The weekend started with a trip to the city to the Tim Burton Exhibition.  Not sure who was more excited, the kids or Hubby and moi.  The Green Eyed Girl in particular loves all things Burton.  But descending the red stairs the theme music to Edward Scissorhands playing, then standing in front of the black leather bound, bucked and belted Edward costume itself was up there with marriage and the birth of my children on the best days of my life EVER scale.  I may have whispered you complete me to the leather legs…

The Blue Eyed Boy was rather taken with the sculptures as well as Beetlejuice and Batman… I was left wondering if Michele Pfeiffer ever ate, damn that catsuit was tiny! Hubby said he thought I could fit into said catsuit… bless!

Burton’s illustrations were amazing and inspired the kids to draw and make when we got home.  I also discovered teeny tiny pieces of white lint were all over my black dress in the fluro, glow in the dark section, noice. The Green Eyed Girl was fit to burst with excitement at the Nightmare Before Christmas puppets and I could see her eyes light up when she saw the Alice In Wonderland dresses.

Walking back to the car I once again fell in love with this beautiful city.  Federation Square, Flinders Street Station, horses and carriages, trams, parks…people, tourists… I could sit and watch life go past all day.

But, as always the weekend was over way too quickly… and now it’s back to the working week… but this week something is different… this week I have the memory  Edward Scissorpants, er  Scissorhands.

How was your weekend? What did you and yours get up to?

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‘No, it’s for me. I’m calling a mental health day, I have some things I need to sort out.‘

Just admitting it, out loud, made me feel a little better. Admitting that actually some shit was getting to me and yes I needed to take a step back was a huge relief. An even bigger relief was going to my GP and talking about it there and leaving with a referral.

I said in my Hump Day post that I would be writing about all the pink on Twitter this week, I still am. It’s just that for me this means patting the black dog and letting it sit at my feet just for a little. It means acknowledging that all the urging to support breast cancer awareness makes me drown a little. It means (this time) supporting this cause while also saying the things that I usually just think.

It means taking responsibility for my mental health instead of swallowing the blackness back down again and just getting on with it.

There have been, there still are, women I am connected with in a number of ways that have been affected by breast cancer. Friends who have family members fighting it.  Family friends have died from this insidious disease. I have watched mothers with babies battle this cancer and the side effects of the aggressive treatments they undertake to fight back against it. I ran in the Mothers Day Classic for this cause, I have pink shopper bags, pink ribbons, I check my own breasts for lumps and get the GP to do it too when I have a pap test.  (Which I do every year, not every two because cervical cancer reared it’s head in our family.) I even have a pink avatar for #feelthemupFriday self examination reminder on Twitter.

But… I also have the word blue across my pink toned avatar face. And this is why:

Each year in Australia, close to 3,300 men die of prostate cancer – equal to the number of women who die from breast cancer annually. Around 20,000 new cases are diagnosed in Australia every year.*

Each day about 32 men learn news that they have prostate cancer – tragically one man every three hours will lose his battle against this insidious disease.*

As many men die from prostate cancer as women die from breast cancer but… a national survey by PCFA in 2002 showed that while 78% of women felt well informed about breast cancer – only 52% of men felt informed about prostate cancer.*

*quoted from Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia Website

This month is Blue September raising awareness and encouraging men to face up to cancer & health. Us women are getting pretty good at talking about our bodies, breast checks, pap tests. Everything from water bottles to hairspray has a pink ribbon, and so it should. We are reminded to have a pap test every two years, and so we should be. The more we know about the ways to detect cancer, the more money ploughed into research the better.

But what about our fathers, brothers, boyfriends, friends, sons… are they hearing the message about their checks? Are they seeing support on water bottles? Beer bottles? Manly shopper bags from Bunnings? No, not really.

So, here I am, with a pink face and a blue word. In the background black is lurking.  But I will not let the dark swallow me whole. I said I would let the black dog sit at my feet, but I did not say he could stay, so I have a letter and an appointment to begin my own journey. So I can learn to sleep and breathe and say go on get! Get out… go! to the back dog.

Today is Blue Friday. I have a a black dog. We all have pink avatars. Let’s remember our men as well as our women and remind them of the checks they need to make. The more it’s talked about the better it is surely. It’s time to step beyond the man flu jokes and really support and encourage, because equally as devastating as a Mum dying if cancer, is a Dad dying of cancer.

Thank you  to the lovely Ami from Puff Pieces,  Alison from Melbourne Mumma and Jade from Lala London for awarding me the Kreative Blogger Meme!

So, here are the rules:

1. Copy the award to your blog
2. Insert a link to the person who nominated you
3. Share seven things about yourself that you haven’t told us before
4. Nominate other bloggers for the award – share the love
5. Link to their blogs
6. Tell the nominees about their award

Right then, without further ado…

1. I have a least three different handwriting styles.  One just for work, one when I’m thinking faster than I can write (this comes with my own invented short hand) and one for writing lists and cards.  Sometimes they cross over into each other, depending on my mood.
2. My two front teeth are not real.  As a child I smashed them out.  Chip is not a big enough word.  So what you see is really two big fillings.  They are screwed into my gum.  Noice. They need to be redone every few years as they stain from tea and red wine.  There is not enough original tooth for more permanent crowns.
3. I am (as many of you know) TERRIBLE at responding to these awards… partly because they fall into the category of something I have to do, even though it’s something I want to do! I apologise. It’s not that I don’t appreciate them, I am just slack, and well… this brings me to number four on the list.
4. I HATE being told what to do.  It’s like fingernails on a chalk board.  Even if something is good for me, even if I may actually want to do it, or have been thinking of doing it, a sure fire way of making sure I don’t do it is to tell me to.  Some may see this as a personality flaw, I like to think of it as a quirky charm… Ok that may be pushing it a bit too far!
5. I love clothes, no big secret there.  I have always loved them. They have an effect on my mood.  When I was about 5 in the rocking 1970’s, my favourite outfit was a pair of purple flares, teamed with a purple ribbed T shirt with a V neck and a brown belt. Funky yes? When I was in trouble (which given my hate of being told what to do may have been a bit) I would crawl under my bed and change into said ensemble.  Nothing could cheer me up like my funky purple outfit.
6. I stepped up my toilet roll OCD-ed-ness (is too a word) and will change the roll so it goes OVER the top (the only way it should go obviously) at work.  I am sure friend’s homes are next, *ahem*
7. I am sarcastic.  It’s a way of life.  I used to explain to bewildered looking people that I was being sarcastic. But where’s the fun in that?  Now I think – get with the programme or get out.  Nah, only joking!… or am I?

Now to pass this on to some other bloggers…

Melissa from The Things I’d Tell You...

Lucy from Diminishing Lucy

Brenda from Mummy Time

Kallie from I am a Real Mum

So, there you have it! Go forth and er, be kreativ… what ever that is, or, y’know not… we all know how good I am at responding to these awards! *ahem*

]]> http://yardarm.sparkgfx.com/?feed=rss2&p=1676 7 http://yardarm.sparkgfx.com/?p=1662 http://yardarm.sparkgfx.com/?p=1662#comments Tue, 31 Aug 2010 22:00:51 +0000 Naomi http://yardarm.sparkgfx.com/?p=1662 Hello and welcome to Hump Day! The time of the week when we can all take a moment to look back over the past seven days and remember three things that made you smile.  Not any old hump day either, but the first day of Spring, hooray!  Hello Spring, long may you reign… well, until Summer anyway.

The past seven days have gone by at a nice pace, not racing but not dragging either, and here we are at the top of the hump ready to run full speed down to the weekend.

Once again I am focussing on the little happy this week.  When things seem to be piling up, instead of dwelling on it I am trying to look at the small things that bring a smile.  So, without any more rambling here are my three…

Now, if you squint you may just see the water droplets hanging on these branches. Beautiful. This Japanese Maple is about to bud too... loveliness.

The drive home from work Monday... see that? That's blue sky. In Melbourne. I know! Happiness is blue sky.

This note was all I saw of the kids on Sunday morning. Note the Star Wars reference? The note is still blu tacked to the wall.

Now over to you… what has made you happy this week? Leave a comment or do your own post, link it back and let me know so I can come see! Lets spread the happy… that’s gotta be good!

Happy Hump Day!

N xxx

PS. If you’re wondering why all the pink… go and visit Sarah or Carol to find out more!

I’ll be posting on Friday about it too… kind of!  x

Every year I excitedly anticipate the arrival of Winter.  I lovingly look at my winter clothing and can not wait to wear it. Buy by about one month in I am craving sunshine and warmth and a lack of umpteen dozen layers. And coat. And scarf. And long boots.  And the need to put on and take off said layers each time I go form outdoors to indoors and back again, which as a Kinder teacher can be a lot.

Here in the hills Winter can be beautiful.  Mist and cloud rolling in enveloping the tall gum trees.  The chance to rug up and walk briskly to a local cafe to sit in warmth with food and drink. The ever present glass of red wine and heart warming winter cooking.

But it also brings with it a lack of sun, and no sun means no vitamin D.  I like the sun,  I need the vitamin D. It makes me happy.  It helps my bones to not hurt, and in monitored doses it makes me look less pasty.

There has been a definite lack of sunshine this Winter.  There has been a lot of rain here in Victoria… and while I am among the first to welcome the rain and it’s reservoir filling ways, the grey clouds have been hanging heavily overhead for too long. Spring will be a very welcome addition to the year, that’s for sure.

Spring brings warmth and the promise of sun kissed days to come.  I begin to lean more towards white wine. Clothes that have been tucked away come back to mind.  Sandals and thongs (flip flops not underwear) come out and so do sun hats.  I begin to think about outdoor gatherings with friends… and the days seem lighter.

The sun makes me happy.  So does it’s warmth.  It lifts my spirit.  So Spring, nice to see you, put your feet up and stay a while xxx

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Let me explain… I love shoes.  I covet them. I have my fair share, even one pair that may be considered as being in the ballet flat category. But the thing is, I feel like a bit of a fraud when I wear them.

I’m not sure exactly what it is about them, but when I put them on I feel, well honestly, I feel ridiculous. Like I should be about four years old in white tights and a party dress.

At first I thought it was because they are so flat, and I am, lets face it on the short side. But plenty on my other shoes are flat. Then I thought it was the rounded toe. But most of my shoes and boots are round of toe and I love them.

I see other people wearing them, with jeans, with dresses, with skirts, and I think it looks nice. I convince myself I have just not found the right pair for me, and I  begin trying on every pair I come across… only to once more feel like I should be playing pass the parcel.

I think some of this feeling of ridiculousness stems form when, as a young teen in the 80’s being all about the ripped jeans and the chunky boots… I was told I could be so pretty if only I wore more lace and frilly collars. Yeah that went down like the proverbial lead balloon.  With an almighty CLUNK.

Perhaps it’s that for so many years my eye was trained to see Doc’s on my feet.  Doc’s and a baby doll dress with opaque tights… well colour me uni student circa early 1990’s.  Then there was the stay at home years, cue blunnies, winter boots and (slight embarrassment here) those sneakers that had no heel, so you just slipped them on and dashed after the dog, child, cat… It’s not like I have always made wise shoe choices (hello platform sneakers from the late 90’s) so why can’t I get my head around ballet flats?

If you wear them, please don’t be offended, I often wish I did too… but for what ever reason the ballet flat and me are just not going to work out.  Ever.  So, as I sit here in my crocs (I’m at home, don’t judge me) I realise the ballet flat and me shall never be friends.  It’s probably all for the best,  I have a difficult enough time storing the shoes I do own.

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Remember to leave some comments, we all love them, and follow some new blogs too if you like!

Happy Friday & have a great weekend!

So, on we go then with this weeks hump day happiness… the  time of the week we reflect on what has made us happy the past seven days.

This week I only have one happy.  It’s a good one I promise. You see, I have been waiting for this day for just under nine months.  I knew it was coming… I have felt feet kicking through a tummy wall… I have kissed a blossoming belly… and I have laughed, and talked, and wished… but yesterday I got the good news… You see my darling friends welcomed a new member to their family. I have written of this family once before, and the loss of their precious Layla.  Their big boy has a baby brother… I am an auntie again, and the joy I feel can only be described as love for my friends and their sons.  So, that you see is more than enough for me this week.  Now, I’m off to sort out flights to wrap my arms around all four of them.

So, that’s all the happy I need this week.  Because right now, all is love at my house.

Now over to you… what has made you happy this week?

Happy Hump Day!  And welcome to the world little one, you are loved beyond words xxx

N xxx

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On a table just inside the front door of our house sits a piece of gnarled, weathered wood. It is, I suppose drift wood… but it wasn’t collected from a beach.

On mantle pieces, book shelves, desks, table tops are the flotsam of memory. Stones, shells, feathers, wood. Items collected from holidays, walks, friend’s homes. The wood at the front door is part of my more recent collection. Most days I glance at it, some days I stop to touch it’s smooth curves and smile at the memory it evokes…

Early on a March morning, as most people were tucked in bed, our house was in a state of quiet excitement. The car was packed, the note was left on the table for the friend feeding our cat and fish, bottles of water carefully upturned into the pot plants. We were ready. In the dark, cold morning rain we set off… Hubby at the wheel, Green Eyed Girl and Blue Eyed Boy snuggled in the back with their iPods, DS’s, books, and an excited puppy, somewhat bewildered at his new doggy seat belt indignity.  We turned onto the road and headed towards the city and the boat that waited to carry us across Bass Strait to Tasmania. We were heading home. Well to one of them. It gives me a great sense of happiness to tell the kids how lucky we are to call two places home.

Upon arrival in Tasmania some nine hours later we headed in to Devonport for supplies before hitting the road to our first destination. The Shack.

The Shack has been holiday home to family and friends for the past nine years. Technically my parent’s retreat, but a family home away from home for us as well. As we neared The Shack, on empty dirt roads I had an overwhelming wave of feeling, part nostalgia, part relief after a very stressful and busy term one. We arrived late at night, in the bitter cold of the Tasmanian Central Highlands. The four of us quickly swung into routine. Hubby getting the power on, checking the pump and hoping the water pipes were not frozen. Kids, unpacking what they could from the car, me, getting the fire roaring.

The next four days followed a pattern of quiet relaxation. Strolls to the river, walks along the dirt road, building fires outside and cooking toast over the coals. It was a time of nothing much… and that in itself was perfect.

I have an absolute love for the Highlands. It goes beyond the harsh beauty of the land, beyond the pull of nostalgia. Beyond the tie to family and country. It has become part of who I am. Part of what I am made of. My father is a fly fisherman and while we spent many years at the beach, (often living in walking distance to one) my history is tied to the lakes and rivers. Tied to button grass and the ripple of a trout rise. Following my father’s footfall as he edged along a lake. Waiting with sisters and Mum, a book cast aside for smooth stone fossicking. The boredom of last years magazines re-read yet again. This is a holiday to me.  I am happy that my children too find peace in the quiet that this kind of holiday can bring.

On this particular trip there was the added excitement of Hubby’s birthday and our wedding anniversary, having cleverly married the day before his birthday, we always remember both. On the last full day before heading on to Hobart we celebrated Hubby’s birthday.  We packed sausages, onion, bread and condiments in an esky. Long sticks with wire sausage holders on the ends, fashioned from a coat hanger came too. We headed to the Great Lake shore. We saw no one. The clear blue of the Tasmanian sky welcomed us, only to be chased away as grey clouds raced across on the bracing wind.

We scrounged for wood to light a fire. Kids, off in separate directions, a challenge for the dog to keep both in check. The lake was choppy due to the wind. But we still managed to skip stones. The sun that broke through cloud drifts made the water sparkle. It was one of those days where the small bickering bothered no one.  The quiet was so welcoming and calm. I could feel the stress from the first part of the year blow away on the wind.

With the fire going we cooked our sausages and feasted on them with soft onion, mustard and swiss cheese.  After lunch the kids walked along the shore, the sky flashing promise of blue between the grey.  I am not sure really what had more beauty in it, the blue or the grey sky.

As we packed the car, while the kids and the dog played along the lake edge,  I picked up a piece of wood, I placed it in the front in a spare cup holder, and there it remained until we returned home, a perfect reminder of our day by the lake.

This is my entry for for Kidspot top 50 bloggers. While you’re here, I’d love to know what makes family holidays memorable for you? Oh & PS…  If you like this, then just a quick click here and one more on the thumbs up would be much appreciated… thanks x

Now, as many of you know there is a Federal election here this weekend, and depending on the way you vote you may or may not be wanting to keep an eye on the news over the next few days. Even if you are happy with the end result, the news is just going to go on and on with red, blue and green 3D charts and animations of little red, blue and green faceless people filling seats in a badly drawn parliament.

So, here is your chance to escape it all with some blogging good reads all ready here for you in one easy place.  Remember we all like some comment love, and new followers.  Pay it forward people, pay it forward.

Oh… and if I’m not here on Monday, I’m frantically packing to go live in Denmark. *

*totally dependent on the election results you understand.