nadsblog

A couple of ballet videos from this year.

2010-08-07T01:27:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CF0ZQ9R0wns

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WocDSppbJc

CK get-together

2010-03-13T22:25:00.001-08:00

Ballet grade 8 youtube

2009-08-07T22:01:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSvwwGbdnUA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wz9_4gujinc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qp72jpnO3eY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HimANPiHoQc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uj3uZUok8xI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nY4Wvs76a7s

More dog photos.

2009-02-28T23:50:00.000-08:00

Photos of son's 21st birthday - my brother and me, son and me.

2009-02-28T00:25:00.000-08:00

New Dog - B.G. RIP Echo.....

2009-02-28T00:19:00.000-08:00

Ball photos, and my dog.

2008-11-07T17:12:00.000-08:00

My song.

2008-09-19T07:54:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcqVq77hs5Q

Try again. You Tube videos.

2008-07-22T01:23:00.000-07:00

Here are some videos that Andy posted on You Tube for me. He took them at the exam practice the other night.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRN5GT2b5mE
(I almost fall over in this one!!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjSzxcjJaNs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rj-zL_BhlJ4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqMBUcrBEHs

Fingers crossed for my exam on Friday arvo!

Ballet You Tube videos.

2008-07-22T01:10:00.000-07:00

YAY!!! Built-In Wardrobes!!!

2008-07-20T22:46:00.001-07:00

Woo Hoo, that was quick. About 4 or 5 weeks ago I finally decided how I could put built-in wardrobes into this 135 year old house without looking ridiculous. Then called the cabinetmaker and sent him the plans, then a couple of weeks later it was being done.

Then some painting, and voila!! All done!! And they look like they always were there (almost).

A "New" Kitchen

2008-03-13T18:58:00.000-07:00

An amazing transformation has occurred in my kitchen! All the cabinetry work is now complete. For a lot lot less than a new kitchen I now have a new-looking kitchen with an extra pantry, extra overhead cupboards and an extra other bottom and top unit. Also, benchtops for some old wooden cupboards I have done up, a new "study in a cupboard", a new laundry cabinet and some extra drawers in the bathroom cupboard.

They weren't able to match the wood of the cabinets so we ended up getting two pack in white and it looks really good.

The photos may come out in random order but hopefully it will be obvious which is before and after!

Walks and walks and walks.

2008-01-26T03:25:00.000-08:00

I've been walking so much lately as there are so many new and interesting places to walk!

This morning I went on the "city backpackers circuit" which was through Roma Street Parklands, up Queen Street, up George Street and then past all the backpackers hostels and up Petrie Terrace.

This evening we wanted to see the fireworks for Australia Day so we went down Petrie Terrace, across the William Jolly Bridge, across Southbank and the Green Bridge, then across the city, watching the fireworks from the Victoria Bridge, then through the city and Roma St Parklands home.

There are also another couple of regular walks I do. One "the Paddington Rosalie Loop" and it is across the Hale Street foot bridge, up Charlotte Street (it's so steep), up to Enoggera Tce, then joining up and crossing Latrobe Tce and going down to the Rosalie cafes, crossing Baroona Rd, going past the back of the XXXX factory, through Lang Park and up Caxton St and home.

And the other one is "the circuit". Across the footbridge, up Given Tce, along Enoggera Tce, along Musgrave Rd, and home.

Try again for photos.

2008-01-10T21:13:00.001-08:00

Not sure if the photos are coming out as it's not showing them. But one is supposed to be of the curtain and the other is of our "awesome shower" (yes, the one that leaked in about ten places!). It can either come out of the hand held, or the ceiling or jets from the back, or out near your feet (to fill up the little bath I think). And there's an exhaust fan, a radio with two speakers, capacity for using the phone in the shower (not connected) and a light (not connected). And it has a big mirror in it. Not exactly a water saver though.

More achieved - gradually.

2008-01-10T20:33:00.000-08:00

I won't have achieved everything by the time I return to work the week after next but the house has come a long way.

Yesterday I ordered a coffee table and a new TV unit for the lounge room, and at some stage it will also need a rug.

I've finished all the touch-up painting too. Thank goodness the old owners left the paint.

And the curtain is almost finished for behind the TV. It would be finished except something has happened to the sewing machine and it's not feeding correctly. I guess it is about 25 years old and needs a bit of TLC. Don't we all?

The dog came back today and it's getting used to its new surrounds. It's howled at ambulances and barked at something imaginary (or not), and whined at the back door quite a bit. It's not used to security doors and being able to see in while there are people moving around. At the old house it had stippled glass on the French Doors to the back deck. And it's also not used to people coming and going in its territory. I'll have to train the family to do the right thing with coming and going or there will be an escaped dog before you know it, and traffic chaos at the Normanby!!! Aaaagh!!!!!!!!

I've heard from the cabinet maker that they can put the guts (but not all the doors) to the extra kitchen cabinets next week. And that means the desk and shelves will go in my "study in a cupboard" under the stairs. Yay, I'll be able to get everything out of the boxes in the kitchen and the place will look almost normal.

The handyman finished his 3 day stint (that's 2 three day stints so far!!). I've been popping into Bunnings and Paddington hardware frequently for bits and pieces. It never seems to end!

Then the air con is being installed late January. Thankfully we know someone in the air con business as one of the air con installers we talked to said they couldn't even look at something so complicated until winter!!

We are still waiting on Bigpond Wireless Broadband and Foxtel to be installed as there is some problem that needs to be dug out on the footpath. I'm not sure if the photos will upload in the blog today with just the dial-up but I'm trying!

Andy is off to Bahrain to visit his beloved tomorrow. He saved up himself as we couldn't get frequent flyer points for it. He is loving living in Flo Ho. He was a very prominent campaigner for buying the house. He loves he really big bedroom, compared with his very compact bedroom at Ashgrove. We're going out to dinner to celebrate his going (never celebrated his OP1 either) tonight at the Bali Grill. The food there is amazing.

Speaking of Ashgrove, the new owners are having a bit of trouble (though not as much as we are here). The pool filter has died, they can't get the oven working and the downpour exposed a pipe that leads to nowhere in the yard. And we are going out to dinner with them on Saturday! How embarasmment!(sic)

The photo still hasn't uploaded so may have to post without it. OK, I'm posting without it. Was going to be a photo of the curtain - maybe next time.

New water features!

2008-01-05T23:58:00.000-08:00

Well there was a huge deluge of rain this afternoon and I found lots of leaks!! And they are quite serious ones too. They are all around windows and hopefully we'll be able to get someone to fix them without replacing them (kerching!!).

And over the road there appeared Niagara Falls (well not quite) out of a drain down the wall of Roma Street Parklands. It looked as good as any waterfall you walk a few miles to see.

I achieved something today that looks really good. I made and put up a curtain behind the TV in the "media room". It was to cover over 30 mirror tiles that the previous owners had left stuck to the wall, as well as an extra door on that wall that we don't want to use. So it looks amazing, like a feature of a media room. And it only cost about $150 thank goodness, with all the money we are pouring into other things. I was afraid it would look stupid but it certainly doesn't.

This morning I went for a bike ride with a friend around to Newfarm Park.

Tomorrow, more of the handyman putting up things on the walls, fixing the toilet, etc etc. Will have to revise the list and add to it.

Lots of people to ring tomorrow to see when they can do things in January. I just want to get everything done yesterday if not sooner! We've got visitors coming late January and that's also when I'm going back to work so I'd like to get things done by then.

No photos this time, maybe I'll take one of the curtain when it's completely finished.

All moved in and feeling like home.

2008-01-02T03:13:00.000-08:00

Well we had a great Christmas day here in the new house with the family, including in-laws and cousins. We got lots of fabulous stuff, though it's a bit over the top and next year we may have to set some limits on how much we spend on each present. My favourite thing is my electric salt and pepper grinders with lights!

I am just so enjoying this new house, both setting it up how I want it and getting everything settled, plus the location of it. I have been walking, running or bike riding into the city several times, went cycling to QLD Uni one day, have been walking around Paddington a couple of times, and can't wait to do more. There are just so many interesting places to go to from here!! I'd like to cycle around to Downey Park, walk around the urban village at Kelvin Grove, walk into the Valley etc etc etc! I did try out the Arts Theatre which is a few doors down and it had some dismal production on which I left at half time as I saw no point in staying for more.

So, what have I / we been doing with the house?

Firstly, I've ordered more kitchen cupboards to match the existing kitchen as it is seriously under quota for storage space. And also the cabinetmaker is building a study under the staircase in a cupboard. I'm in it right now but it's a temporary desk only. They made me a laundry cupboard which is beautiful! I've had to buy a new washer and dryer as the old ones wouldn't fit.

The handyman has been busy with lots of odd jobs and lots of things to fix. We have this space-age looking shower (fondly known as the tardis) which was leaking in several places all of which led down to the kitchen. The plumber spent a lot of time here! The electrician will be spending a lot of time here too sorting out old phone lines (it used to be a business here), putting in more electrical outlets and bringing the place into the 21st century. Foxtel and Bigpond had a look and said they'd have to come back later so we are on free to air TV and dial up internet for the moment, much to the disgust of the boys.

The Air Con is being installed in late January, but the weather has been so mild lately we haven't cared. We've had a man around to fix the double hung windows and we're going to get another window double glazed for noise reduction in the TV room. I've had to buy a shelving unit to accomodate towels as there is no linen cupboard in the house. The wardrobes I bought fitted in well. They aren't flash but they are functional. Nowhere near as good as built ins but they'll have to do.

We are going to get a new bathroom built down the track so the current bathroom can be an ensuite and then the 5th bedroom will be converted into our walk-in robe and its old door will lead to a new linen cupboard - yay!

For the mean time I've painted two old wooden kitchen units to be used for storage on the front top verandah, for all my tools and handyman stuff.

Today I had a quote for a stair runner. As usual it was challenging to pick a colour and design but it's all done now. Then I picked out some fabric for a curtain in the TV room. It will actually be going behind the TV on most of the wall, not for a window, but to hide a door and a half a wall or mirrored tiles which would be too impossible to move. Let's hope the curtain idea looks good, otherwise I might have to resort to a more expensive option of a fake wall.

I need to buy a huge coffee table for the lounge room, hopefully one that has lots of storage in it. I'm finding it impossible to find a place for some things like board games.

Let's hope I can get a lot done to the house before I go back to work in late January.

Moving stuff.

2007-12-09T06:30:00.000-08:00

It's amazing how much stuff we have to move! Even wall hangings take up so much room in boxes.

The old house now looks pretty horrible as I've taken down a lot of the pictures and shelves. It'll be a while before I can put much up in the new house as I'm not sure how to put up hooks in masonry walls. I'd probably need a special drill with special screws.

We are using one of the bedrooms as a junk room at the moment and it's almost full and we have hardly moved anything at all!

There are no built-in wardrobes so I've bought some old wardrobes from a second hand store. Two of them weren't able to be taken upstairs when they were delivered so I'm not sure what I'm going to do if our removalists can't take them up too.

Most of our furniture is going to fit, but I'll need to sell a big heavy wooden desk on ebay if I can.

I'm a bit worried about moving day as we've got a lot of furniture and a couple of very heavy pieces of furniture.

Tomorrow I hope to sand and paint one of the wardrobes as it is currently painted white, but I want it to be black for Andrew's room.

There is no garden shed either and things like bikes and the BBQ are going to have to go on the front deck, chained to the verandah rails. Our outdoor setting isn't going to fit either but we'll probably take the chairs for the front top verandah.

We sold our house!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2007-12-08T05:06:00.000-08:00

The big auction was today and it was so nerve-racking, but we ended up negotiating after the auction and getting almost the price we wanted. Very lucky indeed!

The concert went well.

2007-11-05T04:26:00.000-08:00

Phew, three performances and two dress rehearsals was a bit much!!!

Not sure if I want to do it all again next year as it was almost every night and weekend for a few weeks - what an effort!

Anyways, here is another photo in the pink lady costume as I loved it so much.

Dress Rehearsal for the big Dance CONCERT!!!

2007-10-31T18:13:00.000-07:00

It was a non make-up dress rehearsal and it was a bit of a fiasco. Let's hope it gets better from here. Another dress rehearsal tonight, then three performances of Ballet To Broadway on the weekend.

Bought a house!!

2007-10-18T17:35:00.000-07:00

Wow, we actually did it. We are moving!

It's an inner city terrace house - what a change in lifestyle. Will be able to walk to a lot of interesting places now. And no yard or garden upkeep, yet there is a place for the dog (hope it learns to do its business where we want it to!).

FAT BOY SLIM.

2007-10-10T19:14:00.001-07:00

So what about these photos eh? Phew, blows your mind!

Not to be outdone.

2007-10-10T07:57:00.000-07:00

And here are mine too.

Other half before and after.

2007-10-10T07:52:00.000-07:00

Here is a comparative head shot before and after of the other half (not the better half).

He's 40kg lighter than 3 years ago, and has only 3.5kg to go, and some body building.

The father's day back wax went well. I was there to ensure it was done correctly and that the pain was inflicted well. It was! Now he looks and feels like a porcupine.

ME photos from Bedarra Island.

2007-10-04T06:34:00.001-07:00

You can tell we had a great time!

HOLIDAYS!!

2007-10-04T06:10:00.000-07:00

The mystery holiday destination was ultimately revealed! I didn't know until the last minute where it was (if you had have told me I wouldn't have even known where it was anyway!).

It was Bedarra Island, up near Cairns. The weather was beautiful, the island was gorgeous, the food was out of this world, but most of all it was the quietness and the privacy that was the best thing. There are only 16 villas in the resort and we were in the most private one.

On Holidays!! Yay.

2007-09-20T01:05:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I flew to Melbourne for four days and had a great time with Felicity and the two boys. They were well behaved (7 and 5 year olds) and we had some fun time doing skating, playing games and footy and having a night out, not to mention shopping by myself for a whole day!

Tomorrow it's off to Gwinganna Organic Health Retreat, a lovely little weekend I'm treating myself. It's not that expensive. I think they make their money on all the therapies and spa treatments, which are very pricey. I'll only be having one massage, I think, and then I'll join in on all the activities.

Then we are off to an anniversary mystery tropical destination next week for a whole week.

What an exciting month!

Forgot to say....

2007-09-16T03:02:00.000-07:00

Forgot to say that dh's tux was only $50.

More formal shots!!

2007-09-10T06:17:00.000-07:00

Well we looked like a hundred bucks, literally!

There I was in my $30 dress (heavily reduced - see previous posts), and there was dh in his tuxedo from his tailor (Lifeline Strathpine - they had racks of them!). No one was the wiser. Can't believe the tux as it didn't need taking up or anything and no signs of ever being worn, plus a great formal shirt for $15.

Other ballet photos (for my friends at CK)

2007-08-25T21:01:00.000-07:00

I found out the other girl got in the high 70s as well. Luckily we all got Distinctions so our hours of practice were worth the effort!

97% !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2007-08-24T05:33:00.000-07:00

That was my ballet exam result. I can't believe it.

All the others haven't got their results yet but one got 77% and another got 91%.

Looks like anything is still possible!

BALLET EXAM !!!!!!!!!!!!!

2007-07-29T03:07:00.001-07:00

Hey, I feel like I'm 12 years old again! I "sat" hehe, a ballet exam on the weekend and it was nerve-racking but fun!!

Not only did I go back to dancing after 25 years, but I learned the entire RAD grade 6 syllabus in 6 months! And overcame a calf tear in the process.

These are the 3 amigos that I did the exam with (Melinda, Millie and James). It made it a lot of fun doing dances in pairs. Hopefully we can do grade 7 next year together.

Formal Photos, about 10 years apart?

2007-07-24T00:03:00.000-07:00

Lighter hair (and greyer in between) for me and more forehead for hubby. About 40kg less between us (estimated). We both put about 10kg on after that before we both lost about 30kg!

? U tube?

2007-07-23T04:37:00.000-07:00

My son says this should work. Not sure what to do if it doesn't. Fingers crossed.

Random photos with no related theme at all.

2007-07-15T04:52:00.000-07:00

OK, so here are some unrelated photos. The one in the school uniform is me in grade 9. I photoshopped out some blemishes, haha! That was my usual hair style. Covering the ears as my mother said they needed hiding. Well, now that I can decide for myself, I just want to say "my ears are not big and they don't need hiding!!!"

The wedding one is me of course in the white dress. Very flouncy and taffeta, very 80s! The black and white photo is my mother with my brother. The two cuties in the rocking chair are my little boys when they actually were little. And the Golden Gate Bridge one is the boys with me when I had lost weight previously when I was 30.

THE most embarassing picture ever! But we look like we're having fun!!

2007-07-13T21:34:00.001-07:00

Yikes!! Enough said!! And that wasn't even a proper "before" picture as I got a lot bigger than that. Those togs got too small and bought another size up (one that didn't show so much!).

But the saving grace of the piccie is that we were having some great family fun in an exotic location (Jamaica).

We're on top of the world!!

2007-07-09T02:13:00.000-07:00

No, not on top of the world, only on top of the Story Bridge. Took the family up for one of their birthdays and it was cool! Actually quite chilly indeed but good and interesting as well. Not physically demanding but it was good to see the view by day and then the city lights by night. And it was a blue moon too!

I'd recommend it.

SHOPPING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2007-07-06T23:20:00.000-07:00

Woo Hoo! It's great to go shopping when you find a bargain and today I really found some bargains! I went to the city to try to find a ball dress for a charity ball we go to every year. I hate spending a lot of money on the dress because I want to spend the money on the charity and I also don't like to wear the same thing every year. Well today I found a shop that was closing down and I bought three dresses!! and also two tops. And the combined price was $100! Unbelievable!!!

Where I Came From

2007-06-30T07:04:00.000-07:00

Here is the origins of me. Born to my mother and father in the usual way, growing up in a neat fibro cottage in the suburbs of Ipswich. Not much to say really. The piccies say it all and I've said a lot already.

Why haven't I thrown those photos away????

2007-06-10T20:50:00.000-07:00

Ooh look, some wierdo woman wearing shorts that are too tight, with boots no less! Strange what some people will wear.

And look at that Australian woman who looks very at home in between the two American women.

These photos were of me unfortunately, when I lived in America. The worst part thinking about how awful I looked is that I wasn't really very overweight in terms of how big I actually got! I think I was only about half way there. Anyway, America was the perfect place to be when overweight - lots of big helpings of food, a whole lot of new food to try out, and no one who knew who I was! Gee I miss those Peanut Butter Graham Crackers and Peanut Butter Granola Bars!

Nads

It's awful when you realize you don't look as good as you thought you did.

2007-06-07T06:04:00.001-07:00

At last a ballet shot! The rehab is going well on my calf. Just started on a bit more in class tonight, after going to a sports physician and an accupuncturist today.

Should be on track for the exams if I don't try and overdo it.

Last night when talking with my brother I found out that he's had the exact same thing for about the same number of weeks as me. No, we are NOT twins! Just a very strange coincidence indeed. And his wasn't a ballet injury, funnily enough.

Nads

No ballet photos from the whole of my childhood!

2007-05-31T19:20:00.000-07:00

Despite the fact I did ballet for over 12 years, there appears to have been NO ballet photos taken of me EVER! Sadly, my white stretch satin tutu memories will only ever be in my head and not in cyberspace or in a sadly forgotten photo album in the back of the cupboard. That white tutu was the best ever thing I owned and was transformed into a new costume every year by magically changing accessories. Also wish I had a photo of the green gingham square dancing costume for grade 4.

The aqua dress was another bridesmaid's dress, this time for cousin Noela's wedding. Noela was the unofficial head of our "Booval Girl's Club" which was made up of the cousins who were old enough and some neighbourhood girls. We actually had a fete two years in a row (in the backyard, God knows who ever came!) and we made about $30 for charity and got our photo in the paper. Of course by the time she got married the Girl's Club was long gone.

In the other photo is my deadly treadly again, showing no signs of 7 years of use and from sitting out in the sun at school most days. Don't you love the grey and lemon colour scheme of the school uniform? Even better were the lemon cullottes for sports days which I'd wear with ankle height sparkling white gym boots!

Then the other bridesmaid photo, for my brother's wedding. The first and only time I've EVER worn apricot, or carried a decorative umbrella! By that time I was at uni, and now I was the only "child" left in the house. So, I had the top mango tree branch all to myself (I pined after that for years) but funnily enough it was no fun any more. The swing was only used now by my dad for chin ups and hanging upside down for back traction.

Nads

Through thick and thin.

2007-05-30T03:06:00.000-07:00

The start of the dieting. First thin, then fatter. And these photos weren't the two extremes either!

Nads

Getting bigger.

2007-05-30T02:54:00.000-07:00

Here is a bit of a mixed bag. The black and white photo is of me at an undeterminable age. Possibly 10 or so. I can't seem to find any between this age and the age of the second bridesmaiding (with the red cape). Then comes the 14 year old going on 18 because no one ever asked how old I was to get into clubs! I think it looks a little like Freda from Abba but I would much rather have been the blonde!

Nads

Like a dog's breakfast.

2007-05-30T02:31:00.000-07:00

Hmm, this blog is all over the place. Can't seem to predict where the photos are going to go on the page, and keep getting ahead of myself chronologically speaking. Anyways, here we have the cousins and the neighbourhood kids on the swing, the centre of my yard for a very long time.

The piccy at the beach was when I had the mumps, and also in the piccy is cousin Lesley. The other black and white photo is of my birthday party when I was about 4 or 5.

Two other colour piccies show my brother (and one with one of his friends), and also show the fashion of the time. The red number with the puffed sleeves and white pom poms was actually floral corduroy. Teamed with the white hat and gloves and patent lether shoes it made a perfect Sunday School outfit. The Lone Pine koala looks like one of its albino brothers made its way onto my head in the other photo.

Nads

The Wonder Years

2007-05-30T01:51:00.000-07:00

The yellow Dragstar bike - 9th birthday present. I had to pay half but boy was it worth it. Worth it for my parents too because they saved on bus fares for the next 8 years!

The photo with all the people in it - there was me the smallest one, my neighbour Desleigh behind me, my mum in the yellow on the other side, seated was Mip (couldn't say Mrs Smith) my neighbour and second mother, and behind her Midda Mip (couldn't say Mr Smith) who was her husband. I remember that was my all time favourite dress ever and when I grew out of it I was very sad indeed. Needless to say I wore it til it was skin tight.

My best day of the week was Saturday because in the morning Mip would do lots of baking and her family wasn't interested in licking the bowl and spoon like I was. A little bit of cooling and the delicious bakery items would be carefully placed into the 3 tiered silver cakes/biscuits/scones tin. Heaven!

Then on Saturday afternoon I'd go to Brownies up at Queens Park across from where my mother (Tottie) and her twin sister (Doris) grew up. Actually, I must have had 3 mums because Dor Dor was just as much a mum to me as my own mother. The kissin cousins (Wendy, Bryan, Noela, Lesley and Janelle) only lived a street away and weekends were full of scooter adventures and Girls Club activities.

Back to the Brownie photo, what can I say, I still look good in brown! Goes with the eyes. Maybe don't wear so many badges now but it was a good look in the early 70s. Never was the same when I went into guides - they can stick their pale blue and navy and making knots and folding flags. Give me Brown Owl, a toadstood and a situpon and I was in heaven.

Nads

On and on and on (and on).

2007-05-30T01:33:00.000-07:00

Actually, go back again, I forgot this lovely studio portrait (on the right) that sat on the fake mantelpiece all of my growing up life. This is the smaller version of the one that was "colourised" and that still sits on the fake mantelpiece no doubt, somewhere in Warwick now at my dad's place.

Then let's move on to the bridesmaid era, well flowergirl actually, the photo on the top left. The oufits were (luckily for black and white photography) lime green culottes and we were dangling from our hands big balls of yellow centred daisies. Amazing! I'm the one on the right in the photo, or as Andy puts it, are you the one that looks like Keryn? (my niece). Yes, that's me. Neither of my kids look like me that much but there is someone who does.

Then there comes the first colour photo (top left) - the one where I'm dressed as Captain Cook's wife. The year was 1970 and it was the bicentennary of the discovery of Australia. It's not often that you get to feel like Cinderella, but me in my red velvet, tiara and lace, well that's how I felt. And behind me, voila, the fake mantelpiece with the photo of me laid down so it wouldn't detract from the photo being taken! Hehe.

See you in the next era.

Nads

Have you got your lunch?

2007-05-29T03:21:00.000-07:00

Now why is it that some things become obsolete? Cardboard school bags for example? Paper lunch boxes? Canvas swimming pools? Styrofoam eskies? Who'd know, it must just be the fickleness of fashion.

And wasn't I the lucky one because my mother made me a "special" uniform that no-one else wore, when everyone else was wearing a navy box pleat pinafore? And aren't I lucky that my mother was the only mother who was thoughtful enough to make her daughter wear galloshes when it rained and then provided jiffies to put on in class. Wasn't I just the duck's guts?

It really was lucky that I started a year ahead of my peers as I had a great start in the "slow" class - I thought I was really smart!

Silkstone State School, my old alma mata, whatever the heck that is. Now I definitely am lucky that I didn't have problems saying my s's like my big bro. "Tilktone Tate Tool" was the school he went to instead. Hehe, he ain't slow, he's my brudda!

Nads

Let's start at the beginning. Suburban Dipswich.

2007-05-29T03:08:00.000-07:00

Let me take you on a strange journey, to the land of black, white and grey tones. To the days prior to disposable nappies, lycra togs and sun safety for baby skin. Back to the good old days when mums were mums, dads were dads and big brother was just the idiot who kept poking you in the eye and practising swear words on you before you were too old to tell on him.

This was 1963. This is what I think of when people ask where were you when President Kennedy was shot.

The back yard, the beach, the pram. The tranquility.

Nads

Smiley

2007-05-28T04:03:00.000-07:00

This is the nicest close up shot I've ever seen of me (the one on the left, not the dog shot!) even though it wasn't really a close up and so it isn't very good quality. It looks like I'm younger than I was when I was in my 20s! (maybe the blurriness helps!)

The other one is my best diet tool ever, Echo. She eats the leftovers (well she used to be able to until the vet put her on this low allergy diet - grrrr) and she makes me take her for a walk every day!! She looks pretty mangey but she is scary enough looking to make me confident to walk with these crazy people around, but friendly enough to have around.

Nads

Art course sketches

2007-05-28T03:46:00.001-07:00

Ok, here are some sketches I did at art class in the first part of 2007. Can't believe they actually looked like the people who they were supposed to look like!

If I can get the memory off my old computer I'll be able to post a lot more photos. I'd like to do a "best of" album of my trip photos some day. Or maybe I could scan some of the photos of my childhood. That'd be fun and then if I lose them there'll be some in cyberspace for posterity, hehe.

This is fun. Love the blog.

Nads

Another icky photo.

2007-05-28T03:26:00.000-07:00

Yuck, another one of those horrid photos. There thankfully aren't that many of them around but it's good to have them as a reminder of what I don't want to go back to.

The one on the right was part of a group photo we had taken professionally of the family. We had a collage made up for my father in law's 80th birthday. Needless to say he loved it!

We're just trying to decide where to go on holidays in Sept/Oct. Will have to put my thinking cap on soon.

Nads

Photos before and after.

2007-05-28T00:16:00.000-07:00

In the photo on the left I'm in tropical Fiji, dressed in baggy clothes. But I must have thought I looked OK because I remember asking someone to take my photo. Erk, thank goodness I'm not at that place in my life now.

On the right is the new me. The me who wants to go out and socialize and do anything which is fun (which doesn't involve too many calories of course).

I'm going to try and get some ballet photos up soon. I've had a bit of a setback. My second calf tear in as many months isn't helping me towards my goal of going for the Grade 6 RAD ballet exam at the end of July. I'm such a lucky ducky though as I'm enjoying this journey SO MUCH. I love every minute of ballet lessons and think about the music and the dances all the time! It's about all I can do when my legs are out of action like they are now. I want to be ready to go to a ballet vacation school at the end of June. Have booked in to see a Sports Physician and also an Accupuncture/alternative medicine clinic. Not going to force it next time I go back. Now I know the warning signs.

Anyway, there are only 3 adult ballet exams to do, and when I look at it like that, they have to do me for the rest of my life as I'm not going back to serious ballet. One of the adults, after she did grade 6, went back to do an exam that she failed when she was younger. It was the class I got up to, but I passed luckily. So I have no unfinished business. I'll be able to participate in class and in concerts for as many years as I want. The adult grades are so much easier on the body - don't have to do high extensions or double pirouettes or pointe shoes.

Thank goodness I lucked upon the best ballet school in the state for adult ballet, and it's only 300m down the road!! Lucky lucky lucky me!! And the people there are such good friends now.

Enough of ballet, next time I'll post about something else!

Nads

Very first blog post!

2007-05-27T23:56:00.000-07:00

Hey there and welcome to my blog.

Thought I'd put something "out there" in cyberspace about my very own self. Something just about me, for me. Me, me, me. Don't I sound really self-centred? Well, you can if it's your own blog and it's supposed to be about yourself. Let's face it, if you didn't want to find out about me, you wouldn't be here!

So, what's to say. I'm female, a hot sexy babe and this year I had the 23rd anniversary of my 21st birthday. Two out of three ain't bad.

My two babies are all (almost) growed up now, and I've got PLENTY of time on my hands.

I'm in the middle of my mid-life crisis. Everyone else has had one, so why not me? Mine is quite creative and active, even if I do say so myself. I've returned to the thing I was forced to do as a youngster (sorry mum, that's a bit harsh). BALLET!!! Well, the adult version anyways. If you'd have told me a year ago that I'd be doing ballet, I would have thought you were totally cookoo!!

A year ago I was pretty miserable you see. There was a lot happening in my life that I couldn't fix but finally I took the step of trying to sort out the thing that had plagued my adult life - my overeating and its resultant effect on my body. The body that would have to see me through til the end. The end was fast approaching at the rate I was going. It looked like I didn't want to live til I was 100 the way I was treating myself. My knees were sore, I was feeling the effects of increased blood pressure and basically I wasn't interested in going anywhere or seeing anyone. I had nothing to wear and I was embarassed I'd let myself become what I'd become.

So I paid a lot of money upfront and hoped to hell I didn't give up on this like I'd given up on everything in the past! My policy was "Whatever it takes for forever" and I knew that setbacks would arise and all sorts of s*it would happen but I wanted to do something that was just for me. I really did just hang in there from week to week, never really feeling like I was on top of it. But what I surprisingly did have was staying power, because like the Energiser bunny I just kept going and going til it was done.

Anyways, that's enough for one post. Better save something til later.