Thursday, November 3, 2011

Lists!

Hello My Lovelies,

Let me ask you a question ... when was the last time you used a list?

Some people hate lists, some people love lists, some people use them out of habit & some people use them because they’re handy to have.

I’m of the later variety, I only use them if I have to or if I think I will forget something important; like when packing to go on holidays or putting together the grocery list over the course of a week.

Most lists are practical, like the grocery list, but some lists are purely for fun; like this one.

I’m not sure where this one originated from & did try to find the original source but was unable to.

This list my lovelies, is purely for fun. If you like the list, feel free to copy it & mark off what you have done in bold. Here is my version:

1. Started your own blog.

2. Slept under the stars.

3. Played in a band.

4. Visited The Great Barrier Reef.

5. Stood under the stars in the outback, the real outback – think Uluru.

6. Given more than you can afford to charity.

7. Been to the Gold Coast’s theme parks – any one, you take your pick.

8. Climbed a mountain.

9. Held a praying mantis.

10. Sung a solo.

11. Bungee jumped, or jumped out of plane, been paragliding or hang-gliding, hot air ballooning you get the idea; you’ve been hundreds of metres about earth in a seemingly flimsy contraption.

12. Visited Melbourne.

13. Watched a lightning storm at sea.

14. Taught yourself an art from scratch.

15. Had a child, or raised a child, or worked with children.

16. Had food poisoning.

17. Been to the Snowy Mountains.

18. Grown your own vegetables.

19. Visited the Brett Whitely studio in Surry Hills, Sydney.

20. Slept on an overnight train or bus.

21. Had a pillow fight.

22. Been backpacking.

23. Taken a mental health day.

24. Been buried in sand with just your head and toes sticking out.

25. Held a possum, kangaroo or koala – or any other native Australian animal.

26. Gone skinny dipping.

27. Been in a fun run.

28. Been on the Blue Mountain cable way.

29. Seen a total eclipse.

30. Watched a sunrise or sunset.

31. Played, or watched, summer cricket.

32. Sailed, kayaked or canoed our beautiful waterways.

33. Seen the Daintree.

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors.

35. Visited an Aboriginal settlement or mission.

36. Learned a new language.

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied.

38. Toured the Sydney Opera House.

39. Tried rock climbing (indoor or outdoor), abseiling or just simple bushwalking.

40. Visit Queensland’s Gallery of Modern Art.

41. Been to the Tamworth Country Music Festival.

42. Sunbaked at Bondi.

43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant.

44. Visited Broome.

45. Walked on a beach by moonlight.

46. Been transported in an ambulance.

47. Had your portrait painted.

48. Gone fishing.

49. Seen Tasmania’s old growth forests.

50. Been to the top of Q1, on the Gold Coast.

51. Gone scuba diving or snorkelling.

52. Kissed in the rain.

53. Played in the mud.

54. Gone to a drive-in theatre.

55. Been in a movie.

56. Driven the Great Ocean Road.

57. Started a business.

58. Taken a martial arts class.

59. Visited Norfolk Island.

60. Served at a soup kitchen.

61. Sold Girl Guide biscuits.

62. Gone whale watching.

63. Got flowers for no reason.

64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma.

65. Gone jet boating.

66. Visited Port Arthur.

67. Bounced a cheque.

68. Flown in a helicopter.

69. Saved a favourite childhood toy.

70. Visited the Australian War Memorial.

71. Eaten Caviar.

72. Pieced a quilt.

73. Stood in Federation Square.

74. Been on the Murray River.

75. Been fired from a job.

76. Travelled, or climbed, over the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

77. Broken a bone.

78. Been on a speeding motorcycle.

79. Seen the Three Sisters at Echo Point, Katoomba.

80. Published a book.

81. Visited the St Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney.

82. Bought a brand new car.

83. Been to Hermannsburg, or similar indigenous community.

84. Had your picture in the newspaper.

85. Read the entire Bible.

86. Visited Parliament House.

87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating.

88. Had chickenpox.

89. Saved someone’s life.

90. Sat on a jury.

91. Met someone famous.

92. Joined a book club.

93. Lost a loved one.

94. Saved a pet.

95. Been to the site of the Eureka Stockade.

96. Swum in the Whitsundays.

97. Been involved in a lawsuit.

98. Owned a mobile phone.

99. Been stung by a bee.

100. Read an entire book in one day.

When I first saw this list, my first thought was how hard could it be to do just 100 things in your life ... but when I got to the end of the list I realised that there are lots of adventures still yet to experience.

Who knows, maybe one day I will tick off everything here but something tells me that it probably won’t happen & not because I can’t make them happen but purely because there are some items on this list that just don’t fit me.

Personally, I would take out the word ‘money’ from #37 but only because there are other things in life that can make you truly satisfied.

For #39 I would add ‘face one of your fears & beat it’; in #67 I would add ‘over drawn your bank account’ but only because most of us could say yes to that one – lol!

For #82 I would add ‘or bought the car of your dreams’; but #87 is a tricky one because so many more people are vegetarian these days, so I’m not sure about that one ...

So, my lovelies; if you could change this list – what would you replace?

Until next time, take care and make sure you hug and kiss the ones you love.

Ciao

Mish :)

xxx


Saturday, October 22, 2011

My Son Is Leaving Home

Hello My Lovelies,

It pains me to say it but my son Nic is getting ready to spread his wings & fly the coup :(


In less than eight weeks he will leave on a working holiday to Canada; I will miss him more than words can say but I am SO excited for him. He’s only going away for six months, as he’ll be returning to complete a course to become a Personal Trainer.


He has gone through lots of changes & has grown up in many ways but as every parent knows, it is only when a child leaves home & has to fend for themselves that they really grow up. All of this has got me reflecting on the past 18 months & how much he has changed.


He started 2010 in his last year of high school & in the possession of two cars! So he was very busy for someone who was still at school full-time, worked part-time at a local grocery store & studying Kung Fu! His first car, a white Ford Laser was given to him by our mechanic – lucky boy :)


The car belonged to a client of the mechanic who couldn’t afford to repair or keep the car & decided to give the car to the mechanic in the hope that he could make money from it. Nic had spent all of his summer holidays [when he wasn’t working] at the mechanics, helping out & gaining as much knowledge as he could & because the mechanic couldn’t afford to pay him for his time, he rewarded him with the vehicle. After four months of hard work the vehicle was ready to sell, which didn’t take long but it took several months to find a replacement vehicle.


Crazy I know, but there was a logical reason – Nic wanted a manual geared car & not an automatic geared car [which the Laser was], so he decided the best thing was to fix up the Laser, sell it & hopefully get enough money to put towards a better vehicle. Yes, Nic finally found his dream car – a red Honda Civic !


Since taking on a new job earlier this year he has spent a lot more time & money on his Civic, plus he bought himself a ‘project car’ a green Hyundai Excel. Thankfully for us he was able to keep the car at a friend’s house, so we haven’t had to put up with the noise & the mess involved in having a ‘project car’. He also bought himself a motorbike – something that didn’t go down too well with his grandparents!



But, now that he is about to go overseas he is madly trying to sell both of his cars, sort through all his stuff, work out what to keep & what to get rid of, finish the repairs on his motorbike [he had a minor accident several months ago] & prepare for the trip.


So in the past few weeks life has been busy advising him about the organising of his passport, flight, travel insurance, cold weather clothing & all the other bits & pieces that he’ll need.


The clock is ticking & each day it seems to go just that little bit quicker; I’m sure THE DAY will arrive before we know it & soon my house will be quiet again.


You know I still can’t decide if I’m looking forward to that day or dreading it?


Until next time, take care and make sure you hug and kiss the ones you love.


Ciao

Mish :)

xxx