Oasis

In our home this week

2011-12-31T10:13:00.012+10:00

I thought I'd offer a snapshot of what's been happening in our household recently.

Family/Celebrations: my lovely SIL visited from Indianapolis - she was in Australia for her dad's 80th birthday party, and we were lucky enough to have her stay with us for a while. Leisa joined us for Christmas celebrations with my parents on the 23rd. A wonderful meal as always - I'll be attempting to make the Pearl Couscous with Prawns and Avocado sometime soon.

Bill's 80th birthday was a very special occasion - I particularly enjoyed catching up with family, as I wasn't able to make it to Toowoomba for Christmas this year. Bill's fame is such that the Toowoomba Chronicle paid a visit to the restaurant - another newspaper clipping to add to his extensive file. Garry wrote a poem for his dad, which I'll upload in a separate blog post. Garry's been writing quite a lot of poetry since I bought him a copy of Stephen Fry's "The Ode Less Traveled".

Catherine spent most of this week in Toowoomba, catching up with her cousin Emma. In between social outings, they traded their latest obsessions: Cate made sure Emma saw as many Glee episodes as possible, while Emma taught Catherine to appreciate the humour of Hamish & Andy.

Christopher spent quite a lot of time refining his search for a High Definition video camera, finally deciding to purchase one through Amazon rather than from a local store - the price difference was significant. That took care of all his Christmas cash and leaves him indebted for a couple of months' worth of pocket money. He's also been enjoying the latest iPad app - a car-racing game of some description.

In the Kitchen: my Christmas presents this year were Moroccan-themed - two tagines and a cookbook full of great recipes. I cooked a Lamb Tagine with Dates, Almonds and Pistachios - the first time I've bought red meat in almost ten years. I was taken aback by the price of lean lamb - being largely vegetarian sure helps save money on the grocery bills! The lamb was beautifully tender, although the spicing of this particular recipe was a touch bland.

Off the Bookshelf: Christopher bought me "The Dragonriders of Pern" for Christmas - a trilogy by Anne McCaffrey, who died earlier this year. I'd never actually read any of her work, so I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. I greatly enjoyed the world of Pern and the dragons she originally created in 1968. I zipped through the three books - finished most of the last one in the car on the trip to and from Toowoomba yesterday.

On the Goban: I'm still playing lots of Go games - mostly via my iPhone. This snapshot is of a smaller game. My favourite board size is 19x19. I love the intricacy of Go. Even now, the best computers in the world cannot beat a professional Go player (unlike chess). Yet the rules are simple and can be learned very quickly. Studies have shown that playing Go reduces mental decline.

Waffle-On's Debut

2011-09-18T15:49:00.001+10:00

Waffle-On made a debut at the Maleny Markets today, to resounding compliments by all. Christopher made short work of two supersize syrup waffles.

To work

2011-08-26T14:14:00.001+10:00

This isn't exactly what you want to see when arriving at work on a Friday afternoon

My first Bento

2011-08-24T08:04:00.001+10:00

Packed this delicious and attractive meal to take to work. The containers stack together to make up a small box known as a bento box, which is the Japanese equivalent of a lunch box.

Logbook

2011-08-22T20:59:00.002+10:00

A list of things I did today.

My Hens

2011-04-24T14:27:00.004+10:00

Catherine has blogged about the names of our hens, and I've blogged about assembling the chook pen. Finished result:

Today - a week after they arrived - Lethal, Fatal, Snow Leopard and Puma were allowed out for the first time. They run to see me when I go outside, because I am the Bringer Of Goodies. Well, to be perfectly honest, two of them run.... one ambles... and the fourth (Fatal, the brown one) simply flattens herself into the bushes pretending to be dead. Hermione (the cat) has decided to pretend the chooks are invisible, after doing a bizarre sideways "attack! run away!" maneuvre that considerably dented her feline pride.

Anyway. It's good to have chooks again. They are funny to watch and nothing compares to home-collected, poo-coated eggs. Love hearing them cluck softly as they seek out weeds and pests to destroy. Plus I have a great deal worked out with Catherine - she will help me feed and collect eggs. Any eggs she finds are hers to sell back at supermarket prices. Works for me!

Chooks

2011-03-27T16:05:00.003+10:00

Tamara: since i'm building a chook pen today, why don't you girls dress up as chickens? There will be a prize for the best costume.

Annika: no wayyyyyy! I am NOT dressing up as a chicken.

Catherine: disappears and is heard in her room with the tape dispenser.

Sanne: yay! let's do it.

Half hour later....

Annika: look. I made this chicken head and beak out of a box.

Catherine: still in room, cutting something with scissors.

Sanne: moping around for unknown reason.

Half hour later....

Annika: I am NOT wearing this so you can take pictures!

Catherine: emerges from room, be-fathered and chicken-toed.

Sanne: prancing around in costume the other two girls made for her.

Tamara: oh shit! Now I have to award a prize.
*delegates task to Christopher*

Christopher: give them ten bucks each.

Hobart

2011-01-21T20:40:00.000+10:00

Southbank

2010-08-14T11:35:00.004+10:00

Nice photo of recent trip to southbank:

"SAY WHAT??!!"

Coming off the citycat, we see the following:

(click to enlarge)

honey, anyone?

2010-04-10T16:52:00.004+10:00

Driving along today, I just had to stop and take a picture of this:

(click photo to enlarge)

There are more sources ideal for honeymaking in Australia than any other country - so we have the widest range of tastes and colours. The best loved Australian honey flavours come from:

Blue gum: A light amber. Choice forest honey from the south.
Karri: An amber honey from the forests of Western Australia.
Leatherwood: A unique honey from the west coast of Tasmania, quick to candy and extra light in colour.
Lucerne: A mild-tasting honey.
Yellow box: Pale and sweet. From New South Wales, Victoria and Oueensland.
Stringy bark: Strong flavoured, medium amber honey from the Great Dividing Range.
Ti-tree: A very strong flavour used mainly in manufacturing.
White clover: An extra white honey that candies smoothly.

See how many flavours and types of honey you can find. Taste as many as you can, for honey keeps you healthy. It can be used with many foods and in many ways. When you know all the flavours, not only will you be able to use it to its best advantage, but you’ll be a honey connoisseur as well!

Text quoted from http://www.honeybee.org.au/pdf/wonderfull01.pdf
I wonder how they'd describe the flavours and uses of Chook Poo Honey?

How to fly to Cairns for $12.50 per person

2010-01-12T16:11:00.002+10:00

STEP ONE: book a trip on the Tilt Train using your pension concession card and companion card. Total cost for caree and carer: $25.00.

STEP TWO: arrange for the Tilt Train to breakdown somewhere just north of Bundaberg. It's a nice touch if the train is no longer able to move in a forward direction, but is still able to move backwards. Gratefully accept the free breakfast offered by Queensland Rail.

STEP THREE: convince Queensland Rail that you can't very well travel to Cairns on the buses they have provided for your fellow passengers. Tips to achieve this include (a) having a wheelchair; (b) needing enough floor space to change a teenager (c) needing regular meals and snacks due to said teenager also having insulin-dependent diabetes (d) having a connecting flight booked, which happens to leave before the buses are due to arrive in Cairns.

STEP FOUR: gratefully accept the tickets to fly to Cairns instead! Two thumbs up to Q Rail and particularly Mark in the Bundaberg office, who worked very hard to make all the arrangements - right down to a wheelchair-accessible taxi to the airport.

STEP FIVE: HUSTLE!!!
Important Tip: make sure you know how to fold up your teenager's wheelchair so that you can do so gracefully under pressure. Wear suitable clothes.

STEP SIX: Fly from Bundaberg back south to Brisbane. Wave to family as you fly past.

STEP SEVEN: Now fly from Brisbane back past the Sunshine Coast (wave to family), over Bundaberg (wave to Tilt Train)... all the way up to Cairns! YAY. Congratulate each other for getting to Cairns a full four hours before the train was due to get there.

STEP EIGHT: choose movie, choose room service, settle back and enjoy!

Tilt train troubles

2010-01-12T05:35:00.003+10:00

After four hours sitting still on the train track between Bundaberg and Gladstone, we are now back in Bundy. It's now 5:37am and we're waiting for buses to be arranged. This is going to be far from ideal. We shall see how the rest of the adventure unfolds.

Cairns, here we come!

2010-01-11T16:30:00.004+10:00

Christopher and I are heading up to Cairns on the Tilt Train together. Packing has been a challenge, as I will only have two hands to carry everything we need PLUS push the wheelchair. I've tried to keep things to a bare minimum - astute readers may note the extent of that when looking at the pictures of our gear.

My contribution (see photo above) is quite modest, I feel. Christopher's needs are more complex, so his share of the luggage is suitably greater than mine (see photo below). Unfortunately a critical part on the wheelchair broke last week, and the welding is only a temporary fix. I'm taking along a spare harness strap and some tools *just in case*.

Picnic Area Project

2010-01-09T12:11:00.006+10:00

The boys are working on a new project this weekend... here are a few photos and a snippet of video to set the scene. The idea is to create a timber platform that's at a comfortable height for feeding Christopher in the wheelchair. The setting is a shady area under a few well-established mango trees, with a beautiful view towards the rain forest. No doubt Garry will describe the project in more detail on his own blog.

Woodford Folk Festival

2009-12-31T11:29:00.004+10:00

Catherine and I spent a day at Woodford Folk Festival this week - something I've been meaning to do ever since we moved to the Sunshine Coast. We had a fabulous day, with the added bonus of catching up with some great friends who were there from Toowoomba. We slogged through mud, listened to a variety of excellent music (John Butler Trio, Freshwater, Leah Flanagan Band to name a few) and laughed through various shows (magician, circus act, burlesque and macedonian dance workshops). Street performers and a plethora of food, craft, clothing and other stalls added to the carnival atmosphere. Here are a few images of the day:

Circus Performance

Dot icecream was a novelty

Yes, I am in there somewhere!

Catherine's tattoo

Making balloon animals

Street performers

UV Wonderland

A friendly seagull

Part of the crowd @ John Butler Trio concert

Growing up fast!

2009-12-19T15:51:00.002+10:00

Christopher was right....

2009-12-13T16:17:00.002+10:00

... I love my iPhone!

Seriously. It is a brilliant little piece of technology.

I looked at prices of iPhones a while ago, when Christopher was first extolling their virtues. When I saw the cost I wrote off the whole idea at once.

A couple of weeks ago I decided we'd need another mobile for when I'm at work, and went shopping for a suitable plan - at which point I realised that I could afford an iPhone after all - if I bought it as part of a plan!

Yay!!! Christopher and I set off at once and came home with my delightful, sleek, sexy new phone. I'm considering this my graduation gift to myself :)

The picture is a screenshot of some of the applications (apps) that were on my home screen. I've tweaked it considerably since then. The more I use it, the more I am smitten. The first morning I checked my email in bed I knew I was a dedicated fan!

About time, too

2009-11-25T11:49:00.003+10:00

Small Basic

2009-11-21T08:09:00.005+10:00

Christopher said last night, "If someone thinks I have an intellectual disability, tell them I write computer code". Yes, he has been engrossed for hours this week learning how to write computer programs using Small Basic.

Benefit #1 - he is reading the entire instruction manual by himself - and getting him to read has been a struggle for many reasons;
Benefit #2 - the program uses intellisense, so it speeds up his typing and reduces errors - making the process much less frustrating than it would be otherwise;
Benefit #3 - he enjoys it immensely, as the instruction manual is designed to give the learner quick results;
Benefit #4 - it is computer-based, and if you know Christopher at all, you will know his obsession with computers and technology.

sample of instruction manual for Small Basic (click to enlarge)

Don't forget, he's doing all this using a head switch and onscreen keyboards!

Parrot Day

2009-11-18T18:16:00.005+10:00

Today, I spotted all these birds:

sulphur-crested cockatoo

rainbow lorikeets

galahs

and yellow-tailed black cockatoos

it must be Parrot Day in Mooloolah Valley!

Nice snaps

2009-10-04T16:22:00.003+10:00

While working on a project, I came across lots of wonderful old photos. Here are two... winter with my boy (USA)... and summer with my girl (Australia).

Magic Square @ 4 weeks

2009-09-27T09:04:00.005+10:00

clothes shopping in a wheelchair

2009-09-26T13:45:00.005+10:00

I don't like taking the kids clothes shopping. As Catherine gets older it's becoming a little easier, but I still avoid it as much as possible. It's time to dust off my soapbox and clamber up for a rant about wheelchairs and shopping centres. First of all, the width of the aisles is not terribly helpful when Christopher's arms and hands have a life of their own. For some mysterious reason kids' clothes racks tend to be particularly squashed together. Finding a safe place to park him while Catherine and I make dashes up and down the aisles is always an interesting challenge.

Having found several armfuls (armsful?) of clothes that look okay, we grit our teeth and head into the hell of the changing rooms. At least nowadays there is such a thing as a disabled change room, which - as you might be able to spot in the photo - is in the female section. Fabulous fun for a teenage boy..... NOT!

Once the disabled change room has been vacated by the previous customer (an able-bodied young woman), Christopher and I head inside while Catherine scoots into an empty stall nearby. I sweep the used tissue, clothes hanger and clothes tags onto the floor so I can lift him onto the change bed. Interesting design. At least this change room has a bed - on previous occasions our only option has been the floor, which does not bear thinking about.

We eventually emerge from the change rooms looking a bit frazzled (at least, that's my excuse for the hair-do, and I'm sticking to it). Frozen yoghurt with mango or wild berry topping time. Catherine spots a sign "The Dress to Impress" in a shop window and quips "I don't know how you'd impress a dress, anyway". Christopher wonders whether I will pay him to use his photograph on my blog. I love these kids! We eat maccas in the car at the beach and watch another dust storm approach in the far distance. Time to head home and rejoice that clothes shopping is over for another six months.

Bonaro W. Overstreet

2009-09-25T16:51:00.002+10:00

Never heard of her? Here's a snippet of her poetry:

You say the little efforts that I make will do no good:
they never will prevail to tip the hovering scale
where justice hangs in balance.
I don't think I ever thought they would.
But I am prejudiced beyond debate
in favor of my right to choose which side shall feel
the stubborn ounces of my weight.

Newstyle sibling communication

2009-09-24T09:39:00.005+10:00

The kids have discovered windows instant messenger, and on the first day of the school holidays spent a good couple of hours talking to each other from their separate bedrooms. They established a system of codes and call signs (christopher is fox leader, catherine is wolf cub). Code red means "come here", code yellow is "wait" etc. I haven't yet discovered which code means "Be careful! Mum is in the room and can hear us". They also play games and share video clips with each other.

If you know Christopher, you'll realise how lovely it is when he finds a new way to communicate, and a new activity that keeps him busy for hours on end. So - seeing as we're not going anywhere special these holidays - the kids each got their own webcam to add to the experience. Christopher has already used his webcam to create little video greetings - much much faster than typing with a switch! Catherine has been using hers to take countless creative photos of herself (sample above). I think it's a good investment all 'round.

splashup

2009-09-21T20:42:00.005+10:00

I love photoshop. Unfortunately it's a little more expensive than I can afford, just to play around with my digital photos. So I am chuffed to have discovered a little web-based program called splashup. It lets you create layers and play with filters just like photoshop. Well, ok, not JUST like photoshop, but near enough. The fact that it doesn't take up space on my hard drive is a bonus, too. The above is an example of what can be done with a few minutes of playing around. Kinda fun!

Oops... I nearly forgot to say it's free :)

What happens when you can't choose...

2009-09-21T14:41:00.003+10:00

....between orange or blue fingernail polish?

Catherine set up business in her bedroom on the weekend... a massage and manicure shop, open from 3-4pm (very civilised working hours if you ask me). I ventured in, to be greeted by a very professional manicurist, who had prepared the work environment with a great deal of thought... right down to providing a coaster if customers had brought their own drink along.

The half hour manicure consisted of a fingernail trim (quite scary for said customer), a choice of orange or blue fingernail polish, and a hand massage with a scrummy almond moisturiser. As it was late Sunday afternoon, I found myself unable to cope with decisions regarding nail colours and therefore ended up with alternating colours. In the spirit of things, I wore my matching skirt today:

The dark side...

2009-09-19T09:27:00.004+10:00

.... of making savoury pancake stacks on a beautiful Saturday morning :(

Hmmm, I need upbeat music. I think "The Big Chill" soundtrack fits perfectly. Any other suggestions for music that makes cleaning up a kitchen more fun?

Breakfast, anyone....?

2009-09-19T08:41:00.003+10:00

Savoury pancake stacks:

Catherine approves:

Miss Hermione thinks the king parrots are ho-hum:

New addition

2009-09-17T19:29:00.003+10:00

Replacing the faithful old starwagon is this cute little 2003 honda jazz. Already smitten! The boys took a LOT of photos, very likely at Christopher's instigation. Suffice it to say "She's silver and she drives like a dream". Took me all of 20 mins to decide to do errands, drive to the village, visit post office, drive to IGA, buy laundry powder, drive around corner, drop off tax info, drive home.... ta-da! I love living here, I love my Jazz, I HAVE A JOB for next year.

Magic Square @ 2 weeks

2009-09-13T08:42:00.005+10:00

Two weeks since planting, and things are growing well. The nasturtium seeds have sprouted in this large green pot. Dead-headed marigold flowers are going straight into the garden. It takes one watering can to maintain adequate moisture at the moment, and I've only had to water four times. That's thanks to some nice rain over the last two weeks. I add a heap of kitchen scraps every few days and shovel on a scoop of mulch - which takes care of the composting side of things.

Leisa asked about pest management. So far the biggest pest has been Miss Hermione. The kitchen scrap smells draw her to the compost daily, and she was seen eating from it one day - and subsequently vomiting. Cats! I manage that by making sure I cover the tasty bits with extra mulch. I am going to start harvesting this coming week... just a few leaves here and there for sandwiches.

Salad Plot

2009-08-30T13:47:00.004+10:00

Today was planting day, and therefore the most labour-intensive part of my garden square is now over and done with. Ably supervised by Christopher, assisted by Catherine, and hindered by Hermione, all the seedlings were settled in their place and tools tidied up within an hour.

The seedlings look a bit droopy.... transplanting never does them any favours. I'm half-thinking to save seed and raise my own next time around, but we'll see how they go. There is rain forecast for this evening, so I am hoping they will stand up to the shock.

This planting grid shows which plants are where, and what their special needs/uses are. It will be particularly handy once (if?) things get a bit lush and tangled in the magic square... in due course. So far so good.

Nearly time to plant!

2009-08-29T15:11:00.005+10:00

Whilst I haven't personally done much more to my "one magic square" since I last wrote, the boys built me a very nifty frame. The left side is my actual planting square, while the right hand side is where I'm composting kitchen scraps. The small rock pile just behind the frame is where the Time Capsule has been located.

Today I used some string and nails to divide my planting square into 16 smaller squares. There will be a different salad vegetable in each section, giving us lots of variety for picking over spring and summer. I hope to plug in the seeds and seedlings in the next couple of days.

2009-08-09T11:35:00.003+10:00

August is the big month! Creating a professional portfolio, writing my curriculum vitae/resume, writing cover letters, applying for jobs and hoping for interviews. It's exciting to be so close to finishing my studies, and it's also a good time to sit back and rethink the whole "why am I doing nursing?" question. I've spent some time mind-mapping about that, to be sure of my direction before making any major decisions. Now I'm keen to get some offers and start planning for work next year.

I've also given some thought to what skills I still want to polish up before launching into work as a registered nurse. I've got a mere 320 hours of time left as 'student nurse' on the wards... and I want to make the most of it.

Two minute gardening

2009-07-28T19:39:00.007+10:00

I dumped a bag of horse manure on my little square garden bed today. It's the only thing I've done since it was "dug" (see here). I won't start the planting till spring, so this should give the horse poop time to do its thing. I plan to shovel on a bit of mulch sooner or later and that's it for now! Back to the textbooks.

Back to Uni

2009-07-27T08:40:00.004+10:00

Yes, it's time to start the final semester at last! I am doing one external subject via James Cook University (rehab and palliative care) and the other is my internship. So my on campus time is limited to five workshops (four hours each). For clinical, I am doing four weeks in operating theatre and four weeks in oncology (both full time and working any shift). Job applications for graduate nurse positions open today. It's going to be a big semester and to start it off on the right note, I will have to tackle my desk. I took this photo 5 minutes ago... with the intention of clearing that mess and dealing with all the hidden disasters by the end of today. Yipee!

Update at 9:30am. My desk and my intray now look like this:

Update at 2:30pm. My cat and intray now look like this:

Hermione is sulking because she got kicked out of the intray just before photo was taken.

Moon Landing

2009-07-21T10:46:00.005+10:00

Here you can see Christopher watching / listening to the live stream of the moon landing from 40 years ago. On the wall you see his Buzz Aldrin poster surrounded by the Apollo mission patches. Underneath is his hero, Steve Austin. The entire mission can be found here, but it takes a while to load. We have the audio running on three computers at the moment, each of which is easily more powerful than the computers used throughout the Apollo space program.

Cute birthday song

2009-07-20T11:07:00.001+10:00

This one put a huge smile on my face :)

responsibility

2009-07-16T11:10:00.007+10:00

Philip Pullman, author of His Dark Materials trilogy, talks here about the responsibilities of storytellers. I found it inspiring in a more general sense - and therefore worth sharing:

... I do know that there is a joy in responsibility, in the knowledge that what we're doing on earth, while we live, is being done to the best of our ability, and in the light of everything we know about what is good and true. If we do it well, we might be able to bring our work to the condition of that mysterious music described by Caliban, the sounds and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not; and there's something to be said for doing that. Maybe that's all we can say.
© Philip Pullman

The whole essay can be found here.
The Caliban reference is from Shakespeare's The Tempest.

One Magic Square

2009-07-15T16:16:00.005+10:00

I don't have a lot of time for gardening nowadays, although my herbs seem to have survived the neglect I've showered on them quite successfully. However, I was seduced by the shape (square) and colour of a book called "One Magic Square" by Lolo Houbein, who also just happens to be of Dutch origin. Her gardening experience, however, is all rooted in Australia. So I caved and bought it, gloated over it for a couple of days, and finally - being unable to resist the lure of a neatly numbered set of instructions - wended my way outdoors. Now, in the past, I've raised vegetables on a fairly lavish scale (with due credit to Garry who faithfully created the structures that my grand designs required). Our garden in Long St was a lush jungle that produced two metre tall corn stalks, healthy chooks and delicious eggs, and a variety of fruit and veg.

Since moving to the coast, I've not had much time for a project of this scale. The soil here is not black volcanic, it's sand over clay. However, the sight of some fat worms has given me hope - and after all, it's all about building the soil, isn't it? So, I dutifully set out to obey the instructions given on page one: "To start growing your own food without delay, put down this book, go out in the garden and select a spot in the sun". Okay, that part is easy enough. Double check the site with Garry to make sure he's not planning to put anything else there... site selected.. check.

Next, "Dig over one square metre with a garden fork and remove all the weeds by hand". Not being a keen digger or weeder, I am glad my chosen spot is already weed-free and well mulched. I pat myself on the back and mark out the square metre with Catherine's able assistance. Calmly ignoring the demise of our tape measure, we spread out newspaper in our chosen spot and I shovel on some nicely composted soil (including worms). Ahhhh, lovely! At this point, Garry comes over and asks why we have moved the chosen site several metres away from the agreed spot.

Tiny hiccough in the plan - the Time Capsule we created some years ago is buried somewhere around here, although Garry isn't entirely sure where. Arrrggghhh! We try to drag the newspaper and its heavy load across to the original spot. The paper breaks apart. We try to shove a board underneath but this only rips the paper up even more. Time to lean on the shovel and regroup. Catherine hurries inside and makes a new paper square. I shovel everything across and eventually we stand back to admire the end result. Not much to see there.... but with the eternal optimism of gardeners of all ages, I add the little word "yet!"

Museum & WoB

2009-07-15T11:40:00.003+10:00

Day two of our Queensland jaunt brought us back from Straddie to Brisbane. Rather than rushing back up the coast we headed over to Southbank. First we wandered through the Queensland Museum and an exhibit of Leonardo da Vinci's machines. This was followed by a ride on the Wheel of Brisbane and dinner. Back home quite late, but at least the traffic was not too bad.

Christopher at the Queensland Museum

The Wheel of Brisbane

North Stradbroke Island (2009)

2009-07-14T14:42:00.004+10:00

Last week we took the kids to revisit North Straddie and not much has changed, apart from the kids themselves and the fact that there are now two ferry companies :) I found myself singing Wiggles songs in the car, but Christopher quickly put a stop to that. We stayed at Amity Point, but drove to Point Lookout and past Pippi Palace for old times' sake. Here are a few photos of the recent visit:

North Stradbroke Island (2000)

2009-07-14T14:07:00.005+10:00

Nine years ago, we were lucky enough to spend two months living on North Stradbroke Island in a beautiful home called "Pippi Palace". The kids were four and two years old - driving on the island is forever linked to Hi 5 and Wiggles music. I spent the mornings doing therapy with Christopher, but the afternoons were free time. We joined the local playgroup and library, and had boxes of fresh fruit and veg delivered to our door each week. Family and friends came and went. It was an idyllic time and one that has provided many happy memories. Catherine as a two-year-old was a funny little character, who liked getting into all sorts of small spaces. At four, Christopher was working hard to communicate with us - he remembers that I made him crawl to biscuits during this holiday as part of his ongoing therapy.

Photo #1: Catherine in a large planter pot.

Photo #2: Pippi Palace had marvellous views of the ocean.

Photo #3: As mentioned, we had a number of visitors. Here we see Granny and Uncle Brad on the beach with Catherine.

Photo #4: Tamara and Christopher walking along the beach.

Photo #5: Garry feeding a friendly kookaburra on the deck of the house.

'the losers in every competition'?

2009-07-01T12:39:00.006+10:00

Christopher chasing pigeons in his walker

People with handicaps, so limited physically and/or intellectually, are often more gifted than others when it comes to the things of the heart and to relationships. In a mysterious way they can lead us to the home of our hearts. Their handicaps are counterbalanced by a special openness and trust in others. Certain social conventions mean nothing to them. They live closer to what really matters.

In our competitive societies, which put so much emphasis on power and strength, they have great difficulty in finding their place; they are losers in every competition. But in their thirst and their gift for friendship and communication, the so-called 'weaker' people in society can touch and transform the strong, if the strong are only prepared to listen to them.

In our fragmented societies, people with disabilities have a very special part to play in the healing of hearts, and in destroying the barriers which separate people from one another and prevent them from living humanly.

From the introduction to "Our Journey Home" by Jean Vanier.

5-min chocolate mug cake

2009-06-10T14:41:00.007+10:00

There's an email going around about making a 5-minute chocolate cake in a mug. Catherine and I decided to give it a whirl, since all the ingredients were on hand. Here are the photos (some a bit blurry, sorry).

Catherine mixing the ingredients:

The mixture in the mug:

After microwaving for three minutes:

The cooked result:

Taste test:

Our verdict: this is a wicked recipe! Main problem - as the email notes - is that we are now only ever 5 minutes away from freshly-baked chocolate cake :)

At the zoo again

2009-06-07T16:57:00.004+10:00

Had a really lovely day at Australia Zoo, with tigers and snakes topping the favourites. Christopher ran himself ragged in the walker, and the trio of girls were fabulous. I spent the day juggling wheelchair, walker, wet shoes, jackets, backpacks and hats. Worth every minute! The girls are cooking dinner tonight - whoo-hooo!

Just a few photos:

The Flip Side

2009-04-17T07:27:00.002+10:00

The flip side of our recent domestic pleasures is barely-controlled chaos. The renovations of Christopher's room continue and things are starting to take shape. Probably the hardest part is that Christopher isn't able to use his own bed. Anyone who has tried to lift a 12-year-old boy from a mattress on the floor will realise how difficult that is. Garry is valiantly fighting against the tracking of dirt and dust into the house... the back deck looks like something exploded... the washing line and dryer are right in the work zone so I try to use them 'after hours' (not very successfully).

nusquam est umquam simplex

Domestic Pleasures

2009-04-15T14:35:00.004+10:00

What with all the rain and it being school + uni holidays, we've been getting domestic around our home this week. I set the boys to work helping me set up a craft cupboard, so all our scattered crafty things are slowly being reorganised. The cupboard was a dingy old thing - now has nicely burnished door handles, a fresh coast of paint and some nifty storage.

Meanwhile, I bought myself a (very early) birthday present - a pie maker. I bought it on the recommendation of a friend (thanks Nat!) and having owned it for only one day, I can say it's a surefire hit. Christopher insisted that we have pies for dinner last night, so I made mediterranean veggie pies for mains and peach pies for dessert. Both were delicious! Tonight we're having curried lentil and tomato pies. After that we'll need a break from pies I suspect.

The pie maker itself is great - you get four perfectly cooked pies in about eight minutes. It also makes quiches, damper, muffins, tarts and baked cheesecakes. Yummmm. Now that the rain has stopped I'll be getting back into the herb garden - hmmm... maybe cheese & herb dampers for lunch tomorrow :)

Susan Boyle

2009-04-15T07:37:00.001+10:00

Well worth 7 minutes if you can spare the time (it's a youtube clip):

Click here

A sample week

2009-03-23T10:49:00.003+10:00

What's on my plate this week?

One 45 min quiz
One 90 min online exam
A 1000 word summary of a case presentation on traumatic brain injury
Two days of work in emergency department
Two days at university
Keeping up with household washing and paperwork
Supervising Catherine's home schooling

What's not on my plate this week? (I am sure this part of the list is longer... just ask Garry!)

Christopher's homeschooling
Cooking and shopping
Supervising ongoing home modifications
Property maintenance

Not quite sure how we're going to fit it all in, but we've survived the first four weeks of semester. In a lecture last week there was a useful bit of advice: "take care of the seconds and the minutes and hours will take care of themselves". That might just have to be my motto for this semester.

Whimsy

2009-03-15T08:35:00.002+10:00

What Do You Want Bud?

I saw a Buddhist monk today
At a hot dog stand
The cook stood at the griddle
Doing his thing
“What can I make you” was his
Gruff demand
The monk replied, “Make me one
With everything”

Paul Curtis

To think about

2009-02-21T11:06:00.003+10:00

"Imagine someone you admire suddenly found themselves in your situation. What would they love about it? What would they change immediately?" Steve Pavlina.

Guess that all depends on who you admire.....

25 things about me

2009-02-07T14:08:00.002+10:00

I wrote this for my Facebook account, so I am cheating and using it here as well:

1. I secretly throw out tupperware containers if the leftovers inside have become too gross to touch.

2. I once went on a train trip to Cunnamulla for a break. Overnight trip there, hopped out for lunch at the local pub - then straight back on the train to Toowoomba.

3. Similarly, I once used (my mother in law's) frequent flyer points to fly first class from Brisbane to Cairns for lunch - flying back the same day. Sadly the restaurant we flew there for happened to be closed for lunch. Ah well, champagne on the runway isn't too hard to take. Afterwards, my father-in-law chided his dear wife for not thinking of doing that themselves!

4. I don't remember anything at all from my childhood up to the age of seven, when we arrived in Australia from Holland. My first impression of Brisbane airport: stinking hot. It was boxing day 1979 and there were no such luxuries as sky bridges - only traipsing across the endless tarmac loaded down with bags.

5. I love shotgun tim-tams, especially if I'm not quite quick enough and it makes a gooey chocolate mess all over my fingers. Yummmmmmmmmm.

6. I think there is no sweeter sound in the world than the laughter of my kids. This holds true even if I am saddled up with extra washing as a result.

7. One day I want to set up my ultimate dream bookshop. See http://mionysmum.blogspot.com/2007/09/my-dream-bookshop.html

8. I wish nurses still wore those starched white caps and little blue shoulder capes.

9. I have scuba-dived with sharks. Both in controlled situations and in the open ocean.

10. I loathe type 1 diabetes with a passion.

11. I have (counts on fingers) six email accounts. Wow, that's more than I realised. Blushes.

12. My most embarrassing t-shirt says < body > on the front, and < /body > on the back. It's utterly geeky and I love it.

13. I firmly believe that the best way to cook is with music, a glass of wine, and lots of uninterrupted time.

14. I flirt with Zen; or perhaps Zen flirts with me.

15. I dislike any form of exercise that makes me hot and sweaty. Give me yoga, bush walking or ocean-gazing any time.

16. I am not really "at home" until I have planted herbs in the garden. The smell of herbs and spices is one of the heady joys of life.

17. I own a small, hand painted glass that one of my aunts *stole* for me from a moroccan restaurant in Paris. Paris also happens to be my favourite city in the world - for now. I am open to changing my mind about that based on future travel. I LOVE flying!

18. I can play "Spanish Romance" on guitar.

19. I like good old-fashioned board games more than computer games: monopoly, go, scrabble, cluedo, yahtzee, canasta, sjoelen (shuffleboard), chess or mancala, anyone?

20. Having a child with cerebral palsy is damn hard going most of the time. It's also made me a better person and teaches me so much about life, love and laughter. Two sides of the same coin - makes me furious, makes me proud. Complex and exhausting and challenging and rewarding. A lot like having a child without cerebral palsy, except that some jobs never stop (changing nappies) and he just keeps on getting harder to lift.

21. If I could choose to be any animal at all it would be a cat.

22. I have discovered that some things sound nicer than they actually are, which is why I don't think I'll go dancing naked in the moonlight anytime soon. There are exceptions, however - playing in the rain is one!

23. I've learned that it's nice to fall asleep holding hands with your lover.

24. I'm wondering if anyone would notice if I skipped a couple of numbers so I don't actually have to come up with 25 things.

25. My perfect day would include, but not be limited to: waking up to the smell of coffee; finding a long-coveted book in a poky little bookstore; eating pasta and drinking red wine; curling up with a really good book; watching a movie that makes me cry; looking out over the ocean and thinking large thoughts; listening to Sarah McLachlan singing love songs; and dot, dot, dot. (think "Mamma Mia").

Why I gave up on War and Peace

2009-02-06T10:59:00.004+10:00

I tried to read War and Peace, I really did try. I got through 208 pages of the 696, which is not a bad effort. If anyone reading this has gotten further along, I'd love to hear how you managed it. Anna Karenina was not hard to read, so why have I conceded defeat in W&P? Surely classics are classics for some enduring reason.... the thing is I fail to see the point in this case. Maybe I didn't get to the "good part" yet - but if I have to work this hard at it, I prefer to move on.

Before giving up, I read the wiki article about W&P, searching for a reason to keep going. Apparently Tolstoy broke numerous conventions when he wrote it, making it significant due to style rather than content. I am no literary critic - I read for pleasure, to widen my horizons, to gain insight into other ways of being in the world. W&P certainly does manage to paint a picture of a culture and time I know next to nothing about. The thing is, I am simply not interested enough to wade through this one any longer... and the characters are so darn irritating! I admit this book has me beat - and that's a rare confession on my part.

Paul Smith

2009-02-03T14:11:00.005+10:00

No doubt you've had numerous "inspirational" emails over the years, many of which I admit to sending merrily into my email trash. A recent one caught my eye (thanks LGG) and I decided to check if the story was true... skeptic that I am.
After all, how could anyone create artwork using a typewriter? Not just any artwork, mind you, but stunning pictures. Even more amazing - the artist in question had cerebral palsy. To see more of his beautiful work and read about his life, click here. There are video clips as well, including one in which he jokes "I'm a self-made man, but I goofed". Truly inspiring.

Google Sites

2009-01-28T14:19:00.005+10:00

Catherine and I sat side-by-side with our laptops and created a new Google site each. Still lots to be done, but the site interface is very intuitive and lots of fun to use. Have a peek at:

Tamara's

and

Catherine's

Home > School > Yoga?

2009-01-25T19:34:00.004+10:00

This coming week we start homeschooling the kids again - grades 6 and 8 this year. Garry is taking on all of Christopher's schooling, while I will oversee Catherine. No more late nights or sleeping in around here, sadly. It has been lovely to have some time in the mornings for a leisurely start to the day....

I haven't made any goals or resolutions for this year. Just thinking about what needs to be achieved in 2009 makes me feel tired. But last year I did manage to keep two goals that I feel good about. So I am going to tempt fate and try something in the early mornings before the kids get up.

In addition to the usual routine of making bed, getting on the scales, getting dressed, wrapping my hands around a mug of coffee and turning on the laptop, I want to add: yoga. Nothing earth-shattering, mind you... just a very gentle and peaceful smidge of exercise to get myself ready for the day.

See? That wasn't so hard, was it?

Discover Switch again

2009-01-21T08:56:00.003+10:00

This is hopefully some clearer footage of Christopher using his Discover software:

Discover Switch

2009-01-20T09:53:00.007+10:00

Christopher can't use either a keyboard or mouse to access his computer. The following video clip shows how he uses his Discover Switch software - which gives him total use of all his computer programs. The only contribution I made to this video was holding the camera and plugging it in so he could download the footage. Everything else was done using a single headswitch that is fastened to his headrest.

The software that comes with Discover Switch throws various context-friendly "keyboard layouts" onto his computer screen. These are then scanned section by section, so that a simple click of the switch selects the button that Christopher wants to use.

DISCLAIMER: I had nothing to do with choosing the music, either! I will try to get a better-quality version up when Christopher has some free time :)

Inauguration

2009-01-18T19:03:00.004+10:00

If you have a little time to spare, browse this site.....

http://www.zefrank.com/from52to48withlove/index.html

Sorry, you'll have to copy and paste > the link didn't work.

Aquarium

2009-01-07T14:59:00.002+10:00

Don't ask me why - but Catherine dearly wanted a small aquarium for Christmas, and we were foolish enough to give it another shot. Here it is, although fish will not be added until later in the week. I am bracing myself for a series of fish funerals...

Testing testing

2009-01-06T17:27:00.003+10:00

I signed up as a beta-tester to try out a new organisational system - yes, I am a sucker for trying new ways of organising things!! It's called Autofocus and the creator of the system is happy to take on further testers via his website (click here). The only reason I'm even putting up a blog post today is because of the new system. I entered "write a blog post" as a task and hey presto - here I am. Amazing. It worked!

The real rest of the system, of course, will be when uni and school start up again. This time of year I like to play around with how I process things. Later on I simply process them - and not always successfully. So we shall see. If I keep on blogging over the next couple of months, thank Autofocus :)

Nika & Cat

2008-12-30T15:38:00.000+10:00

Planning Begins

2008-11-11T16:23:00.002+10:00

Planning has officially begun for the Hills Family's 2010 trip "around the world". A valid itinerary is in place, which will no doubt be rearranged and tweaked as we make the attempt to find a flight featuring the new airbus A380.... Christopher's dream come true. The fun (some of us would debate the use of the word "fun" at this point) begins on 1 May 2010. Our progress to England will include stops in Singapore (2 nights), Paris/France (1 week), Cairo/Egypt (3 nights), and finally on to London.

Several months later our return trip will include Zurich/Switzerland (2 nights), Rome/Italy (6 nights), Washington DC (5 nights), Indianapolis (8 nights), Los Angeles (2 nights) and home via Auckland, New Zealand! In between, we will be hopping across the channel to Holland and making a visit to Ireland for a walking (aka Guinness drinking) holiday.

Cairo is Catherine's choice, Italy is Christopher's. Garry's preference is to stay at home, but if he absolutely has to go, a visit to Ireland is essential. My vote went to France and anything else is a bonus. Okay, okay, visiting family is also part of the point - relax dutchies and americans!! We're coming... eventually.

Any feedback?

Procrastination

2008-10-27T11:02:00.001+10:00

Since it's the final week of uni for this year, I need to inspire myself to keep working with some words of wisdom about procrastination:

Only Robinson Crusoe had everything done by Friday. ~Author Unknown

Anyone can do any amount of work, provided it isn't the work he is supposed to be doing at that moment. ~Robert Benchley

Never put off until tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow. ~Mark Twain

The two rules of procrastination: 1) Do it today. 2) Tomorrow will be today tomorrow. ~Author Unknown

Akeelah and the Bee

2008-08-22T11:04:00.000+10:00

If you haven't seen Akeelah and the Bee, you've missed a remarkable little gem of a movie. I'm not sure how it slipped under our radar when it was first released... we only discovered it on DVD quite recently. It's nice to find a movie that is not only enjoyed by the whole family, but has some substance that inspires and challenges us at a deeper level. The final spelling bee, where Akeelah and Dylan face each other... well - that is such a compelling scene that Garry and I both end up in tears - with the kids rolling their eyes at us.
One of the best quotes in the movie comes when Akeelah reads out the following quote from Marianne Williamson:

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.

The Invitation

2008-08-19T12:10:00.000+10:00

It doesn't interest me what you do for a living.
I want to know what you ache for,
and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing.

It doesn't interest me how old you are.
I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love,
for your dreams, for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon.
I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow.
if you have been opened by life’s betrayals or
have become shriveled and closed from fear of further pain.

I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own,
without moving to hide it or fade it or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy, mine or your own;
if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you
to the tips of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful,
be realistic, or to remember the limitations of being human.

It doesn't interest me if the story you are telling me is true,
I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself,
if you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul;
I want to know if you can be faithless and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see beauty, even when it is not pretty every day,
and if you can source your life from its presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure, yours or mine,
and still stand on the edge of a lake and shout to the silver of the full moon, "Yes."

It doesn't interest me to know where you live or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up after a night of grief and despair,
weary and bruised to the bone, and do what needs to be done for the children.

It doesn't interest me who you know or how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand in the center of the fire with me and not shrink back.

It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom you have studied.
I want to know what sustains you from the inside when all else falls away.

I want to know if you can be alone with yourself,
and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments.

- Oriah Mountain Dreamer

Christian the Lion

2008-07-04T17:07:00.000+10:00

Gregorian - Sacrifice

2008-07-03T17:56:00.000+10:00

There and Back Again

2008-05-06T12:48:00.000+10:00

We have just returned from a wonderful driving holiday to New South Wales - particularly to visit the Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo. We stayed at the zoo overnight, which was absolutely worthwhile. The zoo accommodation is under canvas, but with luxuries such as heated tile floors and a proper wheelchair-accessible bathroom. The "lodge" was a central gathering place with common room, bar and restaurant. Our package included a three course dinner and full buffet breakfast, three 'close encounter', behind-the-scenes tours of the zoo, free bike hire - and the provision of a wheelchair-accessible taxi to drive us to the various exhibits on the tours.

While the zoo was definitely the highlight of the trip, we also had a lot of fun staying in odd places and visiting such attractions as the 'Crystal Kingdom' in Coonabarabran and the botanic gardens in Goondiwindi. Listening to audio books in the car made the time pass quickly - with family favourites "The Hobbit" (read by Garry) and "Fawlty Towers", as well as some Lemony Snickett. The kids were marvellous the whole way - waking up cheerfully, never complaining, and providing great conversation and entertainment along the way.

No doubt you will read more on the other blogs... but that's all I have time for just now.

Just quickly...

2008-04-21T16:26:00.000+10:00

Catherine has *at last* updated her blog - click on the link to the right to navigate straight to Faerytopia.

Timber!

2008-04-18T16:32:00.004+10:00

The treeloppers arrived yesterday morning and achieved an amazing amount of work in one day. Two enormous trees are gone - now mere heaps of wood chips on the block. It was sad to see them go.... and watching such a beautiful old tree go down is quite an experience. The word that springs to mind is majestic. Several large pieces of trunk also remain on the block, which we hope to grow vines over alongside the wheelchair pathway.

The trees really did need to come down, sadly. You can see from the above photo that one in particular had a decided lean towards the house. Garry experienced some anxious moments when the loppers were pulling down the first tree using a rope and truck - and the rope snapped, sending the tree swaying towards the house!

The skyline has changed quite a lot, as you can see from the before and after photo looking towards the house and shed from our driveway:

Postscript: One sad thing about this was that cutting down trees is so much against the way I prefer to be in the world. I would much rather plant trees, and nurture them to full growth.... to prune them into beautiful shapes... to enjoy their unique shapes and scents and sounds. Chopping them down is an ugly act, one that brings none of the creative delight that getting to know a tree does.

Awwww

2008-04-16T17:45:00.005+10:00

Ctrl Alt Delete cat.... needs someone to hold Alt

see more crazy cat pics

HSM Ice Tour

2008-04-14T17:27:00.000+10:00

Catherine and I travelled to Brisbane last Friday to see the fabulous "High School Musical Ice Tour". It was so much fun to take her - she loves both movies and knew all the songs and characters. The show was very impressive, with some excellent ice skaters, costumes and special effects. Makes me wish I could look as graceful on ice! The only sour note was the merchandising, which was excessive and overpriced.

All in all - it was great and we both really enjoyed ourselves.

PS, I haven't been able to upload pictures to my blog for weeks and weeks... a problem I don't know how to solve. Sorry for the pictureless posts, everyone.

Back to uni

2008-04-02T09:14:00.000+10:00

Being back at university has taken some getting used to after the long summer holiday. The routine for Garry and myself changes quite dramatically during uni semesters, keeping both of us rather busy. I'm doing two subjects this semester - Nursing Research and Human Pathophysiology. The Nursing Research subject is irksome and should be completely revised (in my humble opinion), while the pathophys is the highlight of my study week. I love the way concepts fall into place and relate to clinical nursing in this unit, and the laboratory sessions have also been very practical and enjoyable.

So it's a mixed bag this sememster.

FreeRice

2008-03-10T11:36:00.002+10:00

Want to improve your vocabulary and do something to alleviate world hunger? Then check out FreeRice - a website that donates 20 grains of rice to the UN World Food Prgram each time you give a correct answer to a vocabulary question. The words get harder each time you get the word right, so it can become quite challenging.

You can read more about the UN World Food Program by clicking this link. I know 20 grains of rice doesn't sound like a lot, but it certainly adds up: to date, over 21,000,000,000 grains of rice have been donated through this site. The cost of the rice is carried by site sponsors, so it doesn't cost you a cent to participate!

In the last hour, the four of us have donated several thousand grains of rice between us. Catherine's best vocab level is 11, and I peaked at level 48. As Catherine says, there are three good things about this program:

1. you help people who don't have enough food to eat
2. you improve your knowledge of words
3. it's fun

Let me know if you try it by leaving a comment - we'd love to hear how many people join us!

Railway Rumours

2008-03-03T19:55:00.001+10:00

Rumours about the new railway are rife.

It's really starting to look as though the new railway will be either:

1. passing right through our house, or
2. running just below the edge of our block

This is bad and it is sad. None of us wishes to move - but we are also prevented from doing modifications (for Christopher) and from getting even more attached to this beautiful place, until we know whether we'll be able to stay.

We are considering the following options:

1. asking Australia Zoo to loan us some koalas for our gum trees, so we can claim we are a wildlife sanctuary;
2. asking Peter Jackson to film "The Hobbit" here, so we will be a tourist attraction; or
3. burying some dinosaur bones so we can claim to have a vital archeological site on our block.

Any further ideas will be gratefully accepted.

Alert

2008-02-26T20:41:00.000+10:00

Christopher has added a new post to his blog site.

Clive

2008-02-25T21:18:00.003+10:00

While on holidays last week, I picked up a treasure trove in the form of a book by Clive James, called "Cultural Amnesia". It is a series of essays which are just long enough to read in one sitting, but thought-provoking and meaty enough to provide food for thought for many days. Each essay focuses on a person who has made a contribution to culture in the 20th century - although not always in a positive way.

I have enjoyed James's sense of humour and cutting insights ever since Garry and I avidly watched his TV series, "Fame in the 20th Century" (in the hazy days early in our marriage, before kids). A dear friend (Connie) pointed us to his website last year: Clivejames.com click here if you're interested in taking a look.

Time Out

2008-02-21T10:42:00.000+10:00

One of the hardest things about having a break from caring for Christopher, is the way it highlights anew how much it usually demands of you. When you're in the midst of it there's little time to consider the full effect it has on your life. But as soon as you're removed from it for more than a few hours, you have time to realise 'what might have been'. Too, it allows for a sudden upsurge of grief that still catches me unawares after all these years.

My parents have suggested several times that Garry and I should have a whole week away together. What scares me is how much time that would give us to explore who we are when we are not carers. What if all that does is make it harder to keep going? I'm not sure it's a good enough reason not to do it - but I am afraid to set myself free for one week, knowing that at the end of it there is no choice but to return.

Of course, it's possible that one week is long enough to allow me to bring new joy and energy to the role of carer. That is a good enough reason to try it at least once!

Umeshisms

2008-02-17T10:36:00.000+10:00

I have lifted the following directly from a blog called Graham Weekly, mainly because it's a quirky way of thinking and it caught my eye. I can relate to the one about blog entries, in particular.

Umeshisms: better strategies for life

If you’ve never missed a flight, you’re spending too much time in airports.

Scott Aaronson takes the principle of Umeshisms to be "concentrate on the high order bits" - don't have your life dominated by the effort of avoiding minor negative events, because the optimal strategy doesn't avoid those events completely. "If you have never regretted a blog entry, your blog is boring".

I was thinking about them occasionally the last few weeks, and have tried to come up with decent general form. It goes like this: If you never experience negative event X, you would be better off with a different approach, even though that approach means X might happen sometimes.

From that template you can generate all sorts of wisdom from the ages:

If you never get rejected, you aren't asking enough (Scott Aaronson).
A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new (Einstein).
If you never fail, you aren't aiming high enough.
The following I started applying to my own life a couple of months ago: if you've never forgotten to lock your room, you're spending too much time going back to check.

Punting on the Avon

2008-02-12T14:19:00.000+10:00

One of my favourite touristy outings in Christchurch was punting on the Avon River with my new friend, Lucija. Here are some pics:

It was such a peaceful, beautiful time - very special. I could happily do that for hours, with some champagne and a picnic lunch.... and Garry by my side (winks).

Clubbing in Christchurch

2008-02-06T14:35:00.000+10:00

One of the most out-of-character things I did while in Christchurch was going clubbing (if that's what it's still called?).

Showing my age now: it has been 15 years since I last did this! It was heaps of fun. The local Golden Key chapter had organised a very thorough guide to Christchurch's best bars and clubs, so that most of us ended up in the same places at the same time.

Yes, I danced (a little, and very badly). I went to the Bog (great Guinness), the Iconic, and a Japanese bar called the Ishimoto. However, my personal favourite had to be The Grumpy Mole (aka The Angry Mole, The Grumpy Animal, The Crazy Mole, and whatever else people mistook it to be named).

A Welcome and Farewell

2008-02-04T20:46:00.000+10:00

On our first night in New Zealand, we were welcomed by a group of wonderful Maori people in a Powhiri ceremony. Their beautiful singing and enthusiastic performance will stay with me for a very long time to come.

Very sadly, one of the group members had a heart attack as the group was leaving the university campus. Together with a number of other wonderful people, I suddenly found myself performing CPR in the carpark, surrounded by Maori relatives and friends of the man. (I only did this for a few minutes, then someone relieved me until the ambulance finally arrived).

Haunting is probably the only word that describes this experience. The way that the whole group gathered round and kept calling out for their "uncle" to stay with them was incredible. At one point, tears were splashing down beside my hands as I did compressions, and I glanced up to see one of the young women from the group weeping above me.

We learned later that the man died in hospital. I am still coming to terms with what happened, as this was the first time I'd had to use my CPR training in a real emergency. Working in palliative care has meant facing death full on, but hospice work doesn't usually require resuscitation. So it was a sad welcome to NZ in the end, which will always shape the way I remember my time there.

Kia ora tatou

2008-02-03T21:02:00.000+10:00

Right - I'm home!

I suffered a little bit from internet withdrawal symptoms while in Christchurch, so it's nice to be back online. The conference was fantastic, Christchurch is beautiful, and I'm very, very tired.

Here are just a couple of pics - and tomorrow I hope to blog in more detail about some of the things that touched my heart, caught my eye, and challenged my thinking.

"All my bags...

2008-01-30T17:38:00.000+10:00

...are packed, I'm ready to go"

4:30 am tomorrow, airport transfer to Brisbane International

then Christchurch - here I come!!

Hmmmm - can you tell I love to travel?

Counting Down

2008-01-28T11:10:00.000+10:00

It's only a few days until I board a plane for New Zealand, and I'm getting pretty excited now (apart from having to leave home at 5am). You can see details of the conference program here. I am particularly looking forward to the Indigenous Cultures Forum. For the closing dinner we've been asked to dress in Kiwiana, which doesn't excite me all that much. Oh well, I can live with it... because I'M GOING TO NEW ZEALAND!!

Committee Bird

2008-01-21T16:44:00.000+10:00

A pair of odd-looking birds has had us frantically searching through our field guide this weekend. They are wary, making it hard to spot them through binoculars too. The beak, in particular, was most unusual on a bird of this size. I think it looks like a bird developed by a committee - patching together everyone's ideas with no regard for style and grace. "Hey, let's use a toucan's beak!" "Yeah - and give it eagle's legs and feet" "Great... and since we can't decide on a nest, why not have it lay eggs in other birds' nests?" "Cool!!"

Well, all right - I don't know of any real committee that works like this, but you've got to admit the bird looks odd. It turns out to be a Channel-billed Cuckoo, by the way. Since I couldn't get a clear photo, I've used an image from "The Graham Pizzey & Frank Knight Field Guide to Birds of Australia" - you've got to love any book by a man named Pizzey. Oh, I nearly forgot... for those of you who like birdwatching, I can highly recommend Bill of the Birds as an interesting blog to visit, even if it's in the wrong hemisphere.

Catherine's Latest

2008-01-19T08:58:00.000+10:00

Catherine has been doing some painting classes during the school holidays. They start with a blank canvas (about 30x40cm) and a template of that week's design. Three hours later they have a finished product. As you can see, the first week she was a little shaky. Up until this, she'd only done basic school artwork so it was a completely new experience.

The second week she had a bit more confidence. Afterwards she described the various brushes and why they have certain names and uses. She has one more lesson coming up, then it's back to piano classes. While I don't think we have a budding van Gogh on our hands, I think her new-found skills and confidence will give her school artwork a huge boost.

A Beautiful Life

2008-01-15T15:13:00.000+10:00

Hermione (our cat) is sleeping on a chair, Catherine is staying with her grandparents in Toowoomba for a few nights, Christopher is entertaining himself on his computer, Garry is having a quiet afternoon in the guesthouse, and so I have a little bit of time to blog. On our car trip home from Toowoomba this afternoon, Christopher and I had a lengthy discussion on what it means to live a beautiful life. He's at such an interesting age for this sort of conversation. He began by saying it's impossible to live a beautiful life - by which he meant that no life can be perfectly beautiful. By the end of the conversation he was describing how someone living a beautiful life can reach out and wrap that around others and make their lives beautiful too.

It put me in mind of the movie, "Life is Beautiful" in which a father transforms the horrors of a Nazi concentration camp into an imaginative game for his son. It's a gem of a movie - both very funny and piercingly sad. What made me think of it is Christopher's concept of making life beautiful for others. A beautiful life is not about surrounding yourself with luxury, it's about making the world a better place for all the people that touch your life.

If this seems like it's too difficult, Christopher's analogy is that you build a beautiful life the same way you decorate your bedroom - you might start by hanging a favourite picture, then tidying the desk and looking out for an ornament that's just right for your room. You don't try to achieve a perfect room in one day - it happens bit by bit. So there you have it - some words of wisdom from an eleven-year-old who wants to "bring more peace to the world and call other people to do the same".

Gecko eating a spider

2008-01-11T21:01:00.000+10:00

I took this photo last night, through the kitchen window. The spider put up quite a fight, but the gecko won in the end:

You can click on the photo to get even closer to the spider's hairy legs... if you wish. Catherine and I like the gecko's little eyelashes. Actually, now that I think about it, they probably aren't *real* eyelashes - they just look like it.

Look Inside Yourself

2008-01-10T14:13:00.000+10:00

I've been doing some pre-reading for pathophysiology this coming semester, and came across this incredible movie of the inner workings of a cell:

The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed. Albert Einstein.

Your First Car

2008-01-08T21:19:00.000+10:00

I began driving in the year I graduated from high school - in other words, the year I turned 17. As soon as I was allowed on the road, I headed out there. My parents had a Toyota Blizzard that I drove out to Carnarvon Gorge, but the first car I bought myself was this little Toyota Corolla. Of course, that's the year I also looked like this:

Hmmmm...

So my question today is: what year did you start driving and/or what was your first car? Also, what country did you live in at the time?

A Leunig for You

2008-01-07T14:54:00.000+10:00

I like Leunig's cartoons - they always make me smile. This one makes me want to grab a book, find a shady tree beside a river, and just sit.

I'd probably take along a book of meditations on nature, or perhaps The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint Exupéry. I'd also take a nature journal to scribble in.

What do you consider to be essential riverside reading material?

House Guests

2008-01-06T15:00:00.000+10:00

If you noticed that all our blogs have been quiet this last week it's because we've had house guests. This was a long-awaited, much-anticipated visit by Christopher's best friend and his family. Not only has Jarred been a wonderful friend to Christopher, but he comes with a sister, Aliesha (who is Catherine's age) and lovely parents (Tiffany and Darren). Bonus!

Our guesthouse was filled to the max, with bad weather keeping all eight of us housebound for the entire visit. This did not dampen the fun in the least. The sjoelbak was popular with all, as was the chess set. Numerous other board games were dragged out of dusty corners to find new life. The playstation got a good workout as well.

Good food, great conversation and lots of playing kept us all entertained. It was especially nice to see how well the kids hit it off together. Here are a few photos of the visit:

Sjoelen (aka Dutch Shuffleboard)

2008-01-06T14:41:00.000+10:00

We've been making use of my parents' Dutch "sjoelbak" since New Year's Eve, and it has been great! Here are some pictures of the experts in action:

Your Best Year Yet

2007-12-31T15:18:00.000+10:00

To become fully alive a person must have goals and aims that transcend himself. Herbert Otto

I like to use the ten questions of "Your Best Year Yet" to put my past year into perspective and identify some directions for the new year. There is a free online workshop that you can do (click here) - although this year I bought the book secondhand via ebay. The end result is a one-page document of some carefully thought-out, relevant reminders and goals for yourself.

I'm not sure that any of my aims will help me 'transcend myself'. They are humble goals, as I know from experience that I do better if I build in a reasonable chance of success. Nevertheless, when I read my page of goals, they put a smile on my face and invite me to enter into them wholeheartedly.

I'm looking forward to what 2008 will bring our way. Perhaps another move (not such a cheerful prospect), but if not, there will no doubt be other challenges. What gives me hope is that we've weathered a great deal as a family and I know we will support each other no matter what. Here's a toast to the simple things in life - family, love, friendship, laughter, and the ability to recognise these for the treasures they really are.

Happy New Year!

A Tree Just Fell on Our House

2007-12-30T14:30:00.000+10:00

Yes, I'm not kidding - but thankfully it's not a huge tree and it only just hit the guttering on one corner. We've been experiencing some strong wind this weekend and Garry has been worrying about trees falling - it seems he was right to be concerned. This time all is well (although it has caused some extra work and flattened a beautiful tree fern). No doubt you will hear more on Garry's blog before long...

Underwater World

2007-12-30T11:04:00.000+10:00

Garry's Aquarium is looking truly amazing. All four of us find ourselves just sitting and watching the fish at various times throughout the day. My personal favourite is the bristle-nosed catfish, named Mel, who spends her entire day quietly cleaning the tank. Among others, we have two swordtail females called Mandy and Margie, and a male swordtail called Excalibur.

Due to our ignorance, the third female swordtail was named Detective Spooner (from the movie, I, Robot), as we mistakenly thought she was a male. Christopher is hopeful that Detective Spooner is pregnant, as she's looking decidedly well-rounded. We also have two little diamondhead neon tetras called Luke and Leia (guess who's been watching Star Wars?).

Giant Soccer Ball

2007-12-28T17:00:00.000+10:00

We gave Christopher this large blow-up soccer ball for Christmas, and as you can see, it's quite a success!