Inspired by a post from a wonderful blogger BabyMac (that is now weeks old because I've sat on this draft that long) it occurred to me that the one thing I'll ask of the people I love and trust is that they tell me the truth.
"Talk to me, tell me what's going on in that head of yours" is a common refrain of mine - particularly to the farmer who doesn't exactly appreciate it. But he gets there in the end and more importantly if asked I know he tells me the truth. And I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be married to him if he didn't.
Anyone who knows me well knows I'm an avid teller of the truth, at least when it comes to talking about myself (I do work in PR so I know what you're all thinking). My nature is I'm an over-sharer and if you ask me how I'm going I'll give the whole answer, even if it ain't pretty. It's something I try to temper, at least with new people I meet and certainly in a professional context, but saying too much is my default position. Many's the time I come home from a coffee with girlfriends and have to fess up to the farmer that I may have mentioned such and such. To which he always replies, "Why? They didn't need to know that." And he's right most people don't need to know some of the intricate details of our lives or the things we're trying to figure out for ourselves but it's hard for me not to give a bit of myself away.
The more time I spend in a (very) small community, the more I realise I need to tread a little carefully because the rumour mill can run out of control in about half a second if you fuel it. And I'm definitely learning to stay quiet about news and information that's not my own to share. Or rather, I should say I'm improving. Slowly.
Somehow this post has morphed from one about being honest and expecting openness from those around me to a confession of my gossip tendencies. Maybe that's what it's all about really.
Anyway, for a much more interesting take on truth check out Beth's post on the topic and more importantly the huge deluge of comments she received, it's pretty darn interesting to say the least.
especially when it comes to myself. If anything I'm an oversharer and often think back on conversations with a cringe that I gave too much of myself away to someone who perhaps I shouldn't have trusted not to share my inner thoughts.
Duality
Living a double life - still a little bit city, growing more country by the day. But all me!
26 January 2012
09 January 2012
Currently obsessed with...
My holiday reading.
Except that I'm not on holidays and I'm not actually reading, I'm listening in the car every day on my way to and from work. To an absolutely fabulous audiobook that puts our celebrity crazed, reality TV loving world into perspective: "Furious Love: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton and the Marriage of the Century."
Now I can't remember what inspired me to download this book, I think I did it after hearing an episode of the Slate Culture Gabfest podcast that mentioned the book following her death last year and was intrigued. Up until then I'd had next to zero interest in Elizabeth Taylor and had barely heard of Richard Burton, but trust me this biography of a marriage, which is based on Richard Burton's diary entries and his love letters to Liz that she released to the authors, is a riveting read (or listen).
I will caveat the recommendation by saying that it's not a literary piece, but it is entertaining and a pretty incredble insight into a seriously extravagent lifestyle and a seemingly intense, ultimately devasting love affair.
Except that I'm not on holidays and I'm not actually reading, I'm listening in the car every day on my way to and from work. To an absolutely fabulous audiobook that puts our celebrity crazed, reality TV loving world into perspective: "Furious Love: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton and the Marriage of the Century."
Now I can't remember what inspired me to download this book, I think I did it after hearing an episode of the Slate Culture Gabfest podcast that mentioned the book following her death last year and was intrigued. Up until then I'd had next to zero interest in Elizabeth Taylor and had barely heard of Richard Burton, but trust me this biography of a marriage, which is based on Richard Burton's diary entries and his love letters to Liz that she released to the authors, is a riveting read (or listen).
I will caveat the recommendation by saying that it's not a literary piece, but it is entertaining and a pretty incredble insight into a seriously extravagent lifestyle and a seemingly intense, ultimately devasting love affair.
Fascinating stuff! Or at least to me, in a very Vanity Fair, old Hollywood glamour kind of way.
02 January 2012
Things to be thankful for
It's the start of the new year, which I think makes even the most practical among us a little reflective. So I was pondering last night, as my hangover ebbed thanks to homemade pizza and the evening had "cooled" to just 29 degrees, some of the things I have to be thankful for.
1) A pretty fantastic husband who loves me enough to put a compression bandage on my yet again sprained ankle and get me a series of ice packs. But most of all I'm thankful that he loves me in spite of my short temper and squidgy bits. And I love him despite his ability to always be at least 15 minutes late, work too hard and his mild case of OCD when it comes to cleaning the kitchen.
2) My health. While my fitness may need some work (or a lot, insert standard new year's resolution here), I'm still thankful to have a functioning, healthy body that does everything it's supposed to do.
3) Living on the land. I'm damn lucky to live on a farm and have wide open spaces all around me. Room to shout, run and play music really loud! Not to mention the scenery, the sunsets, the changing seasons and the crazy wildlife.
4) Social networks. It sounds silly but I'm pretty thankful for Twitter, Facebook and Instagram! It's awesome to get a glimpse of other people's lives and to make friends you have things in common with (like life on the land for example). #Agchatoz and the number of farm/family blogs I've found in the past year have been an amazing opportunity to share and learn and laugh.
5) Manicures and pedicures. I don't get them nearly as often as I like - mostly on trips to Sydney - but boy they're so much fun! And OPI Cajun Shrimp is just fabulous :)
6) Friends and family. Last year (feels weird to say that when it's only January 2) I doubled my family by getting married and I'm damn lucky that they're lovely, or at least no more crazy than my own family! And on the friends front, while it's been hard to stay connected to old friends in Sydney, I do feel that 18 months into the community down here I've finally got a great gang of girls. Plus I can only hope these friendships will blossom more in 2012.
So on reflection, there's plenty to be happy about and I should really try and be a little more positive in my outlook day to day!
1) A pretty fantastic husband who loves me enough to put a compression bandage on my yet again sprained ankle and get me a series of ice packs. But most of all I'm thankful that he loves me in spite of my short temper and squidgy bits. And I love him despite his ability to always be at least 15 minutes late, work too hard and his mild case of OCD when it comes to cleaning the kitchen.
2) My health. While my fitness may need some work (or a lot, insert standard new year's resolution here), I'm still thankful to have a functioning, healthy body that does everything it's supposed to do.
3) Living on the land. I'm damn lucky to live on a farm and have wide open spaces all around me. Room to shout, run and play music really loud! Not to mention the scenery, the sunsets, the changing seasons and the crazy wildlife.
4) Social networks. It sounds silly but I'm pretty thankful for Twitter, Facebook and Instagram! It's awesome to get a glimpse of other people's lives and to make friends you have things in common with (like life on the land for example). #Agchatoz and the number of farm/family blogs I've found in the past year have been an amazing opportunity to share and learn and laugh.
5) Manicures and pedicures. I don't get them nearly as often as I like - mostly on trips to Sydney - but boy they're so much fun! And OPI Cajun Shrimp is just fabulous :)
6) Friends and family. Last year (feels weird to say that when it's only January 2) I doubled my family by getting married and I'm damn lucky that they're lovely, or at least no more crazy than my own family! And on the friends front, while it's been hard to stay connected to old friends in Sydney, I do feel that 18 months into the community down here I've finally got a great gang of girls. Plus I can only hope these friendships will blossom more in 2012.
So on reflection, there's plenty to be happy about and I should really try and be a little more positive in my outlook day to day!
Labels:
agriculture,
ardlethan,
family,
farm,
friends,
grateful,
love,
reflections,
thankful,
wife
16 December 2011
Pictures of harvest
Making a visit to the paddock on the way home from work - guess who forgot to put a pair of flats / boots in the car
Filling up a truck and sending the wheat on its way - first stop Ardlethan
And filling up the grain shed
Putting the reinforced walls in the flat bottom silo
(but really a photo of his strong, sexy legs - he would be ropable if he knew this photo was up here)
The end! The last loads of grain go from the headers into the chaser bin.
And filling up the grain shed
Putting the reinforced walls in the flat bottom silo
(but really a photo of his strong, sexy legs - he would be ropable if he knew this photo was up here)
The end! The last loads of grain go from the headers into the chaser bin.
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