ve always wanted a vege garden, so I have enlisted his help and enthusiasm. I am happy to weed and water when he’s not here. I’m very excited about that.
When I got home we went for another swim for a couple of hours. We arrived home famished and had a great meal of plum chicken and fried rice. We strolled down to the bonfire night and arrived seconds before the brilliant fireworks display began. It was perfect timing.

This morning we finished planting the vege garden, to be honest I just watched and enthused. After lunch we went for a drive to the beach to collect shells, we played in the waves. The kids slept on the way home and I am looking forward to my bed tonight.

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Full Moon in Taurus – Friday 11th November 2011

07/11/2011 Joh astrology, family, food

Yes that’s right we have a full moon on that date 11/11/11.

It’s also Remembrance Day. Yesterday I bought a wrist band instead of the usual poppy. It’s really pretty. The past 10 years I’ve been in a school and this day has been observed with a brief ceremony. This year I’ll be working in a shop so I’ll have to remember without the usual structures.  Maybe I’ll set an alarm on my phone.

 

Taurus is a very sensual sign. All the Taurus born I’ve known are foodies. When I was at The Butchers Dog, many of our customers were Taurus, one in particular I remember fondly would even send her mum in to get food she read on the Facebook status, cause she didn’t want to miss out. I had to ask her one day and she was as I expected a Taurean. It is the one star sign I can often pick. Two of my closest people, my nana and my son are this sign. Probably not a good day to start a diet:).

Here is a post from Ruby Slipper I have read for this full moon. I will add my favourites to my delicious feed as I read them. I am posting this early as I have a busy week and want to have this done if I don’t get time.

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I have a new job

01/11/2011 Joh family, gratitude, work

I am working part-time in a new job. I love it. It was one of those serendipitous jobs. I have Judy to thank for it. I talked to my mum, that led me to call my Auntie. She asked me if I wanted a job. I said yes and drove to Sale and met my wonderful new employer. He said yes and I began last week.

I’m still working with my disengaged students on Wednesdays and at the local Secondary college Mondays and Tuesdays, so I have a full weeks work now and a very nice balance of activity.

I’ve worked Thursday, Friday and Saturday morning. I love helping people to select their floor coverings. My boss has just bought the business so whilst it is an established business there are lots of changes and improvements being made. We have an amazing range and are switching the business systems from manual to computerised. He’s also redecorating the shop and expanding the range which I’m also enjoying. He asks my opinion about everything and that keeps me interested.  I loved the ad for our business even before I met them. I know I’m going to have a lot of fun here.

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Full Day Off

09/09/2011 Joh family, food, gratitude, health, learn, music

Today I didn’t work because I had a job interview booked for the middle of the day. It was a phone interview and didn’t take that long but scheduled smack in the middle of period 2 for all the schools I work at so I couldn’t work. I think it went ok.

I got to watch Darin’s kids play percussion at the Eisteddfod this morning. They were so cute. Primary students bubbling away with excitement, playing their xylophones, triangles and drums. Any kind of music ensemble is impressive to me. They all did so well. The looks of concentration on some of the students faces reminded me what educational experiences are all about.

Darin and I walked down the street in the cold today after my interview. It’s been sunny for a while here and we’ve walked down the street and shopped for dinner ingredients most days in the last two weeks. Today was a real test though because I could feel the icy air the minute I stepped outside. I enjoy walking through the park to the street every day. I feel more connected to my community. You see more and connect with people walking through the park. Cruising the car park looking for a free space is no substitute.

This afternoon I had attempt number 3 at cooking macarons. I tried a different recipe and applied a few things I’d learnt from last time and they were better, but only one out of the 20 odd was near to looking how I want them to and the taste wasn’t as good as last time. I have a few new theories to apply to my next attempt though. I also had a go at making nougat. It’s not that good because I don’t think I cooked the toffee part long enough and it’s too soft. It tastes ok though. I just realised today that these are both gluten-free.

I enjoyed phone conversations with my sister, son and daughter today, nice long chats, not rushed ones.

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Deep Tissue Massage

05/09/2011 Joh family, gratitude, health, home

On the weekend I had a massage that hurt. It was a deep tissue massage and I haven’t had one for over 10 years. This was my second visit to this therapist and I think she was gentle with me the first time, but this time, because I was in a better place… she went for it!

She had told me both times that I was really tired, exhausted in fact. I was quite flippant about it, thinking ‘no more than usual’. I have slept more in the past three days than I have for a long time. I just haven’t been able to stay awake. I feel very refreshed and alive though after each lengthy nap and full night’s sleep.

I honestly didn’t realise I was so tired.

The good thing is that the times I haven’t been napping I have achieved plenty because I feel energetic and refreshed. I have been for a walk every day except today cause I was helping Asha move house, not that I did much, but I was in and out a bit. My home is clean and orderly and I’ve shifted a bit of ‘stuff’. Darin has made a start on our vegetable garden, so I’m excited about that.

Asha’s new place is wonderful. It is perfect for them and it’s close to town (which is my main criteria for a home), and freshly renovated. I’ve just returned from dropping dinner off to them. They are sitting happily among a pile of boxes.

The warm, sunny weather has amazed and I’m booked to work for the next three days now the forecast has returned to cool and rainy. Life is good.

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Almost Done

08/07/2011 Joh Business, family, gratitude, learn, love, work

This week were are cleaning up and removing all our stuff from the shop. We’ve made quite a few trips. I didn’t realise how much stuff we had taken in from home and bought along the way. It’s empty of our stuff now. I just have to go in and clean up. I want to do it on the weekend so everything will be ready to go for handing over the keys early next week. I have felt a bit sad a couple of times, but most of the time I feel quite positive about it all. It’s been a great experience and I’ve learnt a lot. Although it was a brief time, it was a significant one for me.

The kids are here for the weekend. Tonight as they were going to bed, I headed for a bath and R (4) found this very strange. She thought the bath must be for her. “Only kids have baths, grownups don’t have baths”. I just got to her in time before she started peeling off her pjs for another dip. I said to her “But they are so lovely I’ve never stopped having a bath.” I think she agreed with me about baths being good, but I’m not sure she things adults deserve them, especially when it’s time for bed:).

After my bath they were still restless so I took a picture book upstairs to read to them. I read the first one, then E (6) competently read the next two. She is a great reader. I love watching them as they grow and learn. She is quite literate and even asked me why there was a ‘K’ in front of knew. I was very impressed. I love that she asks what every word she doesn’t know means and she looks at it carefully like she’s found a new mystery.

I feel very blessed right now. There are so many helpful people in the world and I am finding support in many places I didn’t expect. It has been challenging to let go of something I really believe in and love. I think we have made the right decision though for lots of reasons and I am thrilled with all the goodness that is coming from our venture.

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Bike Riding in the Sunshine

26/06/2011 Joh family, random

Today we went on a long walk along Traralgon Creek with the kids in the sunshine. It was beautiful. I love Victory park on a sunny winter day. It is a great park and the creek was running well from all the rain we’ve had. The kids enjoyed riding over bridges and along the paths. We stopped and watched some kids in the skate park. There were some real littlies on scooters, they were very brave. I enjoy watching our kids improve thier confidence on their bikes. The weekend’s weather was very enjoyable. We had long walks/rides both Saturday and Sunday and it was great to be out in it.

I have my laptop back! I haven’t spent that much time over the weekend on it, but it is good to have it back. It was too sunny to be couped up inside this weekend – have to get my vitamin D whilst it’s there:).

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Long Weekend in Winter

13/06/2011 Joh family, home, random, reading

The weather has been great this weekend and we have managed to clean up the remaining leaves from the big tree at the front of our house that fills a number of green bins during autumn. We had the children this weekend and they have just left to return to their mums. It was great weather to be outside playing in the leaves. There was bike riding, play with skipping ropes,  a number of art works created, an assignment on Scotland, delicious meals and we watched ‘Toy Story 3′ and both the ‘Nanny McPhee’ DVDs. The short days are cosy.

In amongst all this activity I have been reading and cleaning the house. I continue to simplify and shed things I don’t want. This is a constant in my life. Each time I wonder where it all comes from. This time I have removed a massive pile of old cookbooks from my kitchen cupboard. I have rarely consulted them and they will enjoy a new home. I have a small book of recipes I have had an added to, since I was a child that can stay. I also tucked away Tom’s cocktail glasses out of view. They were on display on my kitchen shelves and as constant cocktail parties are no longer a part of our scene, I decided they were just collecting dust and cobwebs. Speaking of cobwebs, I think I have a spider colony cohabiting with us lately. I am clearing cobwebs on a daily basis it seems.

I have been reading some astrology books, some marketing/business books, a fantasy novel and a spiritual book, all in turns. I will review them all as I finish them. I have spent very little time this weekend on Darin’s laptop. I have my emails coming to my phone and my last two laptop holidays a month or so ago have forced me to customise my iPod Touch and N8 to manage anything important that I rely on a computer for. I had an attempt on Friday night to blog from my phone but it was just painful, so that is one thing I will continue to rely on a laptop for. I am journalling by handwriting in a notebook. I have lost a couple of weeks journalling that I hadn’t backed up. Perhaps I need to journal directly onto a hard drive to avoid this and also upload photos onto a hard drive. I have moved almost everything else I rely on, to online services now that I can access from any computer. I guess these three enforced breaks from my laptop have possibly forced me to make my technology work better for me.

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