My Christmas 2009

Christmas is always very special for me....I just love it...as a child my experiences were mixed and really depended on what sort of report card I got as to how good my presents were. I remember clearly the year I found out the Father Christmas was not real. It was my own curiosity that got me and ever since then I always secretly wished Santa was real.


Now I go all out to enjoy Christmas and ensure that my family and especially the grandchildren enjoy Christmas..... no expense spared. I hired a Santa suit for the first year we had grandchildren and when I saw what a hit that was I bought the suit because I knew we would be using it for the years to come... this has been the third year Ian has put on the Santa suit... I must say I think he is finally resigned himself to the task... and I get my wish come true that Santa really does exist.


Dylan sent nanna to the naughty spot for kissing Santa Claus.....

I usually start by buying the grand kids toys in the July sale and lay by them for the next 6 months (easy storage) and pick them up Christmas week... and then get the wrapping done...because life is so busy the Christmas cake usually doesn't get done until a few weeks before and baked the week before... it still tastes good.



The menu gets sorted a week before Christmas and the turkey & ham ordered at that time.... I usually change the side dishes each year.... our Christmas is usually in the late afternoon early evening allowing the children to visit the in laws in the morning or lunch time.... This year we did discuss having Christmas somewhere else at one of the children's houses... but I really enjoy the whole ordeal and while I am young enough and able I want to continue the tradition....there will come a time when we wont be able to do it then it will go to the children to organise but not for a few years yet......God willing.


I am one to those obligatory Catholics the Easter and Christmas ones.the twice a year jobies.. that just can't give up those days... as they are so entrenched into my Psyche I cannot go without my fix of Christmas Carols. Speaking of Christmas Carols I usually like to go with my daughters and grandchildren so that they too can get a spiritual sense of Christmas by attending the Carols.



It is so much fun having all the family together... usually this is the time when somebody gets upset with somebody but no we had a brilliant time everyone had one thing in mind enjoying the moment..... and it was tremendous.... a ball was had by all.
There was presents galore... I do think the the children get too many toys... I think we will have to come up with an idea to buy the children not just toys but maybe some practical things for the year such as clothes, shoes, etc....the back garden looked like a toy shop... I am sure all the kids were delighted....

As for me my report card must of been good because I did very well with presents...books, DVDs, chocolates, jewellery, photo frames.... yes I have been spoilt... I have started reading Ian Smiths memoir - Bitter Harvest (Zimbabwe and the Aftermath of its Independence......very interesting...


We have entertained almost everyday since Christmas... having pool parties using up all the leftover food with all the kids and several of the grandchildren have had sleepovers... I think it is time for us to have a rest.... just the two of us now...before the New Year...... I need time to contemplate what my goals are for the coming year....and whether to proceed with my PhD.........

The Wedding - Ubud Bali

Peta and mum having a special treat


Excitement is in the air….the Bride, her bridesmaids, flower girl, mother and mother-in-law…. What a powerful combination of women all here to help celebrate Peta’s wedding to Ben. There is lots of laughter, anticipation, emotions are everywhere….. Three Balinese women are preparing all the women, makeup, hair, champagne is flowing freely…. Of course with the obligatory water to keep us hydrated in the humidity of Bali.

The pool had floating candles down the centre: and there were a hundred candles on the stairs leading to the pool area:



The last minute fixes….glue for shoes, cotton for dresses, hairspray and lippie: wouldn’t you know it the air-conditioner decides not to work or is on overload and not working properly… time to get an industrial fan to keep all the women cool… in more ways than one and it worked a treat….



Months of planning for Peta and the families (saving and working extra hours) have culminated to this moment….the anticipation is great….the stress of making sure things will come together on the day have finally come to fruition. Invites, music, wedding dress, flights, bookings, reception, food, drinks, legalities, the list is endless….. The bridesmaid dresses have been a tale to the end…. Starting with the first design/color not being available, to the dresses being completed and not to everyone’s satisfaction…then choosing a dress two days before leaving off the shop floor rack… another issue was two of the bridesmaids are from interstate… however with internet shopping this was not a problem…. however last minute stitching was required on the day…. All makes for added excitement and the all out effort to make it a brilliant day that the bride would enjoy and be stress free………………my personal opinion is that there is always a degree of pre wedding jitters… otherwise you would not be normal…….after all it is an enormous rite of passage as a promise of a new generation looms upon us…………. And lives that are forever changed, not to mention new families for everyone. The next generation begins…………….

a Frangipani carpet:




The setting was so romantic…. Ubud Bali the Alila Hotel was perfect………Peta walked down an isle of frangipani flowers with her proud father escorting her, led by 6 bridesmaids… to be greeted by her loving husband to be Ben and his 6 groomsmen, and waiting guests. The day threatened to rain… however held off until very late into the night……..it was humid however we were saved by a cool breeze According to Balinese law you have a religious ceremony first followed by the government one, all very special. The service was delightful… and very emotional. There was lots of kissing by the couple egged on by the guests… it truly was delightful. Peta’s gown was exquisite she was absolutely beautiful………………… a very proud day for all the parents.




The reception was fantastic… a great menu…food was delicious, drinks superb company divine…candles everywhere…………what more can I say a romantic evening was had by all. It was time for family and friends to congratulate the happy couple and spend time together…eating, drinking, listening to music and dancing.



The children had three baby sitters, which allowed their parents to enjoy the evening without having to constantly worry about the kids…as for Ian and I it was a very proud day…we also missed the family that for whatever reason could not make the wedding and passed on their good wishes to the couple… speeches were short, sweet and poignant…… and finally if there is a pool that usually means someone gets in it…. For this wedding it was me… after a long day it was fitting after all the formality of the day was over… time to change and have a swim… for a couple of others it was in clothes and all…A fitting end to a perfect day.

Congratulations Peta & Ben and wishing a long and happy life together with many children to keep you company in your old age.

Ubud: Pre Wedding:

The flight was quick, the grand kids were very good, Dylan loved the flight and Bella was great she even managed to get a sleep together with grand pops. I had the best view of Perth city when we left, fantastic. On arriving in Bali I was not sure what to expect, it was humid and hot walking across he tarmac, we had a smooth transition through immigration and customs, our luggage came through relatively quickly and when we went outside we were hit with the humidity, it was like a sledge hammer…thankfully we were greeted by a driver and a lovely garland of frangipani, smelled lovely….and so the one and half hour car trip to our hotel in the mountains began…. Thank God for air-conditioned cars.

Denpasar was grubby, my first impressions, the people are friendly but conditions are tough quite third worldish…. I suppose because I know a lot of people have been to Bali I expected it to be more modern, but it is not. On our journey up to Ubud, I kept thinking that we would pass a shopping centre, but alas no shopping centre as I know them to be, I know there is more to life than shopping.

The country side is very green, tropical, lots of mangie dogs, many scooters on the roads, and the roads are very narrow, lots of pot holes, there are many mad drivers and lots of tooting goes on, it’s really fun on the roads, no way would I like to be a scooter rider there is always a car up your ass or coming straight for you, how there are not more accidents I do not know, a miracle really. Its judgment by the horn, move to the left, right or centre.

Market Shopping is a new experience for me, I hate bargaining…… I am not cold or hard enough for the job……the currency is another issue, working out exactly how much something is worth in Aussie dollars is another area of frustration…. All in all I am enjoying our holiday.

Our beautiful welcome drink at the Alila



I have to say the saving grace is the beautiful Hotel Alili and the exceptionally friendly Balinese staff. The only problem I have come across is the wifi and internet is not brilliant…..having a lot of problems… which for me is catastrophic. The breakfast has been delightful, good choices and decent coffee.
All ways on my mind is the woman I am caring for through her pregnancy (38 / 40) when I left…. Well guess what…. Yes you did she has gone in to labour……………….It is very difficult for both of us because now the care is being provided by someone else. It is very frustrating being so far away, it is a lesson of learning to let go and trust all will go well…………………………so watch this space. A few pink gins always helps relieve the stress.




Today was exciting because we were trying to catch up with all the family who is spread all over Ubud and I have to report that the telephone system is not ideal.



So the in-laws and we plus Faye, Brendon and the kids all hired a driver for the 5 hours to tour the mountains of Ubud….. it was very interesting….lots of street hawkers….which can become problematic…..’We went to Kintamani which is a volcano..that has spectacular views across a magical crater lake…on the way up we stopped to see the valley of rice paddies and the village was full of arts and crafts. Unfortunately when we stopped the driver locked the keys in the car and we were then stranded for an hour and half with many street hawkers and humid hot weather.




Dylan made friends with the local children, I bought a patch work quilt and Brendon bargained for some sarongs for Faye and myself… It was all very interesting and beautiful…however after an hour our patience was running thin… we were hot and tired of saying no to street hawkers, eventually the driver had to break the window to get to the keys…finally we were on our way. We had a lovely smorgasboard for lunch…. Poor Bella was burning up with a temperature…. The lunch was over and we decided on the way back we would stop and look at some silver…… by the time we got back to the hotel we were all hot and tired….nothing a lovely swim and drink didn’t fix.



That evening we went into Ubud to me Danny and co we enjoyed some cocktails and a lovely meal. It was a lovely relaxing evening… poor Danny and family had a 2.5hr wait to get through immigration and customs at Bali, not good with three little kids in a hot and humid airport…We came back to the hotel and retired for the evening.
Ubud has many temples and this weekend is the festival of Kuningan: the Kuningan holiday, the last day of Galungan celebration, believed to be the ascendant day of the central holy spirits and Deities to Heaven after sojourning for several days on this material world. It’s about good and bad spirits, it is a Hindu festival and specifically Balinese. I think it is a good omen for a wedding.

Well folks that’s it for now…… wedding is on Saturday…..watch this space….

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 end of 2008 – A time to reflect

As nurses and midwives we are use to the word reflect. To reflect according to the Collins thesaurus means to; consider, think, contemplate, deliberate, muse, ponder, meditate, mull over, ruminate, wonder and cogitate. Of these words, I will contemplate the year just ending and ponder the one we are just about to embark upon.
I will start with Christmas, I love Christmas. There was a time when I lost the Christmas spirit and that was once my children were grown up, it is just not the same, without small children and that’s where the grandchildren come to mind. To me Christmas is about a spiritual essence, it’s about children, making wishes come true, believing in make believe and Santa Clause. It’s about families, cooking, eating, drinking, sharing and yes the occasional disagreement. It stands to reason when you get a large group together, someone is going to fall out even if only for a moment, this is human nature; the trick is not to let it get to you and move on. I get tremendous joy out of preparing the Christmas feast and then watching everyone enjoy the gourmet delight.
A famous chef wrote “the peak is neither eating nor cooking, but the giving and sharing of food. Great food should never be taken alone. What pleasure can a man take in fine cuisine unless he invites cherished friends, counts the days until the banquet, and composes an anticipatory poem for his letter of invitation?” – Laing Wei. The Last Chinese Chef, Peking, 1925.




I have touched on some of the issues of this year in my previous blog – for me this has been a year of tremendous workload both professionally and on the home front. Therefore some decisions had to be made to reduce the workload and have more of a work-life-balance. Secondly we, that is my husband and myself have to concentrate on a healthier lifestyle, as Ian’s health is of some concern, that means we have to find 30 minutes a day for walking. Once you begin to reflect on the year it becomes clearer which direction you need to take and then you are able to outline clear objectives for the coming year. I have been on holidays since the 19 December and my main objectives for this time was to do those mundane jobs around the house that were beginning to really irritate me that were not being done, like – clean the venetian blinds, sort and paint the pantry, re organise and paint the laundry. I know they sound as if they are not important, but this goes to show you that importance is only measured by the need of the person wanting to do the chore? I am relieved now when I look out my bedroom window that the blinds are clean, and when I open the pantry door that everything is in the right place, this may sound anally retentive but to me it is important, therefore I have to find the time to fit it in. My home runs so much smoother now for me. However, I was tempted to spend this time updating a program for next semester but I chose not too as my home needed the attention more. The work will always be there, but my home is my place of refuge so it needs to be in order for me to be comfortable. It’s all about choices!
I have not fully decided on my objectives for next year yet, my first thoughts are to concentrate on a healthier lifestyle, that is, reduce my stress levels, 30 minutes of exercise a day and smaller meal sizes. I want to spend quality time with the family especially the grandchildren. I will be publishing several articles this year and picking up my PhD. As for the rest time will tell.

What do you have planned for 2009?
Do you find reflecting on the previous year helps you determine your objectives for the coming year?