18 September 2015

Taking Stock (cos I'm all outta blog love)


I need to get the words flowing again, so I'm using that old favourite formula, Taking Stock. I've been really finding it hard to blog - or to want to post online at all, really - since returning from overseas. But I love this blog, and I have no intention of neglecting it for too long, and I have story ideas rattling through my brain and I just need to get started somehow. So this is it. A beginning of sorts...

TAKING STOCK:

Making :  the most of days to myself before school holidays start. Oh lovely lovely days where I choose what I do. (But school holidays will be lovely too).
Cooking :  mostly uninspired dinners on repeat -  apart from Honey Roasted Pear Salad, which I have invented and will share with you soon.
Drinking : Six Barrel Soda - from my new favourite supplier of all things lovely, Good Thing. Just a dash of syrup and then chilled soda water. Would be even better if I remembered to freeze some ice cubes.

Six Barrel Soda - just 1cm of syrup in a glass then top with chilled soda water = YUM


To kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Reading: The classic To Kill A Mockingbird, again, because I want to read "Go Set a Watchman" newly (and controversially)  published by Harper Lee and I need to have the first book fresh in my mind.
Wanting: more energy. Always I am lacking energy. Always I am tired. Even after the iron infusion I had a few months ago. It must be old age.
Looking: Not bad for almost 46, though, really. I can't believe that in two months I'll be closer to 50 than 40. How did that happen????!!
Deciding:  that life is good - really really good - right now, in spite of some blips. I am blessed with so many wonderful people in my life.

Fish n chips at Wynyard Quarter for dinner last night with my folks

Wishing: time would not go so fast - or at least that I had a time machine so I could travel back to when my babies were squishier and kiss and those soft little cheeks, and squeeze their dimpled little hands in mine
Enjoying:  the age my kids are now. They are challenging, yes, but such fun. Man they are funny. And they still let me hold their hands (they're just not as squishy)
Waiting:  For the other shoe to drop. Any day now?
Liking:  My kids. They are good people.
Wondering:  when the time comes that they don't let me hold their hands anymore, how am I gonna cope?
Loving:  that that day is not yet

So glad my two big kids still let me huggle them

Pondering:  all the awfulness in my newsfeed and wondering how the world has come to this?
Considering:  staying far far away from my newsfeed
Buying:  time. I'm in denial - the world is messed up and my kids are gonna live in this world. It's scary. Can I buy time somewhere? Anybody know a guy?
Watching:  Hart of Dixie. Shhhh, don't tell anyone. Those southern small towns sure look like a nice place to visit while I'm in denial.
Hoping:  Things will get better. That the refugees will find homes, that ISIS will be defeated, that the Hong Kong businessmen will stop buying up Auckland property so that my friends and my kids and the kids of my friends will be able to afford to live in their own city; that they won't change the NZ flag to one of those hideous designs (I wanted a plain white fern on black - what's wrong with that?) and that somebody in TV-land will bring back John Campbell.

Another fire night - Miss Fab takes the photos these days


Marvelling:  That even though the world is so messed up, life goes on and there are some truly wonderful people around, making a massive difference right where they are. Like Sharon at Children's Garden. This gives me hope and keeps me going, in spite of all the awfulness in my newsfeed.
Getting: excited about a Christmas project for Children's Garden that I'll begin working on soon - watch this space!
Noticing: that drivers in Auckland are far less patient than the drivers in Manila (even though traffic is SO MUCH WORSE there). I'm trying to be more like a Manila driver and honk my horn less.


Miss fab's alter-ego "Sonya Ladean" made us do this. #sillyparents

Cringing: at all the crazy people who leave comments on social media posts (not anyone I know, of course - crazy strangers). It's not just the bigoted hate-filled opinions and endless cuss words that kill me - the terrible spelling and punctuation puts it over the top. I can't watch anymore.
Needing: to avoid posts on Facebook with more than 10 comments. After that you just know someone will start a rant and it will all get ugly
Questioning: why can't we all just get along? We're all different, we're never gonna all agree, why can't we just be nice to each other? "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything" should be the social media golden rule. The online world would be a much better place.

Socality Barbie is the best thing on instagram

Following: socalitybarbie on Instagram. Now that doll knows how to #liveauthentic. This is the BEST thing I've seen online in ages. Cracks. Me. Up. (and makes me smile right down to my toes).
Playing: Classic Words (a Scrabble-type app) whenever I'm bored. I beat the computer 86% of the time.
Knowing: that spring is here, summer is coming and everything is better when the sun is shining
Thinking: this is a good thing

Good Thing - a fab new gifts and homewares store in Mt Albert

Admiring: my friends Karen and Sarah who are being the change they want to see in our neighbourhood's main street and have stepped out to open a fabulous new shop called Good Thing. If you're anywhere in the vicinity you have to pop in and check it out - say Simone sent you! (Gifts, Homewares, Art and other fabulousness, and a real visual treat. Location here.)

My kitchen cupboard sporting retro "wallpaper" (gift wrap) from Good Thing

Loving: this beautiful retro gift wrap I found at Good Thing which is the perfect "wallpaper" for the back of my kitchen cupboards
Sorting: out what I want hubby to get me for Christmas from Good Thing! So many good things...


Dash - Most Valuable Player (WSAFC Vespas 13th grade)

Feeling: Super proud of our eldest son Dash, in a new football team this year and awarded "Most Valuable Player" at prizegiving last night. He wasn't expecting that! 
Thinking: while we're mentioned the "unexpected", maybe I need to do something about getting my Christmas book "out there" seeing at it's only a few months til that time of the year and I've already said the word "Christmas" three times in this post (sorry).
Thinking: I need to end this post soon. Or maybe now?

...........

Thanks for reading, lovelies. Hopefully now I've got the words flowing again and I'll be back with something a little more meaningful/exciting/useful next week. x


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