New Respect for Working Mothers

Don’t get me wrong, I have always had respect for working Mums, however the last month has amplified that significantly. Last night – as with most nights - I was up 3 times with Grandad. He is now having trouble getting out of bed on his own so lays on his bed and grunts until one of us gets up. I am the only one who hears him. MIL and Ross have both said to wake them up, but if I am already awake I don’t see the point in interrupting someone else’s sleep, they are exhausted as well.

This has only been going on for a month. How these women do it year after year, then still maintain full time jobs and social lives and keep a clean house amazes me. I am sure I will get more used to it as time goes on, but right know I am just tired beyond belief.

As such my exercise is suffering. Last night I got a lift home with my boss. The main reason for that is it was 10 degrees out and my clothes were still wet from the morning ride. So he dropped me off then picked me up again this morning. Which was lovely. I want to go for a run, but I am just so exhausted. And when I get home (tonight is Di’s craft night, the only time she gets out of the house all week) I have to get dinner and get Grandad organised and up, then cleaned up, and back to bed.

sigh…

Tomorrow night I am thinking of riding to the library after work which will at least give me a 15km ride. And on the weekend I will make sure I get out for a run. And hopefully a yoga class as well.

Other than that nothing is happening in my part of the world. Still reading lots which is good. And knitting a bit when I get the chance. I have sold a few of my cards as well which is exciting. For those of you on Facebook check out the fan page called ‘photo cards by kylie ann’.

OK. Enough grumbling. Back to work now. :o)
xox

Drowned Rat

Yep - that's me today.  I got so wet this morning riding in to work.  As soon as I got here I stripped off and changed.  Luckily I have spare underwear at work for just this situation... LOL  Unfortunately I did not have spare socks and my socks are currently sitting right in front of the heater trying to dry while my tootsies freeze!  I was so wet I could actually wring out my trackies and my gloves to get rid of a lot of the water.

I actually don't mind riding in the rain, as long as I am not on main roads.  Of course, I prefer it on the way home so I can climb straight into a hot shower.... 

Weigh in yesterday and I gained 300g.  Not surprised as I did say that I didn't believe last weeks loss was a true loss.  And it wasn't too much to gain back.  I nearly made it to the 100kms on the bike last week.  I would have made it with spare if I had come to work on Friday.  But that's okay.  I am still on track as there is still 9 weeks and 1 day till the end of winter.

I still haven't been out for a run.  I was going to go last night but my MIL was not well so I wanted to get home asap to take over looking after Grandad.  If it is not raining tonight I will do it then.  This is when I think about a gym membership as I could use a treadmill.  But the cost just isn't worth it for the occasions I would use it.

Nothing else really going on.  I am reading another really good book about urban legends.  It traces about 60 urban legends to find the origin and to find out if they are based in fact or just completely fabricated.  It's really interesting reading.

Hope you all have a great Tuesday and manage to stay drier than me!

xox

Knitting, Beading, Cooking

Sorry I have been absent for several days.  I will try and catch up on blogs shortly.

Friday I spent yet another day sick in bed.  I am certain it is related to lack of sleep.  However we now have a baby monitor and take turns having it in our rooms so we can all hear Grandad and we can all get some nights of good sleep.

Yesterday I was feeling a lot better and went to a WEA class to learn to make a scarfe/shawl.  It was called a rainbow scarfe, but that related to the texture of the yarn rather than the colours.  However I decided to relate it to my colours as well.  It was knitted "in the long" which means rather that doing 20 stitches and 200 rows, you do 150 stitches and only 25 rows.

As well as the scarfe/shawl we learnt some beading to go on one end.  I hadn't done beading before so I found it a bit challenging.  I ended up putting it down and concentrating on the knitting.  Mind you, I didn't finish in class. But when I got home last night I finished the scarfe, and I finished the tassels which I was super proud of.  This afternoon I sat down and all of a sudden the beading clicked and I ended up finishing it.  I am really proud of the result and it is a very unique scarfe I now own.

This morning I decided it was cookie baking time.  Mum was coming over for a couple of hours and since we have to sit in the kitchen (Grandad sleeps in the lounge) I thought baking cookies while we visited would be lovely. 

I made Chocolate Sugar Cookies.  The recipe said it made 7 dozen.  It made 10 dozen!  Luckily Ross loves cookies.  They are really yummy, but I am going to experiment with the recipe before I put it up as I think it could be better.

Mum brought over a bag of green veg from her garden.  I opened the bag and stuck my nose in and the first thing I thought was  - SOUP!  So I put the leeks, silver beets and spring onions in some veggie stock with a couple of potatoes and some fresh parsley and fresh spearmint from our herb garden.  I also did up some soup grains (spit peas, barley, lentils etc).  I blended the veg mix and added some cream then put back on the stove with the grains.  The result was fantastic!  I forgot to take a pic, but I will definitely make it again so will snap a pic then.

In all I have had a good weekend.  Thankfully the anxiety from the caffeine withdrawal is pretty much over with.  That was a truly horrible feeling to have all the time.  And hopefully the tummy pains are over with as well.  Am looking forward to getting back on the bike this week and also going for a couple of runs.

xox

All Quiet on the KC Front

I haven't blogged for a few days because quite frankly there has been nothing to blog about.  Get up, shower, ride to work, work all day, ride home, fix dinner, help with Grandad, go to bed, read far too late into the night, sleep, wake up to help Grandad toilet when I hear him move, sleep, wake up to help Grandad toilet when I hear him move, sleep, wake up to help Grandad toilet when I hear him move, sleep, wake up exhausted, start all over again...

I don't recall waking up this exhausted in ages.  But I can't get to sleep until I am so far past exhausted it is ridiculous, hence the reading far too late into the night.

Hopefully tonight I can get a better sleep though.  We are borrowing a friends baby monitor so we can take turns listening out for Grandad.  The problem at the moment is that I am the only one who hears him so I have to get up to him all the time.  But we are going to use the monitor and take turns having it in our rooms so that way we can all sleep at least every 2nd night - in theory! :o)

The good thing is I have been reading lots.  It has been ages since I have really got stuck into any good books.  I am currently working my way through the Sookie Stackhouse books by Charlaine Harris (True Blood series is based on these).  I have the first 8 and am up to book 5.  When I finish these I will have to take a trip to the local library I think.  I am actually enjoying reading.  I don't think I have turned the computer on at home all week which is awesome.  I was getting into a rut with sitting on the computer every night.

That is really all from me.  I have my shoes here to go for a run tonight but it will depend on how exhausted I am.  Hopefully I can pound out 2kms at least, just so I have moved.

Have a great Thursday everyone!

xox

Weigh In

Well, weigh in this week was pretty good.  I recorded a loss of 2.8 kgs.  However based on the fact that I was sick all weekend and barely ate, I am not sure how true this is.  So I have decided to accept it, but if I gain next week (as I am sure I am incredibly dehydrated) then so be it.  It means this week was not a true record.

I have started adding some as-you-go results to my winter goals.  I was hoping to do yoga, a run and a ride on the weekend but obviously that wasn't going to happen.  As of tomorrow there are 10 weeks left of winter which should be more than enough time to get through all my goals. 

Today I am still feeling a little bit blech, but not too bad.  I rode to work, and it was hard, especially the tram bridge.  I think that is just because there is virtually no fuel in the tank - so to speak.  I am working through my bowl of oats now.  So far they are sitting in my tummy okay, which is a good sign.

That's all from me - hope everyone has an amazing week.

xox

Lazy Weekend

I had so many plans for this weekend.  Despite wanting to stay close to home so I could be on hand to help MIL out with Grandad as much as possible.  But I still had lots of things I wanted to do.

Yesterday the plan was to get up early and ride to a Beginners Yoga class in the city.  But it was raining, and my bed was so warm, and I had been up with Grandad several times in the night, and I was reading a really good book...

So I decided to stay in bed and read for a while.  It was bliss. :o)

I got up later than I have gotten up in who knows how long.  I made some more cards (post below), helped out with Grandad, then went back to bed to have a nanna nap and to read.

This morning I woke up feeling really sick in the tummy.  But despite being up with Grandad a couple of times in the night again and really not sleeping well, I couldn't sleep.  Since I had finished my book yesterday (The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo - awesome book, highly recommended) I grabbed a new one and lay in bed reading.  This time not feeling overly well.

It is now 7.30pm.  Ross made me get up to try and eat something.  I had some French Toast for dinner, and am not feeling too bad.  I have read 2 books today (am reading the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris and they aren't overly thick).  I feel completely lazy.  I am exhausted despite doing nothing for 2 days, but I do feel a bit better.  Hopefully I am better tomorrow for work.

Since giving up caffeine a couple of weeks ago I have been suffering from severe anxiety.  Worse than I ever had before.  I know it is a symptom of the withdrawal, however it has been absolutely horrible.  It doesn't help that despite my life being pretty good right now, I do have a few things going on that are stressing me out.  So my anxiety has been working on that and really doing my head in.  I think that is where the tummy pains have come from.

Thankfully it seems to have settled down, although not completely disappeared.  Hopefully it will go completely soon as this is not a good way to live.  I don't know how people who suffer ongoing anxiety function.  It is truly awful to feel like that all the time.

That's it from me.  I am hoping for a better week this week all round.

xox

More Cards Available

Book Club

I think I may have found a book club to join.  I have wanted to join one for the longest time, but the only ones I have found in the past are run by 80 years olds and they meet at 10am on a weekday - not conducive to a full time worker.  Anyway, this is a fairly new club that I found online.  The book they are reading this month is one I have wanted to read for ages - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson - so I thought I would go along when they meet in a couple of weeks and see what it is like.  I bought the book on Monday and am already about 1/5th of the way through.  It is nothing like what I expected, but it is really good so far.  They meet every 4 or 5 weeks and try to read a different type of book each month.  I am really looking forward to it and I hope it goes well.

I did a 2km run last night to set my starting point for that part of my winter challenge.  It took my 20 minutes (or thereabouts - I did not have my stopwatch so went off the time on my phone).  So that gives me 10.5 weeks to shave off 5 minutes.  I don't know if that is possible, but I will try my hardest!

I have also decided I want to do a Detox.  Not one of those fruit only or juice only ones where you have to buy hundreds of dollars worth of supplements.  Just a 7 day clean eating detox.  I got the info from Detox Australia.  These are the rules of the detox, I would love to know what you think.

Rules Of The 7-day Detox

- No caffeine or alcohol allowed. Substitute herbal teas, dandelion root coffee and fresh juices.
- No dairy foods are permitted on the 7-day detox. Milk and cheese increase mucus production and are difficult to digest. Lactose is a common food intolerance. You can replace milk with almond milk, rice milk, oat milk or soya milk. Sheep's and goat's products are easier to digest if you really cannot do without dairy.
- No wheat or gluten-containing grains, such as rye, which have an acid effect on the digestion. This means no bread, pasta or white rice. Choose oats, brown rice, millet and quinoa instead.
- No meat or poultry, because of the antibiotics and food additives they contain. For protein, choose plant sources, organic eggs, tofu or oily fish from organic (non-farmed) sources.
- No processed or ready-made foods whatsoever. Everything should be fresh and cooked without salt, sugar or sweeteners. Use fresh herbs for seasoning.
- Eat three meals and two snacks every day, making sure that you have something to eat every three hours. Most of your food will be vegetables and fruit, whole grains and plant proteins. Within the [What To Eat And Drink] category there are sample menu choices for a 7-day detox.
- Do make sure you get at least 20 minutes of exercise every day.
- Drink 2 litres (3 ½ pints) of water a day and have cups of herbal (non-caffeine-containing) teas whenever you feel like them.

Basically it is just 7 days of no dairy, no wheat or gluten, and nothing processed.  I would still be eating good whole foods.  I am thinking of doing it in a couple of weeks.  I need some time to get some recipes together so I am not just having steamed veg and brown rice every day.  But I would love to hear your thoughts on it.
 
xox

Fitness Goals

It is time to focus and set some winter goals for myself. As always I have been inspired by Mel over at Tri Hard to Triathlete. She is an incredible force and I have decided to take a leaf out of her book, get off my ass, and do something.

So I have decided that by the end of winter (10 weeks and 5 days away) I want to have achieved 5 things. They are:

1) Run 2kms in under 15 minutes – still slow, but significantly faster than I am doing now.
2) Run 5kms without stopping – any speed
3) Ride 1000kms – seems like a lot but is less than 100 kms per week
4) Lose 10 kgs – I will take this Mondays weigh in as my starting point
5) Attended 5 x beginner Yoga classes

Rather than checking in in the main part of my blog, I have set up a goal checklist in the sidebar. I will update it as things happen and report when major milestones are reached. It is a massive undertaking, but to be honest I need something to focus my energy on with everything that has been happening.

I will do a 2km run in the next few days to get my baseline. I will get back on the bike as of Friday. Yoga starts this Saturday. Junk food going in the bin.

My time is NOW!

xox

Quick update

Back to work.  How I love long weekends and how sad I am to see them pass...  Ross got home late last night.  He was only gone for one night but oh how I missed him.  He has been helping to set up the 2 new stores so has been doing long hours.  They both open today though so things will settle down.

Grandad is doing well.  He is up and moving around unassisted, and while he is still sleeping for around 20 hours a day, when he is up he is chatty and doing really well.  We have the assessment team coming in a couple of weeks to have look and to see what their suggestions are for care.

My next lot of photos arrived today so I will have more photo cards up in a few days.  If you are on Facebook, don't forget to check out "photo cards by kylie ann".

That's it from me.  No running or riding so far this week, but I will get there.

xox

Weigh In

Well, one week of my new calorie counting is done and dusted. I'll be honest here, I didn't "count" every day.  Or most days really.  But I have been a lot more conscious and have stopped buying that morning bag of wicked twisties every day, and the afternoon bun.  The result was a 1.9 kg loss, so I am extremely happy with that.  I will be more vigilant this week, and will be riding to work every day again as well.

I finally set up my Facebook Fan page for my cards.  It is called 'photo cards by kylie ann'.  Anyone who is on Facebook, do a search for it if you are interested in my cards.  So far there are only 9 variations up, but more photos will be here this week and I will have about 15 or so up soon.  I'll post the pics at the bottom of this blog for you.

Today has been fairly easy going.  MIL had several things that she needed to get out and do so I have been here with Grandad most of the day.  He has been asleep for most of it though, only getting up for an hour or so to have lunch and a cuppa.  He was really perky yesterday but it seems to have tired him out for today. 

While he was up I decided to do some baking to give me an excuse to stay in the kitchen with him without it looking like I was watching him.  I made my specialty - Honey & Oat Cookies.  I love these!  We won't even discuss the calories though...  LOL  But I figured that Ross could have them for breakfast.  He doesn't usually bother with breakie but with his new job I would like him to have something.  And I know he will eat these.

I also decided to make something for dinner.  We need something Grandad can eat with one hand, so nothing that requires cutting.  We had soup last night and pasta bake the night before so I also wanted something with protein in it.  I ended up doing a pasta bake, but added lentils and TVP.  Hopefully it tastes okay.

I was hoping to get the garden bed ready for planting as well, but domestics have taken up the day.  Not to worry though, I will do it next weekend.

Here are the cards I have up so far, in case you are interested.

xox

The Weekend So Far

Well, we are heading toward the end of the second day of the long weekend. It has been an interesting couple of days, some good, some challenging.

It started Friday night. My MIL got a call that her Dad (Grandad) has been in a car crash. Only a minor one thankfully, however at 92 years old a minor crash can jiggle things around. By the time she got up there the paramedics had been called. They got to the hospital and my MIL finds out this is the 2nd crash in the last couple of weeks and also that he has had 2 falls in his house in the last week that he has not told us about.

Grandad lives a good 45 minute drive away if there is no traffic. He lives alone and until recently has been doing fine. MIL saw him last Sunday and all was well. However when she got to his house to pick up a few things for him things were different. A week of Meals on Wheels dinners were lined up on the counter unopened. The cat had been locked inside with no kitty litter. The cat food was dried up and had been there for days. We don't think he had eaten for a week or had he fed Blondie (the cat). He was in the same clothes he had been in the previous week and no PJ's had been used. He had burned his pillow so he is smoking in bed again.

The hospital in their infinite wisdom wanted to send him home after 2 hours. MIL managed to talk them into keeping him overnight. However considering he can't get up or down on his own, can't shower, can't go to the toilet unassisted I am truly disappointed that he was sent home the next day. We explained that he lives alone. They pretty much said take him home. MIL said he would be sleeping on the couch as we have 3 adults living in a small house and they said that will be fine. Not happy.

So Grandad has been here since yesterday. Thankfully he is eating now but he still needs a great deal of assistance. He sleeps about 18 hours a day. I am not sure if he is going to be able to go home. We talked about me and Ross moving up there but the logistics are too hard. I would have to leave for work at about 5.30am and would not get home until after 7.30pm including a 30 minute walk at night through a very unsafe neighbourhood. Plus there is the fact that with both of us working and with the extended travelling time we would not be there enough to take care of him anyway.

I am not sure what is going to happen but for now he is here and a neighbour is taking care of Blondie. The poor old thing is so frail. None of us are sleeping as we are all listening out for if he gets up in the night as we are so afraid he will fall. Hopefully we can get him into care fairly quickly.

OK, so on to the good parts of the weekend so far, and there have been some.

Yesterday morning I decided to skip yoga and go for a run. I haven't been out for 3 or 4 weeks. I didn't realise it was that long, but geez the time goes by quickly. I decided no more shuffling, I am going to run! I lasted 3 minutes. My legs hurt, my lungs hurt. So I started walking, I did a few more spurts - running, not shuffling - and got home sore.

After some breakfast and a clean up I hopped on the tram, switched to a train, and took myself out to visit my Grandma, who has been in a Nursing Home for a while. We never really got along, so I have been a bad Granddaughter and not visited for a long time. But she was really friendly and we had a wonderful visit.

I came home and helped MIL with Grandad and helped with dinner. We had an early night.

This morning I got up early to help Grandad get up and get him some breaky so MIL could have a sleep in. I got all the animals fed and got cuppas ready for Ross & MIL. Then I got myself ready and headed in to the city to go to the Botanic Gardens to meet my Mum for a walk and to take photos. We spent a few hours and had a really good time. She also bought me this wonderful book from the Botanic Shop.

Ross and I have had several attempts at starting veggie gardens, that have had varying degrees of success. This book was written by a South Aussie, so all the planting times and everything are very specific to where we live. I am going to start getting a garden bed ready tomorrow so we can put some spinach in, which is one of the only things we can plant at this time of year. Hopefully this one is successful.

Tonight I am going to make some parsnip soup for us all for dinner. Ross is working early tomorrow on the other side of town so he will have an early night. I will be here all day so I am going to try and get MIL to go out for a while, at least for a walk with the dog or something, just to get out for a while. Ross is staying at Mums tomorrow night as he is working just a few kms from her place tomorrow and Tuesday.

That's it from me. I'll leave you all with a few pics from this mornings wander....

xox

I love Long Weekends

Well, the weekend is nearly upon us and it is a Long Weekend over here.  Three glorious days of no work.  What to do, what to do....  LOL

Ross is actually working most of the weekend (we are hoping he has Monday off but won't know until Sunday night) so I am on my own.  I have some loose plans.  I am thinking of trying a beginner Yoga class tomorrow morning.  The closer I get to it though, the scarder (is that a word?) I get...  I haven't exercised in a few weeks and haven't stretched and bent in more years than I care to remember....  I have wanted to do it for ages, but now it is getting closer I am concerned I will chicken out.

After that I am thinking of catching the train down to see my Grandma in the Nursing Home.  She has been there for a while and I haven't visited yet.  We don't really get along, but for some reason I feel I need to visit now.

Sunday Mum and I are going for a walk through Botanic Gardens in the morning with our cameras.  I am hoping that there will be lots of birdies flying around. 

I am going to spend the afternoon getting my Facebook page organised for my new cards business.  Yes, I am finally getting started on this after talking about it for a year and a half.  I am going to start with a Facebook fan page and see if that is successful.  If not, I will have a re-think.

Monday - who knows.  It will depend on Ross's movements.  I do need to fit a run and a ride in there somewhere.  Actually, I might ride into the city to meet Mum on Sunday.  That will take care of that!  Who knows.  It is nice not to HAVE to do anything for a few days.

I hope everyone has a great weekend, be it a long one or a regular sized one!

xox

Caffeine Update

Yesterday was horrible.  Headaches.  Tummy aches.  The shakes.  Hot flushes.  

Last night I had a Reiki appt booked in.  I felt okay at first.  But...  I get very hot when I do Reiki.  I had the heater on so that J would be comfortable.  I got quite warm, but I was okay.  Until the very end.  All of a sudden I got really hot, my tummy started churning and I felt like I was going to pass out.  I grabbed a seat (thankfully I was nearly finished and was doing her arms so I could sit) and it passed after a while, but it was horrible.  When the session finished I guzzled down a great big glass of water (I probably drank over 3 litres yesterday).

This morning I woke up with just the mildest of headaches.  I haven't taken any pain killers this morning and I feel okay.  I do have a bit of tummy churning happening, but only very lightly. 

I believe I am through the worst of it.

It is very strange not having caffeine on a daily basis.  This is the longest I have gone without it for around 20 years I would guess.  But I am hoping the addiction is gone and now I can get through, having the occasional coffee with friends, but not needing it on a daily basis.

I feel good.

xox

Caffeine Withdrawl

is the worst....  I am rounding the 62 hour mark since my last hit of caffeine.  It hurts. Everything hurts.  I have a headache from hell.  My stomach hurts.  I am shaking.  But I am also at work as I have an urgent file that needs my attention today.  :o(

I am determined to get through this though.  They say 3 days of headaches is all you get, so I only have today and tomorrow to get through.  Then hopefully it will all be over.  I gave up the Diet Coke about 6 weeks ago, but have still been having cups of tea or iced coffee to substitute.  I am not sure why I decided that this was the week I was giving it all up, but I made the decision and I am determined to stick to it, no matter how much it hurts.

This morning I had to give myself some Reiki on my head just to get out of bed.  I have never been successful doing Reiki on myself before, but thankfully this morning it worked enough for me to get up and out.  Who knows how long it will last for though.

I just need to get through the next 36 hours and I am sure I will be fine.  I'll be back then.

xox

Oh Dear...

But before we get to that....  I had a really good day yesterday.  I got to sleep in and got up at 7.30.  Now for most, that doesn't sound like a sleep in, but for me, that is bliss.  I went for a walk to get my morning Iced Coffee then came home and realised I had a whole day ahead of me with absolutely no plans.  Oh, what to do...

I spent some time with my Tarot Cards.  I drew a 3 card spread, studied the cards that came out, then once I had them right in my head did a reading of the cards.  It was fun. 

Then I made a little pillow, watched some TV, had some lunch, surfed the Net, did some shopping, and saw this amazing double rainbow.  It was so beautiful.

Now for the Oh Dear...

Over the weekend, I caught a glimpse of myself in a mirror, sitting down.  It's back.  It's nearly all back.  All that weight I worked so had to move, it looks like it's nearly all back.  Time to get on the scales.  The scales were not as high as I expected, but they were too high.  And I look terrible....  It is not my highest weight - thankfully - and it is not back to where I was at the beginning of the year..  But it is way way way too high.

The problem is, I can't count calories again.  I hate it.  It sucks.  But it works.  Plus I love cooking lots of different things, and my MIL cooks a few nights a week, it is too hard.

So I have come to a compromise for myself.  I will count calories until 5pm.  I will allow myself half of my daily allowance until then.  After that I can eat whatever I want for dinner.  There will be no chocolate afterwards, no desserts (most of the time), no junk food.  But whatever I eat for dinner is allowed and free. 

I am going to up my exercise.  Back to the running.  Riding to work.  Taking the long way home.  I'm going to start yoga next weekend.  Even thinking about going back to the - gulp - gym....

I will give this a month.  If I don't shift anything I will reassess, but I HAVE to do something.  As much as I hate it, my body is becoming uncomfortable again.  I need my body to be healthy so that I can be healthy in all aspects of myself.

xox

Body, Mind & Psychic Expo

Yesterday I spent the day at the Body, Mind & Psychic Expo helping out at the Animal Dreaming Stand.  We had such an amazing day!  I don't think it was as busy as last year, but maybe that is because I was behind the stand rather than walking around out front.

I admit, it was a long day.  We started at 10 and it went till 7, although I left at around 6.30 as there were really very few people left.  I am an office worker by day so spend most of my day sitting on my butt.  9 hours on my feet was HARD!  LOL.  The weird thing is, it didn't feel like 9 hours. 

We had such an amazing day.  The people that we met were so amazing.  Everyone was happy and positive, and there was such an amazing energy around our stand.  Other stall holders mentioned that the energy around us was incredible.  There were 3 of us working there.  I have met Jeanette (who was running it) a couple of times but had never met Ilona before.  But the 3 of us worked together so well! 

I really put myself out there.  I was standing out the front and giving out affirmations which was drawing people in to us so that we could show what we had and do some one card readings with the amazing Animal Dreaming Oracle Cards and the Creature Teacher cards. 

It was scary being out the front and being 'visible', but it was fun and it was empowering.  And something I need to learn to do.

I did get the chance to go for a wander around the Fair.  My Mum and Ross came down and I had a chance to have a squizz at everything.  I was doing really well at not spending any money until the very end...  I found this gorgeous little meditation stool from Black Dragon Seats.

It is really comfy.  I often find when I am sitting cross legged on the ground that my legs cramp up quite quickly and my lower back aches.  I sit on a cushion, but it isn't really any support.  This little stool has 3 adjustable heights, and is surprisingly amazingly comfortable.  I sat down on it after I had been working on the stand for around 7 hours.  I swear, I wanted to stay there for the rest of the day.  Because we were working there the guy gave us a 10% discount which was lovely of him.  It was still more than I wanted to spend, but considering I didn't buy hardly anything else, it was still a way cheaper day than last year!

I also got to meet the team from the Free the Bears Fund.  I had a chat to the Co-ordinator and have the details for the next volunteer meeting that I have already booked into the diary.  I am really looking forward to starting to work with them.

I think the main thing for me that I got from the day though, is that now I know without a doubt I want to be in the spiritual healing world.  I have a lot to learn.  This is a process and a journey and I accept that.  But I felt so energised and content there.  That is where I want to be.  I am doing well with my Reiki, and I am studying the Tarot.  I have so many other things I want to learn.  And I will.  I just have to learn patience (not one of my strong suits) practice what I already know, get myself out there, and learn.  It will come.

xox

Feeling Strong

Feeling Positive.  Feeling Energised.

I had an amazing Reiki session last night.  It is so bizarre, I really feel as though I am getting it done on me when I do it on someone else.  I feel energised and relaxed all at the same time afterwards.  :o)

I am feeling very positive about moving forward.  This is the year that I learn and grow.  I am taking matters into my own hands and it is time to make things happen for ME.

Tomorrow I am at the Body, Mind & Psychic Expo.  Anyone in Adelaide I would love to see you at the Animal Dreaming stand.  I am looking forward to meeting lots of people and experiencing something new - seeing the Expo from the other side of the table.

Have a great weekend everyone!

xox

It's Winter

I am one of those rare people who love winter.  I love the crisp cold air in the mornings, the rain, the sound of the wind in the trees.  It has its drawbacks - less light before and after work, riding to work when it's freezing.  But mostly, I love it.

So, where was I?  Monday was the last post.  Monday night I went to an amazing meditation session.  I took Ross along with me as well.  It was a Guided Meditation to discover your Power Animal and Totem Animals.  I already knew what my power animal was, but not my totems.  It was really interesting.  The meditation itself was great.  I always come out of a good meditation feeling a little fuzzy.  Then we talked through the animals we met along the way and their meanings.  It was great.

Tuesday I woke up not feeling the best.  I had a stabbing pain in my lower rib cage and was really short of breath.  The exact same symptoms Ross had last week that saw him take a trip to the hospital.  So I was guessing I had picked up his virus.  I ended up having to cancel my Reiki appointment as there was not way I could channel Reiki energy when I was feeling so blah.  So I went home and straight to bed.

Yesterday I felt a little better.  After work I decided to stop at a nearby park and just sit for a while in the cool evening air.  I had my warm clothes with me.  What I didn't know was that the park I picked plays host to a boot camp.  It started 15 minutes after I got there, so I packed up and left.  But I still got 15 minutes of quiet and fresh air, so that is better than nothing.  It really felt great to just sit before heading home so I am thinking this is something I will do more often.  But perhaps in a different park...  ;o)

Before bed I closed myself in my room and did another meditation.  One of my goals is to make meditation part of my routine.  I always feel calmer and more centred after.  It helps me get all the craziness in my head to calm down and stop, even for just a few minutes.

This morning I am actually feeling good.  Which is a very good thing as I am itching for a run!  Tonight I have my rescheduled Reiki session, so can't do it then. but sometime over the next couple of days I will be getting out there and I can't wait!

This weekend I am working at the Body, Mind & Psychic Expo.  I am helping a friend out at the Animal Dreaming stand.  If anyone is in Adelaide, please come by and say hello.  I'll be there all day Saturday.

Daily Goals
1)  Drink 1.5L of water
2)  Get through my To-Do list
3)  Eat healthy
4)  Meditate before bed
5)  Do some tarot study

Oh, I forgot to mention, I have registered to become a volunteer with the Free The Bears charity.  So expect to hear more about them in coming posts. 

xox