“If you aren't outraged, then you just aren't paying attention” ― Lisa Borden

From what I can tell, International Women's Day was celebrated in Australia by outrage and anger over some traffic lights, and followed up with ire directed to some school boys at a boys school who made a video on why feminism is important.

The following day, a trans woman was dragged FROM HER HOUSE in Brazil and murdered, simply for existing. This didn't seem to cause the same mass outrage as 10 traffic lights having pictures of women on it. Apparently we're down with violence against women but not images of women.

The world is quick to jump on issues, but do you think sometimes we direct our attention to the wrong issues? Isn't it good if teachers at a boys school set a project to make sure the boys understand the issues women deal with every day? Apparently not.

Girls are sold into slavery and the sex trade every day. Women are murdered by their partners and random strangers every day. Gender parity is apparently not going to happen until 2133. That is not in our lifetime, nor in our daughter's lifetime.

Perhaps that is where we need to direct our outrage?

Next time you see an 'issue' contemplate whether we make the world a better place with our anger, whether we actually could do something to make a difference, instead of just type some words in the comments box.

Maybe the first step is redirecting our focus and energy.

As always, it starts with you and it starts today.


Linking with #OpenSlather

Memory - a writing challenge

Giving the writing challenge a go on the prompt MEMORY

Memory is so fragile. It changes ever so slightly with every recall. That's how two people at the same event give different descriptions.

She had remembered their first date so clearly. The candles, the cranky waiter, how they had giggled every time he walked away from them. Simon had been so nervous. She smiled nostalgically, marvelling how fate had brought them together.

Simon was amazed he hadn't seen the signs from the start. The restaurant she picked had been awful. Even the waiter was rude.  The food was disgusting and she didn't seem to care. How had he not seen they had nothing in common? It was time to tell her about Julie, but perhaps their anniversary wasn't the right time for it. He'd wait a few weeks. Maybe next month, once he'd found a place to live...


(I only wrote for 5 minutes but next time I'll try to do the 10)
See others over at J.F Gibson or give it a go yourself.

Linking with #Blogtober21 on the prompt DATE

Humdrum Housekeeping. The Where am I? news.

Some of the stunning scenery on our rainy practice walk

I did decide to spend the bucks and go to Womad for Parov Stelar so I will be missing on Monday for my usual link ups, but back Tuesday as normal. I will be missing again on Friday when I tackle Coastrek - only 30kms (I am not built for the 60kms) and raising money for the Fred Hollows Foundation.

I will be back as normal for the rest of the month and then First of the Month Fiction will sit open for the full Month of April but I'll be travelling so back in May as usual.

 Instagram may be the place to see the pretty pics if you miss me. https://www.instagram.com/lydiaclee/

“I can't control the wind but I can adjust the sail.” ― Ricky Skaggs

I got a Groupon (not sponsored, I'm just a tightarse) and booked the family to go for a twilight sail for our wedding anniversary. (Please note, you need to book well in advance as it was very hard to get a time for the 5 of us, and Monday night was the only one that would work in the whole 3 month period of the coupon with Sailaway).











For those of you not in Sydney, it's been dismal rain all week. My husband was sure the trip would be cancelled but the sun came out at the 11th hour, and we set off. The wind was very strong (about 25 knots) so we only did a tiny stint under sail.

We headed out from Lavender Bay at 4.30, and were lucky enough to see the resident seal on the Opera House steps. My youngest delightedly squealed when he waved a flipper at us....

 I've said it many times, but if you live in Sydney, you really must make the effort to see the harbour on a boat - ferry, water taxi, whatever you can afford. However the peacefulness under sail is superb.












Feasting on a sushi dinner, we bobbed in the water in a quite cove as the sun came out for a brief interlude.

We then cruised around the harbour as the sun set. The kids had a turn at steering, as did my husband. I was content to take photos and drink beer. I'm quite useless on boats, and more than happy to be so.

All in all, a magnificent evening and well worth the money.

We all slept well with the motion of the boat rocking us to sleep in our beds.

How can you not love this beautiful city?

Linking this old post because the seal makes me go #AwwMondays

Let sleeping dogs dream

One of the upsides of Facebook, is the memory aspect, I see things I've long forgotten. My eldest, close to a decade ago, was filling in proverbs for homework and she wrote "Let sleeping dogs dream" It may not be traditional, but I'm going to stick with that - more optimism and grander plans.

There is so much going on at our age, everyone is busy and juggling their own problems. This can be consuming and cloud our thinking. It can make us forgetful. It makes us see short term, not long term. I know for me, I can rarely think beyond the logistics for the next few days, not weeks ahead like  used to. I can safely say I'm also probably more guilty of what I'm about to discuss than I realise.

Yesterday, a friend, at a lunch I had organised with her, was complaining to me about another friend who always overlooked her and never invited her out, that she was always doing the inviting. I had to bite my tongue, as the behaviour she was criticising was the exact same thing she does to me. All the time. I understood she was hurt but I know this other woman doesn't have a mean bone in her body and would be devastated that she'd upset her friend. I couldn't understand that the one complaining couldn't see it from her friend's shoes. When she does it to me, I always just presume she didn't think about it,or the dinner was organised on the spur of the moment, or she presumes we're busy or whatever. If I waited for our offers of hospitality to be reciprocated, I'd probably never see anyone. Ever. I know she has no ill intent, so I don't take it personally, and let sleeping dogs lie. 

Better yet, I wish her happiness, so I'd rather let the sleeping dogs dream.

Do you keep score on the invites? Do you try to keep the intent in mind over the action? Will you too let sleeping dogs dream?

Linking for #StayClassyMama, #KCACOLSand #UltimateRabbitHole

"We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us." Winston Churchill

I had a fly in, fly out lunch in Melbourne the other day. I went for Hockney (definitely go if you haven't been already) and then raced to Supernormal and then back to the airport. Luxury and indulgence at it's best. 

I've not been to the NGV for a good decade, I think. It was really nice to return. I enjoyed the streetscape, the art of the building and of course, the art IN the building. (The street art was covered in last weeks post).









I really hope to get back to Melbourne this year for a weekend, as they're is so much to see and do. It's an ever changing city with so much of whatever takes your fancy.

 I just really liked the moss in the fountain - it's alluring yet dirty....

Do you look closely at the buildings that house the art? Are you in love with Hockney at the moment? Do you adore Melbourne?

Linking with #WeekendReflection for the top pic & the mirror pillars.

Must watch tv...

We were late adopters of the digital tv and netflix bonanza, me being one of those people that happily went to the video shop and chatted with the film buff behind the counter...but alas, no more. As is the way of the world, they shut down.

So we moved onto Apple TV and Netflix, and can I tell you, what a let down. We wanted to watch Die Hard - had to dig out my dvd. 30 Rock? Dvd. We've watched hardly anything on Netflix, resorting to buying series on Apple TV.

The Night of (with John Tuturro) is great. I like Blunt Talk but the second season isn't as funny as the first.

That's about all I can recommend. We're watching Legion but not loving it. Watched WestWorld but only ok.

I don't know what to tell you. There's nothing really out there that's 'must watch tv'.

So if you haven't already, watch Arrested Development. It's so hilarious and probably the best thing made in the last decade or so. Breaking Bad? House of Cards? We like the Americans...

What are your favs on TV at the moment?

Struggling to write on this weeks prompt for #LifeThisWeek