Merry Christmas!

 

Have a wonderful Christmas Everyone!! 

Sending Aussie hugs around the world and a lot of warm weather. xxxx

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One more sleep!

One more sleep and then you can sleep in, or drink, or party, or veg and do nothing!

Sorry to everyone that works the weekends.  Sometimes that’s me…but not this weekend!

Hugs from Sakura and Me! xxx

Way too cute!

OMG! These guys are the cutest little things.

I want a penguin! Pfft, I can go hunt fish everyday, well, maybe not! But I can go to Woolworth’s and buy it, right?? Hahaha

Hugs and penguin squeals to you all. Paula xx

If only we were all this happy!

Hello my fellow bloggers,

Long time no hear from me, right? I am so hopeless at keeping up with blogging these days, sorry!

I saw this on facebook and it made me smile so much that I had to share it.

Where does all that energy come from?? Lol

Hugs to all of you. Paula xxxxx

My New Shoes!

I couldn’t resist showing you ladies my new shoes. Oh and of course you guys as well! 🙂

They are soooo pretty!     My partner bought me these a few weeks ago. They are incredibly comfortable and look stunning on. Black can go with almost anything, right ladies?

And what is this pair for, you say? Well, ME! 🙂

 

He wanted to buy me a pair of shoes and I couldn’t help but buy myself a pair at the same time. I am definitely a girly girl and love my shoes and handbags. Like black shoes, gold shoes go with almost anything. I love loads of brands of shoes but the most economical brand and to me great quality shoe is from Zu. To me getting new shoes or a handbag is like giving me a boost of Happy Pills! Lol

 

 

When was the last time you spoilt yourself or someone else and bought a new pair of shoes? Feel free to share your photos. 🙂

Sending many cyber hugs your way. Have a great day. Paula xxxx

Bipolar

This song by Mary Lambert is so catchy and even though it’s about having Bipolar (which I Know can be a terrible illness) those of us that have it, can probably relate to it more than those who don’t!

Can you see me bobbing along to it? Excellent, now bob along with me!

🙂   🙂   🙂   🙂

Hugs to you all, Paula xxx

Depression Exists

Thought I would touch base with the rest of the blogging community as I’ve kind of drifted away again.

When I say drift, I mean that life kind of threw the curve ball at me with my Step dad dying;  It’s now been nearly 3 weeks and I’m feeling a little better, as is my mum. He’s still very much in our hearts, but it makes you realize that life has to go on or else you would fall apart every day and then what good are you to anyone, or even yourself for that! You know when sometimes in life you make the wrong decisions, or you take the wrong turn in life and you regret the hell out of whatever bad choice or decision you have made? Well, I think from all the bad things in my life Ray was the one constant good thing that was a part of my life, so when that person goes; a part of you goes too.
At the funeral my eldest son came up to me and hugged me and said: “That would have been you if you had committed suicide and we would have been here for you.” I hugged him and cried more, because I knew he was right. Now when I’m feeling  a little low and I think life is too tiring, I think about what he said to me and let me tell you, it resonated with me!

Suicide is a selfish act, my psychiatrist always reminds me of this but sadly when a person gets to that point, they just don’t see it as that, they just want their pain to go away and apart from that, there’s not too much thought. From my point of view, it’s because you have already gone through all the if’s and but’s and there’s no real answer other than you’re unwell and all logic is out the door. It’s kind of like your pain or their pain, it’s a no-win situation. Who suffers more, you or them?
The problem is when someone is that far gone from reality you’re usually not their to save them, only they can do that and sadly more times than not, they lost the battle for life.

I suppose this is very depressing and an awful subject, but one that is sadly happening everyday somewhere around the world and for all different reasons.
Like you and me I suppose, if we knew someone was about to commit suicide and we could do something to help, we would! However in most cases it’s a silent killer and one that’s usually been thought about for some time and no matter how much we thought we could have stopped it, I don’t think we could.

So, what can we do in these situations?
Personally I think it’s to be more aware of those we love and whom we know are struggling with life in one shape or another and to just be there for them; not just want them to hurry and finish their story, but to really sit there and listen to what’s troubling them. It’s incredible how many people have no one to confide in.
Depression is a sad lonely place to be and it holds no race or prejudice, anyone can be seduced by it; I say seduced, as all our beliefs at that point can’t seem to help us, they have been pulled too far away from our reality and that’s when suicidal thoughts begin. Life feels hopeless and things just aren’t going to get better, but they can and will; Life is full of ups and downs and we have to learn to take the good with the bad, even when the bad is down right ugly and unforgivable.
I say believe in you, and all the great things you once stood for; remember the songs you once loved and singing them out loud in your car and all the memories they would bring? You didn’t care who was listening because they made you happy and bought back great memories, remember your favorite foods like your mum’s pasta or nanna’s cake she baked, and your favorite restaurant where they greeted you as if you were family? Or just the smell of certain foods that still trigger great memories. Gosh I still remember getting my first Choo-Choo bar!
It was made from aniseed and really hard to bite and my tongue and mouth would be black. Lol.  Even as a kid when my life was sad and awful in parts this still brings back great memories; What about your first car you bought and how happy you felt, even if it was a wreck you didn’t care because it meant you had freedom to go wherever we chose, right?  or your first girlfriend/boyfriend and the butterflies you got in your stomach when you saw them, your first pet or the pet you have now whom you love and adore. They fill us with unconditional love and we need them as much as they need us; these are the simple things in life that we forget and that can trigger happy memories. Life can be hard at times, and seem unfair but hold on and just try to get through this day and see what tomorrow brings. You’re not no one, you are someone special and many people love you and would be lost without you, stay strong and remember what greatness could be waiting around the corner for you, never give up on you!

So remember, that one act of kindness you give to a loved one, friend or colleague could mean everything to that person. It’s so easy to walk away from trouble than to actually take the time to listen to what someone in need has to say, even if they don’t tell you but you see something’s not right, ask, “are you okay?” That’s all it sometimes takes.

Think of this, We give money to charities to help the needy so why can’t we spare a bit of our time to those who are struggling and need guidance and help? They need it just as much as the charities, if not more!

Hugs to you all. Paula xx

What have I been up to?

Heeelllooo!

 

I’ve taken some time away from blogging as I have been preoccupied with moving into my knew house.  Yay!!!

It’s nearly 2 years old and quite modern, I love it! It’s a breath of fresh air and is so white and clean!

Then, my son needed me to babysit his boys for a week, and boy is that tiring; they are 4 and 8 and even though they aren’t exactly babies, it’s still really tiring when you’re not used to it! I suppose with my sons being 22 and 30 my life isn’t really about them anymore and I’ve become probably selfish in what I want my free time to be. I would go to the moon and back for my sons but as they are now no longer at home, my time is spent around what I want to do. So, when little kids get thrown into that mix I’m not used to it! Lol
I’ve also been to Bali with 2 of my closest friends and had such a great time, a well needed rest!
We shopped, ate and drank, then we shopped, ate, and drank some more; this continued every single day we were there and I absolutely loved it!  Bali is incredibly relaxing and that’s what I am sure a lot of people go for, a weekend getaway in a tropical paradise.
We would go down to the beach in the afternoons and have a drink whilst our feet were buried in the sand, just watching the sun going down. Ahhhh, a slice of heaven! If only life was always that simple, right? 🙂

Bali from Western Australia is very cheap, believe it or not it’s cheaper than going to Sydney! If you haven’t been and ever get the chance, then take it. It’s one of those places where you can just walk the streets in your shorts and t-shirt and won’t look out of place. The only drawback is if you don’t enjoy bartering, because then the shopping will get a little on your nerves. You should NEVER let them know it’s your first time in Bali, Why? Because they will realise you don’t know what things really cost. To the Balinese these goods are worth mere cents due to the mass production of imitation brands from the Island’s factories or from Mainland China, but a lot of newcomers to Bali don’t understand this and will happily pay $20 for a T-shirt that would cost $30 back home, but most regulars will pay $5.  Most things like shirts/dresses/shorts/t-shirts cost roughly $5 and $10. Super cheap and beautiful sarongs for $3-$5.

This week I have my brothers 3 children as he’s going away with my sister in law on a conference, his children are 7, 12 and 15 and they’re so much easier to look after than small children!

Then in November when all my babysitting duties are all over, I start a massage course (Therapeutic) for 7 weeks full-time which I’m really looking forward to. I just have to remember all the muscles in the body and how to pronounce some of them! Hahaha. The course costs $5, 500 which is way more than I thought it would. The Remedial costs $10,500 so that’s why I opted for the therapeutic but with this certificate you can still work from home and that’s all that really mattered to me.

I decided I needed to find something that I would enjoy doing as much as I loved renovating homes for all those years. This way I’m also my own boss and can travel or do as much work as I do or don’t won’t to do! Having Bipolar is tricky and there is some days that life is just too hard to understand, and therefore you are pretty much no good to anyone until you can get back on track. Plus I love being around people and making them happy and I think massage can do that. I haven’t met many people they hated being massaged, now if you feel like that, then tell me and hopefully I can learn what NOT to do to someone! Any help or tips would be great. 🙂 All feedback welcomed!

Actually even though I have BPD  (Borderline Personality Disorder) I don’t tick all the boxes relevant to BPD. Luckily for me I adore people and don’t self harm. So I think I’ve picked the right job for now.

I really miss blogging but I just couldn’t get my head around it with everything that’s been going on in my life.

I hope all of you are well and life is treating you kindly.

Hugs to you all,
Paula xxx

 

Sydney

Hello World,
How’s life treating you all?

Now, I expect an answer to that question!
Well only if you wish to divulge it to the whole world, right? I say do it! Hahaha.

A few weeks back I had the opportunity to go to Sydney for 1 week, it wasn’t really planned so I hummed and hared about whether or not to go; then I thought, why not!

I’ve been many times, but never to Wollongong so it was fun and exciting to see a different part to Sydney. I am from Perth which is located on the West coast of Australia and Sydney is on the East Coast; it is 3,936 km from Perth to Sydney, which is a total flying time of 5 hours – or 42 hours driving, to give a few of you a perspective on this distance: A flight from London to Washington D.C is 7 hours. Moscow to London is a 4 hour flight or 30 hour drive and from Washington DC to Las Vegas (Woohoo!) is 4 and a half hours flying or 36 hours driving.

Sydney and its surrounds contain 20% of the entire population of Australia! It was the site of the first British colony in Australia, established in 1788 and it was originally going to be named ‘Albion’.
It is home to many iconic Australian landmarks such as the Sydney Bridge, which is the widest spanning steel bridge in the world and it took 272,000 litres of paint for the original 3 coats. It is rumored that at one point, a team of painters was permanently employed to paint the bridge, as once they had finished the job, it was time to paint it again!

‘M’ from Nepal  lives there and had said at one stage that if I ever come to Sydney to contact her, but because it was such a last minute thing I was hesitant to contact her and say, “Guess what, I’m in Sydney” 🙂 Long story short, we did meet and it was great! M came with her husband AS and what a beautiful young couple they are! They are both originally from Nepal, so M arranged for us to meet at an Nepalese restaurant; The food was so full of flavour and the desserts were so good that I went to a Nepalese store and bought the dessert to come back to Perth with! Call me crazy but I was unsure if we had it here in Perth. 🙂

M showed us photos of her wedding to AS in Nepal. Wow! Let me tell you what a colourful and beautiful tradition they have for getting married, the ceremony goes for 10 days. Can you imagine that? We get tired for just the one wedding day, never mind 9 more days after that, right? 🙂 My high heels would be killing me.! Hahaha.  M is the first blogger I’ve met and I hope one day to meet more of you out there! M has met about 4 other bloggers and I’m totally jealous! Hahaha, I can’t think of anything better than meeting more of you; M doesn’t show her face on her blog so out of respect for M I didn’t take a photo of us. 🙂
We are like a  giant community from all walks of life, yet we share one thing in common and that’s a respect for each others thoughts and ideas. Everyone is very supportive of each other and that’s what I love, no one is out to hurt anyone and in part we are all just letting each other into a small part of our world and sharing something that’s passionate to us; whether that be in the form of poetry, art, food, travel, random thoughts and ideas, mental illness, religion, spirituality, photography or a writer. Basically there are many, many topics that are written about and this is just a small example of our community.

We all get busy, and blogging is NOT the only thing in life we do, but it’s a special part of us that we all share.
So from me to you and you and you and you! 🙂  I thank you all for the time and effort that you give to the the blogging community and the rest of the world, If I’m having a bad day you have no idea how coming to the computer and reading your posts or comments can put me in good spirits, so for that I thank you!

Now if this is how I feel and I imagine that many others do too, your blogs do more good than you will ever realise.

So have you met any fellow bloggers?

Many hugs to you all, Paula xxxx

I’ve attached a few pictures of Sydney that I’ve found (I did not take these photographs!).

 

Family Art Show

Hello Everyone,

Hope all is well in your world!

Let me tell you a bit about my family world. Well, one of my brothers and his wife came up with an idea to hold family art shows!
They pick the theme and do all the planning and sort out who won, etc. We all (children included) get a sheet with 6 adhesive stars of different colours, to indicate your favourite art piece.  The gold obviously is for who you want to win and is valued the highest, and then the stars vary from blue, green and silver to represent your second, third, fourth, etc. selection. It’s heaps of fun but let me tell you, it’s very competitive and there’s some pretty arty/creative people in my family!

They call the show, The Shared Spoon.

The winner gets their name engraved along with the date and theme onto the bowl of the spoon. It’s a fairly big spoon so don’t worry, not a dessert spoon! Lol.  This last competition was Puppets and marionettes!

My son and his girlfriend placed first this year, but unfortunately I didn’t get a shot of it. His girlfriend hand knitted these tiny puppets of the Avengers, from Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, etc. Then they made a stop-motion movie with them placed to the original audio and just left it continuously running on his laptop during the show. The kids went crazy for it and couldn’t believe they had made this movie with these puppets. It’s easy to see why they won! 🙂

My brother came second with his marionette and me 3rd with my, Fortune Teller. Actually, I’m in love with it but it may scare some. Remember I’m a clown collector so to me its fun and colourful! That’s my story anyway.

My sister usually does most of the catering as she’s so good at finger foods and other easy eats. After that my brother auctions off the artwork that people don’t wish to keep; it’s all in good fun but sometimes the kids get carried away and we have to remind them to keep the bidding low! Lol

The avengers that my son’s girlfriend had made, created an enormous interest in all the kids wanting to have one, which in my very large family?!… Wasn’t possible, so the bidding went a little high on those! I think the highest one of Thor sold for $24 AUD!! 🙂 With the others ranging from $16+ That was a little absurd if I am honest, normally they are done in good fun of $1-$10.

The shows are carried out roughly every 3 months, but this one was the first in 3 years! The reason it was so long in between this time was because after I was hospitalised from attempting suicide, all our family things just stopped; I don’t know if they did it consciously or subconsciously, but I think it was because after I had attempted suicide, I told them I picked that night because we had all been together and I got to see everyone for what I thought then would be the last time. So maybe to them they didn’t want us all to be together again in case I attempted it again, and to be fair to them in the early days it was definitely possible.  Even now I have days I still struggle but I really did choose life that day and I’m in such a better place now than I was back then! When I get overwhelmed I have to just sit back and not put undue pressure on myself.
I’m really happy that things are going back to normal.

If you have a reasonably sized family you should give this ago as it’s the best fun you will ever have.

Next time I’ll take more photos of the art work as most of it I took, was the kids!

 

 

My entry this year. (Fortune Teller)

 

 

 

 

 

My Sister In-law’s marionette puppet.

 

My Brother’s marionette puppet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An example of using the stars for voting.

 

 

 

The puppets used in my Son and his Girlfriends stop-motion film of The Avengers (Thor)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another Puppet for the Avengers (Iron Man).

 

Another Puppet (The Incredible Hulk)

 

Another puppet used in the film (Black Widow).

 

 

 

 

 

My other Son’s entry to a previous year’s competition of Monsters and Aliens, a life-sized scale, paper-mache’ ET.

 

 

 

 

 

My Brother In-law’s entry to the Monster’s and Aliens theme, a working Ipod dock made from scratch to look like a flying saucer!
(Keep in mind, he is an Engineer, quite difficult to beat…)

 

 

 

Do you do anything like this as a family?

Hugs to you all, Paula xxxxx