A Hard Challenge is the Most Rewarding

Well, this is officially the last post of this blog as you know it. As of 1st January this page will take on a completely new look. You’ll have to wait until then for the unveiling. All I will tell you is that I will have a new blog name but I will not be changing my URL

I read this blog post by Dani about choosing a word to live your life by in the coming year, rather than making a new years resolution. For me there was no thought. The word was already in my mind sitting there with such strong presence. I only wish the word wasn’t so challenging as my would will, if I am to live the next 12 months by it challenge me to the core of my existence at time.

The word I chose was STRENGTH

2010 is the start of a new decade. I have know idea looking into the future what the next decade will bring where I will be in 2020, this is the first time in my life that I will not or even care to even hypothesis what might happen in my life. I have no goals and no direction. I am no longer driven by a destination. The only thing I really know is that 2010 is a time to gather STRENGTH.

While I know that I am strong in so many ways, there are still things I fear and avoid. 2010 is a time where I either let these fears over power me or I learn to control them. I’m not saying I am going to concur all my demons just to gather the strength to not let them dictate terms to me. You cannot understand the strength required to face a fear unless you yourself have a fear. A fear that makes you palms sweaty, your heat rate increase and turns you to pile of jelly.

In 2010 I know there are some things I will not be able to avoid and there will be a time when fear and I meet face to face. I want to have the courage and strength to tackle what ever comes my way with minimal fear. The empowered that comes from facing such fears is the feeling I should concentrate on yet I only feel if I had someone who understood me, cared for me, someone who’d hold my hand tell me it’ll be alright, someone I could talk to without being judged I would be 10 times stronger. Unfortunately this is not the case and I must walk my path alone.

I’m not sure how one acquires strength, if only you could purchase it from the supermarket, I’d buy all the stock on the shelf. Better still go to Costco and buy it in Bulk!

As I sit here and type I read a little quote book full of wisdoms and find some writings appropriate for me such as:

Only with confidence comes strength.

Never be afraid of your own ideas.

Chances are that what you put off today you will also put off tomorrow.

If you recognise the need for improvement things are already improving.

You can do anything the only limits are set by your own imagination.

… and think that maybe others also need a word of wisdom or two and so next year as part of the changes to my blog I will add a little word of wisdom to the bottom of each of my posts in hope that one may also give you the strength you have been searching for.

Thank you so much for being a part of my blog experience and supporting me this far. Here’s hoping that 2010 is the start of a journey that will be filled with many surprising moments of wonder and happiness and the discovery of an inner strength I feel I require.

How did you Celebrate

I bet not so differently.

My blogging buddy Teresa from Affectioknit and I were chatting via email about the difference of Celebrating Christmas in winter verses summer. While she has snow at her front door, it is shorts and t-shirt weather here, it's hot nights, the sound air conditioners humming gently. Refuge is sort by a buckets of water tipped over heads, with what little water left in the water tank.

While the climate and conditions are different the sprit remains the same most of the world over. I’ve discovered that Teresa and I both enjoy the same Christmas tradition of travelling around our neighbourhoods looking at Christmas light displays. We celebrate in the company of family sharing gifts and traditional favourite foods, some of which only get baked at this time of year making them even more special.

Even thought the weather is generally hot here, my mum has always cooked the traditional roast turkey, it is filled with them most delicious home made stuffing so much so that mum needs to make more stuffing than the turkey itself can hold.

This year Christmas was a pleasant 22 (72F) degrees but 2 days before Christmas the mercury hit 40 (104F) degrees. Therefore the cooler day was much welcomed by us all.

On Christmas Eve we place a plate of food and drink out for Santa. Each year it differs but the chocolate truffles seem to be Santa’s Favourite and so they are never missed of the plate. We never give Santa alcohol, as I believe Santa is responsible, he has a long tip and I am sure Mrs Claus has his favourite schnapps waiting for him upon his return home. We hang a magic key on the front door, which lets Santa inside, as we don’t have a chimney for him to climb down. The Reindeers park in the driveway and they are left a bucket of water and some carrots to nibble on while Santa unpacks presents.

We rise in the morning and eagerly check what Santa has left, what he ate while visiting us. Gifts are exchanged around the tree. The next few hours are spent unpackaging toys and adding batteries as required. On Christmas day my children are allowed to eat what ever they like. This means breakfast and lunch are generally replaced by snacks of sweets and special treats. Then dinner of roast turkey and pumpkin, potatoes, cauliflower and cheese sauce. When there is room for dessert it is generally fruit salad and or Pavlova both cool desserts to match the season.

(The following photos were taken with a camera Mikaela got for Chrsitmas. Mmm, I might borrow this camera from time from time)

Playing with the toys Santa brought and watching favourite Christmas movies fills in the rest of the day.

I can almost here the Sleigh Bells

Oh my goodness there is only 4 days until the jolly man in the red suit pays us a visit. My blog has lacked the Christmas spirit so far so it’s about time I cranked it up
I’ve taken on this challenge from Mountain Thyme

1.Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?

Neither. It’s to hot in Australia for either. Cooler beverages are in order. Fruit punch will be served Christmas day.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?

Santa doesn’t do wrapping here. He is a busy man and just stuffs the presents into big Santa Sacks. The ones that don’t fit in the sack well he just leave then next to the sack. He needs to be careful as the sacks have bells on them as so if you listen really careful you just might here him.

3. Coloured lights on tree/house or white?

Generally mixed but this year I have not put any lights up, much to the children’s disappoint. There’s always hope that next year I’ll be more organised. This year we’ll just enjoy the light shows the neighbours have provided for us.

4. Do you hang mistletoe?

No mistletoe here it summer remembers. Where the heck am I meant to get mistletoe from? Maybe the Chrissy shop stocks the fake variety. Let me tell you I’d be down to the Christmas store quick smart if there were anyone wroth having a Christmas snog with.

5. When do you put your decorations up?

When you’re supposed to on the 1st of December, if I remember.

6. What is your favourite holiday dish?

Fresh Pawns, This is Christmas Eve dinner. Followed my mum’s turkey stuffing.

7. Favourite Holiday memory as a child?

Hearing Santa’s sleigh and being visited by Santa on Chrsitmas Eve, as he has paid a visit to all the kids in our street on year.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?

Santa is real isn’t he? I saw him, I have a picture to prove it when I visited Rovaniemi . I went to his workshop! He has to be real, he just has to be.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?

No. Presents from Santa are opened far to early on Christmas morning. Presents to and from family are opened through out Christmas day as people arrive.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree?

I put the decorations on and the kids play with them and take them off. I put them back on and the kids take them off…. This circle repeats it’s self for as long as the tree stays up.

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it?

I like it and think it’s romantic but then I don’t have to live with it. Christmas day weather here can be anywhere from 25 (cold) to 40 (hot) degrees.

12. Can you ice skate?

Yes I can, and I live in a city of more that 3 million people were we only have 2 operating ice rinks. Do I skate well?… Lets just say you wont see me at the winter Olympics any time soon. I don’t need to fall over for Steven Bradbury to beat me and take gold.

13. Do you remember your favourite gift?

No. But my girlfriend once gave me a dozen bottle of wine one year. This gift didn’t sit well with my mum because a few days before I was piled into a taxi at midday with my address written on a piece of paper. I was so drunk. Work Christmas parties I’m sure we’ve all been there…. Yes?

14. What’s the most important thing about the Holidays for you?

Spending time with family and having fun.

15. What is your favourite Holiday Dessert?

The classic Aussie dessert of Pavolva.
This is an Aussie dish don’t let the Kiwi’s tell you any different. Pavlova, originally created by Chef Herbert Sachse at the Hotel Esplanade in Perth in 1935, In honour of the Russian Ballerina Anna Pavlova.

16. What is your favourite holiday tradition?

Over the last decade Christmas has taken on some rather large changes in my family. Our family increased and then decreased. In 2001 I lost a very important person, my dad and it has taken a long time for Christmas to feel normal again. Even something as special as Christmas doesn’t stay the same forever. A favourite tradition we currently practice is on Christmas Eve at about 9:30pm when it’s getting dark. I pile the kids into the car in there pyjamas and we drive the neighbourhood looking at the best displays of Christmas lights.

17. What tops your tree?

This year I have ditched the lopsided star of a prettier just as lopsided angel.

18. Which do you prefer giving or Receiving?

I’m much more comfortable with giving. There is so much joy watching the faces of people opening their gifts. But don’t get me wrong receiving has it perks.

19. Candy Canes: Yuck or Yum?

Yum. A sugar fix Christmas morning is a must.

20. Favourite Christmas Show?

I love Christmas Movies cant get enough of them, kids movies grown up movies old movies.

“Santa Buddies” is getting a work out here, followed by the Tim Allen Santa Claus 1, 2 and 3. Polar Express and a lovely silent movie called “The Snowman”

Last year I discovered a Jason Alexander movie called “The Man who Saved Christmas” and I cried.

Favourite cartoon is call “The 4th King” it’s the untold story about a 4th king that never made it to Bethlehem and why.

Favourite Christmas movie of all time the Original “Miracle on 42nd Street”

Honourable mentions go to the Muppet version of “A Christmas Carol” and the Muppet movie with Woopie Goldberg “It’s a very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie”

What are you getting your Mum for Christmas?

We went out to do Christmas photos (more on that later). It was really hot and all the kids wanted, was a drink and an ice cream. All I wanted was one photo, just decent enough that it could be enlarged and framed as a Christmas gift for my mum.

(This is the images I have decided to enlarge as a Christmas gift)

An hour later and 2 changes of clothes and the kids had had enough.I now had to live up to my bribe/promise and take them out to the local Plane Spotting area, where we bought ice creams, gelato’s and icy cold soft drinks, we sat in the summer sun with out refreshments and watched the plane fly over our heads as the were coming in to land.

I'm leaving you with one last photo which was a grab shot. It's not the best image but her pose is just priceless. See for yourself.

The Hard Climb To The Top

Last weekend I travelled with 3 photography friends about 3 hours west of Melbourne to the Grampian Rangers. The area is a Mecca for bush walkers and rock climbers offering some of the best walking and climbing in the county.

Somewhere along the line someone forgot to tell me the guidebook said that the 5.5 km walk to Pinnacle Lookout was for people with a good level of fitness. This is NOT me as I discovered the hard way. So I’ll let you in on a little secret, next time we go away I’m wangling it so I’m in charge of the guidebook.

The walk challenged me partly because most of the walk was on and climbing uneven rocky surface, partly because I was carrying about 4 kilos of camera equipment an partly because it was raining heavily, making the rocks very slippery, but mostly because of the lack of exercise I get in my daily life. Even though we had coats we were all socked through to the core. I reminded the guys my bum was wet constantly on the way back down, probably because I could actually breathe and talk at the same time on the return journey. Joe kept slipping down the mountain, broke his watch and cut his ankle, the blood went though his pants and it looked like a dingo had mauled him. Not that he or we were worried because as long as the camera equipment is in tact all is ok. Macro Man is complaining even now that his feet are still on this hike, along with my left calf muscle. The People’s Photographer, well she was not so happy with the purchase of her $5 waterproof jacket as it seems that she was duped but she had nothing less than amazing things to say about her $21 sneakers. The walk took us about 2 hours to complete. The view from the top was totally worth it even if covered half in fog. Totally socked to the bone all 4 of us plied our wet bodies back into the car a drove to the Youth Hostel, checked in and header straight for a much needed hot showers.

How good our hot showers were the first topic of conversation at dinner, followed by lots of other stuff we can’t discuss in blogland. We decided to get up at 5am to catch sunrise at a local east facing lookout. This particular lookout meet both my and Macro Man’s approval who also struggled on the early walk that day. The guidebook said this one was an easy walk with access the mobility impaired.

The boys decided to stay up for a bit and we girls headed back to our room, where of course we did not go to bed straight away, rather choosing to chat for a while before lights out. Once in darkness we heard chatter, chatter, chatter until we could no longer take it any more. The noise was coming from outside our window from some young guys next door. I poke my head out and politely tell them to keep it down, they apologise and continue talking at the same level of loudness (don’t you hate that!). Looks like we are in for a long night. Our room is nice and warm and toasty as the heater has been on full trying to dry our clothes by morning. We wake in the morning and discover that we both slept with no blankets or sheets on because the room was so hot and neither of us could be bothered to turn the heater down in fear our jeans would not be dry.

Joe, locks himself out of the hostel and knocks quietly on the back door not to wake up other guest but in hope will hear him. Macro Man has lost his door key and we have 10 minutes to travel 15kms up a winding mountain to make sunrise. A sunrise that doesn’t happen, at least we got a part view of the township below before the think dense fog covered the whole look out. Sunrise was a flop and we decided to go check out Silverbend waterfall. We dodged a few Kangaroos on the way and even had a Deer jump in front of our car. In Australia we expect to see Kangaroos jump erratically across the road but a Deer is very unusual. The short 1km hike to the falls was reasonably flat and easy. This waterfall had worn away a hole in the rocks at the bottom and there was no river or pool, instead the falling water travels underground for a few metres before flowing into a river.

We’ve now been up for 4 hours it’s time for some breakfast before heading off on a slow journey home. We all agreed that the trip was a lot of fun and have plans for another overnighter soon.

Where Have You Been?

I was abducted by a heard of Roos and lived among them for a few days before being sentenced to exile for trying to hop in mum’s pouch.

No Seriously ....

I went to Halls Gap at the base of the Grampian Rangers on an over night road trip with 3 friends. These roos are wild, they come out at dawn and dusk to feed and are literally everywhere. There were at least 30 alone on this one footy oval. It is advised not to feed or pat wild kangaroos, these guys allowed me to walk around them with no worries and I got with in a few footsteps of them.

The Grampians are located about 3 hours west of Melbourne and the area boasts some of the best bush walking and rock climbing Australia. This area is really beautiful, unfortunately we happened to pick a dodgy weekend to visit. While this November has been the hottest on record with an average temp of 27 degree our weekend was 19 with rain, more rain and fog. Not nice photographic moody kind of fog either.

We still managed to take photos and have a good time. More post to come over the next week or two about my trip.