Finding the Me in We

Exactly a year ago I started to write a journal for the first time in years. As a teenager I would fills journals/notepads every couple of months. It was the foundation of my very busy, overactive and highly emotional mind. Honestly I don't think I would be here today, a mother, a wife, a member of the community without my diarys. 
Around  the same time I was dealing with a lot of personal issues in health and in mind. I was in pain physically and emotionally and needed to pull back and refocus. Stuck in a blank and dark void. My thoughts were muddled and foggy and I wasn't able to think straight. I felt isolated and stranded without direction and nothing to look forward to.
Around that time  Mum had found a suitcase in the back of her shed filled with things from my past I hadn't thought of or needed in a very long time. Its funny when I look back at just how timely this discovery was. The universe thought I was ready to deal with this stuff. Old books and photos, some clothes and my old journals. This stirred a whole new range of emotions and inner turmoil on top of what I was feeling at the time. It just shock me to my core as I was facing the 16 year old girl I once was. She is someone with who I had completely lost touch with, someone barely recognised or remembered. I stared at the belongings of the case and very uncomfortably threw it into the back of my car, with much confusion and uneasiness, I took it home. 
There it sat in my garage urging me to veiw it's contents for days but I couldn't bare to look at it. It was my Achilles heel, a pain I couldnt deal with. Until I eventually drew breath and found the courage. Inside I faced this sad young woman who was very confused with life not all that different to the emotions i was dealing with again and just needed a big warm hug. I cried so much while reading the entries, the dreams, the poetry, the spells. It was sometimes very ugly and sometimes a joyful moment of beauty. But it was all mine. Only  mine and so very comforting to know that even today she still lives within me. I reconnected to me. I took the time to read though the collection of old memories and purged the darkest.
Around a year ago I was dealing with a lot of personal issues in health and in mind. I was in pain physically and emotionally and needed to pull back and and refocus. Mum had found a suitcase in the back of her shed filled with things from my past I hadn't thought of or needed in a very long time. Old books and photos, some clothes and my old journals. This stirred a whole new range of emotions and inner turmoil on top of what I was feeling at the time a just shock me to my core as I was facing the 16 year old girl I once was. She is someone with who I had completely lost touch with  most uncomfortable.
 I can still remember the hopes and dreams this fragile and clever young woman had for her future and I want to honour her by living the life she dreamed of for both of us. Time marches on every single day. We forget so quickly. But at this time in my early 30s I feel it's time to remember and get back in touch.
The only relationship I have been in my whole life that needs working on is my relationship with me. It the most important relationship I have. Losing the Me in the We happens so slowly you don't recognise it, sometimes you never do. But I know it's never to late. If journal writing was so therapeutic for me as a teenager then surely it would be just as therapeutic as a woman, wife, mother, sister, daughter, creative and infinitely clever citizen. 

Great Park Discoveries

On a cold wintery day my kids and I ventured outside. We were all rugged up and were on an adventure to a new park. Yippee! The energy was high and we were excited. We were going to meet our best mates Amanda, Emily and Sophie for morning tea. They discovered the park a while back and had described in detail all the fantastic climbing rope frames, different types of swings, an enormous jungle gym with lightning fast slides, cubby houses, a conveyer belt digging station... I could go on and on. We just had to go.
The weather was windy and cold but the playground was so much fun it didn't matter. I find the best way to warm up is a good game of hide and seek with a dash or swinging for good measure. I love pushing kids on swings and I love swinging on swings even more.
I am reasonably new to the Wanneroo districts. And I would never have found this park if it wasn't for Amanda's recommendation. I am grateful I did. And everyone in the northern suburbs should give Rotarty Park on Senic Drive Wanneroo a visit. I is well worth it. Even if you don't have kids you can bike around the lake and enjoy the bbqs.
There is a great website written by a family of park lovers who list all the great parks in Perth called acoffeeinthepark.com. If you are to like me and love discovering new places for a picnic and a play with the kids check it out. My other favourites are Fawlkner Park in Belmont, Jackadder Lake in Woodlands, Heathcote Reserve, Braithwaite Park in Mt Hawthorne and Sir James Macusker Park near us in Iluka. This weekend we will see you there.

Monday is Washing Day

It's old school I know to do your washing on a Monday but for my family it works. I am more energetic after chilling out over the weekend so I can cope with up to 20 loads of sorting, washing, hanging, folding, ironing and putting away. It's a major achievement for me and it starts me on the right track to accomplish the never ending tasks on my to do list.
After the mammoth effort of washing day I make sure I have a very hearty and nourishing pot of soup on. I love soup it's easy relatively mess free and you can mix anything together and it always tastes good.
Even in winter when it is incredibly cold out side I still manage to get my washing dry on the line. I seldom use my dryer unless it is an absolute emergency, otherwise I will do as mum did and have clothes hanging every wear around the house.
Lately I have returned to ironing my clothes. For years I have only ever bothered when either nessacery or when my washing basket is overflowing. Neither way really works because things get worn with being ironed or you forget what's hiding at the bottom of the basket. So armed with my ironing board on washing day I press, steam and starch my way to housewife nirvana....in front of the telly with a lovely ot cuppa.
Maybe I need to get out more or maybe it's not really that bad to do as nanna did and take a bit more pride in loving and keeping your house.