I saw hair

Change is as good as a holiday. A couple of my friends have new hair. One had a radical change, short with new whimsical orange and blonde colours in a messy pixie look. She’s an artist and this new look matches her down to the ground. Another friend with a lovely, round, happy face and has “gone the No.2” all over. It’s a severe look compared to her straight black shoulder length hair, but the new look suits her – especially when she smiles as her whole face now lights up. It was done for charity and a worthy cause, but I think she prefers it now. Myself, I had a full colour (to cover some grays!) with a trim all over (not so brave). It’s bouncy and fun and for some inexplicable reason I feel younger.

So regardless of your circumstance, a pamper at the hairdresser is a wonderful indulgence. Whether for a cut or color or simply the sublime head massage, it’s a treat worth scheduling. Block in a piece of happiness into your week. Enjoy and have some fun with it.

1. New color?
2. New style?
3. New outlook?
4. What will you try?

 

I touched hope

The Cancer Council Relay for Life was held over the weekend (and other weekends in other parts of the country). It is a fun time to join with your friends and community to raise money to fight cancer. The walkers in the relay were adorned with “Hope Lives Here” on purple shirts; a welcome note of encouragement for all. They carried a baton of sorts – ours was a doll, but there were cowboy hats, dinosaur bones and an assortment of other imaginative totems. We walked for 18 hours in relay. The communal spirit lifting us to keep going, along with some good tunes and decadent food.

At the conclusion, the oval was well trampled and we were weary, but proud of our achievement. Bringing hope to an endeavor is the best tool in the box. So when faced with a difficult situation, the first thing to grab is hope. Keep the light of hope burning for any challenge you face.

I saw curiosity

This week I got to swap a day of work for a day of play. I hung out with a baby which was lots of fun. Some think baby sitting is a chore, but see it from the baby’s perspective: someone new to play with, new adventures to discover, and boundaries to advance. The innate curiosity of a baby has them reaching for everything, tasting everything and doing the unexpected. If you want to see the world in a different light, choose a fresh frame of reference. Babies are always learning something new.

This particular little man was definitely into everything. The untrained [me] fell prey to grabbing the spoon and flicking food everywhere which was hilarious. Reading books takes on a whole new pace when someone else is turning the pages. There were even pauses where a flop on the mat gave a respite between adventures. Expanding family circles bring these unique opportunities, which just means there is more love to go around. Take the time to indulge your curiosity too.

I remembered colour

I’ve talked about it before, and I’ll talk about it again. It’s a bit of fun. It’s a splash of colour. It’s a piece of whimsical art. I saw this yarn-bombing down at my local shops. An ordinary tree trunk next to a bike rack in a dull and dreary streetscape was made to come to life with a simple addition of wool.

The relevance was to hark back to a memory where I first saw yarn-bombing and discovered the global effect of this uncomplicated act whether it was knitted or crocheted. I saw it first in Argentina and thought it was a local affectation, but upon visiting other countries it became clear that wool and colour was being used in the same way around the world, including here in Australia. This was reconfirmed on the weekend in my own neighborhood. Here is the original photo from Buenos Aires in 2013, which brings a slice of levity to this ordinary street. So adopt a splash of knitted colour to bring a window of frivolous fun into your life.

I smelled the money

The start of the new year, well almost, and I still found myself saying I must do my tax. Newsflash: saying something doesn’t actually get it done. I even said this too! So I finally set aside some time, with access to all my documents, a plethora of post-it notes and a selection of highlighters for good measure. Guess what, it got done  👍

There is merit to the saying “Actions speak louder than words.” So to all those out there who keep saying, out loud or in your head it doesn’t matter, that there are things to be done – I say,  Just do it! Make sure to say it to others as well. Procrastination can be an insidious bed-fellow which we all need to be vigilant against.

It feels good to be done. It saves a lot of mental head space and you can get on with your life. It makes space on your to-do list for other fun things. So create a plan to get it done and then delve into more fun stuff.

I saw a sleeping giant

We can stare at clouds and see all sorts of shapes, but what about something more steadfast? The imagination is a wonderful thing, which we don’t use enough. We should employ it at every opportunity to see more than is before us, to experience more, to savor more. We need to pause, appreciate and absorb. These flights of fantasy help create lasting memories using a mnemonic; they add a difference that will help mark a moment. So many things fly by without acknowledgement and become the background noise of life. We need to revel in the good bits and hold on to them.

Surprisingly, I snapped this driving [I did stop the car] on the Western Highway between showers near the Grampians. Do you see it?

Let’s look again. See if you can outline the sleeping giant. Having a different filter can enable you to see other possibilities. The Grampians will forever be the home of giants who snooze during the day and get up to all sorts of shenanigans at night. A bit of fun!

I saw mud

Mud, mud, glorious mud. How long has it been since you felt the squish and squelch of mud stuck to your gumboots? Remember being a kid and being drawn to mud, to getting dirty and having to dive right in? The gritty, sticky, slippery sensation? But above all the fun of it.

With all the rain in the last few weeks and the rain yet to come, there are going to be a lot of opportunities to don your gumboots and go exploring and feel like a kid again. Go for a stomp down the local park or creek. Feel the earth cling to your gumboots and those times when you get stuck too deep that you have to step out of your gumboot and retrieve it by hand. Or when your socks fall down and bunch at your toes. Listen to the sound of suction as you pull your feet out of the mud. Mud is not just about the dirt, it’s about experiencing it with your other senses, so enjoy the rain to come and your gumboots, even if you only just jump in puddles. There’s fun to be had in this weather.