Just arranged ETF for school fees and council rates.
Tomorrow is deduction for ASG and home and contents insurance.
Gas deduction is next Wed.
Payday is next Thu.
Had to redraw from home loan AGAIN.
Can't wait for 2011 when J will stop going to daycare and we can put the savings ($230 a month) back into the mortgage.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Traffic stats 2 years on...
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Complex Mother-Daughter Relations
My mum and I have always have a fraught relationship.
I grew up determined NOT to be like my mum. There was nothing she could say to me that was helpful, because (I felt) she had proven herself to be unreliable, tactless and overcritical.
Tonight, a strange thing happened.
We were having one of our occasional long-distance chats (I can't bring myself to call once a week; it's just too much) and I asked Beth to come on the phone and say thank you to Grandma for the stickers and other presents she had recently sent the girls through my cousin who went home for a visit.
Beth shook her head fiercely.
"I am only going to say four words," she announced.
And she did.
"Thank you for the stickers," she said - WITHOUT so much as a "Hello Grandma".
Okay, so that was five words.
My mum was upset. I was mortified.
My mum started to lecture me about Beth's manners and how she felt hurt that she had gone to all the trouble to put together the gifts for the girls, and here was Beth not even greeting her properly.
Then she started to suggest that I was failing in my maternal duty of disciplining my child.
At which point I cracked.
I cried. I sobbed. I blubbered. I said we'd been struggling with Beth since she turned 8 and she just wouldn't listen and she was so stubborn and though I scolded, nagged and lost my temper, it didn't change things etc etc.
Which is when the conversation took a curious turn.
[It's not the first time my firstborn's faults have been laid at my door. I reckon about 90% of the time, Beth doesn't want to talk to Grandma, and if she's forced to get on the phone, she says as little as she can. When Grandma does encounter Beth in a good mood (i.e. chatty, willing to have a conversation), I count it a lucky day.]
The mum I thought had nothing relevant or helpful to say suddenly became my ally and counselor.
First, Mum apologised for misjudging me.
Then she offered all sorts of advice - don't lose my temper, don't hit in anger, use the soft approach, get help from Beth's school teacher, don't give up, get spiritual guidance, keep praying, read the Bible with Beth. She assured me she would be praying for us.
She was practically gushing with the milk of motherly kindness, even sharing a touching account of Uncle Jerry's eulogy at his dad's funeral (his dad, and Aunty Eve's dad, passed away on Fri morning). Apparently Uncle J - our family ophthalmologist - used to be a bit of a challenge when he was a boy, skipping school and getting up to mischief and being something of a black sheep compared to his obedient, well-behaved siblings. He said his mum had no patience for his nonsense; it was his dad who was the patient one. He even said that if he had a son like himself, he would denounce him, which made his listeners laugh.
Perhaps that was Mum's way of telling me not to give up on Beth. In which case it was pretty powerful. I have to take a long view of things and remember that this is just one step in our journey with Beth. If I give up now, who will be there for her to guide her back on the right path?
Spoke with hubby after chat with Mum. He thinks part of Beth's problem is that she hasn't found herself yet. She's completely self-absorbed and needs something bigger than herself to engage her. I randomly mentioned asking Paul about local missions, perhaps an activity our family can commit to (monthly?) that puts us in contact with disadvantaged families and allows Beth to see other children her age who are genuinely doing it tough.
Something like how Pastor Edmund Chua in SG takes his family of four to India and other less developed countries every year during school hols to do mission work.
I googled EC and finally found his family website: http://www.e4chua.com.
A most worthy role model for all of us.
I grew up determined NOT to be like my mum. There was nothing she could say to me that was helpful, because (I felt) she had proven herself to be unreliable, tactless and overcritical.
Tonight, a strange thing happened.
We were having one of our occasional long-distance chats (I can't bring myself to call once a week; it's just too much) and I asked Beth to come on the phone and say thank you to Grandma for the stickers and other presents she had recently sent the girls through my cousin who went home for a visit.
Beth shook her head fiercely.
"I am only going to say four words," she announced.
And she did.
"Thank you for the stickers," she said - WITHOUT so much as a "Hello Grandma".
Okay, so that was five words.
My mum was upset. I was mortified.
My mum started to lecture me about Beth's manners and how she felt hurt that she had gone to all the trouble to put together the gifts for the girls, and here was Beth not even greeting her properly.
Then she started to suggest that I was failing in my maternal duty of disciplining my child.
At which point I cracked.
I cried. I sobbed. I blubbered. I said we'd been struggling with Beth since she turned 8 and she just wouldn't listen and she was so stubborn and though I scolded, nagged and lost my temper, it didn't change things etc etc.
Which is when the conversation took a curious turn.
[It's not the first time my firstborn's faults have been laid at my door. I reckon about 90% of the time, Beth doesn't want to talk to Grandma, and if she's forced to get on the phone, she says as little as she can. When Grandma does encounter Beth in a good mood (i.e. chatty, willing to have a conversation), I count it a lucky day.]
The mum I thought had nothing relevant or helpful to say suddenly became my ally and counselor.
First, Mum apologised for misjudging me.
Then she offered all sorts of advice - don't lose my temper, don't hit in anger, use the soft approach, get help from Beth's school teacher, don't give up, get spiritual guidance, keep praying, read the Bible with Beth. She assured me she would be praying for us.
She was practically gushing with the milk of motherly kindness, even sharing a touching account of Uncle Jerry's eulogy at his dad's funeral (his dad, and Aunty Eve's dad, passed away on Fri morning). Apparently Uncle J - our family ophthalmologist - used to be a bit of a challenge when he was a boy, skipping school and getting up to mischief and being something of a black sheep compared to his obedient, well-behaved siblings. He said his mum had no patience for his nonsense; it was his dad who was the patient one. He even said that if he had a son like himself, he would denounce him, which made his listeners laugh.
Perhaps that was Mum's way of telling me not to give up on Beth. In which case it was pretty powerful. I have to take a long view of things and remember that this is just one step in our journey with Beth. If I give up now, who will be there for her to guide her back on the right path?
Spoke with hubby after chat with Mum. He thinks part of Beth's problem is that she hasn't found herself yet. She's completely self-absorbed and needs something bigger than herself to engage her. I randomly mentioned asking Paul about local missions, perhaps an activity our family can commit to (monthly?) that puts us in contact with disadvantaged families and allows Beth to see other children her age who are genuinely doing it tough.
Something like how Pastor Edmund Chua in SG takes his family of four to India and other less developed countries every year during school hols to do mission work.
I googled EC and finally found his family website: http://www.e4chua.com.
A most worthy role model for all of us.
Monday, September 06, 2010
FB Fan Stats
Am learning to detach from FB fan numbers and to allow for variations.
The first time the number dropped by one, I panicked. What had gone wrong? Why had someone dropped me off their Like list? On and on I went, doing vicious loops in my head.
I am now practising the art of detachment.
When I first click on the 'Adverts and Pages' tab, I take a quick breath and picture a number in my head.
Funnily, about 90+% of the time, that number is exactly right.
Today's count is 107, and I'm wondering: where have all the new people come from?
It strikes me as supremely ironic that during the period that I've deliberately absented myself from FB, the numbers have actually crept up by themselves with no frantic effort from me.
The first time the number dropped by one, I panicked. What had gone wrong? Why had someone dropped me off their Like list? On and on I went, doing vicious loops in my head.
I am now practising the art of detachment.
When I first click on the 'Adverts and Pages' tab, I take a quick breath and picture a number in my head.
Funnily, about 90+% of the time, that number is exactly right.
Today's count is 107, and I'm wondering: where have all the new people come from?
It strikes me as supremely ironic that during the period that I've deliberately absented myself from FB, the numbers have actually crept up by themselves with no frantic effort from me.
The Early 40th Present
Was the beneficiary of an act of kindness and generosity today.
I'd been the middleman in a long and protracted case of miscommunication and admin oversight involving a ONE Group customer and the company. While trying to resolve the problem for the customer, she ended up receiving an extra bottle of Ambrosia Essence, a premium product of the company worth over $100.
She asked if I could return the bottle to the company for her; if not, she would take care of it. I said I would handle the return, because I felt I was (rightly or wrongly) responsible for the mix-up.
I emailed ONE Group today to explain the situation and ask if there were any forms to fill before I sent off the bottle.
I received a very nice note from the Returns Officer saying that I could have the Ambrosia Essence with the company's compliments, as their way of thanking me for my honesty.
You really do reap the good you sow...even when you're not expecting it.
Had been planning to buy the Ambrosia Essence for myself as I've read so many positive testimonials about it. Now I've received it for free - it's like getting an advance birthday present. Thanks, God! :)
I'd been the middleman in a long and protracted case of miscommunication and admin oversight involving a ONE Group customer and the company. While trying to resolve the problem for the customer, she ended up receiving an extra bottle of Ambrosia Essence, a premium product of the company worth over $100.
She asked if I could return the bottle to the company for her; if not, she would take care of it. I said I would handle the return, because I felt I was (rightly or wrongly) responsible for the mix-up.
I emailed ONE Group today to explain the situation and ask if there were any forms to fill before I sent off the bottle.
I received a very nice note from the Returns Officer saying that I could have the Ambrosia Essence with the company's compliments, as their way of thanking me for my honesty.
You really do reap the good you sow...even when you're not expecting it.
Had been planning to buy the Ambrosia Essence for myself as I've read so many positive testimonials about it. Now I've received it for free - it's like getting an advance birthday present. Thanks, God! :)
Saturday, September 04, 2010
Car Boot Sale #3 (Sept 2010)
Had an amazing, inspiring, educational day today.
Went without expectations and even with a little dread. Did I want to sit around for 4 hours - again - trying to look busy and cheerful even when there are few passersby?
As it turned out, I had interesting, deep conversations with the lovely ladies running stalls on either side - Fiona and Karin.
It was unexpected cos I'm an introvert. I don't get my energy from talking with people, especially people I don't know; socialising can be mentally and physically draining. I need to be in a certain mood and head space to want to reach out and make that connection.
Today, I tried to focus on the other person and just flow along with the conversation.
It's what Michael Oliver calls Natural Selling, except I had made a decision not to think about selling or what was in it for me. So I managed to avoid one of those potentially costly faux pas: constantly glancing sideways to see if anyone was stopping by my stall. The result was that I was able to give the other person my fullest concentration and respect and acknowledge what they said instead of making presumptious comments.
The outcome? A meaningful connection, a sharing of life stories, and the seeds of future friendship were sowed. One lady ordered two items off me, my Sale Of The Day. The other gave me plenty of useful advice about selling, based on her retail experience. She told me I am friendly and have a nice smile, and that a business is often built from word-of-mouth referrals.
I was blessed also to have my 3 yo come along for company. She is a social magnet, with the kind of personality that has strangers saying how cute/gorgeous/adorable she is. She certainly kept herself busy. I had brought along a preschool activity book that she worked through for a while. We had muffins and shared a sausage. Then her friends the Sawyer boys came by, and she was off to play, get carried around and learn Snap.
I am particularly grateful for the unsought blessings: the gentleman who wandered by with his 6 mo baby girl quietly sitting in her pram, who shared about his digestive problems and intolerance to wheat. I was able to give him info about Fast-Tract and In-Liven. Turns out he teaches at Beth's school. The world has just grown smaller - again.
Our home group member Jenny, a fantastic cook and very organized, efficient lady, brought a friend by to see my stuff. She did all the sales talk for me, emphasizing how little she has to use because one pump is all she needs, and how she loves the pump bottle that the foundation come in because it clearly shows how much product is left in the bottle; as the bottle gets used up the marker rises. That's something I had never thought about and can now use for my next marketing exercise. Must thank her for the kindness and favour.
All in, my third Car Boot Sale has been a SUCCESS in every way.
Went without expectations and even with a little dread. Did I want to sit around for 4 hours - again - trying to look busy and cheerful even when there are few passersby?
As it turned out, I had interesting, deep conversations with the lovely ladies running stalls on either side - Fiona and Karin.
It was unexpected cos I'm an introvert. I don't get my energy from talking with people, especially people I don't know; socialising can be mentally and physically draining. I need to be in a certain mood and head space to want to reach out and make that connection.
Today, I tried to focus on the other person and just flow along with the conversation.
It's what Michael Oliver calls Natural Selling, except I had made a decision not to think about selling or what was in it for me. So I managed to avoid one of those potentially costly faux pas: constantly glancing sideways to see if anyone was stopping by my stall. The result was that I was able to give the other person my fullest concentration and respect and acknowledge what they said instead of making presumptious comments.
The outcome? A meaningful connection, a sharing of life stories, and the seeds of future friendship were sowed. One lady ordered two items off me, my Sale Of The Day. The other gave me plenty of useful advice about selling, based on her retail experience. She told me I am friendly and have a nice smile, and that a business is often built from word-of-mouth referrals.
I was blessed also to have my 3 yo come along for company. She is a social magnet, with the kind of personality that has strangers saying how cute/gorgeous/adorable she is. She certainly kept herself busy. I had brought along a preschool activity book that she worked through for a while. We had muffins and shared a sausage. Then her friends the Sawyer boys came by, and she was off to play, get carried around and learn Snap.
I am particularly grateful for the unsought blessings: the gentleman who wandered by with his 6 mo baby girl quietly sitting in her pram, who shared about his digestive problems and intolerance to wheat. I was able to give him info about Fast-Tract and In-Liven. Turns out he teaches at Beth's school. The world has just grown smaller - again.
Our home group member Jenny, a fantastic cook and very organized, efficient lady, brought a friend by to see my stuff. She did all the sales talk for me, emphasizing how little she has to use because one pump is all she needs, and how she loves the pump bottle that the foundation come in because it clearly shows how much product is left in the bottle; as the bottle gets used up the marker rises. That's something I had never thought about and can now use for my next marketing exercise. Must thank her for the kindness and favour.
All in, my third Car Boot Sale has been a SUCCESS in every way.
Thursday, September 02, 2010
Ahead and Relaxing
It's been a long time since I was able to get a newsletter out in advance. For some reason, I normally write it a week before the 1st of the month.
Have just sent in my Oct newsletter to the queue for publication on 30 Sep. One month in advance. Yay!
Have just sent in my Oct newsletter to the queue for publication on 30 Sep. One month in advance. Yay!
Wednesday, September 01, 2010
Traffic stats review for Career-Change-Confidence.com
Number of visitors in August - 971 -whoa, highest ever since the site started! :)
Average: 32 visitors a day
I'd love to claim that as a SUCCESS.
PS. Checked stats today and the number's up to 1006!
Where did they all come from?
That's AMAZING!
*victory dance*
Average: 32 visitors a day
I'd love to claim that as a SUCCESS.
PS. Checked stats today and the number's up to 1006!
Where did they all come from?
That's AMAZING!
*victory dance*
He's not like us (Thank God)
He accepts you at your worst
He is hoping for the best
Jesus loves you
Jesus loves you
He will never ever leave you
He will never forsake you
Jesus loves you
Jesus loves you
He is proud of who you are
He has faith in who you'll become
He's not like us
He loves you just because
Brokenhearted
Do you want your healing?
Oh trust again
There is love in His right hand
He is hoping for the best
Jesus loves you
Jesus loves you
He will never ever leave you
He will never forsake you
Jesus loves you
Jesus loves you
He is proud of who you are
He has faith in who you'll become
He's not like us
He loves you just because
Brokenhearted
Do you want your healing?
Oh trust again
There is love in His right hand
What I wish I had the Charisma and Courage to do
To shout and praise God uninhibited, unconscious of what people might think or say -
"What does that woman think she's doing? Is she trying to draw attention to herself?"
"Is that Serena dancing and jumping around on stage?"
Even King David was mocked by his first wife Michal when he danced down the streets praising God in just a loincloth.
Not a good look, we would say here.
But if the Spirit suddenly overcame you and you felt you could burst if you held it in anymore, wouldn't you do as MWS does in this video?
Watch him brim over with barely contained glee, like he's just discovered the greatest secret in the world, and take everyone along for the ride!
Dare you and I do it?
Gotta let the world know
Take it to the streets
I'm gonna dance and sing
And let out a shout of praise!
Hallelujah
The river is rising!
"What does that woman think she's doing? Is she trying to draw attention to herself?"
"Is that Serena dancing and jumping around on stage?"
Even King David was mocked by his first wife Michal when he danced down the streets praising God in just a loincloth.
Not a good look, we would say here.
But if the Spirit suddenly overcame you and you felt you could burst if you held it in anymore, wouldn't you do as MWS does in this video?
Watch him brim over with barely contained glee, like he's just discovered the greatest secret in the world, and take everyone along for the ride!
Dare you and I do it?
Gotta let the world know
Take it to the streets
I'm gonna dance and sing
And let out a shout of praise!
Hallelujah
The river is rising!
A Song for the Struggling - Help Is On The Way by Michael W Smith
Love this song.
Have posted it on FB and sent the clip to Kathleen, our missionary in S Africa. Feel strongly that her children (the ones at the orphanage she works at) need to hear it and claim it for themselves.
Have posted it on FB and sent the clip to Kathleen, our missionary in S Africa. Feel strongly that her children (the ones at the orphanage she works at) need to hear it and claim it for themselves.
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