Australia Day

Today is Australia Day and while I am so proud to be Australian and love my country there are definitely some things in our past that we need to rectify to move on.

When you think about, we all do. Maybe today is a day to say sorry and allow every one to move on.

I am in Melbourne visiting my brother and his lovely family and something has changed. I don't see these guys very often, with the tyranny of distance, work and kids, so it doesn't surprise me that I feel this way.

You know what it's like when you have space, people change, children/gardens grow, spaces evolve. But this time, I can see me. I have changed, or maybe become more 'me'.

I feel so calm. So centred and I can feel their response to me is different.

There is an easiness now that I rarely feel. A trust, a handing over, a community or equals and respect. No longer just 'little sister'.

And it's lovely.

There is an absence of judgement from them, and from me. Instead an easy rhythm with a slow, steady beat. An absence of frenetic anxiety and internal chatter.

And I know I'll be back soon.

Flatpack Update:

So it looks as though there may well be a happy ending after all.

I rang the supplier of said flatpack nightmare the next morning, explained my predicament and the very lovely customer service lady - who actually understood the meaning of the word "customer"- (how refreshing), asked me

"so you would like us to send you a replacement of Part A"?

And I said,

"well, close - I would like you to send me Part A with an installer because I have already lost one day on this project, and really can't afford another to uninstall, and then reinstall".

And she said

"could you hold for one minute please?" And I said, "why of course".

I mean if this woman can arrange for someone to come out and not only fix up the broken bedhead as well as put in the bits that I couldn't fit together, who am I to complain about one minute?

In fact, in less than a minute, she came back on the line and said

"an installer will be out next week with the broken part and is there anything else she can do for me?"

So, as they say,

"All's well that end's well"- well Shakespeare anyway.

And I finally found a use for the Stephen King books that happen to be in my bookshelf. They propped up the bed beautifully and Luka and her friends had a lovely night sleeping in them. Luka loves them so much she barely left them all weekend, playing, drawing and sleeping in them.

ps: Photos to follow.

So this is the process of the bunk bed, unfortunately there is no happy ending.
So this is how it comes unpacked.

And this is all the stuff I needed to put it together - seems simple enough yeah?

Now we're in room number three, as this is a very small place, and already I'm wondering how I'll ever get the bunks out if I move. The only thing worse than putting flat packed furniture together is taking it apart and then reassembling it. So far so good right?

Still going well and starting to take shape. At this point, my lovely daughter rings me to see if the bunks have arrived, and she's just so excited. I tell her that I'm building them and have renewed energy for this so far slow going project and Oprah and tennis distractions.

And then finally voila. Well not quite voila as there are some corner bits that I can't for the life of me screw into place, but it's solid, and I know that for Luka and her two friends that are coming to stay tomorrow night, it'll be fine. Plus the two friends' mum, Miss V, will be able to help me finish them off, and if not, I'll get the flat pack guy to give me a hand next week.



And then after a really long day, and taking a day off, and not feeling particularly well, I move the bunks into place in the corner of the room, and this happens:



The base of the bedhead post must be rough chip board and snagged on the carpet and just snapped. And I am so f^&#ing disappointed and sad that I won't have this ready for my girl tomorrow night. And so f^$#@ing frustrated that I've wasted a whole day doing one of the things I hate most to have such a crap outcome. And now what do I do, with bunk beds that are assembled and broken? Any ideas anyone? I mean this is childrens' furniture. Surely you would expect it to be made of better quality stuff. How does this stuff pass quality checks? And it's not even the cheap Ikea stuff. F$#@ !!!!

And for some reason I can only see this post in html so I can't tell if the photos are in order or not. I'm sure you can all figure out the right sequence though. So not in the mood right now to to and fro blogger!!

I am about to embark upon the nightmare that is 'flat packed furniture'. Uh huh, you know what I'm talking about. And I will curse Terence Conran every minute of the way for inventing such a thing to make stylish furniture available to the masses NOW! Personally, I would have happily waited three weeks for a fully assembled set of bunk beds to arrive on my doorstep. Damn those young 1950s newlyweds with their impatience and pre-child disposable incomes!

Sunrise this morning - taken from my balcony!







This year is going to be a very special year. It is a year for beginnings.

Numerologically it's a number one. Which coincides very rarely with the first year of the Chinese Horoscope, which is the Rat - the first animal that made it's way to Buddha when he called the animals to him. And I've also heard that it's the "universal" number one year, but I'm not quite sure what that means. In fact I probably have it confused with the numerology.

It feels especially significant to me, 2008. Firstly, I am a Rat. So when your Chinese Horoscope birth sign matches the year of that sign, it is said to be especially powerful.

Also, being 35, my 7 year cycle starts again this year.

So it feels big. And easy too. Somehow effortless and breezy. I am interconnected and interrelated, aligned.

But most of all, I am just so goddammed happy that it's no longer 2007!!!!!! I think I can feel another fireworks photo coming on!!

This is where I've moved to.
I wake up to this amazing view and I can't imagine ever being sad or worried again.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

This is the view of Sydney city from my balcony, lounge and bedroom. It was an unexpected delight to be here to welcome in the new year. A lovely night with my lovely girl, special meal and beautiful talk about the good and bad of '07 and expectations for '08.

I really feel that this year is going to bring many wonderful things. Calm positive energy. Time. Space. Togetherness. Workable peace. My wish for 2008.

Love to you all xx