Ready Set Go

HELLO WEDNESDAY  I have a few errands to run. I need to pop over to the ChildCare center. MissyB's place has come up JUST in time for me to start work (she's only been on the list for a year and a bit!!!!). Actually they mucked up and after a chat to the Director they have made a place available for her. Which I am very VERY grateful for. So we need to pop in for an orientation this afternoon. Childcare placements are VERY hard to secure up in in the Pilbara. So I am pleased Belle has a place. I am more happy that she gets to hang out with other small people, she is SO ready to have that interaction time. Hanging with the big people is cool and we all love her to death, but I'm sure she gets sick of the same faces and looking up at everyone. She's in for two days a week, starting next Tuesday.

I have to pop in to the framers and see if a painting I bought in Broome over the holidays is finished. The canvas needed to be stretched (or restretched as in this case). THAT was a drama. I'll explain about that later.

I may pop into work, grab my keys and see where I want to start when I kick off my working year tomorrow. Yahoo....I am SO ready to get back into it!

Just wanted to see how fast I could get a header done and posted. I'm pretty pleased with how I'm getting my head around posting my blog entries. WHOOT WHOOT WHOOT triple arm pump.

So off to shower get our little person dressed and we're out the door.

Later.........ready, set, GO!

Cheers

Jewelz

Aussie Aussie Aussie

Oi! Oi! Oi!

 Today is Australia Day, and with hand held over my heart I say, I AM proud to be an Australian, proud to be the Grandaughter of a gentleman that left our shores and his young family to fight for the freedom we so patriotically covert here in Australia. Proud to be the grandaughter of an amazingly strong woman, who held her family together, raised her own children and the children of others and kept the home fires burning. My grandparents are my heros and I miss them both very much. Thank you both for instilling in me a staunch pride. Pride in what it is to be an Australian.

 Australia to me, is mates standing shoulder to shoulder with mates. A country, where the notion of a Fair Go for all is fostered and nutured by most. That ‘mateship’ has defined who we are as a nation, how we want to live and how we relate to our fellow Australians. In the scheme of things we are a young nation still under construction. I thank those who helped build and set the foundations for our nation, and I pray that those who inherit the fruits of the toil and labour, fed by the blood, sweat and tears of their forefathers, do their ancestors proud. 

I hope that I do my grandparents proud. My grandmother is my inspiration. If I can be even half the woman she was when I die then I shall die a very happy girl.

 

~Thank you Gran. Thank you Grandad.~

Tonight we'll pack the kids up and head over to Kathy and James' place ~we are new friends, introduced by our children. Hopefully we'll catch the fireworks (hopefully I say...because I hope it won't rain.) The weather has been whipping it up over the last few days. Dust storms, wind, rain and big dark clouds. It IS our cyclone season after all! I just hope the rain hangs off until after the Australia Day celebrations down at the Port. We'll have a good old Aussie BBQ, share a few drinks, a few laughs and foster new friendships.

 Hope everyone has a safe and happy day! 

Cheers all.

Jewelz

Post Script…Crappy upload time. Still ironing out the bugs in my bloggy learning curve. So what was suppose to be a Monday post hasn’t made it to my blog until the early hours of Tuesday morning. I’m still playing around trying to find the right image sizes when posting photos and headers. The dodgy internet  access makes it a little difficult at the moment as well. A cyclone Blue Alert  has been issued in nearby Onslow, so the internet and Foxtel have been having  fits intermittently and shutting down :(

 Tonight was a Great Night and we were blessed with Great Company. The kids (whilst a little reluctant to go in the beginning) all had a fun night. Other kids turned up as the night progressed and being a small community it was not a surprise when kids they knew made an appearance (and kids that I have taught too... Go figure!!!). MissyB was kept busy sharing her love around five beautiful kittens and initially we were kept busy showing her how to love the kittens a little more gently. She was busy all night, gotta be happy about that and I'm pleased to report that both the kittens AND Belle emerged unscathed and un scratched. You rock Belle. Thank you for choosing us as your parents :) We are Blessed.Yes Yes Yes.

Many thanks go out to Kathy, James and Chris ~winks@ Bubbles~LOL…thumbs up guys, nice dinner. xXxXx

SARK <<<  says…letting anger out leaves room to let love in.   <<<<<>  Kathy~smashing that cup let out more than enough anger for me to absolutely LoVe the time we all spent together tonight  :)  Smashing Cups is therapeutic :)

Night Night… 

Catching up...

 Yesterday turned out to be much more than I expected and I fell into bed happy and tired. It was a day full of doing. I have had a whole lot of trouble sleeping of late. Many outside influences. However, I have been pro~active in attacking these issues and I believe I am starting to win ~~whoot whoot~~double arm pump!

 I spent a little time slathering a little TLC all over myself in the morning. I banished the grey hairs from my head and my eyebrows (actually they are more a snowy white than grey ...yes even my eyebrows, only one or two here and there though but still, my eyebrows, sheesh!!!).

 I loofered, I moisturized, I waxed and plucked. I spritzed my fav perfume all over, then headed out the door to catch up with a few of my work mates for a little lunch and a 'get together' at the 'Walkabout Hotel', before we head back to school next week. It was lovely to catch up with them and I'm even more pumped about getting back to work now. Stop rolling your eyes Amanda LOL I just know you are!!! :0P 

 I had to duck off, after I'd eaten, for a quick visit to the Doc (rolls eyes-NOT that quick-our poor Doctors are so under the pump up here in the Pilbara)...anyway

 I had to get the results for a number of tests. My yearly maintenance check up (Doctor James laughs at me, he says it makes me sound like a vehicle when I say that~at least I didn't ask him for an oil and lube!!) 

 The tests where many and varied. A  pap smear {Girlz if you are putting this off DON'T PUT IT OFF ANY LONGER} I actually do it yearly, instead of every two years as is suggested, because my mum had to have a complete hysterectomy when she was younger than I as she had cervical cancer. 

 I have had a few issues with my thyroid, so bloods were taken for another thyroid function test (it's back to normal YAY). 

 I have no suspect spots or moles PHEW!!! Melanomas are a particular fear for me, again there is a history of skin cancers in my family. My mum use to oil herself up and lay in the sun day after day, when she was younger. She has had so many pre cancerous and cancerous legions cut out and even a few melanomas, that I am hyper vigilant about having my moles and spots checked. Have you got any suspect spots or moles? GET EM CHECKED OUT~please! 

 My blood sugars are a little out of whack. I had GDM ~gestational diabetes~ when I was pregnant with Missy B and there is a chance I could develop type two diabetes just as my maternal grandmother did. Dr James does regular tests and if my sugars appear to be outside the 'normal' range he sends me off to have a glucose tolerance test. As a result of one of the blood tests, I now have to do the two hour 'twiddle your thumbs' test. There is the quickie version and there is the longer more tedious two hour test. You have to fast overnight. The test involves a blood test, then drinking about 200mls of a sickly sweet glucose packed drink, sitting around for two hours, then another blood test to see how your body processes the sugars. Fingers crossed this one comes back ok. I have to go in on Tuesday and do this test.

 My iron is a little low but because my blood work up is fine he wasn't too stressed about that. He just reminded me to eat more foods rich in iron. Probably explains why I have craved spinach of late, I thought I was channelling Popeye!

 My Kidneys are happy. I'm not pre-menopausal phew! My urine sample was fine. My liver is sweet. My electrolytes are with in the normal range. My uric acid levels are cool~means I don't have gout, I am not developing rheumatoid arthritis~which has been a concern in the past because of recurring joint pain that I have been suffering, it also means my kidneys are disease free~I have suffered from kidney stones in the past . However the kicker was my cholesterol levels. They are way too high. My mum has cholesterol problems and takes medication for that. Dr James has suggested some diet changes and fish oil tablets...then I'll need to check back with him in a couple of weeks and if it hasn't had an effect on the cholesterol levels, I'll be looking at medication to get it under control.

 I'm glad that I did organise my yearly physical, it turned up a few things I did not expect. I'm glad I have been pro-active. I encourage all of you to be pro-active about your health. Don't let anything ugly sneak up on you.

 I went back to the "Walk-a-bout" after the Doctor, shared a drink with everyone, then my dear friend JB and I headed over to the bowling club. Neither of us was ready to head home :) and the bowling club has cheap drinks and a nice unpretentious atmosphere. A few others spilled in and we spent a couple of hours chatting, laughing and playing a game or three of pool (very badly mind!!!~the games tend to last longer that way ). 

 My sleep was long and peaceful. The best I have had for a while. I don't tend to function very well when I have not had a decent sleep....and when that lack of sleep is drawn out over a few weeks, I tend to get a little cranky. I'm sure the cup throwing incident was fuelled by my poor sleep. 

 Today was a quiet day, spent busily tending the many things that have been screaming out to be done around here. It involved scrubbing and scouring, moving and sorting. I have vowed to have this place just the way I want it by the time school goes back next week.Don't panic parents of school aged children, they go back the following week. However, we teachers will be back to it this coming Thursday. I can't wait to get into my Art Room to start putting things together for the coming year. I miss the kids, I miss my space, I miss not doing art regularly, even if it is art with my students. I teach some amazingly talented kids. I love seeing them explore different mediums. They inspire me to be less blinkered about my own art...it's the perfectionist in me that limits me over and over again. 

 My home studio is the next thing I will tackle. I have brought a few really cool storage units to encourage me to have a place for everything...now as long as I can put everything in its place AND keep it there I'll be fine :)  

 It's good to have aspirations LMAO!

 The little piccie of the cups below, is how my day started. A cup of up and go, in a beautiful new cup. Missy T arrived home from camp and holidays with the Grandparents this week(some of them at least). She is a thoughtful girl. She came bearing gifts...something for Dad to use in the kitchen of course and....you guessed it some cups for me. 

BEAUTIFUL, just BEAUTIFUL. I heart  cups!

Strive to achieve your aspirations my friends GO.......

Cheers Jewelz <3

Entering The Blogosphere

Helllllllllo World :) 

Today I officially enter the Blogosphere as a Blogger. For the last few years I have been content to surf the web, reading many blogs and frequenting a few on a fairly regular basis. 

I am constantly amazed at the sheer abundance of inspiration and talent that one can access via the web. I peer in on the happenings of many fine 'Artists of Life', and I am in awe of the pure generosity of people who allow others to sate their voyeuristic appetites by sharing different aspects of their lives, good, bad, happy, sad, uplifting or starkly confronting. I think it is very brave and, up until now, I have not been brave enough to open myself up to critiques (either positive OR negative LOL).  

I am no longer content to sit back and watch the world pass me by without 'adding my two cents worth'! I've come to the realization that whilst for some it is a way to order their thoughts for no particular audience or purpose, for others it is a way of documenting their lives, a way to give their thoughts a voice. A way to be heard. 

How did I get here? 

Apparently I've been here before (I don't mean in an 'other worldly' kinda way!) 

I mean, apparently I started to get a blog happening ages ago but my anal retentive tendencies stepped in and my fear of failure (my BIGGEST weakness) kicked my blogging aspirations to the curbside for a while! 

The first hurdle was a title for my blog. I wanted something catchy, witty, thought provoking!!!! However 'IT' never really came to me. So Blogging was shelved for an indeterminable period. Then the other night I had an epiphany and 'Smashing Cups' was born. 

Today as I ventured into the 'setting up stage', I was pleasantly surprised to find that some of the hard work had been done FOR me, BY me at sometime in the past! I entered my email address and the blog name and voila!!! I already had a profile, with picture, and an 'under construction' sign gathering dust on my profile page. 

Thank you Self :) What a pleasant surprise!

So, I here you ask, what epiphany launched me into the Blogosphere?

A hint can be found in the title of my blog!  'Smashing Cups'!

It is a bit of a joke around our house. Me v's Cups = Disaster!

Innocent glassware and crockery fear me! When I go shopping for new cups and glassware, my dear husband steers me towards the plastic-ware! He tries very VERY hard to convince me that some plastic-ware 'actually looks like the real thing Jewelz'! Though try as he might, it doesn't quite cut it for me! I need the real thing. Even though I just know I'm setting myself up for potential heart ache. I truly am ever so slightly saddened when yet another beautiful vessel meets it's untimely end. I consider gluing it back together however the perfectionist in me just knows I will never EVER embrace the cup or glass in quite the same way again. So I apologize to the vessel, as I ceremoniously  scatter it's broken body into my rubbish bin. I thank it for it's service and the pleasure it brought me by holding my morning cup of 'up and go', my coffee!

The other night I had a mini meltdown of sorts. I was sipping a cup of milo, directing my two eldest children (((aghrrrr teenagers))))) who were moping about in the kitchen. Moping because after 5 weeks of school holidays they have developed a stronger than usual 'Why Should I' attitude. 

Me asking them to 'pull their weight' around the house is met with resistance at the best of times but of late they have turned into Aliens with Attitude!

I found myself battering myself upside the head, yet again with the same old argument. I swear they bait me into. 

'BUT MUUUUUUUUUUUUM, your idea and our idea of tidy are two different things!'

~No argument from me there!

'Oh Gaaaaawd MUM, you want everything perrrrrrfect!' 

~Yes my lovelies, however what I want and what I get are two completely different things!

.......you get the drift don't you? At this point Missy J steps it up a few notches. She starts on her own little lecture about how I want things perfect but that I myself am not perfect! It's just about here that I felt something stretch to breaking point! I could feel the tension building like a taut elastic band but I was helpless to prevent what happened next. I jumped up and screamed an almost guttural scream, and in what seemed like an almost out of body experience, I set my sights on a target (a kitchen cupboard NOT the ungrateful spawn's head!) and I pelted my precious cup at the target! The explosive sound it made as it hit it's target was strangely comforting. 

Then it hit me like the cup hitting the wall, that events can occur in your life that drive you absolutely nuts, however if the same event were to occur and you had some semblance of control over it, the event can be strangely comforting and empowering. It is the lack of control that disenfranchises us!!! (I thought the word was disempowering~however the spell check disagrees with me LOL). 

Normally I have to sweep up the tiny little pieces that are left after I've smashed a cup by accident! I am full of guilt and remorse and inevitably end up missing a tiny bit of that cup. Often that tiny tiny shard  gets lodged painfully in my foot (my foot, no-one else's, just mine), sometimes it happens long after the event, reminding me of my mistake, taunting me with my imperfections, allowing guilt to revisit me!

However taking control reduced the fall out and minimized the guilt! This is what smashing the cup purposefully, taught me. The cup did not smash into thousands of tiny hard to find pieces. It broke into two very clean and neat pieces. With empowerment came control. 

Smashing cups became almost therapeutic......and in a quiet moment reflecting on the fact that I had actually thrown a cup, 'Smashing Cups' was born!

So, with that little analogy shared I welcome you to my blog. I hope you will return, comment when you feel the need or just drink and take your fill as necessary. However be warned this blog should come with a disclaimer.........enter only if you can dodge flying cups! Because I think I shall smash a few more cups before my time on this earth is done. 

Sometimes I will smash them accidently, other times I will gleefully hurl them at a wall just to remind myself that there are times I AM in control.

Cheers

Jewelz