Week4 (22nd– 28th January)

Mark and I spent the weekend at my parents doing some things to help make it safer for them at home. Mark built this handrail for them and then finished it off on Sunday. While he was finishing it off I was water-blasting their brick path in the rain; I got covered from head to toe in mud and grit. I think next time I water-blast I will wear goggles!! There are more things to do, but this was an amazing start.

A friend just posted a status update on Facebook to say that they are having a 'gardening working bee' at their house on the weekend. I think that this is a fabulous idea. A group of us did this for some friends a few years ago and it was both productive and fun. Also, at a time when most people are so busy it is nice to be able to band together to help friends, family and even neighbours out. I am seriously considering doing something like this for my parents.

Late night musing

Every so often late at night or in the hours just before dawn I find myself wanting to write a letter to the person who hurt someone I love.

Then I stop myself as I realize it will have no impact on them.

Perhaps I should have written in 2011, burned it and left the anger and hurt there and not brought it into 2012. 

#SadPanda

2012 Project 52 - Week 3

Week 3 (15th - 21st January)

I made a commitment to save money by making lunches for work. This week was our first week back from a 4 week holiday and I'm pleased to say I made my lunch on the days that I was not training.

I made Mark's lunch all week bar Friday when he has lunch with the girls.

I tried to make sure we had a range of yummy and healthy items. My favourite snack was prunes and fresh blueberries.

This coming week I'm going to try adding more vegetables and savoury snacks. I'm excited that the February Healthy Food Guide has some fabulous lunch box ideas.

What do you take for lunch?

2012 Project 52 – Week 1 & 2

 Week 1 (1^st – 7^th January)

First BBQ with friends for the year and we made ToffeeStrawberries. YUM.

Week 2 (8^th – 14^thJanuary)

Inspired by another blogger I harvested theexcess herbs from our garden to begin the drying process. Exciting.

Do One Thing to Make a Difference

Okay, I started writing this blog before Christmas but it was reading Kat’s blog early this morning that spurred me to finish it off. Seriously, if you do not read Kat's blog then you should as I have so many of hers saved as favourites. 

I had a really good chat with Mel the day after I finished work for 2011. During our talk I realised that we are pretty much on the same page with our feelings about the earth.

Sometimes when I am alone with my thoughts my heart just breaks for our world. It is not just the people, but animals, plants, resources etc. it is that I hate the fact that we (me included) are really mucking it up through all sorts of things like overconsumption, littering, deforestation etc. We need to remember that this is the only world that we have; there is no alternative unless you think that living on another planet is plausible.

Personally, I think that the time for action is NOW. It is no good waiting until things are so drastic that we cannot turn back the clock; imagine not having access to clean, fresh water?

So my challenge to myself (and you) is to consistently do one thing in 2012 to help this world.

Whether is pledging not to use plastic grocery/shopping bags and always taking cloth bags on shopping trips or using a “keep cup” (Café Chick’s blog about this is fantastic) for your daily hot drinks? I don’t care what you do, but do something and recognise that unless we all start doing things to stop the decimation of earth we are not going to have a planet to live on.

Other ideas:

Buy New Zealand made where possible.

Support smaller stores like Trade Aid

Gift plants/seeds etc. to your children to teach them to grow their own fruit, vegetables etc.

Stop wastage; buy only what you can use

Get involved in cleaning up your local park, waterway and/or planting trees

Start using public transport or car-pooling

Pick up rubbish if you see it (keep gloves and a bag with you at all times)

Think before you print

I have had a book for a few years and only read a tiny part of it; but I am going to finish it as it makes perfect sense to me and probably has some more fantastic ideas. It is ‘FightingGlobesity: A Practical Guide to Personal Health and Global Sustainability’ by Phillip and Jackie Mills; yes Mills as in Les Mills.

I am sure there are so many other ideas…what are yours?

First and Last

Today (Saturday 31^st December, 2011) I had my first swim for the summer and my last swim for the year.

I have always loved the water; it is so cleansing and refreshing. So what better way to see out 2011 and welcome in 2012 than going for a beautiful swim. I love swimming in Northland as the water is always clear and the sand is so white. Plus where we swim there are not many other people in the water so it is bliss.

I have really fallen off the blogging waggon over the last few months. I really want to blog more regularly in 2012. We still have another fortnight off work and this means that I can get started on writing many of the blogs that I have not had the time to write in the last quarter of 2011. I love Christmas but I am glad that it is over so that I can relax and focus on things that I want to get done.

I do always try and write meaningful blogs but sometimes they take me a long time to write and there are gaps between blogs. So I would like to try and write something a couple of times a week as I really enjoy writing and since being away from work I have had a lot of blog ideas. I also want to take photos every day and now I have the means to do that. Hopefully, photos will make my blog a little more exciting/interesting.

Goodbye 2011; I am kind of glad you are almost over as it has been a hard year not just for my friends and family, but for many people and Aotearoa.

I am determined to leave some “shit” behind in 2011 as it has no place in my life in 2012.

So welcome 2012; you are going to be a great year for us, our families and our friends.

Happy New Year!

What are you doing to celebrate the end of 2011 and the beginning of 2012?

Chocolate coffee and a flower….food for the soul

I wish I had a “healthy” habit to soothe my soul. I wish I could run with the wind in my hair and music pounding in my ears. I wish we had the sea at our door where I could rush in and swim until my emotions were back on an even keel. I wish I could dance the night away with no one watching.

But right now (11.30am) amazing chocolate, coffee and a simple purple flower will have to soothe the ache in my soul. I also have an amazing new nephew and every-time I look at him my heart melts.

The past few months have been an emotional rollercoaster for family and friends. There is hurt that has occurred that I have no power to fix or control; which is hard because I am a control-freak.

There has been heartache, anger, death and life and while I understand that these things are part of life I/we still have to live through it. I also understand there are people who are suffering greater tragedies in this country and this world and I am still deeply concerned and compassionate towards other people for their grief or loss.

Sometimes it all just gets too much and I need an emotional “reboot” so that I can be a better wife, daughter, sister and friend. It would appear that the next few days are the time for that.

So sleep, a relaxing weekend, reading, music, the gym, a swim, a movie (or two), cuddles with our cats and summer holidays with friends and family will help get me back on track.

What gets you back on track?