Sad news

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I just heard such sad news, that I can't think of anything else. A work colleague passed away suddenly after having been told that her condition was benign for 18 months. She leaves behind a husband and two young children aged 3 and 5.

It's a strange thing, being a flight attendant you may know someone for decades, and share the most intimate details of your lives with each other whilst away on duty. But often the friendships don't carry on whilst at home. So the loss of this lovely woman is at once very close to home, yet also a little removed.

When I think of her husband and children I cry for them. My first thought was of all the milestones they will celebrate without her and how much they will miss her. Christmas and Birthdays are the obvious ones, but also school recitals, grazed knees, first kisses etc.

I wish her family all the love and strength and support.

Rest in Peace Anna

An uninspiring day

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I haven't been able to post anything for a couple of days now. When I tried to access my blog only the name and colours appeared, but nothing else. I tried to access The Miracle Mile and the same thing there. Anyway, whatever happened all seems to have been resolved as today I didn't have any problems.

I must say that I'm not particularly inspired. The weather doesn't help and being locked inside the house with a teething baby doesn't either.

A random thought perhaps but I've been wondering if I'm the only one who finds it strange that there seems to be a market for insect sprays that spray your home at set intervals with a fine mist of chemicals. And then people wonder why their kids get allergies. I don't get it, but perhaps I'm missing a point?

Ipod widow

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We've had a visitor since Wednesday night, a Kiwi friend who hadn't been to Bundeena before, so we've been showing him around. The weather has been spectacular so the area has been putting on a real show!

I love sharing the beauty in which we live with others who appreciate it, and it always makes me aware again how lucky we truly are.

We took Miss M to the beach in the late afternoon a couple of days in a row and she loves it! Sand everywhere of course, in her eyes, nose, ears and mouth, but she doesn't seem bothered. The water temperature is still a bit nippy for her, but she likes to play on the water line and splash her feet in the water with all her might.

In the evenings I've been an ipod widow. Since Mr Kiwi got an ipod for his birthday his every waking moment that isn't spend on the boat or at work, he spends with his ipod at the computer copying his substantial amount of cd's. Considering he's a musician it's a little sad that it took us this long to get with the program, but I guess it's all a question of money and priorities.

Anyhow, we're part of the new millennium now and I look forward to having my husband back and many more 'Music Appreciation Nights'.

What language does your dog bark in?

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I read a funny article in a dutch magazine that looked at why a dog in dutch says 'waf'-waf' while in for example english it's bow-wow. Personally I think that neither sounds particularly dog-like. Apparently in Spain they say 'guau-guau', in France it's 'ouah-ouah' and in Japan 'wan-wan'.

Of course it's got to do with the different sounds the various languages give to different letters and also how different peoples hear the different sounds. But isn't that interesting really, that a dog barks the same the whole world over, but humans hear it differently.

My brave little girl

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As Miss M has turned 1 recently, it was time for her 12 month shots. I always dread it. She was is the best mood, in spite of not having her proper morning sleep. She played happily with the slinky the nurse gave her, and was on her most charming behaviour smiling to everyone who even glanced at her. I felt like a bit of a traitor knowing what was about to happen. But it's for the best.

I must say that she was great. A bit of a cry, but nothing too lingering. So great relief on mummy's part. She's sound asleep now. It's great how quickly they forget at this age! Time for mummy to have a rest and a glass of red!

It's time to listen.

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Everybody is so busy with their lives. No one seems to make sacrifices for another anymore. I was always taught that sometimes you have to do things that you don't particularly want to do or like, for someone else. Because it makes them happy, or because then the outcome for a group would be better.


I think it's a large part of the problems we see in the world today. The fact that there's no sense of family or community anymore. That everyone is in it for their own gain. So much emphasis is placed on what we possess. Our lives are filled with noise and things. Everything seems rushed.

There's no time to reflect, to get to know another. Most people don't even take the time to get to know themselves. And what we don't know we fear. What we fear, we want to destroy, even if it is ourselves. So this fear creates violence, addiction, destruction etc.

Isn't it about time we start to listen? Listen to our inner voices, listen to others? And to stop living in fear?

Late Night Rage

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It's after 11 pm and I should be in bed. As a matter of fact I was in bed but couldn't sleep and just had to get up to blow off some steam. The thing is, I'm very upset.

Today was The Big Day, our little Miss M's First Birthday Party. We had a lovely day. The sun was out all day, the cake was beautiful AND delicious, Miss M was on her best behaviour, loving the balloons and coloured decorations her daddy put up for her. My friend V brought the most delicious gourmet mini-pies, and my Sister made very yummy fruit-kebabs. Miss M was thoroughly spoiled with lots of presents.

Then why be upset, you ask? I'm upset because several of my dearest friends were no-shows. I know they all had valid reasons why they couldn't be here today, and I totally understand they all have their own lives to live. But to receive a call, or worse a text, at the END of the day is in my books just not good enough.

Of the 9 people that didn't show, 1 send me a text the night before, 5 let me know one way or another during the morning/day, 2 rang after the party finished and 1 send a text at 8.30 pm.

So, I'm spewing right now. I know, I should let it go and be thankful that we had a nice day with those that did take the trouble. But you only get one go at a first birthday and it would've been nice to share it with those that I considered my fr-amily.

First Birthday Party

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I really don't know where my days go. I usually get up before 7 am and race around all day but there just never seem to be enough time. I have no idea how I'm going to fit work back in my days come Febuary.

Anyroad, tomorrow is The Big Day; Miss M is turning ONE! Luckily her daddy could take the day off, so I look forward to some special family time. On Saturday we're having a party, which has turned out a little bigger than we originally had planned. To be honest, I've been a bit stressed about it. I guess it's the first First Birthday party I throw and I just hope everyone has a good time.

I'll let you all know how it all went and promise more blogging next week when the peace returns to the DutchieKiwiAussie household!

Fingers crossed for a sunny day!

Sadness

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A friend called today and told me that his father passed away. He was almost 90 and sick for a while but death always seems to come unexpected. My friend sounded understandably deflated and sad on the phone and I just wanted to give him a big hug. I tried to think of something comforting to say, but there's really nothing that can take away a sadness like that.

I read the following quote somewhere and thought it might be quite appropriate as my friend's father was very religious and strongly believed in the afterlife;

When you are born, you cry and the world rejoices
When you die, you rejoice and the world cries

I wish my friend and his family love and courage during this difficult time.

Maiden Voyage

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Well, as I've mentioned before, today was the Big Day; the launch of our 'Petit Bateau' (little boat). Mr Kiwi had been getting progressively nervous all week but at last the moment was here!

Serge and Mr Kiwi set off down the sand ramp, boat in tow, the girls followed in the other car. After quite some skilled manouvering on Serge's part (why they build a dog-leg into the lead up to the ramp is anyones guess) we finally got our little lady in the water!

Such excitement!... Such joy! ...Such disappointment when we found that she is still leaking! Not much, but enough to be worried somewhat.

We monitored the amount of water that was coming into the boat over the next couple of hours while we happily motored around Bonnie Vale, Hordern, Gunya and Jibbon Beaches. The sun even came out and it gave us a real taste of what it would be like to have a boat and the freedom to roam Port Hacking! It was wonderful.

We discussed our leaky centerboard casing and some other minor improvements we should make. And knew that we had no option but to get the boat back in the carport and fix what needs fixing before putting her on the mooring.

All in all of course a disappointment, but at the same time we felt it was an achievement to have her in the water and we definitely learned a lot again.

So it is back to the drawing board and fiberglass and epoxy resin. And quickly too! Because now that we've had a taste of the life, we don't want to wait too long before we can go out again!!

A Woman's Work is Never Done!

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To be fair, I probably should have titled this blog; A Home-Owner's Work is Never Done! After all Mr Kiwi is pulling his weight as well. He actually suggested writing about the staggering amount of jobs-around-the-house we always seem to be lagging behind with.

On todays agenda was getting the boat ready for launch tomorrow, fertilising and then watering the lawn (should have done that BEFORE it started to rain), two loads of laundry, changing the sheets of Miss M cot, vacuuming, making the guest-bed for my sister and her fiance (he finally popped the question to her last week YAY!), sweeping the driveway, wrapping some presents, baking a quiche, baking banana-bread and fixing a loose door-handle.

That still leaves a massively over-grown backyard that needs mowing, weeding, pruning, mulching and fertilising, a badly peeling ceiling that needs scraping and painting, a balcony deck that needs at least some tlc, if not replacing, windows that need washing badly, a vegie-patch that needs building, gutters that need a clean-out in anticipation of the fire season.

And I won't even mention all those small and big things we need or would love to get that require loads of cash we don't have.

Oh well, Rome wasn't build in a day either! So I take some time out for some blogging, interrupt my day frequently for cuddles and laughs with my daughter and husband, and stop and smell the bush after the recent rain (we haven't got any roses to smell). Heaven!

Kiwi Inspiration

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My Kiwi-man was told about this cartoon by his boss at work and hesitantly told me it was quite funny (he gets a little sensitive about kiwi-accent jokes). So I checked it out and thought it worthy of a link.

Which got me thinking about Kiwis and associated inspiring Things.

Number One had to be my man, of course! He's hard-working, honest, enthusiastic, loving and funny. He's salt-of-the-earth and completely unpretentious.

He's the one that got me onto my Number Two favourite thing of NZ; Salmonella Dub. This being the band, not the bacteria causing severe stomach cramps and diarrhea. They play a reggae/ska/drum'n'base blend (apologies to music-lovers as I am notoriously bad describing music). We saw them live in Sydney a couple of years ago and were blown away!

My Third favourite New Zealand thing would have to be Akoroa, the picturesque little french whaling town on the South Island were we got engaged. It is just so pretty and I thoroughly recommend it to anyone!

And after today's heat I absolutely crave for the cooler New Zealand temperatures!

Out of control!

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I was feeding Miss M in a parents' room a couple of days ago, quite enjoying the escape from the hustle and bustle of the shopping mall when a blood curdling scream, followed by some choice expletives made my heart skip a beat. A mother in the children's toilet was going off her nut at one of her children.

When they came out the little girl was dragged by her arm and had such a look of terror on her face. Mr Kiwi (who was with us at the time) and I looked at eachother in horror and hesitated. We wanted to tell the woman to chill out but at the same time felt like we couldn't. It seems such a social taboo, to interfere. I guess I wouldn't like it either if some stranger told me how to discipline my child. But this woman was out of control!

I wonder if she even realised how she sounded, and how scared her little girl was of her. It is my guess that if she loses it like that in public, she wouldn't control her feelings much better when in the privacy of her own home.

I am by no means a perfect mother, and totally understand that on some days children can make your blood boil. But us being the adults, and therefor presumably the wiser ones, we should be in control of our feelings. I think much more is achieved if you can discipline your child in a calm and resolute manner. I don't believe screaming like an out of control Banshee teaches a child to respect you and your authority.

Finger and Telephone Manners

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I guess it's a bit of an odd title for my blog today, but that's the first thing that came to mind. The finger is obvious; it's still throbbing away a little, though it is healing and I get reminded with everything I do as I've got this massive bandage restricting me.

The telephone manners bit is perhaps less obvious but it definitely is something that gets on my nerves.

For example; the phone rings yesterday and I answer. I hear; "who's this?". Well, you called me, so who's this? I say. That seemed to confuse the caller somewhat. Isn't it plain good manners to introduce yourself?

I know I'm probably nit-picking but whilst we are on good manners; am I the only one that gets irritated when the person behind the counter doesn't interrupt their personal conversation while they serve you? And that goes both ways, I think it is equally rude to be on the mobile while you order your coffee for example. What is that important that it can't wait those 30 seconds?

I know these are all little annoyances in the greater scheme of things, but it signifies a breakdown in human contact and interaction. And if we can't even communicate properly with eachother over these small instances, then what hope do we have of solving major differences in our world?

Love, Luck and other Learned Behaviours

Saturday

I just read a great post by Crystal Clear about luck (see link). It tied in very well with what I've been thinking lately. I've pretty much always felt lucky. Lucky to have been born in a free country, lucky to have received a great education, lucky to have a fantastic family and partner. Also lucky to have been spared great tragedies.


Of course I've had my ups and downs, but all in all things always worked out. I think a big contributing factor has been my dad, who is definitely the eternal optimist. One of his favourite sayings is; There's a solution to every problem. I believe growing up with dad's positive outlook and mum's love and protection has made me into a lucky person indeed.


Monday

I started this post on Saturday but then had to run off to go First-Birthday shopping with Mr Kiwi. We had planned this a while as we don't get that much time together. Anyway, I packed a bag with Miss M's lunch, threw in afternoon tea and dinner just in case we took long, a cardigan just in case it got cold, a book and some toys to keep her entertained, checked that we had enough nappies and wipes and off to Miranda we set.

A 40 minute drive later, we finally got a park, set up the pram, put Miss M in the pram...and realised that I'd left my handbag with my wallet at home!! Mr Kiwi always relies on me for cash and never really carries a wallet, so there we where; all ready, but no money! I was so frustrated, it's really out of character. We had a bit of a look, but the moment was spoiled, so we decided to go home and just do some stuff around the house.

I got stuck into the kitchen as we had some people coming over to visit on Sunday and I wanted to make a quiche amongst other things. I had decided on one with spinach, roast capsicum and fetta to cater for everyone including vegetarians. So, still a little cranky with myself I'm chopping away, wondering what's wrong with me, when I literally chop a slice of my right index finger off! I can tell you by this stage I was totally OVER everything.

I'll spare you the gory details but I'm off to see the doctor this afternoon as it still hasn't stopped bleeding. Everything is a challenge, especially typing, so I've been putting it off.

Anyway, to get back to the lucky thing. I guess you wonder if I still think I'm lucky? Of course I do!! I could have chopped my whole finger off for starters. This is but a small speed-hump on the road of life. And it's been a lesson too. I fancied myself quite a Jamie Oliver and have since realised that when it comes to chopping I might need a bit more practise.











Crystal Clear: luck

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Learn something new every day

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After our race out the door, we had a very enjoyable and educational time with Tomdiggleharry, Dontmesswithmum and young Brad (nice to meet you).

Tomdiggleharry definitely gave us some good tips on different aspects of YouTube so I look forward to spending some time making my channel my own.

He also floored me by fixing my memory stick which showed 'no images' as well as 'memory stick full'. I had no idea you could format the stick on the camera! I seriously thought I'd stuffed it up and was prepared to go out and buy a new one. Goes to show that it definitely pays to ask!

It was also very enjoyable to watch Miss M and Mr T have a bit of a play together. They are still a bit to little to really play games of course but you could see they were quite fascinated by each other.

After our city-visit I raced to Engadine where I fed Miss M her dinner at McDonald's and then had a play with her in the playground. They are actually real fun, no wonder these kids always want to go to Maccas. As soon as Mr Kiwi arrived we swapped cars and he set of home while I drove to Cronulla to do my other job.

I tell you by the time I got home I was thoroughly over it!

So today I got an easy day planned. Will try and get back into the jungle at the back of our house where I've been pulling weeds for days already. It's actually quite gratifying work as you see results straight away. Shame they keep growing back!

Learning something new..

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It's always a race against time when I have something on in the city. I try and work it so that Miss M has her morning sleep in her bed, otherwise she'll just be cranky all afternoon. Then I have to make sure I pack enough for her to eat (how much these littlelies eat never ceases to amaze me!), have enough nappies and wipes, change of clothes and some toys, the pram and her favourite bear so she can hopefully have a sleep.

Then I have to get myself presentable, tidy the house and off we go!

Today's venture is most exciting as Tomdiggleharry is going to give us a tutorial on YouTube. Look forward to it, as I've been groping around in the dark a bit there! Let you know how it goes...

Do you believe in past lives?

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I had a little 'me'-time on the lounge with Oprah this afternoon. The show was about this professor of psychiatry who was a world-renowned expert on past-life regression.

I have always been interested in this topic, though not necessarily a believer. I would love to meet someone like this professor who could take me there, but it isn't like I've got unexplained likes or dislikes, phobias or dreams.

Anyway, the way he got some people to remember things from a past life was through hypnotherapy. Which reminded me about something that happened to me, when I saw a hypnotherapist to quit smoking.

I had always been a really bad sleeper. I hated going to bed, as I knew I would just lie awake for ages. My parents told me the story that they had to lock me in my room (on doctor's advise)when I was a child, because I just kept getting up and thus never got enough sleep.

Later in life, it all came to a head when I became a flight attendant and jet-lag became more and more an issue. I just accepted the fact that I was a bad sleeper, and thought nothing more of it. Until this experience at the hypnotherapist...

Whilst under hypnosis I remembered back to when I was very young, about 3 years of age. My Mum was in hospital again soon after my brother was born and I was staying at my uncle and aunts place. I remembered walking in their upstairs hallway, looking for my mum. Everything was dark and brown. I was very upset and of course, my mum wasn't there.

It was liberating remembering that, as I could now make sense of the situation. I could let go of that old feeling as I understood the background (my parents did not abandon me) and believe it or not, I have never again experienced problems sleeping! As a matter of fact, Mr Kiwi finds it hard to believe when I tell him that I was once an insomniac.

Possibilities and Positivity

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I was talking to my brother earlier, who found out today that he wasn't one of the 800 people at Telstra who lost their job. Phew! On the other hand he didn't seem too worried. He had faced a similar situation earlier and I guess it taught him that it is not the end of the world. It's just the end of your comfort-zone.

I have been in my job for 15 years. Before I had Miss M I just couldn't imagine ever doing anything else. Like most other people I hated any changes that were made by management and did my share of complaining about it!

While I still enjoy what I do (well at least I did before I went on Maternity Leave), having a baby has opened up my mind to other possibilities. I've HAD to learn some new skills and I've HAD to update some old ones, but now that I've done that I remember that I CAN do whatever I put my mind to.

I still haven't got a firm plan B, but I feel confident that it'll come to me when the time is right. In the meantime I would like to say to all those people who were unfortunate enough to get the boot; use this as an opportunity to break free of your comfort-zone and head for bigger and better things. There are always possibilities if you look for them!

Where there's a will, there's a way!

Sunday Morning Mooring Adventure -Part 1-

Soon we'll set off on a Sunday Morning Mooring Adventure. We at DutchieKiwiAussie are most excited, as today we pick the site where our Petit Bateau will be moored.

The thing is, that even though we live surrounded on 3 sides by water, there is no proper boat-ramp in Bundeena. There is a sand-ramp at Bonnie Vale but to get your boat in the water there you need a kick-ass 4-wheel drive which we ain't got.

There has been much debate in Bundeena about a boat ramp, the town pretty much split down the middle with those for and against. Because we are in the National Park there are many things to consider, the impact on the environment being the main one. As much as I would like the ease of a boat ramp, I don't think I would like the amount of jet skies and motorboats it would attract.

So, we decided to get a mooring and be done with it.

I don't know if there are any boating people amongst you, but having a boat is like having a big hole in the water in which you throw hands full of money! And having the boat moored means getting insurance, locks to prevent the outboard from getting knocked-off, investing in a boat-cover to keep the bird-shit off and the rain out... the list is endless.

We have had this boat, a 16 foot, 30-odd year old, wooden Hartley trailer-sailer, for about 2 years now. When we bought her we thought; a lick of paint and " Bob's your uncle", but we quickly realised that there was more work to be done, and decided to do it all properly. It's taken a while but we are very proud of the end result. My Kiwi-man calls it his Labour of Love. Anyway, you be the judge; I'll post a photo below so you can check it out.

And now I better go and pack our sunscreen etc as it's always 'safety first'!

Have a sunny Sunday!

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Quick...before she wakes up!

The Magic Miss M is down for a sleep so I stopped my spring-cleaning activities to quickly do a bit of blogging. I just read Dont Mess With Mum's blog from yesterday and totally relate. I really don't know where the time goes. Sometimes wish there were more hours in the day than just 24, but then again, you just end up running around longer!

How wonderful is the weather? I feel like a bear coming out of hibernation; fat, fuzzy and full of wonder about the world. I LOVE spring! And I love a good spring-clean. It's great to be rigorous and chuck stuff out and feel lighter because of it.

It's also great to be able to wear less; although shorts in public are still a no-no as my fluorescent white legs, and the fuzzy state of them, may just frighten small children and adults alike!!

Ok, this was definitely NOT a world changing entry but hey, that's what it's at @ DutchieKiwiAussie's place.

Have a good One!

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When the moon hits the sky...

How absolutely stunning was the full Moon last night? I took miss M outside and danced around with her singing 'When the Moon hits the sky like a big pizza-pie-That's amore'. Of course she was delighted. It really doesn't matter that I can't sing and that I dance as if I'm wearing clogs! She thinks I put the moon there for our entertainment!

As much as I love the Moon, come bedtime she creates havoc! I have the most vivid dreams, get hot and cold sweats and wake up without fail around 3 am and can't get back to sleep til daybreak. No problem if you can have a sleep-in, but of course that is a foreign word in our house nowadays.

Anyway, it's a good thing my boxing revives me!

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And the Winner is...

...Me!

The Winner of the 8 week Bundeena Fitness Challenge is ME! Ha, do you believe it?! I blitzed it, having the greatest improvement in strength and endurance! I am proud as punch, and finally start to understand what all those fit people, that work out all the time, have been telling me for years; once you form a habit you actually get energy from working out and you miss it when you're not doing it.

I am by no means a size 0, but that was never my goal. My goal is to be strong and fit, so I can keep up with Miss M as she runs around the place. I also hope to cheat time a little. Next year the big 4-0, so fighting gravity with all I got.

I look forward to enjoying my prize; a lovely full-body massage. Ahh, 90 minutes of bliss. I think I'll wait a week or 2 with booking it, so I can look forward to it longer!

To keep up the work I started the 8 week Bikini-Bust-Out on Monday (who came up with that name?). And of course I'll keep boxing as I enjoy it so much.

Hope you all have an energetic day!

Hooroo
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The Apple of my Eye

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Capoeira

After a very busy weekend I've finally got a moment to sit down and fill you in on the latest gossip on our little DutchieKiwiAussie lives.

Little Miss M is 11 months already. And what a fantastic age it is! She changes so quickly and learns something new every day. I was amazed to notice one morning that she'd sprouted 2 more teeth (she's got 4 now) overnight. And she's learning to put her pearly-whites to good use, chomping away on crusts of bread, the edge of her play-pen, the rind of a lemon the neighbour gave her, pretty much everything she can get her chubby little hands on.

This weekend she also stood for the first time unassisted. For a whole 3 seconds!! I guess only parents can get excited about such little achievements, but I was disappointed that I wasn't quick enough with my camera.

We stayed at my sisters place on Saturday night, and Miss M loved playing with the dogs, thus far displaying absolutely no fear whatsoever, much to my delight. (see earlier blog).

On Sunday I went and visited my good friends Chris and John. I was given the biggest and yummiest muffin I've ever seen, before heading to Bondi Beach to watch Lucas in a Capoeira Demonstration. I had never heard of Capoeira before and was told that it is a cross between martial arts, dance, gymnastics and acrobatics. Apparently it was developed by slaves in Brasil who 'disguised' their fighting in this way. Anyway, it was unexpectedly entertaining and definitely athletic to watch. Some of the smaller children were amazing! (Some of the adults were very more-ish on the eye! ;)

Mr Kiwi was working all weekend so didn't get to have as much fun. Thankfully he's taking tomorrow off, so we can enjoy some quality time as a family.

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We are family!

As I get older, I become more and more aware how important family is.

I think when you're young you take for granted that they'll always be there. There might even have been a time where I would have rather seen the back of them, feeling that they didn't understand me. Nonsense of course, it was more that I was up to mischief and didn't want to get caught out!

I moved to Australia when I was barely 21. I was so excited at the prospect of living in Australia. Even as a young girl I knew that I wasn't going to grow old in Holland. So, when I met a dutch man who was living in Sydney, I thought it was a sign and off I went.

I never really considered at the time what that would have meant to my parents and my siblings. Mum told me later that she didn't want to see anyone for 2 weeks and that my brother was out-of-sorts for months.

But I was just busy discovering Sydney and setting up my new life. Of course I missed them! In those days the cost of a telephone call was astronomical so we spoke once a week, taking turns. My dad was always saying 'knock-off time' and Mum and I never really had enough time to catch up on the goss.

It wasn't until my dream went to shit somewhat (I got divorced) that I realised how much the love of your family means. And by this stage I am not just talking my immediate family. In the years I have been in Oz I have met some amazing people who have become my new extended family. They have cheered me up when I was down, let me astray on many wonderful adventures and supported me through different 'phases'.

And most recently my 888DAG brothers and sisters have shown such kindness and caring. And some of you I've never even met!

We ARE all one big family and it's a comfortable and cosy feeling to be part of that. The kind of family-support that allows you to be you is very special indeed and I treasure you all!

I hope you all have a magical day!

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Hello....anyone seen my inspiration?

Isn't it funny how some days your mind gets flooded with ideas and other days it's barren like the Simpson Desert? I've said this before and I'll say it again; lack of sleep has a lot to do with it. But some days I just feel like I've been dumbed down somehow. Stuck in an eternal cycle of waking up, tending to life's tedious tasks, and then, exhausted, going to sleep again.

I admire those that wake up each day, fighting for some important Cause. Saving the Whales, or the Planet, or lives at the hospital. People with Great Ideas and the conviction and energy to follow through.

But then I think I might be a little hard on myself. Because what greater Cause is there than raising a child? I look at little Miss M and realise that I want to be a better person for her. I want to have a better world for her. I am learing about computers because I figure it's part of being a plugged-in, switched-on parent. I am reading the labels on jars in the supermarket and have educated myself about the perils of additives etc. I want her to have the freedom and possiblities to be the best that she could be.

I guess I have found my inspiration. It was never really lost.



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Moment of Truth

Ok, time for a moment of truth.

I am afraid of dogs!

When I see one coming my way, I cross the road and hope that he can't smell the fear on me. I know which streets to avoid were there are particularly 'barky' and 'jumpy' types. My heart races, and I get sweaty palms. I can't help it.

I don't want to transfer this fear onto my daughter. So I bravely point out dogs to her on the street and do my best bark, much to her amusement.

The worst thing is that I don't like to admit it to dog-owners. Firstly they mostly have the same reply; Oh my dog doesn't bite/jump/bark/lick-your-face. But they invariably do. Secondly I feel like I'm a freak. 'How can you not like dogs? They are so loyal etc. etc."

My sister has two dogs. I'm ok with them as I've known them for a while now, and can more or less predict their behaviour. But don't expect me to get all cuddly with them, I just can't.

So there you have it, black on white. If anyone has any helpful hints; please, I am always open to suggestions!


http://www.888dag.com/

Happy First Father's Day My Love!

It's been a couple of days so thought I better hop on and give an update of our little lives. Of course today is Father's Day, Mr Kiwi's first one so I wanted to make it special. We started this morning at 7 am. A sleep-in courtesy of little Miss M! Presents in bed, including obligatory undies (no socks this year) and then brekkie (not in bed, way too messy!).

We were out the door at 10 am, eager to escape the house after Friday and Saterday's torrential rain. We thought we'd drive down the South Coast and see where it took us. It's such a lovely drive, with some beautiful views on the way. We ended up in the Gong, where we had fish burgers and beer in the park. Miss M loved the freedom and crawled around happily exploring every twig and leaf to be found.

As part of our conscious effort to watch less on the idiot box, we had a candle-lit music night. Listening to Pink Floyd and chatting away. Mr Kiwi loves educating me on all aspects of music, but the 70's hold a special place in his heart. I am a willing subject and find it all very relaxing.

Tonight I've got a special dinner planned with scallops, which is Mr Kiwi's favourite. But that'll have to wait till Miss M is out cold. Scallops over-cook way too quickly, so I'm not going to run that risk.

The best thing is that Mr Kiwi has tomorrow off as well, so we get another day together as a family! To me definitely the best days!

Hooroo!

http://www.888dag.com/

Afraid? Me?...

Several of my fellow bloggers have written about the fear they encounter in people as soon as you point a camera at them. But is an unwillingness to share yourself with the world a fear per se?


In the Macquarie Concise Dictionary it tells me that FEAR is


1. a painful feeling of impending danger, evil, trouble, etc.; the feeling or condition of being afraid.
2. a specific instance of such a feeling
3. anxiety; solicitude


(I like to look words up so I know exactly what I'm dealing with as English is my third language.)


I think that most people will agree with me that they do not feel that the camera is, in itself dangerous or evil (with the exception of those that have a phobia perhaps). So what is it about camera's that make people shy away from them?

I must say that it took me a little while to get used to it. And to stop caring whether I look good in any one particular shot. Vanity does prevail in many cases. We all like to look our best after all!


Other than the Vanity aspect (does my bum look big from this angle?) there is the issue of Privacy. Wikipedia had the following to say about Privacy which I think is quite relevant.


"Privacy is the ability of an individual or group to seclude themselves or information about themselves and thereby reveal themselves selectively. The boundaries and content of what is considered private differ among cultures and individuals, but share basic common themes.

...

Privacy can be seen as an aspect of security — one in which trade-offs between the interests of one group and another can become particularly clear."



I think that for many people I encounter, the security of themselves, and particularly their children plays a big role. It's not so much the fact that I am filming them that bothers them, but that countless strangers can view the footage. I guess it prevents one from revealing oneself selectively.



Personally, I'm not afraid. But then again I am in control of the camera and of what I write, so I can be selective about what I do and don't reveal.




http://www.888dag.com/

Things that make me see RED

Just arrived home from a frantic day (father's day) shopping in Miranda Mall. My goodness, it was as if you'd get something for free, people everywhere! Anyroad, got all I wanted to get, so that was good. All in all a fruitful day.

I just wanted to have a whinge about some idiot drivers on the road. For those of you who don't know Bundeena; it's in the National Park, and to get there you have to drive for about 25 mins on a rather windy 2-lane road.

In itself no problem. It's really pretty and there's no traffic jams, traffic lights or speed humps. But you get the occasional idiot who thinks that the lines on the road are for decoration purposes only! They come flying around the corner, on the wrong side of the road and miss you by inches.

It makes my blood boil, and more than once have I contemplated turning around and chasing them to give these dangerous individuals a choice piece of my mind! But of course by the time you turn around, you've already lost them.

So the only thing I can do to release the pressure is to have my say on my blog.

Thanks for listening!


http://www.888dag.com/

Surprise Encounter

I bumped into an old friend today. Well, we used to be friends but then something happened and then we were friends no longer. For months, even years I agonised over the 'Why?' and "What If's?' until one day I decided to accept and move on.

Today brought back many memories. And questions too. What happened? I will never understand as long as I live. It's a crying shame, but there it is. Too much water under the bridge now. I wish them well. But I wish no longer for things to be different.

http://www.888dag.com/

Australian Story

I just remembered; did anyone else watch Australian Story on Saturday. I think it was a re-run, but anyway it was about that Aussie vlogger (video blogger; I'd never heard that expression before) Daniel Meadows.

He's basically this shy, almost reclusive guy who ends up building a network of friends on the Internet by video blogging. And falls in love with a girl who lives in the States.

To cut a long story short, he ends up going on this long trip to see her, and to also meet up with some other friends he's made on-line. His flight goes via Japan to the USA. I can't remember which port he arrives at but it wasn't NYC or LAX. He then has to transfer to a domestic flight to fly to his girlfriend's town.

But the Department of Homeland Security singles him out, sees the videos he took in Japan, and questions him about all these friends he's going to see, all people he hasn't met before, and they don't believe his story, at first calling him a terrorist. Later his "crime" was downgraded to being a risk of over-staying and working illegally, as he hasn't got a job back in Australia. He get deported on the first available flight, never gets to see the girlfriend!

She ends up saving up and does travel to Australia, where they finally meet (and might I add fall in love in the flesh). But it's only for a short holiday and he's not allowed back into the States. Even though he didn't do anything wrong. The word of the Department of Homeland Security is absolute. You can't fight it. You have no rights. His only hope now is that an Australian Government Official asks for his case to be reviewed after vouching for him.

The things that struck me about Daniel's story was first of all, that it was such a modern day romance. And no one loves a Love Story more than me! Who would have thought that being a blogger could change a person so much? (He now holds down a job and is working towards a reunion with his girl).

Secondly it made me realise that You Tube is very useful for getting stories out there that otherwise perhaps never would have been heard. Daniel is using You Tube to get his story out there. Turns out there are so many people that have had similar experiences trying to enter the States.

I gotta run, but what do you think?

Stay Safe
http://www.888dag.com/

It's Spring!!

I wonder how Nature knows that it is Spring today? I mean yesterday was really quite miserable and grey, but when I opened my eyes this morning; Spring is in the air! I thought there was no end to this winter. And I should be used to winters that last at least 6 months you would think... but no, not I, I never did like the cold.

I kicked off this morning with a boxing class that saw me feeling a little queasy at the end, I worked so hard. But when the nausea went away I felt very energised and more than a little proud of myself.

Then after the 'feeding of the wild animal' we played in the sun for a while. Miss M was delighted to be allowed to crawl around in just her nappies and shorts.

I'm glad she seems all better again. She came down with conjunctivitis on Friday afternoon (like Nature; how do babies know to get sick on Friday arvo when you can't get a doctors appointment to save yourself?). Daddy was sick too on Sunday, so it wasn't a barrel of laughs here!

But all that is forgotten, and I have a Spring in my step; the Sun is out and that's enough to make me smile from ear to ear today!

Hope you're all having a lovely day too!

http://www.888dag.com/

I love this LEUNIG cartoon...

I love this Leunig cartoon, it was in one of the free calenders you get with the SMH and I've kept it for years. I think it's such a good way of looking at life. I'm glad I found it on Google Images so I can share it with you. If Life is a Holiday, you may as well make it a Good One!

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Miracles do happen!

Never managed to get back on the computer yesterday as little Miss M was very clingy due to teething and my Kiwi-Guy came home with a massive cold and needed some TLC. Have an hour or so now, as I wore Miss M out by giving her a surprise morning bath. (Normally Daddy gives her one at night).

Anyhow, had another full memory stick so just went to copy and burn it onto ex harddrive and you will never guess what I found on there; my "lost" clips! I don't understand how they could all of a sudden show up, with all the new ones on the same stick as well, but I am not complaining at all! It sure is a miracle to me!!

Just had to let y'all know!

Chat again after I finish renaming etc.

Hooroo!




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No-Go Boo-Hoo :(

It's disappointing, but the first people to show an interest in buying my parents' lovely home have said 'No Go'. So back to the drawingboard. I just hope that the market in Holland improves soon. At least with the end of August, also comes the end of summer-holidays. So fingers crossed the buyer is amongst those Dutchies that spend their summer weeks down South in France, Italy or Spain.

We have been contemplating travelling to Europe for a couple of weeks, just to re-inspire my parents as to why they made the decision to immigrate. Of course they miss Miss M terribly! Problem is, with me on Maternity Leave the cashflow ain't flowing so fast!

Other than that, it's a pretty quiet day here. Had my conference call with Tony and some of the other DAGgers this morning, baked a carrot and walnut cake (never did that before. I'm not much of a sweet tooth) and have been renaming files as my memorysticks were full again.

And that's all I got time for right now, as I can hear the Marvelous Miss M calling out.

Try to hop on computer again bit later

Hooroo!



http://www.888dag.com/

Things To Do When The Boss Is Away

My lovely Kiwi-Man was send this by his boss. I found it quite funny, so I thought I'd share it with you. Perhaps it'll give you all at Access Innovation Media an idea as to how to spend the time.. (Just kidding, of course!)


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Quote of the Day

The wise man seeks little joys, knowing that life is long and that his quota of great joys is distinctly limited. - William Feather





As vague as I may have been today, the little joys did not escape my attention:





*Miss M's total adoration as she smiles at me from her cot
*Sun-dried laundry flapping away on the line
*Receiving a postcard from Holland
*Hearing my brother is coming to visit on Sunday
*Hearing the fun Miss M is having while her Daddy gives her a bath

I hope your day was full of little joys too!






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Nothingness

I swear, my head is filled with Nothingness today. I admit, I had a shocking night sleep, which is never condusive to thinking the brightest thougths. But even I am amazed at my own vagueness!

I must have gone downstairs to the laundry three times, only to have forgotten what I went there for. And let's be honest, laundries typically give one not-too-many options as to what activity may take place there.

I thought I'll sit down and do some blogging, but after five (very peaceful) minutes; still NOTHING. Never mind, I'm sure there's someone somewhere thinking amazing thoughts. So I might now go into the sunshine, and top up my vitamin D. Will let you know if I have any brainwaves....

:)

http://www.888dag.com/

888***TheAvNGavShow***888: THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

888***TheAvNGavShow***888: THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

www.888dag.com

I laughed out loud when i read this with Tony.
This is my first ever LINKed thought for the day.:)

Aarghh! I am so BUMMED OUT!

Just as I thought I was getting better and more comfortable with the computer side of things, the thing comes and bites me in the butt!!! I was just trying to put about 7-8 clips on the external hard-drive, as I'm going to see Tony tomorrow and I LOST THEM! I don't know what happened, but they're gone, nowhere to be found, moments lost forever. And I had some good ones in there! Aarghh! I don't want to use bad language but it would alleviate my frustration! Poo-Bum! Gotta start again... breathe, breathe, breathe....

www.888dag.com

A Personal Breakthrough!

Morning EveryOne!

Well, last night I experienced a personal breakthrough! Whilst enjoying a couple of quiet bevvies with my other half we finally managed to put some videos on disc! I am particularly excited for my parents, as they will now finally be able to watch the many little clips I've filmed of Miss M. They'll be stoked to see her in moving images. Of course it's not the same as the real thing, but it's better than just photo's.

I also learned how to put formulas into spreadsheets. Which in itself is of course very dry and boring, but once again; a personal breakthrough as it all has to do with overcoming my dislike of computers!

Whilst I'm writing this I am downloading more clips onto my external hard-drive so I can pass them on to Tony tomorrow. I am feeling so very new Millenium right now! Ha Ha! Who would have thought?!!

Have a FanFabulous Sunday!

Hooroo!


www.888dag.com

I LOVE this Song!!!

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Where There's A Will, There's A Way

I just read 'Ze Daggers Bible' and saw the thought of the Day is Where there's a will there's a way. I wholly and totally believe in that! All through my life I've experienced that if you want something badly enough, you can find a way to make it happen.

It's caused me to do some creative accounting in the past, to secure a homeloan to get that first home, it's made me persevere when I really wanted to give up. It has also gotten me in some hot water when I THOUGHT I wanted something (or rather someONE) but when I got what I wanted it turned out that it wasn't what I wanted AT ALL! So it goes to show that you've gotta be careful what you wish for (or want and put your mind to) as you might just get what you want!


www.888dag.com

Brrr...It's freezing!

Yuk! I hate getting out of bed when it's this cold. Am currently sitting ON TOP of the heater in a vain attempt to get warm and cosy. Little Miss M was up twice thru the night, her teeth must be bothering her, poor thing. By the time I got her settled again, of course I couldn't get back to sleep. Never mind, might as well get up and have brekkie and start some blogging.

I start work at 9 am so haven't got that much time anyway. I'm doing some office work for a friend which is great. I quite enjoy organising things for her and it helps her out too. And just between you and me; it is nice to have some baby-free time and think different thoughts for a couple of hours a week. Daddy is wrapped to have this Daddy-Daughter-Day too, so it's a WIN-WIN situation!

We've been talking about finally getting our lovely little boat in the water. It's about time too, we've had her for almost 2 years now! We've been working on her, fixing and painting and improving, but now it really is time to have some FUN! She is called 'Petit Bateau' which is french for little boat. She is a Hartley trailer-sailer, a New Zealand design. We now hope to have her in the water (and floating) in October, ready for the long hot summer. We already got a little life-jacket for Miss M; SAFETY FIRST.

Hopefully the weather is better tomorrow, so we can go and check out some moorings in Fisherman's Bay. Ahhh, I can already see myself laying back in the sun with a glass of SavBlanc, enjoying the sounds of the water lapping against the boat...

On that note... better get ready.

Hooroo!




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Welcome to our 888-Family

I would like to be the first one to welcome Furball into our DAGgy family! She came over to my place this afternoon and we spend some time setting up her blog and generally getting a feel for it. So watch her space at 888furball@blogspot.com and make her feel welcome.

I've just come back from another boxercise class where I teamed up with a guy this time. Talk about the difference between man and woman... I thought I threw an ok punch up until tonight, but I think I'll have to refrain from getting into any real fights for a while longer! :) My hands are shaking so much, it's hard to type this.

Other than that I had a pretty uneventful day. Did some laundry, vacuum-cleaning and dusting, paid some bills (incl. a parking fine; I HATE wasting money like that!!)and of course had my daily phone call with the people from Belkin. Yes, that's right, the wireless situation still hasn't been resolved. Today they suggested moving the desk so it's more or less in-line with the phone connection. I'm thinking of getting on of those computer nerds in to solve the puzzle for me, as moving furniture is not an option at this stage.

The Beautiful Miss M is finally and definitely teething so that's cause for more needed cuddles and smeares of Bonjella.

My poor husband hasn't seen me more than 5 minutes so I think I better show him some lovin'.


Hooroo!







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Fingers Crossed...

I just spoke with my parents and after about 7 months they've finally had someone interested in buying their home! It is too early to get all excited, but I can't help it! I need everyone to cross their fingers for us. I have to go back to work in January and it would just be so perfect if they could be here then. And not just for me, I think for them it would be great too, if things would move along now. Once you've made a big decision like immigrating you don't want things to stagnate and draw out the inevitable.

Will keep you posted...




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WORLD PEACE DAY 21 SEPTEMBER 2008

I just watched the clip that The Miracle Mile posted and was thinking we should do something. Why don't we get together somewhere in a park or something and have a huge picnic. If we all tell one friend it could grow into something quite big. And it'd be fun...

Lemme know what y'all think.


www.888dag.com

Amazing Street Art

Whilst browsing Google for some early morning inspiration I came across these drawings by an unknown street artist. How incredible! How talented!




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*888*Access Denied*888*

I was talking today to one of the Bundeena Ambo's about the situation regarding access to Ambulance Services here. Basically the below-mentioned Officers have been volunteering their time, but without much support at all from the NSW Ambulance Service.

As we already know, Ambo's are over-worked and underpaid like other healthcare workers, but in this case the officers were on Stand-by outside their normal rosters and thus suffered extreme fatigue.

It seems to me that the solution is so simple. Surely it is possible to build a 'Bundeena Stand-by' into the rosters of these three officers. This practice might even get adopted by other 'remote' suburbs!

I really think it's ridiculous for a suburb with the same postcode as Cronulla to have such limited access to basic services. You would think we live out in Woop-Woop.


This whole story certainly doesn't follow our Principles of SAFETY, ACCESS and INCLUSION!

I've copied an article that appeared in the local Leader 10th July 2008


FOR the past 15 years, residents of Bundeena and Maianbar, on the edge of the Royal National Park, relied on local ambulance officers to be on call between shifts and on their days off as the only emergency medical service in the immediate area.

Other than three local ambulance officers, residents have just one part-time GP and no after-hours emergency service. There is no local taxi service and the ferry stops at 7pm.

Danelle Brown, of Maianbar, said she had to wait for between 35 and 40 minutes for an ambulance to arrive from Engadine in January last year after her three-year-old daughter, Esprit, collapsed and stopped breathing.

She stopped breathing again in December. This time a local ambulance arrived within 25 minutes, she said.

"If they [ambulance officers] were at a station, it would have been 10 minutes. I think if there was a service in town it would probably be used more.

"I think people realise the waiting time and they panic and jump in the car and deal with their problems themselves and go to Sutherland Hospital," Mrs Brown said.

One local ambulance officer is due to retire in two years, one has a wife who is terminally ill, and the other has three children under 10. They are fed up working up to 20 hours straight and decided in May to withdraw their on-call services due to extreme fatigue and a lack of support from ambulance management, a submission to the parliamentary inquiry into the Ambulance Service of NSW says.

The submission says the Bundeena ambulance is stationed at Engadine, under an ambulance service directive issued in May. It could therefore "easily be more than an hour" to get a person to a hospital, "posing serious risk to emergency patients", the submission says.

Last year, the three local officers - who each work at different stations outside the park - responded to 190 calls in addition to their normal shifts and overtime, the submission says. They were unable to respond to 20 calls.

The submission says the final straw was when two officers were "reprimanded and dictated to" after telling management they were too exhausted from having worked 20 hours straight to start another 14-hour shift in a few hours.

An ambulance service spokesman said the number of call-outs was not high enough to justify a full-time local service, which the Bundeena/Maianbar Ambulance Action Group wants.

The ambulance service has proposed that a scheme in which NSW Fire Brigades' officers act as "first responders".

The fire brigade supports the idea because its officers are trained in advanced first aid and can provide basic life support, a spokeswoman said.

The action group said in its submission to the inquiry that the proposal was unacceptable because the Bundeena-Maianbar area was too far from a hospital and fire brigade officers were not able to make medical diagnoses or administer drugs.


www.888dag.com

Much better, thanks!

Today has been much better. Started gargling with salt-water last night. Home remedy courtesy of my friend Matty. It's disgusting but does work and is completely natural. The trick is NOT to swallow!

So packed up my Precious this morning, and her nappy-bag, a rug, some toys, something to eat 'just in case', as well as my towel, yoga mat and bottle of water, and made my way to another boxercise class. Honestly, I'm a pretty organised person, but it still amazes me how much shit you have to carry with you when you go anywhere with a baby!

It was all worth it as it was truly invigorating working out in the park. There was even a new mum there, who only gave birth 2 weeks ago. So I salute her!

I've never been one to exercise much. I did the gym-thing sporadically 'cause I felt I should, but never really got into it. I could certainly never understand those people that got addicted to it! But being outdoors makes all the difference to me. And it's kinda liberating to punch someone with all your might. It mellows me out for the rest of the day, and nothing stresses me much and that's gotta be good, right?



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I don't like to complain, but...

I feel like death warmed up. Flaming headache, coughing-fits that I'm sure can be heard in outer-space, hot and cold flushes, muscle-aches and just enough energy to drag myself from the bed to the lounge. Unfortunately having a 10-month old crawling around the place is not conducive to curling up and feeling sorry for one-self. That, and I feel guilty whingeing about having a cold when I know there's people out there who are much worse off than I.

So there's nothing else to do but soldier on. At least the flu-virus looks very pretty in the picture.

ah-choo!



www.888dag.com

Another Day in Paradise

Woke up to another gorgeous, sunny, sparkly day in Paradise with my lovely family this morning. How lucky am I?! I'm not going to let the endless mountain of laundry get to me. The machine does it all anyway.

I'm going to go out into the streets of Bundeena and find some inspiration. And perhaps find the Sunday paper and a cup of tea at the local coffee shop.

And then when we come back I want to start measuring out our planned vegie-patch. I've been reading up on growing our own vegies. I'm excited about it, tho I'm by no means a 'green-thumb'. But surely growing a couple of lettuces, some tomatoes and herbs can't be that difficult? Watch this space... I might turn into a Vasili yet! (Have you watched Vasili's Garden on SBS?)



Hooroo!



www.888dag.com

Powerful Stuff

I have just spend the last hour or so reading Katrina's Social X-Rays. What a powerful blog! I have never met you, Katrina, but reading a story like yours puts my little complaints in perspective. I'm sure the grated apple/rice shot was the best you have ever tasted! I haven't commented on your blog yet as we are back on dial-up for the moment, so everything takes forever. But I look forward to meeting you one day. You've been an inspiration to me today.

It's good to know you are SAFE and that you have ACCESS to all the LOVE you could possibly need.

*888*Wishing you all things Wonderful*888*



http://www.888dag.com

I'm Ba-ack!

In case you wondered where I went; spend some time under the doona, a lot of time running around getting sicker, but MOST time trying to get our computer/modem/phoneline/wireless to work. Oh-my-Gawd, I tried to BREATHE, BREATHE, BREATHE, but ended up HYPERVENTILATING! And it still isn't fixed. Arrgh!!! If anyone has any bright suggestions about how to get wireless to work, I'm all ears. We have established that it isn't the hardware. So they tell me it is our house. But we had another wireless device work perfectly well when we were still on dial-up. I have to now race off as I'm running late for an appointment as I just spend another HOUR on the phone. But I am back, I promise!

In...Out...In...Out...

Breathe
Breathe
Breathe

grab that paper-bag!

www.888dag.com

Safety cannot be under-estimated

One of the big things amongst us DAGgers is Safety. It really is easily taken for granted that we live in a safe society, in safe surroundings.

Just today I realised I wasn't being 'safe' in that I was taking flu-medication that I shouldn't have, as I am still breastfeeding. Didn't even occur to me! So I cut it out immediately and thus my flu has returned with a vengence! Never mind, I rather sneeze and sniffle a couple of days longer, that exposing my little Angel to anything that might be unsafe for her.

And yesterday, while I was preparing dinner this channel 9 helicopter kept circling right above our home. I knew it wasn't bushfires, and it couldn't be a plane that went down in the ocean either as it was pointed in-land. Turns out the second floor of a home in the street behind us had collapsed while they were pouring concrete. One man died. Just like that. I am shocked, and feel so sad for the man's family. I don't know who he was, but obviously he wasn't safe.

And then the poor citizens in Georgia. They're not safe. Mother's just like myself, leaving their homes with their children to find safety...where? And why? It's a mess in this world.

I wish I had the answer. Perhaps all we can do is being aware, and sharing that awareness with the world. And thus perhaps bring change, one conversation at the time.

Be safe, always

Schatzi



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Dutch-Aussie-Connection

Ok, I'll quit the Dutch-thing now, but thought this was quite amusing....





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The Dutch National Anthem

Hi EveryOne and All!

Had a lovely day today. Started with a boxercise class out in the park. Got my muscles working and filled my lungs with lovely fresh air. Then two of my beautiful friends, Chris and Michel visited and brought a yummie and healthy lunch. We hung out and watched the swimming at the Olympics. Michael Phelps was pretty much winning everything. So I kept hearing the American National Anthem. Haven't heard the Dutch Anthem yet, so thought I'll just put it on my blog.

So, pass the Dutchie and sing along!

Hooroo!
*888*DAG.com

Feeling more DAGgy than 888DAG today!

We went out to Sydney Institution 'The Basement' last night and had a lovely dinner and watched a very groovy band. Unfortunately our long-awaited night out was somewhat tempered by my on-coming flu. My sister and her partner had kindly offered to baby-sit. Thankfully Miss M was very well-behaved and they didn't hear a peep out of her. Until of course at 5.30 am this morning, but by that time we were back at hand. I feel like an absolute zombie today, complete with sore muscles, headache, shivers and sweats. So not my most inspired day.

I think I'll head back to the lounge for another hot Lemsip and some TLC from the husband!

Hooroo!



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Elmer says Difference is Great!

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From all the Lands on Earth we come...

Currently there is an ad on tv that uses that song 'I am, you are, we are Australian". Now I am not Australian (yet). Our Daughter is. But I am Dutch and my Other Half Kiwi. I like that song, it is very catchy. 'We are One, and we are Many, and from all the Lands on Earth we come.' It made me think that probably not many people know where exactly I come from.

I come from a town near Rotterdam called Schiedam ( pronounced; 'skhē'däm'). It is famous for two things; Dutch Gin and the worlds Tallest Windmills. There are currently about 75.000 people living in Schiedam. Two of whom are the most important in the world! My Parents.

At the beginning of this year they made the very BIG decision to move to Australia permanently. Of course I am very excited about that. It'll mean that all the things a lot of families take for granted will be possible for us after being fragmented for nearly 20 years. Christmasses, Birthdays, Weddings, but also the small things, like popping over for a cuppa, or hitting the Sales with Mum (watch out, here we come!). Of course it'll be wonderful for Miss M to grow up knowing her grandparents.

Anyway, I am diverting. What I meant to say is; next time you find yourself in Holland. Don't just go and see Amsterdam. Take the train to Schiedam and check it out. And just in case you were wondering... they have coffee-shops there too! ;)

Happy Days everyone,
*888*

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*888*Crazy with Excitement*888*

Yay! Only one more day and the wait is over! We are just CRAZY with excitement here. I hope everyone has a Wonderful, Exciting and Positive Day.

I'm off to see my very good friend Vanessa to share the love!

Schatzi

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i'm forgetting something...

It's 22:36 and I was all nice and cosy, tucked into bed. Was up again this morning at 05:30, so one would think sleep would come easy... NOT!! I've got too much on my mind and I was going around in circles, driving my other half mad with my sighing and twisting and turning. So decided to get up again.

So what's on my mind? I didn't do any video-ing today, and I feel bad about it. I didn't do any blogging either. I DID do non-stop running around, getting groceries, paying bills, organising our little lives etc etc. Realised at 5 pm that I'd been busting to go since 2 pm!

And still... I'm forgetting something...It came to me as I walked down the stairs just then; I was forgetting to BREATHE!

BREATHE...
BREATHE...
BREATHE...

It's so simple, we all do it so automatically that we forget to do it properly. And when done properly it does bring such clarity, doesn;t it?!

Sweet Dreams EveryOne!

Schatzi

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Thought of the Day

'You are only one thought away from a good feeling'.

**888*Access*888**

I was talking to one of the Mum's at playgroup yesterday. She was telling me that she went into the city with the pram the other day and how difficult it was to get around. I have experienced that more than once myself. I am able-bodied, my only 'handicap' being that I've got a bouncing baby in a pram. So, if I can't get to a shop because the escalator or doorway is too narrow, I just shop elsewhere.

But what about those with a disability? The elderly and frail? The vision-impaired. To them, Access to the community is denied in so many small ways we take for granted. I think it pays to stop and think every now and again.

Be aware, breathe, see what you can change, don't be afraid to offer help and assistance. *888* Inclusion and Access *888*

*888*08-08-08 Is The End Of The Wait!

There is a real buzz in the air... a general feeling of anticipation. I'm sure for some it is the Olympic Games that bring this on. For me, it is more the suspense leading up to a big party, the long-awaited birth of something that will bring Hope and Joy and Togetherness and Fun.

May Your Day Be Bright And Happy.

Sunday morning Love

Our Beautiful-Baby-Alarm-Clock went off at 5 am this morning. I guess Baby tummies don't care whether you have had your beauty-sleep or not.

Blurry eyed I try to find my ugg-boots and brace myself against the cold... only to be met with the Warmest, Brightest, Loveliest smile one can imagine.

I love her so much, the word 'Love' just doesn't do her justice.

She is my World, my Universe. She is my Star, my Breath, my Heart-beat. And the feeling grows and grows with every passing second.

I am blessed. I know that. And I am grateful for every moment I spend in her presence.

*888*For her I want to be a Better Person*888*

Small beginnings

Wow! I cannot believe I've joined the Blogging community. Only 2 weeks ago we were on dial-up and I would get hives merely thinking about having to go on-line to do anything! There's nothing on here yet, but I've made a start...