Christmas Lights

Our first Christmas here, in 2008, we began a collection of Christmas lights.

Our plan was to add to it every year until we had a spectacular Christmas display that would be on a 'must see' list every year, for the Christmas light fanatics.

Last year, we didn't even put a tree up.  No decorations.  No lights.  A non-event Christmas ... followed by a destructive tornado!

This year, Adoring Husband pulled all of the decorations out of the shed, only to discover that, after 5 years, some of them had disintegrated, as had the plastic attachments that held them to the roof.

So we've had to replace some of the lights, as well as buy a couple of extras.

We got some solar powered candy canes for the path and some solar powered fairy lights to drape over the Geisha Girl shrub in the centre of the front garden.

We also got quite a tall green Christmas tree that glows and flickers green lights.

It looks very Christmassy!

Our tradition for Christmas dinner is to have seafood.  Lots of it.  Crabs and prawns and fish and calamari, as well as the traditional ham and salads.

In Australia, it's too hot in December to have a cooked dinner ... you know, turkey and vegetables and pie, not an option in our house.

So our seafood is ordered.  Our ham is in the fridge.  Our lights are hung.  Our tree is up.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Nite all.

Friday Night

You know the drill.  Friday night.

All I've had to eat today is a medium popcorn at the movies.

We watched "The Hunger Games - Catching Fire."

Great movie!

With an ending that has us hungry for more!!

An unlucky night at the Club tonight.  3 glasses of wine and no wins.

That means .. time for bed.

Tomorrow night, I will take a photo of our Christmas lights at the front of the house - we added to our collection today.

Last year, we didn't even put decorations up for Christmas ... this year, we are making up for it.

Nite all.

I Did It!!

At last!  My desk is clear!  It took me about an hour, but now it is clean and shiny and white again.  My brain feels clearer and tidier and ready to embark on some long blog posts.

I currently have a giant pot of prawn stock on the boil - almost ready to strain and pack into the freezer.

I also have the slow cooker simmering away with about 6 chicken frames, making a big batch of stock.

Yesterday's batch of bone broth has been packed away.  First, I scooped the layer of fat off the top and stored it in the fridge to use for cooking.  Hmmmm yum.

Bone broth.  Who knew that it was so good for you?

I don't recall my grandparents making bone broth - but I do remember reading about bone broth in period novels, set in England and Ireland.  My memory recalls that bone broth was fed to anyone with an illness.

Here is what I've learned about bone broth in the last week ...

1.  Bone broth is excellent for your joint health.

The health of your joints depends upon the health of the collagen in your ligaments, tendons, and on the ends of your bones. Collagens are a large family of biomolecules, which include the glycosaminoglycans, very special molecules that help keep our joints healthy.

Bone broth is loaded with glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). You've heard of Glucosamine?  Yep, those supplements that everyone is taking for joint health contain one of the GAGs we get from consuming bone broth.

This is why Real Food is better than supplementation…

Notice I said that glucosamine is just one of the GAGs contained in bone broth?  When you consume broth you also get chondroitin, hyaluronic acid, and a bunch of other equally important GAGs.

The best part is that the GAGs we get from bone broth are resistant to digestion and are absorbed in their intact form. These intact GAGs like hormones, stimulate cells called fibroblasts which lay down collagen in the joints, tendons, ligaments, and even the arteries.

It’s truly powerful stuff!

2.  Bone broth heals your gut.

We all experience some kind of gastrointestinal challenge at some time in our lives .. especially as we get older — constipation, diarrhea, food sensitivities, leaky gut, or even autoimmune disease.

One of the most vital nutrients for healing the gut is gelatin.

There was a time when gelatin was the most studied nutrient under the sun for all of its healing virtues. 

Times have certainly changed.

The intestinal lining is supposed to be permeable in order for nutrients to pass through. However, this lining can become too permeable due to lifestyle factors such as poor diet, stress, long-term contraceptive use, as well as bacterial and fungal overgrowths.

This is how leaky gut — or gut hyperpermeability — works. Undigested food particles can slip through the gut lining and pass directly into the bloodstream.  When this happens, the immune system freaks out and starts attacking the very foods you eat — we call these food sensitivities.

Over time, this can turn into an autoimmune issue by which your immune system thinks your thyroid — or any other tissue, for that matter — looks like the piece of steak molecule it’s been fighting off for the past few years, and your body starts to attack itself.

According to some, autoimmunity will soon be the number one cause of death. Gut hyperpermeability is a big reason why.

The gelatin in bone broth fills the excess holes in the gut lining, a bit like silly putty!  It should be part of any gut-healing protocol.

3.  Bone broth is excellent for your hair, skin and nails.

I know people who, in a quest to recapture a youthful appearance, will pay top dollar for products that boost collagen — also the main constituent of hair, skin, and nails.

As we age, production of collagen declines and we start to see the outward signs of aging.

Botox — a drug made from a toxin produced by the bacterium clostridium botulinum — is all the craze for the reduction of lines and wrinkles.

In my opinion, it's weird that people choose to inject that into their bodies .. and it's expensive!

Personally, I’d much rather prepare and consume bone broth to keep my skin, hair, and nails looking fabulous than have a toxin injected into my face.

But that’s just me.

4.  Bone broth helps remove toxins.

The liver is the master organ of detoxification, but it was never intended to withstand the very toxic, chemical nature of today’s world.

The liver is under assault on a daily basis, and its capacity to detoxify is limited by the availability of the amino acid glycine.

Guess where you can get tons of glycine from? Bone broth!

For now, forget about all the fancy detox programs you’ve heard about.  Do your liver a favor by giving it what it needs to do its job most effectively.

Get down to your butcher and grab yourself a stack of beef bones (they are surprisingly inexpensive) and simmer them away with some veggies and some apple cider vinegar (which helps draw out the good stuff).  Simmer on low for about 12 hours to get the best out of them.

******

Adoring Husband and I have been discussing getting a bigger freezer.

We have a small upright freezer and two fridges with freezers attached, but all of them are absolutely chock-a-block full of soups, stocks, stewed fruits, home-made ice creams, gravies, sauces, pestos, meats and garden vegetables.

I will struggle to find space for the stocks that I'm making today.

I need to stay out of the kitchen for a while and we need to use up what's in the freezers!

Nite all.

  

Big Plans

Well, yes, I had big plans for tonight's blog post, but time got away from me, so I'm afraid it's another short and sweet effort.

 A couple of black and white shots from the wedding last month...

I still haven't tidied my work area and I think it's having an effect on my brain!  Messy work space, messy brain.  Just can't seem to get my act together.  Perhaps I should seriously dedicate tomorrow morning to creating a more user friendly work space ... no more procrastinating!!

I won the flickr challenge for the second month in a row for 'Vertical Landscape' with this photo.

My self esteem is suitably boosted (which is the prize for each challenge).

'The Nikonian' won the other challenge (One of the 7 Deadly Sins), also for the second month in a row!

We are on a roll!

Now I have to think of a theme for December's challenge.  I'm off to find my thinking cap.

Nite all.

So Interesting!

I spent all day in the kitchen today, cooking up a storm!

Real bone broth ... still simmering away, after 14 hours.  I'll keep it going til tomorrow morning, so it will be 24 hours.  All that marrow and deliciousness oozing it's way into the broth.  Yummy!

I also slow roasted a rolled beef and made some real gravy out of the juices.

I used the old tomatoes in the fridge, some red capsicum, onion, two chillies and a little kombucha to make a spicy tomato sauce.  I got 3 containers out of the batch, so froze two of them and will use the third tomorrow.

I made 3 containers of Coriander Pesto.  It's full of brazil nuts, pine nuts and pepitas, as well as lemon juice and macadamia oil, plus loads of organic coriander.

I cooked a batch of chocolate brownies, but unfortunately I got distracted and left them in the oven a little longer than I should have, so they're a bit dry .. but still taste great with strawberries and whipped full cream!

Last, but not least, was a batch of Chocolate Coconut Truffles.  I was very impressed to get a batch of 45 truffles (the recipe stated 36), which I hope will last a while .. although Adoring Husband might have his eyes on them, since he didn't buy any of his special chocolate this week.

Tomorrow, I have 2kgs of chicken frames to make up a batch of chicken stock, but other than that, I will focus on photos and editing .. I still haven't finished editing the wedding photos .. so slack of me!

In the meantime, I found this video today, which was made three years ago and is still very relevant today.  Dr Oz has even supported this theory and I have always been a firm believer in eating your way to good health and curing some diseases this way.

The video runs for almost 25 minutes, but is very interesting!  I wouldn't share it if I didn't think it was worth your while.



I've enjoyed early bedtimes for three nights in a row now and have slept soundly for about 7 hours each night (unheard of for me, for about 8 years - since my mother passed away in 2005).

I've also enjoyed waking up earlier and getting a few chores done before I go for my ride to the Seat of Knowledge.

I'm feeling great, and although my back struggled with standing on the tiled kitchen floor for so many hours today, a few 20 minute breaks in between each recipe, helped, and right now I am pain free, so I'm very happy with that!

It looks like tonight will be another early night!

Nite all.

Birthday Boy

Tonight was a celebration.  Happy Harry's 70th birthday!

We were a group of friends gathered together at the local pub, to share his day.  Friendships that have developed over only a short period of time but have already endured heartbreaks and enjoyed celebrations, all of which, create strong bonds.

Happy Harry is a favourite because of his big heart and his warm and generous nature, not to mention his cheeky sense of humour.  He is always a gentleman.

WE LOVE YA HAPPY HARRY!!  HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

Nite all.

Cooking up a Storm

After a fantastic breakfast at the Lions Park, by the river, catching up with old friends, I pedalled home, hard against a strong head wind so that I could get started in the kitchen.

I made the nutty seedy bread that I've been dying to try for a couple of weeks.

It's very heavy and very nutty and seedy.

I waited, as per instructions, until it had cooled to room temperature before cutting and then I slathered butter on it to taste ... very nice ... then I added some raw honey ... delicious.  Tomorrow I will try it with avocado.  I'll also attempt to toast it and see what happens.

The bread making took about 4 hours and it's not your regular crusty bread with a soft fluffy centre.

In between times, I made some more of my magic muesli for Adoring Husband.

For lunch I fried up some zucchini fritters.

For dinner, chicken breast with chilli paste and onion, baked on a bed of orange slices.  To accompany the chicken, potato mash with raw onion, broccoli, cabbage and kale chips on the side.

I still have quite a pile of recipes to try tomorrow.

Last night, I stayed awake til 2.30am watching Australia win the Rugby League World Cup final against New Zealand.  It was played in England, hence the stupid time that I was watching it!

So after my poor sleep over my three days away, and then last night's effort, my body is definitely starting to feel it tonight.

As soon as I sign off here, I will be climbing into bed for an 'earlier than usual' night.

One photo from the weekend away.  The lovely 'Woman of Many Talents' ...

I hope to spend some time tomorrow, finishing off the wedding photos and starting on our 'Lady's Christmas Party' shots.

... and it's "Goodnight" from me.

Nite all.

Hi Honey! I'm Home!

It's good to be home and I am looking forward to sleeping in my own bed tonight.

Unfortunately I had a nap this afternoon, so it's almost 1am and I think I'm almost ready for bed now.

A good time was had by all on our lady's trip away.

Of course, what happens on the Sunny Coast, STAYS on the Sunny Coast!

You can know that we shopped til we dropped, drank til we were done, ate til we were full, bopped to the music, had a little flutter and laughed til we almost peed our pants.

We were especially excited last night, while eating dinner at the Surf Club, to learn that one of our husbands back home, had a MASSIVE win on the Keno!

We had a great time away, but we were all looking forward to coming home again.

It was a rainy drive home and the day has been very grey, but as the sun was setting, some cloud cleared and produced a lovely sunset ...

Adoring Husband has spent the day hanging Christmas decorations and setting up the Christmas tree, so it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas in our house.

Tomorrow, I hope to share some holiday snaps.

Right now, I need to go to bed.

Nite all.

Sleep Still Eludes Me!

I chose to sleep on the couch last night.

The room that I was allotted is a bit small and stuffy, with only a small window, and when it's open, lets in all the street noise, from cars and buses, to drunks leaving the night clubs.

It has a ceiling fan, but I'm sharing the room with somebody else, and my body temperature is so high, I need the room to be very cool ... which is freezing for anybody with normal body temperature.

The lounge room is open and airy, with the choice of a fan or air conditioning, that doesn't affect anybody else in the apartment.

I slept soundly on the couch, until just after midnight, when a very large crowd of young, intoxicated people marched their way past our apartment block, making a LOT of noise.  There were many groups during the night and they seemed to pass by in waves.

Just as I dozed off, another raucous would build .. so 4.30am arrived and very little sleep had been had by me or anybody else.

It helped to have another delicious and hearty breakfast at the Surf Club .. that gave us enough energy to commit to another shopping spree before lunch.

This afternoon, I've had a quiet time regenerating and preparing for a fun evening.

I bought a dress.  YES!  You heard correctly!  ME!  I bought a dress ... a white dress!

I'm wearing it tonight for dinner.

There will be photos taken tonight .. finally.

Having a ball ... wish you were here :D

Nite all.  

Sleep eludes me

I think it was about 10.30pm when I climbed into bed last night and I fell asleep quite fast.

I also woke up 3 hours later.  Couldn't get back to sleep, so I got out of bed at 3.30am and took my ipad out onto the balcony to watch the sun rise .. which didn't happen til 4.30am!

Thank goodness it wasn't too spectacular!  I had to use my ipad to take this photo, because I still hadn't been able to charge my camera batteries.

Lucky for me, one of my photography friends from the Sunny Coast came to my rescue and dropped off her charger to me at Sunshine Plaza.

So now I have three freshly charged batteries and my camera is primed and ready to go .. finally!

What a life saver she is!

I am feeling incredibly weary after about 5 hours of shopping and LOTS of walking today.

We've had some good food, starting at the Mooloolaba Surf Club this morning.  A vegetarian breakfast of poached eggs, spinach, mushrooms, tomato, hash browns and 2 pieces of GF toast, accompanied by a very nice latte.

Plenty of shopping, eating and drinking .. and as much as I would love to give you lots more details, I can barely keep my eyes open, so I'm going to attempt sleep.

Nite all.

Crazy Ladies

So here we are.

A bunch of crazy middle aged women all away together for 3 days and 3 nights.  An esky full of wine and the only rules are the exercise rules, both weight bearing and balancing rules ... that we lift our full wine glasses, evenly between our left hand and our right hand.

The first group of men to pass by us, while we were socialising in the barbecue/pool area, were equally middle aged and attempting to capture our attention by being charming and friendly.  One of the girls commented on how attractive the big belly and noticeable breasts were on the leader of the pack.

I screwed my nose up and questioned the sanity of we women ... and the attractiveness of said men.

The second group of males to pass by were young, mid 20s in various states of undress.  Tanned tone bodies, six packs .. you get the picture.

The leader of our group was quick to point these males out to me and challenged me to capture their attention .. I love a good challenge!

Two fingers raised to my mouth and a very long and loud wolf whistle emanated from within.

This made the girls ... all 11 of them ... squeal with delight and giggle like teenagers, while the males in question, all smiled with pride, as if we were much younger and much more attractive than we really were.

They must have been chuffed and flattered, because when they returned from their walk up the road, they came straight back past us (to the sound of another wolf whistle) and spent a good deal of time in the pool spa.

The leader of our group had just enough wine to spend a short period of time chatting and flirting with said males.  Nothing would ever eventuate there, but never let the truth get in the way of a good story (good advice, I have discovered, from a fellow photographer).

As I sit here, the second apartment, just across the hall, which is full of the real party animals, is pumping with music and giggling women, who have all had just a little too much to drink.

This apartment, that I am sharing with 5 other women, is quiet ... after the obligatory "night grandpa"  "night John Boy"  "night Mary Jo" and everyone has settled into their comfy beds ready for a good night's sleep.

I am incredibly annoyed with myself, having brought all my camera gear, and prepared to be the recorder of all things embarrassing, my battery ran flat after about 30 photos ... I came back to the room to change the battery, only to discover that the second battery was also flat.

Luckily, I keep a third battery for just such occasions, but alas, it was also flat!!

I checked my suitcase and even worse, I have not packed my battery charger!

So the girls have been given a reprieve tonight.

I announced that their antics would not be recorded tonight, and that they should make the most of it, because tomorrow night, I will make up for it!

So the only photo that I have to share today, is the one that I took with my iphone from the balcony of the Mooloolaba Surf Club this afternoon, as we drank our $14 cocktails.

A good time is being had by all.  The party is still rocking next door and the snoring is getting louder from the rooms in this apartment.

Nite all.  

Full Day

It's been a full day of dinosaur loving with Chicklet today, which included a dinosaur picnic with the new picnic set and tea set.

We made pretend pancakes (sakata rice crackers in the plastic frypan), pretend meatballs (sultanas in the other frypan), carrot soup (chopped carrot in water in the pot), salad of cucumber, carrot and mango, cashews (better known as moon nuts) and copious cups of tea (water poured from the teapot, most of which poured onto the coffee table).

Two trips to the shops to buy new dinosaurs ... I think we've lost count now.

Word for the day was 'blist' ... don't even ask.

My day ended with a very pleasant dinner at a local Indian Restaurant with my brother and his girl.

A couple of D&Ms where tears were shed, some home truths, and some good old fashioned belly laughs.  The food was good and I really enjoyed the night.

Seeing each other three times in the last 2 years is pretty amazing, since the previous three times was over a 16 year period, and included our parents' funerals and then his last partner's funeral.

I wish I'd thought to take my camera tonight, to get pics!  DOH!

So it's been a full day, and tomorrow, I head off to meet the girls for our 3 day Christmas party.

I'll be back again in a couple of weeks, so I'm not too sad to leave.

Nite all.

Fearsome Storm

Yesterday afternoon had Adoring Husband and I hiding in the wardrobe as a terrifying storm with gale force winds, horizontal torrential rain, hail, thunder and lightning ripped through our town.

Luckily for us, no major damage to our property, but a few houses lost their colorbond fences and at least one local suffered damage when the repairs to their house after the tornado in January didn't pass the first test.  Major water damage where windows and the roof leaked.

The storm didn't last long, but it was terrifying none the less, and really packed a punch.

At the end of it all, as the clouds began to clear and the sun was setting ... this is the view that met me when I opened the front door...

I am now at the Sunny Coast with Chicklet and the family, in dinosaur heaven once again.  Our newest dinosaur is a Kentrosaurus.

We have a big day planned for tomorrow, which we hope to spend together while Mama and Dadoo have some time out.

I'll share it with you tomorrow.

Nite all.

Easy Peasy

I have two easy peasy things to share today.

One is an interesting article that I came across in my internet travels and could be an easy way to lose weight (tongue firmly in cheek) - just stop using anything that contains fragrances!

Does this body lotion make me look fat?

That’s not a question you hear very often! If your lotion contains fragrance or parabens (a family of preservatives commonly found in body lotions, makeup, shampoos, and a ton of other personal care products) it may very well actually be making you fat.

This is because these chemicals are obesogens.

What are obesogens?  Find out more here

... and the other easy peasy thing was our lunch yesterday.  I call it ...

"rQQzy's Hodge Podge Layered Meatloaf"

Ingredients:

500 gms of minced meat.  (Ours was beef, but I think any kind of meat would work.)
1 egg
1/2 onion chopped finely
1/2 cup crumbled feta
1 cup mashed sweet potato (I used the purple variety and I mix in 1 T butter and 2 T sour cream)
1 large kale leaf chopped finely
1 bacon rasher chopped
3 asparagus sticks chopped
4 good sized mushrooms chopped
1 large tomato
A drizzle of agave nectar (or maple syrup, honey)
salt and pepper

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200C.

Mix the meat with half a chopped onion, one egg, salt n pepper and then divide the mixture in half.

Line the bottom of a small non-stick loaf tin with half the mixture.

Then sprinkle crumbled feta (I used our home-made chilli and herb feta) over that layer.

Mix the chopped kale, bacon, asparagus and mushroom and tip it on the feta.  Press it down firmly.

The next layer is purple sweet potato mash.

On top of that, you put the rest of the meat mixture - flatten it out on a chopping board to the desired size and shape and then place it on top of the sweet potato.

Layer 3 thick slices of tomato on top of that and then drizzle a little agave nectar (or maple syrup/honey) over the top of the tomato.

Pop it in the oven at 200C for 40 minutes.

I should have let it rest for 10 minutes before serving, because the layers fell apart when I removed it from the tin too early, but it was very colourful!!  Purple, green, red, white, brown.  Also very tasty!

I served it with mashed potato (with finely chopped raw onion and some more sour cream mixed through it) and fresh steamed asparagus.

Adoring Husband ate what was left over, cold, for dinner.

I'll definitely put that on my 'repeat' list of dinners.

Having had a gluten free diet for almost 2 years now, I was very interested in the following article and after reading it, felt that a few people in my circle, could well be either Celiac or at the very least, gluten intolerant.

10 Symptoms of Gluten Intolerance

More than 55 diseases have been linked to gluten, the protein found in wheat, rye, and barley. It’s estimated that 99% of the people who have either gluten intolerance or celiac disease are never diagnosed.

Find out more here

I'll be away from home for the next 6 days.  I'm off to spend a couple of days with my little Chicklet and then a few days with some girlfriends, as a Christmas get-together. 

I'll still be attempting to blog every day.

Nite all.

Remember Lolly?

Remember Lolly, the little Tawny Fogmouth chick that I attempted to save a couple o month ago?  Here is her sole surviving sibling ...

... and then on my morning ride, brief as it was, this was my top shot.

Now I am truly tired after an afternoon with friends drinking a few glasses of wine.

A good time was had by all.

Nite all.

Better Attitude

Today was a better day.

I got a hair cut.

I didn't cook.

OB (the cockatiel) had a quiet day.

We had a lucky table at the club tonight (congratulations Lady Lynn!)

Adoring Husband won a frozen chicken, but when we got home and read the ingredients list - who'da thunk there could be so much rubbish in a frozen chook!

The ingredients list was about 15 items long and included sugar and preservatives and numbers and was only 82% chicken ... 18% other crap.  No good for us.  Disappointing.

We also won a $15 voucher for the local supermarket ... that's always handy!

I also have a keno ticket in my purse that could possibly be lucky.

Now there is rain, lots of rain, heading in our direction.

No photos to share and no other news ... besides ... it's Friday ... and you know how I am on Fridays.

Nite all.

Bad Attitude

Here is a very interesting read, which explains why today's wheat doesn't compare to the wheat we consumed 30 years ago.  If it gets too heavy or intense for you, go to the bottom of the article for the list and explanation of wheat free options.  You will find that interesting too.

Why 80 Percent of People Worldwide Will Soon Stop Eating Wheat (Opinion) 

I've had a miserable day today.

Nothing bad happened.

Do you ever open your eyes in the morning, and just know that you've got a bad attitude, and after you get out of bed, you just can't shake it?  

Everything rubs you the wrong way and every tiny little annoyance seems like the biggest drama?

That's the kind of day I had.

Adoring Husband bore the brunt of it and I was mean and evil and bitter and twisted all day.

There were also a few hiccups during the day that didn't improve my mood any.  

So I'm looking forward to going to bed and sleeping this mood away tonight .. hopefully, I will wake up in a happier frame of mind tomorrow.

One photo to share from the wedding.  I definitely prefer The Nikonian's photo of the wedding rings, but I think this is nice enough to share here.

Now I think I will go treat myself to a Cherry Ripe Delight.

Nite all.

 

Photos galore

As I was leaving the Seat of Knowledge this morning, a Whistling Kite began circling above.  It circled lower and lower until this happened...

A macro shot from the back garden of a jumping spider ...

A butterfly from the front garden ...

and here is another wedding photo from our shoot in Coffs ...

I picked up my new prescription sunglasses today.  They are polarised and the difference between my old sunglasses and these, is amazing!  Very happy!

Nite all.

Personal Observations

At morning tea with the girls today, we were discussing the value of coconut oil and how effective it is as an antibiotic, and as a natural sunscreen, among other things.

Afterwards, when I arrived home, I sat down at my computer and co-incidentally, stumbled across this story ...

Natural Cures Not Medicine: Man Reverses Alzheimers Symptoms Using Coconut Oil...: Some of Steve Newport’s symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease reversed, thanks to the unlikely treatment prescribed by his wife,...

The more I read about coconut oil, the more excited I become about it... especially with regards to Adoring Husband's Parkinsons Disease, and possible positive effects that it may have.

So go to the above link and watch the video attached ... I bet you will be as amazed as I was.

I want to share an observation now.

Those of you who know me, know that I like to observe people, analyse their behaviour and figure out who they really are and why they are the way they are.

I was like this even as a kid, and in my teens, considered social work as a career option.  Alas, my priorities changed and none of my career considerations (of which there were a few) ever came to fruition.

My first mother-in-law (yes I know you're there!) gave me some amazing insights into the human psyche and into MY psyche.

We had quite a few in depth chats, in my early 20s, and I remember many light bulb moments during our discussions.

Anyway, this is what I have observed recently.

Most men, the ones who have always felt strong and empowered throughout their lives...

...the males who have not experienced physical/sexual/mental abuse...

...the males whose life choices were always supported by their family and friends...

...the males who never had to second guess themselves and who's lives were pretty smooth sailing - aside from the standard financial hiccups,  work stresses and maybe a marriage breakdown along the way...

...these males never seem to question authority.  They seem to gain more strength from following, and agreeing with, other men, especially when those other men hold 'so-called' positions of power.

They don't question (and I'm using my favourite subject as an example) their medical treatment - in fact, they have complete trust in the medical profession, which is predominantly male based.

They have 100% trust, faith and belief that their male Doctor is giving them the perfect diagnosis, perfect advice and perfect medication.

They never question, disagree with or criticise their Doctor and are generally bemused by anyone who suggests that they should.

On the other hand...

...males who have suffered abuse in some form or another...

...the males whose power has been taken from them at some point in their lives, through physical/sexual/mental/emotional abuse...

...the males whose 'support system' has been questionable...

...the males who have broken free...

...they seem to question EVERYTHING and they ask different questions...

...they seem to search for different answers...

...they seem to know that the world around us is much bigger than what they see or what they are being 'shown' and they look beyond the 'mainstream' to find answers.

Observing people through social media, gives a different insight altogether and you could just about put a line down the middle of your monitor, placing 'mainstream/conditioned' humans on one side and 'curious/nonconformist' humans on the other.

My observation is that people whose power has never been taken from them, are blind followers, and they subconsciously conform ... maybe it's the 'strength in numbers' scenario.

People whose personal power has been taken from them at some time in their lives, but they have broken free, are less trusting of the information that is put before them.  They may not do it confidently or overtly, but they question almost everything.

Of course, there are exceptions to the rule - not everybody falls into my categories - but these have been my recent observations.

Honestly, we laugh at the TV show 'Big Brother', but the whole world is one big social experiment and is so interesting if you just stop, look and listen.

One more thing for you to consider on this fine Tuesday, with Christmas and associated gift giving just around the corner ...

Nite all.

Back to School

I'm sending Adoring Husband back to school.

I was just telling BGWLBH about our trip to Bundaberg.

We attended AH's Specialist Appointment today and were charged $135 for 15 minutes.

This equates to:

For 1 hour = $540
For an 8 hour day = $4320
For a 5 day week = $21600
Less one month holiday
For a year = $1,036,800

Ok, so we really should give him an hour for lunch every day, my calculations are a teensy bit out.

But seriously?

That's a lot of money for a trained monkey!

Nite all.