Monday, June 10, 2013

Brace For Impact

**Note: This is a brain-dump post about my frustrating, kicked-me-in-the-guts week I’ve just had. I’m fine, the boys are fine, I just need to purge the taste, stink and weight of it on the page so I can move on. No deep thoughts, just cranky gnashing and deliberate blessing counting. And a commencement address I found brilliant. That is all. **

A woman raised her hand, and paused dramatically before stating “I think we need to be aware of the problems divorce causes. I see it at school, and I can see straight away who the kids from broken and divorced homes are – they are psychologically damaged, and are incredibly emotionally needy. We need to recognise that, and it’s one reason why..”  and I deliberately turned the volume switch hard to the right in my head, drowning out the rest of her smug comment about how wonderful her marriage was and blah blah blah. I waited until the Relief Society teacher had asked another question, someone else answered, then I gathered my bag and simply walked out. Out of the room, out down the hall, out, further out, to my car, where I dropped my bag into the boot, dropped myself into the driver’s seat, and listened to the tense, rapid seethe of my breathing. Maybe I should have stayed, I considered, tension flaring across my fists. I probably should have spoken up, I suggested, half-heartedly.

Nope. I stated, definitively. Not after this week. That would have been too much. I could still go in, I acknowledged. Be the voice of a reality they don’t know or understand.

I considered, listening to nothing but the tight hiss of my mood, until the throb of my heartbeat eased from my ears, until my breath ebbed softly from my lips, until the drizzle smudged the windscreen mottled silver and greys.

I’m not going back in, I decided. This is me being kind to myself.

Surprised, and grateful, I simply sat, and did nothing but let the stress drift out and quietly fog the corners of the windows.

It has not been a good week.

In the course of the last eight days, between the two of them, the boys have outgrown three sets of shoes. THREE. All of which are needed for school/everyday use. They are also going through a growth spurt, this time at the same time so they are both cranky and tired and out of sorts and ravenous… it’s not good for relaxing evenings, I have to say.

Money is tight. I did the math, and knew exactly when I could afford to buy my tickets to the USA. Anxiety had eaten everything soft and vulnerable in my belly, though, and last Sunday I was having second- to ninehundredbillionandeleventy-hundred thoughts about going. Last Sunday Wong was off colour, so I stayed home from church with him (and stressed about not teaching my class yet again, despite the Sunday School President’s reassurances that he understood and cheered my being a Mum first – I hate feeling I’ve failed my responsibilities so, so much). I had my tithing settlement interview with Bishop later that afternoon.

“How you doing, Sel?” he asked.

“I’m okay, thanks.”

He cocked an eyebrow at me, “Only okay?”

“Some days or weeks, Bishop, being just okay is a win. I’m fine, the boys are fine, I’m okay. Not brilliant, but that’s okay.”

He raised an eyebrow at me again, then started the settlement. Putting his serious face on, Bishop asked me if I paid a full tithe this year.

“Yep, I did.”

He shook his head at me. “I don’t know how you do it, Sel. A single Mum, two boys, working and being a Mum and your calling, and paying a full tithe. You’re amazing. You really are.”

I shook my head, disagreeing. “You are, Sel. How are you not a great Mum? Are the boys okay? Are you okay?”

“Bishop, the boys are fine, I’m fine, I’m just tired. I had no intention of coming in here and crying,” – I pulled a tissue out of the box on his desk at this point, wiping my eyes “it’s just been a hard week. I feel like I can’t do everything I’m meant to do, or want to do, and doing it all sometimes is…. Ugh.” I laughed in frustration, wiping at my leaky eyes.

“Sel, you’re not meant to do it all. You’re not. You are doing an amazing job with your boys. Really. What about America – when are you going?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know if I should even go anymore.”

“Why?”

“It just seems…. Selfish. To leave them. I’m all they have Bishop. Me, 24/7, nobody else in my family, just me. And I’m thinking of going away, for two weeks without them? It’s selfish.” The tissue died between my fingers, a sodden, torn mess still being mangled as I spoke.

“Wait,” he said, “We’ve had this conversation before. Sel, go to America. It’s not selfish. The boys will be fine. You have someone to look after them, it’ll even be good for them. It’ll be good for you. Think of how you’ll feel getting back, batteries charged and having done…Go to America, go out and have FUN. No responsibilities, except relaxing and doing what you want. You’ll email the boys, ring them, but it’s not being selfish, Sel, not at all.”

“You need to take time out for yourself, Sel, or you’re going to burn out. If you could have one day to yourself, to do whatever you wanted, what would you do?”

Immediately I blurted “Go somewhere where I didn’t have to talk to anyone.” He blinked, startled, and I laughed. “Seriously, Bishop, it’s what I’d do. Go for a walk on the beach, just relax somewhere with nobody asking or needing anything…”

Bishop looked at me, kindness and strength evident. “Sel, go to America. You know you need to. It will be good for you, and it’s not selfish. Go, and enjoy yourself, and don’t worry about the boys. They have heaps of us to look after them while you’re gone.”

He spoke, and the stress trilling in my belly was calmly swallowed by a warm bundle of clarity. I’m going to America, and it will be a good thing. Good for me, good for my sons. Peace uncoiled through me, flowing through my veins like warm caramel. I’d book the tickets during the week, before the flights got any more expensive. It would all work out, and be an amazing experience. Settlement done (in more ways than tithing), I returned home, back to my boyos, humming hymns of praise and thanksgiving.

I booked my tickets on Monday. My travel-agent friend even arranged an extra day in Texas, at no change to the flight costs, which caused excitement to start fizzing and spark deep inside. The charge went through, money switched banks and it was official – I’m going to the USA in August. It was a great end to Monday, driving home with the reservation happening in my ear. Then the week kind of exploded.

We have been down two people at work, which has meant trying to cover other people’s jobs, plus management have added more (insanely useless) paperwork, which has further increased the time it takes to complete a task, which then escalates the simmering tension between office and warehouse staff. The paperwork also affects the truck drivers, which they are not happy about either, and while they are for the most part a great bunch of guys, any whining is still whining. All small niggles, when taken individually, but all together an itching rash of boils has descended.

Tuesday, at the busiest point of the day, the fire alarm went off at work. It’s a major hazard facility, so it’s taken incredibly seriously. I’m a fire warden (and designated first aider), so I got to put on my sexy hardhat, grab a walkie-talkie and haul butt through the facility, hollering into every shed as I went to check for injured or missing staff. Buildings cleared, I reported to my boss, and then walked a couple of hundred metres around the block to the designated safety area, where we waited for the firemen to arrive. Half an hour later, we were allowed back on site. I left work at 630 that night, bone tired, realising I wouldn’t see Hatro until he got home after Young Men’s at about 9pm. I got home just after 7, to find the electric frypan still on, the boys’ chores undone and Wong bouncing around super-excited because he’d received his first birthday party invitation since moving here eighteen months ago. I had two glasses of Milo for dinner, scrubbed the black from under my nails, and started work on the kitchen.

Wednesday, as I was unloading another unscheduled delivery (yet another source of frustration the manager in question is impressively belligerent about, the stomping little Machiavellian dictator) my supervisor came up to my forklift and indicated I should turn it off.

“You’ve lost your windscreen.” Baffled, I checked my mirrors – yep, just as I remembered, my fork had zero windscreens to start with.

“Huh?”

“You’ve lost your windscreen. On your car.” I blew out a huff, shrugged; half laughed and said “Of course I have.”

My supervisor looked at me, suddenly wary.

“What happened?” I asked, stretching my back out against the seat, bracing for the latest calamity.

“Three of the guys and I were out the front having smoko, a ute sped past, then all of a sudden CRACK – Garth nearly crapped himself, he was sitting closest – and your windscreen shattered. It’s still held in by the tint, but it’ll need to be fixed. Why don’t you go ring someone, and get them to fix it this afternoon.”

The twanging, labouring cord of deliberate calm broke. Visions of growing feet, airline tickets and power bills danced behind my sunnies. “I CAN’T get it fixed,” I snapped. “I can’t afford it.”

My supervisor took a surprised half step back, but already I had my hands up, placating, apologising. "Sorry, it’s okay. I’ll ring my insurance and see if they’ll cover it. Right after I finish unloading.” An hour later – again, at the busiest part of the day – I stalked out the front to assess the damage.

Sure enough, the entire rear windscreen was a sparkly mosaic, only held in place by the tint. That it happened was an incredible demonstration physics, trigonometry and Murphy’s Law. I was parallel parked against the kerb, with cars tightly close to the front and rear, and the rock had hit way over to the left of the glass, with enough velocity to shatter the entire window. There was even crumbs of glass on the roof! I spent what would have been my lunch break and an extra half hour being transferred between my insurance company (“No, sorry, no window coverage is showing on your policy”) and the Window Extortions R Us company (“We have the window in stock, but the only appointment we have is a window from 4-7pm – is that suitable?”) “Are you sure?” I asked the insurance people, and “Sure” I sighed to the glassy pirates, who would be relieving me of nearly $500 for replacing my love note from an anonymous rock. $500 that I didn’t have until payday.

I rang my Mum, hating the necessity and embarrassment of it. She answered the phone, delighted to hear my voice, and I explained what had just happened to my car. I was reassuring her that I was fine and not in the car, when the fire alarm began squalling through the site. “Mum, I have to ring you back because I’m at work and the stupid bloody fire alarm’s just gone off… I’ll ring you back.”

Tension was radiating like sunburn from my knees to shoulders as I stalked into the office, and up to the unknown visitor at the fire alarm panel. “Tell me if this is for real, or just a test” I bluntly commanded, sunnies still on, hand squeezing the electronic juices from my phone. “Uh, it’s just a test?” he hopefully answered. “Thank you,” I responded, turning away. “Hey Poppy, can you let James know the ‘This is just a test’ announcement can’t be heard out the front?” I asked going by her desk, on my way out the front yet again. Breathe, Sel, I told myself. Breathe.

Hit redial, Mum picked up and within seconds she was telling me to breathe through my tears. “Hey, I’ll pay for the window, don’t worry about it,” she chided me. “Now, what’s going on?”

I feel like I’m being kicked while I’m down, king-hit with a crow bar, pushed underwater by an elephant… “I’m trying so, SO hard, and it’s just not working” I sobbed out, mortified to be crying to my Mum at the grand age of 36, sounding like a four year old.

“Hey, hey – I KNOW you’re trying hard, Sel, it’s the only way you do things. And it IS working. Take a deep breath.” She waited while I sucked in a wobbly lungful. “And another one…” Again I pulled in breath around the rough edges of my sobs. “You are doing an amazing job, you stubborn girl. Are you sleeping properly? Working overtime?” I mumbled no and yes and dried my eyes on my high-vis jacket. “Go and put the window on this credit card,” she instructed, quickly rattling off the details, “and quit worrying about everything. Really. It will work out. It’s only money, right?”

I calmed down a little more while Mum chattered about my Nan’s plans to visit her, what the dog had been doing to the hose… When I could talk in complete sentences, I thanked her, swapped I love you’s, then went back to work.

I am going to America, I told myself, over and over and over again. Loading trucks, counting cartons and pallets, chasing paperwork and herding forms I repeated it like a mantra. I am going to America. The tickets are booked. I am going to America.

The afternoon provided some welcome gratitude draughts as well. “Hey,” my supervisor stated, stopping between me and the stock I was cataloguing. “Don’t take this week’s hours as flex – take it as paid overtime.”

“But I thought management doesn’t want overtime?” I reminded him.

“Tough.” He replied flatly. “If they want us to work understaffed, and still expect us to meet quota and deadlines, they can pay for it.” He lowered his head until he had my full attention. “Get paid for your overtime, Sel. Yesterday’s and today’s hours should go a good way to paying off your window. You already have most of the hours you need for your holiday with flex, and we’re only just into June. Take the overtime hours, Sel. Make the buggers pay” he grinned at me. So, without doubt, this was a definite blessing. I’m looking forward to seeing what my next pay will be.

Then, my phone rang again. “Hello, Sel, it’s Capt’n Bloke from Glass Pirates and Extortions – is there any chance we could come and fix your window in the next hour? You won’t be able to drive the car for at least an hour afterwards, or would 4-7 tonight work better?” I nearly bit my tongue off trying to quickly agree to the early appointment. A young guy was at the front reception within half an hour of the call, my window was replaced, and it would be more than ready to drive home by the time my day ended. Thank you, I breathed, the prayer sparkling against the glass and sunlight and shiny new window. Thank you for this tender mercy.
Thursday and Friday had me stuck driving a desk instead of a forklift, covering for Poppy who had two days leave. I hated it. The paperwork mountain had exploded into a towering, convoluted mountain range of scanning, filing, paper-handling and timelines since I’d last covered for her, for no discernible cause or worth, other than management had decreed it. The days were long, tedious, and made me even more exhausted at the end of each day.

Friday, I rang the boyos on my way home. “Get socks and shoes on – we’re going shoe shopping.”

“What? At 7 at night?” Wong squawked, amazed. “Yep, it’s now or tomorrow, and I really, REALLY don’t want to tomorrow.” I sighed at the thought and at the traffic snagged around the next corner. By the time I collected the boys and we got to the shopping centre, I was officially ready to hand in my sanity and crawl under the nearest set of shelves, but shoes were needed.

After passionate negotiations (on the boys’ part) and final acceptance of their pleas (on my part), shoes of sufficient size, comfort and style were found and bought. One set were seriously reduced, so I bought an extra pair the next size up for Wong, still remaining under budget: another blessing, shining brightly before my tired, thankful eyes and heart. Then over to Coles for apples and milk, and the happy find of chicken drumsticks on special. As the woman tumbled the chunky pieces into a bag, Wong suddenly piped up “How has your day been?” The woman looked up, obviously startled.

“Considering I’m still at work, it’s pretty crappy actually,” she smiled conspiratorially at him, “but I have the weekend off, so that’s okay.” Wong smiled back, then beamed as she asked “And how was your day?”

“Pretty good,” he noted, then grabbed the paper package under an arm.

“Anything else for you?” she asked him, and he grinned again.

“No thanks,” I replied, watching Wong wander off balancing his new shoes and the chicken. “Have a great night.”

By then, it was after 7pm, and there was no way I was cooking. I fed everyone Hungry Jacks, and we laughed together over our burgers and watched Wong have an existential crisis over deciding between an ice-cream sundae and a soft-drink refill. (The ice-cream won, but having to choose nearly killed him).
Home again, home again, a long weekend stretching enticingly before me. Except for the sticky floors, piled up dishes, a talk and lesson to prepare for Sunday, Wong having a friend over to play Saturday morning, and his “Healthy Minds” appointment an hour’s drive on the south-side of Brisbane Saturday afternoon.

I ignored the dishes Friday night, instead ferreting through quotes and talks and scriptures, trying to connect the dots of what I wanted to convey in my sacrament talk. Evening thickened while I read, considered, listening to Hatro croon to the dog and Wong laugh at his book, and – when he was in bed – the dog licking his feet. Scriptures, prayers when the boys wanted to sleep, then later crawled into bed myself while it was still Friday, but only just. Fell asleep warmed by the realisation that I had so many personal experiences with building and maintaining my testimony it was going to be difficult to find the right one to share in my talk.

Saturday morning had Wong – who for weeks has only been able to groggily open one eye to say “Bye Mum, love you!” as I leave for work each morning, before tumbling back to sleep – wakes up and is clattering around his bedroom at 5am. Ugh. I’m so glad he can get his own breakfast… I think, wrapping the doona and silver lining snug around me, and fall back asleep for a couple more hours. Turns out he and his mate have already planned their time together: Minecraft, a pot of tea, some handball. Minecraft happens, 11-year-old voices raised in enthusiastic disagreement only at one point, the tea doesn’t, and they spend 10 minutes trying to find a ball that meets their strict bounce:feel ratio balance. From what I can tell, they both have fun, which makes my housework and talk preparation run quite smoothly. Then the friend’s collected, I have time to throw another load of laundry in the machine, tell Hatro I expect the dishes to be done by the time I get back, to remember to put the rice on to cook (“Ma! I will!” – hmm, must have interrupted his book at a good part…excellent!), kiss his forehead - and Wong and I are on our way south, into some impressively glowering rain clouds.

An hour later and Wong shows no signs of running out of conversation, smooches my cheek and bolts out of the car to the meeting. I drive up the road to Maccas, order a hot chocolate and – because they look pomegranate red and gorgeous – a raspberry macaron. Why not, I think, and add a chocolate truffle log to my order, realising suddenly that I haven’t eaten.

I find a little corner table, pull out my talk references, a notepad and a book I started late last night. Half an hour later I’ve set out my talk, coded in my quotes, sucked down a third of the surprisingly good hot chocolate, and have discovered that macarons – even Maccas bought ones – are wonderfully delicious. I look up to see drizzle filling the carpark with whirly curtains, pull my cardigan a little closer and relax back with my book.

Home, dinner, Hatro having done the dishes AND the rice (blessing counting continues!). I work on my talk some more, and at about 8 o’clock realise the house is incredibly quiet. I check, and both boyos are fast asleep. I don’t even try to wake them, even though we haven’t had prayers or scriptures, and return to my talk. Eleven o’clock I’m taking deep, deliberate breaths, trying to get my frakking printer to turn on. No luck. I send a “Please?” of a prayer blistering towards heaven, with no happy little green light of response on my printer. I give up, and reassure myself it’s only 25 hours until this gorram mess of a week is officially over.
Sunday morning, I find an app that will let me read my talk off Hatro’s iPad. Which is great, until the slight shaking in my fingers during my talk constantly changes the size of the font. I lose my place a couple of times, my shaking gets worse, the page continues to jump. I skip chunks of my talk, hope it makes some sort of sense, and am absolutely delighted to sit down at the end of it.

Bishop speaks after me, stating it’s interesting that the first speaker’s topic was strength in the scriptures, my talk was on testimony, yet we both also spoke on what he was going to talk about – trials. “There are always trials,” he said. “Always.” I turn my thoughts away from the past week, instead focussing on the blessings of my testimony, my fuschia and black tights, the fact that my talk was over. Trials come, trials go, blessings are there for the seeing.

My class went okay, even with the surprising addition of swivel chairs. Counted that as a plus.

Then Relief Society, where I caught up briefly with a woman who still lived in Outer Darkness, North Queensland. “The branch is so much better,” she reassured me “so many people have moved in!” She had her sixth baby just two weeks ago, and he’s a cutie. It was nice to realise that I was appreciated up there, and still remembered.

Then the lesson started, full of the teacher’s admonition that marriage “needs to be about oneness with your spouse” and “tell him ‘I just want you to mop the floor’, and say it so he understands it” and other’s statements about “psychologically damaged kids” and that’s where I walked out.

After some time in the car, I went to Nursery. Tasha looked up as I entered – “Hey! You’re early!” she looked at the clock, back to me then said “Or are you skipping Relief Society?”

“Skipping,” I said, helping fold up the incredible CTR blankets she’d made.

“What, is the lesson on Eternal Marriage?” she laughed.

“Yep.”

I shared some of the comments raised, and will probably go apologise to the poor Dad who was in Nursery at the time, suddenly finding himself surrounded by the words and inflections of a slightly ranting and sarcastic redhead.

“Dude,” Tasha said. “You should have ditched earlier, and come for the play-doh.”

“I should have!”

Nursery closed with prayer, then there were giant bubbles blown by Tasha and Sr Pearl, the other woman in Nursery (an incredibly gentle, empathetic lady) for the kids to pop. The Dad escaped rapidly (poor guy), and we kept discussing the Relief Society lesson.

“C’mon, Sel, you know that you want a husband,” Tasha stated, then paused to blow more bubbles for the tiny kids dancing at her feet. “That’s not what bothered you about the lesson.”

Sister Pearl came up and gave me a hug. “We just need to find you a husband, right Sr Tasha?” she encouraged.

“Oh, I’m trying!” Tasha laughed.

“It’s just the ‘divorced kids are obviously psychologically damaged and emotionally needy rubbish stated as a blanket fact.Ugh! But I couldn’t just sit there, because if I did I’d have said something, and people wouldn’t have understood or would’ve been hurt, so this is me being charitable by leaving Relief Society during the lesson.”

 “You’re kids are awesome!” Sr Pearl encouraged. “My daughter says Hatro is just amazing,-“

“Ppfft,” Tasha teased, “Sel, you know your kids were ‘psychologically damaged’ well before your divorce!”

I laughed, needing the lightened mood, laughter, and finding surprising satisfaction in popping some of the bubbles. “You’re right about that, Tash!”

“No, seriously” Sr Pearl continued, obviously determined to help my feelings. “You’re a great Mum. Doing a great job. Don’t worry about your boys.” She hugged me again.

Tasha blew a tumble of bubbles, then looked me directly in the eye. “You have no problem with the doctrine of it,” Tasha stated, bubbles still floating through the air, “it’s the opinions and comments about kids you can’t handle.”

“I know. I just couldn’t stay there. Not this week.”

So we blew and popped bubbles, and Nursery finally emptied, and after some more chatting, it was time to return home.

Watched a movie with the boyos, slouched around in comfortable tracky pants, listened to the rain murmur against the roof and windows. Read late, slept in late. Last week was officially over.

Two – well, two and a half – things were on repeat last week which made the awfulness a little easier to slog through. First, “I am going to America”. This was a bundle of reassurance: knowing the tickets were bought and it was official; remembering the peace I felt, having decided to really, actually go; having something so luxurious and selfish and fun and amazing to look forward to. Second, the phrase “This is all water”. It comes as a result from a commencement speech I read nearly two weeks ago (I’ve reread it a couple of times since) by David Foster Wallace, which had an amazing video montage made of it, but has since been taken down due to copyright. The speech itself is stunning, and I even used the fish joke at the beginning to start my sacrament talk (albeit without the ‘hell’.) 

The half was part of several scriptures “- endure all things”. The Lord knows I’m stubborn. More stubborn than I should or need to be, usually. But this past week seemed like one of those times where I just had to put my head down, and move forward through everything slamming against me. And when I was becoming especially discouraged, there was the uplift and belief of friends to boost me on, the smell of fresh water, and “-endure all things” echoing in my ears, the word “can” warming my shoulders, strengthening my shaking knees, wrapping me up to stay stubborn, keep going just a little longer.


 Even awful weeks end, eventually.

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

A Quick Note

Obviously my "blog each day" intention has been shoved under the nearest heavy object, though I admit the impetus has given my creativity a burst - it's just not visible on my blog.

I am writing over at Segullah today, on a theme which I will be visiting again here very soon....

Sunday, May 26, 2013

Putting Yourself To Bed

Bedtime has been skulking around the house. I have no idea why, but lately getting to bed at a decent time - 'decent' being before 930 - has been as likely as spitting out diamonds after I brush my teeth.

It's just not happening.

I'm not sure why sleep is hugging the skirting boards instead of curling up behind my knees, tented in flannelette. I want to go to bed, to pluck the worries and strains of the day from my hair like beads, the marbled weights then used to pay passage across the tide to dreaming. Instead I wander the house, wipe down the benches, check the doors, realise yet again I haven't dusted the bookshelf/cleaned the wall/watered the valiantly struggling yet probably doomed rhubarb, and go kiss the boys a final time goodnight. The boys are oblivious, insensate in their rooms. Hatro's cheekbones cut into his doona's fat folds, his arms and legs a hidden Celtic knot of determined sleep. Wong's nose is practically against his chest, two pillows standing guard behind him. I know better than to move anything regardless of how uncomfortable he looks, because he will wake before I leave the room growling against the light and my interference. A lesson learnt so long ago: let sleeping babies lie.

The hunting dance with sleep continues, a slow sweeping curl into other rooms and routines. I sit, the curve of the mattress edge reflects the slope of my shoulders, and weariness sags at my hips. C'mon, I suggest, time for bed. Prayers folded into shapes and whispers are slowly blown off my fingers, I pull myself up, impossibly far, further, kick off my uggs and face-plant the pillow. A moment to pause, my spine singing an exultant Horizontal! and I roll grudgingly to the side, a nightwhale breaching for air and whatever reading material is balanced nearby.

All going well I'll inhale some pages before the words clog my eyes, stretch for the lamp's switch and breathe out long and slow into the sudden curious night. Some nights, like this past Friday, I'll have stomped and seethed my way through the evening, until I give myself a time out and put myself to bed. No mucking around, no more drinks of water or double checks on laundry or bread for lunches - the house is dark, clothes are left in death poses on the floor, and I'm muttering against the pillows well before the neighbour's cuckoo clock can bang on about it being 9 o'clock.

Putting yourself to bed can be the meanest, kindest thing you can do. Even if you do spontaneously wake up at 3am the next morning, for no reason. Except for maybe being used to not getting enough sleep.

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Something School Doesn't Teach You

There are very few right answers. Sure, when the test is given, the capital of Burma may be Rangoon but give it a couple of years or even weeks, and it's not Burma anymore, it's Myanmar (regardless of what the US chooses to call it). There are very few right answers in school, and outside school there are even less. Be that as it may, the satisfying shuffle of a or x or y from one side of the equals sign to the other will stay curled up in your shoulder blades somewhere, coming out randomly to s t r e t c h luxuriously when a plan comes perfectly together, like the first bite of a cake fresh out of the oven, or seeing your son fall into space, delivered by a book you read when you were about his age, and you find it as hard to get his attention as if there actually was an entire atmosphere and shiny vacuum of space between you.

Pythagoras' Theory can help you pass the test, but school doesn't teach you life has its own answers. I know how to pronounce cos, sin and tan, while cheerfully having no idea anymore of how they relate to anything. You can't get all the questions right. Often you have no idea what the question actually IS, or who is going to teach you whatever it is you should be learning. It can be a long, painful fall from being a straight A student to just an ordinary human living the life you've been given, the life you're trying to build and decipher and push the boundaries a couple more galaxies outwards.

There are very few right answers. Life's algebra doesn't make sense. But there will be moments when you understand a concept, a person, a sunrise, situation, recipe or metaphor, and the entire sky will change colour and shout in celebration. There will be crushings that will plummet far into the abyss inside you, and dark will be the only sense you can make of any of it. But it's those moments - of dying and clarity and sapphire sunbursts and the sudden smell of mustard or cinnamon - that will become part of your own answers, to the questions you were looking for all along.

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

A Final Thought For The Evening

Some days - some minutes even - the very best of intentions get smacked upside the head with a grand piano, pushed off the edge of the world or simply left alone, quietly in the corner, forgotten and weary.

Some days (some weeks or alternate Thursday mornings even) ordinary routines can fizzle to vagueness and drift absentmindedly away, or show you their teeth when abandoned.

Some days, even a crisp edged Tuesday, can be so simply exhausting that saying "Good night" gives you the feeling that either a parade should now be held in your honour somewhere, or you've broken the laws of physics in not having broken down in tears hours beforehand.

Some days hold the proof that you should have been looking after yourself better, that gentleness doesn't necessarily mean weakness, and that sometimes the best part of the day is when it is over.

Monday, May 20, 2013

The Liebster Award!

Nearly a month ago, while I was skittering impatiently in the hospital waiting for the MRI room doors to open and return Wong to me, my phone pinged with a message.

Can't wait for you to check your email :-) it will cheer you up a little!

A while later, while Wong thankfully dozed, I did check my email and found that Tracey, from Carpe Librum, had nominated me for the Leibster Award. And Trace was right - it did cheer me up, and more than a little! Life has obviously been a bit chaotic since then, so my response has been delayed until now (as with my return text - sorry Trace!), but I have given the questions plenty of thought.

To start, the awards works as follows:

  • The nominated blogger has to list 11 facts about themselves
  • They need to answer the asked 11 questions posed by their Awarder
  • Then nominate another 11 bloggers for the Award with a different 11 questions
  • Link to the bloggers in the post
  • Let them know you've nominated them
  • Don't renominate the person with impeccable taste and discernment who nominated you ;)

So, 11 Facts About Me

  1. I hate having sticky fingers. Glue, mud, egg whites, whatever - GET IT OFF GET IT OFF RIGHT NOW!
  2. I love eating food with my fingers where possible (except where this conflicts with point #1).
  3. I speed-read. I'm self-taught, very fast, and can usually remember which side page a quote or reference was on. 
  4. I have less than six shirts that don't have something written on the outside.
  5. I know - by memory - all the lyrics to Vanilla Ice's "Ice Ice Baby".
  6. Science fiction is my drug of choice.
  7. There are always at least two of the three essentials in my fridge: milk, cream and butter.  
  8. I try to get a camel ornament every Christmas.
  9. I will never have enough books.
  10. I dream of firing a bofor gun. 
  11. I believe dessert is acceptable fare for breakfast and dinner.
Tracey asked me the following questions:

  1. Can you tell us a little about your blog? It has chronicled the end of my marriage, the subsequent divorce, my rantings, fears and attempts to be a decent human being and good Mum to my sons. Basically, it's where I pour out my head to work out what I'm thinking.
  2. What's your most popular blog post to date? This one, about my tattoo.
  3. How do you increase your followers? I don't. The majority of people who read my blog I'm pretty sure are word of mouth referrals.
  4. Where does the inspiration for your blog posts come from? Whatever crazy thing is going on in my life or head is what ends up on my blog.
  5. A little about you now.  Can you name your favourite book? Ugh, such a cruel question! Fine, it'd have to be Old Man's War by John Scalzi. But I'm happy to offer other favourites in any and all other genres.
  6. What song has the most number of plays in your iTunes? (Or, what's your fav song?) iTunes tells me the boyos have corrupted my play listings, so after some sleuthing it appears at the moment it's Hero: Overture, though outside of iTunes it's Feeling Good by Nina Simone.
  7. What's your all time favourite TV Show? Firefly, no contest at all!
  8. What was your favourite game to play as a child? Climb A Tree With A Book And Hide From Everybody.
  9. Do you have a second hobby, other than the one your blog focusses on? Um, my crazies aren't a hobby, I promise! Favourite hobby/pastime is reading!
  10. Stationery lover or iPhone / online all the way? Stationery, absolutely, though online for actually getting stuff SENT in the same calendar year.
  11. Funniest comment left on your site? Definitely from Erik, lovely Michelle's husband, in response to my 'If You Miss It Then You Should Have Kept A Ring On It' post, namely:
Great writing! I feel your pain and am clenching my fist in solidarity with the impending punch to the "cake hole". 

Actually, on face punching, I have heard that it is better to do this with an open hand. I have never actually taken or given this kind of affection but the experts say that if you want to enjoy the use of your hand in the weeks and months after delivering such a blow use the base of your palm in a short upward punch. I would hate for you do to this and then not be able to write about it.
 I don't have 11 bloggers to tag, but should they choose to accept, I'd love to award the following:

  1. Where's Marnie?
  2. Scenes From The Wild
  3. Compulsive Writer
  4. Beehive and Birdsnest
  5. Angry Baker
  6. Wild N Precious
My questions for them:

  1. What movie or book is guaranteed to make you feel better by the end of it?
  2. Which fictional character would you invite to a party/dinner/island/breakfast/event?
  3. What has made you laugh lately?
  4. Name an actor/actress you would want to cast as a particular character in a favourite book.
  5. What would you happily pay $50 to someone to do for you?
  6. What's the answer to the question you wish someone would ask you?
  7. Three things that you need to have close to hand?
  8. How do you decide what to blog about?
  9. What's something you've always wanted to do (but haven't yet)?
  10. What's something you would love to discuss with great friends over amazing food?
  11. What's something you are happily surprised about being you right now?
Thanks for the nomination, opportunity and fun Tracey!

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Favourite Friends On The Interwebs

Today's post prompt is my favourite blogs I read, and why. I'm going to go with blogs of people that I either have met in person, or who I've gotten to know via the miracle and wonder of the internet, email and their blogs. I'm hoping that I'll meet two of these lovely people in person when I visit the States this year!

So, in no particular order:

Where's Marnie?

Well, unlike Waldo, Marnie can generally be found in Melbourne, Australia. She and I met about ten years ago, when we were both called into Primary - she as the music director, me as a wary and terrified counsellor. Primary gave us quite a chunk of time to chat and get to know each other. Our eldest kids were in Primary (Hatro and one of Marnie's daughter in the same primary class), and it quickly became apparent that Marnie was a remarkable woman. When I moved from Melbourne a couple of years later, I knew I'd miss her. Thankfully the web has made it possible to keep in touch, and I love her blog. Marnie has an eye for colour, design, style, and I admire the honesty with which she writes about parenting, life, extended family, self-improvement and the beauty in living. She also shares my love of sci-fi and geekery ;)

Jennie aka Hildie

Don't let the title "Beehive and Birdsnest - Amazing Feats of Domesticity" lull you into a bored coma - Hildie writes with wit, snark and is hugely entertaining. Some of my favourite quotes from her blog include:
"$1600 for a cake stand??? For that price I expect it to be painted with the tears of 18th Century Chinese concubines. I think I’ll stick with the ceramic version from Pier One that costs 97% less." (Read the whole post, both for the hilarity and pretties she was looking at.)
And her response to my comment asking for her special brownie recipe that begins with:
Dear Selwyn,
Sorry things are so yucky for you right now with the ex being a douche bag. Here is the recipe for the amazingly wonderful Cream Cheese Brownies to help you drown your sorrows. I would send you some but you live in Australia and they would taste wretched by the time they arrived.
Love,
Jennie 
 Those brownies are now one of the ultimate dessert rewards here, hands down. I read Hildie's blog because it's funny, and she tells life exactly as she sees it. I can't wait to see her in August! (And I'm doing a "How To Make Pavlova" post just for you, JennieHildie, soon!)

Chaos Theory's Angry Baker

I want Angry Baker to take my photo, and some at home shots of my boys. Actually, I'd love to just hang out with her for a couple of hours to eat amazing food, take poser shots in front of crazy city walls, and let our love of FNLs, Tim Riggins, and snark have free reign. I think I found her blog through one of her comments over at Segullah, and lurked for some time before commenting on something she wrote. Her photography is brilliant, her Instagram roll is stunning and I am a devoted fan of her blogged honesty, snark and appreciation of desserts. Our time in Utah isn't going to coincide in August, which kills me, as I'd like to meet her for real. (Note to self: get quote for SLC-Angry Baker flights).

Wild and Precious

"Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?" - Mary Oliver

That quote is at the top of Cath's blog, and Cath writes of the wild precious moments in her life, particularly as they relate to her mothering of her five kids (including two sets of twins). What I appreciate most about Cath's blog is her determination to choose better, to become more than she is, and deliberately become the example she wants her children to see. Again, this is another blog that is honest in the trials and exasperation of life (parenting is full of those!), while also frankly addressing the hard work and wonder that comes from being a woman, a mother, a wife, a friend, understanding the preciousness of life and our loved ones. One of her recent posts includes her address at BYU's Women Conference, and I don't know how many times I've reread it. Cath is part of the Segullah staff, and I'm looking forward to meeting her in just a couple of months in real life.

Scenes From The Wild

I found Michelle's blog through one of her Segullah posts. That was years ago, and thanks to Michelle's encouragement I wrote more, was invited onto the Segullah team and had a fantastic time when the boyos and I visited the States spending the time with Michelle and her family. What I love most about Michelle's blog is her focus on her loved ones. She is present for her kids, open to seeing flowers and new love and enduring dedication in everyday situations and special occasions. Her photography is breathtaking (she did a series of photos of the boyos and I that continue to bring me to tears of happiness and disbelief) and her faith spills out of her blog as much as her love of family and friends. She has opened my mind about parenting in ways I'd never have thought of, to my sons' benefit, and her blog is a marvel of deliberate, present parenting.