Twenty-Seventeen... The Year of More Love
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Have you ever cheated on your tax return?

21/9/2014

6 Comments

 
My Dad is The Most Honest Man on the Planet. 

Seriously.

My grandmother owned a unit in the same street as Mum and Dad for many years and after she passed away, Dad didn’t want to rent the unit out so it was empty for a year or so. Apparently, one of the conditions of his insurance policy was that the unit not be vacant for more than ninety days at a time.

So every three months, my gorgeous Dad would take a camp stretcher over to the unit and spend the night there. 

Most people would just say they'd stayed there if they ever needed to put a claim in, but my Dad actually did make sure the unit wasn’t empty for more than ninety days in a row so he’d never have to lie about it.

How utterly wonderfully and refreshingly honest is that?

I’m not sure I would ever go to that extent but I can honestly say I’ve never claimed anything on my tax return that I haven’t been entitled to.

Except by default.

Because I once had A Very Dodgy Tax Accountant.

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When my ex-husband and I moved to Brisbane from Melbourne in 1998, our accountant told us that we could claim the cost of the move because I would be working for the same law firm. 

I questioned him about this at the time and said ‘but it’s my choice to move, they haven’t transferred me or anything’. But Very Dodgy Accountant Dude insisted we could claim the cost of our move, which was about $3,500.

So we did.

Even though it didn’t feel quite right.

Fast forward a few years and I received a Very Official Looking Letter from the Australian Taxation Office letting me know that Dodgy Accountant Dude was in fact Very Very Dodgy (you don’t say ATO!) and he was under investigation for Doing Dodgy Stuff. The Very Unjoyful Letter also told me that I would be notified if any of my previous tax returns were going to be audited.

Oh my goodness.

Oh my goodness.

Oh my goodness.

I was divorced by this stage and really couldn’t afford to be paying back thousands and thousands of dollars. For about two months, I was slightly concerned every time I checked the letterbox but thankfully I never heard from the Tax Office again.
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But it was a very good reminder to never claim anything I’m not entitled to. If it doesn’t feel right, then it’s probably not the right thing to be doing. Even if Someone Official tells you it is. 

Always trust your instincts and do what aligns with your values rather than someone else’s.

And apart from anything else, surely it’s not great money karma to receive money that isn’t actually rightfully yours!

I know it’s a little ironic that my greatest lesson in honesty came from Dodgy Accountant Dude rather than my Dad but sometimes we have to learn by experience rather than being led by example.

My Dad was born in 1931 so he remembers growing up during the Depression in Melbourne.

In 1932 the unemployment rate reached 32 percent. The impact that must have had on society is unimaginable to most of us born in the last 50 years.

Dad had to leave school when he was 14 as his father had a heart attack and could no longer work. He is such an intelligent man and it’s such a shame he never got to finish his education. 

He would have been capable of Many Amazing Things. Including Running The Country, which is what I thought he would have been good at when I was a little girl.

I may be slightly biased but Dad would have made a wonderful Prime Minister. Although I’m not sure how he would have gone having to wear all those Suits and Ties.

Dad grew up truly valuing money and at 83 years young, he still hates wasting money and won’t buy anything unless He Actually Needs It.


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Dad truly doesn’t even begin to understand why someone would want to buy a new TV or a new shirt or a new car unless they Need to buy them.

If you saw The Items of Choice in his wardrobe you might think he Needs some new clothes. But he honestly doesn't care. I've never in my life met anyone less affected by marketing or What People Think. 

Last Christmas I picked Dad up from the airport and he had one of those red, white and blue stripey bags in his hand. 

Yes, the ones that people generally use for storing things in around the house. 

I used one to take my clothes to the laundry mat when I lived in London 25 years ago.

Most people don’t take them on planes.

But my Dad did.

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He was dumbfounded when I laughed and shook my head when I saw him. ‘What's wrong with it?’ he said when I explained what I was laughing at. 

I have to admit – and I realise how terrible this sounds - that the only thing 'wrong' with it in my eyes is what other people may have thought about him. 

But it didn't bother him in the slightest so I had absolutely no right or reason to be bothered by it.

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There is the slightest of chances that I haven’t inherited my Dad’s money savviness or bewilderment About Buying Things You Don’t Need.
 
Some examples of this include (but are definitely not limited to):
 
Exhibit 1: Buying $1,000 worth of shares a few months before the stock market crash of 1987. Oops.

Exhibit 2: Selling my house after getting divorced and then paying more for a unit than what I got for the house - despite the fact My Grand Plan was to have a smaller mortgage on one wage. Nope, that didn’t happen. But I must say, that unit turned out to be The Best Investment Ever.
 
Exhibit 3: The more than 100 unread books I have at home. 

Exhibit 4: The 46 dresses hanging in my wardrobe. If you missed my blog about All Things Dress-like, click here http://www.theyearofmore.com/blog/do-women-really-need-dresses

Exhibit 5: The four coats I purchased in New York. Yes, to wear on the Sunshine Coast. Here’s a link to that post too http://www.theyearofmore.com/blog/how-many-coats-does-a-woman-in-queensland-need
 
Exhibit 6: And clearly the fact that this blog exists is evidence in itself.
 
But what fun I’m having exploring all of this!!!

And I’m definitely closer to Dad’s ethos on money than I’ve ever been before. 

He would be so proud. 

If I were to ever actually tell him about the blog of course. 

But that would mean telling him about the 46 dresses and the 100 unread books.

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Image from ijaddancecompany.com
Dad has only ever bought One Thing on credit in his entire life – the house he built with Mum almost fifty years ago. 

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My gorgeous Dad building the garage. It's quite possible those clothes are still in his wardrobe.
Everything else he has paid cash for. 

Everything. Cars. Furniture. Holidays. Absolutely everything.

He’s never possessed a credit card or cheque book and doesn’t even have an ATM card. He has a passbook account and goes into the branch to withdraw money when he needs it. It’s so 'old school', which I absolutely adore.

In complete contrast to Dad, my bank once rang me to let me know there had been an ‘unusually high amount of activity on my credit card’ and when I’d finally stopped laughing and snorting on the other end of the phone, I blurted out:

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Needless to say, that’s something else I haven’t shared with my dear Dad.

Thank goodness he doesn't have access to the Internet!

Another story I haven’t shared with him happened when I went to live in London in 1989. I had travelled around the United States and Europe for two months and upon arriving in London, after paying my bond and a month’s rent on a flat, I was left with 14 pound in the bank. So one night we all went out for dinner and I had the Brilliant Idea of putting the entire bill on my credit card and then everyone else would give me cash. 

This is clearly not a financial decision my Dad would have approved of.

So the plan was going well until the waitress came over to say my credit card had been declined. Oh dear. Not only did I end up with no cash but I also owed one of my new flat mates £10!!!

It’s Not Quite The Wisest Plan I’ve Ever Had.
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Sometimes I worry that Dad doesn’t spend money on what would make him more comfortable as I’ve been trying to talk him into getting ducted heating throughout the house for two winters now. His standard response is ‘I get by okay’. He has a fantastic heater in the living room but his bedroom is absolutely freezing in winter and I just want him to not have to worry about freezing his little footsies off.

So far I’ve lost the Ducted Heating Debate but I’m going to keep trying. I’ll wear him down eventually. In a loving way of course!

Last weekend, during our weekly Sunday night Phone Joy, I decided to ask him about his Bucket List. After he retired, he and Mum did lots of travelling within Australia but neither of them had ever left the country, so I asked him if there is anywhere in the world he would like to visit as I’d be happy to accompany him. 

Do you know what he said?

He wants to go to the Flowerdale Hotel for lunch. 

The Flowerdale Hotel is a pub 100kms north of Melbourne that we frequently visited when my brother and I were growing up. Lots of happy times were spent at the Flowerdale.

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Image from flowerdalehotel.com
How adorable is his Beautifully Basic Bucket List? 

He doesn’t want to visit the Eiffel Tower or New York - with or without his Stripey Bag. 

He wants to go and eat at a pub that is filled with love and happy memories.

He’s quite a unique man my Dad.

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I just love him to bits.

And I wish I were more like him in many ways.

Perhaps The Year of More really is getting me a little bit closer to that goal.


What's something you've learnt from your parents?

Joyful hugs,

Karen  xo

‘You don't really understand human nature unless you know why a child on a merry-go-round will wave at his parents every time around - and why his parents will always wave back.’  William D. Tammeus

6 Comments

Have you ever murdered a teddy bear?

4/9/2014

2 Comments

 
I bought a new kettle last week. 

Isn’t she pretty?

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My old one was making funny (read strange, rather than amusing) noises and I felt our relationship was nearing its end. So I decided to buy a new one before Experiencing Yet Another Kitchen Disaster – keep reading and all will become clear.

The noises were quite possibly caused by Me Not Taking Very Good Care of My Old Kettle. Yes, I may be guilty of ongoing kettle abuse I’m afraid. You see, I don’t drink coffee and I only drink tea on the rarest of occasions. About now, you’re probably starting to wonder what I use a kettle for at all aren’t you? Well, apart from obviously needing one for when I have Coffee and Tea Drinking People over (or making jelly as I do like the occasional Frog in a Pond), earlier this year I was reading an article espousing the benefits of drinking warm water with lemon juice squeezed into it, so I thought I’d give it a go. I’ve noticed some really positive changes so I now do it every morning. 

I’ve been having monthly massages for the last 15 years to help prevent migraines but last year I was getting a migraine once a month (thanks to my hormones… and trust me when I say there is no such thing as Migraine Joy) but since I’ve been drinking the lemon water, I haven’t had a migraine for six months which has been wonderful. I’m sure it’s not just due to the lemon juice as I’m also taking some natural tablets to help keep my hormones under control (as well as still having the massages) but I’ve definitely noticed other benefits as well so I’m going to continue to support the Lemon Growers of Queensland.

So since February, I’ve been using my kettle Every Single Day and as I hate wasting water and electricity, I only put enough water in the kettle to fill a bit more than one glass.

Apparently kettles don’t like that very much.

Apparently you’re supposed to fill the water up past a certain point.

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And my conspiracy theory is that Kettle Bigwigs are in cahoots with Electricity Big wigs.

Anyway, what isn’t needy or high maintenance is My Fabulous Lemon Squeezer. Isn’t he gorgeous?  (Do not ask why the kettle is female and the lemon squeezer is male, some things just cannot be explained.)

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Lemon squeezer modelling shoot. No airbrushing required.
I bought him for $5 at Kmart and he has quickly become my favourite non-electrical gadget in the kitchen. 

Although my garlic press is also pretty impressive. 

And I do hold my egg rings in high regard.

A few weekends ago I was shopping with a friend (I can still look and help others to buy Lovely Things!) and I saw the cutest heart shaped egg rings and was Very Tempted to buy them. But, as I already have perfectly adequate – albeit, non-heart creating shaped - egg rings, I resisted the urge. 

Another The Year of More success.

By the way, a slice of capsicum makes a yummy edible egg ring.

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Made by Karen Maree Young without setting fire to anything.
Getting back to the kettle. 

See, I told you they’re needy.

I kid you not, I have used a kettle more in the last six months than I have in the last 10 years.

Without blowing it up. Melting it. Or setting off any safety switches.

Because, sadly, I have a bit of a history with Blowing Things Up. Melting Things. And Setting Off Safety Switches.

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Electrical Appliance Disaster Confession No. 1:

A few years ago someone gave me a very cute teddy bear shaped wheat bag. Ted was red with white piping around his edges. What I discovered when searching for images of teddy bear shaped wheat bags is that there are some seriously scary looking teddy bear shaped wheat bags out there. 

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And... 
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But my Ted was very cute indeed.

Was being the operative word I’m afraid.

Yes, I confess that I murdered Ted.

Well, technically I set him on fire.

Drowned him.

And then dismembered him.

It was a tragedy of massive proportions.

I was one of Those Silly People who don’t follow the simple rules written on Large Pieces of Paper accompanying such purchases. You know, the Large Pieces of Paper which warn you Not To Do Certain Things?

One night I had a sore shoulder and Ted was doing a wonderful job of easing my aches and pains. But I popped him back in the microwave for another few minutes of zapping when he was still warm (one of the Things You Shouldn’t Do with a wheat bag according to the Large Piece of Paper). 

And he literally burst into flames. 

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So after the safety switch went off in the unit I was living in at the time - I really should never be allowed to live anywhere without a fully functioning safety switch - I ran to the microwave to see the flames ferociously taking hold of Ted’s right arm. 

I quickly opened the microwave door and grabbed the jug Ted was sitting in - and in My First Wild Burst of Panic, I put the jug under the tap and sort of drowned him and then My Second Wild Burst of Panic took hold and I grabbed Ted’s non-burning arm and swung him around the room.

His arm came off in my hand.

Little pieces of wet singed wheat flew everywhere.

Everywhere.

There wasn’t an inch of kitchen floor that wasn’t completely covered in what had once been Ted.



I have only bought boring rectangular shaped wheat bags since then. I just couldn’t bear (no pun intended) the thought of murdering another cute animal-shaped one.

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So you’re probably thinking that I should have packed up and moved to live in a tent after I’d slaughtered poor Ted. 

But no, apparently there were further Electrical Disasters awaiting me that I needed to experience.

Electrical Appliance Disaster Confession No. 2:

One night I was cooking a piece of chicken on my George Foreman Health Grill and don’t ask me why but I never fully trusted that George would cook things evenly on both sides – no offence George - so I would always turn the chicken over half way through. But this time, I neglected to move the cord completely out of the way of the hotplate when I closed the lid.

And after the safety switch kicked in yet again, I discovered George Foreman’s cord had caught fire.

And my chicken was a tad overcooked.

At that point, perhaps going to live with the Amish wouldn’t have been such a bad idea.


Electrical Appliance Disaster Confession No. 3:

Yes, there’s another one. 

A different house this time though. And no, I didn’t relocate because my previous abode burnt to the ground.
 
One sunny Sunday morning I was cleaning the kitchen.

'How can this possibly be an electrical disaster?’, I hear you ask?

Wellllll…

My kitchen was quite small so I would generally move everything to the dining table while I cleaned the benches, but on this particular day the table was covered in a creative project of some description so I moved my food processor onto the stovetop. 

Which was obviously turned off.

At that moment at least.

Anyhoo, I must have knocked the knob and turned the hotplate on and then trooped off to clean the bathroom while the kitchen benches dried.

I came back out 20 minutes later to find the bottom of the food processor melted onto the hotplate. 

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I’ve lived without a food processor since then.

I have, of course, owned electrical appliances that haven’t been blown up or melted or set fire to.

I really have.

Although, I’m sure by now you understand why I’m rather hesitant to buy a slow cooker.

And it’s fairly obvious why this isn’t a blog about cooking ☺

There may have also been an incident involving a Bunsen burner in high school science class but thankfully the details are a little bit fuzzy after all this time…

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I have, however, had some very successful long-term relationships with a dustbuster or two.

I have long hair that seems to Not Want to Stay on My Head so every morning I use a high voltage dustbuster to vacuum up the Little Hairy Escapees covering my bathroom floor.

Karen’s Electrical Appliance Tip No. 1: the lower voltage dustbusters are absolute crap; invest in a good one. And yes, I do realise after what I’ve just disclosed, you may not see me as the most reliable source of Electrical Appliance Tips but trust me on this one.

So my dustbuster and I had been cohabitating happily for a few years when all of a sudden he decided he wanted out of our relationship. 

He just stopped working. 

During the The Year of More. 

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And although I stipulated in My Very First Blog Post that I could replace electrical appliances if they broke, (http://www.theyearofmore.com/blog/so-whats-the-year-of-more-all-about), I didn’t really want to spend the money on a Good One and I didn’t want to waste money on a Crap One. 

And as synchronicity would have it, a week or so earlier I just happened to read an article about the feng shui benefits of sweeping. It was more specifically referring to sweeping outside your front door but I decided that sweeping my bathroom floor every morning would work just as well.

So I spent $2 on a dustpan and brush for the bathroom.

Sweeping may not seem very exciting and that’s the whole point - as well as being a way of bringing positive feng shui energy into your home, it’s also one of those mundane activities which can lead to more mindfulness. 

The process of bending down to pick up a dustpan and then spending a quiet minute or two brushing up all those Little Hairy Escapees into a neat little creepy hair-filled pile, is something which brings me completely into The Moment every morning. 

My dustbuster activity used to be noisy and over with in about 15 seconds but achieving the same result with a dustpan and small brush is a completely different experience.

I went to the School of Philosophy in Brisbane almost every week for four years and we often spoke about being mindful while doing everyday tasks – washing the dishes, brushing your teeth or locking the door. These are little things that actually make a big difference. 

Being present helps to slow down our minds. 

It helps us to focus. 

It helps to eliminate stress.

It helps to increase self-awareness.

It helps us to remember.

Do you know why we ponder whether we’ve locked the door or turned the iron off? Because these are tasks we perform mechanically without really thinking about them. If you were mindfully doing the ironing, you would never stop to think about whether you’ve turned the iron off or not. Because you would remember doing it.


Imagine how different things would be on the road if drivers were more mindful. People would stop dying needlessly. 

Imagine how different our relationships would be if we were more mindful of our actions and our words. Being mindful prevents some of the knee-jerk reactions we often run with.

And let’s face it, if I’d been more mindful, the aforementioned wheat bag, health grill and food processor may have all lived much longer and happier inanimate lives.

I would also like to share this story… it’s about a dog who melted a laptop which was left sitting on a stovetop. I kid you not. 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/31/dog-turns-on-stove_n_5743774.html?ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000022

Clearly it can happen to anyone.

Be careful. Be mindful. Be your fabulously unique self. 

Joyful hugs,

Karen  xo

‘Mindfulness is simply being aware of what is happening right now without wishing it were different; enjoying the pleasant without holding on when it changes (which it will); being with the unpleasant without fearing it will always be this way (which it won’t).’ James Baraz

2 Comments
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    This is me

    Hi, I’m Karen Young and I live on the beautiful Sunshine Coast in Australia. I'm a passionate, nerdy, loud, quirky introvert who loves words, elephants, people, the beach, champagne, chocolate, sunsets, trees, travel, books, Joy of every kind but especially Letterbox Joy, Writing Joy and Theatre Joy. I adore being inspired to Live More, Love More and Be More. I love fiercely and hurt deeply. I make mistakes, lots and lots of lots of mistakes! And I learn from most of them although some lessons seem to take me a lifetime to learn so Life is most definitely a constant Work In Progress xo

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