Monthly Archives: February 2013

Building Resilience

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I have said it before and will say it again.  Life is fragile.  It can be snuffed out in a moment.  Cherish what you have and live for today.

As you can probably guess, I have found out that an ex-work colleague was killed in tragic circumstances last week.  He was younger than me with a loving wife and 4 children.  This is the point where people often say (or write), “he didn’t deserve to die”.  I find that statement offensive because it implies that some other people do deserve to die.

Death quote

Death is inevitable and we all face it.  There are close family and friends, acquaintances, connections through friends as well as those we ‘know’ only through the media.  It is important to acknowledge the passing of anyone but it must be appropriate to the level of connection or we will find ourselves overwhelmed and consumed by grief.

This also applies to people who are gravely ill or facing a diagnosis which provides an uncertain future at best.

A friend’s elderly mother is hovering between life and death after a nasty fall.  A well-known media personality is said to be gravely ill with possibly only days to live.  Another friend’s mother has received a diagnosis of cancer.  Each of these impacts on me and I am saddened but I need to process the information appropriately.  I have not met any of these people directly but I can support my friends with messages and perhaps phone calls.

Life and death goes on every day and it is possible to receive almost instantaneous updates on everything via Facebook, email, Twitter and so on.  In order to maintain your strength and resilience you need to take some time-out and recharge your emotional batteries.  In the current time of being constantly connected it can be difficult to step away from the never-ending bombardment of information.

Beach

Your emotional well is not infinite.  Top it up.  Take care of yourself and you will be able to provide an appropriate level of support to those you care for when they need it most.

Project 333 – How Many Can You Make?

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While I don’t adhere precisely to the concept of 33 items for 3 months, I have been working on streamlining my wardrobe.  I make sure that everything in there is something that I truly love and wear.  It also needs to be capable of being worn in several different ways.

Today I want to show you how versatile a few pieces can be so I selected a total of 13 items.

2013-02-27 012 skirts

2013-02-27 02A pair of 3/4 trousers

2013-02-27 03Dark blue jeans

2013-02-27 04That is a total of 4 ‘bottoms’.  Then I added 4 tops.

2013-02-27 05Three are the same style and the white one is slightly different.

A jacket with 3/4 sleeves which is very practical for our climate and also air-conditioned offices.

2013-02-27 06A cardigan

2013-02-27 07Finally, some footwear.

2013-02-27 08Look carefully and you will see that almost any combination will work.

In reality there are a few things I would not do.

Wear sandals with jeans
Wear sandals when wearing jacket or cardigan
Wear white top with spotted skirt (cream) or with the white trousers (too much white)
Wear red top and red jacket together
Wear black top and black cardigan together
Wear blue top and black cardigan with checked skirt or jeans (too many different dark colours together)

By applying the ‘rules’ I set above I have calculated that I could create 72 different outfits by adding/deleting a jacket/cardigan or changing the shoes.

How versatile are the clothes in your wardrobe?

Use It, Don’t Store It

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The rain continues to pour down here with more flooding predicted.  This is our third round in less than 4 weeks so I think the only ones enjoying the weather are the ducks.  Extreme weather events make life a bit more challenging so we just manage the bare basics.  The systems and organisation that I have in place make it reasonably easy to get by but there is no denying that I do long for a bit of fine weather.

Our lake

In the meantime, I wanted to share something small with you.  We do not have a toothbrush holder as a permanent fixture.  At one stage we would put them on a shallow tray in the cupboard but I decided that it would be easier to have them accessible on the bench so I cast around for a suitable container.  I wanted something stylish but did not see the need to rush out and buy one so I re-purposed this vase.

2013-02-26 02It is the right size and shape as well as being stable and quite heavy so is unlikely to be knocked over.

I was involved in an online discussion recently regarding how many vases people had and where they stored them.  I found that I had 5, including this re-purposed one.  None of them are stored as such.

This one which came from my mother is a piece which I love and it is the centrepiece on my dining table.

Two of the others live on the sideboard and are essentially decorative, although they can be used for holding flowers as required.

The final tiny vase which I was given for my 21st birthday is an ornament on my dressing table.

Do you have vases and how do you store them?

Weekend Work

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We have had a busy and productive weekend but it was not without some recreation as well.

Yesterday was the one bright spot, according to the weather forecast, in an otherwise wet  couple of weeks.  We set off early and headed to the markets at Yandina, which is about 40 minutes north of us.  Our main goal was to buy some seedlings for our vegie garden.  There is a great stall there and this was our first stop.  We bought cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, beetroot, bok choy and lettuce seedlings.

24-02-13 01The main focus of this particular market seems to be plants and The Duke always checks out the fruit trees and yesterday we bought another mandarin tree.  I cannot remember the variety but it was not one had heard of, although the stallholder said she finds it is one of the sweetest varieties.  We are happy to give it a try.

Once we were back home our next project was to hang the gates to complete the new fencing.  I also did 2 loads of washing.  After lunch the Duke mowed the lawn.  I was very thankful that the weather stayed fine and windy so the washing was all dry and I got the ironing up to date.

It was easy to stay focused on what I needed to achieve as we had decided to go to the movies last night to see Quartet.  It was the first screening by the Maleny Film Society back in the revamped Community Centre.  We also had dinner there before the movie and had a fun night out.  The meals are catered by Pomodoras on Obi, a local restaurant and function venue which also has on-site accommodation.

Today the weather has not been quite as pleasant, and we had some rain this morning, but it has not deteriorated as predicted yet.  I have made some progress with several sewing projects.  Three pairs of trousers for The Duke have been  shortened as well as a new skirt I bought in Melbourne.

2013-02-24 02I have put a new lining in a skirt and am working on the waistband.

2013-02-24 03Here is the lining attached to the skirt.

2013-02-24 04And the right side with the waistband partly attached.

2013-02-24 05The reason I relined this skirt is because the original lining was straight and very narrow and I had split the side seam on it.  I find this disappointing and annoying when I pay for a good skirt and find that they have skimped by making a lining that does not match the shape of the skirt.  I am confident that my alterations will work well and I am looking forward to getting plenty of use out of the skirt.  I also did some sorting of my fabric and have some ideas for several pieces so there is plenty to keep me going for a while.

Finally, this afternoon we topped up the soil in the raised garden bed and planted the seedlings.  There are no photos as it was getting late and the light was not good.  I hope to post some later in the week.  It is now raining lightly so the seedlings will be enjoying that.

I am still waiting to hear from SarahN to claim the giveaway.  Once I send it I will share what it was with you all.

And The Winner Is…………

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Thanks to everyone who took the time to follow my blog and comment on the Fabulous 500 post in order to be in the running.  The draw has been done and I am pleased to announce that the winner is SarahN.

Although the actual comment had no bearing on the outcome, I would like to post Sarah’s comment (in part) here.

“500 posts – that’s inspirational! I’m curious about this mystery give away business – only cause I’m committed to being uncluttered – so I’m always assessing things to see if they suit my life etc.”

That is so ironic because it is the very reason that I am wary about lots of giveaways!  However, I am sure that the gift will fit with Sarah’s goals (and mine) of an uncluttered home.

Sarah, could you please contact me with a postal address so that I can arrange delivery?

When Sarah has received her gift I will reveal it here on the blog as well.

Once again, I would like to thank you all for participating and I look forward to your thoughtful and engaging comments as I head towards the next 500 posts.

 

Memories

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Today is my father’s 84th birthday, however, we are unable to celebrate it with him as he died nearly 12 years ago.  While his death was sudden and unexpected, we are thankful that he did not suffer.

Flowers

I miss my Dad but have many wonderful memories of him and cherish those today and every day.

Memory

Where do memories come from?  How do you create them?  What memories will your children and grandchildren have of you?

Picking strawberries

The shared experiences and activities of today are the memories of tomorrow.

Minimalism and Multipurpose

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While the nature of some tasks require a specific tool or space to complete the job, many things do not.

The first thing that comes to mind are the plethora of single-task appliances which seem to take up residence in many kitchens.  You know the ones – waffle makers, ice-cream makers, popcorn makers, juicers, breadmakers and so on.  I admit to having a breadmaker – The Duke makes all of our bread and has done for many years, although he is playing with the idea of artisan-style bread baked in the oven and successfully made a loaf the other day.  We also have a juicer which could be used more.

However, today I want to take the concept of multipurpose away from appliances.  When we had our kitchen re-modelled a few years ago we created a large amount of bench space, including this breakfast bar.

2013-02-20 01We use this space for eating meals, serving food and general food preparation so it does not always look like this.  Once I have finished using the bench, it is cleared and we try not to use it as a ‘dumping ground’.

By having a clean, clear bench I am able to use it for other purposes.

2013-02-20 02I can pull the chairs back out of the way and I have a cutting table and workbench for when I am sewing.  It is the perfect height and totally stable.  I am also able to access it from almost any direction.  My sewing machine is in the closest bedroom (a few steps along the hallway) but this is the perfect solution for me.

So, which comes first minimalism or multipurposing?  If I had more stuff the bench would probably not be clear to use.  If I could not use the bench would I acquire a suitable table and contribute to more stuff?

This is a winning solution whichever way I look at it.

Prepared

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The wild weather we experienced 3 weeks ago is back, although not quite so dramatic.  Parts of the Sunshine Coast and hinterland, where I live, have received well in excess of 200mm since the rain began on Thursday.  The majority of it fell overnight on Sunday and all day yesterday.

2013-02-19 01The rain has eased for the moment and the forecast is that we have seen the worst of it so any flooding should only be minor to moderate.  The lake in our backyard is nowhere near as extensive as it was last month or on many other occasions.

2013-02-19 02Gale force winds are being forecast for the next 2 to 3 days and of all the extreme weather conditions, it is wind that actually poses the greatest risk to us and therefore the need to be prepared.  While there is a small chance of structural damage, either directly or from falling trees, loss of power is our major potential problem.

2013-02-19 03Electricity is integral to almost everything we do in the 21st century so we have done all that we can to make sure that we can function for up to 3 days without it.  Before I left for work today I made put containers of water in the portable fridge/freezer (set to ‘freeze’) so that we will have plenty of ice available to keep foodstuffs cool if we lose power for more than 24 hours.  We also have 20 litres of drinking water immediately available.  The cooktop is gas and we have solar hot water (if the sun happens to be shining!)

2013-02-19 04A less obvious piece of planning was my choice of clothes to wear to work.  I had previously decided to wear a skirt, blouse, stockings and heels but instead opted for lightweight jeans, fitted ¾ sleeve top and lace-up shoes and socks.  If we arrive home this evening (after dark) and there is no power I do not need to be stumbling around in my fancy work clothes.

I hope my preparation is not required, however, since it is only 3 weeks since we lost power for more than 3 days the inconvenience is very fresh in my memory.  I wonder if others have taken heed as a result of the previous storm or if they have quickly slipped back to the complacent attitude of expecting that there will always be power whenever they flick a switch?

Making Way

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As many of you would be aware, I have been streamlining my wardrobe for nearly 12 months.  My goal is to have a modest selection of good quality clothes that I love and are flattering to wear.

The Duke generally keeps his selection of shirts under control but after our  shopping spree in Melbourne a couple of weeks ago it became obvious that he had too many pairs of trousers that he rarely wore.  So, this evening we went through them and culled 3 pairs of trousers as well as the suit he had replaced.  I have also put 3 skirts into the op shop bag.  I am planning on refashioning 2 other skirts but the these do not fit with the clothes I need and love.  All of the items we are letting go of are good quality and in excellent condition so I hope someone can use them.

2013-02-18 01In the back of my mind I keep thinking of the money that we have spent on these (and clothes) over the years but I know that I cannot use that as a reason to hang onto them for ever.  That is no way to recoup the money spent. However, it is a timely reminder to be very thoughtful about what you spend you money on, whether it be clothes or something else entirely.

It is far better to someone else the opportunity to gain some use from the items that are no longer wanted or required.

Finally, a warm welcome to all of the new readers and followers.  I hope you find something of interest in my blog and thank you for joining in.