Sunday, October 30, 2016

Over Forty and Letting Go

I'm beginning my third year of my 40's and have found the longer I'm around, the less things surprise me... actually a lot about the world disgusts me.

Over the past week, I've decided to sell off over 40 books from my huge collection. This is mainly a set of 52 books - with their own magazines - which were sold as a newsagents' collectors thing. You know the kind of thing it is: it started way back in the early 60's and has been going on ever since. You buy the first magazine with a piece for a discounted price, then the following week, you buy the next one with another piece at the full price of $9.99 and the following week, you buy the next and the next... until you have a full collection of books, or you've built the Eiffel Tower or you've built a model Mustang... or whatever it is you've been promised by those companies to have in your hot little hands by the end of the year.
Well, that's what it was for books. I was given a collection of 52 books - with magazines - for Christmas one year and they were these types of books. I had them for a long time and now, I've noticed that I have doubled-up on some of those classic books. So, I'm selling that 52-book set. 

It just makes sense doesn't it? You get rid of and sell what you no longer need. You whittle down the possessions until you just have those things that make you happy... no matter what it may be.

I have my painting, my books, my gardening, my furniture refurbishing... I love music and have a 1970's style house, but then there's always a time when I jump in and just throw away a pile of clothes, a collection of things I just don't look at anymore (or use) and it makes me feel better. I have more room and I don't fill that space up... instead it's just there to be enjoyed. 

Yep, I'm getting to that age where I want the extra bedroom for my craft gear, and yet, I'm throwing out what I really don't need anymore. It feels great. I never thought throwing out or giving away things would feel this good... but it does. What have you done in your life that makes you feel wonderful? Cleaning out a space does it for me. I'm begun to be good at being brutal with myself when it comes to letting go of things a now; but I never used to be. It all takes practice. If it wasn't for Peter Walsh, I wouldn't be as strict about my cleaning out as I am now. But really, I have to be in the right mood and zone to do it. Until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember, I'm always here.

Thursday, October 20, 2016

Busy Weeks

It's always good when life gets busy, isn't it?

I've been trying to work on my decluttering more again and it's working out for the best. I've gotten rid of 5 drinking mugs and replaced them with a set of 7 Mexican Glass wine glasses. I fell in love with them at Vinnies; and knew they'd look great in my kitchen... and I'd use them as well.

Then, I've wrapped up and gotten rid of some smaller glasses which I don't have a place for anymore. I just simply don't use them for anything; and so I have given them to Mum to give them to the right people. Anyway, I didn't know until it was almost too late that the set of 5 glasses with apples on them have a large jug that goes with them; so I'll have to get that to Mum as well (and thus freeing up more of my cupboard too). 

Otherwise, I'm painting, creating and getting into my gardening again. With Summer on the way, everything is growing faster in the hotter weather. And the best thing is that there's been some rain hanging around too; which means the gardens are getting fed too. I'm still watering, but with the rain coming at the right times, this means I don't have to water so much.

My brother's birthday was yesterday and my niece's birthday is on Saturday. So, we went out last night for a seafood feast at Sandgate. It was great! My brother loved the rough-cut serving platter I gave him made from Camphor Laurel and the pressies I gave Riley were perfect for her - she just loves them all! 

Yep, it's been busy, but a good busy for this fortnight. Until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember, I'm always here.

Wednesday, October 12, 2016

What's Life Without A Little Craziness?

There's been a few sleepless nights around here since my birthday last week - actually before that - but then, I'm not too worried about this. 

Every so often people around here - one person in particular - does some stupid things. And yet, he goes and blames everyone around him instead of sitting down and realising it's his life that is a mess. 

You see, I've had these dramas before when I first moved in here; and I've lived here long enough to not let things bug me, to let go of the wrong people and let the right people stick around in my life... this particular neighbour has still yet to learn this.

And this surprises me.

In a place like this, very little surprises me.

Anyway, after having apples thrown at my house because I asked him to turn down his music or close the door, then snapping at his visitor (because he's stalking my next door neighbour and stressing her out), I told the right people and tried not to worry.

Two nights later, on my birthday, I had settled in late - really late - when this particular, dramatic neighbour had a visit from his ex-girlfriend. She picked a fight, and it was on for young and old with those two. They had a screaming match in his house - throwing things and calling each other names - and she left. But instead of him staying indoors and sulking (like any normal person does), he followed her out to her car and really started in on her.

Jeez... 

Well... I won't go into detail too much; as you can well imagine what happened then. Of course it went from bad to worse and their domestic went and woke up most of the neighbourhood... the police showed up and took him away (after the fight was over). 

Exactly why people do this is beyond me. But really, it get a little old when you get past 40 and you've seen this a few times in your life; and don't really want to be around it anymore.

But then, what is life without a little craziness? It's boring, solitary and very sheep-like (you know, very same and grey-looking). I don't mind a little craziness, but there's a time for it and a time to leave things be. Then, there's a time to do something about that person who is always turning life into a drama. Until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember, I'm always here.

Friday, October 7, 2016

My Birthday

Wednesday was my birthday... but I've been busily working on things over the whole week - thus I haven't written here for a bit.

I got quite a bit done on my day - some housework, went out and did my grocery shopping - then came home and chilled out for the rest of the day. I got myself ready for that night to go out for dinner with my family to the Royal Hotel at Nundah, where we sat outside and had a wonderful Italian dinner.
While the bill was being settled, the waitress was told it was my birthday, and she insisted I received a free dessert. I told her I have birthday cake at my brother's house and to not worry about it; but she pushed, and asked if I liked chocolate. Well, of course I do! So, out came this little ganache with coffee ice cream...omg! It was delicious! But I couldn't fit it in... I ended up sharing the last bits of it with Mum and Riley.

I received a lovely pair of ear-rings from Gabe and Kat - hand-made silver ones - and Riley made me the most lovely card. I love them! Mum and Dad gave me some scratch-it's where I won $15! Yay! And I bought myself the Red Hot Chili Pepper's most recent album 'The Getaway' on vinyl. What a great day. There's more still to come - like time to spend the vouchers from the stores I have received via my email, otherwise, I'm hoping to let that stretch the whole month long. 

Well, that was my birthday... I usually make it last the whole month somehow. Until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember, I'm always here.

Tuesday, October 4, 2016

This Year

It's been around a year since I wrote a post about what I've been up to over the year of my birthday... and so I'm at it again.

It's 4th, October. Tomorrow is my Birthday and I don't mind aging. I guess it's got to do with wanting to experience the world as it is; and enjoying myself while I do.

During this past year, I've given the boutique markets a rest. Last year, I didn't make any money, so I took a step back and figured out why... it was my product placement and that some of the things I was putting out there were produced properly. So, I have been working on making a better product; taking my time and learning new skills to work with the markets again next year.

I'm writing more books. Yep, once a writer, always a writer... it's the creative in me who gets a right workout. Being like this makes life exhausting; but I'm also painting as well as doing needlepoint, which makes life so much more colourful. But I wouldn't be an artist if I didn't have these things in my life.

My garden got a great makeover. It's the third year on and it was time to repot things over Winter, so I did. I started up a new blog about my garden, and have had another blogger who put my garden blog on his blog roll, to help kick it along. I also still have my garden facebook group too. 

My next door neighbour and her guy broke up, and she and I have become close friends. It's been good to be able to just hang out with her for hours on end and not feel as though I have to leave. She's so much happier and is working harder at work as well. I'm so happy for her because she's happier in herself.

I started a new painting when I came down with laryngitis over the weekend my 20 year class reunion happened. On the Saturday night, I was out and about, and okay and then the next morning, I discovered that my voice was croaky; however it became worse, not better. By the Monday, I went to the doctors and he told me what I had and to stay home, not talk to anyone and not talk at all... woah! That's so much easier said than done! But I got a lot of reading, painting and cleaning out done in that week. I still have the cough from it after 4 months though... can't do much about that.

Life itself has been good. I'm still cleaning out my house. I sold my late-Grandma's kitchen table to somebody in Beenleigh, who wanted to do it up for her family. To replace it, I bought a Chiswell dining setting off a man on Gumtree... it's beautiful, and I love it! Life is getting better as this year passed by. I've started saving up big for something huge I want... it will take time to get to my goal, but I'm not saying what it's going to be yet. So, there I am... my year in a blog post. It doesn't seem as though I got a lot done, but I did... I even got my heart stood on by some dude out there who I thought I knew - but didn't. Oh well, just as well I found out now than later, right? Until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember, I'm always here.

Monday, October 3, 2016

Long Weekend Starts October!

This weekend starts October and ends the school holidays. It started sunny and ended raining. It started with me not wanting to do any type of house work for money, and ended with me ironing for my Mum (which is something I absolute detest) and cleaning out my tupperware cupboard completely.I also watched 'Pompei' with Dad we found that main enemy in it just wouldn't die... and I kept calling Corvus (who was brilliantly played by Keifer Sutherland) a cockroach - for the obvious reason that no matter what happened to him, he just seemed to get back up and keep going; just like a cockroach. Dad found this hilariously funny and loved it that I had a name for characters like him in movies - and I said I called them that name in books too; because they just won't die.

Otherwise, I've been working on a couple of paintings, doing more needlepoint for my next markets and looking at some of my finances quite seriously. I'm also looking at finding a part-time job very soon to plump up my bank balance. All of this will be coming up to something that I don't want to make public - not just yet. It's something I'm working towards that needs to be looked into by me which will mean a big step outside my comfort zone - bigger than me being a Life Model (which was something I never thought I'd be in my life, but yet, I do this work now). 
Yes, I'm keeping a surprise from you all... but don't worry, like all surprises, it's worth it. And you'll love it when you find out. And only a few people in my immediate circle know about my project. Anyway, it's a slow process right now; which I think will speed up very quickly once the wheels are in motion. 

Otherwise, I've been busily looking around the garden and tidying that up before the rain hit today. Then, this morning I went to put some dropped palm fronds from outside my house into the green bins at the back of the complex when I found that somebody had shoved their recycling stuff into those green bins instead of the big recycling bin. You gotta be blind to not see the industrial-sized yellow-lidded bin sitting to the right of the bin bay... but then, I ended up putting everything from those green bins into the recycling bin - otherwise the green bin guys won't touch it. 
Once home, I washed my hands and got right into the washing up and cleaning up and put my coffee on - yep, I hadn't eaten breakfast as yet. So, once I ate that and kicked back to listen to the radio, it was then the skies started to look as though it was going to pour rain. I got a lot of the washing up done, put some of the plants out in the rain and then made my second ice coffee for the day and have come back upstairs... yep, it's a good internet day, as the rain settles in. I hope you had a great weekend.

I mean, the Western Bulldogs won the AFL Finals on Saturday - after a 62 year drought. I earned some money doing some ironing for my Mum, watched a very cool movie where a volcano blows it top and destroys a city and all who lives in it during the Roman Empire... then, I do out my Tupperware cupboard, cutting its contents in half. It's been a pretty good weekend... until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember, I'm always here.