The toe

Last night, Nanna past away :(

You’d think that seeing her lying so helpless on her bed would prepare you for her death - but I cried like a baby today. It’s just so sad when people die. I find comfort in knowing that we saw her in her last days and maybe, just maybe, she knew we were there and it warmed her heart.

I truely believe that people (to a degree) have the will to stay alive or let go. I believe older people have control over this better than younger people (they’re wiser and more in tune)!

I think you either make the decision to stay or to go, to fight or to walk away, to live or die. Some people are fighters and some people aren’t.

I think I am a fighter, but I also think, when I am 82 years old and my husband had passed away many years earlier, my children all grown up and when the reality is I’d need nurses or nursing homes for the rest of my life - I think I could be happy to let go.

Rest in Peace Nanna.

Why is it, when it rains it pours? I’m not just talking about the weather either!

I’m talking about how busy my life gets at times. I’ve not had a chance to stop and think lately. A month ago, work was so quiet - I was struggling to fill in the day and look busy. My phone never rang and I would count the minutes til I could go home.

NOW - my phone rings off the hook, I have projects coming our my ears, my To-Do list gets bigger each day and with each item I can knock off it - two more fill its place.

I think I’d rather go back to life in the slow lane where I get to be the world champion thumb twiddler :)

It’s a subaru, it’s green and it goes. Also we didn’t spend a fortunte on it and most importantly - We love it.

We haven’t had our own car for 4 years - so this is big for us!

For more details, go to:
http://www.gurtle.com/ppov/2006/09/16/we-bought-an-rv/

I’m not a fan of Melbourne - I don’t NOT like it, but I don’t love it either. I’m not sure why - I guess I think it’s boring. Plus, it’s not much of a ‘holiday’ destination to me. Beach, deck chairs, cocktails, something exotic - now that’s a holiday.

Melbourne was great for catching up with the family. We’ve not spent much time with our 3 nephews, 1 neice, brother and sister-in-law in the past 6 years (mainly because we were in London for three of those years) - so spending 3-4 days with them recently was great.

There’s Ben who’s 10. He’s a good kid who’s into his athletics and cricket (very good at them). Respectful and quiet (around us anyway).

There’s Matt, 8. He’s Pat’s God son and was our pageboy at the wedding (very cute and while he hates having his pic taken, he’s very photogenic). Matt loves Star Wars and his handwriting is improving.

Emily, 6 - the only girl. She’s a cutie - very girly and has the most amazing cute curly hair and smile. She’s definitely a daddy’s girl and doesn’t take no crap from her brothers. I like a girl who can hold her own :)

Lastly, Tommy - 2. He was born while we were in London, so we only met him for the first time a couple of days before our wedding last year. He’s got reddish, curly hair and is full of beans. I’ve never seen a kid eat that many donuts before. He’s almost as tall as his 6 year old sister, always gets himself a tissue to blow his own nose and won’t say his own name, instead he calls himself ME. Gorgeous - the kind you want to keep :)

Mel and David are fantastic too. Great parents to their 4 kids, and excellent in-laws to me. Mel is my saving grace in the Kennedy family (which is full of boys).

So why Melbourne… that’s why!

Last week, whilst enjoying a relaxing week with my hubby in Melbourne, I also had the pleasure of attending Scott Burkun’s 1 day Masterclass in Project Management.

Now, I’m a sceptical person - I usually walk away from these types of things saying, I heard ya, but I don’t buy it. I have to say though, after 8 hours of Scott - I was impressed.

The guy know’s he’s stuff and he applies a great simpliciy to it all. It’s nice. Usually you get some over-complicated system.

Not Scott’s Masterclass. He talks, he jokes, he listens to you and he sets little exercises for you to do during the day. It was definitely money well spent (and well worth a day off from our little Melbourne holiday).

Scott has published a book - the Art of Project Management which is a great tool and has a great website (and blog):
http://www.scottberkun.com/books/artofpm

I have to say, I’m no fan of Steve Irwin or his antics. I had no real idea what he did until he died.

However, his death has upset me. I am one of those people (girls) who cry during films, I cried through my wedding vows and I cried when I found out Steve had died.

He left behind a young family - which is a tragedy itself but to have people saying things like ‘well he did work with dangerous animals’ or ‘it was bound to happen’ - sickens me.

People work in dangerous jobs everyday - miners, builders, police officers, fire brigade - why do some people feel that when the miners were trapped (and one perished) that that was a tragedy, but Steve Irwin had it coming to him??

I’m sure his wife and children don’t see it like that.

While life may go on - please stop and remember that life is precious and each day does count.

Maybe we should all be a little more like Steve and live each day to its fullest!

I love skiing. I’m crap at it, I fall, I get scared, I get ice all up my back (and occasionally down my trousers - I still don’t know how) and worse of all - I whinge about the cold and uncomfortable-ness of the equipment (damn the boots!).

But I love it!

A group of six of us went down to Tredbo last week (actually, we stayed in Jindy cause we were cheap-ass). We hired our boots and snow blades and got out on the snow, more like ice and mud in most parts - but great weather for sunnies and t.shirts.

This year I set my self some objectives.

1. Do a 360. One of our friends can do a 360’s and I’ve always tried to do it - this year I did! But not just any ordinary 360, apparently I look like a fairy on the snow. Hubby labelled MY 360’s ‘Angel turns’.

2. Jumps. I want to join in with the boys doing jumps - nothing outrageous or hugely dangerous - just getting a little air between my blades and the snow. AND I DID! About 5cm worth I’d say :)

3. T Bars. After a terrible accident on the T Bars (a bad stack in Switzerland), I finally mastered the T Bars and more so, my fear of them. Bring it on!

So, that’s another year gone skiing - I look forward to the next :)

Today was the 5th annual City Treasure Hunt for The National Breast Cancer Foundation, in Sydney.

It was a fun day and I met a lovely lady - also a Jennifer!  We had a nice chat, met good people and had a sausage sizzle afterward.

I also entered a raffle and won a bottle of Bunderburg Rum (which I gave away).

It’s great being at fundraisers - you feel good, you feel like you are giving something back, and God forbid you ever get cancer, you know that people be helping and supporting you and your family through the pain.

I’m no saint and don’t claim to be.  But each time I volunteer for charity, I feel better than I ever have!  Today is no exception - Damn I feel good!