Un Christmass...

I dont do Christmas...
I find myself saying that a lot lately...I guess its because that time of the year is here again! 
Sure I did Christmas with my family, but really it did not happen every year. As some years my parents just did not have the money to buy anything! I do have some wonderful Christmas Memories as I have some really horrible one's of family come over to see us in the Seychelles and BANG a big family argument so in spite they kept all the presents that were intended for us!!!
So we just learnt to accept that it was not always a given...
Then I moved away and as a young adult did not see the need for Christmas, away from family...
My most horrible Christmas experiences were while I was an Au-pair in the USA...There were SO SO SO many gift's. So many that some did not even get opened and were brought out again the following Christmas...I did not understand...I had seen so much misery in my life and here all was in excess...Disgusting.
I hate the fact that Cola Cola has "Made" Christmas red...It's green the colour of Christmas!!!
Ok, I dont like all those commercial holidays...I confess....
Yes, now I have a child and I must not be selfish, I must think of her...yet we have decided not to do it this year (dint last year either)...I dont know how we will handle it in the future yet, but for now Tullula just really has no clue what's going on, so we are not going to bother with it!
But I wonder, how do the Muslins do it, or the Buddhist, Hindus??? Do they do Christmas living in a coutry where EVERY one seems to do it? What do they tell their children!!!!
I could get some good idea's from them....

Every body's Elses World!

Sometimes I just get sick of it all!
I get so tired of the world we live in, and just feel like going back to the Ocean. I just want to float in the middle of no where, be with the wind, sun, Ocean and the fish a birds. Watch the sun set and rice and not worry about anything!!!
I grew up with a father that did not stop comparing us with other. I think it was his way to try to get us to work harder...He constantly criticised, well the French are pretty good at that!
There are a lot of all that upbring that I dont agree with...yet I must confess I get stuck in it all!
Its not an easy task breaking free from a pattern that was done for so many years...So every now and then, I start to think that my life sucks, and I look around and think that every one seems so happy, that they are all doing such wonderful things!!!
Its wrong...But I will confess that as a society we also do it to each other..."Oh, how often do you get to surf?"-"I go everyday"....Yeah, well thats great!!! Or I get frustrated with those who boast about the fact that their kids dont go to day care...Sure, I would do that too...If I had someone to help me once in a while!!!! Dont judge me, when you dont even know that I dont have any family or even 1 friend I can call on if needed!!! I am frustrated at how our body's get looked at, as if we are never skinny enough, or good looking or what size bra we wear, if any!!! (my boobs are so so small, I dont need a bra, there is nothing to support)...Where is Tullula? "at day care" -No she is not punished, its not a punishment to go to day care. I have to work and unfortunately she cant come with me, not do i have a best friend that can take care of her!
And yes I only live in a little unit, and no Im not a social case! I just dont have the means to buy a house, let alone rent one! Why, do we get put into boxes??? I feel like no matter what I do, its never good enough!
I really get sick of it all.
It makes me grumpy.
It makes me depressed.

TuesDay TuLLuLa!

This Tuesday I have a Collage, as it was too hard to just choose one photo!
Last Saturday we went to Golden Days Music Festival.
It was such a wonderful day for all! And here are some photo's of Tullula!

Camping at Charlie Morland Part 4 and END...

Now That sure is good news!
I am done with all this Cahrlie Morland, and camping trip videos! Im sure you must be all so sick of it!
Good thing really that I still dont have a lot of followers!!!!
Ouf........
But since part of this blog is for Tullula to look back at someday, here is the last Video:

If your really actually enjoying this and you missed the other episodes here thery are:
part 3
part 2
 and  the first one Part 1

Searching for the French!

Its Funny how when we live in a country we go over sea's to get away from all the rest just like us!
To feel different, special maybe!
But when you live somewhere, and its not your Native country, you earn for that contact of your fellow country men!
In any case, I feel like that!!!!
I long to have people to talk to in French, to have things in common, to talk about the same music and culture! To eat GOOD cheese and drink wine sitting at a dinner table for hours.....
So, last week we went to the Beaujolais Nouveaux opening night! In hopes to meet some Frenchies that live on the Coast!
It was a great occasion to get dressed up, how good it can feel!
We had appetisers and wine...
And No I did not meet any French, but Australians that want to practise their French!!!

TuesDay TuLLuLa

Hmmmmmm....
Sure looks like my Potty Training has not been going too well...But she sure is happy about it!
I wonder!!!

Mail In the Box!

I got a parcel from Singapore. My Brother and his girl friend were there for a while!
It made me realise how today we hardly get any mail. Most mail we get are bills, ads or mail thats not for us but the last tenants.
How exiting!!!!
But this time it was not just a post card, but a big envelope!
A scarf, a sarong, an elephant mail rack, all the colours that I love and all with love and a lot of thought. Just for me!
How lovely!!

Do you get much mail?

No Longer a Baby!

 She really is no longer a baby, but a little girl! I have realised that I get so caught up in daily routine, work, study, cook, clean that I have not opend up my eyes to see how much she has grown!!!

Plus last time I went to weight and measure her she had not put on any weight and it got me all worried, doctor, naturopath we went to see!!! Only to be told that I just had to carry on doing what I was doing!!
Thanks, but what am I doing right???
She wont eat!!!
Ok, what ever....

Just the last week, stephen was working nigth shift so we got to spend the evening together and it was wonderful!!! I looked at her like I never have before, and saw how grown up she has become! We played on my massage table, she was too cuet! Its great to see how they discover things and how much we can make it all seem so much more exiting by playing along!
Is that not what parenting is about? Helping our little one discover the world, being there for them??
All they want is our attention and love...

Every day now I try hard not to get caught up in live, but be right here; present for my lovely little girl and her big blue eye's!

Tueday TuLLulA

 This week, I have posted a Photo of Tullula and I...On a bush walk!

She just loveess to be in the carrier!

Video-Camping at Charlie Morland Part 3

 
I am sure you must all be sick of Charlie Morland!!
Good thing that in reality no one is really reading my blog!!!
So this is for Tullula, for her to look at in many years to come...Im sorry to say that there still is one video to go, and then I can move onto something else!
But if you missed out on the first two, here they are :Part One and Part Two.

Bus of Ours

While we were overseas Stephen's sister sold us her Bus!

We thought we should get it, as previously we had been travelling in his Van, and the Bus seemed like a step up...And reality was that we thought at least we will have a Home to go back to in Australia! And, lets face it, buying a second hand bus is a lot cheaper than buying a house!!!!

But, once we got back we lived with his mother for a few months, then we started renting this little Unit we are living in now, and the bus has juts been sitting in the driveway.Not too sure what its doing there!

We tried many times to get it ready to go travelling with friends and family, but we never actually got things finished! Money and time too short!

But we have been at it once more, and it looks like we may have it ready for our next camping trips!

Its really very exiting, a whole new adventure! I have never lived in a bus!!!!

I have painted the inside yellow, to go with the stares that are on the ceiling inside. I sanded the kitchen table bench and polished all the wood trimmings inside...As well as cleaned the window tracks!!

Ten on Ten

Ten on Ten...On the 10th of the month. One photo, every hour for ten hours. A look at my day!

Join in the fun here, to find out all about it!

 6am...Wake up with Tullula!

7am...Breakfast...She Loves Kiwi's at the moment!

8am...I have dropped Tullula off at day car...Now its time for my run. That's where I ran...very beautiful where I live!

9am....After sweating, I think I deserve a rest on the beach and a cooling swim. read the local newspaper too!

 10am...I have a 10h15 massage appointment...where I work!

 11am...Time to hang the laundry...Nappies and more nappies!

 12pm...Doing what I should not be doing...Online shopping for Tullula's Bday!

1pm...I have had lunch, and now I can start what I really should of been doing all day! My assignment due next week!

2pm...Hibiscus tea a cookie and a piece of chocolate...

3pm...I little trip to the Craft shop! I need to make some curtains for the bus! Steve is tired...

The Little Things that Make me HaPPy

I Love my Pots and Pans!!!

I know that they truly are retro/vintage, and the truth is that I have bought them at Op Shops and also at the Saturday morning tip shop!

But hey, what can I say, that's what one has to do when one does not have heaps of money!!!

yet really I love them, and I makes me happy all that colour while I cook dinner!

This is part of "the little things that make me happy" project. Click here to see more of the little things that make me happy!

I Belive that there are many thinga round us that make us happy, yet we forget to see them, so once a month I try to open my eyes and see those things once more! 

Grab my button, and join me on the quest to see once again all those little things that make us happy!

Tuesday Tullula

She really enjoys her bath time!
Always has!
Now the new thing is for me to sing "twinkle little start" while she lays down. She has also tryed to clap (she is my best audience), but that saw her sinking under!!! Poor thing!
But she did not cry, pulled herself back to sitting and off we were back to our little game in a flash!

My Skirt of Security!

 

I think we all have things that make us feel safe.

For me, one of the things that make me feel safe are my Gypsy Skirts!

I really dont get to wear them out in Australia, especially not where I am living at the moment in Australia, its a little bit too conservative for such  an extravagant piece of clothing!

So when ever I need a pick me up, a blanket of warmth and a feeling of I can be who ever I want to be, I slip into my skirt (in the private of my home) and feel wonderful!

I have two of these Indian Gypsy skirts, and the other one has been a wonderful adventure to have!

I will show you all the other one real soon!

The work on these skirts is amazing, all hand made, and yes it is old and worn and used, but thats the charm of it too! Where has it been, how many miles has it travelled!!!!

To me, it is really a unique piece of clothing, and I am proud to have one two.

Do you have something un-usual that makes you feel good or safe?

Morning at the Beach

Stephen has been working at night in a shopping centre. getting some shops fixed and they also worked on the Food court! So, early in the morning, at about 6am when Tullula is ready to get out of bed, and lets us know its time to get her out! I'm sure Stephen must be saying "oh no, not yet, my night is not over"...
But we have always taken turns in who gets up, depending on work and who did it the day before!
So It was naturally my turn to get up!
As I did not want us to make too much noise, and let him sleep in peace I decided it was about time we started getting out to the beach early! So, we had a quick breakfast, got into our swimmers and packed a bag real quick, and by about 7am we were on the bicycle on our way down to the beach!

We had a lovely morning!

CooKing- Dhal!

I just Love Dhal. I eat it with rice!
its one of those dishes that easy to do, quick and it can in the fridge for
lunches, accompany dinners of just a little hunger!
I do realise that not everyone is a fan of it! But I love it. So here is a simple way to cook it if you want to try!!!

Ingredients:

•             2 cups red lentils.                    
•             2 cloves.
•             1 meduin onion.
•             2 TSP ground cummin.
•             1/2 TSP cummin seeds.
•             1 TSP Tumeric.
•             3cm grated fresh ginger.
•             2 vegetable stock cubes.
•             1 cup of water. (you can add some more if needed)

Now lets get cooking!

1. Heat up 1 TBSP of oil in a large pan over meduin heat. 
2. Add the Onion and cook until a little soft.
3. Stir in the garlic, ginger, and spices.Stir well.
4. Cook for 1min or until aromatic! (and it really smells divine)
5. Add the lentils, vegetable stock and water.
6. Bring to boil then reduce heat and cook, covered for about 3Omin. Or until lentils are soft! This is when you will notice if you need to ad more water or not...depending of the consistency to want to have your dhal!

Now to change it up a bit, you can also:

•  add a can (400gr) of diced tomatoes instead of the water..You will still have to ad 1/2 cup of water!
• Add diced eggplant once lentils are soft. And cook for a further 20min or until eggplant is soft! 
• I gave also once added a couple of whole boiled egg's into it, and that realy made it into a meal! Especially with the Eggplant too!

I think you can add quite a few things to this dish! 
I hope to enjoy cooking it, and do let me know if you try it!

Tuesday TullulA

Oh My Oh My.....

One word she really knows to says well is "NON"- "NO"! And she says is in both languages; French and English, juts in case WE might not understand!
 No, she does NOT want to sit in her seat!!!