2009 Here we come...

Everyone seems to be reflective at this time of the year, and writing out their New Year goals. Got me thinking it did...

In 2009 I will:

• Find relief from the ongoing health drain of Atrial Fibrillation. Hopefully I will undergo an ablation early this year, and hopefully it will work properly
  
• Get back to losing weight again - and be able to undergo some regular, ongoing exercise
  
• Continue to enjoy being with my family - in particular my two wonderful grandsons
  
• See the establishment of my dream "Gentle Footprint" - Chick's Studio

Simple goals... but lots to do to acheive them

Janet

A Meme about me.

I don't usually do these - but this one captured my imagination...

I have bolded anything I have done - at least once....

Feel free to tell us about you on your blog too...

1. Started your own blog.
2. Slept under the stars.
3. Played in a band.
4. Visited The Great Barrier Reef.
5. Stood under the stars in the outback, the real outback – think Uluru.
6. Given more than you can afford to charity.
7. Been to the Gold Coast’s theme parks – anyone, you take your pick.
8. Climbed a mountain.
9. Held a praying mantis.
10. Sung a solo.
11. Bungee jumped, jumped out of plane, been paragliding or hang-gliding, hot air ballooning – you get the idea, you’ve been hundreds of metres about earth in a seemingly flimsy contraption.
12. Visited Melbourne.
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea.
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch.
15. Had a child. Raised a child. Worked with children.
16. Had food poisoning.
17. Been to the Snowy Mountains.
18. Grown your own vegetables.
19. Visited the Brett Whitely studio in Surry Hills, Sydney.
20. Slept on an overnight train or bus.
21. Had a pillow fight.
22. Been backpacking.
23. Taken a mental health day.
24. Been buried in sand with just your head and toes sticking out.
25. Held a possum, kangaroo or koala – or any other native Australian animal.
26. Gone skinny dipping.
27. Been in a fun run.
28. Been on the Blue Mountain cableway.
29. Seen a total eclipse.
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset.
31. Played, or watched, summer cricket.
32. Sailed, kayaked or canoed our beautiful waterways.
33. Seen the Daintree.
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors.
35. Visited an Aboriginal settlement or mission.
36. Learned a new language.
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied.
38. Toured the Sydney Opera House.
39. Tried rock climbing (indoor or outdoor), abseiling or just simple bush walking.
40. Visit Queensland’s Gallery of Modern Art.
41. Been to the Tamworth Country Music Festival.
42. Sunbaked at Bondi.
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant.
44. Visited Broome.
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight.
46. Been transported in an ambulance.
47. Had your portrait painted.
48. Gone fishing.
49. Seen Tasmania’s old growth forests.
50. Been to the top of Q1, on the Gold Coast.
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkelling.
52. Kissed in the rain.
53. Played in the mud.
54. Gone to a drive-in theatre.
55. Been in a movie.
56. Driven the Great Ocean Road.
57. Started a business.
58. Taken a martial arts class.
59. Visited Norfolk Island.
60. Served at a soup kitchen.
61. Sold Girl Guide biscuits.
62. Gone whale watching.
63. Got flowers for no reason.
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma.
65. Gone jet boating.
66. Visited Port Arthur.
67. Bounced a cheque.
68. Flown in a helicopter.
69. Saved a favourite childhood toy.
70. Visited the Australian War Memorial.
71. Eaten Caviar.
72. Pieced a quilt.
73. Stood in Federation Square.
74. Been on the Murray River.
75. Been fired from a job.
76. Travelled, or climbed, over the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
77. Broken a bone.
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle.
79. Seen the Three Sisters at Echo Point, Katoomba.
80. Published a book.
81. Visited St Mary’s Cathedral, in Sydney.
82. Bought a brand new car.
83. Been to Hermannsburg.
84. Had your picture in the newspaper.
85. Read the entire Bible.
86. Visited Parliament House.
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating.
88. Had chickenpox.
89. Saved someone’s life.
90. Sat on a jury.
91. Met someone famous.
92. Joined a book club.
93. Lost a loved one.
94. Saved a pet.
95. Been to the site of the Eureka Stockade.
96. Swum in The Whitsundays.
97. Been involved in a lawsuit.
98. Owned a mobile phone.
99. Been stung by a bee.
100. Read an entire book in one day.

Health update

I have updated my report on health below.

Lost week

I have lost a week - no, not one of those I have been so busy that I don't know where the week has gone, but one of those weeks where life has put me on hold from life for a week.

On Monday evening, my heart decided to beat super fast, and all out of rhythm. I have atrial fibrillation - one of the non-lethal heart problems, where my heart has extra beats - more so when I do anything besides lie in bed completely still. I spent most of 2 days in emergency, and the 2 nights in National Capital Hospital seeing a cardiologist. So I am on medication to slow the heart beat down, and try and make it regular again. If this doesn't succeed, they are threatening to give me the electric chair - nooooo I mean those electrical paddles that you see on TV where they say "Clear" and then you jump off the bed involuntarily. I feel perfectly OK when I am lying down - feel a proper fraud. But if I need a reminder, all I have to do is stand up, nearly pass out, and then walk 10 steps to my desk, and feel like I have walked a couple of km or more.

The elders from church are coming over later this morning to pray for me. What do I expect - a miraculous healing? Not necessarily, although I would accept it.

However, I do expect a sense of calm and peace that comes from getting in touch with the Divine. I do expect the sense of community and care that happens when people in your life are prepared to take time to visit, and pray for you. And I do expect that I will gain an inner strength and peace to deal with the situation I am presently in.

Now, God is God, and we are not in the business of telling (non-gender specific personal pronoun) what to do. But I believe that the way he chooses (non-gender specific personal pronoun) intervene with us as humans is in a partnership manner. there are times that (non-gender specific personal pronoun) wants us to request intervention in our lives. This is one of those times for me. I am seeking intervention, and would like this disabling condition to be gone from my life.

It has been my experience that sometimes after requesting intervention, it happens in a manner that has no other explanation than divine activity. Other times the intervention happens through medical assistance, and at other times it happens through change of lifestyle and activity. Sometimes the intervention happens within my heart and mind - I view things differently, find acceptance for things I cannot change, gain determination to do what is necessary to help myself, and find comfort and strength in having people around me who care about what is happening in my life.

Any and all of the above are acceptable to me - as is something else I don't have a clue about at this time.

Well - we have visitors in 45 minutes - and I now have to go and get dressed out of my jamas. This is not an easy task at this time, and totally exhausts me. At the moment, my Darls is applying the suction from the vacuum cleaner to the floor of the lounge. Don't tell anyone that most of what he has to suck up is threads and left overs from my crafting!!!

See you all later

Things that make me happy

I accepted the Shopping Sherpa's invitation to blog about seven things that make me happy. So here goes...

Top of the list - my bald darling...And my lovely, beautiful creative daughter ...
And wonderful son and his girlfriend...
cheeky grandchildren...
my changing shape...
wonderful memories - especially of my children when they are young...
being creative...
and being part of a community that cares for others.