balance

I've been thinking about balance quite a bit lately.  Balance in all aspects, but mostly just day to day balance.  I feel I'm still transitioning with the whole school/kinder she-bang and to be honest pining slightly at the loss of our days of no routine.  Days when I was in charge and planned their worlds.  I miss those days, now it just seems there is always somewhere to be, somewhere to go.

My stay-at-home mother role is shifting now as my lovely little people in my life head out and have others help them with their learning, discovering and exploring of this wide and wonderful world.   It's hard to adjust to that increase in time they spend out of the home, and then still fit in all that we want to when they are.

Balance is an evolving concept.

Once upon a time, I used to harvest so many figs from my tree.  Now the birds and bats get too many.  So last night I made a contraption* to balance it out more evenly.   If only it was so easy to make a contraption to balance out life.

How do you transition when life shifts focus?



*a cut off bottle top stuck to the end of broom or mop (use tape if it's loose) - use the rim of the bottle edge to cut though the stem of the fig and then the fig drops in the container.  In case you're wondering...yes I do have a ladder, but it's not big enough to get all the figs.  And this is quite fun xx

so five minutes ago....

Source: flickr.com via Brenda on Pinterest

I'm just wondering when did we go from replacing items to up-grading them?

Ok, so I'm considered gen Y and really should happy for the whole updgrading phenomenon, but you know what, I'm really not all that good at it.   Especially when it comes to technology and appliances.

I realised this when I finally upgraded my washing machine, even though my old one was still chugging along....slowly, and annoyingly, but it still worked and I felt insanely guilty at buying a replacement before it's predecessor had runs it's course.  As I was talking with the salesman, he nearly fell over when I explained that my old washing machine was the manual turn style dial.  I was equally dumbfounded when I was then informed that they haven't made manual washing machines for ages.  Oh dear.  Now my new washer looks as though it's fit to take me to the moon!

But, I'm like this in many areas.  I waited till my hairdryer literally fizzled out and didn't work, and that morning I drove to the shops (sopping wet hair) and snapped up a new one.   My kettle lid refused to open one day, and for the next year I just stuck the nozzle under the tap to fill it up.  Now my newbie kettle is so whisper quiet I forget I've turned it on!   Our television blew up before we even thought of getting a fancy pants flat screen....you see where I'm going with this....

Maybe it's because things just don't last like they should so I tend to squeeze as much as I can out of them.  I mean, you buy a computer and you need to get it upgraded or buy a new one the minute you've walked out the door because something better has come along.  Appliances barely make their guarantee period before they show signs of waning.   You wont see our kids taking the old fridge to their first flat when they move out - oh no...we'll be lining up with them to purchase yet another one.

So when did we go from up-grading instead of repairing?  And with so many appliances these days, which ones do we really need.  There seems to be something for everything.  We work harder to buy these items to make our life easier, but does it really...because we're so busy working to buy the next one?  hmmmm?

Do you replace or up-grade?
Do you have an old appliance that you love to bits and hate to think you might have to replace it?
Do share....

xx

what would you do....?

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Ok, so I was catching up with my bestie last night.  Just chill-axing on her couch.  her baby asleep. My kids back at home asleep in their beds thanks to their Dad.

It was lovely just to talk uninterupted (oh hang on - only to stop to put chocolate bullets in my mouth) and still I attempted to chew and talk at the same time. 

We talked in super-sonic speed. 

We listened.  Empathised.  Congratulated each on small achievements. And spoke of things to come. 

Somehow a questions was pondered with great enthusiasm and I have been thinking about it all day....

"What would you do if you had a day off from your life?" 

Yep, no work, no kids, no responsibilities, no chores or deadlines.  What. Would. You. Do?

To be honest, this questions just seemed so bizzare and overwhelming that I sat in silence unable to even think of one thing.  But, then they just started pouring out.....

so in no particular order....

1. Sleep in

2. Find a cute cafe and endulge in a full breaky, coffee, a mag (or maybe a friend) and just.....linger.....

3. Go shopping perhaps somewhere i've not been before.  Or just try and find some undiscovered Op Shops around the town...

4.  Finally use my membership at the Melbourne State Library.  And just sit there and read for a while. 

5. Take a walk somewhere gorgeous to snap some pictures

6. Get a pedicure

7. Empty out my entire sewing room and rearrange Every Thing! 

8. Sew, sew, sew and do more sewing.

9. See a play

10. Restore some old furniture

Ok, I think I could go on, but considering this is only one day I think I have more than enough! 

So, what would you do?  

Please share! 

xx

and the loser is ME.....

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I should be celebrating, but I am not.

I should be dancing around feeling all euphoric, but I am not.

The problem is.  I won.

And then lost.  Bummer.  double bummer.

It all started last week on Ebay (did you guess) and whilst searching for a new (old) retro piece of furniture I stumbled upon the most amazing leather jacket.

Awesome colour, beautiful detail, mint condition, item in Australia and MY SIZE!  I've never bought clothes from ebay.  I'm a clothes buying ebay virgin.  I have had many successes with ebay, furniture, wireless headphones, breast pump, old plates, vases, my art decor dining room table and the list goes on by never clothes...anyhow....i digress.

So back to the jacket.  No bid and no reserve.  This little baby was starting at .99cents!  So I thought, what the hell, i really like it, I'll put in my maximum amount and let it be in the Gods of Ebay.  Well i forgot about said little auction ending on Sunday gone, and whilst siting in Church watching a dear little baby being Christening I remembered about my bid!

I got home - I had WON!  I always wonder why you are called the winner?  You didn't really win the item.  You are still paying for it...you won the auction, but not the item!   AND I was the only bidder and won that gorgeous jacket for the stella price of .99cents.  Whoooo hooo!

WRONG!

subsequent email from seller followed "I can't sell you the jacket anymore, really sorry, it's not for sale, i changed my mind, sorry to mess you around!' 


ARGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH


I gently responded, asking seller to reconsider and that I understood the item went for a bargin price but that i suspected she was going to try to re-sell it with a higher reserve.

she responded and pleaded to my human kindness to forgive her.

so i did.

no jacket.  I was the winner, but now the loser.

Ever happen to you.  Did you win and then lose?