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My Embarassing Inventory
Ooooh! Shiny new fridge. Restocking shiny new fridge involves pulling out the contents of the old fridge. I discover: 3 jars of pesto 2 jars each of black olive tapenade capers pear chutney baby dills black sesame seeds umeboshi plums mincemeat, one of which I just opened last night. 5 containers of olives, 3 of…
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The Importance of Being Less Earnest
Welcome to the January Carnival of Natural Parenting: Learning from children This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama. This month our participants have shared the many lessons their children have taught them. Please read to the end to find a list…
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The Inevitable Path
I promised an article on Repetitive Stress today, but I’m having technical difficulties. You’ll understand if I manage to resolve them, or I’ll explain if I don’t. Like many of you, I have spent the weeks since Christmas cleaning all the things.(1) This included giving away many of the things. Yesterday, I gave away the…
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Working Joe
Today, I woke up with one of my favourite Stan Rogers songs stuck in my head. I found a great rendition by his daughter (so they tell me!) on YouTube, so here you go! Beth Rogers, singing “Working Joe”… although I title it “Lazy Winter Afternoons” in my own head. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZVZH0Ti1ZU] Tomorrow: On the problem…
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Book Review: Wolves and Goldfish with Neil Gaiman
“If the wolves come out of the walls, then it’s all over.” “What’s all over?” asked Lucy. “It,” said her mother. “Everybody knows that.” Every now and then our children bring home badly written corporate books from the library, and I roll my terrible eyes and gnash my terrible teeth! The world is full of…
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The Illusion of Choicelessness
I first wrote this title down several months ago, but that was how far that particular post went. This week, however, I had a moment on the cushion when I realized that I really could do everything completely differently. I am not trapped by promises and contracts, I choose to uphold them. I could: Sell…
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More Time at the Office
It is a common expression: Nobody on their death bed ever wished that they spent more time at the office. I woke up pondering that one morning last week, after a Christmas break spent deeply immersed in home life, kids, mess, and chickens. I want to tell you a secret. Sometimes, I wish that I…
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Now, With 100% More Madness
Want to write more? Write more. So sayeth the boosters over at WordPress. So in a fit of madness (and knowing that failure is, in fact, an option) I have tagged this with PostADay2011. In case you didn’t parse that long neologism, it means that I have ventured to post something every day. For the…
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Why My Car Gets All my Money
My house needs repairs. It leaks. It needs new windows, one of which has been covered with plastic for at least 2 years. There are pieces missing from the soffits in the front of the apartment above the garage. We just waited four years for a new fridge. Yet, the last time that the car…
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Appliance Shopping with The Dilettante
“Hi. I need a new fridge. What’s the smallest one you’ve got that is Energy Star rated?” This has been my opening line for the last four months in every appliance store in Sydney. Nobody was able to answer it. Not one salesperson on any floor in this town was able to point me at…
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Flooding and the Christmas Conservatory
We have passed on the traditional Christmas tree this year, after a prolonged conversation in the car regarding the focus of the holiday. My daughter was working her way through the symbolism, and my contention was that the mid-winter holidays, in general, were about feasting in defiance of the prolonged period of cold to come,…