High Fives!!

Well, it's my last post for 2012 and before I go hurtling into another year - lets see what's happened this year!! Here are my top fives - which has been pretty hard given that our lives are made up of so many choices.....

2012 TOP SHOPs & BUYs

1)Trade Me has still got to be my top shop - my top buy this year were 2 x 1000 pink and hot pink diamantes for a Pink Ribbon Breakfast I hosted (and raised $1200 for the Breast Cancer Foundation), followed by 2) Amazon and Abebooks - best buy - the entire series of David Handler's Berger & Mitry Mysteries, 3)Expedia - where we got all of our accomodation for the USA, 4)Ross: Dress for Less - only in the States and my happy place and 5)Deseret Bookstore, BYU Provo Bookstore & Cover to Cover Bookstore (Harding Blvd, Roseville, California) - my credit card's worst nightmares!! ;-)

FAVouRItE PLACES I VISITED in 2012

1) Grand Canyon - amazing and spiritual, 2) Disneyland & California Park - the Colour My World Show was just stunning!!, 3) Vegas - Over The Top and a confimation that the States do everything bigger than the rest of the world :-) & I for one cannot wait to go back!! 4) Alcatraz - the tours were done tastefully which was a welcome change to some other things/ Universal Studios - totally made for someone like me who loves movies and television and the highlight of 2012 has got to be 5) Attending General Conference and having lunch at the Roof Restuarant in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building.

My 2012 ACHIEVEMENTS

1)Back in the temple after a too long break - life changing for me, 2) I lost weight - and regardless of putting it all on plus some - I lost it ;-), 3) I wrote a song (a goal I set in 2010 so goes to show that I am a late achiever ;-), 4)I finally started writing my proposal for my Phd - FINALLY - a whole 14 years after my Masters - see takes time but I do get there... and 5)I got a job AND still managed to meet my son's 2 top expectations of a mother - picking them up from school and cooking dinner (nearly always ;-))

My 2012 PEOPLE

I'm not sure about you but there are people in my life that even though they are important to me - but because we live so far apart, or lives that are so different - I never thought I would ever see them again and sooo blessed and happy to done so in 2012. This year My 2012 People list includes: 1)Nola & Leon - the people responsible for Mr M joining the church and ultimately putting him in a place where he would meet me (we love Bruce & Debbie, and their family (including the dogs!), Nancy & Norm, Steve & Barabara and the rest... ;-) 2)Ryan & Shauna (Mr's friend and his beautiful family) 3)My dear primary school friend Michelle H (her parents and even her sister!!) & high school friends - Track, Nat, Betoles & Ari, 4)my past young women - Nairana & her gorgeous girls (a visit here in the View all the way from Bali where she lives) and Liz & her beautiful babies (all the way in Salt Lake City from Phoenix, Arizona where she lives) and 5)Vernon H (& his beautiful family - Elaine, Luke, Lauren, Levi & Liam), Maureen D, Eugene M, Uncle Sam, Conrad, Don, Kijiana & the Molenis. Before I left for the States the one person I wanted to meet was Ellen DeGeneres, but if you ask me - I think I did better than that with the people I caught up with!! I count my blessings every day ;-)

2012 FIRSTS

Here are some of the things I did for the first time EVER in 2012:

1)Walked across the Golden Gate Bridge with my sons - amazing!! 2)Made cardboard cars for my sons and nephew 3)Found a recipe in a magazine and made it - a scrumptious broccoli salad after seeing it in a magazine (brocolli, bacon, canberries & sunflower seeds sounds pretty basic - but its the dressing that is the winner - it uses 1/2c of sugar!!), 4)A paper wreath made out of music - thank you Pinterest and 5) recorded and sang my own song (I haven't sung for a long time, privately or in public - so was a pretty big thing for me!!) 

How did your 2012 go for you?  I hope it was amazing just like you.. Thanks for visiting - your support is much appreciated.... Many wishes of happiness from me to you and all the very best for a wonderful 2013..

May we all think on what the Dalai Lama encourages us to do in his Instriuctions for Life "Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, [we’ll] be able to enjoy it a second time."

Yours in friendship, Mxo

A week of firsts....

Sarah Vaughn sings a song that has the words "what a difference a day makes - twenty four little hours...." and I couldn't agree more. This past week is only a tiny space of time in a life full of many years.... and yet there was room for firsts.....

1) Taupiri Maunga
To celebrate Matariki a group of my colleagues, students, Kuia and Kaumatua climbed Taupiri maunga (mountain)at 5.30am, led by Kingi Tuheitia. At the top, we shared karakia (prayers), waiata (songs) and whakapapa (geneology) of Taupiri and Pirongia, the surrounding area and the beautiful Waikato awa (river). We listened to stories about the tupuna (ancestry) of the Tainui tribe and Kingitanga. It was the first time I had been there and the view was spectacular. The wairua (spirit) was peaceful and it was beautiful.

2) Thames Graduation
Where I work, the phrase second chance learners is used to describe our students. Its description tries to encapsulate the failure of the education system in our student's lives and how coming to Te Wananga o Aotearoa bridges that gap and more, by providing a holistic and healing way of learning. This is never more evident than at a graduation ceremony. There are people there that cross the stage for the first time in generations to complete a certificate and gain a tohu (award).

3) Swimmer's Ear
I learnt to swim as a child. Although not as good as my younger sister and brother - it was still something that I did better than anything on land ;-) After 20 years, I have returned to the pool to try and shed some of these well loved kilos I carry ;-) After my first session back, and for the first time in my WHOLE LIFE - I get a blocked ear.. I shrug it off. Then the week later, the same thing happens and it takes four days to come right, then the next it takes six days to unblock. I then decide - enough is enough and I get some earplugs. I put those in - and after that session I have had a blocked ear every since. I go to the pharmacist/chemist and explain my symptoms and he tells me I have "swimmer's ear" and gives me some drops which are called Swimmer's Ears. First time ever!

4) Writing Retreat
I am blessed enough to be invited (well I invited myself) to a writing retreat at the Waikato Tainui Research and Development College, Hopuhopu through work. If you get time, google it and see what a wonderful legacy has been started in this place.... It is the first time I have been here and it is a fantastic facility. Each person has their own room with a desk and a bed and NO tv - that's how serious the people were about the impetus of this facility to enhance one's learning in pursuit of excellence. I'm loving it. I just need to get a Phd proposal out of the next two days ;-) after writing my blog ;-)

5) To be served
My new Personal Assistant started work for me this week. Before leaving work one night, she comes in and asks if its okay if she moved my office around and I say "that's fine". My office and especially my desk looked like a bomb has gone off and I was too overwhelmed with everything to do something about it and as a colleague said after seeing my car - it truly was a reflection of my mind............Anyway, when I get back to my office the next afternoon after a day in meetings - my office has not only been re-arranged, but every little knick-knack (and you have to know I have many ;-)) is back up on the walls, on shelves. My desk is tidied. My filing is ordered. The flow of work is clear. And everything is right with the world. I don't know if this is going to continue. I'm too scared to get used to how this feels - but for the first time I feel like someone really wants to serve me - and I will never ever forget her - EVER! Thank you Arozxox

Look out for the firsts - they may never be repeated but will definitely not be forgotten....

Yours in friendship,

Mxo