Ms Fifikins

October

Originally uploaded by fifikins

I think the last photo of this set sums up October rather well- a blur. Perhaps not the best month with some extremely stressful times, but also some fun times and some great memories. Perhaps the best of months and the worst of months!

Oh and I realised as I got to the last photo of the month that with only 61 shots left to take I had mucked up my numbering. Yep- went back and discovered the 1st August had the same number as 31st July, so I renumbered them. Then of course the pic I thought was my 300th, was in fact my 301st! Oh well!

Stamping feet, nodding heads and shouting hooray!

Yeah… I’m happy. Sad that it had to be done in the way it was done, and other parts will continue in the New Year with further stresses and it will be drawn out even more, but still, we are all off to South Africa for a little over 3 weeks in December.

Then I saw this from Elizabeth at Scarlet Words:

Made of win, isn’t it!

No, not Morton, Paul (or Pål as I remember him!) and Magna who were some of my idols when I was young(er!)… All together now “Taaaaaaaaaaaaaaake ooooooooooooooon meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee…” But a moment of self realisation.

I have had an extremely stressful week. And the stress will continue until at least Thursday. Then we will discover if our plans to go to South Africa in December can come to fruition or if MIML™ needs to go alone. But part of the process has involved digging up old behaviours (not necessarily mine) and a lot of anger and frustration.

And I have been a little edgy. Well perhaps a lot edgy. And behaviours of mine have come back to haunt me. And MIML™ told me he needed some space, which I took as rejection as that is what I have been programmed to do. Even though I knew it wasn’t rejection, I could see MIML™ stepping back. And I was angry. And sad. And frustrated. And instead of just giving him space, I did some more smothering, as I am want to do from time to time.

But today we briefly caught up for lunch. And I expressed some of my feelings and he told me where I did not necessarily have it 100%. And it was brief.

But I came away feeling a lot less stressed. And I was trying to work out why. Then this evening it came to me. Yes, MIML™ needs space, but at the same time he can see that I need space. I need to realise that there are these tough things that are happening, but I can deal with them, and whilst friends will always be there, they can’t do it for me. And no amount of hugs or cups of tea or lazing around faffing on the net is going to make any of it go away.

Support can come in so many ways and one of the main ways MIML™ has supported me is to realise that he can’t be drawn into my dramas that he is on the edge of. It is better for him to stay on the edge  and be there to pull me out, rather than jump in with me and have two über stressed out people.

I think that’s all I wanted to say. Well say on here anyway! Except, MIML™ is da bomb! <3!

A huge hat tip to Elizabeth at Scarlet Words for finding this gem!

I have been loving taking part in the twitter365 photo project. The aim is to take a photo that someone depicts oneself every day for a year.

When I started I didn’t know how long I would last. There have been a couple of days when I have just taken a photo with minutes to spare and there are several photos that were taken for the sake of having a photo taken.

They say a picture tells a thousand words and that can be the case. When I look through all my twitter365 photos I can remember the day and what happened or how I was feeling. It is like a visual diary. But it is also more than that. I has developed my sense of self. I have usually hated having my photo taken. I still look at some of my photos and all I see are my tuck-shop arms or multiple chins. And there have been some I have refused to put up!

But today I was quite daring! It is MIML™s birthday. And apart from the fact that we have reached that stage in our relationship where we can give a leaf blower/vac/mulcher (that can be used as a rocket apparently!) and a kettle that determines the correct water temperature for the kind of tea you are wanting to brew, I wrapped myself up for him! In 5 metres of red organza! And I allowed a photo to be taken. And I put it up online, with some of my skin showing!

And I love the photo! MIML™ has it as his desktop pic! It made both of us giggle. And it made me realise that as I have been told so many times before, sexy is a state of mind and when two people care for each other the way MIML™ and I do it can be the small presents or unexpected ones that cause some mirth!

Happy Birthday gorgeous Man in My Life™! <3!

tied up with strings, these are a few of my favourite things…

When I’m feeling sad, I simply remember my favourite things and then I don’t feel so bad.

Yes. There has been a lack of blogging. Several stresses have been getting me down. But I have found something to cheer me up a little… a festive season swap!

And it’s not too late to join in. All details are here!

I can hardly wait! I have been involved with a number of swaps over the years (I just love my ifbabies swap each year!) and have only once been disappointed when a package didn’t turn up. And to think I got the link from someone I sent a package to in a swap once!

I always loved Daylight Saving as a child. Warm evenings with gorgeous dusks that seemed to linger and discourage bedtimes. Complaining about losing an hour’s sleep, then rejoicing in March/April when you got to sleep in a bit!

I used to always laugh when people rang talkback radio complaining that daylight saving faded their curtains, or it upset the cows. In South Australia people from out West would complain that it was dark when they put their kids on the school bus in the morning.

But that was south.Up north we don’t get the dusk. It is light then it is dark. Very little in between. I suppose there is not a lot of daylight to save. We are entering the wet and traditionally the monsoons roll in in the afternoons. And it’s hot from sun-up to sundown and beyond! Actually it’s hot and sticky all day and night.

WA trialed fiddling with the clocks for a few years and then let the people decide and they said no. So we now have a country with 5 different time zones for a few months instead of 3. And it is difficult remembering who is on what time. I have to remember to ring family and friends down south earlier. I have to remember that pay TV channels are an hour earlier and that some national radio programs are too. But there are others that aren’t. And it is annoying.

I don’t think there is an answer either. Simply telling those that want it to get up an hour earlier would mean some business and organisations operated on Summer time and some didn’t. Time is time and it is how you use it that counts. Or something like that. If we up north are told that we need to spring our clocks forward then fall them back we will adjust. It’s just time after all.

I think I mentioned previously, but I am in Brisbane this week at a WH&S course.

A lot of the content is dry but I have still learnt a lot, especially regarding harassment and duty of care. Originally we were meant to have tomorrow morning off and a session in the afternoon and then fly home landing at around 10:30pm but they have shifted the afternoon session to the morning so we can now get the afternoon flight home.

I didn’t realise how homesick I was until I thought about how exciting it will be to be home for dinner tomorrow. Then I started thinking about the homesickness. The kids have been in Melbourne for 10 days and yes, I miss them, and I have missed MIML™, but for the first time I am actually missing my home and my garden and my fish and all that.

I think before I have gone away and liked staying in a nice bed with clean sheets and a clean bathroom. I have gone away to shop and spend and consume and eat and drink and all that. This trip I have managed to do some of these things. But I can see a change in my thinking. I have walked past Krispy Kremes a number of times and not bought a doughnut. I went into Borders and picked up 7 books before putting them back. I then went back and bought 3! Or perhaps 4… I did splash out on skincare and moisturiser at David Jones, but am trying to tell myself it has come out of my footy tipping winnings!

You see I am keeping a budget. Using a nifty app on my iPhone called iXpensit I am tracking where each dollar goes. I am also watching what I eat. Perhaps I have had a little more than I would at home, but I have not gone overboard and tried to fit in all my ‘favourites you can’t get in Cairns.’

I have enjoyed doing my own thing and being my own person, but I have also missed sharing it with MIML™. With me going out last night and getting back late and him going out we didn’t chat yesterday and I missed that.  I missed the sharing of what had happened and the funny things and the mundane and the like.

But it’s all good. Instead of being home later than this tomorrow I will be home for dinner. Not sure what MIML™ is cooking yet

It was the best of movies, it was the worst of movies…

Well perhaps not best and worst, but still! After Tuesday night’s movie ho hum, last night I went to see Julie and Julia with the gorgeous Tess. It was Gold Class. The ticket price included sparkling wine and some food and a goodie bag! And it was a good movie to boot!

I will admit I have looked at Julie’s blog, but never whilst she was writing it. I am yet to read the book, but it is on my to do list! Perhaps it was the content of the film (food and blogs, I mean hello!) or perhaps it was the lovely portrayal of relationships, including the poignant infertility motif surrounding Julia Child’s story, but it is a film I would recommend wholeheartedly.

Oh and as for Gold Class- swoon! Please bring it to Cairns ASAP! 9/10!