Bread-winners

Thanks for entering to win a voucher to try out the Bakers Delight Authentic Sourdough. Yum yum.

The five winners are:
Lucy from Diminishing Lucy
Claire from Clairey Hewitt
Trish from My Little Drummer Boys
Sophie
Hope's Mama from Tuesday's Hope

I will be in touch to get your address and a Bakers Delight voucher will be winging its way to you very soon.

Weekend grateful - getting fit

It's not just the numbers on the scales.
I can feel it.
The flexibility increasing, the strength growing. I can do push ups and survive them.
My stamina is so much better than it was two months ago.
I do the gym circuit class three or four times a week and I work hard for an hour each time. I get to the end and even though I have sweated and puffed, I don't feel completely shattered like I did when I first started.
I can see it too. When the Captain took some photos of me and the boys yesterday to mark my birthday, it was the first time in a long time where I could look at them and feel ok. There's a way to go still, but the photos didn't repulse me. That's huge for me.

I have dispensed with 7.2 kilograms. I am so proud of myself and grateful that I am feeling fitter and healthier.

As always, singing a grateful tune along with Maxabella.
This is a bit drab 2 fab too so I am linking up with Lucy as well. xx

Vintage fitness equipment via We Heart It .

You can never have too many baked goods

I haven't done anything particularly commercial here on Segovia. It's not that I don't want to. I have just been focusing my energy on establishing things around here.

I believe ferociously vehemently strongly with all my heart that you can never have too many baked goods in your house at any one time. So when Bakers Delight contacted me and asked if I would like to try their Authentic Sourdough, I just knew I had to say yes.

The day the sourdough arrived at our house was a hectic one. Most days around here are like that. On our really busy days, I often keep the Batsman and Bowler's dinner really, really simple. By the end of the day they are usually only interested in eating simple meals. Minimum effort, maximum taste. So in the interests of keeping things simple, I soft boiled some lovely free range eggs, sliced some gorgeous salami I bought at the farmer's market, pitted some kalamata olives and chopped the sourdough into dippable size pieces.

The sourdough was lovely. It was crusty on the outside, soft and moist on the inside. Some sourdough breads can be so strong in taste that they don't appeal to kids. Not this one. The Bowler is into foods he can dip at present so he loved dipping the bread into the egg. The Batsman made little stacks of bread, salami and olives. Sometimes the most simple meals can be really successful.

Would you like to try Bakers Delight Authentic Sourdough at your place? I have five $5 vouchers to give away so that you can go and get some. Remember, you can never have too many baked goods.

The Fine Print:
You must be a follower of this blog to enter.
Leave a comment by 5pm Sunday June 19 and tell me your favourite simple meal.
One comment = one entry.
I have no idea how to use those random things so the Batsman will be drawing lucky winner names out of a hat!
Please leave an email address so I can find you. Email it to me or update your google profile, or your twitter account so I can find you. Or otherwise like my Facebook page so I can contact you that way if you are a winner.
Ready. Set. GO!

All over the place

I have been all over the place today.
Highs and lows.
I've got a bit of a cold and feel a bit ordinary. It was hard to get moving and get the boys ready for the day. Low.
I still went to the gym and did my class. High.
The Batsman had a great day at kinder. High.
My dad is in hospital having a blood transfusion. Worried. Low.
I made a snap decision and booked myself a ticket to Nuffnang Blogopolis 2011 . High.
In the middle of the day I had an anxiety attack that made me realise I need to get some more help. Low.
The Bowler was spectacularly affectionate all day. High.
The Bowler ate very little from the five food groups today owing to a snotty nose. Low.
I read this post and this one. Moved, inspired. High and low.
The Batsman and I shared a warm deep bubble bath and some songs. He's beautiful that kid. High.

I'm wishing for a smoother day of sailing tomorrow.
Wish for me too please.

Not six feet under

About once a month at our house, we get a phone call asking the Captain or me to participate in a market research study over the phone. I quite like doing the surveys so I often say yes if it won't be too disruptive to the smooth running chaos of the day. The surveys are on all manner of topics, everything from insurance to politics to media to the quality of particular services. I guess somewhere in my psyche I believe in doing these surveys because while I can whine about the "market" not providing the services and products of high quality that are needed, how will the market know what to provide unless I tell them?

On Saturday afternoon I answered the phone and agreed to do a survey being conducted by the Trust who manages many of the cemeteries and memorial parks in the city where I live.

It was fascinating and has kept me thinking way after the survey ended.

For fifteen minutes a lovely gentleman and I chatted about death and funerals and how I would want myself to be "memorialised" after my death. We talked about burials and cremations. We talked about the costs of these services. We talked about pre-planned funerals. We talked about whether or not I thought it was appropriate that memorial parks and their facilities have multiple community usage for things like festivals, conferences or bereavement education. I expressed the opinion that I don't believe that as a society we "do grief" very well and that I think there is a long way to go to educate the broader populus in how to best support those who are grieving.

The thing that surprised me a little about the survey was how easily and concisely the answers came out of my mouth. Sure, they are things I have thought about and the Captain and I have had bits and pieces of conversation about them but here I was, with a stranger, being completely clear about what I wanted my "after" to look like.
Burial? - no.
Cremation? - yes.
Pre-planned funeral? - great idea but have never got around to doing it
Funeral pre-planned online? - sure.
Ashes in a garden or crypt in the cemetery? - no.
Ashes scattered in a place of natural beauty?  - Yes. Yes. Yes.

It felt good not to be conflicted about any of this. It just felt good to know.

Do you do market research stuff? Do you think about questions like these? Do you know the answers?

Postscript: As I finished off this post this morning, a program came on the radio here to discuss death and dying. An End of Life Forum they called it. It's worth a listen if you are so inclined. xx

Image via http://weheartit.com/

Weekend grateful - community

I love my little community.
I'm grateful for what the local community in our middle of the road Melbourne suburb bring to my daily life and the community experience of the Batsman and the Bowler.

Would you like to meet them?

There is the glorious rainbow of characters who volunteer in the op shop. They can always be relied upon for a warm greeting, a conversation about preserving fruit (I buy lots of jars in there) and an eclectic exchange about the day's best op shop pickings.

The polished and professional boys who work at the post office...they didn't even flinch the other day when I told them I had to send a sample of the Batsman's wee to Paris for an autism study on environmental toxins. We just filled out a customs declaration and away went the wee to France courtesy Australia Post.

The women who work in deli are just lovely. They gently encourage the Batsman to finish his sandwich and milk shake with the promise of a treat to follow. They ply our rowdy Bowler with babycino and Italian vanilla shortbread and minute by minute he is learning all of their names and falling a little in love with their kindness.

In deli number 2, the proprietor chats with me about all things olives, salami and preserved lemons with a side order of autism. He always asks how things are going. He has personal experience of autism.

The florist is warm and boisterous, a salt of the earth type who keeps a parrot in a huge cage out the front of the shop for the local kids to speak to on their way past.

And there's the gorgeous Italian family who run the fruit and vegetable shop who have become like family to us during the last 5 years. I see them almost every day and they never fail to greet me and the kids warmly. The Batsman is so confident with his "fruit and veg" family that he takes off solo to the back of the shop to find "the boys" who deliver tickles and high fives and grapes in equal and generous measure. About once a week I am so very touched when someone from the family asks me in depth about the Batsman's progress in his therapy program. And they always ask, "and what about you, are you ok? Are you looking after yourself?"

I could go on and on about our little community shopping street. I feel so very fortunate that the boys can grow up feeling connected with those around them, that they are a part of something, that there are people who care for them and love to see them in their day to day travels.
I'm grateful little community, so very grateful.

And thanks too Maxabella

Image via We Heart It

Wordless Wednesday...off and running