Monday, May 25, 2009

Awe-Summm Blog Award - thank you Kate



Kate James nominated me for this Blog Award - I am not sure if my words are that full of wisdom or my thoughts that insightful but I do enjoy the world of blogging and the sharing of information, images, thoughts, ideas.....

Below are the rules and guidelines to the Awe-summm award:

* List 7 things that make you Awe-Summm and then pass the award on to 7 bloggers you love.

* Make sure to tag your recipients and let them know they have won!

* And finally link back to the blogger that tagged you.

7 things that make me Awe-summm! Wow! That is seriously hard work and putting it into writing even harder!

1. I like to help people – being a typical Libran I like balance and order. Helping others to see the wood for the trees is something I enjoy and think I am good at (is that the right saying?)

2. I notice the detail in things

3. I like to talk and am able to communicate with people and naturally fit into most social settings

4. I am open to new concepts,ideas and philosophies and am interested in other's views and ideas.

5. I go out of my way for my friends and acquaintances – offering help where I can

6. Being a mother fills me with joy and wonder and I love being a part of our school community

7. I appreciate how fragile our environment is and am making conscious steps to act responsibly and instill these ideas in my daughter

I am new to the world of blogging so my list of blogs I follow is not huge but I have some lovely ones I do follow. From my gorgeous meditation teacher Kate James to the wonderful ideas and thoughts of Zen Habits. A Heart in Provence is beautiful and feeds my love of all things that are gorgeous. Some of the images are astounding. The same could be said for the beautiful images in the Smitten Kitchen gallery of photos. Truly amazing.

Everyday calm
Smitten kitchen

Zen Habits
Pocket Nap

Open
A Heart in Provence

Happy blogging!

Sunday, May 24, 2009

A hidden gem



I love it when I find a hidden treasure - today we visited a lovely sculpture park just behind Frankston. Hidden on a main road is a delightful, tranquil, artistic oasis. We roamed the tracks in the bush finding carefully placed works of art that elicited squeals of excitement from my 5 year old, Lucy.
I can't take the credit for finding this gem (http://www.mcclellandgallery.com/), a friend of mine from Seddon told me all about it. She travelled from her side of town last weekend and raved about her experience. I found the visit a wonderfully energising experience. The day was mild, the sun shining, the trees and sculptures reflected on the mirror like surface of the duck pond and the unique pieces of art sparked excitement in Lucy. Seeing my 5 year old appreciating, touching, noticing, commenting and responding to the art was wonderful.
I had forgotten how art fed my creative nature. How I love; feeling the different textures, noticing the warmth or coolness of the different materials, observing how the piece of art sits in it's environment and the way a piece of art makes me feel. I will continue to seek out art that is a tonic for my soul and hopefully I will pass this appreciation on to Lucy.
The lovely Kate James has nominated me for a Blog award - quite baffling as I am not sure if my ramblings are that interesting. I will take a little time to put together my list of 7 things that make me Awe-Summm and my 7 favourite blogs and respond to the nomination. I also thank Kate (my meditation teacher) who opened my eyes to not only meditation but triggered my quest to explore the idea of wellness and happiness.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Aaaarrggghhhhhhh....finding time


Time - where does it go? Why can't I seem to motivate myself to manage it better. I used to list it as one of my strengths, but somewhere along the way I seem to have lost the ability or will to be productive.

It is stressing me out a bit that I don't seem to be able to "manage" all aspects of my life at the moment. I need to get better at doing the work stuff that has to be done when I can do it rather than waiting till the last minute.

How can I motivate myself to get the less enjoyable aspects of work off my to do list and in doing so de-stressing myself!

Why is it I will spend half an hour on facebook and not balancing the bank statements in MYOB? (ok that is an obvious one). Why is it I will sit and write on my blog rather than attending to the mountain of paperwork on my desk at the moment. At 37 I would have thought I would be more conscientious than when I was younger - but it doesn't seem to be the case. I seem to be going backwards.

Somewhere along the way I have lost interest in my work life (apart from the social interaction). I lack career ambition and really, really don't know what I want to be when I "grow up". This lack of clarity is impacting all areas of my life.

Reading, researching, talking and exploring alternate options are high on my to do list. With lots of scenarios up in the air at the moment hopefully I will find a "solution" soon.

Until then I will plod along, doing what I have to do to pay the bills and keep the business running, and at least enjoying the wonderful things in my life at the moment; the lovely Lucy, interaction with our new school friends, hanging out with friends, gardening, listening to music, going to the beach and collecting shells and sticks, enjoying a latte, reading and watching the leaves autumnal showcase.