In Mourning For Carpathians!

What is happening to me? First I became a Twilight addict, then I sat glued to the television every Wednesday night to watch Moonlight until Channel 9 so rudely took it off the air! Then, over the past two months, I have spent evening after evening avidly reading the Carpathian series by Christine Feehan.

I had no idea when I bought the first book that they would be so addictive. But it wasn't long before I was obsessed with checking out local bookstores and putting holds on at the local library for my next instalment.

But now sadly, my addiction has to be rechecked cause I've read 17 out of the 18 already published books and am awaiting the last one when it becomes available at the library.

I love the Carpathians. Ok, alpha males they may be but their lives are never easy when they have not only vampires to deal with, but independent and often highly spirited lifemates who believe in giving women a fair say! It makes for interesting reading, along with some of the catchy storylines that Feehan includes in her novels. And the fact that they are full of romance and gorgeous people does help...let's face it!

I particularly loved the Lucian/Jaxon, Nicholae/Destiny, Vikirnoff/Natalya and Manolito/MaryAnn storylines. Mind you, who wouldn't be fascinated with Gregori's and Savannah's love story. And the Dark Celebration was just that - a celebration of all characters to date!

So as I sit and await the next instalment, due out at the end of the year, I am at a loss. What will I read now that my Carpathian adventure is almost over? I certainly feel a great big dark stain ;) creeping into my life!

Although I did see that a new Stephanie Plum novella is out............;)!!!!

View From My Kitchen Window

My dear friend Lynda at Lulu's Bay has challenged us all to take a pic from our kitchen window. Now, I've been so busy and too ashamed of my dirty kitchen window to take this picture up until now but finally......taaaa daaaaaa!!!!!

Yes, I know! Uninspiring, isn't it! Did I tell you that I live on the side of a hill? Rocks walls (and their blue tongue lizard inhabitants) surround us and there is a 4 metre drop from the back fence to the back of the house. Mind you, it is about 20 metres away so you can't make out the very back of the yard from the house but it makes a good climb when a surge on energy occasionally hits! Oh and I take no responsibility for the dead plants!

And yes.....that is the bbq lid up! Why dh didn't put it down after cooking breakfast on it yesterday, I'll never know. And why there is a spanner sitting to the side of it is also a mystery!

*sigh*.....see Lynda....I told you it is a pretty sad sight! ;)

Super Grot!

This is the pair of shorts that my dear son wore to camp! Did I also happen to mention that he returned home in the exact same pair of shorts! And for the days in-between....yep, you guessed it....he wore them as well!

It's not like he didn't have other shorts. In fact, he took 4 beautifully clean pairs!

So what is it about teen and almost-teen boys that they think it's ok to be a grot? What is so cool about being dirty? I know that I didn't raise my kids to be filthy. In fact, I am obsessed with clean and presentable clothes (pity I can't say the same about my housework though!)! Just looking at that photo makes me wonder where I've failed in my motherly duties about personal hygiene!

And when I questioned him about it his reply was....'It's ok....I changed my undies each day!' Hmmmm....if that is the case, then why did I find them also neatly folded and still clean in the bottom of his camp bag!

All Is Quiet on the Brissie Front!!!!

Possibly, this is because the 12 year old left for school camp on Tuesday and doesn't return until tomorrow. No fighting, no arguing, no answering back, no sarcastic remarks.....hmmmm.....why then do I miss him so much????!!!!

Regardless, he will get a big surprise when he comes home to discover that we have bought our first ever tent! Now family camping, in the past, has been something that has sent little shivers up the back of my spine...and not in a good way! All of that packing and unpacking.....living for days, if not weeks, in a confined space with children and no television.......no ensuite.....no lock on the front door.....need I say more! But recently we have had a change of heart with the realisation that our family unit is growing up fast and we need to do more things as a united front while we still have the chance! Ok, ok, I've insisted that there is absolutely no way in hell that I'm camping anywhere without flushing toilets and hot showers and if we are anywhere where it is remotely possible that man-killing poisonous snakes are in the vicinity then I'm boycotting the whole adventure. I've been reassured though that there are real camping grounds around which meet my reasonable needs and are not unlike a camper's resort! Ahhhh....heaven on a budget....who could ask for more!!!

So pictures of the tent will come as soon as it's had its first assembly. In the meantime, here is Miss 8 at Anoconda tonight (thank goodness for phone cam, btw)! She insisted that she wanted to have a go on the climbing wall there. Sure, sure said we....it's too high...you'll be scared! Well, once again she proved us wrong and made it all the way to the top twice! What a fearless little chickadee she is!!!

Mom (Mum for Aussies!) Song!

I know that this has been going around for a little while, but when someone posted it to an on-line group that I'm in, I just knew that I had to put it up here. It's the perfect addition for a blog about busy mums.....right?!

I have watched this so many times but everytime I laugh and laugh! There are so many lines that sound just like me speaking (has this woman turned into a fly and been sitting on my wall recently???!!!). I can so relate to the line about the ipod, counting to three, not caring who started it, waiting until you have children of your own, being born in a tent, the father's DNA......oh, let's face it...I can relate to the lot! Lol!

Enjoy!

One Year On.....

I have deliberated long and hard about writing this as Ava's story is not really mine to tell. But today it has been one year since Ava was embraced by angels and, like many of you, I cannot help but reflect on 'how'.....

* How I would marvel at the beautiful photos of her that her mother had posted for our little group to see.

* How, although I had never met her in real life, I always thought that she would get on well with my own daughter - they both liked pink and princesses!

* How I will never ever forget the exact moment when I first heard....the exact place, the exact feeling. How I sat at my computer in shock after checking emails and our chat room on her progress only to realise, with a sick feeling in my stomach, that the Ava we'd come to know and love was winging her way to heaven.

* How I watched her parents grieve on that sad occasion when we had all gathered to celebrate her life and felt completely helpless.

* How I constantly look at her little plant growing in my garden and think of her.

* How she has touched the lives of so many different people throughout the world and united so many strangers through both their grief and compassion for a little Super Princess!

Today I am thinking of Ava's family and thanking them for all the times that they've shared their gorgeous daughter with us. One year on and she is still remembered with love - even by those of us who never really got the opportunity to 'catch up'!

Rest in peace and love, Ava Rosemeyer!

"What we have once enjoyed we can never lose. All that we love deeply becomes a part of us." ~ Helen Keller

It Doesn't Rain, But It Pours....

......Especially when you are sitting at the 'Gabba stadium in Brisbane with thousands of other people and there's an international cricket game to be played!

I haven't been to a One Day International for years and years and the last time I did, it rained, too and my friend and I abandoned out seats and fled to the city, only to discover that the teams went back on to play. Needless to say, last night my family blamed me for the rain as they waded through ankle deep puddles to catch the bus home! Lol!

Believe me, standing in the pouring rain at 9pm on a Sunday night is not the place you want to find yourself.

The game in itself was disappointing, given that it had to be abandoned. Ok, ok, I know we are supposed to have a drought here and any rain should be welcome but it could have held out until after the Australians had finished batting!

Regardless, we did get to see almost a full Indian innings, got to watch some magnificent bowling by Brett Lee (Darn, he bowls fast....you don't appreciate the actual speed on tv - it's much faster to the eye in real life!) and got to cheer on Adam Gilchrist when he took to the field to bat - possibly his last visit as an international player to our local stadium.

Thankfully, we took raincoats though....there's nothing like feeling like a duck, instead of actually seeing some (cricket) ducks!

Sinking or Swimming!

The water is deep and murky! It surrounds me with an all-consuming force. I cannot feel the bottom of this endless sea of fear. There is terror below me that I cannot quite fathom an image of. I know it is here but I cannot see it; don't even know what it truly is. I struggle, trying to keep my head above the surface. My arms and legs are flailing in all directions. I can sense the danger and I am helpless to do anything other than be overcome with sheer panic. The water splashes against my body, trying to pull me under, trying to drag me to its depths. I try to breathe, inhaling large gulps of air, but my lungs have decided that now is not the time to co-operate. Suddenly, it feels like a weight is on my chest, crushing any chance of air entering its cavity. I am aware of people above me....on a boat or a ship perhaps....they are partying, having fun, ignorant to the life-sucking force that has bound me to this tragic end! I try to scream out to them but no sound comes, none is audible. Everything is black!

......and then I wake up!

As I lay, looking up at the ceiling, being embraced by the soft, calming sheets of my familiar bed I reflected on the details of what I'd just experienced. I knew that this dream was an indication of where my head is at the moment...where my life is. I have been trying to determine what it is that is forcing such a subconcious reaction.

Is it the turmoil of coming to terms with the fact that I am not getting any younger? Is it perhaps the fact that last week, I returned to work after an extended holiday and begrudgingly embraced all the stress that goes with it? Maybe it is the fact that this week, my beautiful son started high school and I have had to face the realisation that he is closer to being an independent adult who simply does not need my advice anymore. It is also possible that it is sheer frustration at the fact that my house and life is an unending cycle of clutter and clean....a cycle that I never, ever feel on top of. Or is it that I live every waking moment with a chronic back injury that inevitably will end in a risky operation. Or perhaps, it is simply that last week I found my first ever cluster of grey hairs on my head....a stark slap in the face to the fact that my body is prepared to age not-so-gracefully.

Whatever the reason, my dreams are obviously making a point....that something is terrifying me and that I simply don't feel that I'm coping!

But there is hope! Last week, I had the absolute priviledge to attend a work seminar given by Bruce Sullivan. By the end of the first morning session, I realised that I had laughed my way through most of it! And then it dawned on me! Bruce's anecdotes were so funny because they were so familiar....as if he had been observing little parts of my life and used them to reiterate his point on the way we (don't) cope with life's stresses! I guess that I wasn't alone either because I wasn't the only one laughing at the figurative mirror that he was holding up in front of all of us!

So this week, I have decided to start anew! I have decided to wake up with the energy and attitude that a 4 year old does! I have decided to focus on outcomes and not the time and effort it takes to get through a task....or each day! I am going to be more aware of the 'facts of life' that I cannot change and learn to accept them! I will focus on making more memories and more 'me' time to balance the part of my life that feels out of control and suffocating! Let's see how I go!

Oh, and if you have ever had the opportunity to sit through one of Bruce's seminars, then answer me this......does the fact that I regularly write a blog confirm the fact that I am truly more a 'red' person???!!

It’s a Twilight meme

Toni at Wifely Steps has blogged this Twilight meme for Twilight lovers everywhere! Naturally, I couldn't help myself!!! Thanks Toni for the concept!


Which book in the series is your favorite?

Twilight! One read and I was hooked!

How long did it take you to read the books?
A couple of days for each book. They were riveting! (This is a ditto for me!)

Who introduced you to the books?
I read about them when someone posted on the Moonlight imdb board and then I read about them on something completely unrelated. Then my dh told me that he'd heard them talking about the books on the radio so I took it all as a sign that I was meant to read them!

Did you buy them, borrow them, or have them given to you as a gift?
Bought!

Are you most looking forward to: Breaking Dawn, Midnight Sun, or the movie?
Midnight Sun! I read the first chapter on the SM website and can't wait to read it all through Edward's eyes!

What’s your dream ending to the series?
That Bella and Edward get married, he converts her and they live happily ever after, of course!

Favorites:

Who is your favorite character?
Edward, Edward, Edward!

Who’s your favorite vampire?
Ummmmm....Edward! I love Alice too though!

Who is your favorite werewolf?
I suppose Jacob!

What’s one of your favorite quotes from the stories?

Stupid, shiny Volvo owner!

And so the lion fell in love with the lamb!

If I could dream at all, it would be about you!

What was your favorite Bella and Edward moment?
There are so many! Possibly when he proposes in Eclipse! *sigh* So romantic!

What was your favorite Bella and Jacob moment?
I like all the times that Bella is cross with Jacob! Rofl! Sorry Jacob fans, but I am def Team Edward!

How about your favorite Bella and Alice moment?
When Alice first returned from the Cullens 'exile' in New Moon. I love that their relationship was so caring from that point on.

What was your favorite adventure/battle?
Hmmmmm.....I am torn between the battle with the newly turned vamps in book 3 or with the whole Volturi adventure in book 2!

Which book cover was your favorite?
I like all of them.

Are these books among your favorite books of all?
Yes!

Movie Stuff:

How did you first find out about the movie?

I can't remember....perhaps the SM website!

Are you excited?
HELL YEAH. (ditto)

What do you think of the casting so far?
So far so good. I want to see the chemistry between RP and KT! (my words exactly!!!)

Are you going to go see it?
Absolutely! I may be the oldest person in the cinema but I'll be there! Baahaaa!

Planning on going with anyone in particular?
I'm not sure yet!

Do you think it will stay true to the book?
No, I don't but I'm hoping it will. Movies that are true to books are few and far between unfortunately!

Breaking Dawn Speculation:

Are you planning on buying this book as soon as it’s out?

Absolutely!

Do you think Bella will be turned into a vampire finally?
I'm hoping so but perhaps not.

Do you think she and Edward will get married?
I am so hoping that they do! I'm just a sad romantic at heart!!! ;)

Do you think Jacob might imprint in this book?
I think so.

Who do you think Bella will end up with : Edward or Jacob?
Edward....pleeeeeeeeease!

Do you think it will be a happy, sad, or shocking ending?
I'm hoping happy!

Who do you think will be the villain(s) of the book this time?
Perhaps a new villan. I'm thinking that maybe Jacob might try and stop the wedding, too, knowing what is supposed to come afterwards!

How would you feel about a possible vampire / werewolf cross?
I don't know. Haven't thought of that yet!

Will Charlie find out Edward is a vampire?
No.

Will the vampires and werewolves continue the truce they had in Eclipse?
I hope so. I think that sends a really strong message through a theme of tolerance to people different to you!

If anyone, who do you think will die in this book?
Oh, I don't know. I'm hoping no one! Given SM's love of traditional romantic literature like Romeo and Juliet though, I am worried! However she also loves Pride & Prejudice so there is hope of happiness at the end!

For a twist: what would you think if Edward was somehow turned human?
I don't know. It would be a twist but I guess how it's written is what matters!

Do you think Jacob will be over Bella by the end of the book?
I hope so!

What do you most want to happen in Breaking Dawn?
Rofl! For Bella to marry Edward of course and that they live happily ever after!

What’s your dream ending?
See above!

(A Few Last Things:)

In which book did you like Bella’s character best?
I loved her in Twilight. She was so naive and fresh.

How about Edward’s?
All 3!

Jacob’s?
Twilight....I saw less of him then!

Alice’s?
New Moon. Great friend. (ditto)

If it were possible…who would you most want to meet in person?
Edward!