There are some people in my life that inspire me to tackle life in a different way, but I don't seem able to change how I am to be able to do so. Where they are facing the ultimate of challenges, they are just working on at keeping on, and speaking positively in the way they travel through life. One is going to try to keep working, but with a back up plan, and the other is not working but keeping on living to the full, travelling and visiting family, and heading out for outings.
I just do not have the nature to be so positive in the face of difficulties, to the annoyance of my husband, who finds my pessimism annoying. Interestingly a study that looked at the long term survival rates of cancer subjects this year, showed that positive thinking did not increase the rate of survival. It seems to have more to do with your body and how it responds to the treatments and how it fights.
Which leads me to today, the end of the world number 3560000000000000? How many times and in how many communities before our global connection has the end of the world been declared to be coming on a set day? If the bible is to be believed watch out not on the day of prediction but around it. Why is that, because the bible tells us that only the Father knows the time of the end, and man won't. So these big predicitions make we wonder about the people who go into doomsday mode, do they think they can survive the end of the world? If it is the end of the world, then no one will survive.
Nuclear disaster is a different thing when it strikes there is a chance that people can survive the armageddon, and live a life afterwards, but I wonder what kind of life that would be.
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Unexpected visits
This has been a week that included a visit to a property that has such a beautiful garden that has grown in six years to be full of healthy plants.
During the week I had the pleasure of watching my son in a bit part in a musical, a speaking part in amongst the singing parts. He was surprisingly serious in his role, and made sure that he did not look at mum and dad in the front row seat. We enjoyed the musical and were amazed at the quality of the production. It is an amateur theatre group, but you would say that they had a production that would be up to the standard of some professional groups.
While there friends invited us to a family barbecue that was happening on Sunday to celebrate their son's marriage. He had married in Japan, and some had not been able to travel there. We went to a place we had never been before, and the joy of having had rain recently meant that the surrounding country was still green. Very beautiful spot just outside Ballarat, I think with five acres of land, and with the garden I spoke of.
One of the other joys was seeing sheep in the paddock beside the home. Shorn sheep, with a few lambs interspersed. I did not go on the walk to see the cows, but stayed for the wedding photos. They were beautiful. What a wonderful experience the family had.
My reading is not happening, I am distracting myself from the books I need to read. Must get to and do some reading.
During the week I had the pleasure of watching my son in a bit part in a musical, a speaking part in amongst the singing parts. He was surprisingly serious in his role, and made sure that he did not look at mum and dad in the front row seat. We enjoyed the musical and were amazed at the quality of the production. It is an amateur theatre group, but you would say that they had a production that would be up to the standard of some professional groups.
While there friends invited us to a family barbecue that was happening on Sunday to celebrate their son's marriage. He had married in Japan, and some had not been able to travel there. We went to a place we had never been before, and the joy of having had rain recently meant that the surrounding country was still green. Very beautiful spot just outside Ballarat, I think with five acres of land, and with the garden I spoke of.
One of the other joys was seeing sheep in the paddock beside the home. Shorn sheep, with a few lambs interspersed. I did not go on the walk to see the cows, but stayed for the wedding photos. They were beautiful. What a wonderful experience the family had.
My reading is not happening, I am distracting myself from the books I need to read. Must get to and do some reading.
Friday, November 30, 2012
The year flies towards a close
This week has confirmed how quickly this year has travelled. Is time travelling faster? It would seem that in this week I have received comments from people of different ages expressing surprise that December is here, and saying how fast this year has travelled.
What is making us experience this, school children who have expressed it, seem to have experienced the last term of the year slipping past them with assessment tasks and exams. But the three terms before it, they perceive as having vanished quickly as well. Parents of children who are going to school are also astounded at how quickly they feel the long holiday has arrived again.
For me the start of the year contained hope, and the end of the year is containing a loss of hope. This is the saddest year I think that I have had in my life in some ways for it is ending in an opposite from the past. Most years I can still have hope of improvement for those things that are struggles in life, but this year the largest one, seems to contain less hope and more despair. I really would like things to be different.
After that, you would think that I had a dreadful week, and yet there were two wonderful highlights to the week. On Thursday evening I wound up having a trip to a bookshop for their preChristmas discount sale to help me to buy Christmas presents. No presents bought, but a collection of interesting books. Wonderful to be greeted with a glass of champagne and then some finger food. We could only stay for a short time for we had to head to a medical appointment.
Then on Friday the real fantastic highlight of the week. Following a frustrating car trip into town, and made because the train trip of the Saturday prior had lost my faith in the railway system being able to get us there on time. Well the traffic contained some idiotic drivers who did some very strange things, twice we were fortunate that cars that swerved into our lane did not collect us. Mind you the one intersection provided a hold up that was ridiculous, and only caused by people going into an intersection when there was not room on the other side, so our road could not turn where it needed to as it was blocked. Fortunately we had left really early so as to allow for unexpected roadworks or situations like this. Lesson learned. We parked and then went to the theatre, and in the cafe/bar had a glass of Champagne as a means of waiting for the start of the show.
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum was fantastic. With Geoffrey Rush as pseudolus and Magda Szabanski and Shane Bourne, there was a totally booked out theatre. My husband bought the tickets early so we were four rows back from the stage at the aisle. It was fantastic, they performed really really well. Geoffrey Rush has such an expressive face, and such a way in using his arms, hands and legs, and such a wonderful voice, that all night there was a smile on my face. The whole comedy is such stupid fun and the production team helped in their choreography, stage and costume design, and in the energy the whole cast showed. The audience did not really start laughing well till the second half, although some had been laughing all the way through, but in the second half it was loudly laughing. We laughed and laughed, and my memory is revisiting scenes such as the eunichs, Senex at the bathroom window, pseudolus viewing the ladies, the three Phyllia's, the funeral scene, and....... The singing was wonderful, the acting great fun, and we left with a warm glow. What astounded me is that after such a wonderful night, the majority of the faces of people leaving did not have smiles on them. Memories from my childhood were that of audiences generally leaving the theatre smiling. However some were smiling. I wonder if this tendency to frown is reflective of a society that has lost contentment with what we have, but striving for something we do not have (and do not really need.) I wish we could remember how lucky and rich we are, even the poorest in the country.
Another week has finished in this year, and I wish all well for the next week.
What is making us experience this, school children who have expressed it, seem to have experienced the last term of the year slipping past them with assessment tasks and exams. But the three terms before it, they perceive as having vanished quickly as well. Parents of children who are going to school are also astounded at how quickly they feel the long holiday has arrived again.
For me the start of the year contained hope, and the end of the year is containing a loss of hope. This is the saddest year I think that I have had in my life in some ways for it is ending in an opposite from the past. Most years I can still have hope of improvement for those things that are struggles in life, but this year the largest one, seems to contain less hope and more despair. I really would like things to be different.
After that, you would think that I had a dreadful week, and yet there were two wonderful highlights to the week. On Thursday evening I wound up having a trip to a bookshop for their preChristmas discount sale to help me to buy Christmas presents. No presents bought, but a collection of interesting books. Wonderful to be greeted with a glass of champagne and then some finger food. We could only stay for a short time for we had to head to a medical appointment.
Then on Friday the real fantastic highlight of the week. Following a frustrating car trip into town, and made because the train trip of the Saturday prior had lost my faith in the railway system being able to get us there on time. Well the traffic contained some idiotic drivers who did some very strange things, twice we were fortunate that cars that swerved into our lane did not collect us. Mind you the one intersection provided a hold up that was ridiculous, and only caused by people going into an intersection when there was not room on the other side, so our road could not turn where it needed to as it was blocked. Fortunately we had left really early so as to allow for unexpected roadworks or situations like this. Lesson learned. We parked and then went to the theatre, and in the cafe/bar had a glass of Champagne as a means of waiting for the start of the show.
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum was fantastic. With Geoffrey Rush as pseudolus and Magda Szabanski and Shane Bourne, there was a totally booked out theatre. My husband bought the tickets early so we were four rows back from the stage at the aisle. It was fantastic, they performed really really well. Geoffrey Rush has such an expressive face, and such a way in using his arms, hands and legs, and such a wonderful voice, that all night there was a smile on my face. The whole comedy is such stupid fun and the production team helped in their choreography, stage and costume design, and in the energy the whole cast showed. The audience did not really start laughing well till the second half, although some had been laughing all the way through, but in the second half it was loudly laughing. We laughed and laughed, and my memory is revisiting scenes such as the eunichs, Senex at the bathroom window, pseudolus viewing the ladies, the three Phyllia's, the funeral scene, and....... The singing was wonderful, the acting great fun, and we left with a warm glow. What astounded me is that after such a wonderful night, the majority of the faces of people leaving did not have smiles on them. Memories from my childhood were that of audiences generally leaving the theatre smiling. However some were smiling. I wonder if this tendency to frown is reflective of a society that has lost contentment with what we have, but striving for something we do not have (and do not really need.) I wish we could remember how lucky and rich we are, even the poorest in the country.
Another week has finished in this year, and I wish all well for the next week.
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Public Transport goes chaotic in the West
It was really funny this morning, after a wonderful week travelling a few times into town and out last week by public transport, today I saw it when it malfunctions. We set out early because I believe in using the train before the train before the train that just gets in in time. BUT we still had trouble. At Kensington South the delay started, with a very friendly driver informing us of signal faults and expected delay of five minutes then coming back on and increasing that to another fifteen minutes. About twenty minutes later, in light of his not hearing from the main communications room he advised those of us in a hurry to leave the train and walk to the nearest bus stop. One kilometre later, we see that too many people are there before us, so then take the next kilometre walk to the tram stop. This is crowded by the people who have come from the train stop near it, but the tram has room. We had made a good decision.
On the way we talked to a pleasant young man who was visiting from Canberra and travelling to town to then travel to another destination for a lift to a wedding in Bendigo. On the tram we met a family from Shepparton who had come down early to see the Myer windows. Well there trip took them longer and a different route. It had been a V line train at the other stop. Still need to learn what stop it was.
In town we met our friend who had filled in the time by visiting a store full of books and choosing some Christmas presents for young folk in her life. A lovely time was had by all. Then we got up and left, and went on our way. We went to a few different shops and then headed home.
Well that also turned out to be an interesting trip. First misinformation about bus numbers but correct information on the place to get them. We spoke to a chap at the next section of the railway station, and he told us different numbers, and as he had a sheet with the information on it, because he had just arrived on duty, we trusted it. So another walk to catch a bus in Queen Street, to get to Footscray station. Instead of dropping us at the station it drops us at a busstop in a street and we have to walk yet once more. On the way we get to meet someone who works with my husband. Small world. Then on the bus we met two other people that I knew.
At Newport the bus stops, and we wait, but then the bus driver tells us to get out, because we are catching a train there. The advantage of going by train a straight route and faster trip home, but we had to walk a little distance again. Thanks goodness.
All in all the thing I was most impressed with was how cheerfully those we met coped with the situation of lots of people and crowds and doing the unusual.
On the way we talked to a pleasant young man who was visiting from Canberra and travelling to town to then travel to another destination for a lift to a wedding in Bendigo. On the tram we met a family from Shepparton who had come down early to see the Myer windows. Well there trip took them longer and a different route. It had been a V line train at the other stop. Still need to learn what stop it was.
In town we met our friend who had filled in the time by visiting a store full of books and choosing some Christmas presents for young folk in her life. A lovely time was had by all. Then we got up and left, and went on our way. We went to a few different shops and then headed home.
Well that also turned out to be an interesting trip. First misinformation about bus numbers but correct information on the place to get them. We spoke to a chap at the next section of the railway station, and he told us different numbers, and as he had a sheet with the information on it, because he had just arrived on duty, we trusted it. So another walk to catch a bus in Queen Street, to get to Footscray station. Instead of dropping us at the station it drops us at a busstop in a street and we have to walk yet once more. On the way we get to meet someone who works with my husband. Small world. Then on the bus we met two other people that I knew.
At Newport the bus stops, and we wait, but then the bus driver tells us to get out, because we are catching a train there. The advantage of going by train a straight route and faster trip home, but we had to walk a little distance again. Thanks goodness.
All in all the thing I was most impressed with was how cheerfully those we met coped with the situation of lots of people and crowds and doing the unusual.
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Sunday has come around again
What a week this has been. Following a friend's death last week, the week was going to contain a funeral. Before that work became busy, with two nights being given over to doing some brought home.
Mid week I went to an interesting day of professional development. It was a very interesting day, I need to take some time to think over the ideas shared, and to take the trouble to actually get to work on applying the good ones.
For this I used public transport, and found the benefits of reading time. Getting on the train at the start of the line means a seat is available and it is easy to read. This meant progression on the book ahead of normal. Then on Friday another trip, as we used public transport to get into the funeral. It was a wonderful send off for my friend. A gathering of people to say farewell, but nicely done.
Then on Saturday, the third trip to town. Three in a week, a long time since that has happened. A little gathering with the catalyst for the gathering a lady from Brisbane who had flown down to meet those who studied in an off campus course with her. She has amazing numbers of books to read, and is completing amazing numbers of subjects each trimester. We all have read and enjoyed the books of Sharon Kay Penman.
Mid week I went to an interesting day of professional development. It was a very interesting day, I need to take some time to think over the ideas shared, and to take the trouble to actually get to work on applying the good ones.
For this I used public transport, and found the benefits of reading time. Getting on the train at the start of the line means a seat is available and it is easy to read. This meant progression on the book ahead of normal. Then on Friday another trip, as we used public transport to get into the funeral. It was a wonderful send off for my friend. A gathering of people to say farewell, but nicely done.
Then on Saturday, the third trip to town. Three in a week, a long time since that has happened. A little gathering with the catalyst for the gathering a lady from Brisbane who had flown down to meet those who studied in an off campus course with her. She has amazing numbers of books to read, and is completing amazing numbers of subjects each trimester. We all have read and enjoyed the books of Sharon Kay Penman.
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