Message from your Mother

Dear Daughter,

I haven't written one of these letters to you for a long time BUT... this morning you left for New York and Columbia and there were a few things I wanted to say but I didn't.

You see, while I am super excited for you to be going back to New York again I'm a little worried about the other parts of your trip.

I MEAN TRULY, WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?

COLUMBIA???

Yesterday I googled Bogata. Big. Mistake.

Yes, you would have thought I had learnt my lesson about googling anything that troubled me after I looked up root canals (and if dear reader you are seriously going what the hell is she talking about, then google root canals - you will never be the same again.)

So while I was saying goodbye and wishing you a great adventure, I was silently replaying all the bad stuff I read about Columbia. Like,

• the Mayor of Bogota is a former leftist guerrilla,
• according to a 2011 article in The New York Times, 'street muggings and thefts have surged since 2007', leading certain commentators to declare a crisis of security in the city, and
• in several recent polls, around 72% of the inhabitants say they have been victims of violent crime in 2010 and 2011.

Then last night, I watched Modern Family and lo and behold, Gloria referred to Columbia as the "murder capital of the world." It's just a comedy though, right?

Did you know about this? I know you can't change your plans but I am just going to pray you don't drink or eat while you are there because I read that they slip things into your food and drink so they can rob you. No, of course I don't know who 'they' are, as it could be any one of them. Yes, I really said that.

I know I worry too much to the point of being irrational. At least I kept my mouth shut until you were safely out of the country. And, given you have no Internet access, you won't be able to read this until you are safely back in the country. So by then, it won't matter what you think about what I thought.

Yes, I know, that made a whole lot of sense to me too.

However, in my more rational moments I do realise it is how it should be - Age Considers and Youth Ventures.

Take Care

Your Mother

Oh No! Keep a close eye on your Grandmother!

My sister recently went to a wedding which had been planned and timed to perfection.

Unfortunately, despite all the planning, the Bride had absolutely no control over what her guests did, particularly her own Grandmother.

Guests kept offering Granny glasses of Scotch thinking they were being hospitable and looking after her.  However,  no-one was really aware just how much she was actually drinking.

So unfortunately, smack bang in the middle of the Bride’s speech, she collapsed, falling off her chair and pulling the tablecloth and everything with it onto the floor. She had to be rushed to hospital and she missed the rest of the wedding.  

Granny fortunately made a good recovery although she naturally feels a little sheepish about what happened.

However, I’m sure the Bride and Groom will eventually forget the episode even though their guests may remember the interruption for a long time to come.

Something similar happened at my brother’s wedding 20 years ago. The wedding reception was outdoors in a gorgeous garden setting.

However, the ground was a bit damp and during the speeches my Aunty felt the legs of her chair sinking into the ground. Feeling as though she was about to fall, she grabbed on to my Grandmother who in turn grabbed onto the tablecloth. They ended up falling backwards and my parents ended up wearing their wine.

My Mother is still mortified to this day about what happened.

However, when I asked my brother about it he says he has no memory of it at all.

So perhaps unplanned wedding interruptions are oblivious to the blissful Bride and Groom.

It would be good to think that this was the case because this story just reminded me about how I personally contributed to a Bride’s wedding disaster. I was working in Event Management many years ago and told the caterers to cut the wedding cake up (including the top layer). I seriously thought that was what the Bride asked for. Err no; she wanted to keep the top layer for her first child’s christening. She was hysterical.

And just so you know, there is really no easy way to glue a cake back together….believe me I tried…

So tell me, do you know of any wedding stories which have turned a little sour?

A really long summer

Southern Queensland from a plane window

Well summer is just about over for us and the days are getting cooler. 

Yes, five months is a bit of a long summer hey?

Life has been very busy for me and blogging was something I kept telling myself I would do 'tomorrow' .

Except, like most New Year's resolutions tomorrow never came. Then before you know it, the months go by and it’s hard to get 'back on the horse'.

So tomorrow has finally arrived .

I realised how long a blog break it's been when I finally read a blog that I used to religiously follow. The blogger, who seemed  to be very happy in her marriage when I last read her blog, has now separated and is dating again. I've clearly been gone for a while.

So please warn me if there is a lot to catch up with on your blogs. 

One thing I have been working on for some months is a much healthier lifestyle (I really am a slow learner).  I’ve given up the layers of peanut butter on toast for breakfast and replaced it with oats with puffed amaranth, fruit and chai seeds and walnuts. Yes I've become one of those people I used to mock. I start the day with a big cup of hot water and lemon juice then end it with green tea. In between I do nice things with hummus, eggplant and goat’s fetta. I drizzle everything with a good olive oil. And of course I have the occasional anti-oxidant in the shape of a teeny piece of dark chocolate and a small glass of pinot noir.

Although I still have a way to go. I cannot come at chick peas unless......well unless they are dipped in chocolate. 

Anyway, for those of you who may be interested in health & well being please watch this new documentary, called Hungry for Change, from the makers of Food Matters. It has been released online for 10 days only up until 31 March 2012. I promise you will not regret the hour or so you spend watching it and will want to share it with others.  www.HungryForChange.tv