Posts Tagged ‘New South Wales’

Right Timing

Posted in Blessings, Challenges, Coping Skills, Gratitude, Health, Identity, Life, Life lessons, Lyme Disease, Magic, Philosophy, Psychology, Self Development, Soul Growth, Spirituality, Uncategorized, Writing, tagged acceptance, Apple, BEing present, coping skills, frustration, Gratitude, iTunes, life lessons, Living from the heart, Lyme disease, Mindfulness, New South Wales, pain, Pharmaceutical drug, Reiki, right timing, self acceptance, Self Development, Soul Growth, Spirituality, Susan Jamieson on December 13, 2013| 8 Comments »

image from nicpicxa.blogspot.com –

“Right time, right place, right people equals success.
Wrong time, wrong place, wrong people equals most of the real human history.”
― Idries Shah, Reflections

There are few things more irritating than a schedule which doesn’t turn out as planned. Think about it for a moment. You spend ages working everything out down to the smallest detail so that everything is planned, everything gets done and then suddenly one small thing crops up and the entire schedule is totally thrown out the window! The right timing is out with the trash!

That’s what happened to my week. In fact it began before the

image from yogatothepeople.com A retreat for the soul.

week even got started. To go to the beginning of the sequence we have to move back a few weeks to set the scene. There was a retreat planned and I very much wanted to go on it. In fact I had been waiting for a retreat such as this, by this person for quite a long time, but circumstances kept popping up to prevent it.

When such things happen they immediately make me stop and wonder why. Why am I being ‘prevented’ from attending such an event, which would definitely bring something to the table for me? Being intuitively aware of what is happening and why, is a great gift, one which is not usually understood by most people. However, to me it was a clear sign from Spirit that it wasn’t the right time for me to do ‘this ‘ course or that ‘this’ course was not the right one for me to do. Of course knowing this does not make the prevention any less irritating..

image from http://www.canstockphoto.com

So, I see the updates about the retreat and I’m sitting here missing it. One of the major reasons I ‘decided’ it wasn’t practical was due to the medication regimen I have been on which has severely screwed up my system. All thanks to the Lyme disease. Anyone who does a Spiritual retreat knows the importance of ensuring you, personally, are in the best shape you can be, to facilitate the changes such an event brings about. You don’t want to interact with Spirit if you are dosed up with vile medication and feel awful; it simply doesn’t work that way.

Over the first weekend I was coming off most of the prescribed meds and was having a fairly torrid time of things. I couldn’t get to sleep at night and when I crashed I couldn’t get going until nearly midday. That’s not going to work at any weekend event. However knowing that didn’t make me any less upset either. All weekend I thought about it and how good it would be and how much I wanted to be there. I truly believe I made myself more ill because of it. A lesson taught to make me pay heed of the signs.

I’d made a promise to myself that I would get the GST spreadsheet

image from http://www.concur.com Spreadsheets made to look easy!

done and thus far hadn’t managed it due to my reaction to medication. I seem to react badly to everything at present. Perhaps that’s another hint that I need to stop fighting the process and let it take its course. Anyway, I’ve struggled with it for seven months and it’s been miserable, but that’s what happens sometimes.

I had barely had any sleep Sunday night and yet Monday morning I woke up as if I needed to be somewhere in a hurry. Yes – at my desk and doing the GST. I was groggy but alert enough to do that, it’s only entering information anyway. Right Timing at work.

Tuesday was preparing the blogs for Wednesday, my ‘In Search of” series

image from followpics.net “In Search of”…… Right Timing

which is proving to be very distracting as I sink further into my time away and what happened. So I’m now beginning to wonder what is in my memories of the trip which I need to know now. It must be important or I wouldn’t be reliving it in minute details. I haven’t found out yet, so it must be something which happens later or I haven’t picked up on it. Irritating isn’t the word.

Wednesday was total wipe-out day. Even with catching the break and having, in effect, an extra hour in Queensland since they don’t have daylight saving but New South Wales, where I live, does, didn’t make any difference. Doctors seem to have a timetable which runs anything but according to schedule. My trip to the doctor, for which I allowed an extra half an hour was out by an hour. It made everything run late. By the time we had finished all our tasks up there and managed to finally get something to eat, we were travelling home in the dark.Right Timing, I think not!

image from goddessink.wordpress.com Chronic Pain hits everywhere.

Let me explain. With my immune system being down, thanks to the medication, it also affects my energy levels. I was pushing through to get everything done and did, but there was a price to be paid. I have paid, every day since, with pain, gastric upsets and horrendous migraines. Such is life.

On Thursday I woke up after a very short sleep again and this time felt as though I’d been tenderised by a meat mallet. Not good at all. I felt as though I was dragging a ten tonne weight around with me. This of course makes me as cranky as a grizzly bear with a sore tooth. Not a good scenario for being at a retreat or for my husband for that matter. The new medication my GP has put me on is affecting my special coordination. In fact, it’s making my fingers work faster than my brain appears to be coordinating my typing needs. It is more than very annoying. I seem dyslexic at times.

So I struggled through Thursday without killing myself or the computer. Do you know what happens when you’re fingers do the walking? It stuffs up the computer and it takes hours to fix it

image from http://www.tumblr.com What I’d like to do to that computer!

up. Apart from which, I had to download some material, which I did, but I don’t have iTunes on my laptop so they went into Windows media. I can’t download the wretched things (mp3) to any other device. Don’t you love Apple? Damned perverted extension files.

So all one nights work for nothing, it’s on the computer but I can’t physically transport it on a device to listen to it. BAH! Now to the end of the week and the lesson.

This morning I woke up in so much pain, I seriously considered calling for an ambulance. Not letting Ray take me there but calling an ambulance because the pain was so intense. The pain

image from psychicandastrology.psychicguild.com

came in great heaving waves, with medication and Reiki settling down to a dull roar, but rearing its ugly head every so often to let me know it was waiting. I’m sitting here typing because I misunderstood simple English today and didn’t get this done earlier, but also because I’m still riding the waves of pain.

So what was my lesson you are wondering? Beautifully simple really – it was not the right time or the right retreat for me to go on since I had more healing to do and that takes precedence. Why is that? Because working with spirit takes a lot of energy and in my compromised situation it would not be good for me – or them.

“Patience is the calm acceptance that things can happen in a different order than the one you have in mind.”
― David G. Allen

Second lesson: Patience. All my life I’ve been in a hurry and they have tried to slow me down and

image from tonoikaipnevmata.wordpress.com

only been successful when I’ve been completely out of commission. So this is what they’ve done, made sure I cannot do anything.

There will be other retreats, other courses, other times, because I know this is the case. I will have the right course with the right instructor at the right time for me. That’s the way everything works. Spirit’s schedule trumps mine each and every time. There is no point being grumpy or ill-tempered, even with myself, because I have to go with the flow. And as everyone knows going with the flow makes life so easy. So just go with the flow and believe in Right Timing.

image from pics33.blogspot.com Right Timing is Essential

“Most of what makes a book ‘good’ is that we are reading it at the right moment for us.”
― Alain de Botton

May your week be filled with ‘Right Timing’ so that your days and week feel relaxed and peaceful.

Blessings, Susan x

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Catastrophes are here.

Posted in Accidents, Challenges, Death, Health, Life, Lyme Disease, Spirituality, Susan Jamieson, Uncategorized, Writing, tagged animall loss, bad policies, Blue Mountains, Bush Fires, Candle, Firefighter, homes lost, land care, land destroyed, Lyme disease, New South Wales, rescue volunteers, rural fire fighters, stock loss, volunteer fire fighters on October 18, 2013| 9 Comments »

image from http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au

A photo of the beautiful Blue Mountains in New South Wales. Their name is derived from the gases from the Eucalyptus trees making the mountains appear blue as they rise.

There is always something surprising when you realise that the unexpected has occurred. I have tried not to dwell on my travails with Lyme disease. It creeps in now and again since it is never far from your mind. You go about your daily routine, minimising any affects it is causing. In fact you begin to feel that apart from sudden spikes in your ‘woes’ you’re doing okay.

Perhaps it’s a safety thing, a form of illusion to enable you to handle everything. Yesterday was like every other, within the variables I have come to expect. I was focused on the bush fires in New South Wales and my fury at what I feel is the mismanagement of our land care policies. I refuse to even pay lip service to some of the inane arguments which rage around this issue.

image from news.ninemsn.com.au

It doesn’t help when an elected ‘leader’ of an inner city electorate (a member of the Green Party) decides to use this devastating event to take a sideswipe at the current Prime Minister. Politics at a time like this is a poor second when weighed against the people affected. We have one person dead and two fire fighters injured. We have no idea of stock or animal loss. I hope and pray that will be all we lose, it is too many, but more is always a heavier burden. Over 2000 fire fighters from throughout the country are traveling to help with the bush fires.

This is one reason I feel selfish when I am focused on my small woes. As I mentioned yesterday, Byron is a ‘green’ area and today we have had light rain all day, 3 ½ mm of rain. Not a huge amount by any means. The farmers here are grateful for the rain, since for Byron, we’ve had a bit of a ‘dry spell’, but nothing like elsewhere in the country.

image from amywellsblog.blogspot.com

However, I feel traitorous today. I did get some sleep last night, so deep I didn’t hear my husband get up. It should have been wonderful, and it was as far as the sleep goes. Vivid dreams, strange and perplexing. Perhaps I should write about them sometime.

I woke in hideous pain. Imagine, if you will, every bone in your body feels as though it is being crushed and pulled apart at the same time. Simultaneously there is an intense white hot sharp pain through each ‘major’ joint, but centering through the hips. Sitting, standing or lying down bring no relief. Wheat packs seem to have no effect or the painkillers I had to resort to.

I feel miserable and I feel ashamed and humiliated that I‘m thinking about myself when so many people are facing so much worse. I’m keeping all the people, fire fighters, people who live there, all the animals in the area, in my heart and praying for their safety. I’m also praying for our ‘leaders’ to refrain from trying to get any political mileage out of this tragedy and work together to help OUR country.

Perhaps in some small way this might help, help our country and perhaps help me feel less self-centered in the face of what is happening.

image from barefootbarn.wordpress.com

“Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.” Buddha

My candle to focus my intention for all who are suffering tonight and in the days ahead. Why not join me?

Blessings, Susan x

Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.
Buddha
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/candle.html#x2MveAOCCesUjmTX.99

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Summer Love…Bushfire Season

Posted in Accidents, Challenges, Coping Skills, Death, Life, Life lessons, Motivation, Psychology, Spirituality, Susan Jamieson, Uncategorized, Writing, tagged backburning, Blue Mountains, bureaucracy, bush fire prevention, Bushfire Season, Bushfires in Australia, ecology, Fire, fire alert, fire breaks, Fire fighters, Firefighter, Green Terrorism, Greening Australia, land management, New South Wales, Red Tape, rural fire brigade, stock loss, Summer Love, wildlife on October 17, 2013| 10 Comments »

This is one of my favourite songs. I found the clip with the fire fighters and I couldn’t think of a more appropriate way to begin this. It encapsulates the heroism, the heartache, danger and loss that fire fighting and bush fires can mean. Bushfire season is now with us, as potent as Summer Love.

Every day now I hear the reports of how wonderful it is that Summer is coming… even though we are only in the early part of Spring, the temperatures are already fluctuating wildly. Yes it is wonderful and I adore the beautiful spring and summer flowers we have. The beautiful display of Jacarandas are amazing this year.

A jacaranda lined road.

After a relatively dry winter throughout most of the country, and some idiotic bureaucratic interference that has prohibited back burning and fire breaks by property holders to prevent their homes being caught up in bushfire situations, we have masses of tinder dry, bushfire fuel loads surrounding homes and properties.

The insanity of land management being taken away from property owners, which is so closely aligned to the land care Aborigines have used for hundreds of years, is not simply ludicrous, it is criminally insane. I am all for Greening Australia, protecting our heritage and doing the right things now, but we cannot and must not put our heads in the sand and have puerile decisions made based on land management that dates back into the last century and before.

image from http://www.sabushfiresolutions.com.au

This is typical of what farmers and landholders, rural and regional, have to sit back and accept. The fuel load here is enormous. As the foliage falls and builds under the canopy at ground level, and the dried grasses mound up, the gases from the eucalyptus trees can reach combustible proportions. Flash fires can occur, lightning can strike, but you cannot prevent the thoughtlessness of people throwing lit matches or cigarettes out of car windows. More despicable are those who delight in deliberately setting fires once the conditions are at their worst.

As the temperature rises and the winds come across the super heated land, conditions for spontaneous bush fires escalate. Add to this the intense fuel loads you see above and this is what can and does happen…..

image from http://www.whatarebushfires.com.au

We are very fortunate that we live in Byron Bay, in a beautiful green area, but we are still prone to the influence and devastation of bushfire. Just not to the same extent. Since last weekend there have been over thirty bush fires raging in the Blue Mountains area in New South Wales and over a hundred throughout the state. Thousands of hectares destroyed. Over a hundred homes lost, and this is just so far. There are fires raging in the deep gorges and valleys that cannot be fought. They have to burn themselves, and all the wildlife, out.

image from waterworksvalley.com – Waterworks Valley in the Blue Mountains

This is what the rural fire brigade and their cousins in the city fire departments and local volunteers have been fighting. Until the last fires are extinguished, the final devastating total will not be known. This is not the first bush fire this season. It will not be the last.

The crime is – much of this could be avoided with common sense.

Yes, I am angry. Our fire fighters, volunteers, home and land owners, our domestic animals and wildlife, none of them should be placed in harm’s way because a small minority of bureaucratic Green terrorists think removal of fuel load is not good for the land. Perhaps THEY should be in the front line fighting the fires.

Off my Soap Box, just for a while.

Blessings to all our fire fighters, home and land owners, our animals caught in the fires unable to escape, the injured wildlife, and all those left behind to try to put everything back together again.

Susan x

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Cycle of life from my window in pictures

Posted in Blogging, Cameras, Life lessons, Motivation, Photography, Soul Growth, tagged acceptance, Amatuer photography, Australia Day, BEing present, Bush Fires, Camera, coping skills, Emergency service, Floods, Friendship, Gratitude, Inner-peace, Life, Living from the heart, Mindfulness, Motivational, Natural Disasters, New South Wales, Photography, Queensland, unconditional love, Victoria on January 30, 2013| 1 Comment »

It’s been a chaotic and tragic Australia Day here in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. We are now in full “get back to normal” phase, thanks to all the hard working Emergency Services personnel and the hundreds or thousands of volunteers. I’m laying here in my bed looking at a limited view of the scenery and wishing I could do more than offer my prayers in my meditations. I have to be grateful I’m not underfoot and need to be rescued!

Green and healthy hibiscus, new yellow buds already

The jungle of vines tangled with the palms from my first floor bedroom window. I have the strangest view at times since I’m so high off the ground. Like this bud outside my window, 25 feet off the ground yet looking so fragile.

Dead palm fronds stuck in trees waiting to fall

Dead palm fronds are hung up by neighbouring trees, just waiting for the right moment to fall. They sound like a mini explosion as they hit the ground. Too high to remove we have to wait on nature to take a hand.

Smallest of our palm trees itching reach of the house

You can see how tall the palm trees are. These are the smallest of those near the house. At their feet you can just make out the fallen fronds we have yet to clear away. These two came down last night.

Fronds on the ground without hitting anything

The little billabong/ dam filled after the rain.

The small dam/ billabong filled overnight with the rain. It’s hard to see with all the weeds which had taken over. It looks so picturesque at present. All the dead palm fronds have been cleared away.

Fragile lilies under the awning in full flower

Hiding in safety, my fragile lilies are flowering beautifully after the fresh rain. Nothing is better than sweet rain for them.

Pale green orchid rescued before the downpour.

Even more fragile my small green orchid. I’ve been watching the buds form all week so my husband made a rescue dash to bring it inside to flower for me.

Everything looks peaceful and lush.

Red hibiscus bud framed by dead palm fronds.

the entwined limbs of all the plants show off their different hues. Life blossoms around us, even 25 feet in the air! This red hibiscus bud would be 35 feet high yetis surrounded by dead palm fronds waiting to shake loose. The long cane it waves to and fro on will whip it out of the way as the fronds come down. Fragile yet strong, amazing isn’t it?

Heartcentred

So from my home to yours, I wish everyone love and peace. I pray everyone finds a safe harbour in the storms. I look forward to seeing everyone well and happy as soon as possible.

With love and gratitude. Susan