Thank you for a wonderful Christmas

I have not felt much like Christmas this year, partly I think it is that I have not had much lead up to Christmas: This is the first year I have not taken the grandchild to carols by candlelight.... something I really do enjoy:

Midnight Mass was uneventful, the Church was not over flowing... usually it is standing room only....but this year it was 3/4 full... there was a new priest...and I was not use to him,... I was not inspired by his sermon.. another first we sang Happy Birthday to Jesus... a strange concept for me... in all the years I have gone to Midnight Mass this was a first...I was less than impressed.... again I am not sure why....


Christmas morning for me is relaxing...the family come over late afternoon, however my daughter Kirsten (who stayed over to help) stated..."I've never known Christmas morning to be relaxing... preparing for Christmas dinner for 20 plus".... different concepts on what is relaxing... but you see for me that is relaxing....the thought of preparing a feast....pleasing all the children with a banquet of wonderful food, Turkey that melts in your mouth.... beef fit for a King, ham, asparagus salad, peas with pancetta,cauliflower gratin (made by Margaret K)green bean and broccolini balsamic salad, roast potatoes, pumpkin, stuffing balls, onions and of course Yorkshire puds and gravy: Fruit salad, Christmas cake, panettone, chocolates, ..wine,juice, beer.... etc.


Most of all I love it when Santa comes and gives all the children there presents... I love watching the excitement when they open their presents...it is such a delight. Christmas for me is about family, friends, children, love, giving, good food, laughter and fun....I had the best Christmas ever and I am so grateful for a wonderful family: God Bless You All......love mum xx

Time, Love, Passion and Life: Children:

Time is of the essence; My mother use to say "Pauline there is only time for the quick and the dead" I wish I had Hermione Granger, time watch... that alters time so you can fit it all in...from the Harry Potter movies. There is no doubt that I am a work-a-holic... I have been very well trained for this...again mother use to say "don't sleep your life away, get up and do something".

Over the years I have learned to relax and wind down... I love spending time with Ian on our spontaneous outings...or our occasional golf game.... and the day trips with the Grandchildren are a genuine treat..this is what memories are made of.....even the sitting and watching a Disney cartoon with them is delightful.... Finding the balance with 7 soon to be 8 grandchildren, and a passion for my work can be difficult....but I think the time spent with the children make it more special for both of us....if I was to ask the grandchildren what are their favourite moments with me, it will have something to do with going out on one of Nana's trips...



I have collected a few sayings that really sum up what I think about time.....that relates to family, work and life..... can you guess which one I like most?

Time is making fools of us again. ~J.K. Rowling

Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you. ~Carl Sandburg

If you want work well done, select a busy man - the other kind has no time. ~Elbert Hubbard

"Time is a great healer, but a poor beautician." - Lucille S. Harper

"Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that's the stuff that life is made of." - Benjamin Franklin

"The bad news is time flies. The good news is you're the pilot." - Michael Altshuler

"All the flowers of all of the tomorrows are in the seeds of today."- Chinese Proverb

"I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something. I will not refuse to do the something I can do." - Helen Keller

Love makes the world go round.....I think of love and remember the first movie I saw about love.....yes the classic "Love Story" with Ryan O'Neil & All McGraw:

"Where do I begin (Andy Williams)
To tell the story of how great a love can be
The sweet love story that is older than the sea
The simple truth about the love she brings to me
Where do I start

The other great movie that I watch when i just want to switch off or feeling low...that gives me a lift is the wonderful "Sound of Music" I love the scene when Christopher Plumber kisses Julie Andrews for the first time... on the garden bench....it is just such a romantic moment...I know it's sad... but I love it...



love is what makes life worthwhile, I could not be me without my family and friends; the profound love that you have for your children is for some reason multiplied with your grandchildren.... and I think this is because you are wiser, less strict, you can see the error of your ways as you get older.... or you become a soft touch for those beguiling eyes...they are just so beautiful....

It's kind of fun to do the impossible. Walt Disney

If you want to make enemies, try to change something. Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924)

Life is short and we have never too much time for gladdening the hearts of those who are traveling the dark journey with us. Oh, be swift to love, make haste to be kind. Henri Frédéric Amiel

When we are motivated by goals that have deep meaning, by dreams that need completion, by pure love that needs expressing, then we truly live life. Greg Anderson

Teach only love for that is what you are.
A Course In Miracles

I love life, my family and I am passionate about women, midwifery, midwives, law, ethics, fairness & equality and having fun with my children..... but most of all I want to achieve my dreams and vision...and teach the grandchildren about being passionate and following dreams.....for this I need the love and support from my family.....because this is who I am and what is most important next to them.....time is of the essence:





ref for picture;http://www.flickr.com/photos/shewatchedthesky/2835193235/
Passion: http://www.art.com/products/p10345310-sa-i1058105/paula-scaletta-passion.htm

Highlights of the Bali holiday:

Sam after the wedding, playing with the fangipani carpet!



On asking Ian what was the highlight of the Bali holiday he said “spending quality romantic time with me” oh sweet….then the wedding, playing golf and spending time with the family. For me it was getting away & spending time with Ian, of course the wedding otherwise we all would not be here, sleeping in till mid-day or more. I have to say shopping, especially at the markets, (I missed being able to browse without the pressure to buy especially with the lovely materials) although I did not buy much except for DVD’s and enjoying the grandchildren away from their home environment.



Highlight for Jasmine was coming to Bali and the Waterbomb park (she really is a dare devil, she has no concept of fear) and for Dylan was the flight on the airplane. Seeing nanna and swimming in her hotel pool & the monkeys, also Waterbomb Park – the kids had a ball, they were very good considering they were all out of routines….. No seat belts in the taxis, different foods etc….

Rice Paddies:


Tanah Lot Temple:

Sightseeing highlights:
Ubud was lovely: The Rice paddies: Kintamani Volcano, Temples…Ubud, Goa Lawah (Bat cave), Pura Uluwatu & Tanah Lot.

Pura Uluvatu Temple


The sunset at Jimbaran Bay; driving & walking through the local villages and seeing real life. The monkeys and natural wild life…..
Shopping centers: Bali Galleria (very expensive), Matahari (reasonable), Bali Centro (Kutu), great bakeries; in door markets, & DVD shops; the markets…. However I got really tired of bartering…. I really did enjoy walking through the Nusa Dua markets; (they are smaller & the people less aggressive) and I have decided I am a soft touch…..





Food: the food was varied….some very different and western food was available however by the end of two weeks I am over eating out and am dying to prepare & cook my own food… I have missed eating salads because I was worried about getting Bali belly….



I was disappointed I missed supporting my woman through her labor and the birth of ‘Jack’… I hated the humidity of Bali…. And my clothes and hair constantly damp with perspiration; ….The kids could be tiring especially when they were hot and tired….

Kutu beach:


I didn’t enjoy Kuta beach, in fact I was not impressed with many of the beaches…. You just can’t beat Cottesloe beach WA. … I was extremely disappointed with the WiFi service of the Nusa Dua Novotel….. For a top hotel it was a poor service. Travelling makes you grateful for the life you have. I am thankful every day for my blessed life & family.



Overall it was a great family holiday…The Balinese people are very friendly and welcoming…………I am already starting to think about work as I have so much to do when I get home tomorrow, even peaked at my work email and a couple of reports. I don’t know what I would do without my phone and laptop…..sad I know. Would I come back to Bali…..? Well, I will keep an open mind…. because one of my mottos in life is “never to say never”, because you just NEVER know what tomorrow will bring, but it is not on my list of the top 10 places…………. Ciao from Bali.

Women making the offerings for the Temples:

The monkeys of Ubud:

Our Villa

What a beautiful natural place Ubud is, high up in the mountain area of Bali, and our hotel Alila is a perfect escape, a small piece of Heaven. We have a gorgeous Villa which is totally secluded & romantic. We have a balcony and are surrounded by forest, in the late afternoon early evening we are surrounded by a troop of monkeys. Every day you experience different wild life…. And you see all sorts of creatures… at night you can see fireflies… it’s just wonderful.

Breastfeeding:


Our first encounter was one afternoon we had finished swimming and we walked back to our villa, Ian had left several minutes before me so when I had reached the top of the stairs I could see a rather large monkey heading around the corner towards our door, I shouted to Ian as I thought he had not seen him. I think they were both equally surprised….the monkey saw Ian and growled at him… the closest thing to Ian was the umbrellas that stand next to the door for the occasional time you need them for the tropical rains…Ian picked up the umbrella as if it was a sword and stood “on guard” the monkey who looked like he was the boss of the troop (stood about 2.5ft) and they momentarily eyed each other off… the monkey growled at Ian then sauntered past him and then jumped into the trees above our villa… Ian then said “it’s ok darling, safe to come down”…. I was not so sure…. There is a narrow enclosed rock wall about a meter wide and 10 meters long to get to our villa balcony…. And the tree hangs over it… I looked and could see all the monkeys in the trees swinging and talking to each other…. I was a little bit scared… never the less I decided to run the gauntlet…… and the bastard monkey shook the tree and called out as I ran under the tree, the berries, leaves and sticks fell to the ground and my feet didn’t touch the floor…. And I never looked up….it was funny clever animals….he must have smelled my fear.





What a life these male monkeys have…. We spent quite a bit of time watching them, as they are resident in the trees near our villa. The monkeys visit us in the morning and evenings. A few of them sit on the balcony…usually a male, female and her baby… it is so interesting watching them… the female sits and preens the male and he sits and enjoys every moment……he changes positions and the female tends to his every whim… she picks the insects and eats them, the baby clings to mother often attaching itself for a feed….. The little monkeys swing from the trees, chasing each other; there are about 6 mothers with babies…. The babies are so cute… you never see them leave the mother and when they swing from the trees they do it in pairs and if the baby looks like falling there seems to be another monkey standing by ready to catch…. Just amazing animals there expressions are so human like, however there cuteness wears off when they smile and you see their teeth, they can be very aggressive…

smile let us in:





I have enjoyed watching them at close quarters, we’ve seen it all, the poor female just gets jumped on from behind and it may just last a few minutes if that….We always make sure the doors, windows are closed and when we go to bed that the blinds are down… don’t want them watching us………if you get my gist! Lol…..

Monkey's watching us through the windows!

Holiday time.... off to Bali for a family wedding....

At last, it’s finally holiday time. We are going to Bali for a family wedding at the Alila Ubud in Bali. Life has been extremely busy, as usual, with the Adelaide Conference and the semester coming to a close it is constant work. As well as that I am trying to complete my Graduate Certificate of Tertiary Teaching. I have completed two units this year and am currently completing the third unit, which is visual learning. The assignment is due on Friday, so I will be completing in Bali and posting it back….. The Joys of study, I think it is referred to as continuous learning or life long learning. When I return home I then have all the papers to mark from the student’s last assignment. Of course my husband thinks I’m completely insane…. Taking work with me, but he ought to know by now he married a workaholic.

I am excited and saddened by the prospect of being on holidays, the sad part is I am looking after a pregnant woman who is currently 38 weeks and I hope all goes well. The woman is now hoping that the baby will wait until I return…… in two weeks time. She has been well prepared so I am not worried. However when you have spent the last 38 weeks looking after them both you want to be able to share the wonderful experience with them. We all now that babies never come on their due date, they come when they are ready, so here’s hoping that “Jack” comes at 40+1.

I will be taking my laptop so that I can be inspired by the pool and begin to write my memoirs which is a life time ambition of mine. I have started with a timeline of events throughout my life; I have found this to be beneficial in being able to link events. Every one has a story to tell they are all different and as important as each other. I love reading people’s stories and thinking what a wonderful life they have had. I’ve read several amazing stories and couple that come to mind…”Three cups of Tea” by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin and “The hospital by the River” by Dr Catherine Hamlin, amazing stories and amazing people.

We will spend the second week in Nusa Dua and there will be the obligatory game of golf, thats the payoff for taking the laptop, its a small price to pay.

I also have to keep up to date with Facebook, Skype, Twitter, Emails, and friends also show the photos from the holiday and most importantly the wedding. Unfortunately some of the family will not be able to make the trip, so need to keep them updated. Goodness I don’t know what I would do without my gadgets.
Most importantly I need to spend time with my husband and family (even though I am taking my laptop). I am really looking forward to watching the grandchild experience something different from flying to seeing another country and another lifestyle. Life needs to be enjoyed; we need to take what life has to offer with both hands, as we come by but only once.

Bali here we come!

The Wedding

Finally the day arrived, after all the build up at last it was here. There was a storm warning for Thursday and Friday. The garden wedding was now going to be moved inside to the lounge room. It is funny how life works. Rob had his computer & computer desk in the lounge corner, it looked OK, to a man however, if you’re looking from a woman’s perspective it’s really not the place for a computer etc to be. But you know there are times you just have to be quiet, yes it’s me saying there are times you have to be quiet and eventually they see the light. The computer and accessories were moved to make more room so that the ceremony could be held inside. Thursday for Lorraine was spent pampering herself as you do the day before your wedding. Friday morning there was a storm warning the wind was howling, it was raining cats and dogs, as the saying goes. I did have faith that by the afternoon the weather would settle however was still concerned.



Now some of you who may be superstitious the sign of this weather would be disastrous, but for Lorraine and Rob, Mr & Mrs everything is ‘okay’ it was not a problem. Just out of interest I thought I would mention some of the traditional superstitious that I know of, not that I adhere to any of them and then we will see how Lorraine and Rob fair with them.

Wearing pearls means tears throughout the marriage. The bride and groom cut the first slice of cake together to ensure that they will conceive. The spouse that goes to sleep first on the wedding night is the first to die. If the bride cries on her wedding day it’s the last tears she will cry over her marriage. If the groom drops the wedding band, the marriage is doomed. The engagement and wedding rings are worn on the fourth finger of the left hand because it was once thought that a vein in that finger led directly to the heart.. It is lucky to marry on a day during the week that the groom was born, oddly enough Saturday was the unluckiest day for a wedding. The sun should be shining; rain means bad luck and tears. Wearing a garter is believed to bring good luck, and finally the first one of the couple to make a purchase after the wedding is said to be the dominant partner.



Now really that’s a load of old bollocks! Anybody knows that, but it is funny. How did the couple go, well Lorraine wore pearls, she did shed a tear or two, they did cut the cake together. Rob did not drop the ring, Lorraine wore a garter, the sun did shine, and it was a Friday. I’m not sure who went to sleep first if they did at all, after all it was the wedding night, and they haven’t been shopping yet. So my reckoning is they will live happily ever after, like the true romantic that I am.



There were approximately 30 – 40 people witnessing Lorraine and Rob taking their vows. Mostly family, Rob has three adult children and Lorraine two and of course a few friends. This was by no means a traditional wedding, it was simple, personal and elegant. Lorraine, her daughter and I got ready at the Hyatt, of course that meant starting with the obligatory champagne, nibbles and girly talk. Lorraine was calm, excited and very much in love looking forward to the ceremony. Rob was at home with his sons getting everything ready.



The plan was for Rob and Lorraine to meet and welcome the guests together before the wedding allowing them to mingle, drink and have nibbles to get to meet each other. We arrived at the house 15 minutes before the children were all to meet for the first time, um, not sure I would go with this plan, but it worked for them. Hey all got on well. Lorraine has 6 siblings and their partners, of whom only 4 could make it, and Rob has a sister and cousins of which some of them had met before the wedding. I did hear someone accuse Rob of being a “dark horse” um I wonder why that might be. Everyone mingled well, excitement was in the air, no one worried about the weather, there was no rain, however the wind was here to stay and we could not risk our hairdos to go outside.





We all moved into the lounge room, it was beautiful, they made a stunning couple, there was a glow in the air – Ian tenderly caressed my neck whilst we listened intently to the vows being made, I couldn't’t help but remember our wonderful wedding and the vows we made. Lorraine read a beautiful poem “the gift” which left a lump in your throat. The vows and rings were given and then there was ‘the kiss’ it was Mr & Mrs the deed was done, the signing was complete. It was now time to relax and enjoy, more drinking, eating and mingling. Photo’s galore, I was in my element, I love being behind the camera, catching the moment for prosperity. I think the digital camera was the best invention; you can just click till your heart is content and then delete what you don’t want, fantastic.



The sun is shining - no rain or wind - Mr & Mrs.............don't they look so happy!


The reception was at Indianas, exquisite – There was a lovely surprise for Lorraine when they arrived, some work friends were there to wish her well, meet the lucky man and see how beautiful she looked, it was great to see them, thank you ladies.



Ian and I sat with Lorraine’s family, her mother is delightful and her eldest sister was very gracious and her brother was charming it really was a tremendous evening. I spent time talking to everyone at the restaurant and taking pictures, I was the friendly columnist any excuse to talk and meet people. I really am an introvert at heart.



Ian and I had a lovely time we had fun reminiscing our own wedding, we chilled out and had a fantastic time. We had a late checkout and spent Saturday sleeping in till midday then the afternoon in Freo, it was superb, now it’s back to the rat race and it is still raining and cold.



The wedding is over, now the marriage begins, enjoy your honeymoon and a lifetime together. Wishing you both good health, love and happiness always.