25 Random Thoughts

As we do from time to time in life, the curve balls thrown at us encourage us to stop, take stock and think about our lives. Which we can do - or we can run and hide under the bed covers until the storm has passed. 

Unless of course, you have kids. Then there is no hiding. I once timed how long it was until my children realised I had gone off to hide. They found me in 45 seconds. (When they don't come looking fro me, I start to twitch - what are they up to?? And then I find myself seeking them out within 45 seconds.) 

So, in an effort to take stock, and look at my glass-half full life, here are 25 random thoughts from me about my life as it stands (sits,lies) at the moment. 

1) I am totally, completely and unashamedly addicted to coffee. Although, not instant coffee. It must be espresso, brewed by a barrista. Hubby and I have become coffee snobs and refuse to indulge in instant coffee at home. The coffee place around the corner knows me, my life story and most importantly my coffee order. I believe that equates to a well balanced universe. 

2) Jack Russells are my favourite dogs. They have awesome personalities. My furry child Barney (rubble-lots-of-trouble) was my first child, and beloved. He's like a grizzly bear / teddy bear / clown all rolled into one. He has accepted his gradual move down the family pecking order with grace and good humour. In planning the move OS, I am trying very hard not to think about leaving him for 2 years. My heart breaks just thinking about it...

3) My Dad once gave me a mug that said "Housework makes you ugly" He followed this up by telling me how beautiful I was.... I'm pretty sure, looking around my house, that according to the mug that I am still beautiful, even if I don't feel like I am...

4) The Princess Bride is my all time absolute favourite movie. If you haven't seen it you should. If you have, you would know how good it is, and should know exactly what an ROUS is, where Iocane powder comes from and the power of true love.

5) My favourite season is Autumn. I love the colour of the leaves and the crispness of the air. I love the smell of falling leaves, beautiful sunny days and lovely cool nights. I love the smell of our wood fire and wearing new pj's. This year I am blessed with the opportunity to have autumn twice in one year. In 2105, I sadly, will miss autumn completely. 

6) I still have my pink puppy stuffed toy that was given to me when I was born. It has considerably less hair, is missing an ear and an eye, and has ragged stitches where I performed surgery on a thread bare patch of belly when I was 11.

7) I consider myself incredibly blessed to have found, fallen in love with and married such a wonderful man. How I got to be so lucky, I don't know. These past 7 years have been the best ever, and have gone way too fast.

8) Getting married in Maui is one of the decisions I will never regret. It was the best location to get married and the very best day of my life. It was everything we dreamed of and more. I can't wait for us to go back...

9) I have been blessed with two beautiful daughters, polar opposites in personality, who delight and entertain us in some many amazing ways. I love their snuggles, their little arms around my neck, their kisses, their giggles, their view of the world. They are, in the words of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang - truly truly scrumptious...

10) I have a wonderful family that I love very much. I am very close to my sister and always have been. I feel very lucky that family is so important to my Hubby and that I can now call his family my family too.

11) I have collected over the years, the most wonderful assortment of friends, who have been there for me through thick and thin, whom I love dearly and wish that I had more time to spend with them and my family.

12) I love to travel and have seen a lot of the world - but still so much to see. I have walked on 6 of 7 continents. Africa was the most amazing place I have ever been and I would love to go back and experience it all again with Hubby. Seeing the distances that elephants can travel in just a few hours, makes me very sad when I see them at a zoo.

13) I once slept through a stampede involving a mother elephant, her baby, a herd of wildebeast, some lions and a group of hyenas. Apparently it was a pretty scary experience. For those that happened to be awake.

14) An 18 hour overnight train trip through Turkey is not something I would recommend to anyone with the slightest interest in hygiene.

15) In Chile, it is possible to hike up an active volcano covered in snow, and then slide your way back to the bottom. However, it is very important that the man who leads the snowslide down has hips, otherwise the groove in the snow is nowhere near wide enough and every female who follows wears bruises on her hips to show for months. Just saying...

16) I once worked for six months in a scottish castle (Duart Castle) on the Isle of Mull in the Western Hebridean Islands. I can bake killer scones and sensational shortbread. I also proved to myself that it was possible for me to put on weight - as I gained 30 (yes 30) kilos in less than 12 months. We also learnt that the British Army frowns on their soldiers sinking digging machines worth 250,000 pounds and that it is possible for 6 young aussie girls in aprons and kilts to be yelled at by someone very high up in the Army for being responsible for leading a unit of royal engineers astray. But seriously, all we did was bake scones and shortbread and maybe drink a pint or two...

17) Travel taught me that I am more than capable of dealing with the world on my own. My Hubby taught me how much better it is to deal with it with someone by your side. My children have taught me that travel with children is difficult, and unlike the travel of my twenties, it is not even glamourous in retrospect. Usually in retrospect we realise we probably shouldn't have travelled with them at all.

18) I am absolutely obsessed with reading - Hubby reckons I read 15 books to his one. Which probably explains my desire to be, of all things, a librarian. With my own personal library. 

19) I don't think I'll ever get a tattoo but I love to watch Miami Ink, LA Ink and London Ink. If I ever did decide to permanently mark my body that way, I would have to travel to one of those shops to get it done.

20) My temper can get the better of me - especially when I get bad service at food establishments. Hubby calls me Pepper when this happens. I admire him for his ability to stay cool, calm and polite when I just get cranky. Actually that was my former self. Now I am adopting the "Orange Rhino" philosophy - no yelling. Finding my inner calm. Going with the flow. 

21) I have always enjoyed watching and playing sport - but being with Hubby has taken it to an all new level. It is a sad but true fact that I have actually uttered the sentence (more than once)  "I can't wait for the footy season to start".

22) I have learnt that the words 'it's just a game' do not apply in Hubby's world of sport.

23) I have always wanted to be a teacher ( at least since I was 7) and have loved being a teacher for the past 18 years. But now I am embracing the notion of career change of direction and so, in embracing it, I am going back to uni this July. It's not like I'll be busy much in July - just organising a house and family move to Canada. I'm sure I can fit in some study???

24) I hate broccoli and spiders and cockroaches. I refuse to eat all three. Well, actually, I have become flexible with the broccoli. But only the broccoli.

and finally

25) Chocolate, Red Wine, sleeping children, a couch, Hubby and a good TV series (or the footy) are my perfect night in.

So I am off to pour myself a glass of red, get those children off to bed, and start chillin' on the couch.

Have a good (long) weekend

Jen x