Wordless Wednesday - only with lots of words...

God, I love where I live...

See that beach? It's gorgeous, it's 5 minutes from my house and it makes it so easy to stay grateful and focus on being happy, no matter what stressful situation I'm in (which is a lot at the moment, still no work, money very tight, bills getting scary, had to give up the job in Brisbane as I would've had to be waking GG up at 5.30am, then waking up Grandma to leave her with her!!).
Thing is though, on the Gold Coast, this beach is only good for...

Yep, it's only good enough to be a dog beach, it's not even the best we have to offer. But it's my favourite. It's not tacky and showy, like some people think the Gold Coast is. There's no posers, walking back and forth til you notice them, no drunk backpackers, no grim faced runners. Just ordinary people, their dogs, and their smiling faces.

And a Labrador who's learned to bodysurf...

Look close; he's there, just behind the wave.

Paddle, paddle, paddle

Success!!

Marriage and the Tribe

I recently read an excerpt of Committed, the new book by Elizabeth Gilbert (author of Eat Pray Love) on how a laughing Hmong grandmother made her question her expectation of marriage and its ability to single-handedly fulfil you and offer you everything you need in life.

I liked it very much, but I’m not going to quote her verbatim (because now I can’t find the damn thing!!). Basically, whilst contemplating her second marriage, she asked other women about their marriages. She just happened to be in a Hmong village in northern Vietnam, where life is lived in pretty much the same tribal fashion as thousands of years ago. You know, the way our brains are still programmed to think.

So she began questioning a group of women, particularly a lovely grandmother, on their marriages, and when they knew that their husbands were the love of their life. As they were laughing their heads off at her, Elizabeth had an epiphany. Perhaps, whilst their marriages were an important part of their lives, these women relied on more than just one relationship for happiness. Marriages in this part of the world are far more practical than romantic. Maybe they had their need for connection, fulfilment, support, commiseration, empathy, and child-rearing assistance met in other ways... by each other perhaps. By their tribe.

I am a big believer in this. Whilst I love my husband, and he is a great partner, father, provider etc., I don’t rely on him to fulfil every facet of my life. My happiness is not solely his burden. Apart from the responsibility we must take for ourselves to be happy, I do think human connections are essential for happiness, at least for me. But how can we possibly rely on one person, no matter how wonderful (and usually of a different gender no less), to single-handedly raise us up? So I have a wide circle of family and friends who all offer their gifts. Don't get me wrong, my marriage is very important to me, but it's not the sole source of my happiness.

Then I read Thea’s latest post at Do I Really Wanna Blog about friendships and the different styles of friendship different people have to offer. This too resonated with me. The individuals in my group of friends, not to mention my family, differ wildly. There are introverts, extroverts, religious, spiritual, atheist, drinkers, teetotallers, parents, smug married, singles, real, imaginary, 2-D , old, young, in-between, country, city, gay, straight, bubbly, melancholy, optimist, pessimist and everything else you could think of.

Each have something different to offer to me and their other friends. Different styles of friendship as Thea puts it. The thoughtful, always-calls type, the do-anything-you-need type, the fun-to-go-get-loaded-with type, the wise one you take your problems to, the ones who inspire you, hell, even the ones who kick your butt and get you back on track. All different, all just as valuable as the others.

I think it’s like this – people need a tribe; a big group of people around you, partner if you have one, family, friends and especially girlfriends to give you all the aspects you need – you don’t expect your husband to spend hours trawling the shops and drooling over the men of Desperate Housewives do you??

Sunday Mish Mash

Tonight's post is a bit of bunch of odds and ends. Little scraps I've been meaning to post, but not worth a title all of their own.

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Firstly, thank you all so much to everyone who commented on my Smug/Crap list post. It's so lovely to get such bloggy-love,and see such support from Mums - no bitchy judgement here girls! I'm glad to see a few Mums who have decided to post their own lists, I really look forward to reading your posts, and hearing about your proud achievements (and commiserating over the stuff that didn't go exactly to plan!).

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I went to see the movie Bran Nue Dae today. I really enjoyed it... sure it has a very convenient ending, heavy on the cheese factor, but it has a joyful, exuberant feeling, some catchy songs and Geoffrey Rush. It also stars Jessica Mauboy (Australian Idol), Ernie Dingo and Missy Higgins, along with a guy called Rocky McKenzie as the main lead. It's nice to see an Australian movie in mainstream cinemas, and it's also nice to see a mainly indigenous cast. Yeah, and it neatly glosses over a lot of the negative history of European treatment of Aborigines, but it touches a little on that treatment via the catchy main recurring song (which I'm still singing) and also alludes to the magic and power that comes from an ancient culture. What it doesn't contain is an explanation for the appaling spelling of the title.

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Whilst I was writing the above, a caught a 'sneak peek' of one of the new shows showing on Channel 9 this year... V.

Is it just me, or does anyone else remember a TV show back in the '80's called this, with an alien race that looked exactly like humans, til they peeled their skin off and they were serpentine and scaly? Yes? No? Maybe the TV exec's think we have a short memory when they market this as a brand new show?

Image from here

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Oh! I got a lovely award today from Dual Mom, unfortunately, she didn't tell me what it's called... but here it is!

According to the Rules, I have to name 10 Things That Make Me Happy, then pass the award on to 10 bloggers. As I have blathered on at length on a similar vein before, I have decided to keep my answers to one-word responses:

• Giggles
• Moscato
• Books
• Cuddles
• Fishies
• Grins
• Chocolate
• Sleep
• Endorphins
• Comments

So I'd like to pass this award onto the following people, all sweet, with varying levels of spice added!

Sharni at Chronicles of Sharnia - a blogging dynamo, future face of NRL and nemisis of Jon Stevens :o)

Caitlyn Nicholas, my muse for all things cooky, chooky and booky.

Katherine Jenkins from Lessons from the Monk I Married - she is who I want to be when I grow up.

Daffy from Batcrap Crazy - she's who I want to be til I grow up. :o)

Alex at Whoa Mumma - one of my first followers, and still keeping me laughing.

Adrienzgirl at Think Tank Momma - sassy, smart and full of useless trivia.

LiLu at LivIt LuvIt - the inventor of TMI Thursday, which I keep meaning to do... hmm.. must get on that train...

Mari-Anne at Counting Coconuts - my inspiration for great playtime activites and Montessori Mumma!

Alliecat at In a Beautiful Pea Green Boat - lovely blogger, and very crafty too!

Cat at Wouldn't it be Loverly - reminding me to make my surroundings beautiful, and showing me some great stuff to do so!


Phew! Done!

Tag! I'm it!!

Well, even though I was usually the bad girl hiding behind the tennis courts having a cigarette in High School, Alex at Whoa Mumma managed to find me and involve me in a game of Tag. This is much better than any playground game though, as it's a Happiness Tag. I am to write 10 thing that make me happy, then pass it on.


So here they are; some are deep and serious, some are flippant and trivial - just like my moods!


1. Being a Mum. I never thought I would be one, never thought I would even want to be a Mum, and then shortly after I was married, a little stirring happened. We decided to try, and lo and behold GG came along and grabbed my heart. I gave it willingly and she never let go, I hope she never does.


2. A good hair day. You know when you've had more than 3.5 seconds to have a shower and get a chance to actually wash and condition in one go; it's clean and shiny, bouncy and sitting just right. Not like, say, now, where it's 3 days since I last washed it, lank and dull, scraped back in a ponytail.


3. Creme brulee. Need I say more?


4. That rare moment when the planets align, the Gods smile upon us and hubby and I get time together, having more than 5 mins before he dashes off again where we simply trade dot points of things we need to remind each other of. When for once we don't let the stresses of the day make us snarky and snipey, and we get real quality time together, time to be funny and silly, or cosy and cuddly.


5. I know it's a little bit naughty, but I like to break the rules. Not big ones, and nothing immoral, but silly little ones that irritate you - it makes me feel like somewhere under the sensible, responsible Mum I've become, there's still a little bit of rebel in me. :o)


6. That exhausted but happy high you get after a great workout. Go endorphins, go!!!


7. A great book, and the time to sit and read it properly, getting swept up in the story and tuning out the outside world. A glass of wine sitting alongside me completes this picture.


8. Driving fast, with a kick-ass song blaring on the radio.


9. Going out to the veggie garden with my daughter, fussing around and seeing plants actually growing yummy food for us, and watching as she tenderly waters them, pats them, talks to them and eagerly eats the beautiful, organic veggies I have learned how to provide for my family.


10. And of course, last but by no means least... COMMENTS!!!


Now, I know I am supposed to pass this on, but see Rule 5. :oP
If you want to pick up the tag, feel free!