Choice

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  • Why I hate Meta
    Why I hate Meta

    I have a love hate relationship with Meta. Mostly hate. Time and time again, the company just keeps giving me reasons to sever my ties with them.

  • I am exhausted
    I am exhausted

    I am exhausted. My poor body can hardly keep its head up

  • Ghosts of parallel lives
    Ghosts of parallel lives

    Just lately, I’ve been haunted by the ghosts of parallel lives. The choices my parents made which opened and closed opportunities, the ones I made, and those that were taken out of my hands.

  • Priorities and Posteriorities
    Priorities and Posteriorities

    I recently learned about the concept of posteriorities, though of course they’ve been around a lot longer than that.

  • A change is as good as a holiday
    A change is as good as a holiday

    The other day I found myself saying a change is as good as a holiday, and then I wondered, is it really?

  • Life Cycles
    Life Cycles

    I’m a little bit sorry to say I’m one of those people who needs habits and routines to get through the day. Or to put it another way, life cycles.

  • No man is an island
    No man is an island

    The poet John Donne was also the Dean of St Paul’s Cathedral, and it was in this role he said โ€œNo man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main…โ€

  • The good old days – a lamentation
    The good old days – a lamentation

    It feels like every company on the planet wants a piece of me – more than I want to give them. Makes me miss the good old days.

  • Refining your goals
    Refining your goals

    Today is January 30th. The year is 8% over. It’s time to think about refining your goals.

  • Saving not Spending
    Saving not Spending

    Christmas is over, the January sales are over, and credit card bills are starting to arrive. It’s time to start thinking about saving not spending.

  • Have fun
    Have fun

    Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve been hearing people say, “have fun.” Which is not the usual thing people say to each other. Or at least, not something I usually hear people say to each other.

  • 5 ways to help save the environment
    5 ways to help save the environment

    You may hold the opinion that it’s not your responsibility. But what serious effort have you seen Government or Business make to help save the environment?

  • Deck Declutter
    Deck Declutter

    We’ve finally done a deck declutter, setting up a nice space outside to sit and drink coffee or relax and enjoy the quiet.

  • The end of the year is nigh…
    The end of the year is nigh…

    There are two weeks left until the end of the year. That’s two weeks to close out all those projects you had in mind as you started January. I have to say almost nothing I planned has come to fruition, and I admit to being disappointed by that. Though I wonder what it is that…

  • Small Business Saturday
    Small Business Saturday

    Small Business Saturday is an event in November which takes place between the Black Friday and Cyber Monday Sales to encourage people to shop locally.

  • Quitting
    Quitting

    Lately I’ve been thinking about quitting. In general, I’m the kind of person that just keeps moving on until the job is done.

  • Slow and steady wins the race
    Slow and steady wins the race

    The other day, I watched all 36 strangely compelling minutes of a carpet cleaning video in which a man cleans a Persian Carpet, taking it slow and steady.

  • Planning for Chaos
    Planning for Chaos

    The next four to eight weeks are going to be chaotic, with house finishing noise. So I wondered, how can I plan when I know there will be chaos?

  • Five stages of dog calling
    Five stages of dog calling

    This morning as we were walking Clever Girl, I heard a woman going through 5 stages of dog calling, and it occurred to me they’re quite similar to Dr. Elisabeth Kรผbler-Ross’s stages of grief.

  • Minimally Viable Morning
    Minimally Viable Morning

    Trades are visiting so early, I’ve been more or less in my pyjamas and bed hair getting them started, so it’s time for a minimally viable morning.

  • Sometimes you just have to start afresh
    Sometimes you just have to start afresh

    Looking at what remains of my floor, I’m reminded that sometimes in life you have to cut your losses and start afresh.

  • Use it or lose it
    Use it or lose it

    The other day I went to my local post box ony to find it wasn’t there. It’s disappointing on so many levels, but guess the old adage “use it or lose it” applies more widely than musculature.

  • Being Grateful
    Being Grateful

    Someone, somewhere, more or less, said when life get tough, think of stuff you’re grateful for. I know I’ve written about the little things, for those who worked through Covid, and for being alive. I wanted to write something else

  • Easing Back into the Swing of Things
    Easing Back into the Swing of Things

    When youโ€™re done with the break, even if you havenโ€™t finished all the tasks you set yourself, you have to get back to into the swing of things.

  • Taking a Short Break
    Taking a Short Break

    I wish I could say we’re taking a short break vacation, but sadly, I’m just taking care of a crap-tonne of pre-renovation stuff behind the scenes.

  • Reciprocity, Relationships, and Power
    Reciprocity, Relationships, and Power

    I’ve been thinking more about respect, relationships, and reciprocity. Mainly, as I mentioned, because we’ve started looking at updating the house.

  • Iceberg Dead Ahead
    Iceberg Dead Ahead

    Do you sometimes think about what’s coming. Perhaps with a mixed feeling of excitement and dread, all the time thinking there’s an iceberg dead ahead.

  • Decluttering and Creativity
    Decluttering and Creativity

    We’re in the process of sorting ourselves out for some home renovation. Clearly there’s decluttering involved. And some decluttering creativity as well.

  • Thoughtless Shopping and Life
    Thoughtless Shopping and Life

    Recently I’ve been thinking that shopping can be a metaphor for life. Not so much the shopping itself, but why we are so thoughtless about the shopping. And living.

  • Reset and Take Control
    Reset and Take Control

    There’s four weeks to Christmas, and five until we greet 2024. It’s time to start thinking about a reset and take control of your life.

  • The Defeat of Winter
    The Defeat of Winter

    rching something else, and came across the quote by Robert Haddon (see below) I’ve paraphrased in my haiku – the defeat of winter is necessary for the coming of spring. Very appropriate given we’re at the changeable part of the year – one day summer, the next winter.

  • To mastectomy or not
    To mastectomy or not

    While I don’t need to explain or justify my mastectomy decision, it makes a good opportunity to talk about how (and why) I made my choice, as well planning and long-term thinking can be useful.

  • Life Altering Experiences
    Life Altering Experiences

    I’d planned a different post, but life, and life altering experiences, have caught up with me. In particular, I haven’t shaped or trimmed my fingernails for a while, and recently cut one of my fingers with the nail of another.

  • The Problems of #GirlMaths
    The Problems of #GirlMaths

    I recently heard about #girlmaths, and it doesn’t make me happy. It involves specious calculations to reduce the cost of clothes/shoes/accessories to free…

  • Change is Good or Better
    Change is Good or Better

    As it turns out June 2023 sucked so much I’m not even going to write about it, just let its memory slip into oblivion. I’m going to talk about change instead, because change is hard, but necessary.

  • What to do next?
    What to do next?

    Lately I’ve been finding myself tired. There’s so much stuff going on I have no idea what to do next.

  • The Quest for Peace
    The Quest for Peace

    A quest for peace often sends you away. Sometimes to a forest or jungle retreat, sometimes to a spa, and sometimes to a city depending on the kind of peace you’re looking for.

  • What’s a Good Book Like?
    What’s a Good Book Like?

    I’ve been reading a lot about book marketing and branding lately, asking the question, what’t a good book like? I even asked friends and colleagues, “how does a book make you feel?”

  • More Morning Routine
    More Morning Routine

    I’m not sure whether it’s because this is already an unusual year, but I’ve been thinking more about my morning routine. Perhaps because there’s been so little else to pin the days on, and the lazy, langourous, sleepy sense of nothing much happening lasts for about 87 hours per day.

  • Injured My Hand
    Injured My Hand

    I injured my hand gardening over the Christmas/New Year break – couldn’t type, hold a pencil, paintbrush, or mouse for several weeks.

  • Agatha Christie
    Agatha Christie

    I’ve been watching Agatha Christie: Lucy Worsley on the Mystery Queen, in which Dr Lucy Worsley OBE tells us that Mrs Christie is not the person we all thought she was.

  • The Smell of Woodsmoke
    The Smell of Woodsmoke

    The other day, we took Clever girl for a walk around the neighbourhood. There was a beautiful blue sky, and the temperature was warm, but not too warm, with just a lazy wind. And the smell of woodsmoke.

  • Christmas is coming
    Christmas is coming

    I saw my first Christmas decorations recently, and I suddenly realised Christmas is coming. It came as quite a surprise.

  • There’s been a Data Breach!
    There’s been a Data Breach!

    “There’s been a Data Breach!” (please imagine the grizzled voice of Taggart’s Detective Chief Inspector Burke).

  • Is Your Home Your Castle or Prison?
    Is Your Home Your Castle or Prison?

    Recently, I’ve been wondering whether my home is my castle or prison – does it keep me, or do Ikeep it?

  • Leaving a Legacy
    Leaving a Legacy

    Just recently, the notion of leaving a legacy keeps coming up again and again as I research and write blog posts and stories. For example, during research for a recent story, I discovered a large oak tree near here (which I’m particularly fond of) was planted sometime around 1870. Planted specifically to shade the house…

  • In Case of Doubt
    In Case of Doubt

    I recently came across an emergency alarm – “in case of emergency, break glass”. A clear and simple instruction, along with a clear and simple action – break the glass.

  • When Enough is Enough
    When Enough is Enough

    Recently, I’ve been a bit short tempered and snappy. Prone to watering eyes at the oddest of occaisions. Thinking enough is enough!

  • The Virtues of Leadership
    The Virtues of Leadership

    Way back when I was studying for my Masters in Project Management, one of the core (compulsory) units was Leadership. Mainly because Project Managers have to unify short-term teams of people. Most often while they report to a permanent management structure that doesn’t include the team leader. Show them the way, so to speak. I…

  • Life With Dog
    Life With Dog

    Check any dog owner’s instagram, tiktok, or whatever feed, you’ll see any number of cute life with dog pictures of dogs doing adorable things.

  • Time, Time, Time!
    Time, Time, Time!

    Did you ever wonder how it is that time seemed to last forever when you were young but now you’re old it’s gone before you know it?

  • What Was the Question Again?
    What Was the Question Again?

    So much of life involves answering a question, usually presented in an either/or situation. You can choose the red pill or blue pill, not both. And no variants of purple, pink or aqua pills. Only red or blue. But as I recently discovered while searching for creepy images of a woman on her own walking…

  • Who are you?
    Who are you?

    I had my hair cut today. That neatly generic old lady in the mirror didn’t feel like me. “Who are you?” I asked myself.

  • Money, Time, and Health
    Money, Time, and Health

    As far as I am concerned, there are three aspects to wealth: money, time and health. As I say in Holistic Personal Finance, the value of money

  • Fail to Success
    Fail to Success

    But now I’m a writer, I can “fail to success,” as Dean Wesley Smith often says.

  • Adulting, Accountability & Responsibility
    Adulting, Accountability & Responsibility

    Not long ago, Katy asked for adulting tips, and I made a smart comment about social media. She scornfully suggested no one plans to waste an hour on social media, and that was kind of the point I was messily trying to make.

  • Revisiting Just-in-Time Delivery
    Revisiting Just-in-Time Delivery

    The concept of just-in-time delivery is essentially having ZERO stock on hand, ordering it when when you need it. In 2015, when I was long-term unemployed, I wrote a post about developing the virtue of Wealth. Essentially, it involved: But, times are changing… In the good old pre-Covid days, it was possible to buy as…

  • Ma’aming Me Elderly
    Ma’aming Me Elderly

    Only weeks after my Woman of a Certain Age post, I’ve reached a new miletstone in the race towards elderly, and I thought I’d share it with you.

  • What are They Fighting For?
    What are They Fighting For?

    And like many vaccinated people, I’ve been watching the protesters on the news, trying to work out what they’re fighting for. It’s not easy to understand.

  • Where did all your friends go?
    Where did all your friends go?

    One of my friends asked me what happened to DB, Katy and Toseland. And as it turns out, it’s a good lead in to a post I’ve been trying to write for a while. Because the answer is a little more complex than it would otherwise seem.

  • A Woman of a Certain Age
    A Woman of a Certain Age

    Some where along the line, I became a “Woman of a Certain Age.” That is, the age at which it becomes unnecessary, and possibly impolite to query further.

  • Time and Tide Wait for No One
    Time and Tide Wait for No One

    Time and tide bring to mind the story of King Canute commanding the tide to be still. But tide is also an Old English word, meaning a period of time, such as Yuletide, (good) tidings and (woe) betide for example.

  • Thankful and Grateful
    Thankful and Grateful

    Despite the way it looks, this is a time to be thankful and grateful.

  • Serenity
    Serenity

    I imagine you’ve heard of the Serenity Prayer, generally attributed to Reinhold Neibuhr?

  • Liquidambar Leaves Falling
    Liquidambar Leaves Falling

    This time of year, liquidambar leaves are falling, though I only just noticed them. I mentioned before, that we take Clever Girl to the local park every day.

  • NBN Outages
    NBN Outages

    Over the last few days weโ€™ve seen been severe storms and power outages across Vicoria. Some people have been warned not to expect the power back on until June 17th.

  • Silent Walk in the Park
    Silent Walk in the Park

    We take Clever Girl to the park every day – because if I want to get anything done, it has to be done. Recently, it’s been a silent walk in the park.

  • The Miracle of Rain
    The Miracle of Rain

    The miracle of rain is that it happens at all – drinking water just falls from the sky. It supports all life on this planet, and literally falls fall from the sky! That’s amazing.

  • Forgetting and Remembering
    Forgetting and Remembering

    I find I’m forgetting a lot lately. And I’ve been thinking a lot about how to expand my memory, in part to recapture some of what I lost after the stroke.

  • Puppy has Sharp Teeth
    Puppy has Sharp Teeth

    It’s hardly groundbreaking news for anyone who owns a puppy (or is owned by one), but they have sharp teeth.

  • Decisions Big and Small
    Decisions Big and Small

    Lately, I’m wiped out by about lunchtime. I put it down to all the decisions I’m making. It’s like all the small decisions take just as much brain space as the big.

  • It’s Not All Just Dumb Luck
    It’s Not All Just Dumb Luck

    I admit it. In fact, I proudly declare it. I am a “bleeding heart liberal.” It’s probably because I grew up poor. The seemingly dumb luck of it. I mentioned in the dedication to Holistic Personal Finance that my mother saved the one and two cent pieces for herself. She saved the 5c for me.…

  • I’m Losing My Mind (I think)
    I’m Losing My Mind (I think)

    I think as well as rats (of the flying and furry kind) we are infested with mischievous pixies. Either that or I’m losing my mind.

  • The Cost of Money
    The Cost of Money

    Wealth is worth more than the cost of money. Wealth is an abundance of something, whether that’s time, money or physical wellbeing.

  • Let Sleeping Dogs Lie
    Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

    Something I’ve learned since becoming a dog owner again is that it’s best to let sleeping dogs lie. When they’re sleeping they are quiet.

  • Taking Pleasure Where You Find it
    Taking Pleasure Where You Find it

    Taking pleasure is largely a matter of choice. Sometimes the things that bring you pleasure are the things you have to work for.

  • This Will Pass (at some point)
    This Will Pass (at some point)

    I’m writing the books people will need to take their next steps into whatever new normal is on the way. So my point here, is this will pass. Life will move on.

  • The Three Wise Monkeys
    The Three Wise Monkeys

    Have you heard of the three wise monkeys? Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil. In the modern west, it’s often used in the sense of ignoring something morally wrong. But in the original Japanese context, it’s about not doing or being morally wrong.

  • Product Price v Quality
    Product Price v Quality

    Continuing the theme of choice, and gratitude, today I’m talking a bit more about choice. Only this time, more about things than people. Both in terms of price, v quality. And why it’s sometimes better to pay a bit more.

  • Choosing to Make a Difference
    Choosing to Make a Difference

    So, given everything else that’s going on, it seemed a good time to revisit Choice. Or choosing.

  • My Trifecta of Thanks
    My Trifecta of Thanks

    There’s a lot to be upset about at the moment, most of it we have no control over, but there’s still a lot to be grateful for, so here’s my Trifecta of Thanks.

  • Times Are Tough and Getting Tougher
    Times Are Tough and Getting Tougher

    There’s no doubt times are tough right now – June especially so under Covid restrictions has passed, even though they’re easing a bit.

  • Is the Old or New Normal Better For You?
    Is the Old or New Normal Better For You?

    Politicians have “won” the war on Covid, and are talking “getting back to normal,” even though we don’t have a normal to go back to. We have a “new normal.”

  • Carlton the Human Hairpin
    Carlton the Human Hairpin

    I have to start by saying this is not the post I set out to write, and if you’re not fond of clowns, you should immediately shut the page down and move on to something less frightening. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Now. I’ve written before about appropriateness in clothing and a little about…

  • The Joy of Being
    The Joy of Being

    It seems to me, despite the sh*t going on right now, the joy of being alive balances it out.

  • I’m Fine Just Behind
    I’m Fine Just Behind

    Bearing in mind my friend Katy’s concern about her favourite blogger, I thought I’d post a picture and let you know I’m fine just behind.

  • The Life-Changing Magic of Getting a Haircut
    The Life-Changing Magic of Getting a Haircut

    Somewhat related to my version of string theory is my hair theory, That getting a haircut can, and does change your life.

  • The Pleasure of Getting Things Done
    The Pleasure of Getting Things Done

    Despite the hope of getting things done, we’re often better at starting than finishing them. Yet by definition, getting things done is all about the finish. Finish: A1. to complete something or come to the end of an activityB1. to eat, drink, or use something completely so that none remains Cambridge Dictionary And there’s the…

  • The Little Things I’m Grateful For
    The Little Things I’m Grateful For

    When times are tough (like now), it can help to acknowledge the good things we’re grateful for. Some days are harder than others, and on those days, I try to focus on the little things I’m grateful for. The everyday ones that I would suffer without.

  • It’s Weather for Ducks
    It’s Weather for Ducks

    I’m not sure why people compain about rain they call it nasty – weather for ducks! (Though I’m not exactly sure why it’s only weather for ducks, and not swans or ibis.)

  • I Still Survive
    I Still Survive

    Sometimes you’re not thriving, sometimes it’s as much as you can do to come to a place where you can say “I still survive!”

  • It’s Not War, it’s Sickness
    It’s Not War, it’s Sickness

    All these fat old white men talking about a war on Covid-19 is making me irritable. It’s not war, it’s sickness.

  • Wealthy is as Wealthy Does
    Wealthy is as Wealthy Does

    There’s a proverb of sorts, Beauty is as Beauty does And according to Walt Disney (video has sound) at any rate, it means being kind and doing something nice for someone who feels down. Every single day. Because beauty is about what’s on your inside, not the outside. You can Google to your heart’s content,…

  • Pleasure and Pain of Healthy Habits
    Pleasure and Pain of Healthy Habits

    My last Transplant Clinic appointment was less pleasant than Iโ€™d hoped, and now Iโ€™m back to contemplating the nature of choice and healthy habits.

  • What, Why, and How of Pleasure
    What, Why, and How of Pleasure

    When times get tough, one of the first expenses cut is pleasure. In the face of all other considerations, it becomes frivolous and wasteful. And yet, without pleasure, life can look and feel very grim.

  • Public Bathroom Benefits
    Public Bathroom Benefits

    A while back, someone told me that most people are too lazy to travel more than one or two cubicles in a public bathroom. And the longer the run, the cleaner the end is by comparison to the beginning.

  • How to Respect All People
    How to Respect All People

    Respect; politeness, honour, and care shown towards someone or something that is considered important (Cambridge dictionary) When

  • How to Solve the Time Management Mystery
    How to Solve the Time Management Mystery

    I was chatting about the Time Management Mystery with some creative friends the other day. Actually, we were whining about how we have so much to do, and not enough time to do it in. And speculating how some of the creatives we’re inspired by manage their time.

  • Thank You Mrs Sparkle
    Thank You Mrs Sparkle

    Mrs Sparkle is the most selflessly loving person I know. She’s always making and doing things for other people, and no one ever says thank you.