A walk around Sydney

Hi Renotta and other friends
Still luring you to this part of the world. I am going to send you a heap of photos today - the reason being that, even they are probably not my best photos of the area, but were all taken yesterday which will demonstrate the incredible beauty of the area. Just as I am amazed at how you can come up with such beautiful, creative pieces every day, I want to amaze you.

These are the big picture photos, the closeups will follow tomorrow.

Thanks for saving the photos next to yours - that is very special.

Love C

Cremorne Point Walk pathway.

Cremorne Reserve stretches around the entire shoreline of Cremorne Point in a mix of bush and formal gardens, providing unrivalled public access to the harbour shores. It is a special reserve with a fascinating history in a spectacular environment

In one direction, Mosman Rowers Club - a great spot for a meal or a casual counter lunch/dinner and drink. Either return along the same path or take a 10 minute ferry trip from Mosman Bay back to Cremorne Point. (more to come about 'The Rowers'! We did have a drink there yesterday but I will save those photos for another day when I tell you why I didn't take G there when I first met him.)

If you choose to walk right along the path you follow Sydney Harbour foreshore to the lighthouse on the tip of The Point. You can then follow the path along the western side of The Point which offers superb views of the Opera House, Harbour Bridge and city skyline. During the day and at night it's a wonderful sight - don't forget your camera!

Discovery and appreciation are the key elements of this wonderful loop walk. The interpretative signs will help you to discover something of its original Aboriginal inhabitants, the early Cremorne Gardens, the fine architectural heritage, the impact of development on the Reserve's flora and fauna and the work being done to bring back the bMosmanush.

A Walk Around the Block in Mosman - Sirius Cove

Sirius Cove

A dog's paradise shared with the occasional human
- the perfect place to leap through tiny waves, chase fellow canines and return the inevitable sticks to owners.

Early morning walkers turn their heads, still keeping up the pace, to breathe in the everchanging beauty of the safe harbour haven. Dancing ripples reflect from moored vessels in the foreground, and beyond larger ships and ferries glide across the bay.

Bushland, dotted with fortunate residences, fringes the bay while in the distance, city highrise and smog remind the viewer of the world of commerce.

Behind the nestling cove are the 'steps from hell' to return the walker to suburbia and reality.

Clara 1990's

Hi Renotta and other friends,

This is where I went the other day, with my trusty camera, when I decided to skip the gym. I'm showing you these for several reasons - the main one being to lure you over here in 2012. We are going to France next year but in 2012 it would be great to visit you, catch up, have a glass or two of wine in your studio, get to know your dogs, visit the lake cabin, then send you two off to stay in our place in Mosman, while we look after the dogs. Good plan?

The other reason is that I am in the beginning stages of writing a book about Mosman - probably will be an E Book or at least will start out that way. I am taking photos of this beautiful historic area - not quite sure how it will be arranged but as with our cogging, the process will evolve from the beginning the action.

Must go - my poor husband says I lose myself on my computer - (a bit like he does in his Sydney Morning Herald which is a huge paper both in size and volume, which he reads from cover to cover). We are going to go for a walk around Cremorne Point, then to stop for a drink at my old haunt 'The Rowers'.

Love Clara

'Best in Snow' but 'Fine in Sydney'

http://www.shopatnextdoor.com/

Best in Snow February 20th

Loom Knit Continuous Scarf

Necklace of quartz and glass

Hi Renotta and other friends

Who's your friend? Divine scarf - this design would be ideal for Sydney in summer when the weather can be hot but can be cool down at night so a little 'shrug' is great. It also covers the dreaded upper arms while still allowing some decotalage to show. The neck piece would be very flattering as well.

It looks as though some of the snow has melted. A few memories came flooding back - tulips pushing their way through the snow in spring. No wonder they are such a revered flower, not only for their colour but because they herald the onset of spring and bring hope that the long winter will be over soon. What about ' renaissance' for a starting point.

January and February are the months of high humidity here and most people are happy when their energy returns with cooler weather.

Keep warm and be careful around the creek.
Love Clara


Have your say - click on comments to see what others are saying, add your own comment.
Join us and become a 'COG' - (crazy old gal).
clara@babyboomerconnections.com.au

Everything Old is New Again - I love collars

Every day I am going to make something and post it on my blog.....Renotta

The Fool's Gold piece was actually under water in our creek. I creeked down to the creek to photograph it. I could just picture myself and my camera going into the water. Tomorrow I plan to stay high and dry.
Fool's Gold Feb 19
Pearls, stones, chains & pyrite (Fool's Gold).



Hi R and other friends

I love the combining of different elements in this piece.

We have been designing and embracing eclectic combinations with great success - an interesting piece can make a real statement, especially when the outfit is simple in design.

Actually when you look back at women's fashion, other decades have done this eg the 1920's. I went to a fabulous Great Gatsby 60th recently - loved the jewelry and beautiful fashion. We all looked wonderful.

'Everything old is new again' is a fine motto for Cogs (Crazy Old Gals) with the creative spirit renewing our engagement in life, now that we have time to ourselves.



Is this the jacket?
Sample Jacket with collar (1978) on Rosemary Bush (He He!)

Created at the Niddy Noddy, your weaving studio, where I learnt how to weave and create loom shaped garments. Life got in the way for me on that path where single parenting left little time for creativity. I needed to support myself and the children so went back teaching. I did however, have a little cottage silkscreening business called Gumnut Prints. More later.


Getting back to collars - I love them! They flatter the Babyboomer woman with their camouflage / framing features. Carla Zampati has done some lovely collars of late as has Country Road where pleating and gathering add extra interest.

Join us and become a COG. It would be great to hear your ideas.


Love Clara







Have your say - click on 'comment' below and just write.

Creative Retirement - Be Like Water and Flow

http://www.shopatnextdoor.com/

Investigate Feb 18
Loom Knit Vest with Scarf

Hi Renotta.
Thanks for the photos of your studio - it's wonderful to have a "room of your own" - to create your beautiful pieces. Can I post them?
I reread my cog from yesterday - I have decided to just 'Be like water and flow' and see where it leads me. The great thing is that there are no real rules for cogging unless we make them so perhaps this could be the first non-rule.

Creative Retirement could be just that - to throw away the need to follow any particular direction and do what makes you happy. So instead of going to the gym, I think I will go for a walk around the block and take photos - it is a sparkling day - and besides there is a council cleanup and you never know what you will find. I may have something interesting to show you tomorrow.

Love C

ps Be like water and flow could be a good starting point.

If you would like to have your say, click on comments

Hi Renotta
How do you do it? I am in total awe.

We have similar trees in the high country - Mt Kosciosko - which is not so high - paperbark gums.

.
Loom Knit Sweater and Scarf Feb 17

I spent my day attempting to sort out all the stuff I collect from the paper editorials.
The energy around my creativity at the moment, is in ideas, writing and photography. I understand that my blog lacks direction and structure - however I need to just blog in order to find direction.

I would love to see a photo of your studio - where you create these amazing pieces.
Love C

Lovely Hubby Meal - Welcome to the Bible of Italian Brides/Husbands

Hi there BB foodies
The Bible of Authentic Italian Cooking - titled "The Silver Spoon" is my darling's bible. It has been published in Italian by Editoriale Domus as Il Cucchiaio d'argento 1950 - then first published in English in 2005. It has transformed him (along with inspiring years of his loving wife's cooking) from a good breakfast cook, pre marriage ie great stuffed mushrooms following last night's Hot Tub, as well as being an experienced Microwave Master, to someone who cooked a meal tonight to die for. Like most recipes from the bible it has fabulous taste, due to the old Italian way of cooking simple food with ultimate flavour.
Here it is -
Roast Pork with Apples
Arrosto con le mele
1-kg loin of pork
2 tbsp olive oil
12 fl oz (good slurp) red wine
6 fl oz vegetable stock
4 cloves - this is what made the difference
1/2 tbsp mustard
2 tbsp sugar
Ground pepper/ salt
2 green apples cored and cubed

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Lightly salt meat with S & P, roll and tie with kitchen string.
Heat oil in pan and sear meat until browned. Meanwhile, pour wine and stock into another pan, add cloves, mustard, sugar and peppercorns/salt and bring to the boil.

Transfer pork to an ovenproof dish, surround with apples and pour over wine mixture - cover with foil - lower temperature to 180C or 360F, and cook in oven for 45 mins.
pork
Remove apples and press down with a spoon - cook over high heat until caramelized.
Serve over carved pork.


Very flavoursome - Lovely to come home to - Thanks Darling

Investing in Talent and Energy

"Every day I am going to make something and post it on my blog....." Renotta

If you think this is too amazing, it is,....... but it's true! ...Clara




"In Vest" February 16
Loom Knit Vest with Lace Flower

Hi Renotta
You invest so much talent and energy, it needs to be out there on the ' Big Exhibition in Cyberspace'.

Must go as my valentine is cooking dinner tonight - don't know what but it smells goooood.

Love C
ps - Love the description - check yesterday's comments

http://www.shopatnextdoor.com/

Hi Renotta

I'm doing some "cogging" - our term, derived from Co-blogging - I love it.
I can be a cog in your wheel and you in mine. Win/win, with the amazing ability to catch up on those 30 years we missed.
COG - Part of a gear that puts things in motion - moves forward.
The Next Step - We'll stir up the future" COGGING!

"I'm going to make something every day for a year and post it on my blog"..... Renotta






"Take Flight" Feb 14





"On the Rocks" Feb 15










I love the contrast of your natural creations which are soft and warm, with the frigid, hard background (as only Wisconsin can do it). The creative spirit transcends the harsh reality.

As you say, "It's turning into an interesting exercise with the photo and caption taking over from the work sometimes" - Perhaps there doesn't have to be a new creation every day but a creative photo relating your work to the harsh environment. This is what I love about the creative process - it keeps changing.


How about "Forever Young", "Creative Spirit", "Cogging", "Photorealism" for starting points.
Love Clara

The Creative Spirit is Forever Young

Tree Line / Snow Angel / My Valentine Flowers

"The heart is what matters most of all."
Kris Kristofferson

Hi Renotta
You are amazing! These pieces are beautiful as is the photography. I'm worried that you will wear yourself out. Perhaps you should stop for the weekends.

I would love to see a short description of the works ie process, material etc.

Thanks so much for your cogging - most of my friends think I'm a little crazy!
I looked up cognition - good word - "the process or act of knowing - perception" - it has an anagram - "incognito". Can you use it in a sentence? I haven't been able to yet. It has relevance to the creative process, which is what I believe keeps us young in spirit. The body may age but the spirit is forever young when you are creating.


Happy Valentines Day - my lovely husband gave me these beautiful Lizzies this morning.
A little philosophy, for the occasion, from Chuck Close, known for his photorealism technique of breaking photographs into a grid and enlarging the contents by hand. I would rather like to have a go at that sometime. Like you, I love my camera - I dabble in photoshop, and have also been known to use that lil ol' healin' tool.


Chuck says " A person's face is a kind of road map of the life they have led" Not so sure I like that part (Photoshop) but his perceptions on marriage are interesting - "Damned if I know what makes a marriage work. I have been married for forty years, and it's not one marriage. By then you've had four or five totally different marriages. You hope you evolve in similar ways, have compatible ways, and that you now have a new reason to be with somebody. But they're going to be different from the previous reasons to be with them."


I admire people who have been married for that long and who have evolved together. Nothing wrong with his creative spirit either. He is wheelchair bound now but still paints with a paintbrush strapped to his hand.

Happy creating.

Love Clara

Couscous Salad with Olives and Toasted Almonds

Hi There
Still on the Moroccan theme - last night's dinner party was delicious. I still have some left overs which will be great for lunch.

Couscous with Almonds and Olives
My authentic Moroccan book tells me that couscous is the most typical national Moroccan dish where the skilfully rolled semolina is the basis of several spicy dishes as well as hot and sweet ones.

Do you know that it is actually rolled semolina which in Morocco, is often done by hand? The grains are rolled literally in the palm of the cook's hand. The cooking process is complicated and time consuming so it is best to stick with the packet variety which is actually precooked.
It should be fine, regular, separate and never sticky. After you have poured the boiling stock over the grain (one cup for one cup of grain) stir once or twice, then set aside for 10 mins so the couscous can absorb the liquid, then fluff up with a fork.

Anything goes with this versatile dish - in a tasty tagine of fish, meat, poultry or vegetables or as a side dish such as the following Couscous Salad with Olives and Almonds. Once you get the idea, you will find your own unique combination but when in doubt throw in some olives, almonds or cashew nuts, preserved lemon and coriander. Pumpkin is another favourite, as are chickpeas, and raisins or sultanas add a touch of sweetness. Saffron is often added for colour and subtle aroma


Couscous Salad with Olives and Toasted Almonds
1 2/3 couscous
Same amount of boiling stock
About 15 black pitted olives
1/4 c flaked almonds, toasted
4 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp lemon juice
Chopped fresh parsley and coriander
Good pinch cumin and cayenne pepper

Prepare couscous as above, blend olive oil and lemon juice, add rest of ingredients.
Serve warm or cold.

Happy rolling! Must be time for the leftovers.
Cheers Clara

How to cook easy healthy Moroccan food

Hi there

The rest of the Moroccan meal follows.

The following dish is a perfect for my style of cooking since it includes wonderful fresh produce, piquant spices and heaps of herbs. I always overdo the herbs - like seriously overdo them, usually adding extra at serving so they are not cooked. The same with the cherry tomatoes - adding them at the end preserves their colour and texture.

Oven cooking is my favourite as you can do other things while the oven performs its magic task of bringing out all the flavours.

Roast Vegetable Salad

2-3 courgettes (zucchini)

1 Spanish onion

2 red peppers

16 cherry tomatoes

2 garlic cloves - chopped

1 tsp cumin ground or seed

10ml or 2 tsp fresh thyme or 10 torn basil leaves

4 tbsp olive oil

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1-2 tsp harissa or Tabasco sauce

Fresh thyme leaves to garnish

Preheat oven tp 220 C or 425 F.

Top and tail courgettes and cut into long strips, cut peppers into chunks, and cut onions into thin wedges.

Place vegetables in roasting tin, add garlic, cumin seeds and thyme or basil. Sprinkle with olive oil and toss to coat . Cook in oven until veges are slightly charred at the edges. Add the tomatoes just at the end so they are warmed but not cooked.

Blend lemon juice with harissa and stir into vegetables before serving.

Garnish with thyme or basil.

Tomorrow - Couscous With Almonds and Olives

I'll let you know how the meal turned out - I wonder if our hosts will be happy with the results of their day at the races.

Cheers Clara

Summer in Sydney

Hi R
Photos as promised to warm you up after your lovely blizzard. My most favourite spot in the world - lucky enough also to have a friend who belongs to the beach club.

Australian bush flowers - on the way back to the car. Click to enlarge.

I learnt heaps about photos in Blogger by doing this. However that was after I did a not so clever thing ie signing myself up as a follower on my own blog. A bit desperate. I can't take myself off now!
Keep warm
Clara

Lovely Blizzard enables Fashion Postings

Hi Renotta
I'm doing some Cogging - I love the term - I can be a cog in your wheel and you can be one in mine. Win / win with the amazing ability to keep in touch and span those 30 years we missed.

On Feb 9 Shop at Nextdoor blog said...
I've given alot of thought to my blog and decided I don't have as much to say as I do to make. I'm going to make something everyday for a year and post it on my blog. Not food, but fashion. I posted my first days work, created during a lovely blizzard that allowed me an entire day in the studio. Hope you like it.

It is Day 3 and all I can say is WOW! Awesome! I love it!

I look forward to viewing more of your incredible creativity.
ps do you use Photoshop to style the background to your pieces?
Clara

An introduction to Moroccan Cuisine - essential ingredients

Hi there

A friend who recently visited Morocco returned with the gift of a cookbook of authentic food from the region. Some of the methods and recipes go back thousands of years long before the birth of Christ or Mohammed. From the cradle to the grave, ancient traditions accumulated down through the centuries - one example being where newly weds are given a dish for their breakfast consisting of a dish of rice cooked in milk and a steamed sheep's head. The bride "pure as milk" will thenceforth be able to run her household while "keeping her head about her".....

Obviously this is not a dish for the dinner party my friend is hosting on Saturday evening. Her email read "Never cooked Moroccan – what would be some examples? Want to keep very simple. Going to the races on Sat – won’t be home till about 5pm. Not that it’s an issue really – I rarely start cooking till about then anyway."

Ten essential ingredients
Spices and Herbs
Cinnamon - added to soups and tagines or used combined with sugar to dust pastry.
Cumin - used frequently in soups and tagines or combined with other spices such as Paprika in "charmoula" (coating on food before cooking.) Saffron and Tumeric add colour and pungency, with Ginger, Cayenne Pepper, Black Pepper adding fire or piquancy, Flat leaf Parsley and of course, Coriander, Almonds chopped or flaked, Chick-peas, Couscous, Honey, used in sweet and savoury dishes, Olives, Harissa - hot chilli spice sometimes used, and Preserved Lemon .

You don't have to have all of those ingredients before the races, however, you might want to try your hand at the Chermoula coated fish or chicken or perhaps a Moroccan Leg of Lamb.

Chermoula is a marinade for cooking fish etc, which includes garlic, cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper, fresh parsley and coriander, white wine vinegar, lemon juice and oil. (Or for days when you are going to the races, you can buy a readymade Moroccan Seasoning, say Masterfoods, which will do the trick when you add some herbs. Sprinkle generously over beef, lamb or chicken before grilling, BBQing or baking, after coating food with oil and rubbing with crushed garlic. Add a little Apricot jam to the gravy.)

Roast Vegetable Salad and a Couscous Salad with Flaked Almonds and Olives, would be great to accompany the lamb - recipes to follow tomorrow.

Orange and Date salad is one of my favourite desserts and good for this time of the year. Even the keys of my laptop are hot today.

Thanks for being my first follower

Celebrations - Multi multi thanks for being my first follower R. This is sooooooo important to me to know that someone has actually read my blog. A very good reason why it would be a fabulous win/win idea to somehow co-blog - perhaps a new term and I am not quite sure how it would operate but I love it.

Your lovely creative friend who is encouraging you to blog and be part of 'etsy' sounds very special.

A big relationship day for me today - future weddings have the capacity to stir up the past - which is happening. Even when one has the best of intentions, a phone call can undermine everything and bring it all to a whole new dimension.

Perhaps it is a time when everyone has to set aside the past and focus on the new positives.

Snowstorm V Firestorm

Hi R
It is great to hear from you - the contrasts are stark - your vacation in your snowed-in cabin, making beautiful bracelets, with mine spent in Victoria where the devastating bushfires of 'Black Saturday' took place, a year from today. Yes I vividly remember January in Wisconsin as I arrived in the middle of it and wondered why I was being banished to this place. I read on your site that the ground hog saw his shadow - only six weeks to go! Your work is fabulous - I too still talk about you and how creative you are. The etsy concept is interesting to me.

It is truly amazing how we can communicate and learn so much about our lost 30 years, not only through email but by our web sites and blogs. Thanks Facebook!
There is so much to say but I will let www.babyboomerconnections.com.au
do the talking for me. (Early days with this site - I published this week but am having technical difficulties so can't iron out layout problems etc and republish until they are sorted.)

I would love to blog together- nothing would please me more - I am targeting Babyboomers obviously but the key words will include fashion or whatever we focus on. I'm still learning how to blog and amazingly I chose Blogger too so we might be able to help each other.

The saying was something like "You are most likely going to look and feel as good now, as you ever will." Good reason to live in the moment.

Love Clara

Happy New Decade

Hi Fellow Sages
Beginning the New Year on a non technical note
Sagittarius - November 23 - December 22 Faith in the future is your greatest asset and you need it to move you forward. Uranus, planet of revolution, finds you restless as old ambitions are satisfied. 
A new career challenge arrives whether or not you stay in the same field. Dust off your neglected talents and show the world another side.

Sagittarius - November 23 - December 22 The Sagittarius full Moon is a message that it is time to end one chapter and start anew. You have a rare chance to renew your life: what are you happy with and what do you think has outlived it's purpose? Be clear about what you do and don't want.
You're starting a wonderful new cycle so leave your baggage behind.

What better way to start the new decade but with anti-technology. Every now and then I find a prediction which seems to be written exactly for me.
I start this new decade with faith in the future, a determination to use the talents I have, along with the awareness that renewal may mean that some baggage needs to be left behind.

Happy new decade
Clara

Support Teachers Don't Target Them

Get it right Julia - Either "Shine a light on some schools that need a helping hand" Versus the SMH article "Tell off deficient teachers"

What needs to be done is give support to your teachers to do the difficult task they do. The job is complex and multi-layered.

The following horrifies me as an ex teacher.
"Teachers identified as underperformers by the Government's new school rating system should expect to be roused at by disgruntled parents, the Education Minister, Julia Gillard says today."

Do you expect to attract and keep teachers under this regime? Are you are wondering why they hear the 'Alarm Bells Ringing'?

The policy, I believe, requires modification. Teachers are an essential in our society - what is needed is not to target those who are having difficulty in handling the complex society we live in. What is needed is to ask "How can we understand and support teachers and children through the difficult waters?"

I left teaching a decade ago - the class I had at the time was difficult - as the blend included a diverse group of "integrated Students lovely kids but a very stressful situation. One child was moved to the "other" class when her parents were unhappy with the climate of the mix(and threatened to take it further). She was replaced in the class with a new arrival from Russia who didn't speak English, and a student from a Behaviour Management School who had behavioural/bowel problems but needed 'Integration' into the normal classroom.
They had been chosen to be in my class because I was good at dealing with difficult situations but if you had taken the results of the Basic Skills Test with this group, perhaps I would be targeted today as a deficient teacher.

This was the total opposite of the situation and on a personal level, after more than a decade of being away from teaching, I still have recurring nightmares re getting it together (or not) in the classroom. In other words, the job is so stressful already. Think about how you can support your teachers!!

Passionately Clara

Technology had to be the winner this trip

Hi Babyboomers
I hope you had a great festive season and holiday.

We are back from holidays spent motoring down south - Victoria and Sth Australia.

We live in a huge dry continent; driving for days on end with a few towns and small cities breaking up the endless 360 degree horizon. The open road has it's own charm and rhythm if only for it's vastness;...... and then the spectacular contrast of our coastlines.

Technology, though has to be the winner for me this trip.

I was behind the door when a sense of direction was given out, and am a super careful driver who admits to avoiding some traffic conditions. The last time I drove my son to Central Station was "Mother's Last Drive", after he stated that I shouldn't be on the road. I agreed with him - on that occasion - where I ended up in the wrong lane so many times it was embarrassing and dangerous.

However - do you know that even if your inner GPS never did work, that there is hope!

I got to know 'Gypsy', the GPS I gave to my husband for his birthday. He has such a natural sense of direction that one of my pet names for him is 'Tracker', but even he has embraced this technology. Gypsy tells you (after you have given her your destination) "Prepare for a roundabout in 100 metres - take the first exit", or "You are over the speed limit!" - or as often happened on this trip since this was familiar territory to 'Tracker',........ "Destination Recalculation" - where she becomes quite agitated, suggesting "Turn right then turn back where possible - Turn back - Turn back!" - then when he doesn't, she settles down and accepts the new route. Gypsy has the honour of being the only woman he obeys!

Cheers Clara

New Year Resolutions

Hi Gentle Boomers
Prime time for bloggers to start tapping away, as the year draws to a close.

I actually like New Year better than Christmas, which has far too many expectations for my liking. New Year's Eve provides me with a greater sense of hope for the future, as one door closes metaphorically and another one opens with fresh new good intentions. Speaking of which, my New Years Resolution is to lighten up and release my 'Inner Dragonfly' - Prosperity and harmony - skilful action while maintaining a free and joyful sense of being. I attempted this process last year but I am new at this retirement stage and am not quite there.

2009 to me, doesn't merit any more discussion except that we seem to have gone full circle and that the world in general will benefit from a correction.
I scanned the papers for inspirational articles of which there were plenty. I'll leave all the really important events to others and concentrate on the ones which caught my eye (dragonfly like.)
'First Flush of Boomers Line up for Pensions', where our rapid ageing is causing general panic (what about us - we're the ones who have to put up with all these ageing emails which graphically describe our ongoing downward spiral?!) I am going to put a ban on such emails because to be quite honest the older I get the less amusing they are.

I have already outlived (agewise)the women in my family ie my maternal grandmother, my mother and my sister, with the paternal side of the family holding out more hope of longevity with my grandfather receiving a telegram from the queen when he turned 100. I don't even feel much older and still don't know what I want to be when I grow up! So, my state of denial is working very well thank you. Besides with stem cell procedures such as "Cells that turn into teeth spell doom for dentures" who knows what will be available in our lifetime.

Then the article in the SMH re "Man-cave manoeuvres" which highlights 'Because males process information internally they benefit from a place for quiet contemplation' - and informs us that real estate agents recognise the need for a special room to accommodate all of his manly belongings, an update of the study. Apparently, according to Hugh McKay we are increasingly staking our own spaces, as if the Information Revolution hasn't transformed our lives enough with people spending more and more time on computers, email and mobile phones and less on face to face relating.

Our relationships with each other have tended to become more complicated - "Court upholds parenting orders for lesbian partner" - the court found that the de facto partner was not live-in at the time of the artificial conception - and ordered that the mother have sole parenting responsibility but that the child spend time with the ex de facto partner.

Finally, the advice on "Learning how to use leisure well" seemed topical, "We engage in activities that do not bring us enjoyment and lasting satisfaction", and suggests we give more thought as to how we make the most of it. Pursue your passions and interests by doing the things we most value and enjoy - watch less TV, give shopping a miss, instead read a good book, visit new places, meditate and get plenty of physical exercise. Sounds good so get off the computer Clara.

Hope you all have a relaxing, satisfying holiday pursuing your passions and interests, and may 2010 be a better year for us all.

Cheers Clara

Parenting v Grandparenting

Hi there
You know what? Parenting has to be considered one of life's most amazing experiences.

To decide or otherwise to have a baby and go through the steps to make it happen, is perhaps the most important / significant decision couples or singles will ever make in their lives. We did it for whatever reason - BB's had the role modelling of the 1940's where the model was changing - 'The notion of what jobs a woman could do, expanded from nuturers who had no other destiny but to get married and have children. Up until then it was considered a woman's duty to have children in order to populate the nation.'


Grandparenting is equally an amazing role, where we have layer upon layer. We are no longer the major controllers / influencers of either our children and their children and yet we are there as role models, carers etc A sensitive space in which to find oneself.

A week of balancing a single/separated situation where I am in the middle as the Nonna, is rewarding / exhausting. And then they go home.