FEMALE INSPIRATION

It was interesting to see all the media yesterday focus on International Women's Day. There were the accolades to women who deserve them ( Princess Diana, Angelina Jolie, Emma Watson etc )  and reading these accolades led to a very interesting discussion with my husband.

My husband is one of seven but is the only boy. He has grown up surrounded by women and is the father of two daughters himself. I was interested in which women he finds inspirational and I have to say his answers impressed me as they were not whom I thought he would choose.

His choices:

1. MalalaYousafzai- a Pakistani activist for female education and the youngest-ever Nobel Prize laureate. 
2. Julie Bishop -  Australian minister for foreign affairs



Dr Fiona Wood

3. Fiona Wood - Plastic surgeon specialising in burns victims 

This conversation obviously got me thinking about the women who had left a lasting impact on my life. I came up with a totally different list.

1. A nun at my school in Malta (name long forgotten) who taught my class about the importance of helping others and who made a big deal of us when my friends and I raised a tiny amount of money for a local orphanage. We would have been about seven and she brought the local priest in to compliment us.
2. A girl at the first school I attended in Sydney who sniggered at my intelligent answer to a teacher's question and fired in me a desire to do well always. She thought I was a dumb migrant. I thought she was dumb full stop.
3. My first piano teacher, a lady by the name of Pam Veary, who taught me to appreciate music.
4. My maths and Italian teachers at school - Jocelyn Quirke and Marina Chenaux - who also taught me to strive high and to " do as they said and not necessarily as they did".
5. My final teaching practicum supervisor Ms Hardacre who told me I would be a good teacher but not to burn out. ( she must have had a magic ball).

But there are other images that come to mind which remind me of the reality that my life is indeed one of privilege and one which requires service to others.

1. The women who worked in a carpet factory I visited in Tunisia . One caught my eye and smiled and when her supervisor wasn't watching I handed her some money. I have never seen money disappear down someone's shirt front so quickly.
2. A young 12 year old girl I met in Bali in 2010 who  melted my heart. She studied hard in the mornings and helped her parents selling postcards in the afternoon. I wish I had the ability to find her again.
3. Nina, a Balinese beauty therapist who despite her simple life, still reaches out and gives what she can to a young mother less girl in her village.
4. The homeless girl in Perth city. She looks like she's on drugs but she was also hungry and I cant stand seeing hungry kids. I bought her breakfast and she devoured it. Why do we have this problem in Perth?Why are our kids hungry?
5. +Ernie Dingo's mother who visited my classroom many years ago. She was one of the most mesmerising women I have ever met and she had my rowdy bunch of indigenous girls under control with one look. Moral of the story - family and keeping tabs on each other.

So, there you have it. That's my take on International women's day.  While we may give accolades to people who rightly deserve them, its important to remember there is so much more to be done in this world, where women are concerned.

Till next time...xxx

PS - if you enjoyed this post, please share it !

KEEP DREAMING

I feel like I've neglected my blog in the last week but there has been so much going on I just haven't had the time. But, I'm back!

I can't believe that Ashton's 21 st party has come and gone. What a night it was! One hundred friends and family gathered together to celebrate my daughter's birthday. It was amazing.

First I have to show you the cake! Oh my goodness this was more than what we expected - stunning to look at , tasty ( caramel and chocolate layers) and those flowers were works of art. I am showing you the photo from the business page to give them a free plug! Thank you +Sugarplum Sweets . I couldn't think of anyone better than Flavia and her staff for all my cake needs. Don't even try arguing with me about cake not being a need until you've tasted their lemon meringue cupcakes. It's a need!

Now, I have to show you the birthday girl. It's hard to believe that two days before the party, she woke up on her actual birthday in hospital. It's hard to believe that she endured a six hour procedure three days before the party. Why is it hard to believe? Because she looked like this...

I love my gorgeous girl and I was so delighted to see how happy she was all evening. After everything she has been through ( and unfortunately will continue to go through), she thoroughly deserved her night and to be made a fuss of.

Here's a few more happy snaps for you to enjoy!

Ciara and boyfriend Joel

Ashton, me, Ciara and Mark

Pride and Joy

Heaven on a stand

Oh yeah! Did I forget to tell you we also had a macaron centrepiece also made by +SugarplumSweets - flavours were redskin, blueberry and white chocolate. My eight year old niece kept asking all night if it was time to have one yet?

 Finally got home to a Geraldton two days after the party, after having been away from home for almost three weeks. I thought the weekend had been great but one more good thing was about happen!

When I started this blog back in October 2013, it was all about me and my condition. It was a way of coping with a diagnosis which nobody had ever heard of. I never realised how much I had missed writing until I started blogging. 

Then it seemed that others enjoyed my writing despite the story line being sad at times. People started telling me to write a book and slowly I warmed to the idea. It took a while because the subject matter is so painful and so tender, but I eventually put a collection of my best blogs together and sent them off. Nobody was interested!

Around New Year, Ciara took me to task. She told me that if JK Rowling could get turned down
many times, who was I to give up after a couple. My interest re-ignited, but this time I spent ages writing the blogs in a story format. This is how I coped waiting for Ashton's February 6 appointment.

The first two replies where rejections - again! Then I received a letter from a publisher in the UK. They wanted to see more!

Its been a long time since I have been this excited about anything! This letter does not mean they will publish the book. It just means they want to see more. It means that a group of editors across the world in the UK, think I might have a story to tell and that I CAN WRITE! WOW!

Even if it doesn't get published I will always have this moment. If it does get published, seeing my name on a book will be a childhood dream come true!

Till next time....xxx

HAPPY 21st TO MY F.E.D

Twenty one years ago I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. She gave me quite a shock because she arrived five weeks and one day too early on a very humid night. When I woke her father at 11 pm to tell him my waters had broken, he didn't believe me at first. But he had no choice really and soon we were flying out the door to the hospital. We were so young and so naive and so inexperienced that we forgot to take a bag of anything with us. You know what I mean - clothes, toiletries, baby stuff! We had nothing with us. Looking back now it was hilarious!

That night a new midwife was doing her first shift in a new country hospital. She was told to expect a quiet night for her first night and within two hours she got an emergency. I remember her ringing the doctor who was not too pleased to be woken up. Apparently she made the huge mistake of ringing the doctor before examining me herself. The poor woman got yelled at but there was no doubt my baby was on its way, so she managed to squirrel out of any more doctor tongue lashings.

Like her sister two and a bit years later, she was too early to be delivered in a country town hospital and the Royal Flying Doctor plane had to come up from Perth to get me. Ashton was born the following day at 2.59 pm in between calls to my closest girlfriends.I have never seen such a look of delight on my husband's face as I saw that day.

The feeling of holding your first baby in your arms is quite inexplicable. The sudden rush of love
Iand wonder when you look down and finally meet your child can be compared to nothing else. You love all your children equally but the wonder of the first birth is just so special. It was so interesting to read another blogger #Lysa Wilds from #Welcome to My Circus describe exactly the same feelings in her recent post about her son, who coincidentally has a birthday this week too.

My daughter woke up in hospital on her 21 st birthday. She had surgery the day before which did not achieve what it set out to do, so it could have been a downer. But with the help of the nurses, doctors and friends and family we still made the best of the day. Eventually Ashton got discharged and home we went for flowers, cake and visits from family.

The health sagas are not over. We had hoped for the best of 21st presents. We had hoped to be de-fistulised. However, it wasn't to be this time.Once again I thank God for a doctor who knew when to stop rather than take risks.

So now its time to concentrate on a 21st party and on life. She will be reviewed by the doctors in a few months and a new plan of action will be made.We hold our collective breaths but till then life goes on.

Happy birthday to my favourite eldest daughter. 

Till next time...xxx

FESTIVAL OF ASHTON

So it's Sunday afternoon and I am having a lazy time. Last night a group of us went to see Ciara in her production called "A little rain must fall". It was lots of fun but with a message to take away about risks and consequences . I loved the colour, the activity, the loudness and the general storyline. The production is part of the "Perth Fringe Festival"and because there are so many acts going on, Ashton and I are going back tonight to see another production. We're actually going to see a comedian because I think before this week starts we  need a good belly laugh.


So let me catch you up on this family's sagas. This week as I've mentioned already is Ashton's  21st birthday. Her birthday is on Thursday and her party is next Saturday. We have approximately 90 to 100 people coming and it is going to be a fantastic night.

Only one thing stands between today and the rest of the week. No, it's not the fact that the uni year starts tomorrow. No, it's not the fact that some people still have no idea what to wear to the party. It's all about the fact that on Wednesday her surgery has been brought forward. What the hell!

You might remember that she still needs another operation. There is still some fistula in her jugular vein and the doctor (please bow) wanted to get her back into theatre as soon as possible to finish the procedure. The original date scheduled was March 20 and though it was a bit of a distance, we sort of got used to the idea.

Which is why we're all a little in shock that the procedure has been moved to Wednesday 25th February. She was given the option of saying yes I'll have it on the new date or no keep March 20. Rather hard call to make isn't it? Whichever decision you make it is full of negatives and positives. We all eventually decided health must come first, so she has opted to have the surgery on Wednesday 25th and will therefore be waking up in hospital on her 21st birthday. Never in my wildest dreams did I see my child waking up in a high dependency unit on her 21st birthday after her 15th major procedure. She has told the doctors that she expects flowers and cake. The bets are on as to whether they will follow through.

Just to see a smile on her face, Mark and I have already given her our birthday present. If you are not on my Facebook list you will not have seen these photos so I will include them because they have made made a lot of people smile and a couple cry. It's just so nice to see her happy.

We are so hopeful that this procedure will be the last BUT all we can do is hope that this will be true. This June it will have been two years since her diagnosis. That's a huge chunk out of her life and out of ours.

See you in the hospital.

Till next time… Xxx

#1000 SPEAK - 1000 VOICES FOR COMPASSION

On February 20, 2015, 1000 Voices For Compassion will share their thoughts and stories about compassion in all its forms (love, kindness, understanding, empathy, mercy, etc.). I am so excited to be part of this, because in the last few years I have been on the receiving end of so many acts of compassion, a couple of which I would like to share today.

One of the stories which comes to mind occurred when Ashton was in grade 1. She was 6 years old and was suffering from terrible asthma and recurring pneumonia. At one stage I felt so desperate because the GP just did not seem to understand how sick Ashton really was and was limited help. So, I placed a call to the paedatrician in Perth and told him about my worries. I actually sobbed my heart out because he was so kind and attentive. He told us to come straight to Perth ( 4 1/2 hrs away) and Mark, my husband left with Ashton within the hour.That's a big job, to drive for that length of time with a very sick child.

Why didn't I go? Well at the time I was a Home Economics teacher and my students and I were in the middle of preparing to cater for a big function. This was a big assessment piece which needed me there and I just could not leave until it was over. So, the plan was that Mark would go down with Ashton to the paediatrician and I would fly down with Ciara (age 3)  when the function was over.

I was exhausted beyond belief. For the two weeks leading up to this I had very little sleep - kids always want Mum at night! On the days the GP had actually hospitalised her I had been sleeping at the hospital and leaving for work from there. I would then return to the hospital after work. My house was a disaster zone. Neither one of us had the time nor the energy to cope with anything other than the kids and some work.

With the function successfully over and with Ashton admitted to the children's hospital in Perth, I started to pack to join them. I felt terrible not being with my child but was making the best of the situation. At 8 pm, while I was bathing Ciara my doorbell rang. Being past exhaustion I hoped it wasn't a social visitor who would require a cup of tea and time I didn't have.

It was a visitor, my colleague Kate whom I had seen at work that very day. But, she wasn't there to be entertained. She was there to help.

In the next two hours she cleaned my house from top to bottom, helped me pack clothes for myself and my daughter and made me coffee and food. She joked about my fridge, telling me she never knew I had an interest in cultivating bacteria. I should have been so embarrassed but I wasn't. Her compassion overwhelmed me and I left for Perth in the morning with a spotlessly clean house and a place in my heart that will always be hers. It was the nicest thing anyone had ever done for me.

Ashton spent 8 days in Princess Margaret Hospital.My mother's intuition was right, she was very ill. We booked into a nearby hotel we couldn't really afford, so that we could  be close to our girl. It was the worst hotel I had ever stayed in but we had no choice as it was the closest to the hospital. Over the eight 
days Mark and I worked in shifts. One night he would sleep upright in a chair near Ashton's hospital bed and I would spend the night in the hotel with Ciara. The next night we would swap. Ciara screamed non stopped for whichever parent wasn't there. She was terrified and so was I by the drunken shouts from adjacent rooms.

When Ashton was finally discharged, we went to pay the bill at the hotel only to find that some compassionate human being had paid the bill for us. Now, I'm pretty sure I know who did it but she never admitted it. The fact that we didn't have to pay for that accommodation saved us, because as I had been off work I wasn't getting paid and we really had very little money.

Over the years as our health issues amplified there were many other examples of compassion. To me compassion is being empathetic. It means showing people in some way that you get their situation and you're on their side. It means going out of your way to make life better for someone else.

During my teaching, I often did a " pay it forward" project. If you haven't seen that movie you should. I found that the kids I taught, often from low socioeconomic backgrounds absolutely thrived from showing compassion; by doing good deeds for others and forgetting about their own situations for a while. One year for Mothers Day we made hampers of goodies for older women in the community who deserved a treat. The compassion and the love that went into these works of art was amazing! The tears on the kids' faces when they realised they had caused this happiness was priceless.

A little compassion in a world hell bent on negativity and bad news goes a long way. Try incorporating it into your life on a regular basis and always remember to pay it forward. Sometimes all it takes is a simple smile at someone to show you care and wish them well.


C  O  M  P  A  S  S  I  O  N

Till next time...xxx

(If you enjoyed this post please consider sharing it) .

ST

RARE DISEASES DAY COMING SOON

February 28 is International Rare Diseases day.Some of you may remember the story of Meghan Ortega I posted a few months ago. Well, recently she and her Mum, Lori Ortega ( blog - Beating Cowden's) hosted a hugely successful fundraiser to raise money for a couple of organisations in the states who support rare diseases like Cowdens syndrome. At that fundraiser Meghan showed the following video she created. I hope you get some understanding about Cowden's syndrome, the syndrome I have, from this precious, intelligent, young woman and her experiences.

http://videos.videopress.com/IDX0X…//rdd-video-2015_fmt1.ogv

Till next time...xxx

ITS OK TO HAVE CERTAIN EXPECTATIONS

I'm home! After two weeks in Perth I am home and it feels so good to be in my own house and to sleep in my own bed.

Just an update on how Ashton is going- in a word FANTASTICALLY. She looks great and sounds great and is busily studying for a university exam next Tuesday. My daughter is amazing. She has just had a seven hour embolisation procedure and she has bounced back into study and an exam.Still one procedure to go but still waiting for a time to be given to us.

My other daughter Ciara is pretty fantastic too! She works her butt off and this week on top of her part time jobs will be back on stage in a production called # A Little Rain must fall. I am so excited to see her back on stage and Mark and I will be going back to Perth to see her next Saturday. So that gives me five whole days at home!

Love, love, love my children.

Which leads me to the whole topic of Valentines Day and expectations. I try every year not to have expectations but just once I would love to open the door to a dozen red roses being delivered to me. I'm 48  and we've been married almost 24 years, so how long do I have to wait? Probably for ever!

Being on a budget this year I made my hubby a batch of Nutella brownies and bought a cute card for him. My husband is the best at choosing cards so I have learned to lift my game in this area. I waited for him to arrive from Geraldton and he walked in and said " Happy Valentines day" (good) , gave me a big hug and kiss (better) and immediately said " I got you nothing" (bad...very, very bad). Not even a card!

Now maybe its the gruff method of delivery but I got so, so upset. I have no idea why I got so upset but as my face dropped, he noticed pretty quickly. See, I believe that no matter how busy you are, you always find time to do certain things - ring people for birthdays, smile at people, attend special gatherings AND buy at least a card for Valentines day. OR, pinch a flower from someones garden for them OR walk in and say " I haven't had time to buy you anything but you know how much I love you".

It's all about the delivery! Never walk in and in under a minute say " I got you nothing". Its terrible!

Anyway, the reason I love my husband is because he hates to see me upset and does everything in his power to remedy his foot in mouth disease. Later while I had a nap he went off to the supermarket and returned with roses and a card. The card made me laugh out loud. The front said something about us clicking, but his comment is what got me laughing - "one click and I got you flowers!" See that's all it takes, a corny card or a verbal card. The supermarket roses - too late buttercup! Thanks for trying to remedy the situation but too late.

We agreed to go out for dinner, but of course everywhere was booked.As a last resort, I suggested we get takeaway and eat at home and he agreed. By the time the food was ready to pick up he was fast asleep. No problem! He had driven a long way, so I went to get the curry. I came back and he was still asleep, but I woke him up for our Valentines day dinner in the courtyard.


I set the table with my supermarket roses and we ate our curry and rice together under the stars. It was lovely and our daughter even went out and bought some red wine for us!

So, the moral of the story is - you don't have to spend lots of money on someone for Valentine's Day. Its nice if you can, but its not important. What is important is showing people how much they mean to you. Words chosen well and simple actions mean so much more - well to me anyway!

And by the way the Nutella brownies were yummy for dessert!

Till next time...xxx

PS If you enjoy my blog, the biggest compliment you can give me is to share it.


BY POPULAR DEMAND:

2-ingredient Nutella brownies by diethood.com.
Ingredients
1 cup of nutella
4 large eggs
1. Preheat oven to 175.
2. Line an 20cmx20cm brownie pan with baking paper; set aside.
3. Place the eggs in your mixer’s bowl and beat for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the eggs have tripled in size. This may take up to 10 minutes with a handheld mixer on high.
4. Heat the Nutella in the microwave for 60 seconds (in a microwave proof bowl).
5. Remove and stir.
6. Slowly pour a stream of the warm Nutella over the eggs, beating until mixture is thoroughly combined.
7. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with very few crumbs.
8. Remove and let completely cool before cutting.
9. Dust with icing sugar. (Optional)
10. Cut into bars and serve.

Read more at http://www.mamamia.com.au/lifestyle/2-ingredient-nutella-brownies/#TBk1oh9W2lJyjkDh.99