Thank goodness for tea!

I love this quote sent to me today from one of my favourite people to drink tea and chat with. We have sorted through many problems together over many cups of tea, and I know that the few problems that I have just had to accept and live with have certainly been made lighter knowing that when needed a cuppa and a shoulder to lean on is never far away.

 

Vanna xx

 

 

 

A rant for the day!

I was watching My Kitchen Rules last night and it made me so cranky that I had to write this quick post. Two of the contestants spent most of the night saying that they hoped the people cooking were going to fail. Then each time they made a mistake or didn't do well there were shots of these contestants smiling and giggling.

What is this all about??
It makes me so mad!!

I know its only TV and its all probably scripted and each contestant is turned into a caricature so that the viewers are encouraged to 'love to hate them' etc, however I don't think that's enough of an excuse to sit there and blatantly wish for others to fail.

We have also been watching a lot of the Winter Olympics and it made me wonder what sort of reaction an athlete would get if when they were interviewed before an event they said they wished that their opponents would fall over, or miss a jump so that they had more chance of winning.  Again, I know that there is a difference between a reality cooking show and the Olympics, however when these attitudes are presented on TV as acceptable what does it say about our culture and what messages does it convey about how we should be relating to each other?

Television has a huge influence on, and is also a reflection of our society. It also worries me that children are watching these shows and if they don't have an irate mother like me yelling at the TV to stop being so rude and revolting, will children think that this is an OK way to talk about others?

Thank goodness that there is one kind and positive contestant to watch - however interestingly she is being labelled as kooky. Why is it kooky to be kind and to look for positives?

I guess the positive  (because I am definitely kooky!) from this is that it makes us think and react and hopefully notice how 'not right' it feels to hear and see people acting in this way towards others.


Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.
~Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama


Vanna xx

I love my job!

 

There are many reasons that I love my job as a preschool teacher and getting to celebrate my birthday at work is one of them. What could be better than seeing 25 smiling 3 and 4 year olds singing happy birthday to you!

 

 

 

It was my birthday last week and my boss and friend made me this gorgeous cake after consulting with the children the day before regarding decoration and flavor. All morning I got not so subtle hints from the children that I would be having a surprise. One girl was particularly excited and regularly came up  to tell me "It's your birthday Vanna. You're going to like the surprise. It's tasty. You're gonna love it!" 

 

The anticipation, and the excitement when we finally had the cake (after waiting for what was so long for them) on the children's faces was beautiful. As well as their obvious excitement about getting some cake the children's involvement also shows their ability to share in someone else's special moment and the innate openness of their hearts as they join in and celebrate. 

Life is good when work is love heart cakes, singing,

smiles, and birthday hugs!



Happy new Year ...again!

I was unsure about whether to write about my Dad, however thought that it would feel weird to keep blogging without mentioning something so significant.


I found this quote a while ago and each time I read it I feel peaceful and calm ...and it feels very relevant to me at the moment...

In difficult moments
remember that everything passes.
Sit quietly inside your home.
Spring will come again.

Loy Ching Yuen (1873-1960)



So life goes on ... and I've decided that for a fresh start to 2014 I'm going to celebrate Chinese New Year this year (31st Jan) and hopefully bring myself some good luck by following a few of the customs that are part of this important celebration.

After talking to my friend Sarina about the new year traditions she follows, and reading a little about Chinese New Year I have decided to:

* Give my house a good clean before new year

* Buy something new to wear on New years eve to symbolise a fresh beginning - preferably red as it is the colour of good luck.

* Have a special family dinner on New Year's Eve - 30th Jan. Give everyone some lucky new year candy.

* Give my children red lucky money envelopes with some money inside to symbolise prosperity and good luck.





 

* Spend some time quietly sending wishes for a peaceful, happy and healthy year for all people and beings and for the world.

May your Year of the Horse be filled with peace, happiness and wellbeing.

Vanna xxx
 

Decluttering update! Although I've missed a few days of throwing out one thing, the fact that on quite a few days I've moved more than one means I'm still on track. 

The other day I bought a shirt for $1 at a garage sale - when I tried it on at home it really didn't suit me so it went straight into the Vinnies bag. I think it might be cheating to call that my one thing decluttered for that day!

 

Saying goodbye

My dear Dad passed away last week after a long illness. I am so sad and have cried many tears. I also have many happy memories and now feel a sense of release to be able to focus on them, rather than the worry and sadness of the last few years.

My Dad was a writer and he would have loved to know that I was blogging and sharing my thoughts. We shared the urge to write and to try to make sense of life and the world through words. Dad's memory and influence will live on in many ways, including here at tea and contemplation. 

Dad loved to share a cup of tea - this is one of his favourite cups. 

A week of resolution

It's already a week into the new year and I have been busily and happily decluttering. Being on holiday has given me the time to clear out a few cupboards and I have had no trouble finding at least (and usually more than) one thing a day to throw out or give away.

I thought that every now and then I would photograph what I have decluttered just to see how much stuff I have let go of. This first week is pretty impressive!

 

As you can see I cleaned out my bathroom cupboard, found some old swimming gear that was way too small and tidied my linen cupboard. I have real trouble letting go of books - however I feel better when I give them to someone or alternatively I often put a couple of books out on the footpath in front of my house and within hours they are gone. I like to think that by doing this I am sharing my love of books and reading, and maybe made someone happy with an unexpected find. A few people do this in the area I live, and I'm always excited if I find a book to take home while I'm out walking the dog.

 

I'm also getting in the habit of checking at the end of the day that I have found something to throw/give away, and I'm hoping that it becomes a habit that will make a real difference. I think it's also making me more aware of what I buy or bring into my home. If my focus is to declutter, then I also need to be mindful of not adding unnecessarily to what I already have.

 

I am also pleased to report that I haven't brought any bottled water. As expected this hasn't been too difficult, however it has motivated me to take water with me to certain places, such as when we have gone to the pool.

 

It's only a week, but its been a good start to the year!

 

Vanna xxx

 

 

 

 

 

Bring on the new year!!

2013 was a bit of a tough year for me, however also filled with lots of happy moments, love and beautiful people. I must say that I am looking forward to the new year, putting a few things behind me, taking what I've learnt and celebrating what I have.

I've never being very good at resolutions, although I do like the idea of making goals, and I especially love lists, so this year I'm going to try to follow a couple of practical and I think achievable resolutions ...

✅ Not buy any bottled water

I don't buy bottled water very often, however when I do I feel annoyed with myself for a few reasons - the unnecessary cost and the impact on the environment. Hopefully this resolution won't be too hard, and will help me to be more organised by taking my own water with me when I'm going out and well and truly kick the habit.

This article at The Hoopla has some interesting facts about how we consume bottled water and its impact.



✅ Throw out  or give away one thing every day
 

This is a friend's idea that I'm copying, and hopefully we will both be able to get rid of some clutter if we do this. Obviously daily rubbish etc. doesn't count, it has to be something substantial like a piece of clothing, a pair of shoes, an ornament or a box of old bits and pieces.

After writing this I decided to do a bit of research, and I found that of course someone else has been doing this too for a couple of years. The blog '365 less things', has lots of great ideas and inspiration for decluttering which I will keep reading as motivation.


These two simple resolutions go together quite well as they are about consuming and having less as well as letting go. The impact of these small changes will hopefully go beyond the physical to creating more space psychologically as well. Space for a more contemplative resolution that I will write about in the next week or so.

Let me know if you would like to join me in these resolutions for the year - or even a month or a week!  I'll keep you posted of my progress and we can share our success!


"As they say in Tibet, if you take care of the minutes, the years will take care of themselves".

Rick Hanson www.rickhanson.net


May your New Year be full of happiness and peace ... and of course many cups of tea!
Vanna xxx



My beautiful big Christmas tea cup from my son.