2009 in summary – Happy New Year

With 5 hours to go until the Noughties are gone (can I just say, thank goodness!) and the next decade is upon us. (08/01 well technically we haven’t finished the decade until the end of 2010) Seriously, what did the Noughties do for us in regards to yet more X Factor music trash, Big Brother crud and a revisit to 80’s fashion (please it was tragic the first time around). What it did bring however was a far more interesting (in a good way) US president to watch and ????

Anyway, here is a summary of what we have been up to for 2009 at least. From Steve finishing his 7x7x7 Endurance Life half marathons, trips to France and Italy, catching up with mates, slacklining, indoor skiing, bouldering, a wedding, Christmas parties and me starting to enjoy running, it has been a strange year. It wasn’t until I looked back at our photos that I realised, actually we have been up to a bit but for some reason the year has felt so slow. Oh how quickly we forget.

Merry Christmas to all

Can you believe after all the waiting and looking forward to it, Christmas is now over and the madness begins. Sale season. I went into Cabot Circus today to do a few bits and pieces before heading back to work and by the time I left there were mile long queues of traffic waiting to park. Madness.

Over Christmas we managed to get away for two days before Steve had to get back to work. During our two days away we also caught up with some friends. One currently living in Wales and the other, Kerryn, our Australian mate who came with us to England at the very start of it all. She has now moved to the UK for a couple of years to work/travel. We head to Finland with Kerryn soon. Woo hoo!

Other than this it has been a rather non-eventful week. Work Christmas parties came and went. The snow has long since melted but the icy mornings linger. I think I have come down with a cold as well which is not that delightful seeing as I am back to work tomorrow.

We hope you all had a great Christmas and wish you all the best for 2010.

Movie: Avatar

The latest James Cameron movie to hit the box office and wow was it amazing! I totally forgot at times about the computer graphics.
Humans have been shipped to another planet, Pandora, where they are mining for a very lucrative mineral. The only problem is that a clan of indigenous people, the Na’vi, live on top of the area the company wishes to mine. The Na’vi who have a special connection with their environment have no intention of leaving their home. So if we look at our past and even current history, we can easily imagine what comes next. To get to know the Na’vi, avatars have been created. These are genetically grown bodies in the form of the Na’vi but controlled by humans back on base.
Incredible graphics, excellent score, wonderful story, cast and imaginative environment. Running at just over 2.5 hours it was epic but didn’t feel tiresome or long winded at all. Fabulous movie. 4.5out of 5.

Book: Have a little faith by Mitch Albom

Just finished this book the other day. Another beautifully told story following Mitch’s quest to write the eulogy for his Rabbi. Having drifted away from the Jewish faith and its community the call from his Rabbi to provide the eulogy when the time came, was an unexpected one.
Mitch and the Reb ponder many issues over the eight years until the time comes to give the eulogy. You can’t help but smile at the journey that happens during this time for these two men and the intersecting story of Mitch and Henry, the Pastor of “I am my brothers keeper” ministries. I find that Mitch’s writing gets you so involved with the story that you can’t help but dread the end. I knew what was coming but it didn’t make it any easier to finish the book. This was a great reflective read that I know I will revisit time and again just as I do his other books “Tuesdays with Morrie”. “Five people you meet in Heaven” and “Just one more day”. As Mitch writes in his blog (a link to his website is below) “the spirit of the book “Have A Little Faith” is that faith can be what connects us instead of what divides us.”

Have a little Faith – Mitch Albom

Sunday arvo ponderings

December is here already. How did that creep up on me??? Proudly I can say that the nephews gifts are on their way to Oz, overseas Christmas cards have been written by yours truly and posted thanks to my lovely husband. Next comes the preparation for the work Christmas party. I am a bit of a Grinch when it comes to these things. I really find it stressful having to get all “girlified” and if I going to have to do it I would rather channel the elegance and class of Hepburn or Kelly. I think elegance is so much more appealing than bare boobs and legs. At least pick one to put on show, both is just plain scary. Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly were stunning, captivating women that, for me, exude both femininity and strength. Where did we lose that as women upon our journey? Have we lost it? We seem to spend so much time trying to physically equal ourselves with men and not celebrating and promoting the skills we bring to the table (no, I don’t literally mean the dining table, get over it!) We seem to be keen to push aside our own unique qualities and replace them with masculine traits. Then, we have the gall to expect our men to understand what we want when we continue to demean them and wear away at the qualities that make them complimentary to us.

So, for the sake of glamming it up, let it be to channel the awesomeness that was Hepburn and Kelly.

Audrey Hepburn
Grace Kelly