Tag Archive for holidays

The Probable Future by Alice Hoffman

27/01/2012 Joh gratitude, reading

This book was gorgeous. I am sold on Alice Hoffman’s writing and I want to read everything she’s written. There is a long list. This is her 16th.

The story is about a family line of women who discover a gift on their 13th birthday. Stella, the latest in the line of Sparrow women rewrites the past. I find she writes such empowering female characters. Flawed, human women who use their strength to have what’s important to them. This quote from The Times says it better than I could:

Alice Hoffman hits bulls-eyes on the incomprehension between the young and the old, on the magic and pain of ordinary life. She is erotic and romantic, funny and clever and humane.

Finding a new author with troves of books I haven’t read, is like the first days of summer. I have been reading in my lunch hour by the Lake in Sale some days, or when I’m in a rush I just read for some of the time. Things are getting busier as my half holidays draws to an end. I do more when I’m busy and more important things. I think holidays are a little overrated for me. I enjoy the life I’ve created, including work.

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Part Time Holidays

08/01/2012 Joh Business, gratitude, holidays, learn, work

I’m continuing my part-time job during the school holidays. I love working there, some days it doesn’t even feel like work. My days off are more precious because they are rarer.

This week a customer came in who is converting a barn and we had a great conversation about all the challenges involved and found the perfect floor covering for her needs. I’m delivering it to them next week and will get to see the project. I meet lots of interesting people making their homes in their own ways and it’s fun to help them select the perfect floor covering.

I enjoy my drive to work. It’s about 45 minutes through really open country. Lots of people complain about the boringness of that drive, but I experience the spaciousness. The countryside changes colour with the clouds. I love it. There are a couple of spots on the way that I pay particular attention to.  Such big views! I enjoy listening to my music and making playlists for the trip.

I had big plans for the shop over Christmas. I was expecting less traffic and getting lots done. We did a bit but were busier than I expected, which is always a good thing, so there are still a few more jobs on my list. I have found a place for all our new tile samples. I enjoy maintaining the displays and getting to know each pattern, texture and size, imagining where it would best serve. Filing it away in my mind so when the right person comes I will know where to find it.

We are getting the computer program and systems into better shape. I need to learn more about MYOB. It is a different package to the one I used for ‘The Butchers Dog’ so there are things I am tweaking. The book-keeping is different. I did the book-keeping for ’Unique Furnishings’ and ‘Total Vision’ manually and I had systems in place to keep informed of the business stats. I am still working towards finding the way to get this businesses stats.

I love the freedom and responsibility my boss gives me to have a hand in all aspects of the business. It feels as though it is my own, yet I am working with a team. There is another sales person as well. We often all have different opinions and this makes for more interesting discussions.

I am immersed in home improvement. I am learning. That is what I love most about my part-time work.

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Smell the Warmth

04/10/2010 Joh friends, gratitude, work

I’m enjoying the spring weather. After a rainy school holidays the last few warm days has had the lawn mowers out creating that special smell and stepping outside into light and warmth is a delight. Even returning to work today hasn’t dulled how much I love warm weather.

I was in a bit of funk Friday and Saturday for my holidays that had finished in a blink of an eye. I had two enjoyable social events on Friday evening that distracted me for their duration. I enjoyed drinks for Jen’s birthday and caught up with a long lost friend who I knew when our kids were doing karate. I loved Phil and Katie’s 21st. It was great to catch up with them. I miss Tom’s friends. There were so many kids there I hadn’t seen for a long time. It was fun. I was partied out by Saturday though and watched the grand final quite sedately. Cath made yummy food. Darin had to go back to work at 4.30, which was cruel as he baracks for Collingwood. Lots of family members barack for them including my mum and sister, so I was happy with the outcome and I’m prepared for what goes with it.

Today in my RE class, I had my students be still and silent. They only managed about a minute of it… out of practice. That minute seemed to be as long as the holidays had felt. Today I got up early to exercise because I am determined to continue with it. So far so good, but combined with daylight savings start, I was very tired during the meeting tonight. It was lovely to get home in daylight though, despite a meeting.

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Flighty Spring Please Arrive On Schedule

31/08/2010 Joh family, health, holidays

Spring is a bit of a temperamental season. We have lots of wind here and some rainy days mixed in with those lovely promising days. Tomorrow the calendar tells me it begins. I am ready. I was itchy and my eyes were watery this morning. I haven’t had allergies in spring before, but if that’s what it takes to get closer to summer: I still say bring it on. I love getting home in the daylight, even when I have had to endure a meeting.

My mum and dad head back to their ‘winter’ holiday tomorrow. There is a lot coming up and I expect to fly towards the holidays. Tom will be home for a week before that. Life is good.

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New Moon in Gemini – Saturday 12th June 2010

12/06/2010 Joh astrology, holidays

Feeling tired? I am, and having spent the day with other teachers correcting and pushing out reports I’ve been surrounded by others who feel the same. It’s also really cold so I guess that adds to the desire to lie around and be warm. I read on Mystic Medusa: Moon Wonk

“The more sparkling the prospects of the New Moon coming, the darker the Moon beforehand”

That being the case, this one should sparkle, cause I’ve been tired, cold, sick and cranky this week.

Lynda Hills Sabian Symbols: Celebrating The Providence Of The Earth: June’s Gemini New Moon points to all the things that are to look forward to.

Spending this afternoon setting goals and now that my reports are finished, I’m feeling quite positive about the coming days and weeks, particularly since school holidays are only two weeks away.

Click here for an Authentic Astrology Report

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Empty House

06/04/2010 Joh family

Darin’s gone back to work, his parents and children have returned to their respective homes. I am home alone. It’s very quiet here. I’ve enjoyed a great Easter with a house full of people. I have eaten too well and laughed and shared stories, stayed up too late and now it’s all over. It’s so heart warming to me to watch the kids with their grandparents. I had a great relationship with mine, and watching them brought back those wonderful, indulgent times that grandparents are renown for:-).

I feel lucky to still have a few days holidays to enjoy.

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Pause

19/01/2010 Joh family, holidays, reading

I wish I could press pause on the holidays. I want the time to last longer. There is so much I am just beginning to get into after unwinding, celebrating, tripping off to Sydney and now the holidays have shrivelled up and there’s only a week left. How did that happen?

I am listening to an audio book each morning by Caroline Myss, called ‘The Language of Archetypes’. She speaks with authority and I am enjoying it a lot. She also injects humour into her conversation. I appreciate that. I have also started reading ‘Blink’ by Malcolm Gladwell. I picked it up in a second hand book shop in Sydney. It’s facinating. I hate to admit this but I had over 900 saved blog posts in my feed. I’ve been steadily reducing that number each day.

Last year we had lots of after school meetings and I believe it seriously inhibited my learning. My routine was to come home from school and pursue things of interest online and generally stay in touch with the wider world. By the time I got home from work I’d had enough of the wider world and just wanted to do home and family things.

I’ve also started exercising again. It always feels so good but when I am tired I just don’t make the time. I intend to be firmer with myself about that and perhaps get up earlier in the mornings to get it done.

Tom will be home on Friday. This time he’s staying for a week! I’m excited to see him, but I don’t want to wish any day of this lovely unstructured time away.

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Austinmer and the Grand Pacific Drive

15/01/2010 Joh holidays

We went to Austinmer whilst I was away. We intended to get a kebab from the shop across the road from that lovely beach. The header of this blog was taken at that beach when I had a holiday in Wollongong. I enjoyed that spot. It was very busy this visit, so we went further down the road and enjoyed a quieter beach off the main road. Lying on the beach reading and dipping into the waves each time I got to hot was how the majority of the day was spent.

We took the Grand Pacific Drive, which I had been keen to do last time I was there, yet never made it that far up. It is a great road that runs along the coastline. We also called into a few galleries, which were impressive.

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I Love Sydney

13/01/2010 Joh holidays

Ferry RideWe arrived in Sydney late Thursday night and I met Darin’s parents for the first time. They were warm and welcoming. I felt immediately at home. During my stay I met friends and family and enjoyed their humour and generous hospitality. I was nervous contemplating meeting so many new people, yet I needn’t have been.

I spent one day racing around Sydney with Darin. Sydney is beautiful. We caught the ferry from just near the Rocks to Manly. I loved cruising through the harbour seeing the properties lined along the shore, as well as the iconic bridge and Opera House. I couldn’t imagine ever getting to work or school if I caught a ferry everyday. I think I would head straight to the beach.

It’s a whole new experience being here with someone who knows their way around. I’ve been to Sydney twice before. Once for a Feng Shui course in Glebe on a rainy long weekend and another time for a Karate competition with my kids. I saw very little on both trips and had no idea how great Sydney was to be honest.

We went all over Sydney and I got to eat lots of delicious things. I think the dim sims are the thing I’d like to see most here in Victoria. They are delicious, full of veges and opposed to our dim sims, taste fresh.

Darin has a similar pace as I do, he is on the move and we packed heaps into our days. Traveling there by car was also a pleasant surprise. We both made CD’s for the trip and in amongst lively discussions enjoyed listening to each other’s music. It was the most comfortable long drive I’ve had with someone to be honest. I’ve left out plenty, but I’m unpacking and relaxing into being home right now, so maybe later:-)

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School finished for 2009

15/12/2009 Joh family, holidays, relationships

Today we had our breakup for school. We had breakfast together, a liturgy and then a lunch. At last! This school year is over. My office is empty at the junior campus. I think I’ve got everything completed there.

So this first day of the six weeks ahead is mine at last. When I got home Darin had picked up the girls from childcare to have a swim in the pool. I’m not sure if I mentioned it before but we bought the kids a blow up pool. It’s awesome. I hitched up my white dress and had a wade in there myself. Then I had lots of cold cuddles before he took them back and went to work. The house is quiet and empty and I’ve enjoyed a nap and am now beginning to clean.

It’s a new moon tomorrow night and I want to give my home a major cleanout before then. I am excited about the next few days. My brother returns from Darwin tomorrow. Tom returns from Hamilton Island on Friday. We have Asha’s 21st on Saturday night. This day has finally come :-) .

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