tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74895322898228549092024-03-14T03:43:52.045+11:00Her Affectionate HeartmissOleahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08429937567381381998noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7489532289822854909.post-66158032025419184102010-09-12T19:46:00.000+10:002010-09-12T19:46:59.883+10:00Names and Blessings<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Segullah recently had a couple of posts that prompted me to comment - I always read them through google's Reader, so I only get the comments when I click through to the main site.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">After reading "</span><a href="http://segullah.org/slice-of-life/what%E2%80%99s-in-a-name/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">On Names</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">", I commented about how mum's occupation as a teacher affected our names. We couldn't have any name that reminded her of students. I was also named for one of my mum's mission companions with my middle name "Blossom". I often think about names and the power they have to shape us as people. I don't think everyone has a name foreordained, much as I don't believe in soulmates - I value agency too highly to believe in fate.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I do believe, though, that our names affect things that we would otherwise experience differently. We moved a lot and my experience of moving was affected by the fact that my new teachers could never pronounce my name from the roll and my new classmates took a while to say it properly. It separated me from my new peers, and added to my high reading level, religion and family size made me 'different' on top of being new.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I've always seen it as a blessing, and being so obviously different allowed me the space to be who I wanted rather than feeling pressure to conform.</span></span>missOleahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08429937567381381998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7489532289822854909.post-16993518887524789112010-04-09T17:46:00.002+10:002010-04-09T17:49:14.285+10:00Roadtrip!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I had a wonderful Easter, thanks for asking!</span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UTCCqKfZvgY/S77TllAGC5I/AAAAAAAAAA4/e38FAxCczsk/s1600/IMG_7698.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UTCCqKfZvgY/S77TllAGC5I/AAAAAAAAAA4/e38FAxCczsk/s640/IMG_7698.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">a park in Glenelg, South Australia - near where we stayed</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I visited my new baby cousin, the fifth baby (all boys) born to my mother's youngest brother and his wife. I took so many photos! We stayed in Glenelg, a touristy beach suburb of Adelaide. We didn't know we were going to Adelaide over Easter until only a few weeks before, which made booking accommodation <i>very</i> difficult. Every family and their dog goes on holidays over Easter! We finally found a house for rent for the week, about 15 minutes from our cousin's house, at only triple the price we originally intended!</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">It was a little crappy for its price, but it was only 5 or 10 minutes walk to the beach and shops, and had enough beds for us all (well, almost!). There were the 6 people from my family (mum and 5 kids), 7 from my Melbourne cousins (auntie, uncle, their 4 kids and 1 boyfriend), Grandmama and my mum's boyfriend - 15 in all! We had three girls share a King size bed, two sleeping on couches and one on the floor, but we all fit!</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I was pretty annoyed that mum invited her boyfriend (who lives in Perth) without asking us - especially as he was staying in the same house as us. He, in and of himself, isn't so bad (just annoying and embarrassing, but a basically good person) but he doesn't suit mum at all, and she's just so focused on having a relationship that she doesn't look at who that relationship is with, or how it affects her and her children. She spent almost every waking moment with him, and ignored the family we went to visit, her children and our Melbourne cousins. Gah!</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The most frustrating part is that she thinks she's spending quality time with everyone. One of the days, we went to Hahndorf a gorgeous little town, about half an hour's drive out of Adelaide. Grandma, two of my siblings, mum and Fuzz (her BF) went along, and walked up and down the main street among the beautiful autumn trees, looking in some shops as we went. Hahndorf has lots of old-fashioned lolly (candy) shops, bakeries, ice-cream parlours and pubs/cafes as well as nurseries and souvenir shops. I walked with Grandma, my 21-year-old sister and 13-year-old brother messed around together, and mum and Fuzz walked together. The three kids and Grandma had some good chats, laughed and played around, but mum and Fuzz hung back or walked ahead, went into shops we had already walked past and generally avoided us. Yet mum felt like we had spent some quality time together! We didn't even drive in the same car!!</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I have no clue how to get my point across without getting angry or being negative, but it's really driving me crazy that she lives in her own little world without paying attention to the emotions, interests and needs of those around her.</span></span>missOleahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08429937567381381998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7489532289822854909.post-91594305793572416862010-02-01T22:22:00.001+11:002010-02-01T22:30:09.191+11:00ResolutelyThis year, I will blog more consistently, even if it is only weekly.<br />
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</div><div>For now, an update:</div><div><br />
I scared myself with Texas Ranger. I had practiced avoiding him so well that I just couldn't quit it! I saw him once on the first day of convention and he gave me a friendly hug but didn't seem too concerned with catching up - he didn't ask for my number or anything. I saw him again at the dance, but he was sitting with a girl and when I saw him again later on he was still talking to a girl one-on-one. (I didn't get a good look the first time, so I don't know if it was the same person - let alone a girlfriend, but I am pretty good at convincing myself not to take risks so I didn't get the chance to ask).<br />
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Westley dated my best friend (I had never admitted an attraction to either of them), and they split up after 6 weeks. He's going home in four weeks, so that was a non-starter. So I am still as unattached as I ever was.<br />
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I'm going to Sydney on Wednesday for four days, which will be fun! I even get to go to a show at the Sydney Opera House. It stars Frank Woodley (one of Australia's leading comedians), and is adapted from Voltaire's <a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/files/19942/19942-h/19942-h.htm">Candide</a> (link goes to Project Gutenberg free eBook), which I have started reading and am enjoying immensely. And to think Voltaire wrote this in three days! Amazing.<br />
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I also read Orson Scott Card's "Ender in Exile", the sequel to one of my favourite books - "Ender's Game". I highly recommend both these books and all the others in the series, and anything else by him.<br />
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I enrolled in Uni and I start in the first week of March. I'm studying Primary and Secondary Education (up to Year 10), majoring in Math and Information Technology. I'm so excited!<br />
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Now you're all caught up, I'll keep you up to date with my random thoughts!</div>missOleahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08429937567381381998noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7489532289822854909.post-65598933842217474392009-12-11T21:20:00.003+11:002009-12-11T22:44:54.108+11:00Rules I'll Have When I'm Married (Part 1)<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I should probably warn at the beginning that I like rules, especially when I'm the one that makes them, and this may be Part 1 of many. As in, more than 20. On with the inaugural "Rules I'll Have When I'm Married" Post (Bathroom Flavour).</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Lately, I have been considering the 'toilet seat' problem. Should the seat go up or down? Men want to be lazy and not have to put it down. Women want the path of least resistance when they might be busting to go (those pelvic floor muscles aren't what they used to be after a couple of kids, you know).</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">So I've been <span style="text-decoration: line-through;">rationalising</span> trying to explain why this rule is so important, and this is what I've come up with: women (as in I) will always need the toilet seat down, right? (Discounting gastro or morning sickness, of course). And men (my husband) need the toilet seat up sometimes and down sometimes, depending on 1s or 2s. So <b>obviously</b> the seat should go down more often - 3 out of 4 scenarios require the seat down!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Or buy your own and hide it from me. Because squeezing it from the middle or top is not only messier, but wastes time when you're near the end of the tube. Prior preparation prevents poor performance. If ye are prepared ye shall not fear. Prepare for a future scarcity of toothpaste in your tube by squeezing from the bottom.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Any other way is gross unless you're trying to stop pets from unravelling the whole roll. And for real, what are pets doing in your bathroom? Also, I only buy Quilton white-on-white patterns. Preferably 3-ply. Please don't buy any cheap toilet paper that falls apart or is not soft. It just means I'll have to drive to the shops again, and find someone I don't like, so I can get rid of the gross paper.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">And that might be all my 'bathroom' quirks (or neuroticisms if you want to be picky). I like a towel on the floor, and I hate when the bathroom gets swamped from people neglecting to use a shower curtain properly. My next series of Rules will focus on ... the bedroom. Or the kitchen. Or something else you suggest in the comments that could be interesting.</span></span>missOleahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08429937567381381998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7489532289822854909.post-13934322474766430612009-10-21T15:31:00.000+11:002009-10-21T15:31:03.754+11:00Flash Forward<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">In one of my previous posts, I mentioned that I enjoy NCIS night, which is when my family gets together at mum's house (the two oldest girls have moved out) and enjoy snacks and watch NCIS together. We did it one week, and agreed to come back the next week, and it became a tradition.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Well, now we have swapped from NCIS night (Tuesday night) to Flash Forward night (Monday nights, channel 7, 8.30m) because we are loving this new show so much! Seriously, I never thought I'd blog about a TV show (lame, right?) but this show is amazing. And it's not too late to catch on, because Yahoo! and channel 7 are showing the first few episodes on their website.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">It's based on a Sci-Fi novel, and has romance, action, comedy, drama, suspense and I love how it highlights little connections between people that sometimes primetime TV shows gloss over. Plus, it has the whole "Destiny" issue going - if we see our future can we change it? Sure, it commits some logical fallacies - if you see the future and remember it and act on it, you get stuck in a loop, and the universe should explode. Time travel can't exist because it hasn't always existed. Does that make sense? Well, anyway, suspend your disbelief and enjoy this fine TV show.</span></span>missOleahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08429937567381381998noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7489532289822854909.post-23968777543892163362009-10-14T15:58:00.000+11:002009-10-14T15:58:10.178+11:00No S Diet Details<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: 11px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I missed a day of NaBloPoMo, so I'm not feeling pressured to write everyday, so I haven't updated in a while.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: 11px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I found it through a forum for the C25K - Couch to 5K, a program that helps you run 5 Km in 9 weeks. It is sooo simple, it only has 14 words as the "rules". There are forums on there that are really helpful, and you can see everybody else posting to try and build their habit. Check it out! <a href="http://nosdiet.com/">Link</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I'm now on Day 7 and I can say that so far, I have been SUCCESSFUL!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you fall off the NoS "horse", you just get right back on - you just need to remember to reset your Days, and start counting again.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; white-space: pre-wrap;">No foods are banned, except sweets - dessert foods containing mostly sugar (you know, lollies/candy, chocolates, cake, cookies, icecream) as long as you eat it during a meal (anything eaten outside of meals is considered a snack) - one dinner plate, no seconds or stacking food into a pile. I had potato chips with lunch the first time around, so I didn't feel so deprived, and I always had a piece of fruit on my plate to finish the meal and appease my sweet tooth.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; white-space: pre-wrap;">This second time around, I am being more balanced - sticking to the general 3 meals structure of N-Days rather than constantly snacking on weekends, and allowing a 100 calorie treat on family days (they used to be sweet and snack minefields!) So far, this has me feel more in control and less deprived, and my family has been less judgemental - I used to get one sibling constantly telling me I couldn't eat something (even on weekends) and another one telling me not to be stupid and just eat what I was given (especially on S-Days). So, now I can just say "yes, please" or "no thanks, I'm not hungry" and I haven't had as much opposition or aggressive 'assistance'.</span></span>missOleahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08429937567381381998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7489532289822854909.post-4727692229167339382009-10-08T23:55:00.000+11:002009-10-08T23:55:30.495+11:00Habits<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">So, I have officially succeeded on Day 1 out of 21 of the No S Diet (attempt 2).</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Well, it's not really a 21 day diet - just the habit forming part of it. It's really simple:</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">No Snacks, No Sweets, No Seconds (Except, sometimes, on days beginning with 'S').</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Even I can do that!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I did it once before, about three months ago, until I started working part-time and it messed up my body clock, trying to count S-Days and N-Days (Non-S - Normal - Days), without using the tools provided, because of my arrogance after completing 21 days. I had to remind myself that it's not magic, and I'm trying again.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I'll post a daily update along with my blog for the next 21 days.</span></span>missOleahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08429937567381381998noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7489532289822854909.post-81151771744743020662009-10-07T23:13:00.000+11:002009-12-11T22:34:14.556+11:00Leet Skillz<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I have been thinking a lot over the past few days about the skills required to be a girlfriend and to be a wife. I've been trying to figure out how much overlap there is, and how I can improve "Girlfriend skills" to be an attractive option to ask on dates. I've decided that many of these skills are transferable from Girlfriend to Wife: good sense of humour, taking care of yourself physically, being friendly and affectionate; but many of the Wife skills are not seen as a high priority in Girlfriends.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I may be wrong, but so far I have observed that skills such as running a household efficiently, the ability to compromise, childcare skills, and being responsible are not as high a priority for YSA guys as being fun and flirty. Please don't misunderstand me, I'm not suggesting that "wife" and "flirty" are mutually exclusive concepts, nor that they should be. I have noticed, however, that the girls that get dates are the girls with attractive bodies/faces and flirty mannerisms, rather than the girls with inquisitive minds and strong testimonies.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I wouldn't necessarily put myself at either of those extremes, but I have friends at both ends of the spectrum and I know which girls have to do more asking to go on the same number of dates. I know that the sort of guy I want to marry would not be intimidated to ask a girl out because she answered more questions in institute than him, but I'm not sure that that sort of guy exists in my area. (Or at all!)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">So, on to plan B, make it easier for the guys to ask me out ... be more fun and flirty, and pay more attention to my physical appearance. It's still learning new skills, and even if it doesn't result in more dates, it will help to make me a better person. I just have to make sure I don't let that pendulum swing too far in the opposite direction, and I will find a happy medium between my current skills and those that are in higher demand during my dating career.</span></span>missOleahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08429937567381381998noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7489532289822854909.post-53571756897226155072009-10-06T16:56:00.003+11:002009-12-11T22:45:56.148+11:00Plan the Work and Work the Plan<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I love the website 43 things. I forgot that for a while, but I was recently in my favourite bookstore and cafe (a little boutique place, which reminds me of our art gallery shop) and picked up the book "Dream It. List It. Do It!" by the folks behind 43 things.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I immediately had to buy it, and finally picked up a journal cute enough (without costing a fortune) in which to list my goals. So far I have 28, and I am torn between thinking I'll have too many and not enough. I love lists!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The first thing I wrote on my list (not necessarily my number one priority) was to "Create a list of 100 things that make me happy" or alternatively "100 things I love". So, that could take a while. I'll update this later tonight with as much list as I have by around 9pm.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Spaghetti Bolognese is calling!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">UPDATE:</span><br />
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<ol><li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Making new friends</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The smell right after rain</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hand clapping games</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Looking at beautiful gardens</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Playing The Sims</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Curling up with a new book</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Warming my hands by a fire</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Reading my favourite blogs</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Taking photos</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Being outside when it's sunny</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Seeing how landscapes look different, depending on the season and time of day</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">NCIS night</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Snuggling</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hot water bottles and heat packs</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Strawberries</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Trying new recipes</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Visiting the art gallery</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Making plans</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Being in charge</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wooden floors</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Listening to Mozart</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">... or The Presets, The Cat Empire, Art vs. Science, etc.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Looking outside through clear windows on a windy day</span></li>
</ol>missOleahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08429937567381381998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7489532289822854909.post-60328451876210045412009-10-05T23:48:00.000+11:002009-10-05T23:48:50.500+11:00I Love Technology<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">It's now after 11.45 pm, and instead of writing my blog post this evening, I updated my computer to Snow Leopard, and then checked if the Sims 3 worked (after extensive testing, I can assure you that it did, although a little extra RAM would not go astray).</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">More tomorrow, when I'm less insane (well, hopefully).</span></span>missOleahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08429937567381381998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7489532289822854909.post-38581717919332992602009-10-04T14:12:00.000+11:002009-12-11T22:35:14.674+11:00Sundays<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Random thought of the day: Must get that song "Out of Africa" that I heard last night on the radio.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We had a lovely Fast Sunday testimony meeting today. I love our ward so much. Of course we had the people that I affectionately call "crazies" (but only in my head of course) - you know the type, explaining about what happened every year of their life for the last 40 years. In our ward though, there is less cringing and more spiritual feasting.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">There are a lot of different family situations in our ward. Single mothers, single fathers, parents who have their children only every second Sunday, couples are seeking divorce or trying to work out problems, and a couple of families whose children are "His, Hers and Ours". In short, it can get messy, and it seems that everyone remembers that there is no one perfect family - even though there are still a lot of traditionally "Mormon" families - parents and at least 4 children, everyone coming to church and doing their best.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">It is so refreshing to hear a lesson about the importance of family without needing to excuse yourself to puke. At the same time, as a YSA, I am encouraged to find a husband that shares my values and with whom I can work towards having an eternal family. I am given great examples of women who still have faith, and still seek for an eternal companion even after seeing the worst of marriage. They don't only give me hope, they give me practical advice on what to look for in a date, so that even though they are at peace with where they are, I will not find myself in the same situation.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I love these women, and I love Relief Society, and I am looking forward to the General Relief Society Meeting Broadcast tonight.</span></span>missOleahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08429937567381381998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7489532289822854909.post-68877369951860497982009-10-03T17:58:00.000+10:002009-10-03T17:58:02.205+10:00Up, up and away!<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I finally saw the latest Disney-Pixar collaboration (UP) today. I really enjoyed it, but couldn't help feeling a bit disappointed at the end. I wanted a little bit more of a wrap up, but thinking back I have decided that it was a very good ending: sweet but not too cliche.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We went to the beach after, and it was a beautiful day. I went with my little sister and one of her friends, who we were dropping home after the movie. We wrote our names in the sand, jumped off the low stone wall, and discovered the most amazing sandcastle ever. That would be a great date idea! This castle had a moat (of course), a portcullis made from some flat wood pieces and a sea star guard. Trapped inside was a dastardly (dead) crab, surrounded by little sticks creating a jail cell and small-ish rocks in formation under the direction of a pinecone.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">It was so creative, and so many people enjoyed having a look, and even a play around (we added the starfish as a guard). What a great Saturday, truly refreshing and relaxed.</span></span>missOleahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08429937567381381998noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7489532289822854909.post-82493778278042288832009-10-02T22:35:00.002+10:002009-12-11T22:33:31.043+11:00Skin-Deep?<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Since I turned 16, I have hated my freckles. Earlier than that, I wasn't really aware of my looks beyond whether or not I brushed my hair. Now, I see them as a sign that I have not taken good enough care of my skin. I am a 'ranga (carrot top, red head), and I burn easily. I once got sunburn on my face and right arm when I went on a two hour drive on a sunny day. I hate my freckles.</span></span><br />
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</div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I know we are taught to love our God-given bodies, but should I wear the signs of my failed stewardship forever? Or should I try a beauty product that I found on the shelves of Priceline, promising to help my freckles fade into obscurity? Well, I think I know the answer to that one. I bought the cream, and now I need to remember to put it on twice a day and reevaluate in 3 months. It wasn't an expensive cream, less than the price of a CD, so I don't necessarily have high hopes but I want to give it a shot. Along with sunscreen, I hope to bring my skin back to as close to natural as possible. And I hope I can learn to love my skin, whether or not freckles remain after the three months.</span></span><br />
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</div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I know I've been a little flippant in this post, but it has really brought up some questions deeper than skincare. How much is my body supposed to be a trial and how much a blessing? I know it is part of my stewardship, but how much will taking care of my body count towards my final grade? Body, Spirit, Relationships are balanced in what way? 10%, 50%, 40%? Or 33%, 33%, 33%?</span></span><br />
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</div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I haven't really seen my body as an important part of the plan of salvation until I regularly started reading Segullah, cJane and NieNie's blogs. They brought up issues such as fertility, long-term injuries and body image issues from a spiritual point of view. I have never really had a good self-image, and I have decided to start working on my body itself and my perception of it in a spiritual context. Heavenly Father created me and my body, and while my true desire is to become more spiritually beautiful I also feel that I need to recognise and build upon my physical beauty.</span></span><br />
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</div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I am still early in my Young Single Adult career, and I hope to graduate early through good behaviour rather than long-service! I have recently read counsel from prophets urging me not to be too trendy or frumpy, not to wear too much makeup or too little, and to consider if we carry around a little more weight than most people find attractive. I just need to spin my plates a little better, I seem to have dropped the exercise plate, and my healthy eating plate is wobbling.</span></span><br />
</div>missOleahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08429937567381381998noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7489532289822854909.post-60332281420571491282009-10-01T22:45:00.001+10:002009-10-01T22:49:23.883+10:00Spring Cleaning<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I love spring. My birthday is in Spring. But this year, spring has been pretty cold. I remember trying to organise a cross between an afternoon tea and a barbecue for my 21st, and being very disappointed in the weather. Which is a roundabout way of saying that I guess Spring is usually much colder than I expect, after getting excited that Winter is coming to a close. I would have loved some nice weather for my week off next week.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I am taking a week off between jobs, as I have just been made redundant. I knew it was coming, most of our company shut down at the end of June, so I have been pretty fortunate. It does bring a period of reflection that I think is fitting for Spring. While giving my bedroom and car a thorough Spring clean, I will also try to clean out some of my bad attitudes and freshen up my motivation levels.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I was given a pretty tough project to handle, and I let myself get overwhelmed. In retrospect, I realise I should have simply tackled it one task at a time, re-organised the files in a way I found logical, and made myself more accountable. Having recently rediscovered 43 things, I plan on putting those realisations into action in my personal life to achieve goals that would have previously overwhelmed me.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">For instance, I have decided to join NaBloPoMo to build a habit of writing every day. One of my goals is to participate in NaNoWriMo in November, so this will be a great practice event for me. I need to take each day at a time, and plan my posts in a way that makes sense to me. I have made myself accountable by being put on the NaBloPoMo blogroll, and I plan on keeping my motivaiton levels high by concentrating on the reward at the end of the month.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Best Wishes to all you other NaBlo writers out there!</span></span>missOleahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08429937567381381998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7489532289822854909.post-11900354937398224652009-09-26T23:43:00.003+10:002010-02-01T22:30:52.817+11:00Melodramatica<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I love reading Jane Austen's novels, and recently managed to grab a set of 3 (Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibilty, and Emma) for $10 (AUD, remember). Reading Emma through properly for the second time, I've realised I am perhaps more like Emma than any of Austen's other main characters -- a character with so many flaws that I may be a heroine only my Author could love. (I warned you in the title of melodrama!)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I don't even particularly like Emma, and her flaws are not my flaws, but I sympathise with her (you can sympathise with a literary character, right?). And in the end, I am jealous. Look at who she marries! Mr Knightley is my favourite romantic interest. Yes, Darcy comes a (very close) second to Mr Knightley.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">But, I know I have no need to freak out that no-one but my Heavenly Father will love me, and so I persevere, and will now introduce you to a few of the candidates for my affection (though they may not know it yet).</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">One of my real life romantic interests, who I'll refer to as Texas Ranger, gets back from his mission in November this year. He served in my ward, and I had to avoid him because (a) that's not what missionaries are here for, (b) how embarrassing if he finds out!, and (c) it's hard to be coherent when there's a guy in the room who melts you. He did mention one time that he'd like to catch up after his mission, and I obsess over whether or not he was just being polite, because he'll be at our YSA convention over New Year's. He's been out of our ward now for over a month, and I can't remember what he said or how he said it, or even if I'm making the whole thing up. Craziness, right? I know! I just can't stop it once I start! So, life being what it is, I try to pretend it isn't an issue, and I'll ignore it until I have the opportunity to act. And I'll try to stop feeding the obsessiveness.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Now that it's spring, I've come out of hibernation mode and I'm spending more time with Young Single Adults in smaller groups rather than just at Dances and Firesides (though the Ball will be another post). We went rock climbing a couple of days ago, and had a movie night tonight. I had the chance to chat with a guy that is very interesting and seems to have a similar taste to me. We'll call him Westley. His accent is british, which makes him alluringly exotic and at the same time, still safely familiar. I don't know him very well yet, but I hope to get a chance.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Not by any means an exhaustive list (only two? we may only be 10 percent of the way there! And I'm only slightly joking). I have merely mentioned the strongest and most recent to enter the sentimental landscape of my imagination as romantic interests. There will be more to come.</span></span>missOleahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08429937567381381998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7489532289822854909.post-68046421667587286532009-08-07T14:23:00.001+10:002009-09-26T23:46:20.559+10:00Beatrice and Benedick<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UTCCqKfZvgY/SnuvMx_8WTI/AAAAAAAAAAM/nJVXOaLDncY/s1600-h/000_0940.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367076015056902450" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UTCCqKfZvgY/SnuvMx_8WTI/AAAAAAAAAAM/nJVXOaLDncY/s320/000_0940.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<div style="color: #545454; font: 13.0px Helvetica Neue Light; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Last weekend, my Mother, two sisters and I watched one of Kenneth Branagh’s fantastic movies, Much Ado About Nothing - not the sort of movie one should watch when one does not have a love interest, and we are all single!</span></span><br />
</div><div style="font: 13.0px Helvetica Neue Light; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0pxcolor:#545454;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span><br />
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</div><div style="color: #545454; font: 13.0px Helvetica Neue Light; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We started to compare Hero and Claudio’s relationship with Beatrice and Benedick’s. My mum decided without question that she would rather have her life follow the same path as Beatrice. She admires her strength and wit, and (being a divorcee of 4 years) ability to be happy without waiting for a man. I would prefer my life to follow the path of sweet, modest, romantic Hero. Even though she is so wronged, the movie ends with her marriage to a man hopelessly devoted to her (and who has hopefully learned to ask questions before making accusations).</span></span><br />
</div><div style="font: 13.0px Helvetica Neue Light; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0pxcolor:#545454;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span><br />
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</div><div style="color: #545454; font: 13.0px Helvetica Neue Light; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I see in Hero a lot of qualities that we as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints are encouraged to cultivate. Humility, compassion, forgiveness. I want to believe that I won’t need Beatrice’s willingness to remain unmarried if she doesn’t meet her match, and I worry that if I encourage too much of her strength, I will scare off all potential suitors. I dream of marriage to a good, sweet man. A leader and patriarch, for whom I can be a helpmeet. I want the fairytale.</span></span><br />
</div><div style="font: 13.0px Helvetica Neue Light; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0pxcolor:#545454;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span><br />
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</div><div style="color: #545454; font: 13.0px Helvetica Neue Light; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">But, I know that my dream would not really satisfy me. I always wake up in the morning smart, sarcastic, strong and I need a man that can cater to that. I just pray that he really exists!</span></span><br />
</div>missOleahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08429937567381381998noreply@blogger.com4