Another year draws to a close

Time to farewell 2018. A year of ups and downs, highs and lows - life.

A quick review of the List for 2018 sees 53 out of 100 things ticked off. Some big, some small. A little bit disappointing - especially as I've had the last 7 weeks of freedom. But still, the aim is always 50%, so not a total failure.  And it makes for a good start for 2019's list!

Only 32 books read out of the proposed 50. That's one thing that not working has had an impact on. Funny how routine works.

New adventures to be had and what else will the year hold? No official job = new opportunities.

So with lots of spots on the 2019 list - what to add?

Four weeks since "Freedom Day"

So its been four weeks today since what I now call "Freedom Day" I can't believe how quickly time flies and how much is still on my to-do list (OK it's a never-ending list).  Bit bummed that I haven't been writing anyway near as much as I thought I would and those images of sitting in a cafe writing away are yet to materialise. Currently experiencing a couple of "too hot to do much but keep cool days" so staying in and catching up.

It's been a pretty hectic few weeks.  Someone foolishly asked me if I was "bored yet?" Bored? What a foreign concept that has become.  Never! Sure sometimes, motivation is a bit lacking and procrastination often gets the better of me, but bored isn't a word in my vocab anymore!

From Day 1, I decided that I was going to smile, say hello and chat to people in the neighbourhood. To date, nobody has rung the cops or had me committed.  Reactions are priceless.  Some people, just grunt and some don't respond at all (earphones in I tell myself - must learn sign language), but others smile and say hello and more often than not a few sentences follow.  Or in the case of the lovely Australia Post men putting in a new post box, 15 minutes.  Understandable, weekend rates, may as well chat to the local loony.

I've introduced myself to people on my walks with Lola (having a dog makes this much easier), stopped and chatted to random people everywhere.  And it doesn't stop there, I've joined a few local FB community groups and "virtual" chatting has even led to a coffee catch-up with a lovely local.  Getting involved with people in the community is fun - Lola on the other-hand is a bit exhausted with all the walking and socialising.

Can't say I've been going out on the road with Emi too often - other than dropping the other car off in the mornings (no sleep-ins for me or Lola) and the odd trip to Bunnings/Nurseries.  But I'm loving playing little Ms home-maker. "That's OK dear I'll do the dishes - you've had a long, hard day".  Feminists must be turning in their graves, but I love having a bit more time to potter (great word - today I'm pottering) around the house and in the garden.  Cooking skills have yet to improve, but I was particularly excited when I popped into the supermarket yesterday and found out that at 4pm each weekday they have a "clearance table."  Plenty of bargains to be had - all the GT team today has plenty of banana bread, cakes and peaches to keep them going. Gotta look out for these bargains now that I am unemployed/semi-retired/not working for $$$ or whatever this blissful state is called.

Talking of work, still haven't quiet figured out what I do want to do.  But what I don't want to do is becoming clearer by the minute and it doesn't involve an office in the city!  Have had a couple of appointments with my LHH consultant and enjoyed the full day Career Transition Workshop.  Lots of great suggestions and ideas that I'm using to work out what I would like to do.

One thing I loved, was that a couple of weeks ago it was pouring with rain, which made working for Emilio impossible. So we got to spend the day together. Did a few things, had lunch and went to see Bohemian Rhapsody in the middle of the day - on a Friday! Can't do that working in an office. Being a Queen fan, I loved the movie and Rami Malek does a superb job of playing the extraordinary Freddie Mercury.  I think Emi might have dozed off in parts.

Was rather excited to hear about the Mickey Mouse Exhibition on at the moment in Melbourne Central (until 28 January 2019) - probably more than someone my age should be.  So off I went to check it out.  Good thing the merchandise wasn't yet available, although I may or may not have purchased a Mickey notebook in Typo a few days later (it's an addiction, I can't stop).  Anyway, that wasn't on the list, but a visit to the Shot Tower Museum was. So in I went. The Coop's Shot Tower inside Melbourne Central was built back in 1889 and was the tallest building in the CBD until the mid 1940's. The free to enter small museum (access via R M Williams) explains how lead shots were made and has photos of Melbourne from days gone by.  A tick off the list.

Ah Mickey you're so fine 

The Shot Tower

Fed Square - love it or hate it?

Another tick, I finally did the Federation Square free tour.  The Old Duck and I attempted this a few years back on our Ferris Bueller's Day off, but I recall we were waylaid by some rather tasty cocktails
and missed the start.  Only 4 of us on the tour and we set off with Glenn our guide for a wander and chat about the site's history, the architecture and some of its unique features.  Love the idea of the passive aircon system used, the fact that there are bee hives on the roof and 88 water tanks underneath. Tours run Monday to Saturday at 11am and run for an hour or so. You just turn up.

Mercer building in the distance 

Just this week have managed another 2 ticks. Played Tombstone Tourist on the Springvale Botanical Cemetery Tour I did (since writing about that, I remembered that a person who likes visiting cemeteries is called a Taphophile and not just a weirdo) and finally did The Edge at Eureka Skydeck. I had previously been to the Skydeck, but it was on an Amazing Race work thing, so no time to stop and look around.  So on Wednesday, having 90 minutes spare between appointments and being nearby, I thought, why not. Eureka Tower is 297.3m high and at the top can sway up to 30cm in each direction.  Must be interesting after a few glasses of bubbles.  Apparently two 300,000 litre water tanks on levels 90 and 91 stop any excess sway. Did The Edge (basically a glass cube that pushes out around 3m from the building, 285m up in the sky) with 3 other people - a lovely, terrified Texan and her "I'm so proud of you honey" hubby and a young visitor from Israel, who was rather intrigued that I was from Melbourne. In fact, I'm pretty sure that apart from those working there, I was the only local up there overlooking our fair city that morning.  I know this because I of course had to stop and chat. Not suffering from vertigo or having a particularly strong fear of heights it was fine. Loved the sound affects, Texan women, wasn't that thrilled by them.   Found looking over towards Docklands at my previous life's office building rather satisfying - mainly because I wasn't in it. Souvenir photo, exit through the gift shop - done - tick!

I've also re-done my First Aid course - so if you've been bitten by a snake, call 000, apply a pressure immobilisation bandage and keep still!  Actually it was fun (the course, not being bitten by a snake), we had scenarios with make-up and fake blood.

So between all that, catching up with friends for lunch/coffee going to Bendigo for a weekend, doing a fabulous Greenies Tour with Wayward Wanderers (more to follow), the past 4 weeks have flown.

Bored? No way.  And always make time for a siesta.

Always time for chocolate con churros

Springvale Botanical Cemetery Tour

I have always had a bit of a fascination with cemeteries.  Not sure why, just find them interesting places.  Emi just thinks I'm weird.  Anyway, on Tuesday morning (4 December 2018) I went along on a free tour of Springvale Botanical Cemetery, as you do.  Small group, large bus and I was the youngest on board (I think). Doesn't happen often these days, so deserves a special mention. Off we went with our lovely and knowledgeable guide, historian Dr Celestina Sagazio.

It's said to be the most beautiful cemetery in Australia, and I can see why.  It really is stunning with over 30,000 rose bushes and more than 290 varieties. So if you want your ashes placed under a dusky pink rose with white edges, chances are you're in luck.  As well as roses, there are many other well maintained plants and over 80,000 trees including an old Red River Gum that's said to over 400 years old.

The cemetery, originally know as The Necropolis Springvale, was established in 1901. It covers an area of 422 acres (used to be bigger) and is Victoria's largest memorial park. The first burial was that of 7 month old baby Clarence Reardon, who died of whooping cough on 20 March 1902.  Sad.

Song He Yuan temple

Reflecting our multi-cultural background, there are resting areas for everyone.  The Song He Yuan Buddhist section has a temple built by Chinese Master Craftsmen and several pagodas. Extension is underway - time stops for no one.

There are sections covering many different religions and denominations and a viewing room in the crematorium to allow for Hindu's beliefs. The Jewish Metahar House (meaning 'cleansing or purifying') was built in 1940 and was the first denominational chapel. Interestingly, they place stones instead of flowers.


The children's lawn area is particularly touching, including an area called Bonny Babes for Stillborn babies.  There is a playground there and vibrant balloon sculptures to help create a welcoming place for young children, whilst family members take time to remember little angels.

Little angels resting in peace

Another section contains the Police Memorial listing the names of all who have died in the line of duty and there is an Australian War graves area. War graves all look the same because of the notion that in death, all are equal.



Grave sites come in all shapes and sizes. From the simple lawn burials to ornate tombstones (there is a model Ferrari on one and another with a stone helmet).  There are also 3 Mausoleums - the Rocco Surace, Luciano Rossetti and the new Saint Padre Pio.  Here bodies are embalmed and buried above ground.

Some other random facts I learnt:

1. The cemetery employs 50 gardeners
2. Burials in Melbourne are "forever"
3. Today, 70% are cremations and 30% burials
4. Following cremation, any metal is recycled and goes to the restoration trust
5. 2 large lakes host a number of birds and other wildlife and serve to reticulate the gardens
6. Ashes are not "scattered" but buried
7. One of the gardens is perfectly named the "Garden of No Distant Place"
8. Over at the new Bunurong Memorial park, natural burials are allowed where a shroud or cardboard box can be used.

Following our bus tour that lasted 90 minutes, we headed back to the Clarence Reardon centre that contains a cafe, florist, playground and many different function areas.  Lunch was provided whilst Julie, one of the customer care consultants spoke about the different burial options and how the cemetery operates.  The main message was to remind people to make a will and talk to family about your wishes. Death shouldn't be a taboo subject, after all, there is no escaping it.

So a tick off the list and now keen to do tours of some of our other cemeteries.  The night tour of Melbourne General Cemetery is supposed to be interesting. Weird? Not really.

Life is short do what you love

Number 1 on my list for 2018 was "get a job I love." The challenge, what did that look like?  All I was really sure of was that it wasn't where I was and wasn't where I saw myself in 1 years time, let alone to retirement.

So how do you go about working out what you love and once you've got that, how do you find your dream job?  Turns out it's not so easy. Sure, coming up with a list of all the things I love was easy, deciding on a job that combined those - not so much.  A writer, crocheting, stand-up comic that loves dogs, exploring, travel and hopes to live in a caravan, is a hard one to explain on the CV.

Breaking my ankle in February was a set-back, but when June came around, I was determined to find that dream job.  Applying for jobs that you are not fully qualified for is hard and there were a few rejections.  However, by September, I had decided that applying for jobs within my industry that were similar to what I was doing was definitely not a good idea, so I started looking into a few courses to expand my skills.

Now number 2 on my list for this year was "get retrenched" and here we are, a very big life-changing tick!  I didn't hate my job, and I worked with some great people, but I certainly didn't love it and my use-by date was definitely up.  A week has passed and I've had time to contemplate unemployment - I like it! The initial euphoria of freedom has settled, although I've still got a great big smile on my face.

I'm looking forward to going to my meeting with the outplacement service - maybe they can help me work out what I want to do and how to go about doing it.  For now, I'm enjoying the extra time to help Emi (Gardener's Touch), have a good clean out,  spending time with Lola, do some writing (although that has been a bit slow), go exploring and work out what next. I'm also very lucky to have the support of Emi.

I've got so many ideas running through my head, that last Tuesday I found myself panicking that I still don't have enough time to do everything I want to do!  Barista, RSA, First-Aid course and towing course all planned.  Learning more about sustainability and several ideas around that.  And hopefully lots of writing.

Birds of a Feather

Pick a subject each month, learn about it.  Seemed simple enough way back on the 1^st July when I decided “Never Stop Learning” needed to be a thing.  Should have taken into account procrastination and time constraints.  So choosing to learn about birds in July (extended through to August, September and October) has been a long, drawn out effort.  Partly because there are a lot of birds (just to be clear here – I’m talking about the flapping, flying, feathered variety) and a lot to learn. But still, I now notice birds everywhere. Luckily whilst peering up into the tree tops I have only stumbled twice, stepped on dog poo once and have yet to have an eye plucked out by a kamikaze magpie. Win win.

Could I name the 20 most common around Melbourne, which was the challenge?  Yes, I probably could – although some of the little blighters are way too fast to check out their “wattles” and distinguish between Red, Yellow and Little Wattlebirds.  Yeah, yeah settle down. I know that Yellows are the big ones found in Tassie and here in Melbourne we get the Red and the Littles. And because I know you’re dying to know, the “wattle” is the coloured bits at the side of their necks.  Yellows have yellow wattles, Reds have red wattles and Little’s don’t have a wattle at all. Which kind of make’s the name Little Wattlebird a bit odd. But prior to July, I thought they were called Wattlebirds because they lived in Wattle Trees.

Anyway, after flicking through a few books and a half-hearted attempt at researching, I realised that this is not the sort of subject that you can just say done and dusted in a month!  Birding is a serious and popular past time.  I also discovered that I quiet enjoy identifying birds so maybe it can become a new found ongoing interest.  Still determined to at least say I’ve learnt something, I went along last Saturday 27 October to a Bird Walk at Cheltenham Park run by the very friendly and dedicated Friends of Native Wildlife. With binoculars hung around my neck, off we went. Now firstly I must say that I didn’t even know that Cheltenham Park Reserve existed.  Apart from sporting facilities and play grounds there are bushlands and several walking tracks – who knew!  Sadly, some of the bushland was decimated by fire last year. Arson was suspected, but certainly not by the residents resting peacefully at the Cheltenham Cemetery which runs alongside the park.

Our lovely guide Anne spoke about the birds we saw and answered questions. With her trusty bird App, we were able to see pictures up close and even listen to their calls. All very interesting and I learnt lots.  One thing I was amazed by is that here in Victoria we don’t have any crows!!  Those big, black, beady eyed birds are Ravens – Australian Ravens to be exact.  Or maybe the Little Raven. Which is similar to the Australian Raven, only, well Little. And because I’m now such a fountain of knowledge, I know that Ravens usually travel in pairs and have a wedge-shaped tail whereas crows are seen in larger groups and their tail is shaped like a fan. Their calls are different too.  If you’re a trivia buff, you’ll probably know that a “flock” of crows is called a “Murder” but did you know that a group of ravens is called an “unkindness” or “conspiracy”? Now you do – note for next trivia challenge.

Enjoyable morning and an interesting “bunch" of people. 

Going forward, my learn something new each month needs to be smaller and more doable.  I also realised that it should probably be in line with my goals.  So time to revisit the list and update.  And my November thing – “learn how to create picture quotes.”  

Australian Raven

Red Wattlebird

Backyard Chickens (nice butt Louise)

Laughter Clubs

Like me, you've probably seen those weird gathering in parks with people standing around laughing and thought, that's just, well weird.  But then again, we all know that fabulous feeling when your eyes are watering, your sides ache from laughing and maybe, just maybe, there's been a little LBL.

So last Tuesday I found myself saying yes to my lovely neighbours invite to join her at laughter club.  Quick rundown, it was founded back in 1995 by an Indian Physician, Dr Madan Kararia with all of five people in an Indian park and now there are over 6,000 clubs across the world.  Laughter Clubs Victoria was founded in 2002 as a not-for-profit organisation and now has 41 clubs across the state where young and old are welcome to come along and laugh - for free!

Now we all know I fancy myself as a bit of a comedian, but I wasn't sure if we were supposed to tell jokes or what the deal was. Always up to trying new things and a bit of a giggle, I went in with an open mind not really knowing what to expect. 

There I was at the East Brighton Laughter Club (meets every Tuesday 6-7pm) limbered up and ready to get giggling. The class is led by Certified Laughter Yoga leaders - yep, you can get certified to "teach" laughter. No downward dog required, just lots of clapping and laughing with a bit of breathing and mindfulness thrown in for good measure.

Turns out laughing, even if you don't feel like laughing, can trick the brain into thinking happy thoughts and releasing those feel-good endorphins.  There is some truth then in the fake it till you make it idea. And studies do show that laughter helps with depression, decreases stress, increases your resistance to disease and those endorphins can even temporarily relieve pain. Something to think about next time you're in the dentist chair.

Did it feel good?  It actually did!  Just a fun hour spent not thinking about anything and switching off.  The cheeks hurt, and the knickers were dry - win win.  Sometimes it just feels good to be silly, and lets face it, I do that on a regular basis anyway.

Checkout a local laughter club - bound to be one near you.  Because lets face it, there could never be too much laughter in our lives.

Just because I like them, doesn't mean I wanted them

"To have or not to have" that is the question.  Growing-up (working on it), I couldn't understand (OK, maybe my mum who had a vested interest in having more grand-kids) being asked when I was having kids. At 15, 20, 25, 30 and 35 my answer was always "never."  Somehow, everyone seemed to know that I'd "change my mind". Approaching 40, I was often reminded the clock was ticking and time was running out (yep, thanks for that I was childless, not suffering memory loss).

And now over 50, I was asked the other day, "don't you ever regret not having kids?" WTF, give me a break.  The answer - no, never, not once.  Although I guess I have missed the chance of being a "mommy blogger." There is nothing wrong with not wanting kids.  Anyway, now that little rant is over, I love kids and kids love me! I'm good with kids. I play with them, I make them laugh, I tease them and don't baby them and we have fun! And then we part ways. Win win.

So when Jordan and Jason's 7th birthday came around (like clockwork, these birthday shenanigans), it was time to take them out on their annual birthday excursion.  Last year it was Legoland, this year we headed to the movies. Not very original I know, (thinking cap on for something fabulous next year) but that's what happens when your birthday falls in the middle of winter.  So off we went one cold wet Sunday to the Vjunior cinema to watch Hotel Transylvania 3.

Not just another cinema, Vjunior has a play area before you go into the actual cinema.  Once inside, you can go on the slide (well the kids can, I tried pushing in and having a go, but was given dirty looks so *slunked to my seat).  There is a play area under the screen and you can choose from normal seats or squishy bean bag style chairs - perfect for a little siesta if the movie is a bit dull. We chose the bean bags, but enjoyed the movie, so no siesta required.  Yep even Drac and his monster family enjoy a bit of action and nooky on the high seas.  Oh, and there is even an intermission so you don't have to leave the cinema midway through the movie with little Johnny holding his willy 'cos he needs to pee.

Lunch spot chosen by J&J - McDonald's - no judgement required. A stroll around to check out the dinosaurs that appear to have been let loose in Southlands and then home to hang out 'cos the weather was crap, so part 2 of the day was scrapped.

The boys have gone footy mad, so seemed happy enough to watch the game, eat popcorn and chase the chickens.  For good measure, we gave them some red fizzy drink just before their mum and dad stopped by to collect them.

Everyone survived. No injuries. Exhausted but happy - and that was just me.

Yep, love kids.  Especially other peoples.  As for me, no regrets that my babies have been covered in fur and occasionally lick my face after cleaning their bum. Oh and I'm lucky and have the best of both worlds with two lovely step-kids that I get to play wicked step-mother to.

*slunked - this may or may not be a real word, but I'm going with it.

A blast from the past - 9 October 2014 in Kathmandu

I started this blog as a place to write and record places visited. Since then, it's become a hotch-potch record of life.  Eventually, I'll even try and group things. For now, a random post.

This story was written a while ago and begins not on the day that The List was started, but on the 9^th of October 2014 – my 49^th birthday.  We were in a hotel room in Kathmandu, Nepal where we had spent the last four days exploring this mad, dusty, busy, colourful city.  The night before we had met our travel companions, eleven people of all ages and walks of life that we would be spending the next two weeks with and our guides. 

Opening the curtains and flicking on the kettle, the sun was just rising and the city awakening.  When Emi wished me a happy birthday, one of my first thoughts was "holy fuck, the next birthday would be the big five zero.  I’ve never really given much thought to my age, I certainly don’t feel “old” and I don’t act my age.  Is that a good or a bad thing? 

A yoga session was the first “activity” on the agenda and I joined some of the others in our group for a bit of breathing and stretching.  Balance has never been my forte, hence I’m crap at yoga and there was no way my stomach was ever going to be able to do the “rolling” that our instructor seemed to be effortlessly doing.  My attempt was rather more like a spare tyre bouncing around between fits of the giggles.  But never mind, may as well, limber up for the trek ahead and a bit of mindfulness never goes astray! 

After breakfast, we set off for our tour of Kathmandu.  Starting thirty minutes late was possibly a sign of the day ahead. Of the four places we were visiting, we’d already been to two, so we were looking forward to our first stop, Pashupatinath Temple, one place we hadn’t visited. 

Our tour guide for the day was a smiling man (we think he may have been sipping something slightly stronger than chai), who told endless bad jokes and only stopped mid-sentence to answer his constantly ringing mobile phone.

The Pashupatinath Temple is a large sacred Hindu temple complex on the banks of the Bagmati River.  It’s also a crematorium where the dead are burned and their ashes pushed into the water.  It may seem a strange place to visit as we would be witnessing some of the cremations taking place, but the complex is open to tourists and charges an entrance fee, so I guess they must be OK with it.

After a short walk around, we were asked to wait at a spot across the river where we could see several bodies in various stages of the “burning” process.  There had been a mix up and we were waiting for another group to join us, hence all the phone calls.  When the second group arrived, we walked around some more, our guide providing some information between awful jokes. 

Standing on the bridge with the body of an old lady being prepared by her family and the lighting of the torch that was then used to light her mouth was morbidly fascinating.  Felt slightly uncomfortable witnessing these peoples grief, rather like intruders, but couldn’t look away.  Like slowing down at a car accident scene.  

Other areas around the complex were made up of some interesting temples and structures and after what seemed like a long time in the one place, we headed back to our bus. 

From here we headed to the Great Stupa, known as Boudhanath.  Now this was one of the places we had already visited so were quiet happy to head back to the lovely Spanish restaurant “Casita de Boudhanath” that we had found on our previous visit and watch the colourful crowds with a couple of local beers. 

We had arranged to meet back at the main entrance after an hour and at the appointed time, we dutifully returned and waited. And waited and waited.  One of the drawbacks I guess of organised group tours, but waiting for over an hour in the hot afternoon sun was not really the way I had wanted to spend my birthday. 

Just as we were about to jump in a taxi and leave, we finally spotted someone from our group.  They hadn’t left us, we weren’t standing at the wrong gate - they just had their own delays at the place they’d stopped for lunch.  After another 20 minutes rounding everyone up, we were on our way.

Next stop was Patan, across the Bagmati River and not too far from Kathmandu. And like Kathmandu, Patan also has a gorgeous Durbar Square full of temples, palaces and statues. A very quick visit to the Patan Museum and the Golden Temple, but sadly we just didn’t spend enough time here to discover and look around. A place to one day return to. 

Rushed back on to the bus, our last stop was Swayambhunath, commonly called Monkey Temple. The complex consists of a large stupa at the top of a hill surrounded by various shrines and temples. Luckily we had visited a few days earlier and had time to wander and explore after climbing up the steep front steps before realising that there was an easier way up at the back.  But good practice for the many steps that lay ahead.  Sadly the cute monkeys that we had spent an hour watching diving into the monkey swimming pool, had decided that the pool was closed for the day.  It is a beautiful place and the view over the city of Kathmandu as the sun went down was well worth the repeat visit.

On the bus on the way back to the hotel, we were at least two hours behind schedule.  Everyone was tired and hungry, lunch not having been a success.  Finally headed out for a late birthday dinner.  Third Eye was a fabulous Indian restaurant where we had a corner table sitting on cushions.  Great food and a lovely dessert with a candle bought out by the friendly waiters made for an enjoyable evening. 

Feeling full and somewhat apprehensive about how the rest of the tour would go, we waddled back to the hotel and went to bed.  Happy birthday to me!  Certainly an eventful and unique day and not too many people would be able to say they had spent part of their day watching bodies being cremated.

One day, I'll get around to including some of the stunning pictures that Emilio took.

Happy 49th Birthday to me!

The 7 Secrets of Happiness

Do a search on "happiness" and it looks like every Tom, Dick and Kardashian has the answer and has written the book to prove it. 

Earlier in the year I read "The Bhutanese Guide to Happiness" by Gyonpo Tshering and I love the idea that a country measures Gross National Happiness over Gross Domestic Product. Visiting the little kingdom of Bhutan in the Eastern Himalayas in search of the secret to lifelong happiness is of course on my list.

More recently I read "The 7 Secrets of Happiness" by Gyles Brandreth. I picked it up at the library 'cos it was short and I needed a quick read if I'm going to get my 50 books quota.  What did I learn? Probably not much, but sometimes a happy boost in the middle of winter doesn't go astray.

So what makes you happy?  According to Gyles the top ten triggers are:

1.  Laughter - stand up comic and making people laugh - tick
2.  Friends - even those that you don't see or speak to anywhere near enough
3.  Music - because a bit of reggaeton will always get the hips wiggling and put a smile on your dial
4.  Dancing - see above, although at Zumba last week my smile was more of a grimmace
5.  Sex - and it even burns calories
6.  Sunshine and birdsong - hence identifying birds is this months "learning"
7.  Children - even (especially?) if they are not yours or have fur
8.  Family - well, maybe not that weird Uncle Fester
9.  Drink and Drugs - bring on the bubbles
10. Food in general, chocolate in particular  - but of course, did this even need mentioning????

The book then meanders along talking about looking for and finding happiness before ending with the seven secrets.  So here they are:

1. Cultivate a passion - did you know that Rod Stewarts passion is model railways?  What's your passion? What's mine?
2. Be a leaf on a tree - unique yet connected. Unless it's winter and you've long ago been blown away.
3. Beak the mirror - Self awareness is good; self regard, not so much. Because lets face it, nobody is really that interested in you.
4. Don't resist change - variety, flexibility and go with the flow. But I still don't like white wine. Unless it's got bubbles.
5. Audit your happiness - If more than half of what you are doing in a day makes you unhappy, change it. So obvious, yet so hard.
6. Live in the moment - We hear this all the time. Carpe Diem, quam minimum credula postero. I'd heard the first part Carpe Diem, Seize the day, but the rest fits. Seize the day, trusting as little as possible in the future.
7. Be happy! Sounds simple right? But I agree. Sometimes you've just got to fake it till you make it. Unless you need help and then there is absolutely nothing wrong with asking for help.

Theatre - culture or fun?

Go to three theatre performances.  Tick. I love going to the theatre. Actually, I love musicals and as much as I like the idea of seeing more serious plays and some of the smaller productions, I've come to the realisation, that they don't do it for me.  Bring on colour, music, singing and dancing, and I'm there! So for me, theatre is purely for fun and entertainment and the feel good factor, Shallow? Maybe.  Culture? Meh, not so much.

What have I seen this year?  Back in January, went along to see The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime.  As with most films, found the play not quiet as good as the book by Mark Haddon, but still enjoyed it.  Actors were fab, especially the lead who played 15 year old Christopher. The staging was very clever with actors who also played part of the "set."  Saves on costs I guess.

In April, it was Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Fabulous darlings, just fabulous! Big hair, big shoes, big lashes. Colour, dancing, singing and FUN! Much more my style. 

Finally last Saturday went along to see Puffs at the Alex Theatre in St Kilda. Had never been there before, so that was a first.  It covers seven years at that famous Wizard School from the viewpoint of the Puffs, who don't get to save the world from he who must not be named and are well "average". It was silly, but a bit of fun and we had a few giggles.  Emi wasn't overly impressed.

My fave show? Has to be Aladdin.  With Hairspray and Kinky Boots right up there. When I leave the theatre, I want my cheeks to hurt and if I've pee'd my pants just a little, that's a good sign. Least favourite? Well, I've only ever not gone back in at intermission at one performance and that was CRAPS.  Sorry CATS.  Not sure why I thought I might enjoy 1984 - didn't. Would have left at half time, but there wasn't one and we were in the front row, so felt a bit guilty.  What with Big Brother watching an all.

So after peering into the wall of self-reflection, I'm not going to go and see any show that's "deep" or a "must see" and go to the theatre three times is coming off the list.  Because life is too short to watch or read something that you're not enjoying. And on that note, I think it's about time I took read 20 classics off the list as well. Don Quixote - I'm looking at you.

Thelma and Louise

That's it. We have officially become crazy chicken people.  I suspected that would be the case when we welcomed Coco, but today it became crystal clear when Emi sent me this picture.

Thelma's very first egg (on the right)

Two weeks ago, our flock increased to three when we welcomed Thelma and Louise - a pair of Hy-Line Browns (checkout my chicken knowledge).  We collected the girls from Talking Hens down in Main Ridge and were a little worried how Coco would react to having room mates. 

L-R Thelma, Coco and Louise

Not impressed, lots of squawking and she managed to get herself stuck between the coop and the wall, but a bit of prodding with the broom and she was free. After her fright, Coco was quick to ensure the two new interlopers knew exactly who ruled the roost and who was top of the pecking order.  So a bit of bully behaviour (hen pecked is a perfect term), but Thelma is a plucky thing and little Louise, just kept out of the way. 

There was a bit of argy bargy when it came time for bed, but eventually the three girls settled in for the night after a bit of cackling and all three were beady eyed and fluffy feathered the next morning.

Since then, they seem to have settled down and no sign of injury or blood loss.  Queen Coco continues to be the boss, but Thelma is very friendly and likes being stroked and Louise is growing and catching up in size. 

Coco has been laying an egg nearly every day - not bad for an 18 month old hen.  And today, Thelma laid her very first egg. So proud.  Figure they must be reasonable happy.  They certainly get excited and talkative whenever we head outside - they come running over to us to see what we've brought them!  They love roaming free and have made no attempts to escape - our own mobile fertiliser factory. 

Who knew that chickens could make such cute and funny pets?  We're pretty sure that if we opened the back door they'd come right on in and hop up onto the couch.  As for Lola, she's like their big  sister chasing away any other birds that pop down to steal the food.  So although she doesn't "love them" their her chickens, in her garden so she has to protect them. 

Never Stop Learning

But what if like me you don't particularly like studying?  Well nobody said you had to be a Master of Quantum Physics (what exactly is Quantum Physics? Yeah OK, I could go and google it, but I'm afraid I might not understand the answer) and nobody said what you could learn.  Just reading and being curious about the world around us is a pretty good place to start.

“The world is a university and everyone in it is a teacher. Make sure when you wake up in the morning, you go to school.” ―T. D. Jakes

However, I'm taking it one step further - and began a new list!  So starting from June 2018, I decided that each month I would pick a topic that I wanted to learn more about or acquire a new skill. Doesn't have to be deep, or technical, it just needs to be of interest.

“It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts.” ―John Wooden

Now I read a fair bit and not only novels, but I wanted to actually focus on 1 particular topic. Coming up with topics is the fun bit (I love lists) and there are no restrictions.  Nothing is worthier than something else - unless there is a pressing need to learn about something. 

Which brings me to my June topic - what was it? Keeping Hens of course. Although I started reading up about hens when Coco arrived in late May, now that Thelma and Louise have bought our flock to three, I've been learning a bit more throughout June.  So as the month draws to a close, I'm summarising all I've learnt about chickens.  Am I an expert? Absolutely not, but hey I know more than I did and I can tell my Australops from my Hyline Bowns.  Just call me Julia the Chicken Whisperer. 

A list in progress - Acquire one new skill a month (in no particular order):

1. Identify the 20 most common birds found around Melbourne (I fancy myself a bit of a "twitcher")

2. What is permaculture all about?

3. Learn about healing crystals

4. What's all the fuss with essential oils?

5. Learn speed reading

6. How to make Jam/preserves 

7. Become a better photographer

8. Lean all the types of pasta and make some

9. Learn to tow a caravan

10. Learn how to crochet a mandala rug

11. Learn the history behind the art silos and do up an article

12. Learn about frogs and and building frog bogs

13. Learn about Buddhism 

14. Find out what Quantum Physics actually is

P.S. For July, I've decided to checkout birds.  Time to pull out the trusty binoculars.  

Lunchtime terrarium making

Collins Square (my day jail) has recently been running several workshops including one on making a Terrarium, which I had on the list.  I also wanted to do the croissant making one (images of golden, flakey, buttery delishesness coming to mind), but missed out on a spot. Never mind, probably a good thing - more on that another time.

Maree and I headed down, green fingers ready to create.  Considering the very reasonable price we paid, imagine our surprise when we were greeted with a fish bowl size container waiting to be turned into our masterpieces.   

Our hosts, were the lovely people from Miei Fiori (My Flowers in Italian), a florist with a difference. Not only do they produce beautiful bouquets of stunning flowers and run a variety of workshops, but they operate on a 100%-net-profit-to-charity model.  With a focus on improving children’s lives and closing the poverty gap in Australia, they are currently supporting the Smith Family and are one of the growing number of social enterprises supporting the community. Yay team - love ya work!

They also operate on a zero waste model, so don't have a supply of flowers ready and waiting to be bunched up and cellophaned to within an inch of their life. But give them some notice and they can provide gorgeous bouquets that you know are super fresh.

Back to the terrarium making.  Once intros and basic instructions were provided, it was time to get down to business.  We grabbed out 3 succulents. Maree thought she had her 3 safe in her keeping, but it's a dog eat dog world out there and she found one being snatched out of her hand.  Crocheting is not that competitive - although I can imagine Maree fighting with hooks raised at a Morris & Sons 50% off sale.

Right then, glove on, first layer - small pebbles to aid in water drainage.  Check. Second layer Sphagnum Moss that stores water and keeps things nice and moist (I don't have an aversion to that word. In fact I quiet like it - moist, moist, moist).  Next succulent potting mix.  Now the fun part planting our chosen succulents.  Making a little hole, loosening the roots a bit and sticking it in.  3 little succulents sitting in a bowl.  Bit of gravel over the top and several delicately placed decorative pebbles and Voila! 1 terrarium ready for a light water spray and Instagram glory.

Don't over water!  Just a bit of a spray when the soil is looking dry to keep things MOIST. And that's how we spent our lunchtime.  My terrarium is now sitting proudly on my desk receiving compliments. As for Maree's, well she doesn't like succulents so gifted it on to someone who can appreciate and talk nicely to it.

Oh, and if you fancy becoming a flower arranging maestro - check out Miei Fiori's workshops.

Maree "I'd rather be crocheting" Ross

Lola the Explorer and her allergies

Lola the Explorer has always been an "itchy dog" and over the years we have tried many things. From special (read expensive) shampoos, special diets, portions, lotions and creams and of course medication from the vet. Her allergies continue and although we laugh at her famous belly scratching and spinning around on her butt, it can't be comfortable for the poor thing.

Most helpful is Prednisone, prescribed by the vet. However, being a strong steroid, we don't like her taking it all the time so only give them to her when her allergies are particularly bad. They do help, but she's always starving (nothing thin about Lola) and giving us the "feed me" look.

Allergies were particularly bad on our recent trip up to Metung and Merimbula. And of course we didn't have any Prednisone with us. So spotting a vet in Lakes Entrance, we decided to stop and say hello and see if they could give us a few tablets.

An old fashioned country vet they agreed to provide them. The only hesitation - what to charge. 14 tablets, "oh just give us $5." Was tempted to see if we could have 200! The cheapest trip to the vet EVER!

Not only that, but we were having a chat about using human antihistamines between courses of the Prednisone which they were very much in favour of. So they also provided us with a sheet showing which to use and the recommended dosages:

   

Piriactin	4mg tabs	Give ½ tablet 3 times daily	Per 5kg of body weight
Phenergan	10mg tabs	Give ½ tablet 3 times daily	Per 5kg of body weight
Polaramine	2mg tabs	Give ½ tablet twice daily	Per 5kg of body weight
Claratine	10mg tabs	Give 1/4 tablet twice daily	Per 5kg of body weight
Teldane	10mg tabs	Give ½ tablet twice daily	Per 5kg of body weight
Zyrtec	10mg tabs	Give ½ tablet twice daily	Per 5kg of body weight
Zadine	1mg tabs	Give ½ tablet once daily	Per 5kg of body weight
Telfast	180mg tabs	Give 1/4 tablet twice daily	Per 10kg of body weight

We've had some success with antihistamines, although we were just dosing Lola once a day. It's suggested using one brand for at least 10 days and then trying a second. Antihistamines have very little side effects, but don't always work in all cases. So we're going to try and switch things up a little. I did find a few articles talking about this to compare. Like these ones:

Dog Walkers Melbourne

Fairfield Road Veterinary Hospital

After my bit of reading, we're also going to give sardines a go. Over the years we've tried Fish Oil tablets and various different forms of Omega 3, but apparently 1 small sardine a day, can help keep the itches away!

I scratch on sand......

I scratch on grass!