Marriage, the whole "till death us do part" thing, is a big commitment. What you don't realise in that first flush of pheromones and the heady early days is that you are committing to a whole lot more than you first thought. You are agreeing to love - even when the spouse is being an idiot. You are agreeing to honour - even when you know … [Read more...]
Are you a list maker?
The world appears to be divided into two. Those who make lists and those who don't. At one point in time I was a dedicated list maker - hell sometimes I wrote things on my list I'd already done just so I could have the satisfaction of crossing it off! All through school I was a girl with a list. Neatly written, bulleted (or sometimes prettily … [Read more...]
Ch-Ch-Changing
Forgive me readers for I have sinned, it has been four days since my last confession post. Felled by a migraine I spoke in tongues, felt ill and frankly did not want to deal with the fact I was CHANGING the blog. Moving from a wordpress.com to a self-hosted site has proven to be a little stressful, given my level of technical ability is … [Read more...]
Who the Hell Am I?
My eldest daughter, the Hippie Child worries, she's 15 and doesn't know what she wants to do for a career. The pressure starts early now. My hollow reassurances that she will figure it eventually are of little comfort. The process of discovering yourself, creating a life, establishing a career is a never-ending cycle of success, failure, regret, … [Read more...]
Working Life
As usual my disorganised approach to life has come back to bite me in the bum. HUGE day yesterday with a 7.45am meeting with the Principal of the High School where Princess Child will be going next year. The child is a little anxious about the idea of going to high school so I reassure her with the usual platitudes of how great it will be to meet … [Read more...]
Not Sure I’ve Mastered the Self-Help Advice
If you are going to write a book I reckon self-help is a pretty lucrative sector of the market. While the authors in the literature genre struggle to make a dollar from their beautifully descriptive, emotionally challenging works of fiction the self-help crowd have the mighty dollar flowing in. They have learnt the skill of a multi-pronged approach … [Read more...]
No sick leave for Mums
I've opted out of my real world job today. Given in to whatever this bug is I've managed to acquire. Made a phone call. Sympathetic colleague told me to take care. Tomorrow I'll return, fill out a sick leave form, and our super efficient administrator will pay me as normal while calculating my leave hours. People will politely enquire if I'm … [Read more...]
The Story of Shambles Manor (an exercise in owner-building)
Be careful what you wish for it might just happen! For as long as I can remember I haven't been able to drive past a display village without popping in, wandering through the delightfully styled rooms, marvelling at the space, loving the design. When we moved to Port Macquarie I searched high and low but couldn't find a house I liked, so I … [Read more...]
Bucket Lists BEFORE and AFTER Children
The Bucket List BEFORE I had children. Cruise the canals of Venice in a gondolier with the man I love. Eat at a Michelin Three Star restaurant. Buy an outfit from the Paris Fashion Shows. Watch a Broadway show starring someone really famous. Float in the Dead Sea. Travel the Silk Road. Party all night at the Carnaval in Rio de … [Read more...]
Life’s Too Short for Uncomfortable Undies
Well I think it's time to accept that age has engulfed me. Today I have decided (a) I need to spend more money on my undies and (b) comfort is more important than anything when it comes to underwear. (We tackle the big issues here at Shambolic Living.) The $5 for a pack of four briefs from the bargain bins at the chain stores just aren't up to … [Read more...]
