After endless days of black storm clouds, ferocious down pours and howling winds, nature fought back and graced the skies of Perth with this vivid rainbow. Seeing that rainbow ribbon across the sky over the train station brought a smile to my face. The first one to reach my eyes in quite a while which in turn triggered my Instagram reflex which then lead to me logging onto blogger, taking my blog off private and now typing this post.
Gee, I’ve missed writing. Those stolen moments away from the daily grind which were mine alone. The thinking time which challenged my mind and gave it a break from nappy changes, batches of formula and the endless pursuit of the nirvana that is lengthy daytime naps.
It’s not just the act of writing I’ve wanted to reconnect with but also the way blogging and Instagram made me look at life. To appreciate that every day has its moments and that the world is a happier place when you can capture those moments in words and photographs.
I hope you’ll welcome me back to the fold.
I’m in the middle of a life changing chain of events at the moment. It’s the kind of situation that has seen me take many long walks in the late winter sun, deep in thought. I know that you know just how much of my life I’ve poured out into the posts of this blog but things are different this time. The difficulties are not mine alone and hence I don’t think it’s my right to disclose them in such a public space.
Decisions that need to be made keep turning over in my mind, seemingly in time to the rhythm of the wind that rustles the bare branches of the trees above me. The gentle shushing soothes me, reassures me that it will all work out in the end, whatever choice I make. The soft sun that filters through touches my skin and gives me at least one thing in the day to enjoy and be thankful for.
With a head and heart so full right now, it stands to reason that blogging has taken a very distant back seat in my life for now. The kind of writing I enjoy and that I think you like to read hasn’t been flowing as easily as it did and should. It would defeat the purpose of this blog if we were both forced to be here out of habit alone.
I’m heading back to Perth for another visit tomorrow and will be away for a few weeks. It will be time to reflect on the past, the current sombre times and to make decisions. But above all, to be surrounded by the unconditional love and support of family. It’s the kind of love that comforts, inspires, strengthens and reassures. It’s the kind of love I hope I will one day be able to give back exponentially.
I don’t know when I’ll be back but in the mean time, take care of yourselves and live the life you have now as fully as you can. I will promise to do the same and may we meet back here soon.
Lots of love,
SSG xxx
Well, hello.
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| www.theage.com.au |
I’m just resurfacing after having fully processed that Patrick was the character who died in this week’s Offspring. It is okay for me to spill, isn’t it? The news is two days old already and the centre of an Australian media frenzy. Which is perfectly understandable for many reasons. Not only is Offspring great television but the only other big event in local television in coming days will be the first Election 2013 debate between Messrs Rudd and Abbott at the National Press Club on Sunday. Have you got your telly snacks and drinks sorted yet?
Back to Offspring. Next week’s season finale will probably be even more of a tear jerker than this week’s. It’ll be a departure from the usual happy, mad cap season enders that I’ve come to love with Offspring. Next season will be an interesting one for Nina (even more so than usual) as she comes to terms with her grief and role as a single mother. I know the writers will handle these issues with the sensitivity that they deserve yet will still inject some whimsical humour into the story lines. Sometimes, laughter and crazy dream sequences are all you have to get you through life’s trying times. That, and deep breathing and being completely in the moment. All of which, I am sure Nina Proudman will do with great style and verve.
Baby SSG has been discovering the power of the printed word this week. He’s loving how satisfying it is to tear the cover off back issues of The Australian Womens’ Weekly and then chewing on selected strips of them. I’ve spent this morning clearing his mouth with my finger and then putting the pieces of Bec Hewitt’s face together to make sure he hasn’t actually eaten any paper. If he has, though, does it count towards his daily fibre intake, I wonder?
And on that note, take care and have a lovely weekend.
Well, Mr Rudd is keeping us on our toes, isn’t he? I misread the headlines on Saturday about his calling the election (he hadn’t), corrected my post on Sunday morning and a few hours later? He’d popped round to the Governor General’s and sought formal permission to make Saturday September 7 Election Day. Glad we’ve cleared that up and thanks, Kevin for picking a date that works for me. Now let the battle of the three word slogans begin…..
I think my days as a wannabe political blogger are definitely over. Keeping tabs on the breaking news is just too hard and requires a level of energy and concentration I just don’t have right now.
So I’m going to put my beauty blogger hat back on and deliver this bombshell…..
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| Image from beautyeditor.ca website |
Shu Uemura fans, look what my inbox provided! News of a Shu Uemra price drop at David Jones. The SSG Institute of Finance has done a quick price comparison with Strawberrynet and come to the conclusion that though the Australian prices are a few dollars higher, the convenience factor and range available in store and online via the DJs site more than makes up (what a pun) for it. So buy, buy, buy!
DISCOVER OUR ICONS
AT NEW LOWER PRICES
with up to 40% off across half the range
the shu uemura PRICE DROP is effective
AUGUST 6TH, 2013
and incorporates many iconic, cult products including:
cleansing oils 150ml were from $55 NOW from $36
painting liners were $55 NOW $35
false eyelashes were $52 NOW $35
UV under base mousse was $54 NOW $49
and everyone’s favourite: the cult ‘eyelash curler’ was $40 NOW $29
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| www.allure.com |
The price drop is effective August 6 – which is tomorrow so get yourselves to DJs ASAP. I won’t be offended if you stop reading now and start making your shopping list instead.
Wouldn’t you know it? I’ve gotten myself another cold. Just in time for this sunny weather were having in Sydney. I’m eating oranges like there’s no tomorrow in the hope that they will knock this thing on its head. I’m going to try and get some rest as well. I’m in talks with Baby SSG in between rescuing slivers of cheese from his pyjamas and from around his neck. The good news, I’m seeing the humour despite feeling so wretched.
Before I say goodbye, here’s a couple of photos from my weekend. They made me feel so excited that spring is just around the corner. The bursts of colour, the hint of sun. I love the changing of seasons in Sydney.
A Vespa parked outside the cafe where we went for coffee on Sunday.
And chalk art by some children in the neighbourhood.
Happy Monday!
Thank you readers for pointing out that no, the election date hasn’t been called yet. I got a bit excited at the weekend headlines. I’m still in need of distraction from the election though… Post updated accordingly.
SSG xxx
We’ve still not gotten ourselves an election date. And it’s been a pretty slow news week to boot. I’ve read my Prince George edition of the AWW and surfed the net in search of the Duchess’ Jenny Packham dress to no avail, North West and her parents were yet to surface and two of the trainers from Biggest Loser who suddenly got together were now just as suddenly no longer.
There was false hope in my suburb on the election front, though. Look who I met at Coles this morning after the gym and before my first coffee of the day? It’s going to be a long four weeks. I can feel it already. Need to escape? I’ve started already. And the best bit? I haven’t even had to leave my lounge room and risk being paper bombed with more election themed reading material.
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| www.theage.com.au |
Better Man is a mini series that was recently on SBS. It tells the story of Vietnamese Australian Van Nguyen who was arrested in Singapore and convicted of trafficking a large amount of heroin. The series begins by filling in the back story that lead to Van trafficking heroin in the first place. A young man saddled with too much family responsibility at too young an age, Van finds himself in serious debt trying to protect his family. With no way to earn the money required, Van ends up being a mule for a vicious drug syndicate. Arrested in Singapore, Van cracks under the pressure of his own exhaustion and the interrogation process. He signs a statement confessing to trafficking before the Australian Embassy had a chance to get involved. The rest of the series explores the three year legal battle of his impassioned legal team.
True stories like this will always be difficult and painful to recreate for entertainment, especially when many of the central characters are still alive and grieving. However, Better Man has been beautifully crafted – the harrowing scenes of the drug trafficking industry and the effect of poverty on vulnerable lives blend into the lush, natural beauty of Vietnam, Singapore and Cambodia. And then there’s the stellar cast including David Wenham, Claudia Karvan and Brian Brown. If you missed the series, SBS have the episodes on demand via their website.
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| www.ew.com |
Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight is my first obsessive Kindle read for the month. The Amelia of the title is a teenager who lived in New York until her untimely death after apparently jumping to her death from a balcony at her exclusive Brooklyn school. Kate, Amelia’s mother, is the person doing the reconstructing by reading the hundreds of messages she found on Amelia’s phone. Did Amelia really kill herself or was she pushed? McCreight offers an interesting take on what life is like for teenage girls in this age of social media and compulsive text messaging. If you thought things were pretty intense when you were young……
Google tells me that Nicole Kidman has the film rights to Reconstructing Amelia. It’s a novel made for a film adaptation. I’ll be waiting on developments with interest.
How are you going to play the next few weeks until the election? Will you be paying close attention to the Kevin and Tony show or will you be tuning out for a bit?
