How blessed are we?

As I sit here on Boxing Day thinking about the life we have created together, my husband, my children, my extended family and my friends, I have to say how blessed are we?

We were never promised a long life, just the opportunity to create something beautiful every day.

We were never promised riches, yet residing within in each soul is the capacity to build wealth. This capacity may lay dorment for a lifetime, but it still remains. It is the gift of creativity, innovation and of hard work.

We were never promised popularity, yet if we are confident in who we are and remain humble in that confidence, it seems like bees to the honey, others are attracted to us.

How blessed are we when we can reach out our arms and draw someone we love close enough to breathe in the scent of them and to feel the warmth of their embrace touching our souls.

How blessed are we when our hearts are turned towards a God who has not forgotten us, who daily wants to wrap us in His love and shower us with presents, just like a loving father does at Christmas.

How blessed are we that we have life, love, and laughter adorning our tables at Christmas.

I feel so abundantly blessed this Christmas and I just had to shower all with the joy that this Christmas together has brought to my heart.

There isn't a woman alive who doesn't love weddings...

I have been working on another website for a different friend. Carol Sutton lives in Albany, Western Australia and after a friend asked me to take a look at a business card she was struggling to design, I felt strongly to give her the gift of a package of advertising materials. Occasionally I do this in my business. I help people who would otherwise not be able to afford to pay for the skills that I possess.

Visit the site to see the whole effect, which in my biased opinion, is one of my very best websites ever in terms of beauty, Bellerubies.com.au.

Here is a taste of the BelleRubies experience...



If you are a woman living the SouthWest of Australia, I'd highly recommend that you contact Carol and find out about her hire garments for both weddings and formal occasions. She caters for both men and women and has a good range of accessories as well.

If you don't live in the SouthWest, just enjoy the beauty of the site and allow yourself to dream...

Premium Holiday Rental - The White House Quinns, Perth, Western Australia

A good friend of mine asked me to take on a project for her, promoting her holiday rental property called "The White House Quinns". It's fabulous holiday rental accommodation in Perth and is to let the whole year round.

Knowing I am a project junkie, she was delighted when I literally dropped everything to pop over and take some pictures inside the apartment.

I just thought I'd share my handiwork with the world, along with a description of the accommodation, just in case your planning a vacation in the near future and want to put Perth on your agenda. And if you do, make sure you let me know so we can hook up for some fun!

The White House Quinns awaits you...



A very modern 2 bedroom apartment that is light, bright and airy, with fantastic ocean views from the living room, dining and main bedroom, the White House Quinns is more than just a holiday home. It’s a home away from home.

Private, quiet and relaxing, this venue is perfect for a holiday or weekend getaway, with plenty of room for a couple or family.

It’s the perfect location for a writer’s retreat or somewhere to process your life plans, The White House Quinns is simply idyllic.

Tucked away in a quiet street well off the beaten track, and just a hands throw away from Perth’s beautiful white beaches, the White House Quinns has all the ‘mod cons’ including a dishwasher and stainless steal appliances, toaster, microwave and CD Player. The whole place is immaculate and tastefully decorated.

For inspiration or relaxation, swim in the 10 metre pool, walk to the beach and have a coffee or glass of wine at the friendly ocean front cafe. It literally is a 5 minute walk to the beach.

The master suite has walk in robes and a private bathroom, with easy access to the pool via sliding doors. Sit by the pool or at the table with a view and enjoy an early morning coffee.
The second bedroom has its own private bathroom with a lovely big bath, and looks out over the below ground pool.

This home has stunning real wood floors and has been stylishly decorated.

Just 15 minutes from Perth’s Mitchell Freeway, the rest of Perth awaits your exploration. There are so many things to see and do...

If it works for a child...

My daughter who is 8 years of age came to me this morning to ask if she could go to see a friend. I told her that she could if she had cleaned her bedroom to my standards. I asked if she'd made her bed, as I knew she needed to put a clean sheet on the bed. She stood there and moaned and groaned that she needed help because she couldn't put the sheet on.

Because I am the I Can woman and I am pushing the I Can philosophy, I turned to her and was completely firm with her. I told her there is no such word as can't, only won't, and that she could do it if she put her mind to it. Well, we argued for a few moments and I repeated my message saying, "You can do this. Have a go and if you really get stuck, I'll come and help, but you have to try first."

Well, she disappeared back into her room and I waited for her to resurface to tell me that she was unable to do it. The funny thing was she didn't resurface so after 15 minutes I thought I'd go see how she was doing. When I went in she'd finished putting the sheet on and I was able to praise her for having achieved the task.

The life lesson for all here is that you can, if you want to. If you focus on the possible instead of the impossible, everything changes. You can realise your dreams, achieve your goals, conquer new skills, if you give yourself permission to try and be prepared to fail.

To find out more about the I CAN Philosophy, watch my introductory video presentation.

The Movie - Australia

I was very fortunate last night to go and see the movie "Australia". I say fortunate, because I rarely get out to the movies due to my child caring responsibilities and I so appreciated the opportunity to enjoy a good 3 hour epic movie that kept me the whole way through.

What did I love about this movie?

1. It's sincere message about the way the Aboriginal people were treated and the re-telling of their story with compassion and respect.
2. The historical content which taught me some Australian history that I was blissfully ignorant of in relation to the Darwin invasion by the Japanese and which made me all the more grateful for the contribution that the Diggers made to keeping our nation safe.
3. The beauty I saw in the blossoming Lady Ashley as true love captured her heart, first through Nulla, then through the Drover. Although some may say the whole thing was overacted, I loved the styling of the movie and I believe they delivered exactly what the Director was trying to achieve. If you think it's overacted, go see Gone with the Wind again!!!
4. The juxtapositioning of "English" culture alongside the "Australian Outback" culture. The richness of the black humour in the movie captured my imagination, ie dead Kangaroos bleeding down the windscreen seconds after Lady Ashley says how delightful the Kangaroos are hopping along beside them.
5. The magnificent scenery in the movie. I will never forget the scene where the little Aboriginal boy stops a mob of stampeding cattle from going over the cliff face. That was pure magic.
6. The tragedy that was the white Australia policy and the scene where "Daisy" died in the water tank. I wept, because being a mother of four children I could relate to how you would do anything to save your child from being taken away from you.
7. The love story - after all, it was an epic love story and I think "Lady Ashley" and the "Drover" sizzled. No wonder they are calling Hugh Jackman the sexiest man alive. Although not my type at all, he definitely had something going for him in this movie. I think it was the contrast of pale skin and tanned, of the fine boned and porcelain thin and the bronzed, muscled hunkiness that really got to me. Certainly, Nicole Kidman played a gutzy role with aplumb.

Overall, I give it the big thumbs up for storytelling, for integrity of plot, for mastery of cinematography and for artistry. Well done!

A Definite Tear Jerker - Paul Potts, Humble Man with a Voice Like an Angel!

I was sent the link for this video. It truly is amazing and worthy of your time and attention. Paul Potts is phenomenal and an inspiration to many!

Click here to see part two of Paul's wonderful journey.

Click here to read another article about why people have "Gone potty over Paul Potty".

Validation - A Great Short Film!

I just loved this short story. Well worth a watch, as it has such a great message and leaves you with a huge smile on your face!

I'd love to hear your comments about it.

And when you've finished watching it, you may want to watch the sequel, Rent-A-Person.

The Other Boleyn Girl - An Indictment on the English King!

I just finished watching the movie, "The other Boleyn Girl", which painted a very dark picture of King Henry VIII and also on Anne Boleyn

There is an old saying, "Be careful what you wish for." Obviously, Anne lost her head over Henry, literally.

Now which was it? Providence, her self-centredness, God's judgment or a momentary lapse of sanity by the whole English court that cost her life?

I guess the only good part about the movie was that in the end all those that had caused offense were punished. You can't just dispose of a queen for the fun of it without losing out.

For those that don't know the story, King Henry VIII of England's wife, Queen Catherine of Spain, couldn't bear him a male heir. So he grew tired of her and took mistresses. One of these was Mary, sister of Anne Boleyn, who eventually bore him several children.

Meanwhile, Anne beguiled the King and convinced him to get rid of the Queen and marry her. This caused a riff between England and the Catholic church and eventually, he disposed of Anne, accusing her of incest with her brother, making way for Jane Seymour to marry the King.

Anne Boleyn, along with her brother George, were beheaded. Prior to her death, Anne begot Henry a girl child, Elizabeth, who eventually took the throne for 45 years and was a very strong leader in English history.

More information about the film may be found here.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/mpd/permalink/m3DHN9KBLD1O6H

Mama Mia - Fantasmagorical!!!

When you borrow a movie from the DVD shop, you just hope that it is going to be a goodie. Well, I was totally unprepared for the level of joy I felt watching Mamma Mia! It was simply fantasmagorical!

Meryl Streep, who played the main character, Donna, did the most amazing job and her version of "Winner Takes It All" was stunning. As a professional performing artist I have to say that the way Meryl completely sold this song and made it emotionally believable was deeply satisfying and deepened my respect for her as an actress and singer!

The whole cast were exceptional and I have no hesitation in recommending this quirky film as completely entertaining, enjoyable, joyous and exuberant.

Five star rating from me for a feel good flick that is ALL action from start to finish.

The cast completely owned the Abba songs and did an exceptional job of pulling off some of the most famous songs in history. Well done!

The 5 Minute Chocolate Mug Cake

I've yet to try this but it looks delicious and I have it on good authority that it does work!

5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE

4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
A small splash of vanilla extract
1 large coffee mug

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well.
Add the egg and mix thoroughly.
Pour in the milk and oil and mix well.
Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again.
Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts.

The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed!
Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired.
EAT! (this can serve 2 if you want to feel slightly more virtuous).



ENJOY! Please comment and let me know what you think...

All Things Women: The 5 Minute Chocolate Mug Cake

All Things Women: The 5 Minute Chocolate Mug Cake
http://womencaninternational.com
http://theicanwoman.com

And you reckon an 11km walk is fun???

Yesterday I went for a walk with five girls from Adventurous Women. We walked from Hillarys Boat Harbour to Burns Beach, then had breakfast at the cafe.
Having not done anything like this since I was a young woman, it was a bit of a marathon taking us 2.5 hours! We didn't dawdle either, we went flat out, with me running the last couple of hundred metres just because I could! And it felt fantastic.

My feet got sore and I had to take my socks off, then put them back on at different points in the walk. My fingers swelled up and went white. But when I got to Burns Beach, I was so proud of myself for having made it with style. It just proved to me that I really am the 'I can Woman' that I say I am.

Inside me there is a part of me that is saying that it wants to run a marathon...

That's quite a way down the track, as I have 40 kilos of weight to lose before I go there, but it just shows me that if you tune into your body, it has a voice all of it's own. I hope I have the guts to get there one day.

The beauty of our walk is that it is along some of the prettiest coastline in the world. Perth is absolutely beautiful and it is free! How rare to be able to freely enjoy what God has created. I guess that one day they will monetise it, but for now I'm going to make the most of it.

I encourage you to get outside and to taste the fresh air, the sea breeze and the joy of exercise. It's fabulous medicine for the soul.

Just so you know what coastline I'm talking about, here's a sample...

This is how I know there is a God!

Today, when I phoned the Motor Vehicle Registry to check on why I hadn't received the rego papers for my car yet, I realised that I was in trouble. My rent, in error, had not been taken out of my account as usual due to a stuff up at Centrelink with my payments. Consequently, I didn't have the full fortnight's rent to pay and I was relying very heavily on my pay coming in tomorrow to pay the rent, so you can imagine my face when they told me that my car could no longer be driven as of midnight tonight unless I pay the outstanding registration then and there.

Because I am highly reliant on the car to transport my children, I decided to make getting the car registered the priority and to pray for a miracle for the rent payment or food, as one of these would suffer for the fortnight due to my lack of funds.

I was sitting at the computer, just feeling a little overwhelmed for the first time since I've been on my own with my children. All year, I have known provision - abundant provision for all of our needs. It has caused me to feel very blessed, so it is no wonder that I just made a quick prayer request heavenward that God would help me. I remember saying to him, "I don't know how you are going to do this one, Lord, but I just trust that you will make a way for us where there isn't one."

Well, tonight I was sitting at the computer again contemplating my fate. Did I pay the rent or buy food for my children? I couldn't afford to do both. The thought of having to go beg food at the Salvation Army was really awful but I was prepared to do it if I had to. I kind of like to save my begging until I am in dire straits!

My mobile phone started beeping. Initially I ignored it, as I thought it was an old message from my husband. But it just kept beeping and then it rang like it had another new message. It was from a friend and her text message read, "I have been thinking of you everyday just really busy working. What do you need at the moment?"

When I read that, I kind of went, "What?"

Then she sent another message, "Do you have food and stuff?"

I text back that we were a little low on food, as I was no longer teaching and had some unexpected bills come in.

She went on to say that she had some extra cash she wanted to give me and wanted to help me out this week, next week and some more during the school holidays.

Well I was dumbfounded and I started bawl. Why? Because God is real. This was not a prompted conversation. There was no way she could know that was my prayer today and for her to raise the subject with me straight away let me know that this was God.

I asked her if she felt prompted to contact me about this and she said, "Yes, stronger every day."

That told me that she knew about my need, even before I had prayed about it.

I can only say that whether you are a believer or not, you cannot take away from me what I have experienced today because only God and my husband knew this was my need today.

God is good. She said it was Him who told her to contact me and as he was the only person I asked for help, I have to believe that he answered my prayer.

To God be all the glory. Great things He has done.

Fabulous news from Women Can International Inc

Enjoy the latest edition of Women Can International Inc's newsletter.

Inside this edition you can expect:

* Hayley's Article: Commando Kick Butt Challenge yields results!
* Physical Health: Exorcising the exercise myths!
* Social: The Girlfriend Club and Launch of the Woman of Spirit Personal Challenge Quest
* Coming Events and Notice of Annual General Meeting
* Entertaining: Easy To Make Recipes - Suzette's Delicious White Chocolate and Strawberry Gateau (Susette will be a regular contributor to this section! Thanks, Sus!)
* Amazing Women: Women of Influence Award Winner for November - Helen Schofield - Creator of Australian Girl Dolls
* Lifestyle: Stranger Danger - A Warning for All Women
* Vision: New to Women Can International Inc - Who we are and what we are about.
* Mental Health: Stressed? Who Me? - A guide to the stages of Stress and suggestions on how to manage your stress

Women Can International Inc is an innovative and inspirational women's association for women wanting to enhance their lives.

The movie - Gone Baby Gone

When a 4-year-old girl goes missing in Dorchester, one of Boston's toughest hoods, private investigators Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro (Casey Affleck and Michelle Monaghan) reluctantly agree to take the case. But the investigation proves tougher, riskier and more complex than they could have imagined. Ben Affleck's directorial debut, adapted from the Dennis Lehane novel, also stars Ed Harris, Morgan Freeman and Amy Ryan (in her first Oscar-nominated role).
Starring: Morgan Freeman, Casey Affleck
Director: Ben Affleck
Genre: Thrillers
Format: Widescreen ...
Language: English
Subtitles: French ...
Awards: Academy Award® Nominee ...
Rated R For violence, drug content and pervasive language

I watched this movie tonight with my husband. I didn't realise that my heart would be racing all the way through, that I would be spellbound by a cast and cinematography that was so impressive. I simply saw Ben Affleck's name as the Director and thought, I'd like to see what he can do with this.

Well, I thought he did an excellent job of pulling a fantastic film off. Firstly, his brother Casey I thought was extraordinary as the main character. Certainly, acting is a family gift. And the support actress, Amy Ryan was fabulous. The whole film was so real it was surreal.

The ending, which I don't want to give away, raised so many questions and I asked my husband what he thought the whole film was about and he responded, "how life is complicated and there are sometimes no black and white, right and wrong answers, just judgements made in the moment based on the information you get at the time."

This movie stirred something deep inside me as a parent, to want to hold my kids tighter, to love them more, to protect them more diligently and to ensure that their lives are full of love and sunshine.

Definitely a five star rating from me, even though I hate suspense films because I find them emotionally draining and on a deep level disturbing. This film kind of reminds me of the Butterfly Effect in so much as it asks the hard questions about life and leaves you with so many unanswered questions that cause you to censor your own ideals, emotions and beliefs.

Did you do that when you were 11???

Yesterday my 11 year old approached me for a friend to come over. The day before it had been "Can I go to her place?", which I had complied with. Usually I prefer to check it all out, but this time my head was in another place so I just said yes. It was as I was dropping her off that I started to have reservations. But by that time it was too late to change my mind.

Well, I went to pick her up and she was not there. She'd gone to another friend's place for a swim. I arrived at the stated pick up time...no child. So I waited while they phoned and then the father of the house went and picked up the girls. Suffice to say, I was a little concerned about the arrangement.

So the next day when my child says can she come over, with the child standing right there looking at me with the big puppy dog eyes, I go yes, under duress, thinking that if she was allowed, I probably owed the family for having my child the day before.

It wasn't until after I took the child home 8pm at night, after being pressured into having her stay for tea by my daughters that I discovered that my mobile phone was missing. I asked the girls about it and they sheepishly produced it for me. I thought nothing of it, other than being mildly knicked off that they'd taken it without my permission. It was even later when I noticed photos of the girl starting to slideshow across the screen of my mobile. I became mildly annoyed that they had filled the phone up with these photos but still not enough to rant and rave. However, on closer examination I was totally shocked to find a video clip, of the visiting 11 year old, prancing around topless and slapping her butt at the camera, porn style.

You can imagine my chin dropping to the floor. As I examined the video soundtrack more closely I could hear the girl giving them instructions about how and what to film and it got me wondering how many times this child has done this before???

Not really knowing how to deal with this, I explained to my children that firstly they should never have taken my phone and used it for this type of purpose because if anyone else were to see it I would be arrested for indecent dealings with a child! Secondly, I explained that what they had filmed had a name and it was illegal and called child pornography, they were a little shocked. I'd like to think that they are still innocent, but having seen some of the very sexual music clips on TV and the advertising of adult television in children's hours I think it would almost be impossible to remain innocent in this day and age.

But what to do about it? Do I tell the parents? Do I speak directly to the child? Do I involve the school? Was it just an innocent child imitating what they've seen somewhere or was there more to the event?

I think back to when I was 11 and I try to remember if I would have done this at that age? Would you have done this when you were 11?

Suffice to say, I will be maintaining a more vigilant eye on future guests to our home as I never want a repeat performance!

How fabulous is exercise for the soul?

I can hardly believe how much I am really enjoying exercising after so many years of not doing anything!

When I dreamed up the concept of the Woman of Spirit Personal Challenge Quest, I was thinking about running a training program to help women transition into work or further study. However, as the day rapidly approached for the Quest, I realised that I needed to start something much closer to home, so I looked at my life and decided to bite the bullet on my weight.

It seems like this year has been a year of taking responsibility for all aspects of my life and my weight is just one of those aspects. I want to be around to be able to chase my grandchildren around, instead of them having to run around the chair I can no longer get out of. I am realising just how important good health is for you to be able to sustain the lifestyle that is enjoyable.

So I started the Commando Kick Butt Challenge, fully recognising that it was going to take a major butt kick to get me moving. Well, I'm pleased to say that I have fallen in love with exercise again and am already realising the benefits of increased fitness. One of these was the satisfaction of beating of my 16 year old students in a running race on the spot. You had to go as hard as you could for as long as you could and I outlasted him by quite a healthy margin. He was puffing and I was hardly even drawing a deep breath. Then there was the stairs that I used to drag myself up but now go up without even feeling the burn.

I am so grateful for the opportunity to work out with Geoff and the girls.

My favourite exercise was the knee lifts into the bag. I loved powering into that pad! It was so much fun. Just love the power of slamming into the bag. Ahhh...satisfaction.

The other great thing about exercising together as a team is that our children are able to come with us and have good habits modeled to them. The children play together on the climbing apparatus and watch us work hard. It's great for them to see us doing that.

What a relief!

I'm not into materialism. In fact, money means nothing to me but a means to an end, so this post is not about materialism at all.

Yesterday I went and purchased a desk. I've been working for two years from home on this...

I do a lot of work from home as I am a Business Trainer and Mentor, but sideline doing graphics, design and layout work. Previously, if you can imagine that tiny little computer desk with a huge computer on it, then you will realise that every time I wanted to put something on the desk, there was no room to do anything. This was especially frustrating when I had a client with me and I needed room for them to put their coffee cup down, as it caused unnecessary accidents.

So after I received a good payment for a particular job, I decided that was it. I was going to do something positive about the desk need! So I purchased two parts - a main desk and an executive return. They are supposed to butt up together but I haven't worked out the best position in the lounge yet. But here they are for you to see:

Ignore the mess on the desktop, because I'm not quite finished yet. The point is, I now have desktop space to spare and I'm thinking that the executive return will prove a handy place for me to have my youngest sit to do her homework while I'm working.

The effort to put these desks together was huge! I tried to do it by myself. Imagine me and a 6 year old and an 8 year old holding pieces together while I tried to work out how to use these funny looking screws and caps. Well, I got it together alright and turned it up the right way and within minutes it fell apart. If it wasn't so tragic, I'd be howling with laughter because I am the "I can" woman!!!

My husband, who was coming up for the weekend to be with the children arrived just as it fell apart to my humiliation and abject horror, as we'd already had a blazing row about him helping me put it together earlier in the day. He saw what I'd done and scolded me for not waiting for him to help me. Secretly, I'm glad I tried and failed because it made him see how much I need his practical help, despite us being separated. Why is it that when you are with someone for 12 years, you develop a dependency on certain aspects of their nature and when they are no longer around you realise just how important they really are to you?

Anyway, I'm very pleased to say that it was relief when we finally got every screw in place. By the way, my error was that I didn't screw the screws in tight enough for them to expand the thing that keeps it all together. I did it as tight as my fingers could go, but needed to use a screwdriver, which I couldn't find. :))))

Well, now I am sitting at my lovely new desk, typing this and thinking about the new office chair I am going to need to purchase because now the desk is too tall for my chair. It just doesn't end...

AMANDA’S DELICIOUS ZUCHINNI BAKE

Recipe: Amanda Reed
Photo: Hayley Solich
Ingredients

1.5 cups grated zucchini
1/2 cup grated onion
1 cup grated carrots
1 cup grated bacon
1 cup cheese
½ cup plain flour
5 eggs
Add extra veggies to taste (add an extra egg)
Add seasoning to taste
Variations: Substitute Chicken or Tuna for Bacon.
Method

1. Grate the vegetables
2. Whisk the eggs.
3. Add flour
4. Mix in veggies
5. Add bacon
6. Pour into a baking tray
7. Cook on 180 degrees until skewer comes out with no fluid on it.
8. Delicious served with salad and fish or chicken.

Couldn't let it pass without comment.

The past week was a bit of hell at home with my children. I had four sick one day, then one sick for a whole week. There was a war zone with the school and it just seemed like everything was going to the wall. I seriously sat myself down and said, "What's going on here???"

Then as I reviewed what was happening I realised that I was responsible. Sure I had raged that the world was unfair. That if only my children would support me, if only my son would poo in the toilet and my daughter get better quicker. It wasn't my fault my house was disorganised, after all I was running as fast as I could to keep up with things. But at the end of my raging, I once again realised I was responsible. It was my job to organise my house, to help my children achieve social acceptance and to decide what I did and didn't allow in my life.

So taking commando action, I rallied my children together and I gave them the enough is enough speech. They saw me on the edge of something mega bad and responded accordingly. We worked as a team and in half a day the house was back in order. Then I could think straight. I also felt so much kinder towards them because I was no longer resenting them for making the mess, as they were also taking responsibility for their part.

This morning I got up and went for a walk with a friend. Michelle is one of the women on my Commando Kick Butt Challenge team and I so appreciated her strength and encouragement. She encouraged me walk faster than I would have and to keep striding it out. She encouraged me to run up the sand dunes which just about exploded my heart! She encouraged me to not think about the pain but focus on the gain!

When I came back from my walk I noticed that getting the children's breakfast and lunches made was no longer a chore. I was really awake and feeling vitality rushing through my veins. It also helped me to eat the right kind of breakfast to increase my protein intake. I am so grateful to Michelle for helping me to get my day in order.

As I am drinking more water, increasing my exercise and watching what I eat, I am finding I feel lighter on my feet, my attitude towards life is changing and I can't wait to see what tomorrow holds. But I think the vital element in all of this is that I am no longer neglecting what is most important here - my health, my responsibilities, my family.

It bears thinking about. What are you doing daily to contribute to the longevity of yourself and your family? What are you doing to take responsibility for your situation, no matter how bad or unfair it is?

Randy Pausch shared this piece of wisdom he learned from one of the men he worked under. When your critics stop criticising it is a sign that they have stopped caring about you and have written you off. As I see the school, my husband, my children, my friends through these eyes, it helps me to take responsibility for my part in any aggravated situation.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this, so please comment.

Can you help me, please?

Exercise - Do I really have the time?

Researching for the Commando Kick Butt Challenge I was again reminded of some teaching I had from Jenny Craig years ago about how to increase your natural activity levels, so I thought that I would share that information with my readers.

Firstly, we've heard most of it before. Use the stairs, park the furthest away from the shopping centre. But the one that I hadn't heard before was a gem that our physical trainer, Geoff Quinsee shared with us on Saturday. That is to move parts of your anatomy when you are sitting. ie shake your leg, move your foot, drum your fingers etc. Anything that will get your heart working harder. Here I was always stopping those around me from shaking their anatomy, only to realise now that I should not have been asking them to stop but actually joining in all the fun!

This is a marriage saving piece of advice that I am giving you here!

Now, if you are a computer nerd like me, you may also want to consider his other advice and that is abandon the chair with the back support and opt for a bouncy ball instead! A fit ball will help you to develop your core muscles (those that run through your abdomen) as you will be using them to keep yourself perched up there on that ball.

Now imagine with me if you will, an oversized woman sitting on a fit ball at the computer. You are allowed to giggle! Seriously, I know I am going to look a picture but if it works, then I say go for it. Imagine if everyone went into work tomorrow with a fit ball in tow and told the boss to throw away the traditional chair. Imagine whole meetings of people bouncing on their fit balls. It really could revolutionise the whole business sector! Imagine visiting your doctor and while you are telling them your woes, they are bouncing away on their fit ball. It seriously could be therapeutic!

Why not join me in the revolution to get fit and healthy?

Day 3 of the Commando Kick Butt Challenge

Well it is day 3 of the challenge and Perth has decided to have a sudden warm snap. Outside today it is 34 degrees and that means that I am going to only venture out if it is absolutely essential!

So what changes have I made thus far?

Well, I decided that Sunday was my day to get myself in order and to clear the decks of those things that have been mounting up to distract me. So I plodded my way through a huge project, I spent time with my family and I positioned myself for a great week. Today I have begun my onslaught on the house and I am going to put in some very high energy spurts throughout the day to bring order out of my kids chaos!

Today I am struggling a bit with the notion that I have to give up some things in order to gain something better. It seems that Diet Coke has a bit of a hold on me, but I am determined! I have decided that I need to do my vision board and was surprised to find some photos of myself that I didn't realise I had. In the photos I look great and I was slim and fit. I am going to make up a vision board with these images on them and start to create some words that will make my vision board work for me. Words like "energetic", "inspirational", "leadership", "success", "determined", "focused", "happy", "life giving" and all those other words that describe the me that I want to release onto the platform of my life.

What are you struggling with today? Do you have an image in your mind of the "you" you are seeking to create. Are you actively pursuing your destiny, your passion and your purpose?

Why not join the Woman of Spirit Personal Challenge Quest and commence a project that moves you towards your goals and your destiny?

With a view like that, why wouldn't you?

It is now Day 2 of the Commando Kick Butt Challenge and my day has begun with some stunning weather. As I look out the window the sun is shining and we are headed for a very warm 33 degrees. It seems like in just a very short time the weather has sprung up from the early 20's to mid 30's.

So what did we do on Day 1 of the Commando Kick Butt Challenge?

On the first day of the challenge we met at my home. There were about 13 of us gathered together to hear Geoff Quinsee, the physical trainer, give us our preparation advice for the challenge, as well as, Anne Charlotte Patrilla, Psychotherapist, our mental preparation session.

I followed this up by presenting a clear picture of what the purpose of the challenge was - to go through a process of change that is more than just a physical change. To connect with others and work together as a team, to bring about the kind of change that will last a lifetime.

Standing in the loungeroom I asked each woman what she felt she needed from me to help her achieve her goals. I explained that the first two weeks are all about mental and physical preparation, then on 1 November, when the Personal Challenge Quest officially begins, so too does the full-on physical component of the challenge.

Having completed all the introductions and having laid the stage for the day, everyone went their separate ways, after having arranged how we were going to connect and support each other. There were offers to go kayaking, swimming, walking, family outings that involved phsyical activity and the gym. I even encouraged them to have a girl's night out dancing!

My first session was with Val, pictured below walking with Sarah, my daughter, and we took our children down to Burns Beach for a play with Dad supervising while we went for our first brisk stroll.

With a view like this, why wouldn't you want to get out and enjoy the sun and the wind and the beauty of the sea?

We were delighted to be able to witness a wedding down on the beach. The bridesmaids were in the most beautiful pink through to orange dresses. Sounds disgusting but they looked like hibiscus lillies.

What I took away from the day was that once again connections between women are powerful. In fact, connections between two human beings, when the goal is for the mutual benefit and enhancement of life, are the most amazing and powerful tools in the world!

I'm really looking forward to getting to know Val and the other girls better as we traverse this adventure together.

You don't have to be in Perth to join us in the Personal Challenge Quest. All you have to do is decide on a project, complete the action planner on our website and forward it to info@womencaninternational.com. The decision you make to "have a go" at life will bring with it a wave of freshness and energy.

Why not pop over to our website and find out more now?

So what is my next challenge? Meeting Anita on Tuesday at Quinns Beach for a walk with the dog, Val on Wednesday morning for a walk by the lake in Landsdale, phoning Linda during the week to see how she's going with her exercise plan and organising the masses for Helen Frost's nutrition session next week.

A process that works with children...

Someone told me that they used to have family meetings with their children, so I thought I'd give it a try. Well, we just had our sixth family meeting, which I run like a business meeting. Each of us has a book and pen and we write down our issues and some praise points. We then discuss the issues and come up with some possible solutions, which they suggest, as well as some punishments for doing the wrong thing. They are way harder than I would be!

We then draw a job out of the hat and everyone gets their task for the week. It's kind of fun, unless you get the kitchen for the third week in a row, which is what happened to my 9 year old who cried real tears of frustration! Suffice to say, she negotiated her way out of the kitchen and into floors. I felt a whole load of satisfaction as she complained about how hard mopping the floors is - she is the worst offender when it comes to messing up the floors! She has pledged to never eat anywhere but at the table again and I am going to hold her to it.

The beauty of these times together is that it is bringing a cohesion within our family unit which was missing before. Also, a cooperative movement forward as a family.

I don't know if you have the same issues as I do in getting everyone motivated, but this business process works. It works in the workplace and it works in the home. Communication is vital to the success of any business and a family is just another form of business run on goodwill!

Pop me a comment and share your family secrets for gaining and maintaining order and cooperation.

Thirty Day Challenge - a Real Challenge!

I'm doing the Thirty Day Challenge, but got a little challenged the first week. Have decided to re-start the challenge once the kids are back at school and I am no longer sick.

Here is what I had to say when I got stuck...

Woman of Spirit Personal Challenge Quest

I am so excited about the Woman of Spirit Personal Challenge Quest that is about to launch on 1 November 2008.

This is an opportunity for women of all ages from all nations of the world to get involved in this international women's event.

Please, watch the video and respond! It is a simple process. Choose a challenge, register it with us by downloading our action plan and filling it in and emailing it back to us and then complete your challenge. This is going to be one of the most exciting events Women Can has ever hosted.

I look forward to seeing what you ladies get up to over the month of November. If you have a video camera, please make a video journal. Most mobile phones have a camera in them, so make the most of the technology around you!

Watch the video, leave a comment on You Tube and help the ratings go up so that this video gets featured and women get to see it. Don't leave it buried in You Tube. Help me out!

Thanks,
Hayley

Embedded Video

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The Thirty Day Challenge

I recently signed up to do the Thirty Day Challenge. After all, I have nothing better to do, ha ha. Seriously, I thought it looked great and offered a quick road into understanding all the technology out there and how it works. It covered blogging, SEO's, Adwords, Market Sumarai, Keywords, and everything a newbie could want to know about internet marketing.

How I came to find out about it was that I was on You Tube looking for some interesting videos I could use on the new ning.com site, Twitter Go Getters and I came across this interesting guy called Ed Dale, who seemed to have copious amounts of videos on all the basics.

So being the research freak that I was, I decided to check him out.

Then, quite by chance, I was following up on researching the competition and thought I'd check out another women's network from NSW. I was surprised to find that this group was a syndicate that were doing the Thirty Day Challenge. I did wonder why they only had a one-page squeeze page up and no other website. It wasn't until I saw Ed Dale there on their home page that I realised what was going on! They were only part way through the challenge. :)

So I have started this mini-adventure.

Day 1 I sped through the DVD's like there was no tomorrow. I just wanted more, so I hopped over to Day 2 and got started. This is where I came unstuck. Either I'm a slowby, which is quite possible, or keyword research is really tough! Finding a niche - yikkkkeeesss! If I stay with Women Can and networking, then there appears to be a small niche there but how do I drill it down? Do I go completely local and find the mini niche of Perth or Australia?

Then there is analysing the competition. I need a partner! I need someone who actually enjoys doing the headbend analysis stuff. Bring on June Kelly, the whizz! Can't wait for her to get up to speed and help me out here.

So, I'm now up to Day 4 . I guess it doesn't help that I had the flu for the first three days of the challenge. Perhaps if I go back and start at the beginning with a non-flu-ridden body, things may be okay.

Wish me luck as I adventure!!!

Twitter Go Getters

What started 0ut as a social experiment to test the power of promotions, has turned into a wild ride.

In less than four days I now have almost 450 people following me in Twitter.

In less than two days, I have 50 plus people who have signed up for the Social Network, Twitter Go Getters in Ning.com.

A friend said recently that you can start a trend simply by the amount of passion with which you promote something.  I decided to put that to the test and I am seeing some amazing results.

It's not just a numbers game, but let me tell you, where there are numbers there are also opportunities.  Try making friends with just one or two and finding friends that are the best in the world?  The more numbers, the more opportunities there are to connect with some amazing people.

I'll keep you posted on this social experiment.

Enjoy my promo, even if only to hear my 10 year old sing!!!

TWITTERIFIC!

I have just changed my profile on Twitter. Firstly, because I was stupid and miss-typed Kaleidoscope which made it very difficult for all those that like to tweet me. Secondly, because I wanted to align my profile with everything I do - ie YouTube channel (WomenCan), GodTube channel (WomenCan), etc.  

The interesting part is that I was really bummed that I had done so much hard work to inspire a group of followers.  In 3 months I had about 110 and I thought that was hard going.  So I set up the new profile and just popped in there and clicked on the follow buttons for all those that were following me and within a short time they were hopping across.

Seeing the success of this technique I decided to look for other "followers" who were following people I knew and respected.  So I ended up clicking on about 700 followers links.  Within less than 24 hours I have 210 followers!  Unbelievable.

So I just thought I'd share this little piece of information for all you readers of this blog.  You can build a list really quickly in Twitter.  It's not so much about who you are following but about who is following you.  Be an influencer.  Leader from the front. 

The best part is that I am now having wonderful conversations with those new found friends where as before it was all a little bit dead!

Enjoy.

I saw him and I cried

Okay, so I am an emotional mess!  I confess I cry at movies and reunions with family you haven't see for years!

Yes, that's right.  I watched "Sex in the City" on my Qantas Australia flight to Qld to visit my sister for her 40th and I cried.  Actually, it was on the way home.  Seeing Carry's face when she belts him with the flowers did something to me on a deep level. In that moment as I sat in my window seat on the plane, trying to discretely hide the tears and the sniffels, I was every woman ever jilted!  And yes, I also cried when the couple were reunited on the bridge. Who wouldn't it was pure Hollywood magic!

But I cried more when I was embraced by my younger brother who I had literally not seen since the funeral of my mother over 19 years ago.  One look at his face and my sunny smile became a watery wonderland.  It was so lovely to be with him again and to know that someone I loved deeply was back in my life.

I don't know how you feel, but to me family is really special and precious and often neglected!

I have a photo of the three of us to prove it...brother, sister and I, sharing the moment together!  It is a memory I will have for life, because I don't know how long it will be before we can all be together again.

It just showed me how important family really are to our hearts, if not our minds.

I'm now looking forward to getting some weight off, as the years have been way too kind to me!!!

Women Speak Out Forum - Discover your Passion!

We are rapidly approaching the big day, 13 September 2008!  Why is that day so important?  That is the day that Perth will host it's best women event ever - the Women Speak Out Forum!

What will the day hold for women?  The opportunity to discover, rediscover or connect with your passion and be inspired by others who are already pursuing their passions, a silent auction, inspiring motivational speakers, networking, community and business booths and passion focused break out groups.

All women aged 18 years and over will gather from all over Perth at the Arena Joondalup at 9:30am.

I envisage that they will spend the day going, "Oh...oo....ahhh..." as they journey through the exhibitions, hear the speakers and join in the discussions.  We may even have a Bollywood dance demo to get them involved in a bit of fun.

It's going to be a fabulous day of fun.  Want to come?

Adventurous Women!

Find more photos like this on Adventurous Women
I met a fabulous woman, Sue, who has become a member of Women Can International Inc. She has a business called Adventurous Women and she organises travel expeditions specifically for women. You don't have to be single or a specific age. She's got a trip to Egypt planned for March 2009 if anyone is interested in going with a group of ladies to see the Nile, the pyramids and the wonderful Middle East. Just thought I'd share her site with you all, as the photos are just exquisite from her adventures. She has trekked Mt Everest and the Himalays and made it to the base camp where she could see the peak but had to turn back due to altitude sickness. She's a gutsy woman and full of interesting stories, so feel free to pop over to her site and join up.

How amazing is Apple Mac?

I can't believe I made it all the way to almost 42 years of age without knowing how great an Apple iMac computer is!

My girlfriend, Jayne, impressed on me the value of buying an iMac and after much harassment I said, "Okay." So here I sit in front of my ultra speedy new iMac computer with a 24 inch screen and I am just so overjoyed with what I can do, the clarity of the image I am seeing, the way that you can drag the windows around the screen and organise yourself.

Now, having been a devotee of Windows and PCs for over 20 years, I would never have thought that I would say that there was any program that can compare with Outlook, as I use it so much and find it very effective, but iMacs Address Book, Calendars, Email and Tasking even put Outlook to the test with the simplicity of data entry, the ease of creating calendars and the appearance of everything.  I mean, if there is a phone number, an event time in an email you can just click on it and off it goes to your calendar and address book!  No double data entry!  Plus you can colour code appointments simply by creating calendars for all the areas of your life.  I am so impressed I'm thinking of becoming an Apple affiliate!!!

I guess I've been bitten by iMac fever or something, but I just love it and that is coming from a very deeply ingrained Windows PC user.

I was also skeptical about the look of the keyboard and the mouse, as the whole keyboard could almost fit in my handbag, with it's flat little keys and lack of the extras like sound control buttons etc.  I mean, my usual wireless keyboard is everything a woman could want, almost including the kitchen sink.  But it is so bulky!  Looking at this MAC keyboard with it's totally flat keys I thought that's going to slow me down.  But you know what, it's so much more responsive to touch and I've actually increased my speed not slowed it.  So once again a great big tick and thank you to Apple!

And let's talk about the mouse.  I looked at it and thought, it's not going to feel as nice as my wireless mouse.  And now I realise that ergonomically it's probably better as my wrist is not being over stretched and it has extra button functions that I love.  For example, if I were going to get my calculator up in windows, it was about 3 clicks and multiple screens to get to it via Accessories.  Now I click a button on the side of my mouse and up pops a dashboard with a calculator, calendar, stock exchange and any other shortcuts I'd like to add as it is totally able to be customised.

And the creme de la creme is that I can also keep and use all of my windows based programs simply by loading up a program called Parallels that allows me to run the two systems on the one computer.  Can't ask for anything more than that!  Thank you Apple for your ingenuity. If only the whole world realised just how fantastic your products were, IBM and the likes would never have taken out the general market.

Now that I have such a fabulous computer, with it's inbuilt wireless networking capabilities I can set up my computer anywhere and do a presentation or demonstration.  It is going to be such a valued asset to my business.  I also realised that my broadband connection speed was way slower than it should be thanks to my friend, Jayne, and have upgraded to a way faster system so I get more time to do the things I love.

Also, by taking up the Apple of offer of MobileMe, I can access my files from anywhere in the world and there is no long uploading process.  I simply drag them into a folder and away I go.  I can give other people access too.  File sharing has never been easier.

The iMac comes with built-in programs such as i-photo (which has an awesome book making option where you can create a photo journal and get it printed hardcover for around 29.99US); i-movie (a movie editing suite and you don't need a camera because there is one built into the monitor which is great for creating short training DVDs); i-booth (a quick snap photo booth with effects); garageband (a really cool audio mixing suite where you can create songs simply by dropping and dragging loops); and much, much more!

Finally, my next purchase is going to be an iphone so I can link everything together.  It would certainly make my whole organisation easier if I only ever had to do one set of data entry! What a fabulous product, Apple.  You deserve an award for your innovation and for the world to recognise the brilliance of your products. 

PS  I am not an Apple iMac sales woman but with a product like this, it would sell itself!

Book Review: Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers

How far must one man go to demonstrate his love for a woman and to win her heart?

In Redeeming Love, by Francine Rivers, Michael Hosea was prepared to marry a prostitute. He fell in love with Angel, a young woman with a very sordid past who was sold into prostitution at the age of 8 and so began Angel's tumultuous journey of healing.

Francine Rivers has translated the book of Hosea into the Gold Rush era in the US with finesse. She is a fine wordsmith, crafting every chapter so that it is riveting, imaginative and filled with colourful language that doesn't lose you in imagery but engages all your senses. I often "wander off" when a book goes into description because I get bored, but this book kept me the whole way through and that's over 400 pages worth of written words!

What did I learn from Redeeming Love? So much that I will be eternally grateful for.

Firstly, I learned that true love is constant. It is not when you feel like it, it is forever, unmerited, unearned, favour that is boundless. It is a decision that is made daily, in sickness and health, for richer or poorer.

Secondly, I learned that perfection is a journey, not a destination. We are all on that pathway but none of us have arrived and it is okay to be working towards perfection. We all fail ourselves, each other, God. What we must do is not put all our attention on our failures, but realise the constancy of God's grace so we can move forward.

This last point was particularly relevant for my relationship with my husband. We are currently separated, due to some personal issues, but I have found a much deeper level of grace towards my husband after reading this book. It showed me that love endures all things - the good and the bad and sometimes it chases to make up and other times it allows the individual to come to the end of themselves and for them to make the moves. However, it is always open to reconciliation. This was so great for me to learn.

Thirdly, I learned that there is no sin that is too great for God to forgive or for us to forgive of one another.

Finally, I learned that it is not true when people say, "Once a...always a...". As human beings we have the capacity to embrace change if we choose. The power of choice is probably the greatest gift that we have been given.

I encourage you today if you read this to make your peace with God. He remains the same today and forever - good, gracious, loving, kind, just and compassionate. There is nothing you have done that He doesn't already know about and hasn't already forgiven you. All you need to do is to ask for that forgiveness, and to receive it.

I highly recommend all couples to buy this novel. I understand that it is fictitious but it has taught me some very deep spiritual principles that I know will also help you in your life.

They told me I had a blod clot or cancer...

Although it was not true, I had to endure a whole weekend as if my life were under threat.

Over the past weekend I spent some time in hospital. I had pain in my back and chest and breathing hurt. I went to the emergency department and they had trouble diagnosing the problem, but thought it could it may be a blod clot on my lung.So over the following two days I was admitted to the novelty pin cushion ward (as my husband described it). I had a chest X-ray and then they did an MRI scan, which incidentally burst a vein, so I ended up with toxic radiation in my body swimming around, leaving the whole scan inconclusive. I had two bungs in my arm and my hand, they took copious blood samples, urine samples and just about every other procedure, including a rectal treatment! I mean, I was given the works. The worst part was the blood thinning injections to my stomach, which stung like you wouldn't believe.

On Sunday, a professor came to see me. I was lying in bed in my new pj's that a girlfriend had purchased for me. They were really lovely but the top was a size or two too small, so my breasts were bulging out of the top and it had a lovely over jacket that I was wearing to cover everything up. The professor was the kind of man that was in your personal space, looking at you like you were an insect under a microscope. I felt very invaded. He asked me to take off the jacket so he could examine me. I did so with much embarasment as my assets were all out there for the nurse, doctor in training and the professor to see. It was probably one of the most uncomfortable medical examinations I've ever been through and that's saying something because I've given birth four times, had a miscarriage, a tubal ligation and gaul bladder removal!

Suffice to say, by the end of the examination he declared that I only had a pulled muscle and that it was not anything fatal or serious. This was after me being led to believe that the scan had revealed either a blood clot or cancer on my lungs. I grabbed my stuff and got out of that hospital as fast as my legs could carry me.

I was grateful for all the care they provided but very disappointed that I'd missed out on my retreat to my friend Grace's house with my other great girlfriend Jayne which we'd planned for a pampering weekend!

What I don't regret about the weekend is what I learned about gratitude.

The woman next to me, who was in there with kidney failure and diabetes, taught me a lot about my life. She didn't say anything significant. She only shared with me how she is a regular in the hospital for kidney dialysis and treatment for her diabets. She's been a diabetic for 20 years. I observed the copious injections, tablets, and routines that accompanied her condition. I watched as her family arrived, so looking forward to taking her out of the hospital for a couple of hours to see a movie and the disappointment when the doctor said it was not a good idea.

In the short time I was there I realised just how finite life is and how short the time is when we have able bodies. I was also surrounded by bedridden old people. I realised just have much that I have taken my health for granted. I realised that I have taken my husband for granted and my kids and really not valued them like I should. Significant life lessons, not because I was dying but because I witnessed the debilitation other people suffer every day because of sickness.

This experience has caused me to rexamine my priorities and I thought this journey worthy of recording here.

What are we missing out on in life?

We say we realise that we only have the promise of this moment we are living in, but are we really capturing the moment and squeezing everything out of it? Time passes so quickly. I don't want to miss another opportunity to enjoy my family.

What about you? Is there time to be angry, to not forgive, to have broken relationships? The time spent in these attitudes robs you of the opportunity of having a loving and joyous experience with those that care about you the most.

Something to ponder...

Now I've heard them all!

I've heard some excuses for losing emails in my time, but this one takes the prize! Read on to learn more...

I was asked by an online friend to help her out with some graphics for her business. I just saw how her product could be improved by a few simple design changes, so I let her know I was willing to help her.


Well, after slaving away at the changes, I popped off an email to her to show her the outcomes. Here is the before and after shots of her before and after shots.

So, I attached the images to an email and sent them off to my friend.

A short time later I received an email and this is what it said...

Hayley, I am so sorry, I can't believe my stupid cat. I was looking at your
email with the pics, and he walked right across my keyboard and I lost your
letter with pics! I have looked in trash, folders, done a total computer search
and the letter has just disappeared. He is in such trouble!
Can you resend me the email?

Now when I called her on this being the best excuse I've heard yet, this is what she responded with...

LOL!! I swear! I even had my husband come look for the mysterious disappearing email and it has vanished!! And yes the cat is still in trouble, making a difference from my husband being in trouble! Maybe you should write about this on the forum. Encouraging other funny internet stories. True stories of course!!

There is an old saying, "Me thinks she protests too much!" Barbara, I have taken your advice and shared your excuse with the world. Now I await to see what other great excuses people have come up with to avoid the consequences of responding to an email.

And by the way, your cat may hate you but your husband is grateful for the cat!

Loneliness - Is it an epidemic?

I was recently featured in the local newspaper for Women Can International Inc to promote our free membership month. Here is the article that went to print.

What pursued has shocked and amazed me. I have received over 45 telephone calls from women in the community wanting to join the Association for a variety of reasons but for the majority it was because they are lonley and isolated, finding it difficult to make new friends.

One woman shared her story about how she had children now, but had grown up with a circle of friends that had been best friends for the past 20 years. Unfortunately, her girlfriends had started to use the drug ICE and she was concerned about the safety of her children and consequently, has had to leave those friendships. This story in particular broke my heart because I could feel the loss she was experiencing in losing her closest friends to such an evil drug.

There were others who had children under school age that had isolated them; those whose husbands were working away from home; those who had injuries that had takent hem out of their usual routines, causing them to be isolated and needy; and those who were experiencing a change in their life, be it moving to a new location or their children growing up and moving on. The common thread was that they felt lonley and wanted to reach out to other women and form partnerships.

My question is, what are we doing as a society that people should be in our suburbs suffering like this? It is an indictment upon us that we have not cared enough to reach out to our neighbours and their neighbours.

I recently moved to Kinross and this area is full of children, who don't seem to have the problem of meeting and making new friends quite as badly as adults do. Because of my children I have interacted with most of my neighbours and continue daily to meet new people in my area. Perhaps we could learn something from their naivety, as they do not assume that everyone they meet is going to rape, murder or steal from them. What has happened that we have communities so fraught with distrust?

I am hoping to make a positive difference through Women Can International Inc. I just want to challenge you to take 5 minutes out of your day to call a friend you haven't heard from in a while to make sure that they are not feeling lonely and isolated. It may be the best five minutes that you have ever spent. With so many contemplating suicide, your care may be the difference between life and death. Care costs little to give but is priceless for the receiver.

Come join me at Women Can International Inc

I'd love to hear your thoughts, ladies.

View my page on Women Can International