How is everybody? Has everybody been enjoying the Festive season? I’d love to know the percentage of people honestly and truly enjoy the Christmas and the Festive season, those who merely go with the flow, those who pretend to like it cos they just think they should, and those than absolutely hate it.

I don’t like to be negative about it, but I’m one of those who really isn’t a fan. I think it could be a nice time of year, a time for a few days off work relaxing with family or friends or even by yourself, if it weren’t for the insane commericialism that surrounds it, which has been made even worse by the sales that follow Xmas. I heard that people were queuing up on Xmas Day night for the sales that started on Boxing Day. That’s mad! I really find it hard to understand and I’d love to have it explained to me. I’ve got lots of my own theories as to why people do this, but honestly, I really don’t know. I didn’t fancy being herded around like cattle being jammed into a pen, so I stayed clear of the sales.

Does anybody have any stories about their Festive season, good or bad?

Whether you are lover or a hater or Xmas, I hope you have all been able to spend the Festive season in the way you like to and have all had a nice time, and I wish you all a very happy and healthy 2011. 2011 already! It seems only 5 mins since everyone was talking about the potential millenium bug disaster. If anybody knows of anything that can slow time down a little, please let me know where I can buy it, cos that is something I would happily queue up for on any day and allow myself to be herded around like cattle all day for!

Take care

Hello Brencoot Xx I love your post because it is sooooo true Xx yet christmas serves me well as an excuse to buy people gifts because I love them….the friends I bought for were really thrilled and it made my soul sing…making them happy made me happy. Yet I have to completely agree with you that Christmas is very commercial. It does seem that the more I have had over the years the more I expect. I was really pleased to receive just a couple of presents this year. All completely out of the blue because I wasn’t expecting them and those gifts made me cry and my friends were not expecting anything in return…so much love and solidarity. My funny Christmas story was when I was a child my mother bought my sister and I a walkie talkie doll each and christmas day my mother was disappointed to see I wasn’t playing with my doll and left it in the box. All day my sister played with her doll and I remained silent…yes miracles happen !!  by tea time my mother said what’s the matter ? I said mummy santa bought my sister a beautiful doll and I got a lamp ! I am trying to work out why he would give me a lamp mummy ....My mother realised she had given my grandmother my doll and I had been given her lamp…the boxes were identical. My mother rushed around the corner and asked granny for her present back…( Coming from a huge Portsmouth family all my aunts and uncles and grandparents lived in the nearby streets ) My mother was soooo surprised and wondered why I had not complained….and she would have found out sooner…I think I must of known I was naughty and probably thought a deserved the lamp !!! ha ha Xx

Another year my sister and I had been so naughty my father said he would cancel christmas….I don’t remember the story yet my sister said christmas morning we both woke to no presents no tree and my father had cancelled Christmas. I can not remember the story so I can not fill in the finer details .....we must have been very naughty…!!!! a friend said how could you forget something like that ??? yet my sister swore it happened it must have been before I was 7 years as I can’t remember much before I was sent to boarding school at 7 ...doesn’t that sound dreadful having not much memory !!! Xx

So is getting your grandma’s present how you found out about Father Christmas then? I was talking to my friends about when and how we found out that Father Christmas wasn’t real (sorry if you still didn’t know and are hearing this for the first time!!!!) and quite a few of us couldn’t remember how we found out.

I’m sure there’s a film about somebody cancelling Christmas!

No it wasn’t…my mum must have said he delivered it to the wrong house..an older child told me he didn’t exist….the shock was similar to my one true love saying I don’t love you…I love somebody else….it was so real in my head….and it was horrid realising the reality santa doesn’t exist !!! ha ha ....Ummm my sister used to take lots of drugs that might explain it ha ha…she was soooo convinced my dad cancelled christmas ...I am not so sure he did he was a really kind loving generous father ...I can’t ever remember him being so mean…he would have done it as a joke that was his style…yet I can’t remember him doing it. Makes a great story…teee heee Xx how are you ? Have you got any stories….?

Happy 2011, Brencoot!!! Thank you for your postings. How have you been?

X’mas and NY are the times when I spend time with family and friends. I took a break from my normal routine, eg the computer, tv etc… We also went away for a while, visiting family and friends. I feel quite fresh coming back and hopeful towards the NY.

The downside of X’mas and NY for me is the indulgence in good food and wine. Lots of gathering and eating and I have put on loads of weight - not happy about that :-0 Well, I started LOVING MYSELF JOURNEY over the weekend, and it includes exercise daily, eat less and healthier with lots of fresh fruit, veggies and much less carbs and cheese and wine. I can picture myself with the healthier image already. It is a work in progress, so I am giving myself a few months to achieve what I want to achieve. Also I am looking into potential work, not putting too much pressure, but see what’s out there, and live each day to LOVE MYSELF MORE & APPRECIATE FOR WHAT I HAVE:-) It is great that I feel less scared and more hopeful right now.

Wish you and your wife a wonderful 2011, Brencoot! You are a STAR, Brencoot!!!

Hope

Hello Hope, how are you doing? It’s good to hear that you are trying to love yourself more. I think it’s so important to be happy with yourself and to like yourself, cos then no matter what situation you are in, you are happy cos you are you.

It’s also good that you are giving yourself time to achieve your goal of losing weight through exercise and better eating, cos without boring you with a load of waffle, doing it slowly and sensibly is really the only way to do it right. All these quick weight loss things etc are to be avoided. As people always say, it usually takes time to get what we want.

Nothing has really been happening with me. We had a very quiet Christmas and New Year, but as we aren’t into Christmas and New Year, it didn’t bother us. I’m hoping to be able to turn things round this year, but I think I might need some luck too. We’ll see.

By the way, the rains in parts of Australia (well, mainly Queensland by the looks of it) look terrible. There’s some very odd weather in a lot of places at the moment.

Well, take it easy and enjoy your new journey.

Hi Brencoot,
So good to hear from you. Best wishes and luck for 2011!!!

I was going through a pretty low period towards the end of 2010,you know,just completely lost hope of things. Glad that I went away for a while, travelling makes me see things from a different perspective, and it also provides me a sense of achievement once I did that. Mind you, I was doubting myself before the trip as if I was able to travel and nearly gave up on the idea. Lucky that my partner and my family reminded me how much I love travelling, so I did. It was great to see how other people live their lifes etc and stop, revive and survive. Yes, nature disaster is pretty aweful in some parts of OZ, and people are dying from it. I really feel for them… We are very very very fortunate in this regard, aren’t we?

Coming back from the trip, I feel quite refreshed and hopeful at the moment with the healthy eating and exercise routine. Also started applying for jobs this week, it will take me a while for something coming up, but I just need to keep at it I guess. Looking for work is similiar to keeping fit, I suppose, it doesn’t happen overnight, but it will happen with effort and opportunities. Brencoot, maybe we can be each other’s cheer leaders re finding work, staying healthy? Chloe has alwasy been an excellent motivator, so shall we all encourage one and another? I am so lucky to have met you lot here.

OK,better get on with my day. Need to work on a job application, so fingers xx. It is my first application for 2011. I believe that I am ready to do it.

Have a great day, and talk soon!

Hope

Hello Hope, how are you? What kind of jobs are you applying for? The similarity/comparison that you made between job applications and getting fit is actually very true. Both are generally not something that will come to you immediately, it’s more about keeping going and eventually you’ll get there. And yes, it’d be nice to have someone who is in the same boat as support. What kind of exercises are you doing?

Travelling anf going on holiday is good for giving us a fresh view on things and just lifting our spirits a bit, isn’t it? Is there anywhere in the world that you’d really like to go (if you could go anywhere)? I’m glad that you felt better after your trip. Maybe you need to go on holiday more often!!!!

A couple of friends of mine moved out to Australia, to Brisbane, with their kids on Jan 8. Not exactly the best time to move there, but they sent an email to say that where they are is away from the worst hit areas. Hopefully the worst of the floods will be over soon.

Well, I hope you are OK and please keep me up-to-date with how your job hunting is going.

Take it easy.

Hi Brencoot,
Hope your friends are ok. Lot of media coverage re the flood in Brisbane at the moment. From today’s news, I think that the situation is getting better now. 13 people died, and about 70 ppl still missing. Quite sad to hear about that :-0

I am walking and swimming at the moment as part of my exercise, and it makes me feel good. Also my healthy eating has made me feel quite freshed this days. What about you? How’s the weather at your end?

Well,the thing about looking for work is that you do the best you can to search for them, applying and await for the responses. In a way, it is not as positive as keeping fit. If I eat a healthy salad or go for a swim, then I feel good about it pretty much instantly. However, with job finding, once you send the application, it is then up to whoever that’s at the other end to make the decision to either accept or reject the application. The process can be frustrating and “judgemental” as we the applicants don’t have much say in the choosing/hiring process if you know what I am trying to say here?! Well, I’m looking into community type of work. What about you? Do you give youself a treat/reward for sending out an application etc?Well, I took myself out for a nice Coffee and Cake after I sent my 1st application out. Was quite pleased that I did that. Not sure what’s the best way to deal with rejection and waiting for the response or non response from the other end re the applications though…what do you reckon, Brencoot?

My computer was having a hard time being switched on earlier…it kept saying problems with the system. Lucky that it is on now. I have had my computer for a while, and it’s been having issues. I could do with a new computer one day. Well, one day soon, I hope. Fingers xx

Thinking of you, Brencoot. You are not alone in this. We are doing this together. WE CAN DO THIS!

lol
Hope

Hello Hope, how are you? I just wrote a long reply to you, but I must have done something wrong cos it disappeared!

Actually, I’ve just seen that it was your birthday yesterday, so a belated Happy Birthday!! Did you do anything? Did you have a good time?

Exercise and job applications are similar in that you have to keep going and sometimes you don’t get the results you want as quickly as you’d like, but you are right that they are also different, cos after filling out the application form and sending it, the job application process isn’t very proactive, cos you just have to sit back and wait, so it’s actually probably a lot more frustrating than exercise.

No, I don’t reward myself when I send off an application form. I don’t really reward myself for stuff. Maybe that’s a bad thing, I don’t know. I’ve never really thought about it. I feel pleased with myself when I’ve done something I guess. Maybe that is the reward.

I haven’t applied for any jobs this week. I have actually sort of stopped applying for jobs. I don’t mean that I’m giving up, I just mean that it seems that I’ve been out of the UK for too long and now don’t have what it takes to succeed here (the experience, maybe character, etc) in companies, so I think I need to have a go at doing something for myself. I’m still nowhere near being able to have a go at the restaurant or sauce, but I’m going to try to start Freelance Personal Training and doing exercise classes, like circuit training in local village halls, community centres etc. I’m not sure how it’ll go, but we’ll see.

Oh, and as for how to take rejection, I really think you shouldn’t take it personally, cos 99.99% of the time, it isn’t. Most of the time people make the decision from reading a piece of paper and what can you really tell from that? It really isn’t personal, it’s just who writes the best story for that application. So, basically, don’t take it personally, just move on to the next one.

I can’t remember what else I wrote before, so I’ll leave it there.

Well, I hope you had a nice birthday. Take it easy and remember, keep your chin up!

Brencoot,
Thank you for taking your time to write to me. It is much appreciated!!! Yes, I am older, and hope to be wiser as well. Today, I spent a few hours just to be on the net to search for jobs, working on my resume and some applications. It is hard to get rejections, and still keep on trying some days. I get quite down for being rejected… Something that I am working on at the moment, I guess.
It is good not to apply for work sometimes, you know, to give yourself a break from it. Well done on that, Brencoot.
Do you like tennis? Australian Open is on at the moment, and I enjoy watching it, and it is also a distraction from the job searching etc.
I also started going to a gym for some classes this week. Tried a pilate class the other day, and hope to try a dance class as well.
Reward & treating self well comes in all sorts of ways, and it is not just things that are classified as rewards, I suppose. I feel like that I need to complete some tasks in order to receive a reward. However, I realiase that somedays I need to reward myself just for getting through the day. Not sure if I am making sense here.
Take it easy, Brencoot, and we are IN the journey together.
Thank you for your wishes and kind encouragement!

Hope

Hello Hope, how are you? How was your weekend? Did you manage to make it to your family’s get together?

Yeah, I like tennis and am trying to watch as much of it as I can, although with the time difference, it’s not easy. Who do you think will win this year? I think the women’s is always hard to call, but in the men’s, I’m guessing it’ll probably be Nadal. I feel that if he gets to the final against Federer, Federer seems to struggle mentally against Nadal.

It is hard to keep applying for jobs, and it’s never nice being rejected, but as I said before, it really isn’t a personal thing. They can’t give the jobs to everyone, and they have to select someone on a certain criteria, and that’s it really. Try not to look at it as anything more than that. I’ve only stopped applying cos I’m so sure that I won’t get a job here, cos I’ve been away so long. I’ve applied for a lot of jobs that I was way over qualified for, but never heard anything. I’ve found that I’m stuck between those kind of jobs and jobs that I am about right for (qualifications wise), but just don’t have the experience for. I’m going up against people with the same kind of qualifications, but about 10-12 years more experience. I’ve no chance, so I have to try something different. If I were in the employer’s shoes, I’d do the same and choose somebody else.

Do you have any plans for this week? I hope you are OK.

Take it easy.

Hi Brencoot,
Great to hear from you. How was your weekend? Is it still pretty cold at your end?

I had a OK weekend. My partner took me out and we had a nice time together. Nearly didn’t make it to the family gathering as my mum and I had disagreement about birthday. My mum doesn’t think that birthday should be celebrated and told to too many strangers. She thinks that older you get, the quite you should keep about your age. I feel that she is ashamed of my existence by telling me that. I never get along with my mum as we are very different. I guess that I only got to know her a bit better when I first diagonosed with depression. I stayed with her for a while till I could get up, eat, walk and function again. I know that she is my mother who made me, but I never feel that I can connect with her. It feels that I am better off without her. Well, I didn’t have much contact with her for years till just a few years ago… Strange, isn’t it? How two very different people can be related as mother and daughter? I feel that my mum considers me a failure of being my age, jobless, marriageless and childrenless :-0 When I was young, I was quite outgoing and always curious to try different things. My mother could never understand why I was like that. For her, she lives in a box. As for my dad,he doesn’t really care much about anyone else but himself. How wonderful is that?

What about you?Do you keep contact with your family much?

This week, I am still going to look at jobs, applications etc. Feel like giving up,but no one is going to give me a job if I don’t look for it, right? I agree with what you said about jobs,employers etc. Also tennis,I enjoy watching it. Roger is probably my farourite as he is so calm cool and collected. I like nadal as well. They are solid players. Female tennis players, I don’t get them as there are so many, and the ranking is not very consistent. I prefer male tennis myself.

Take care, Brencoot, and hope you have a good week.

Hope

Hello Hope, how are things going?

Yeah, it’s interesting how people from the same family, mothers and daughters, sisters, brothers etc, can be so different.  Have you ever tried to talk to your mum about it or so you think trying to talk to her would be too stressful, or that maybe she wouldn’t want to talk about it? You have to live your life how you want to, not how your mum, or anybody for that matter, wants you to, even though this is sometimes very hard. We have pressures from everywhere, society, family, friends etc. It’s hard to focus just on what we want, but we have to try.

It was cold for a few days over here, but it’s turned surprisingly mild again. After our coldest Dec in more than 100 years and a ridiculous amount of snow, this last month or so hasn’t been so bad, and it sounds like it’s been one of our driest winters ever, despite the snow. I heard that 30cm of snow equates to only about 3cm of rain.

Have you been looking for jobs recently? As you said, if you don’t apply, then you have no chance of getting a job.

Did you watch the tennis finals? I was sort of disappointed that neither Federer or Nadal made it to the final cos I like watching them play, but I guess it’s good that somebody different won for a change. I know what you are saying about woman’s tennis. I prefer the men’s game at the moment cos I just can’t get into the women’s game at the moment as I don’t really feel that there are any real top top players at the moment, ah, with the exception of the Williams sisters (who to be fair are top players), and they only seem to play their best at Wimbledon. I think in the men’s game, Federer and Nadal are possibly the greatest 2 ever. Actually, not possibly, probably.

Well, I hope you are OK. Take it easy and good luck with the applications!

By the way Hope, I see that there’s big storm heading for Queensland again. I hope you don’t know anybody up there who might be affected by it.