Oh so cold in East Coast USA!

Imagine a mini soccer field, cleared of deep snow to reveal the frosted grass beneath.  How easy it makes keeping the ball in play for teeny 2.5 year olds when there's a wall of hard packed snow all around, and  especially when it's in your own back yard!   And that's how it is for Harry, Andy and Sophie's littlest, now living in Old Greenwich.   All the children of the area are required to wear ski boots and parkas to school, and must bring full ski gear - ski pants mittens etc every day,  before they can be allowed out to play.   It's sooo cold, and soooo cool!     



Could anyone's smile be bigger than this?
Jamie's so proud of the medals he won for racing!

 Here in Australia, I took the windsurfer ski out, paddled to Snapperman Beach and back in glorious sunshine, and thought about the days they were all here at Palm Beach.  The tide would be in, the red canoe would be out, along with anything that floated.   They are missed in our lives, but life is an adventure, and we need to live every day.                             

An insightful interview with Jill Bolte Taylor - a brain scientist, speaking about life choices.

http://www.ted.com/talks/jill_bolte_taylor_s_powerful_stroke_of_insight.html

 

Click on here to view her presentation

Thanks Marcia for sending the email.

The eighth day of a new year!

It sure feels like the 80th day!  Three quick days of work this week disappeared in a blur.  Two Grandchildren are visiting for the weekend, and the ToDo list for next week's work is already brimming over.

So what were the really lovely things that I learned over the Christmas break?

• Go out for the family Christmas Eve dinner - don't eat in - for lots of wonderful reasons!
• Have Skpe working on Christmas Eve so we can all feel close to those who are not with us
• Send beautiful Christmas cards - sending and receiving those is a real treat
• Don't send me those newsletters with a year of pictures - tell me about it during the year!
• Take no notice of when someone says "no presents" and just do what you feel like.
• Avoid giving children more than about three things as they cannot remember who gave them nor probably why they got them....
• Only buy half hams!
• and only eat Sally Beachley's fruit mince tarts
• Try to get more than three things done in a day - amazing how quickly you slow down to just getting one thing done - like "the washing" which you normally managed before work.
• Appreciate the friends made here at the Beaches.... The Whale Beach Walkers are too cool.
• Decorate the house - have fairy lights
• And decorate your car - people notice!
• And remember to breath