Love is all you need

I read Craig Harper's blog on Sunday night and was touched by one of his readers stories. I have been reading this blog for a while and whilst it's often amusing, I think his latest post, 'Maybe the Beatles Were Right' is the best of his posts I've read. He's so right and perhaps so were the Beatles as well as a lot of others who have mentioned this over time. I have had my own little wake up calls around this topic this last week or so, so I know what I am talking about here.

May is seriously birthday month around here. Tom, Pat, Nicole, my nana were all born in May. I seem to know heaps of people born then also. It's Kat's birthday today. Happy birthday to you...etc.

My parents have headed off in their caravan to join the grey nomads. I'm delighted for them. I will also miss them. I love having them nearby even though I don't see them all the time. It will be great for them to get away and see this great country though.

Is this real?

I have been reading Martin Strickland's blog 'Combe Martin Life' and have seen some very beautiful and amazing photo's from his part of the world.

This video that is on his blog today is bizarre. I wonder if it's real.


I have been quiet this week due to too much work and not enough play. Not much to say.

Loveocracy

Kathy Sierra's Creating Passionate Users, Valentine's Day post is spot on. As are most of her posts.

"And why do you read this blog? I always ask myself, "how can I help my readers in some way?" Whether it's a tip or trick, a post you can use to help make your case to your boss, a new way of looking at something, a potential source for an idea, a pointer to something useful...I try to make 90% of the posts here for you. And you in turn respond with the most amazing, insightful, inspirational, and often entertaining comments.

What's good for you is what's good for the blog. And for me."

I love reading this blog because she does provide useful ideas. It works. Thanks Kathy

Cloudbursting by Kate Bush

I wish Kate would bring her machine here and make some rain. Our town is drying up. All the people who cut their lawns really short, now have dead lawns. Ours still has a little green because we keep it long and leave the clippings on it, which I think helps to keep the grass alive.
It's less smoky here today though than yesterday. I got a clip of the smoke coming from the nearby hills, but am having some issues with Revver right now so I can't put it up. I will probably put it on Blip TV later tonight if I haven't sorted it out and post it here tomorrow or later.
This blog post Cloudbursting on the blog "Cool Looking Stuff" is a great compilation of clips associated with Kate Bush's great song from the 'Hounds of Love' album, Cloudbusting. There is an interview on the post that explains where she got her inspiration. I just love to learn about the inspiration behind the art. Whatever the art! It truly helps me to learn to draw from my own different sources when I am creating.

Personal Growth GURU

GURU - Gee You Are You!
Since I'm being the big personal growth stuff promoter today, I also forgot to mention, Steve Pavlina has now forums on his site. I haven't spent a real lot of time there, but had a quick scan of them and it looks like personal growth city from here. There are heaps of topics already and it's only been up a little while. In his most recent blog post he says there are already over 3000 posts and almost 1000 users have registered, so I am guessing there will be a great range of opinions and ideas and lots of lively 'Personal Growth for Smart People' discussions.
So off you go and personally develop:-)

Watch the Secret - Now - For Free

I'm not sure how this has come about, but if you have a spare hour and a half, perhaps longer because I imagine it will take some time to stream/download, or whatever it does online, watch this. "The Secret" for free.
The blog it is on, is also worth a look:It's Not About Your Stuff
I have added it to my bloglines feed. She recommends good stuff and it looks quite informative and interesting.

Shoelaces & shoes

I found this great site : Ian's Shoelaces Site yesterday. I am lazy and stick to the over under lacing but as you can see if you go to this site, there are plenty of amazing combinations, 31 in fact.
I went shopping for shoes tonight. I have bought a new outfit for my brothers wedding and now I want new shoes to match. It's always the way with me with clothes. I don't really look at them or think about them for ages and then I have a big shop and I want lots of stuff. So I am currently looking at shoes and clothes. I have fallen in love with a new shop in Traralgon called Blue Illusion. They haven't got their website up yet, but when they do I'll let you know. It's gorgeous and sells clothes as well as accessories and decor items. I love it. It is definately my taste.

Happening in my Head NOW

It was warm this morning. I am not sure how warm, maybe it just felt warm because my car was not iced up. I felt spring and I noticed it took more than usual to ruffle my feathers.
I am doing this year level co-ordinator job this term and whilst it is as time consuming, it isn't as frustrating as the curriculum leadership position was. I have more patience with young people I guess, than for my fellow staff members.
I have been reading this blog called G-Town talks, it is written by a principal of a school and she talks in her recent posts about good teachers and weak teachers. I hear what she is saying. I find thinking about it all very frustrating.
Tonight there is a full moon. I read all about it in Mystic Medusa's email. She says it is a good time to pay attention to your dreams.
I put my 100th clip on Revver tonight. I like sharing my little glimpses of the world. I think it is my hobby. I want to learn more about making videos and animations. It's fun.

37days: Be the camera

37days: Be the camera I really love her writing and can't insist enough that you read 37 Days.

Creative Generalist: How to be an Expert on Everything

This post onCreative Generalist makes me laugh. Now I know what I am doing wrong. I want to be a generalist anyway.

37days: Change yardsticks

37days: Change yardsticks
I feel like I want to be a Buddhist when I read this recent post from the fabulous Patti Digh's blog, 37 Days. Here is a little extract:
"
E.M. Schumacher has written about "Buddhist Economics": "While the materialist is mainly interested in goods, the Buddhist is mainly interested in liberation...It is not wealth that stands in the way of liberation, but the attachment to wealth; not the enjoyment of pleasurable things, but the craving for them."

The modern economist, Schumacher continues, "is used to measuring the 'standard of living' by the amount of annual consumption, assuming...that a man who consumes more is 'better off' than a man who consumes less. A Buddhist economist would consider this approach excessively irrational: since consumption is merely a means to human well-being, the aim should be to obtain the maximum of well-being with the minimum of consumption."
"

She is an amazing writer. Read this post and don't forget to read the challenge at the end, that's always my favourite bit. I'm off to see how interesting I look!

Personal Growth, Personal Independence: The Limit Is Me - Robin Good's Latest News

Personal Growth, Personal Independence: The Limit Is Me - Robin Good's Latest News

This little story is awesome. Take it on.

The Open Classroom: Nearly the end of semester: reports and progress meetings

The Open Classroom: Nearly the end of semester: reports and progress meetings

What an amazing and great idea! I love the way education is heading in a direction that allows students to take responsibility for their own learning. It is so healthy. I will have to share this great idea with our curriculum team.

Happiness At Work

I read this blog last night. I totally agree with what the author is putting forward here. Work is such a central part of our life and if we aren't happy there it can be bad for our health. I love Riccardo Semler's books and I have also enjoyed Anita Roddick's writing on this topic as well as everything she writes.
I think happiness is always our own responsibility, yet having said that as an employer there are ways to encourage it and not. I look forward to reading Alex's book on this and watching his process as well.

I have lots to do today and normally this kind of workload would make me groan but I can't help feeling happy for lots of reasons.

Astrology

I'm a Sagittarius. My moon is in Pisces and Venus in Mars in Capricorn. Jupiter is in Gemini. I am not sure about my ascendant because my mum can't remember exactly what time I was born. For years I thought it was Capricorn, cause I thought I was born around 7.30am, but recently mum said she remembers I was born at daybreak, because she heard the birds carrying on as they do just as the sun rises, as I was born, so this could be around 5.00ish at that time of year in Victoria. This would make me Sagittarius ascendant. Who knows?
I am a snake in Chinese Astrology.
Ok, I'll admit it. I love astrology. I consult it daily and although I promptly forget what I have read and doubt whether it is very accurate at times, I totally enjoy reading it. I wonder if it is the way astrologers write that draws me in. My two favourite ones are Yasmin Boland and Mystic Medusa. They are interesting and they explain away the craziness in some days. It's just fun mostly but I also find it helpful in understanding other people. It helps decode the patterns of life and there are definite star signs that I can be at ease with. My closest friend whom I have the most face to face contact with is born on the same day as me, different year though! She also has the same middle name, bit spooky. It is an unusual name too, so it's not like it was the favourite hit of the times. We often get to work and find we have had exactly the same kind of morning with our kids or our classes. We have both been in the decorating business before moving to education. The coincidences and similarities are funny and interesting and add to my conviction that there is definitely something to astrology. No matter what all the rational men in my life try to tell me!!