The seasons turn

It may look like a patch of dirt, but this morning this was foot-high with weeds of all flavours, including a horrible creeping thing that grows over everything else if you give it 2 seconds. 

I was talking to a friend on Monday and he told me he was digging holes for fence posts and getting hesian netting up outside.  I was thinking about it and realised that the weather IS getting better and as a consequence, it seems, people are getting out and doing stuff in the garden.  So it's true what they say, spring does affect our mood and our tendancies.  Goodbye to the cold and wind and cold of winter, here come the good times.  I know from living in Brisbane one year that I love the summer, but that without the winter I really wouldn't appreciate it.  That doesn't mean I have to be here for all of it - I'm quite happy to gallivant about the place (overseas) for several weeks of winter but come back to heat pump, scarf and hat so that when the sun shines (like it is today) I can love it with all of my heart!

What's in a walk?

Yesterday I went for a walk.  What's so special about that you say?

In New Zealand we are so spoiled for places to go and enjoy nature.  I have several walks I do near my home so that I don't have to get in the car, but sometimes it's just worth driving 30 minutes to get to one of the many parks around here.  Although everyone likes to complain about the New Zealand government, in many ways they have done great things for us.  Our National Parks are nothing to be sneezed at.  We went to Rimutaka Forest National Park and it was so easy - just drive up to the carpark, follow the signs and in 5 mnutes you can't see more than a few meters for all the trees, ferns, and climbing plants.

It's absolutely fantastic that I can drive half an hour from my home in the city and be in native NZ bush.  There are so many countries where you simply cannot do that.  People have populated so much that it's just impossible to get away from them!  Thanks DOC for beautiful, dense, green, lush, and yesterday squelchy New Zealand native parks.

Friends

My friend Adrienne came around yesterday.  We sat and talked for a while and she is blooming.  She recently moved out of her previous home, lost 30kg and seems to have started an entirely new life.  I am so jealous!  She has always been the kind of person who rallys a group around and oils the wheels of conversation - a connector, I believe they're called in some circles.  We had a beautiful vegetarian dinner (she's a veggie) and played a quick, fun dice game.  All the way through I was thinking to myself that I am so lucky to know her.  I am really glad that I can count her among my friends.

Thanks Adrienne for being my friend and I'm looking foward to having you at the batch for my birthday weekend.

Seeing things from a different point of view

I'm a neat freak.  There, I admit it.  I simply can't stand it when I visit someones house, there's stuff all over the place and I suspect that there may be a 2-week old sandwich behind the couch.  I once visited a boyfriend in my twenties and started to clean up by doing the washing up - I got a good telling off.  So I am very cautious about spreading the tidying bug when I visit people.

I was therefore very suprised when visiting my current boyfriend today.  He had a friend of his coming over from out of town and we were getting the place ready for her arrival.  It started small - change the sheets, vacuum the floor - but we decided to move the couch.  Then his friend arrived, a little early, and was so encouraging we spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning behind everything.  We rearranged the furniture, grouped all the books & DVDs, filled up the recyling bucket and created a big pile of all the 'things which didn't have a home'.

Through it all all he gave me big hugs and thanks for making him sort it out! I was a little worried that I was taking over his place, but he was so happy to have it tidy, not have cables all over the place, sorted out several bunches of random paperwork and found a home / recycled the big pile of 'things'.  We did a great days work and could be justifiably proud of what we achieved.

Sometimes one mans pushy is anothers motivation.  Thankyou you for making me see me from a different perspective.

luv, ceedee

Mentors are awesome

You know how sometimes you just meet a person and your life gets better? 

I am so thankful for having met Pete Tansey, my Agile mentor.  That doesn't mean he is particularly limber and does cartwheels and/or backflips btw - Pete is my Agile Coach, he knows vast amounts about working in on Agile projects and is brilliant at making me look at something in a different way.  Many's the time we have bantered about how to get people thinking differently or what options there are for this or that scenario and he never fails to widen my thoughts and give me confidence in something I might not have been too sure about.  Pete's just one of those people that people love to talk to because he is so down to earth and always interested in what you are up to.

Thankyou Pete for always being ready to listen and for your inspiration and openness.

http://twitter.com/agilepete