Reflections of a year gone by and hope for a new one

I know I’m a few weeks late on reflecting on 2010 and looking ahead to 2011, but life got in the way. So in recognition of my New Year’s resolution to go with the flow, live life and not let the little things bother me I’ve decided it’s my blog and this is what I would like to do. It was a big year for me and I’d like to record it in some form.

This is my personal reflection on 2010.

I watched some family members and close friends experience a tough year and eagerly await the end of 2010 and look forward to brighter days in the year ahead. For me there were quite a few important moments I would like to share.

Firstly, completing seven years of part-time university study combined with full time work to graduate with a bachelor of arts majoring in politics and Australian studies was a major achievement. Having my parents and hubby there to share it with me made it even more special after many years of encouragement and love.

Celebrating my hubby’s graduation from uni after seven years of part-time study made it a busy couple of months. While we studied different courses at different unis we still shared the many highs and lows of study.

Creating my blog was a huge moment for me. Being able to write about what I wanted to write about in my own forum was a dream come true. Almost 50 blog posts since May! Many thanks to Tenille@HelpMum for her support and encouragement.

The retirement of my former boss and very dear friend Kay Hull after 12 years as the Member for Riverina marked the end of an era. Kay is a truly remarkable woman who achieved so much for her community and someone I am honoured to call a friend. Attending one of her many farewell dinners (and catching up with former colleagues and dear friends) was a huge privilege.

Following Kay’s retirement, attention turned to the election of another former boss, mentor and friend as the new Member for Riverina. Being able to help in some small way on election day was a huge buzz and the result was fantastic. The best result for the people of the Riverina.

There were moments of tears and sadness as I said goodbye to one very special family friend. Bruce, my father's best mate had been a presence in my life for as long as I can remember. He is one in a million. While we knew the diagnosis was terminal, we hoped against all odds it could be beaten. However, the insidious disease that is cancer robbed my family of a very dear friend. We miss you and your remarkable attitude to life each and every day Bruce.

The death of another former workmate and friend followed a few months later. Rossco was one of those characters you come across in life and they just remain a part of your life. He had a deep affection for fellow journalists and he will be sorely missed. I miss the phone calls I used to receive from Rossco and his signature farewell – hanging up before you had a chance to say goodbye. My theory was that he didn’t much like goodbyes. I don’t either Rossco. So it’s not goodbye, it’s see you later.

So on reflection, 2010 was an important year when I learnt a lot about myself and those dear to me. I hope that 2011 can be more of the same with a little less sadness.

Hubby and I will celebrate our third wedding anniversary and 10 years together with a holiday to the US stopping in San Francisco, Washington DC and New York. I value all of our moments together, no matter how small and am really looking forward to some much needed time away together.

I also have some important career decisions to make. But most importantly I want to fill my life with the people I value and love the most and those who feel the same way in return. I want to be surrounded by people who want to be with me, who value my company and are willing to invest in our friendship.

Finally, if there is one thing the first few weeks of 2011 have taught me is life is short. So hold your loved ones a little closer, tell them you love them, appreciate and make time for them and most of all treasure each and every moment.

My turn to share a few stylish blogs

On Christmas Eve I managed to sneak a few minutes to look at my blog as my family was heading out the door for our road trip and coastal Christmas. I was blown away to see a comment from a fellow blogger, Rachel at Select All + Delete awarding me a stylish blogger of the year award. To say I was blown away was an understatement.

It was so heartening to get some feedback from another talented blogger. So in that moment as I looked at my blog, my heart swelled with pride and then I had to log off and head out the door. Ahh!

So Rachel, it has been a few weeks, yikes! And I’m sorry it has taken me this long to accept the award and link onto others. I was determined to have some time off from everything over Christmas and New Year. And just as I was about to start blogging again, we heard about Lori’s devastating news and reached out to her all while the Queensland floods were occupying my attention and the nation’s.

So here I am back blogging and hopefully getting back into the swing of things.

Ok, seven things about me

1. I still have lots to learn about blogging but am super keen to learn

2. I am a redhead

3. I am a Pisces and therefore a bit of a dreamer

4. I have almost zero willpower when it comes to chocolate

5. I share my home with two males – my gorgeous hubby and our Maltalier Max

6. I have a younger sister and people often think we are twins

7. And finally, I love photos in albums and am on a mission to transfer all my digital images into albums.

Now, 15 recently discovered blogs. I'm not going to get to 15, but here's my list.

1. Diminishing Lucy. This blog is so well written and shows this woman has plenty of will power (any spare?) and it’s really lovely to spend time looking around her blog.

2. Daydream Lily. Love the colours, shades and images of this blog. Very calming and chilled out.

3. Yummy Mummies and Mini Me. Love this stylish blog. Again the colours and layout is fantastic. Plus the option to shop is always appealing to me.

4. The Daze of my life. So well written and always a pleasure to read.

5. Design it Chic. I love the ideas and creativity on this blog. I intend to spend more time on this blog this year. So much to learn and share.

Sorry I didn't get 15 on the list here, but check these great blogs out.

Tragedy beyond belief

It's been one of those days when you wonder what has happened to the world? What happened to the New Year and all the promise it brought of happier times ahead.  

An update on my last post about Lori. Tragically, Lori's husband lost his battle and passed away yesterday. I can in no way imagine what Lori and her little ones are going through, but my heart aches for their loss. To lose a loved one, a husband, a father, a best friend and a soul mate is devastating. To lose that person at such a young age is beyond words. The outpouring of support and kind words for Lori on her blog and many others will hopefully be some source of comfort in the hours, days, months and years ahead.

The other tragedy of recent days is the devastation we are witnessing in Queensland. The people of Queensland are experiencing floods that many of us just cannot imagine. While I have watched the floods inundate communities in regional Queensland, today it became a bit more personal. 

I watched the flurry of updates on Twitter this morning and started to get a little worried. My sister works in the Brisbane CBD and after the Brisbane River broke its banks this morning, I spent a few anxious hours waiting for her to leave work, get on public transport and arrive safely home. Just minutes after finding out she was home, I found out my mum had also made it safely home from her suburban workplace. The one thing my family keeps telling me is that the rain just keeps falling. 

Fortunately my family are in an area of Brisbane that at this stage is not under threat. I am hoping and praying their suburbs remain safe in the days and weeks ahead.  

Watching the torrent of water hit the town of Toowoomba and neighbouring communities is just beyond anything I have witnessed. My heart goes out to those who have lost loved ones. Stay safe and keep your loved ones close. To those who have lost their homes and possessions, again my heart goes out to you. Please know that you are in the thoughts and prayers of Australians right across this country. 

For Lori

I've been a bit quiet on the posts over the Christmas and New Year. Maybe it's that time of year, people are away, spending precious time with family and friends and blogging gets pushed to the bottom of the to do list. For me, I don't get to see my family regularly due to the fact we don't live close to each other, so I relish the time spent with them. Blogging took a back seat for a week or two.

I've also been contemplating what I want out of my blog this year and what I want to achieve. What direction do I want to take? What do I want to write about? How do I build up more networks and support other bloggers?

But after logging onto to my blog today after the Christmas break, it kind of becomes irrelevant and nowhere near as important. The outrageously funny and inspiring Lori of Random Ramblings of a Stay At Home Mum is in the middle of a family crisis and has reached out to the blogging community. And the support from her fellow bloggers has been incredible and evidence of how much she is admired and adored.

I cannot begin to imagine what Lori and her family are going through. But hopefully in some very small way the thoughts and prayers of many will help Lori and her family find the strength to support their husband and father through this awful time. Hopefully her husband may also in some small way find strength from all the love and best wishes pouring in from around the world.

The nativity like you've never seen it before

With just two sleeps left before Christmas is upon us for another year, I'd like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas. Take a look at this digital version of the Christmas story. It's brilliant. Enjoy!



A night with Bon Jovi

Most of us could easily name at least one Bon Jovi song. He’s an artist whose career has successfully spanned a number of decades, hair styles and fashion trends. And after seeing his second Sydney concert, there is no doubt he knows how to entertain.

While I’m not a huge Bon Jovi fan I do own at least one of his CDs and definitely enjoy his music. So when the band announced their Circle tour in 2009, I fired off an SMS to my hubby suggesting we go. And so last night we did. We joined about 36,000 other fans at the Sydney Football Stadium for one of Bon Jovi’s last Australian shows.

I was definitely impressed. We both had a great night. At almost 50, Jon Bon Jovi still looks and sounds fantastic. And the same goes for his band. They performed for more than two and a half hours with barely a break. He didn’t talk to the crowd a lot – instead he told us he was going to stop talking and start squawking.

The crowd was a reflection of just how diverse Bon Jovi’s fan base is. We were surrounded by people of all backgrounds, young and old. Women of all ages were everywhere (as evidenced by the length of the queue for the ladies).

While lining up for a snack, I struck up a conversation with a teenage girl. She was at the concert with her middle aged mum. With a Bon Jovi bedspread, pillow, posters and t-shirts her mum had been waiting 20 years for the chance to see her pop idol in concert. She informed me her mum had packed an extra bra, just in case the opportunity to throw one at Bon Jovi eventuated. I felt seriously out of my depth.

I have always enjoyed his music, his hit It’s My Life, released in 2000, is one of my favourite Bon Jovi songs. And I do know the words to Livin’ on a Prayer. But I’ve never adorned my bed in his image or paid hundreds of dollars for a concert ticket. But in saying that I don’t think I was alone in last night’s crowd. There were certainly quite a few die-hard fans.

But there were also fans of music in general who were out for a great show and night out. I think it’s safe to say my hubby and I fall into the second category. And for us Bon Jovi certainly delivered.

Enjoy a clip from last night’s show. Apologies for the shaky footage – I was too busy bopping along to the music.

A little bit of Christmas spirit

Yep, it's that time of year again. The calendar has flicked over from November to December and Christmas Day is 19 sleeps away (according to the cute little app on my iPhone).

I'm a big fan of Christmas. I admit to groaning when I see the Christmas stock in October, but once December has arrived I get into the spirit of family, cards, decorations and the fun of the season.

Right now I'm writing my Christmas cards and thinking of those dear to me - my family and friends. Some may be wondering why I send Christmas cards in these modern times of emails, facebook and twitter. But to me, receiving a Christmas card in the mail is a wonderful feeling. I love receiving Christmas mail. Beats the usual mail box contents of bills and flyers. Someone special has gone to the effort to purchase a card, write on it, pop it in an envelope, lick the envelope, pop a stamp on it and place it in a post box. There's a whole lot of love and commitment in those steps.

I'm more than halfway through writing my Christmas cards and so I hope my family and friends get as much joy out of receiving my cards as I do in sending them.

Am I alone in continuing the tradition of sending Christmas cards in the mail? Let me know.

What happens when you combine a dog and an egg?

As per past posts I have been enjoying my new SLR camera and trying to be creative and inspired by the people, objects and nature around me.

When I heard about the Canon Weekend Today competition I jumped at the chance to unleash the creative within. The brief: the photo must feature an egg. How could I creatively photograph an egg? Hmmm.

The idea - to give a raw egg to our dog Max and see what happens next.

The result: a pic of our little dog Max enjoying the eggcitement of a new toy (pardon the pun).

The result is not based on a public vote. Instead it's up to the experts. With almost 200 entries to date, there are a lot of creative photographers finding inspiration from a humble egg. It's worth checking them out. 

This week I'm thankful for...every little moment

It's been one of those weeks when you gain a little perspective and realise the things that matter most. 

For me, it was the death of a close family friend. It makes you stop and consider what is truly valuable in life. It's not an expensive home, a fancy car or a designer handbag, but it's the people in our lives. The ones we love and care for. They are what make our lives special and worth living. 

I'm guilty of getting caught up in the grind of daily life. I also know I'm guilty of getting wound up and stressed out about the little things. For me, the loss of someone I know and care about has been a reminder of the importance of letting go. Of not sweating the small things and recognising the importance of those little moments that make up our lives and give us our precious memories. 

I have a simple mantra pinned up in our home, life is a balance of holding on and letting go. 

I need to remind myself of this and not sweat the small stuff. Instead take the time to appreciate and value the people and little moments that really matter. To recognise what is worth holding onto and what we should let go of.

The right to choose but at what cost?

I've had an issue floating around in my head for a few weeks now. It's a current issue but one that has become more personal in recent weeks. It's a topic most of us would have an opinion on and one that stirs up fierce debate - the highly emotional issue of euthanasia.

I lost my two beautiful grandmothers to the insidious disease that is cancer - that awful c word. I don't for a moment think I'm the only one to have lost a loved one to cancer and sadly I know I won't be the last. My grandmothers faced cancer for many years and both lost the fight aged in their 40s, far too young. They left behind children, husbands, siblings and changed the course of their family's lives forever. I have always felt a void or actually two voids in my life because I've never had the privilege of knowing my grandmothers.

A close family friend is currently in the final stages of cancer. He has resisted it for as long as possible but is now in hospital as the end nears. For my parents and my father especially, these last moments of life and hours and days spent in hospital rooms bring back many memories. Of watching loved ones battle this same insidious disease. There is no cure, no hope for a better future. The person you love is dying and you are forced to stand by and watch helplessly.

I visited and said my goodbyes a few months ago. We all knew it was a final goodbye. I dreaded the visit because I was frightened I would be overcome by the enormity and finality of it all and end up a tearful mess. To visit each and every day as my dad has been doing takes a lot of courage. I know my dad doesn't want to say goodbye but wants the pain and indignity of it all to end. In his view his mate deserves more than a hospital bed and endless pain killers.

I believe in a person’s right to dignity. I was brought up to treat people with respect and I would hopefully be treated with respect in return. Unfortunately many terminal diseases including cancer wear their sufferers down and leave them with little dignity and a fraction of the quality of life they once enjoyed. I also strongly believe in a person’s right to choose.

So what is the place of euthanasia in our society? I support euthanasia in principle and the right to dignity in your final moments. The right to choose you don't want to exist in this way and ultimately to choose your own ending. However I'm not sure how as a society we can make euthanasia a realistic option.

What about those with a terminal illness who are worth more to their family dead than alive? As much as we don’t want to think about it, those situations do exist. Or the medical system crying out for much needed beds? Euthanasia has to be about what the individual wants and requests, with no pressure or influence from family or medical staff. But how can we as a society know that every person who wants to take the euthanasia path is doing so completely for their own reasons. This is my stumbling block and the reason I'm not totally convinced euthanasia can realistically work in our society.

It may seem like I'm sitting on the fence on this issue. But I do believe in the right to choose euthanasia. I just need to satisfy both my head and my heart that it will always be about protecting the individual and respecting their dignity and their right to choose. Not for any other reason.

If you have a view I would love to hear it.