Thistle Do! Wk 3, February 2024
Happy Birthday Doll! Wedding Trending! On Gratitude! Where's Dolly? Happy Snaps!
Happy Birthday Doll!
Today marks Nell’s XX time around the sun.
(To be honest, she wouldn’t care if I shared her age… hint: it’s just a shade over 50!)
But this is the 2nd one I’ve got to share with her and it’s going to be huuuuge!
Um, no it’s not.
But it will be memorable, for all the right reasons… this time… I hope.
How it started…
How it’s going…
And speaking of memorable celebrations:
Wedding
Clearly Nell and I have started a trend getting engaged last month, because Albo’s decided to tie the knot too.
All it takes is one idiot to jump and all the other lemmings will follow…
Of course our wedding won’t be the technicolor extravaganza the PM’s sure to have.
It will be, delightfully restrained… aka: simple, like this clown:
We’ve both done the ‘Big Wedding’ thing when we were younger. Now we’re going to have the sort of wedding we should have had back in the day, i.e.: just a fraction of a step up from the torch, the ladder and getaway car.
So, to give you an idea of how low key it will be:
How? Option 1 was the two of us on a remote, windswept hill in Scotland, followed by a party at the nearest cottage pub where I’d throw a couple of hundred bucks on the timber counter and we’d celebrate with our 26 new best friends (until the money runs out, then we’d be ceremoniously tossed out onto the moors).
Option 2 was two places in New Zealand, followed by a party in the nearest pub with 26 strangers… etc. Then we learned that getting married overseas doesn’t count if we are Oz citizens. We still have to have a celebrant marry us here. So,
Option 3 was here in Gladstone. Then Agnes Water. Then the back hills of Maleny. Some remote beach. A torch, ladder, getaway car…
Option 4 is a lovely spot… which shall remain a secret until the day after we get welded together.
When? NOT in Summer. Spring or Autumn.
Where? Still tossing around ideas, but definitely outdoors. I ticked the Naked Ceremony option, but only to stop everyone else from attending. Which leads us neatly to:
Who? Well, Doll and I for starters. Apparently she’s real keen to come and I’d feel pretty bad if I didn’t invite her. The only other attendees will be our children, their partners and grandchildren. This will save blow ups re: who to invite and who to snub. (Note: oh, there will be blow ups regardless, because weddings are all about other peoples’ dramas… prove me wrong. So, minimal people, minimal drama?)
Why get Married? Good question… check the box that applies:
Love
Because we’re both eternal optimists
It seemed like a good idea at the time
Why go so low key? Because we’ve got our eyes on some neato music equipment and blowing our stash on an over the top wedding seems a bit extravagant don’t you think?
On Mindless Gratitude
For the past month we’ve been doing morning meditations. It hasn’t really put a dent in my rage issues behind the wheel of the car, but I’m much more mindful while I’m re-loading the pistols.
Anyhoo…
The premise of Gratitude Meditation is simple. You simply lie there listening to soothing music while a stoned out hippy chick whispers suggestions like, ‘Think of 10 things you are grateful for…’, ‘The universe is on your side and wants to you succeed…’ (I often wonder why the universe isn’t on the side of the little children currently being starved, shot, or bombed, to death in Gaza?)
Look, it’s a pleasant way to start the day. Much better than looking bleary-eyed at my clock then leaping from the bed screaming, “Holy Bat Shit! I’ve got three minutes to get to work!”
Waaay much better than that.
But, I’ve worked out I get more out of Reverse Gratitude (which I probably should trademark?)
It’s also a very simple concept. You lie in bed and think thoughts like:
“I’m so glad I don’t have a toothache.”
“Both legs still attached. Excellent!”
“Not in Gaza, Ukraine or Blackwater. Fantastic!”
“Beer in the fridge. Happy Days!”
Etc.
Hey, it works for me. Never fails to lift me up. Try it. Get back to me.
Where’s Dolly?
After wow-ing ém in Lismore last weekend with Josh…
Doll is resting this week before making her way…
By Air Mail.
Fingers crossed that Gooney, the small god of little aircraft, will make sure all her planes take off (and land) on time. Because we live in the era of the cancelled (or completely missing) flight. Especially here in Happy Rock.
And for those of you not on Facebook, here’s some of her other upcoming gigs:
For those of you interested in such things, she won’t be taking her personal Dolly Wrangler on this trip…
Happy Snaps
I don’t care if it’s overcast, muggier than a sauna cleaners undies or going to rain… we have one glorious weekend to make like the 1960’s and getaway:
From 1970’s Gladstone:
Before coming back to the here and now:
Nell and our mate John discussing music… probably. I couldn’t hear anything but the music of Kissing the Flint in full flight:
As the night wore on… just before midnight, the dancers wore out…
Thanks again for dropping by, catch you all next week!
Cheers,
Greg