Rats and Julia

My Mother the cooking extraordnaire! No folks, she has NO time, but she does it all anyway! Above is one of her first dishes, some fancy potato thing and dieters beware this is not for the faint of heart!

Oh Squishie Baby Kitty...

....who just peed in my bathroom

Good things are happening all around...

I went to see this art exhibition, with friends on Thursday:

Wild Man (made out of silicone and other materials, incredibly realistic)

http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/ronmueck/

My friend Jarrod is about to volunteer with this project:

http://www.simondale.net/house/index.htm

My Mother is fast becoming a cooking extraordinaire. She is making boston baked beans today in a crock pot, made Duchess potatoes yesterday and last week Julia Child's quintessential Beef Bourguignon.  

Another friend, Ben, heard Mary Roach speak in SF:

I am still in love with TED! Mary Roach on TED: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jx0dTYUO5E

The world is full of amazing people and amazing things.

Good things are all around:

-Next week is my good sumaritan week; I am going to give blood and do my re-Induction for volunteering with disabled kids. I am also bringing a friend to volunteer too! 

-Progress is being made on my dream for a website thanks to a friend!

-I am actually applying for jobs!

-I now only have one job!

-Two friends have just started new jobs teaching, another is doing her dream job of becoming a midwife.

-My good friend just got a promotion and a house in the city.

-A friend of mine who works hard is going on holiday to Perth soon.

-Friends of mine are at the winter Olympics right now watching their daughter/sister compete!

...think of all the good things happening =)

Astronomy picture of the day

Mike Stimpson's Lego

who knew!

"I hate flowers. I paint them because they're cheaper then models and they don't move"

-Georgia O'Keeffe

I saw an Ansel Adams and Georgia O'Keeffe exhibition over the summer at the SFMOMA in San Fran. O'Keeffe is so famous for her flowers....who knew she hated them.

achooo!

Cara is sick! Too sick to work! Haven't had a cold like this in a while! 

Animated films! Romantic Comedies here I come! Hooray!

Mama Mia!

When Harry Met Sally

While you were Sleeping

The Incredibles

Dr Who

next up...A Room with a View, Practical Magic, The Lake House?...maybe its time for something less fuzzy!

On the net at my old work

http://villaandhutblog.com/2010/01/beautiful/

The shadow of the Eiffel Tower! Wow!

Beauty- love this one

Do you know a Rube Goldberg machine when you see one?

As defined by Merriam-Webster (Who is M-W? A word conscious husband and wife team perhaps? How nerdy and intellectual of them.): "Rube Goldberg"- accomplishing something simple through complex means.

"Professor Butts and the Self-Operating Napkin"

The "Self-Operating Napkin" is activated when the soup spoon (A) is raised to mouth, pulling string (B) and thereby jerking ladle (C) which throws cracker (D) past parrot (E). Parrot jumps after cracker and perch (F) tilts, upsetting seeds (G) into pail (H). Extra weight in pail pulls cord (I), which opens and lights automatic cigar lighter (J), setting off skyrocket (K) which causes sickle (L) to cut string (M) and allow pendulum with attached napkin to swing back and forth, thereby wiping chin.

A metaphor for life perhaps?

Happy Birthday to Jan!

An Amazing Morning of Elegance

A day in the life of 1937

Merry Christmas =)

The setting! 

Jan's new umbrella!

...and to all a good night

Christmas Party! Oh My!

Nice to see old friends again at 

The Red Balloon - candy artisans

!

A new family member!!!

Remmy the Rat!

Leading up to Xmas down under!

Hey Hey! 

No posts? No time! 

I am working for 2 jobs in 3 locations and am flat out it seems. No time for anything! Today I juggled the 2 jobs and worked 12 hours. Tomorrow it will be 13 hours! One is in pricey clothing and the other is pricey homewares...oh retail my old friend...how convenient you are at Christmas...and I was worried about getting a job! I turned down cheap jewellery and very pricey accessories last week and for the jobs I am currently at...nice to feel valued in any industry =)

Hearst Castle

This is  a GREAT photo of my Dad...why oh why am I abnormal in this photo.

Back Down Under!

Made it safe and sound to Oz!

Yes, my Mother was surprised! Success!

Day 1:

Arrive in Melbourne after watching movies and sort of successfully sleeping on the spacey new Airbus A380 (even the crew are impressed with it so says the captain). Catch the Airporter bus to my suburb (the driver kindly drops me further along the highway, not at the stop in Mentone), Kevin is there to take me and me' suitcases the 2 blocks to my house. He rings the door bell, I hide behind the car and he says 'Jan, I have something for you in the car but it's too heavy to lift, would you mind giving me a hand' She says sure with open curiosity and then I pop up from behind the car and yell Surprise. She is surprised. 'Cara's home!' she says and continues to say for the next few hours...days. Luggage in, surprise Patrick and then its off to the shop to try all the chocolate, I mean to help package a huge order for a client. I've only been back for 8 hours and I've made $30, wonderful!

Day 2:

Search cupboards for breakfast (it's fun to get forget where things are in 'your own' kitchen), work on resume, print a million copies, get a lift (car is unregistered ahhhh!) to Southland and start distributing resumes: all in all a good trip- ran into 2 acquaintances and have a trial and 3 interviews tomorrow. Try to see status of phone at wrong phone company (ooops! memory fails me...can't even remember who I'm with). Find the right phone company only to learn my phone is fine and dandy. Try to buy credit but left Aussie bank card in American wallet at home...give up on that one. Get a life home (lucky!) and visit family friends on the way (another Surprise- Liz and David. Liz says 'You're home early! With a big grin!' Awww) and bought radish seeds for the garden here! Radish! How wondeful! Best pizza in the world for dinner (Maro's Pizza- Go local). Go for a jog with the dogs, oh how I've missed them, the park and the jogging- Charlotte, the old girl (she is starting to show her age) is out of shape. Watch Castle, another new series for Jan and Patrick. Research jobs seen today and prep for interviews tomorrow. 

The busy life of Cara Bradley hey.

Things I like...

While once again calling Qantas to see my flight options, I once again read out my booking reference number to the operator. I also once again accompanied the letters by my usual unusual words; Y for Yack, E for Eskimo. I said something to the poor operator about how the letters were slightly random and the operator responded "No worries, I've heard it all. Q for Cucumber, Yeah, thats ones of the better ones I heard".

The theory of getting out of anything from a friend:

Admit nothing

Deny Everything

Make counter accusations

Shadows of Natural fibers: 

http://fredvedder.com/

Coming home: LA to Melbourne for Xmas

So...living in SF might be a bit expensive...

And PS. Unemployment in SF is higher then in the rest of the country

Google Doodle

My favourite 'Doodle 4 Google' Finalists

K-3: (don't they do an amazing job?)

Grades 4-6:

Grades 10-12:

There's heaps more, chek them out:

http://www.google.com/doodle4google/winners_region.html

CSing Seattle

It all started with a bike ride...

...and then an invite to play in the park...

...and of course, a troll or two....

...followed by Mexican food in an Elvis room (makes perfect sense really)...

...with a side of hammocked bliss (the hammock later broke by the way)....

....a jaunt up to Kendall's Catwalk...

...oh lovely lovely...

....and then a pool party....

Isn't it grand? =)

Everyone likes...odd graphs =)

10 Ways to Be Happier - Simple Moments of Joy -Your Life

Lifestyle 

10 Ways to Be Happier 

How happy are you―really? If there’s room for improvement, try one of these suggestions. 

By Gretchen Rubin 

A few years ago, on a morning like any other, I had a sudden realization: I was in danger of wasting my life. As I stared out the rain-spattered window of a New York City bus, I saw tha 

the years were slipping by. 

"What do I want from life?" I asked myself. "Well...I want to be happy." I had many reasons to be happy: My husband was the tall, dark, handsome love of my life; we had two delightfu 

girls; I was a writer, living in my favorite city. I had friends; I had my health; I didn't have to color my hair. But too often I sniped at my husband or the drugstore clerk. I felt dejected 

after even a minor professional setback. I lost my temper easily. Is that how a happy person would act? 

I decided on the spot to begin a systematic study of happiness. (A little intense, I know. But that's the kind of thing that appeals to me.) In the end, I spent a year test-driving the 

wisdom of the ages, current scientific studies, and tips from popular culture. If I followed all the advice, I wanted to know, would it work? 

Well, the year is over, and I can say: It did. I made myself happier. And along the way I learned a lot about how to be happier. Here are those lessons. 

1. Don't start with profundities. When I began my Happiness Project, I realized pretty quickly that, rather than jumping in with lengthy daily meditation or answering deep questions 

of self-identity, I should start with the basics, like going to sleep at a decent hour and not letting myself get too hungry. Science backs this up; these two factors have a big impact on 

happiness. 

2. Do let the sun go down on anger. I had always scrupulously aired every irritation as soon as possible, to make sure I vented all bad feelings before bedtime. Studies show, 

however, that the notion of anger catharsis is poppycock. Expressing anger related to minor, fleeting annoyances just amplifies bad feelings, while not expressing anger often allowsit to 

dissipate. 

3. Fake it till you feel it. Feelings follow actions. If I'm feeling low, I deliberately act cheery, and I find myselfactually feeling happier. If I'm feeling angry at someone, I do something 

thoughtful for her and my feelings toward her soften. This strategy is uncannily effective. 

4. Realize that anything worth doing is worth doing badly. Challenge and novelty are key elements of happiness. The brainis stimulated by surprise, and successfully dealing with 

an unexpected situation gives a powerful sense of satisfaction. People who do new things―learn a game, travel to unfamiliar places―are happier than people who stick to familiar 

activities that they already do well. I often remind myself to "Enjoy the fun of failure" and tackle some daunting goal. 

5. Don't treat the blues with a "treat." Often the things I choose as "treats" aren't good for me. The pleasure lasts a minute, but then feelings of guilt and loss of control and other 

negative consequences deepen the lousiness of the day. While it's easy to think, I'll feel good after I have a few glasses of wine...a pint of ice cream...a cigarette...a new pair of jeans, 

it's worth pausing to ask whether this will truly make things better. 

6. Buy some happiness. Our basic psychological needs include feeling loved, secure, and good at what we do. You also want to have a sense of control. Money doesn't automatically 

fill these requirements, but it sure can help. I've learned to look for ways to spend money to stay in closer contact with my family and friends; to promote my health; to work more 

efficiently; to eliminate sources of irritation and marital conflict; to support important causes; and to haveenlarging experiences. For example, when my sister got married, I splurged on 

a better digital camera. It was expensive, but it gave me a lot of happiness. 

7. Don't insist on the best. There are two types of decision makers. Satisficers (yes, satisficers) make a decision once their criteria are met. When they find the hotel or the pasta 

sauce that has the qualities they want, they're satisfied. Maximizers want to make the best possible decision. Even if they see a bicycle or a backpack that meets theirrequirements, they 

can't make a decision until they've examined every option. Satisficers tend to be happier than maximizers. Maximizers expend more time and energy reaching decisions, and they're often 

anxious about their choices. Sometimes good enough is good enough. 

8. Exercise to boost energy. I knew, intellectually, that this worked, but how often have I told myself, "I'm just too tired to go to the gym"? Exercise is one of the most dependable 

mood-boosters. Even a 10-minute walk can brighten my outlook. 

9. Stop nagging. I knew my nagging wasn't working particularly well, but I figured that if I stopped, my husband would never do a thing around the house. Wrong. If anything, more 

work got done. Plus, I got a surprisingly big happiness boost from quitting nagging. I hadn't realized how shrewish and angry I had felt as a result of speaking like that. I replaced 

nagging with the following persuasive tools: wordless hints (for example, leaving a new lightbulb on the counter); using just one word (saying "Milk!" instead of talking on and on); not 

insisting that something be done on my schedule; and, most effective of all, doing a task myself. Why did I get to set the assignments? 

10. Take action. Some people assume happiness is mostly a matter of inborn temperament: You're born an Eeyore or a Tigger, and that's that. Although it's true that genetics play a 

big role, about 40 percent of your happiness level is within your control. Taking time to reflect, and making conscious steps to make your life happier, really does work. So use these tips 

to start your own Happiness Project. I promise it won't take you a whole year. 

Oh the nice things that machines say:

41 TO 50 POINTS: Others see you as fresh, lively, charming, amusing, practical, and always interesting; someone who's constantly in the center of attention, but sufficiently well-balanced not to let it go to their head. They also see you as kind, considerate, and understanding; someone who'll always cheer them up and help them out.

Artist: KATE RAUDENBUSH

At Burning Man (my sentences often start off this way now), in a dust storm, I sat in an amazing sculpture called the 'Braindrop' (pictured below on my BM blog post). In the onion (as I nicknamed the Braindrop) a motley crew quickly formed and I met a great girl named Bronwyn. Bronwyn, I learned she was driving a piece of Kate's artwork across the country. We watched the man burn together that night and ran around the dark desert together. I left a note, actually a cardboard sign at her camp with my details but I never knew what happened with her adventure...now, months later I know. 

So here is the story...  

Once upon a time Altered Space enjoyed a time on the playa surrounded by burners,

After Burning Man it was time to find a final resting place to be enjoyed by more people. Altered Space made its way across the country on a road trip in the care of Bronwyn and her friend Peaches. They went like this... 

and at the journey came to an end at the Chapel of Sacred Mirrors (CoSM) in NY. Here a foundation was poured, Altered Space was reassembled and blessed by a blessing circle. 

Look inside! Wonderful!

http://www.kateraudenbush.com/

http://cosm.org/

More info:

Currently listening to...