About the course...

So the course has finished and I feel like I've been run over by a steam roller (yeah, I know they don't exist anymore). The pros - I've learnt a heap about how planes work and it's demystified a great deal about flying. I've learnt a number of techniques to help keep calm. I've learnt that I have to change my thought patterns around flying. I now know I'm not the only one in the world who isn't a comfortable flyer. We got to have a great look around the airport - both the maintenence side and through the back of International - arrivals/departures etc. Con's - you are still the one who has to get on the plane - I still don't know if I can do that...I need to practice the techniques that we've learnt and have them become habits (we are all bad breather's (kiwi's that is - Australians are much better at it!), gotta breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth - we do this as babies and lose it about four). I need to desensitize myslef a bit - spend some time in lifts etc, practicing these techniques me thinks.

I think it would be a brilliant course for those who are just uncomfortable with flying but can make themselves do it. Then you would be totally comfortable.

There were ten of us on the course and today is an optional flight to Welly and back. Four of us booked. I pulled out last night. I'm pretty sure one of the other girls will have pulled out this morning. (She had said that if the weather wasn't nice she wasn't going - the weather ain't nice!) Only one person on our course has actually got an upcoming flight booked (to Aus). She doesn't mind flying but won't use the toilet on a plane...she can build up to this, start with just washing her hands etc... There were two teachers on this course, a lawyer, a bussiness analyst (for Air NZ), a web designer, someone who works for the Justice system, an insurance underwriter, an HR manager...all successful highly motivated people - all with huge stress levels. The other teacher was on leave - on refreshment leave - a nice name for stress leave...We did a stress test - it should be up to 120 (it's a point system), mine was 568...I think I might need to make some changes. Six hundered was apparently the highest score he'd seen since doing these... I did not think I was that stressed LOL! Roll on Christchurch.

Right I need to spend this wet day doing a bit more packing and then have a wee catch up nana nap. Apparently the milk cannot be found in the pantry...like my tired brain thought this morning and nor will my toothbrush be found in my jewellery drawer...Hope I don't pack the cat...

This week...

The above photos...

This was a picture my darling nephew (who is now nineteen) did when he was seven. He came over a couple of weeks ago and we were looking through old photos and his art work from childhood. This picture gave us a bit of a giggle, as he had one of the sharks saying "I'm gonna eat your rudder off" and now this is his latest saying...

The layout was for the Sketchbook fortnightly challenge. I didn't get the journalling done in time, and still haven't finished it. But it needed to get into an album so I could get some more packing done.

My apologies in advance, as I won't be commenting on your blogs this week. Apart from work (which is fulltime) this is the week where I do my fear of flying course (thanks to Trina's advice) and that is every night from six till ten thirty and as I get home from work about four and have to be at the airport as six and that's close to an hours drive...not a lot of time for being on the old computer! Must say, I'm really looking forward to it - I'm ready to beat this fear.

So have a good week everybody, will be back to see what's happening online come next weekend...

I've been challenged...

I have to write this fast. It self destructs as in Mission Impossible...LOL. Thanks to this wonderful, amazing, gorgeous, talented woman, I have been awarded the above award. But along with this comes a few questions to answer, so without further ado...

1. Say something nice about the man in my life...

What! Find something nice to say about him! LOL! Gotta say he has the best sense of humour (kind of has to, to put up with me!) Since I married him there are a few more things I could say. But I won't LOL!

2. Six ways I measure success in my life...

Hmmm, quite hard really without sounding trite...You know that ad on tv where they say success means different things at different ages - so very true.

I guess being finanically secure is high up on that list. I love the freedom of choice that I have with this part of my life.

Having a happy marriage - that's super important to me.

Having a loving family. Both close and extended. We aren't a big family but we all get on pretty well, and I'm grateful for that. I know I could turn to any of them if I needed help.

My work - I love teaching and if most of the people involved are happy most of the time then it's all okay (I work on the theory that you can't please everybody all of the time!)

Having great friends. All friends bring something different to my life, and I love that. Take last year's SENZ for example - I love walking into SENZ and Beveley spotting me and a quick hug and off to our classes. I loved walking into my first class and there's Janine. I loved being able to go for lunch and sit with Kelly. I loved having dinner out and as a group being mistaken for a nurses reunion - yet a lot of us had never met. I love having a twin! And that's just online friends...it says a lot for the people whom this addiction attracts.

I guess last but not least, I measure success for me by just how I cope with whatever life throws at me. I believe you have the choice on how you deal with whatever comes up. You can worry about things for days on end. Or not. You can let things upset and stres you. Or not. There is always going to be change etc, sometimes it gets to me, but I make sure that I bounce back quick. Life is way to short.

Now I'm going to open the envelope (drum roll please) and pass it on to:

Viv

Trace

Mrs Frizz

Have fun doing it ladies. Look forward to your answers.

I saw something else in Up2scrap!

The layout was my take on Jolene's work over at Scrapping Patch. Like all kittens, she was such a sweetie!

The gorgeous young man is my nephew - he's nineteen now. My sister had quite a few photos of him that I haven't got, so I've been down at Dad's scanning them as I don't have a scanner. Just had to share a cute photo of him LOL!

I had a wee rest on the bed this afternoon, as you do...LOL and actually had a good look through UP2Scrap...and what did I see, but Beverley and her daughter both have layouts in there. How very cool!

Thanks for you ideas ladies on what to do. So I'm packing everything up, and that's everything! I will do a sort when I shift it into a new scrap room. It would just take me too long right now. And while I'm great at keeping the rest of the house de cluttered, I'm not so good at sending stuff off to greener pastures when it comes to scrapping supplies! I will keep only what will fit into two scrapbooking trolley bags. That's my version of a basic kit ROFLMAO! Then each month I will get a kit. I think I will choose a different company each month, just because I can!

So the news is...

That on Friday our house went unconditional...Yep, that means we will be moving south at some point in the not too distant future (depends on building versus' buying etc).

It also means I need to make some scrapbooking decisions. My sister's house is two bedroom. There will be three of us living in it with a cat and a dog. I would have to be a kitchen table scrapper. I don't know if I can be bothered dragging my stuff out and then putting it away again. I don't know how I'd choose what to pack and what not to pack. Part of me thinks just pack the lot and then it's like Christmas in six or so months when it gets unpacked. Part of me thinks keep out a basic kit and purchase a monthly kit, everything matches, sketches come with it...might be something that works in between for me. What would you do? What other suggestions can you come up with?

On the plus side the buyers have asked if we can move forward settlement, so we will be shifting on the 20th of March, no worries about the retreat weekend then. But I will have to have a well executed pack of page kits to work on. There is just no way I can take all my supplies with me to my sisters.

A big thanks to the fabulous Neen. I got a lovely parcel in the post yesterday Neen. Can you see me doing cheers to you with my can of coke ROFL!? And congrats Mrs Frizz, I see you are gracing the pages of UP2Scrap once again, with another stunning layout.

No Valentines stuff happening here. I babysat for friends from lunch till midnight yesterday, as they had a wedding to go to. The youngest is two and if I hear the word 'why' again I think I'll scream ROFL. No seriously, I think I will! Jules, I went to Kmart yesterday morning but nothing very exciting to report - I haven't forgotten though...I will continue to keep my eyes open...

Enjoy your Sunday ladies. I think I'd better finish the layout on my desk. And pack some stuff. And search the net for a new house...

Have you melted yet?

So picture this...I'm outside with the kids this afternoon - most were actually on the deck or inside because of the heat. I have an ice pack under my hat. I ran my hat under the hose. Fast forward. All the children have left for the day, I'm sitting at the computer doing bookwork...with my bare feet on two ice packs (not the first aid ones - two gloves filled with water frozen). I was melting. I had to make a milkshake as the water was all brown - the powers that be were sorting that out. I don't think I've ever been as hot. At least when I worked with horses in Austraila we didn't work through the heat of the day. We started early and finished early and then went back in the cool of the evening. Of course that was your life...you had no social life except that of the people you worked with.

The lovely and very talented Annelie tagged me for the sixth folder sixth photo challenge - I know most of you have done this. Mine is at the top. Some random lizard!

Right short and sweet, off to check out your blogs, and my computer is on a go slow...must be too hot too. When can I shift to the Antarctic?

To Clarify...

Lots of you, my wonderful friends have asked if we are still moving south. The answer is yes. Assuming this house is sold by the end of the week, we will then shift into my sisters house. Once in her house, we will spend time looking for land down south and work out some house plans with an architect or draughtsman etc. Then we will build. The plan is to build what will essentially be two houses. There would be mine and Lyall's house, with an internal double garage and then on the other side of the garage but attached to it, would be my sisters house. We still aren't sure just what bit of south it will be, it's still between Invers and somewhere around Rangiora. Either way, the temperatures down there warrant a swimming pool (or a very thin ice skating rink in winter LOL!).

About time I did a catch up!

Last night saw us out visiting the annaul Lantern Festival which is held in Auckland City. Each year, we say we should go visit it, and then something comes up or we are just too lazy - however with it falling on a long weekend this time round, there was no excuse. The displays were awesome, but it was as crowded as buggery and way too hot. Ten thirty at night we found ourselves in Borders bookshop ordering frappes at Gloria Jeans...they were gone within minutes. The festival had lots of food and drink stalls (and quite groovy ones at that) but you couldn't get near them. Lyall brought a cool t-shirt where the lights on it move in time to whatever music is playing - at forty dollars he's pretty rapt with his new item!

House wise - we have an offer on the table, the price part of it has been negotiated back and forwards till we reached agreement and they have till the end of this coming week for a LIM and builders report - assuming they are both all okay then it's a done deal and we shift on... wait for it... the fourth of April. What else is the fourth of April? Umm the Sketchbook retreat. The one I didn't make last year because of Lyall's shoulder. Ummm am I jinxed do you think?? I'll wait till it's all got the go ahead before making a decision on whether to attend the retreat or not. I know Lyall is fine with the shifting, but I kind of want to be around for the animals - especially my cat - she will have to be inside for a few days till she's got used to it. We would only be shifting round to my sisters and then the hunt will be on - for land apparently. Lyall has decided that since we've never built, he'd quite like to build. I'm not worried one way or the other, I just want a bit of space and the long since promised scrap room ROFL! And since Donna (my sister) will be coming with us, she thinks we should get a pool - funny how we all agreed on that since it's the middle of summer, wonder if it will be such a priority when the house is actually being built and it's the middle of winter!

Christchurch girls (hi twinnie!) hope you are keeping cool - I've just seen on Prime News that you have the Ozzie weather heading your way. They've told Melbournites that they shouldn't be out playing golf, jogging etc because of the heat. Apparently they have reached a state of emergency. Gotta say, once again I'm glad I live in this amazing country.

Oh my other news is, I've booked and paid for my Fear Of Flying course - it's the last week of Feb. Will keep you posted on what it's like.

I've had a great couple of days on the scrapping front. And plan to keep on going tomorrow...enjoy this extra weekend - it so feels like Sunday doesn't it?!