Friday, February 13, 2009

Return of glee


As you might have guessed by my silence the past few days, it's been hard to summon up any glee while the devastation of the bushfires still unfolds in Victoria.

It feels wrong to be focusing on your own happiness while others are suffering so much. But walking home today, with the smell of smoke in my nostrils, it occurred to me it's even worse to be alive and not revel in it.

So while I'm still shocked and saddened at the loss of life and the destruction, the glee spotting must go on.


Lilies

I bought myself another bunch of Oriental lilies today. I'm looking forward to them opening up and filling my flat with their sweet aroma.


The flatmate saga

My new flatmate, Anna, moves in this weekend. Although I'll miss living on my own, I'm also feeling positive about having someone else around the place. (Oh, I have reluctantly decided against dropping back to a four-day week. When I thought about what my mum would say - that I should save the extra $100 a week, especially in these uncertain economic times - I realised it was too fanciful a plan. But one day...)


Swan lake

On the way home tonight I stopped in at the Botanic Gardens to watch the smoke-shrouded sun sinking in the sky, its golden rays reflecting off the Ornamental Lake. There was hardly anyone around, just ducks waddling over the grass feeding on insects. Then I spotted them - cygnets! Three of them, swimming in single file after their mother on the lake.

After missing out on seeing the babies of the swans that nested by the Yarra River boatsheds last year, I'm happy I got to see these ones. They are so fluffy and cute!

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good to see you back ,with your chin up...I would like to refer you to your own happiness quotes,even the first few are enough to get back on track.
Being aware and grateful for lifes little gifts is not being unfeeling of others misery.Someone who appreciates the "little things" will be the one to send a card or gift or make a call that can lift someone else up enough for them to face the future with enough bravery to keep going. bbuy

Anonymous said...

That first picture is a beauty :)
Good luck with the new flatmate moving in!
Good to see some glee-spotting going on, despite the horrors of what's happening over there. I think abbeysmum hit the nail on the head with what she said about staying positive while still acknowledging the suffering of others.
My thoughts go out to all those affected in Victoria and the rest of Australia.

Fantastic Forrest said...

I think you are very smart to reassess the 4 day week. You should definitely revisit it in the future. And do indeed save the extra money so that you can do something special with it, not just have your daily expenses expand to absorb it.

Loved the pic of the swan and cygnets. I miss the swans of Westport, County Mayo, where we lived for a year. Magical creatures.

Earl Riser said...

The fires down in Victoria, I couldn`t stop thinking about the people.
I don`t watch t.v. news, and after hearing onthe radio, how some t.v., and newspaper, mobs were taking photo`s inside the peoples homes, I am glad I didn`t see them.
One thing is to report news events, another to parade anothers unfortunate circumstances, to the world at large.
Give my thoughts and blessing, to any people you know personally affected, please Jayne.
Have fun, you are getting a new flatmate!!

Unknown said...

I'm glad your glee has returned. It's true ... even in sad times, we need to look at what we have and find joy in it.

I was thinking about your 4-day work week. Rather than eliminate a 8 hours of work ... perhaps your employer would allow you to work 4 10-hour days. You'd still get a 3-day weekend without sacrificing any hours or money. Many companies like this idea because it saves them on the resources necessary to have people actually sitting in the office. Just a thought!

Your pictures, as always, are lovely!

Take Care!

Small Footprints
http://reducefootprints.blogspot.com

Jayne said...

Hi Abbeysmum. You are so right about those quotes. Thanks for the reminder!

Hello Becca. Thanks! And yes, Abbeysmum did hit the nail on the head. Thank you for your concern. It's been a pretty rough time all right. As tragic and devastating as it is, it has been truly amazing to see how everyone has pulled together to support those who've been affected and to witness the fighting spirit of people who've lost everything. I get a lump in my throat just thinking about it.

Hey FF. Yep, I think so too. Dammit, I don't like sensible!! I do indeed plan on saving the lion's share of the extra money - if not all of it - to put it towards some of the more expensive goals on my 101/40 list, particularly travelling. So even though I'm sad about not having a four day week, it's not like there is nothing to look forward to.

Hi Earl. Some news media have taken some awful liberties and been very insenstive. I often think during major catastrophes like this that it must be very weird being a journo - while I am sure most of them are genuinely compassionate and caring, they are there to get the best story they can. It's just a shame that some don't know where to draw the line. Media Watch on Monday night highlighted a few terrible examples of crossing the line.

Fortunately I don't know anyone who has suffered any loss - a few people have been evacuated or come close to it, but that's all. And as I type this, the town my mum lives in the mid-north of NSW is on flood alert. Crazy times.

Hello Small footprints. While I can see the logic in the 4 day, 10 hours plan...I can't work a 10 hour day. I just couldn't face it. I know, I'm a lazy sook. I'll continue with 5 days for now. I probably only do about 2 days of actual work in a week anyway!