30 Day Photo Challenge Day 9

A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most

This one was too hard, I could not choose one picture or one person.  Why?   Because I have certainly had my fair share of tough times in my life.  In fact, some people have asked if I killed a china man in my previous life.  So I have had to choose three pictures with some of the people who have really been there for me in my most difficult moments.  This does not mean they are the only ones who have been there because I have been fortunate to have many friends who have been there for me.  These ones have been consistently there for me through thick, thin, low and high times.

Picture 1 is my darling husband.  He certainly didn't realise when he signed that dotted line that his wife would in the future suffer chronic depression and he would be expected to shoulder far more in this partnership.  I am eternally grateful and of course would do it all for him.  Thank you my beautiful man.  I love you times eternity plus 1.

Picture 2 is all my immediate family at our wedding.  These people love me unconditionally and some have known me since birth (funny that).  They have changed my nappies, fought over toys and later clothes, taught me much and been there for me unquestioningly and completely.  They chose my side before knowing the details of the battle.  Thanks to my family.

Picture 3 is my bestie.  SGB you have given me so much strength.  You have stood up for me when you could have been silent and can I also just say fuck we have had some fun too.

I am blessed.  In my journey for mental health wellness I forgot how blessed I was.  I was embroiled in such evil darkness that I was unable to see the bright stars that constantly shone for me.

If I can be half the friend, life partner, family member you guys have been I would be proud.

Love

Laura

The Pretender

Abraham Lincoln

I am not bound to win but I am bound
to be true. I am not bound to succeed
but I am bound to live up to what light
I have. I must stand with anybody
that stands right; stand with them while
they are right and part with them when
they go wrong.

"The Pretender"

Keep you in the dark
You know they all pretend
Keep you in the dark
And so it all began

Send in your skeletons
Sing as their bones go marching in... again
They need you buried deep
The secrets that you keep are ever ready
Are you ready?
I'm finished making sense
Done pleading ignorance
That whole defense

Spinning infinity, boy
The wheel is spinning me
It's never-ending, never-ending
Same old story

[Chorus (x2):]
What if I say I'm not like the others?
What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays?
You're the pretender
What if I say I will never surrender?

In time or so I'm told
I'm just another soul for sale... oh, well
The page is out of print
We are not permanent
We're temporary, temporary
Same old story

[Chorus x2]

I'm the voice inside your head
You refuse to hear
I'm the face that you have to face
Mirrored in your stare
I'm what's left, I'm what's right
I'm the enemy
I'm the hand that will take you down
Bring you to your knees

So who are you?
Yeah, who are you?
Yeah, who are you?
Yeah, who are you?

Keep you in the dark
You know they all pretend

[Chorus x2]

[x2]
What if I say I'm not like the others?
(Keep you in the dark)
What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays?
(You know they all... pretend)
You're the pretender
What if I say I will never surrender?

So who are you?
Yeah, who are you?
Yeah, who are you?





You may notice a bit of a common theme in many of my posts.  I read somewhere that music is what feelings sound like.  In my online journalling (this blog) I sometimes am stumped to describe my feelings but find a certain song resonating in me so strongly that I can use it as a catalyst to open up and release my feelings.


Does this happen to you.  Maybe you hear a certain song and suddenly you are 16 years old and feeling those intense 16 year old feelings. In my mid twenties I lived in Sydney for about 4 months.  I love to live in different places but my strong family ties like a rubber band will only stretch so far before snapping and sending me back to home.  When I talk of home it is not necessarily a house but just where my family are. Now back to Sydney.  I was feeling homesick and just barely over the sound of a lawn mower I could hear a neighbour's radio on a tinny AM station.  A Glen Campbell song came on, pretty sure it was Rhinestone Cowboy and OMG I was a little girl again.  The sound of that lawnmower and that song took me back to a time where I felt safe, nurtured, and living in the loving cocoon of home.


Last night I watched the Foo Fighters' song Pretender on youtube. My son, who I must say has awesome taste in music, loves this song.  I really listened to the words and thought how powerful they were.  I felt the need to play that song really loud and start screaming out those words in a fiery anger filled fury.  I don't want to be the pretender anymore.  I will live my life the way I want to live it.  There will be no stopping me.


As Shakespeare wrote 'to thine ownself be true'.  That is all I have to do.  All of this year, during my time in hospital and in therapy with my psychiatrist I have dwelt on hurts from days of old.  As soon as I leave this hospital, no more!  I am going to concentrate on the here and now.  I am also going to explore Buddhism as they too concentrate on the here and now.  They don't judge, they accept and that is going to be me.


No more masks, costumes and pretending.  This is me.  This is who I am.  For each and every day I will live in the moment and I will aim to not judge and to accept.   


Remember the people we are quickest to judge are probably the people who are more in need of our acceptance then anybody else.


Take care, look after one person today.
Laura
xx

30 Day Photo Challenge Day 8

A picture that makes you laugh

Ally, Clay and me in Sydney.  I love this picture and it makes me laugh.  Just look at those two precious gorgeous kids of mine.  That picture totally represents their character, their personality and their sense of fun.  There I am posing and unbeknownst to me my kids are showing off and I love  it.

Love these two little creatures more than life itself.  I am missing them and their Daddy desperately while I am here in hospital.  But like tough love, there is a means to an end and my end is that I will go home a stronger, more flexible and stable Mummy.

I am what I am and what I am needs no excuses

A diamond with a flaw is better than a common stone that is perfect. ~ Chinese Proverb

One of my favourite songs is a song that is quite a hit on the drag queen circuit.  I am What I am.  It is up there with "I will survive" or "I am Woman" as far as anthems go.  I love it.  A real love me love my dog kind of song.

Just read those lyrics, better youtube the Shirley Bassey version.  It is heaps better than the Gloria Gaynor version which is good too.  This song is about you being your best version of yourself and to heck with the rest of the world.

This song has definitely been added to the soundtrack of my life.  I will not apologise or hide or cringe.  I will live my life the way I want and to hell with anyone who takes issue.  It does not mean I will be badly behaved, or hurtful or malicious.  It just means as the name of my blog states this is me warts and all.

So come on lets all get out our hairbrushes and jump on our beds and have a one woman show and sing it out loud and proud.

Shirley Bassey I am What I am Lyrics: I am what I am I am my own special creation So come take a look Give me the hook or the ovation It's my world that I want to have a little pride in My world and it's not a place I have to hide in Life's not worth a damn till you can say Hey world I am what I am I am what I am I don't want praise I don't want pity I bang my own drum Some think it's noise I think it's pretty And so what if I love each feather and each spangle Why not try and see things from a different angle Your life is a sham till you can say Hey world I am what I am I am what I am And what I am needs no excuses I deal my own deck Sometimes the ace Sometimes the deuces It's my life and there's no return and no deposit One life, so it's time to open up your closet Life's not worth a damn till you can say Hey world I am what I am

Hope you had as much fun as I did.  This life is all about the width of our journey not the length.
Take care,
Laura

30 Day Photo Challenge Day 7

A picture of your most treasured item

While I am in hospital it is hard to take a picture of my most treasured items so I have borrowed this image as a representation.  My most treasured items are my memories.  Memories keep the dear and precious alive long after they have turned to dust.  They are far more valuable then anything I own.

I chose the wooden spoons, because they represent memories for me.  Last year my maternal Grandmother had a stroke.  She is still pretty feisty but pre-stroke she was an independent woman who still did all her own gardening and walked to the shops for her groceries.  In fact she walked so fast you could barely keep up.  After her stroke, she sadly had to sell her house, most of her belongings and move into an aged care resort (sounds better then nursing home).  

We all got to choose a few items from her home.  The first thing I chose were her wooden spoons.  Because, she has lovingly cooked countless meals, biscuits, cakes, puddings with these spoons.  I now use them I hope with the same amount of love.

These wooden spoons represent some amazing memories that my Nana has given me.  For her birthday this year, I gave her my memories back in the form of a painting.  I wanted to thank her for what she has given me.  Priceless and far more valuable then all the gold in the world

Memories, are what binds us to the people in our past and keep the people in our present precious.

Dear Diary (Life of a wimpy 13 year old)

Dear 13 year old me

Hi bet you couldn't imagine you would ever be almost 42.  Also bet you couldn't imagine you would be writing this letter sitting in a psychiatric hospital.

I just wanted to tell you a few things.  You were never ever fat.  Hear that.  Never.  Not until you started to not believe in yourself.  You were so full of promise.  You were smart and kind and totally into your family. All good things.  You worked hard at your sport.  You were never a great athlete but effort, guts and heart made up for that. You were too smart for your own good and that made you lazy.  You little shit, you could have done anything.  But that is ok.  You know better now.

Why did you end up here in hospital?  You started to believe you had no value.  You allowed others to believe it too.  You took too much on board and carried it for too long.  You never learned to let go and cull. But that sometimes made you fight for the things you truly believed in.  So don't be too hard on yourself there.

I wish I could have told you that the first man you fell in love with was not 'the one'.  I couldn't.  He was 'a one' and for awhile he was fun and great.  I wish I could have told you the moment it all stopped so you could have walked away then.  Rather than staying on a year too long.  A year of indifference and cruel words.

I wish I could have have given you more time to grieve and allow you to truly recover instead of just adding it to the weight you would continue to carry.

You did ok though girl.  You had a successful career, you have friends that are loyal, and amazing.  You found 'the one' and you did good by your kids.  Your life has value and your kindness and generosity knows no bounds.  Just keep letting go of the crap.

The 13 year old me was a dreamer and an idealist so nothing has changed there.  Girl, you did some amazing things and have been to some amazing places.   You have helped your Mother care for her Mother and will continue to do so.  You are starting a new journey now.

A journey that will be colourful, meaningful but light and burden free.  You will be a better Mother and Wife and a better daughter, sister and friend.  This is who you became.  You did good.

Love
the almost 42 year old me who still feels 16.

30 Day Photo Challenge Day 6

A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day

It would be easy to choose someone with fame and fortune. Someone like Lady GaGa or Katy Perry but I am not really turned on by fame or fortune.  I would like to have some fortune and maybe a little fame but a different fame.  I would like my fame to be for advocating.  Advocating the rights of the disabled and their carers.

I almost chose the Dalai Lama.  It would be a great way to learn some mindfulness and become a better person. But I think that is a journey each person must take their own way.

So I choose (drum roll please)

I choose Julia Gillard.  Not because I want to be her.   Puhlease.  But I would like to run amuck with some policies and I know you can't make changes in just one day but man it would be fun.  I would love to just have the chance to listen to what the disabled and carer advocates really want.  I would love to get it tabled in parliament but shit I would need more then one day.

So there you have it.  Another idealistic choice from a chic who has been told by her psychiatrist that her idealism is making her sick.  Well I am sick of that too lol.

See you all back her for Day 7 same bat time same bat station.

Over and out

Laura

Well behaved women rarely make history ~ Marilyn Monroe

April is autism awareness month. Fact 2. More children are diagnosed with autism than cerebral palsy, diabetes, deafness, blindness and leukaemia put together.

Well Maz if that is the case, there should be a library filled with my history. Not that I would say I am badly behaved, just somewhere in between.

I love being a bit of a ratbag.  Define ratbag you might say.  Well I love skinny dipping and have done so in some wonderful places.  Hamilton Island, pacific ocean, caravan parks to name a few.  

I love to laugh, I love to take the micky mostly out of myself but sometimes out of others.  But only the ones I love the most.  I love to live a loud life.  Not loud in volume but loud in action.  I love to love my friends.  I love to celebrate that friendship.  I love to be impulsive.

There are many many things I could write about but I would have to change the names and places to protect my friends who now hold positions of responsibility like school teachers and the like.  Not mentioning any names though Stef.

One night that is very worthy of this post involves a couple of friends, my younger sister and me.  My friends and I were 16 so my sister was 14.  We saw Aussie Crawl at Festival Hall (you younguns just google it).  To cut a long story short we ended up getting invited to their after concert party at the hotel they were staying at. I will add here it was not due to slutty behaviour or dress as we did have standards.  We were so young and innocent but thought we were so worldly and sophisticated.  We rang my parents to beg and plead to be allowed to go.  My parents had faith in us and said yes.  They knew we would look after both ourselves and each other.  We went, we had fun, we didn't act like groupies so we weren't treated like groupies.  It was awesome.  James Reyne is an arsehole by the way.

In my quest for wellness I am going to resume that loud colourful life.  Letting go of inhibitions, taking the lead and being impulsive.  As long as it is legal, does not interfere with my sense of ethics/morals and will not be a source of hurt for others then I am in baby.

Love

Laura

xx

30 Day Photo Challenge Day 5

A picture of your favourite memory

This was a really really hard one to choose.  I am fortunate to have many many pictures which add up to a rich full lifetime of memories.  I could have chosen at least 30 different pics.  The one I have chosen harks back to what I call our party years.   You can barely see me.  I am dressed up in work clobber with a vest and tie.  We are dancing probably to something like Village People and this is about 20 odd years ago.

My mid teenage years to my early twenties was filled with sport and parties.  In summer we played softball and in winter we played netball.  Then we played indoor netball all year.  My parents in their unconditional love for my sister and I; founded both a netball and softball club.  My teammates were my best mates.  And as you know a team that parties together stays together.

Our family home was the unofficial club house and we would all converge there every Saturday arvo and drink, replay each single worthy action shot, denigrate the umpire and opposing team and basically have a fabulous night.  We were lucky that the softball club had a few men's teams so there was some pretty nice eye candy but basically just harmless opportunities to flirt with dudes you knew and trusted.

They were my wonder years.  It was a magical time and one that we still talk about, laugh about, and of course every single event becomes larger then life.  Those friends are still my friends now.  They are as much a part of me and my memories, that to lose them would be akin to losing my sight.

We don't see near enough of each other as we all live busy lives ferrying our children around to sporting events helping them to gather their own lovely memories.  But at least 4 times a year we make the effort.  Every school holidays with much emailing and planning we have a card day.  We start at 10am and the card playing is full throttle for the first couple of hours.  As the wine goes down faster, the talking, laughing, crying and adoration takes over and the card playing kind of becomes a side event.  These days are something I look forward to.  It is a consistency.  It adds to those memories and keeps us grounded.

To you girls, man I love you guys.  Thanks for the memories as Fallout Boy would say.

It's time for Liberation

lib·er·ty (lĭbˈər-tē)

noun pl. liberties lib·er·ties

1. a. The condition of being free from restriction or control.
   b. The right and power to act, believe, or express oneself in a manner of one's own choosing.
   c. The condition of being physically and legally free from confinement, servitude, or forced labor. See Synonyms at freedom.
2. Freedom from unjust or undue governmental control.
3. A right or immunity to engage in certain actions without control or interference: the liberties protected by the Bill of Rights.
4. a. A breach or overstepping of propriety or social convention. Often used in the plural.
   b. A statement, attitude, or action not warranted by conditions or actualities: a historical novel that takes liberties with chronology.
   c. An unwarranted risk; a chance: took foolish liberties on the ski slopes.
5. A period, usually short, during which a sailor is authorized to go ashore.

Origin: Middle English liberte, from Old French, from Latin lībertās, from līber, free; seeleudh- in Indo-European roots.

Guess what?  I may feel I have lost my independence but I am still liberated.  I have the right and power to act, believe and express myself in my own choosing.  This is my new mantra.  I am going to live eat breathe it.  Maybe I could write a book and call it act, believe, express. It would surely shit all over that drivel 'eat pray love'. 

Today is April 1 and it is the start of autism awareness month.  So in each of my April blogs, I am going to give you some facts on Autism or on my boy.

Fact 1.  Autism is a lifelong disorder, no matter what you hear there is no cure.

This liberated chick today is going to enjoy a full day of liberated choices and maybe a little bit of fun.

Take care

Laura xx

30 Day Photo Challenge Day 4

A picture of your night

The Empire State Building Lit Up Blue for Autism Awareness Month

While this is not a picture of my night it will be a picture of tonight New York City time.  On the evenings of April 1 and 2, 2011, prominent buildings across North America and the world — including the Empire State Building in New York City and the CN Tower in Toronto, Canada — will turn their lights blue to raise awareness for autism and to commemorate World Autism Awareness Day on Saturday, April 2.

We’re aiming to light the world blue all throughout April — city by city, town by town — by taking action to raise autism awareness in our communities.  How cool is this.  I can't wait to see pictures.  The above I think is a photoshopped pic but who cares.  This is what my night is going to be even here in hospital.

You too can light it up blue by wearing blue on April 1 or 2.  But the whole of April is autism awareness month.  April 8 is Dress Different Day.  Click on the link to find out more.  Please do your little bit - it all counts.  

Some of the major participants are:

• Rockefeller Center and Top of the Rock™ Observation Deck (New York City)
• Christ the Redeemer (Rio de Janeiro)
• Sydney Opera House (Sydney)
• Empire State Building (New York City)
• Memphis Grizzlies Autism Awareness Night (Memphis)
• Intrepid Sea, Air, & Space Museum (New York City)
• Mitchell Park Conservatory (Milwaukee)
• Nebraska State Capitol (Lincoln, NE)
• Brisbane Story Bridge

Who wants to be a millionaire? I do!

I know money isn't everything and money can't buy love or happiness.  But far out I wouldn't mind being rich and depressed.  I think it beats being poor and depressed.

For me money isn't about social status or materialism.  Money is about security, stability and ensuring my kids have the best education possible.

I have this running day dream.  I win $30million smakeroos. I love this day dream.  I know exactly what I would do.

1. Pay off the mortgages on my parents, in-laws, Sisters and Brother-in-laws.  Buy them all a brand new car.
2. Donate a big chunk of money to Autism Qld for specific purposes.  Firstly, to update their IT and make sure the admin, therapists, school and students had all the bells and whistles they needed to be completely up to date and leading edge with IT.  Secondly, to offer an annual scholarship for a child to attend Early Intervention.  A child should not miss opportunities because of financial hardship.  I would also of course continue to support all their annual events.
3. Pay for the education of several children through the The Smith Family
4. Buy a holiday house on Hamilton Island for family and friend's use only.
5. Buy a house for us.  A house on about half an acre.  There would be a four bay shed for the Wazmeister to do  his car stuff and have his man cave.  And I would also make sure there would be the coolest skate park for the kids to enjoy as well.  The house wouldn't have to be fancy, just roomy enough to allow for kids, friends and us to relax.
6. Invest $10million in a very safe conservative fund that would just be left to sit there.
7. Whatever was left would be used to start up a property portfolio.  A company owed by me would own the properties and all our immediate family members would be shareholders and receive an income from this.
8. I would have a shopping spree too but that goes without saying lol.
9. Shout a couple of friends to New York for a fabulous shopping and sightseeing holiday.  That would be you SGB, SB (don't know your middle name), SE, AB, SW and my Mum & sister too.
It is terrible, that money has such an importance in our lives. We are ruled by it.  Measured by it. Judged by it.  Having a lot or lack of doesn't matter people still will feel the need to judge.  We have a lack of it.  A significant lack of it.  Not because we have been stupid, or gambled, or lived an excessive life.  But because life is unfair.  To go into the reasons are too personal and not really the point of this post.

Living with no money, knowing your children are missing out on opportunities, seeing your friends enjoy a wonderful lifestyle (which they deserve) tends to get you down.  It has got me down so down that I was not able to see the forest for the trees.

I forgot I still had a family who I love and loves me back.  I forgot laughter with friends is free.  I forgot that sitting in the sun for the pure pleasure of it is free.  I was so so so blinded by our poverty that I forgot it doesn't matter; that there is more to life and it was reachable, achievable and easy.

Yes I would like to have a lot of money.  It would not really change the way I live my life apart from freeing me from financial burden.  I would give a lot of the money away and then tie up the rest of it to provide an income for the people in my life that matter.  It would give me more choices for educating my kids and helping others.  It would ease my worries.

For now, I am going to concentrate on simple free pleasures.  Leave the money worries to my husband (who is fabulous, handsome, sexy and so clever) and just get on with getting well.

Hope you all are enjoying a lovely day, take a moment to enjoy a simple pleasure and smile.
Laura
xx

30 Day Photo Challenge Day 3

A picture of the cast from your favourite show.

Tangle.  Only airs on Foxtel.  Why it has not been picked up by commercial tv is beyond me.  It is a class act Australian drama with excellent Australian talent.  It is available on dvd and I highly recommend you hire this and watch it.  It is one of the best ever Australian drama series I have seen.  I know some of you may scoff and say well that wouldn't be hard.  But with the likes of Love My Way, The Secret Life of Us, Packed to the Rafters, Bed of Roses just to name a few; Australia is quietly and surprisingly emerging with some amazing series that really depict Aussie life.  And not an ocker Aussie life, but a much more sophisticated, multi-culturally colouful life.


Tangle is described as 'the tangled lives of parents, their teenagers, and the shifting moral compass of modern life.'

Quite an impressive cast too.
* Justine Clarke (Love My Way 3, Bastard Boys, Look Both Ways)
* Ben Mendelsohn (Love My Way 2 and 3, Australia, Beautiful Kate)
* Catherine McClements (Water Rats, The Secret Life of Us, Rush)
* Matt Day (Spooks, Hell Has Harbour Views)
* Kat Stewart (Underbelly, Newstopia, Kick, City Homicide) 
* Joel Tobeck (Lord of the Rings, Little Fish, The Water Horse, Accidents Happen)


There have so far been two seasons.  And I eagerly am awaiting season three.

Art for Arts Sake

If you had told me last year, I would be drawing and creating what I proudly call pieces of art; I would have scoffed, laughed and cynically derided but I can't even draw stick figures you are crazy.  lol.  I read an article recently about attention span and focus.  To put it in plain english, people with ADD/ADHD have much more creative flair then people with great ability to focus and concentrate.

I think this is the reason for my sudden artistic emergence.  Now, please, when I speak about my art.  It is because I appreciate it.  And as they say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.  So to me my creations are beautiful.  That does not mean you will appreciate them.  And that is ok.  It keeps the world interesting.  Life would be pretty boring if we all loved landscapes. ho hum yawn. Since I have become extremely mentally unwell I have also become very scatty, forgetful and have zero attention span.  Maybe this has been the reason I have suddenly become creative.  I wonder?

I going to add some of my pictures.  Not all of them but the ones that are my particular favourites.

Fireworks over the Seine

Always the sun

Central Park

Balloons

Autumn leaves me happy

I fell

Fallout over Cherry Blossoms

Girl with a pearl earring

Tree of life

There are many more, and I have a couple of works in progress.  I am finding my art both therapeutic and confronting.  It is giving me back my emotions and teaching me how to feel again.  I find myself at times amazingly uplifted and crying from joy and then also feeling sadness.  Not the dark rancid sadness of depression but just plain old sadness.  Mostly it is sadness that I am still unwell and desperately trying and wanting to be better.  I miss my children.  I miss sleeping beside my husband.  I miss our simple happy little life.  I want to go home but I want to go home well.  I am now not asking to have a lighter load, I am now asking for a stronger back.

Like anything, nothing good happens fast.

I am not in hospital twiddling my thumbs, or sleeping the day away, I am working and writing and drawing and becoming stronger.

Take care,
Laura
xx

30 Day Photo Challenge Day 2

A picture of yourself and the person you have been closest with the longest.

I have thought long and hard about what picture to choose for this challenge.  My obvious choice is my Mum as she carried me for nine months and then of course has been there from day one.  She is a friend too.  I could also choose my sister.  Although younger then me (damn I hate admitting that) we are also close.  Instead I have gone with the person who has been my bestie since we met in Grade 1 at school.

Here we are probably about 8 or 9.  She is the brunette and I am the blonde.  Our hair colour was always so convenient when we wanted to perform Abba concerts.  Funny my Mum is also in this photo the hot chic in the pink shoestring top.  The other hot chic on the other side is my friend's Aunt.  We thought she was so cool.  We were at a Christmas Carols night.  Look how young and innocent we were.  We are lucky that we both grew up in a loving, stable family environment.   When we were 10 we were wrenched apart.  Yes it was that painful.  Her family moved interstate.  But full credit to us, we maintained our friendship through letters, begged for and closely times long distance phone calls (back then they were very expensive) and the odd interstate flight to visit each other.  By the time we were about 13 my family began to also holiday at the same place as her family.  So we have awesome memories of long hot summer days spent on the beach or in the pool or just watching the cricket during lovely snoozy heat filled afternoons.

We celebrated our 18ths with each other, we travelled overseas together, we did a Thelma and Louise road trip along Great Ocean Road, we have been there for each other through some incredible lows and awesome highs.  She is as much a part of my life as my Mum or my sister.  And because we are not family but friends by choice is the reason I have picked her for today's challenge.  Our history, our memories, our regard for each other is something that can never be measured.  Can never be replaced. And will always be a source of continuing comfort for me.

To L thanks for the cool times, thanks for the red letter couch days, the awesomely achieved hang overs (which were fun to get but so awful to recover from) and the comfortable companionship of hanging out knowing you can veg out on the couch on not speak for hours and feel like we are having fun.

She has just become a Mummy for the first time.  Her baby is beautiful and gorgeous and will be so well loved.  I know she will rock as a Mum.

Day 1 30 Day Photo Challenge

Day 01 - A picture of yourself with ten facts

Day 02 - A picture of you and the person you have been closest with the longest

Day 03 - A picture of the cast from your favorite show

Day 04 - A picture of your night

Day 05 - A picture of your favorite memory

Day 06 - A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day

Day 07 - A picture of your most treasured item

Day 08 - A picture that makes you laugh

Day 09 - A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most

Day 10 - A picture of the person you do the most ****** up things with

Day 11 - A picture of something you hate

Day 12 - A picture of something you love

Day 13 - A picture of your favorite band or artist

Day 14 - A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without

Day 15 - A picture of something you want to do before you die

Day 16 - A picture of someone who inspires you

Day 17 - A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently

Day 18 - A picture of your biggest insecurity

Day 19 - A picture and a letter

Day 20 - A picture of somewhere you'd love to travel

Day 21 - A picture of something you wish you could forget

Day 22 - A picture of something you wish you were better at

Day 23 - A picture of your favorite book

Day 24 - A picture of something you wish you could change

Day 25 - A picture of your day

Day 26 - A picture of something that means a lot to you

Day 27 - A picture of yourself and a family member

Day 28 - A picture of something you're afraid of

Day 29 - A picture that can always make you smile

Day 30 - A picture of someone you miss




My niece is doing this on facebook.  I thought it would be fun to do on my blog.

For fun I picked one that was taken about half my life time ago.  Far out.  It was a weekend I had in Sydney with my bestie.  One of those magic weekends where nothing is planned but everything you do is pants wettingly hilarious.


Now for ten facts.


1. I have a tattoo and want another
2. I am madly in love with my husband and our 10 year anniversary is soon
3. I would love to open a respite centre in my local area for special needs children, their siblings and their families.
4. I am a closet bogan
5. I love the band Hole. Courtney Love is a bit tragic but I love their music.
6. I am still very close with my Mother-in-law from my first marriage.
7. I suffer vertigo.  I can't even wear roller blades as they are too high for me.
8. I am secretly in love with Bernard Fanning.
9. I think I had a perfect simple carefree childhood
10. I cannot stand on bugs, cockroaches or spiders etc.  Freaks me out.


Are you up for the challenge.


Laura
xx