My Friend Helen (and Justine Clarke) in Days of My Destiny

I think Helen is my closest friend here. At this point I would say my only friend (as in FRIEND-friend). And that's okay. I've always been the "one friend" kind of person anyway.

She messaged me this morning asking me how the weekend went and said she's been meaning to ask all week lol. See I had invited her to the Justine Clarke thing but she had to go away for her studies (and added a bit of circus-going with her kids in between). Justine Clarke was awesome. She really engaged with the children. It wasn't about HER, it was about THEM - and wow was that refreshing! Sure, they admire her, but it wasn't about that, it was about them singing with her - not her singing and them admiring and going crazy (like The Wiggles, which I only went to out of something to do around here...). When the concert started, Justine came on stage and feigned surprise at her absent band, and then said "maybe if we all sing they'll like the sound of it and come out." So that's just what her and her audience of little people did! I LOVED that that is how her show started - it wasn't about the kids, it wasn't about her - it was about the band!! And slowly, slowly, one by one, each band member came on stage. At one point, Justine pulled faces back and forth with her audience. I just loved the way she entertained. It was HER and THEM - together. Humans, bonding over song. And isn't that just what life should be about??? Then there was her voice - I always fall in instant love with singers who actually sound as good as they do on a CD. That, to me, is true talent, to sing in tune and with meaning and substance. She plays guitar too. I found a new admiration for this lady who I already loved.

We'd packed a picnic lunch, so after the concert (and after a tantrum from Little L cos we weren't actually going to KidzZone.....) we looked for a park to sit and eat at. We sure made a beautiful discovery.... all this time we've been living here and I did not know about the Bicentennial Park... it's large, it's green, it's spacious, it has a little manmade lake with ducks swimming in it, it's got pathways to ride your bike on or walk on... wow................. it's funny, even though I always found these manmade lakes relaxing, I still always mocked them in my head, because it was MANMADE and not natural. Now it's like... wow.... what a treasure.... lololololol!!!!! Perspective :) We spent the afternoon walking around this park and checking out all these really cool little spots, like a bridge that takes you to these gigantic ovals where teams were playing soccer, and two bars sticking out of the ground that you can hang off and do tricks (L did some funny ones lol), and a little section on the lake that you walk on and there are large rocks with smooth animals carved on them (snakes, frogs, grasshoppers etc), and then these sculptures of men who are somehow significant in the region. It was so beautiful and relaxing, it felt like we were tapping into a part of us that had been buried for so long - a part of us that strengthens our identity as Family and Individuals. After that, we went to a car place (forget what it's called) and L, feeling inspired, bought a bike rack for our car, so that next time we go to that park, we can take our bikes and go a large family bike ride :) Love that man :) Then we went to Kmart to browse. M saw a toy pram that she really wants for her birthday, so I told L to secretly buy it while I browsed more aisles with the girls. M loves dolls, I mean she LOVES loves them, almost like an obsession - she always has. She's always had this really strong maternal instinct, tucking her babies into bed and making sure they're warm and safe, dressing and undressing them. It's such a part of her and in some way we've always somehow rebelled against the idea of buying her DOLLS - I guess because it's such a gender stereotype and I personally don't buy into those things easily.... but I realised finally that this whole doll obsession really is a huge part of her and I figure, is there really anything that wrong with the fact that my daughter loves DOLLS?!? No way!!! I'd rather her be into tucking babies into bed than those stupid Bratz dolls or whatever is in now. The other day I asked her if she thinks she'll still like dolls when she turns 7 and she said she wasn't sure but that she probably would. So I figure, might as well spoil her with a little pram (and a BEAUTIFUL doll I found in another town - it feels like a real baby when you hold it and actually has a nice face lol) just before she grows out of it all. She's always asking me to buy her a doll she saw here or there.... so it might be time to give in and make her really happy :)

We drove home with hearts and souls filled with happiness. We were all in love.

Of course I didn't tell Helen all of THAT - I just told her Justine Clarke is a really great entertainer lol. Helen has been sick the last few days - she had what I had (complete lethargy, soreness etc) so the other day I went around there and cleaned her house, washed her dishes, cooked her dinner, cleared some space on her table, put some loads of washing in her washing machine, hung her washing, folded her washing and put some grocery items away that I'd bought for her. Her daughter was sick too, watching movies the entire time. Towards the end I sat down and watched the rest of the movie with the daughter, who by now just needed company and kept on talking and talking to me lol. I felt like a really good friend that day, and she said she couldn't thank me enough. This morning she messaged me to thank me AGAIN because she's all better now and she said it feels so good to not have to do a week's worth of washing after being sick. Yay, go me!!!! I was in town though and so we got texting back and forth about a show we both love watching that has now finished, and then she said she had to go into the next town to pay for her studies. I offered to take her son with me because I know she doesn't get much quality time with her daughter, and besides, I know how huge these outings are for little people, so I figured he could come over for the day and play with Little L. They are little besties and act like they're an old couple lol. Helen and I always laugh at the cuteness. When I went to pick up her son, he was still in his PJs and Helen told him to get dressed. Well him and Little L went running off to his bedroom and when they came back out, he had his best clothes on, lolololol. SO cute. Helen showed me her new bed quilt, which is gorgeous and sensual. Good on her. I feel for her a little - she recently had a boyfriend but it didn't last very long because he was completely clueless. He's always lived with his parents and worked on the farm and literally nothing else and he'd never had a girlfriend ever or any hobbies. She had to teach him how to hold hands and how to kiss and when to talk about farming and when NOT to talk about farming (when she's laying there in lingerie is NOT a time to talk about farming!!!!!!!!). So she kind of got over him quickly and decided to end it, even though she's lonely again. The thing is, she's been married and has 2 kids, and he's never even had a girlfriend, so in terms of life experience, there is a HUGE gap between them and somehow I don't think he would've ever caught up. Also, Helen is after that "first love" feeling - and she just did not have that with him. She realised it was time to end it when she went away for a week and didn't even think about him (poor guy lol).

I really like Helen. I just love so much that we can laugh and talk about anything and just be idiots together. Like when I was leaving this morning, I was hopping back into my car and I was mid-sentence when I closed my door, so I sat there, looking at her through my window and pretended to still be talking, but I was just moving my mouth silently in not-even-real-words. It was so funny, but only because she cracked up laughing like it was the funniest thing she's ever seen lol. And that's what makes me laugh. It makes me so happy that she appreciates my sense of humour lol. Well not all of it, because the other day when we were talking about me breaking into someone's house (can't remember who or what on earth the reason was), I was saying how I would rip her curtains apart and she cracked up laughing. Then I said I'd pull everything out of her cupboards (whoever it was lol) and she cracked up laughing even more. Then I said I'd stab her dog - and her face went all serious and she looked like she was about to cry as she said in a small voice, "That's a bit much......" LOL. Oops. (Thanks, dad....)

I have 3 questions to go in my very last assignment, I got 6 questions done yesterday. Go me!!! There are 9 questions in total but lots of reading to do beforehand. It's just like a Skills Gap test so that my course is accredited for longer (because my course has changed since I started - story of my life - and so without the Skills Gap, my current course would only be valid until next year).