World Harmony Run

I'm not sure if I've mentioned before that I do a meditation class on a wed nights, but anyway I do & thank God I do I think I'd be in the nut house by now if I didn't have some way for my mind to relax. I totally recommend it by the way.

Anyway that's not the purpose of this post. The meditations are run by the Sri Chinmoy centre in Sydney & they have a really big event coming up in Australia starting this weekend. The world Harmony run, well as you can tell by the name its not just Australia but the Australian leg starts this Sunday in Brisbane. It's a global relay that seeks to promote international friendship, goodwill and understanding.

There are runners from Australia & all over the world running around the whole of Australia, how cool is that. They generally visit different sights along the way & meet with local dignitaries & visit schools & let the children run with the torch all in the name of peace & goodwill. Its very inspiring to see really. So if you see them out on the street or if they're coming to near your area, try to come out & support the runners & cheer them on.

If you want to check out the Australian run click here.

If you're not in Australia & fancy checking out the rest of the world runs, click here & then pick your country at the top of the page.

If nothing else go & have a look, its amazing what these people are doing to try to bring peace & awareness to the world.

Enjoy. Its a public holiday here tomorrow so I'm off work & I just found out that we can leave early today so WEHOOOO long weekend. I'm soooo looking forward to a sleep in tomorrow morning. Although knowing me I'll be awake at the same time, LOL.

Hope you all have a brilliant weekend. I saw a good quote today
'minds are like parachutes they only function when open' - Thomas Dewar

Since I'm a skydiver I thought that was good. Keep smiling!

Tagged

Its been awhile since I've had a chance to blog & I was tagged by Debbie & Susan so apologies for the delay but finally getting a chance to do it.
And so for some facts about me.

1. The rules of the game get posted at the beginning.
2. Each player answers the questions about themselves.
3. At the end of the post, the player tags 5 people and posts their name, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they've been tagged and asking them to read your blog.
***

What I was doing 10 years ago:
I was still in college doing my year away in France as part of my college course. Although I did enjoy it for the most part, my father had died the year before so still was getting over that.

Five Snacks I enjoy:In a perfect, non weight-gaining world
1. Chipper chips with garlic mayo – yum!!
2. Choc choc chip Hagen Daas Ice Cream
3. Chocolate – anything except dark chocolate
4. Super Nachos with guacamole, cheese, salsa & sour cream
5. French baguette & Camembert

In the real world
1. Cream crackers
2. bananas
3. Diet choc bars (or weight watchers)
4. popcorn
5. dried fruit & nut mix

Things I would do if I were a billionaire:
1. Build my house at home that we have planning permission for.
2. Buy my brother & sisters their own houses
3. Travel
4. Give to charity
5. travel more

Five jobs that I have had:
1. Assistant accountant
2. Worked in a bank
3. Restaurant Assistant Mgr
4. Waitress
5. Worked in petrol station

Three of my habits:
1. Can’t put a good book down until I’m finished even if I end up reading all night.
2. I hog the TV remote control
3. I say ‘like’ a lot, I dunno think its an Irish thing.

Five place I have lived:
1. Sydney, Australia
2. Zephrhills, Florida
3. Rathgar, Dublin
4. St Omer, France
5. Killiney, Dublin

Five People I Want to Get to Know Better: (a nice way of saying TAG!) But don't feel obligated! Just do it if you want to.
1. Lindsay
2. Tracy
3. Letera
4. Melissa
5. Sadge

So ok I know it was only a short one but I'll write more soon.

Hope you're all having a great day & if not hope it gets better for you. :o)

Tote Bag

I joined a shopping tote swap a few weeks ago on Down to earth blog. Now me I'm not generally a joiner in'er but just decided to give it a go & sure maybe I'd learn a new skill. I had been fascinated by the dressmaker who did the bridesmaids dresses for my wedding that she could just thrown this piece together & that piece & fiddle this & that & kaboom you have a dress. I brought her pictures of the one I wanted & she just measured the girls & away she went. I thought that was soooo cool & that I'd love to be able to do that.

Long & short of it never got round to it so when this came up sure I thought maybe I'd give it a go, it was a start after all. I haven't sewed anything since my home economics class in school so wasn't really sure how i was going to get on but sure I did it anyway. My swap partner had said she liked purple & patterned material so that's what I got for her. Ok so after many unpickings & fights with the sewing machine as it didn't like that I'd doubled up the layers so it would be more sturdy I ended up doing most of it by hand & you know what I actually found it very therapeutic.

So this is the one I made for Lindsay

and this is the one I got in the post this morning.

How cool is it to get a present that someone actually put time & effort into? It really meant more to me than something bought which was nice. So I'm thinking of making presents from now on well when I can.

So ok I know its only a small start but definitely want to learn how to sew properly. I find it very difficult to find trousers that are long enough for me cos I'm quite tall without paying a fortune for them which I'm not inclined to do so to be able to make clothes that actually fit me, fit my shape would be so cool.

Feeling good

You know normally I turn on the computer & read others blogs first & then sortta run out of time for my own so today I've decided to write first, read later. Lol.

Its funny every time I look at the title Nina Simone song pops into my head & I start humming. Singing is great isn't it? it makes you feel happy. Although if I burst into song here I may be asked ever so politely to quiet down while they get the men in white coats for me, hehehe. That may just be worth it.

Anyway I'm feeling good cos the award I got yesterday actually made me feel pretty good but it was the passing it on to others & their responses that really cheered me up out of my doldrums. Another thing that made me feel good was yesterday morning while I was getting my ticket for the train the guy in front of me was short 20 cent for his ticket, he was at the change only machine so he had to go & queue again at the notes machine. I got my ticket & I had 40 cent change & I was passing him at the end of the queue & asked him how much he was short & I gave him the 20c & said hope you have a good day. Now that's something totally small but I actually really felt great. It just goes to show you doing something nice for others is its own reward.

Now I know this but I realised its been awhile since I've put that into practice, so now that I have a bit more motivation for life I'm going to try to do more for others & that'll help me.

I firmly believe the soul & the spirit need nourishment just as much as the body & I've been sadly lacking in that recently.

Ok so here's a challenge for you today. To do one totally random act of kindness for someone, it doesn't matter if you know them or not. Try it, it may surprise you.

Other than that I hope you all have a totally brilliant day.

Blog Award

I got a blog award yesterday (well I only saw it today) I'm so excited. How cool!

So thank you, first of all Tracy for giving me the "You Cheer Me Up" award.




Here are the instructions for this award:"If you are a recipient of the "You Cheer Me Up" Award, please find the blogs that cheer you up, copy the code to post on your sidebar and pass Ethel and Lucy (in the pic above from the 'I Love Lucy' show) across the blogosphere. You can use what cheers you up in your post, or copy this one, but please send your award recipients back to the original post on A Nice Place In The Sun to get a copy of the award code, post the image and read the instructions. I want to try to maintain a page of original and ongoing award recipients, so feel free to let me know if you've received an award when you pick up the image code."


I have chosen a few of the blogs that cheer me up. There are so many that I love to read but I have stuck to five.

Lindsay
Nova-San
DND
Debbie
Elee

Ok so I need to go & leave comments for the award recipients

Hope you have a great day.

Autumn

Well autumn finally hit Sydney yesterday, it rained a lot during the night, I was lucky enough not to get caught yesterday. Not so lucky this morning though. I was about 10 steps out of my apt on the way to the train & it started, oh the joy! At least I did have my umbrella, I was thankful for small mercies I have to say cos its normally on a day like that that I don't have it & get into work looking like a drowned rat....very attractive!......not.

But other than that its actually been a good day, ok I'm flat out busy in work the past two days but I much prefer being busy I have to say, time definitely goes quicker.

Its been a bit chillier too, I've been getting out the heavier jumpers & cardigans to put on. I'm like, is it not time to turn the A/C down in the office yet? or up? you know what I mean make it warmer in here.

Life's been tripping along quite ok for the most part recently, I'm getting so excited about the trip home. Have i mentioned that before ? not sure. Well we're heading home for 3 weeks in May for a wedding, but also to see everyone. Its the longest I've been totally away from home... ever. It'll be nearly 2 years since living there. Home is Ireland by the way, so its going to take something like 22 hours flying to get there, soooooo not looking forward to that.

But it'll be so great seeing everyone, all my friends & family, I'm quite close to a lot of my family on my Mum's side, don't really know any on my Dad's side at all, then there are my brothers & sisters to visit & also Shane's (hubbie) family to visit so its going to be a hectic 3 weeks but hopefully all will go well.

Oh I know I haven't mentioned them in ages but my tomato plants are coming along nicely, very proud of me. Normally things die on me. alot!

So hope you all have a great day.

Happiness

I saw this on the wall of a restaurant we ate in in the Blue Mountains & it touched me so I took a picture of it to remember it. Its what I look at when I need a bit of 'happiness' inspiration & staying on track of what its all about in this mad wonderful world.

So even if it makes you think today, then thats enough.

Hope you're all having a great day.

Stay strong, Live proud & be the person you were meant to be, today.

Musings on negativity

I've come to my blog every day this past week in order to write something & I look at a blank screen &.................nothing. What’s up with that? I’ve also been busy reading other peoples blogs & discovering the blogging world in general.

I've had loads of ideas in the past week, usually when I'm walking home so don't write them down which is what I usually try to do cos otherwise I forget.
So come to the screen ........ nothing....total blank....am I really that boring I ask myself?
& what am I writing today? about not having anything to write!!! Go figure.

I have been pondering on what I wanted from this blog cos obviously no point in continuing if I'm not getting anything out of it. It started by wanting to help others, then it became about helping me then it sort of meandered into what I'm up to on a daily basis. What was my point again? Oh yes the point of the blog..........hhhuuummmmm, it’s supposed to be an outlet for me i suppose but then I get caught up in what should I write or add or not add.
Although in a way I suppose that is revealing about myself, that I'm confused! LOL. I want to learn about myself & I think I just did.....hhhuuuuummmmm.....refreshing.
Ok so what can I do to 'un'confused myself or should I say find out what’s causing it so I can fix it.

Well I know I've been really busy these past few weeks & ‘me’ time is down to nil, studying has been getting to me cos I know I'm not doing enough so that's stressing me. My healthy diet has somewhat stalled which is annoying me & exercise?????? What’s that??
I feel like there is not enough hours in the day & I'm feeling totally over-whelmed......grrrrrrr.
The funny thing is I'm aware of feeling this but haven't been able to pull myself out of it yet that’s what frustrating me, I wish I could stop time for a day or two chill out & get back to the madness. But if I do that I’ll just get more behind with the madness. Its motivation that is missing, I’ve lost my motivation or enthusiasm for everything at the moment.

I hate being negative/lethargic, it doesn't feel like me if you know what I mean. Another thing is they've let 2 people go in work this week & I've been feeling so bad for them. I guess it brings to mind what if it was me? Depressing.

So I digress, what was I talking about again? hold on need to re-read what I wrote................. ok so yes confusion. I've suffered with depression a lot in the past & was on medication for a few years but that was a good while ago but it was one of the things I hated so much about that time in my life was the loss of concentration. I think I might be having a small dose of that now. I think because I haven't had to deal with it for awhile I’ve lost track of what my coping skills were or what things I used to do back then to help me. hhhuuuuummmm thoughtful.......yes it makes sense.

I've found it’s a mixture of a lot of factors that’s used to contribute to the depression & I've noticed a few similarities when I read back through my musings here. It’s just been so long since I had a bad ‘bout’ that I thought I was ‘cured’. Which is stupid even for me to think cos it’s a state of being. I’ve forgotten that its easy to slip bad into unhealthy patterns of behaviour & all it takes is a combination of them & for an extended period of time to cause a re-lapse/re-occurrence, not really sure what the correct term is. But I so don’t want to go back to feeling like that again, it was hell & I’ve come so far since those days.

But you know what? getting this out really does help, I hate that it was negativity I vowed I would have a bright & cheery blog but hey if it helps then who cares?

So hopefully I'll be back tomorrow with some sort of plan of action, need to think about it this evening & write a list, I remember that was one thing that really used to help get me sorted.

So other than that I hope you all are having a better day.