PostSecret…from walls to bridges

March 31, 2013

‘I am a fire fighter I am afraid the day might come when I’m not as brave as I am supposed to be’…printed on a postcard of the American flag. ‘I give decaf to customers who are rude to me’… written on a flattened Starbucks cup. ‘One of these men is the father, he pays me a lot to keep the secret’…taped across a collage of male celebrity faces.

Frank Warren, creator of the ‘PostSecret’ concept has over 500,000 plus anonymous secrets just like these written on postcards from strangers all over the world.

What started as a project involving 3,000 self addressed postcards, distributed across Washington DC and inviting people to write an artful secret then post and let it go has, in Frank’s words, ‘turned into a runaway success’ spawning best-selling books, museum exhibitions and talk tours.

‘I am so grateful to the psychiatrist I saw when I was nineteen, who told me I would be fine again. He saved my life’…penned across a sepia postcard.

As Frank explains…‘Everyone has at least one secret that could break someone’s heart; we hide much more than we know. When we keep our secrets inside they feel like walls, but when we find the courage to share them, they become bridges’.

Now here’s an interesting thing…readers of Frank’s postcard sharing blog http://www.postsecret.com voluntarily worked to create a complete and comprehensive data base of international suicide-prevention hotlines – suicideprevention.wikia.com. Having lost my sister in law to suicide and heard countless similar stories, I found it so heartening to see the sharing of ‘soulful, sexual, silly and shocking secrets’ also generating a tangible desire to reach out a helping hand to those in troubled waters. Such activity in my mind reinforces Frank’s favorite secret out of the hundreds of thousands he’s received:

‘We are all part of something bigger, and we’re all part of it together’.

We are indeed.

PS: Noticed Frank is touring and holding talks April 14 – 20 in Bris, Syd, Melbourne and Perth. I’m curious, aren’t you? (Full story Harpers Bazaar – April ’13 p.186)

DeClutter and Desist!

March 29, 2013

Need a Crock Pot? What about a juice extractor, popcorn maker, slightly broken blender? Size 8? Need a few shirts n’ skirts? My friends are nervous. Why the cull? You are coming back aren’t you?

I confess. A christmas read – Gretchen Ruben’s ‘The Happiness Project’ – started this. Gretchen documented her strategy to improve her already satisfying life with a new concept per month. Her mission for January – to ‘Boost Energy’. How? Go to sleep earlier; exercise better; toss, restore and organise…now that I could do. Added it to the 2013 Resolution list along with ‘spend less’, ‘give more’.

Which led me to another read – ‘Miss Minimalist – Inspiration to Downsize, De-clutter and Simplify’ by Francine Jay, this author’s intent being to inform us of just how much stuff we really don’t need cluttering our nests.

Minimalist indeed! According to Francine I could live without that TV, therefore wouldn’t need the console it sits on and heck, since we no longer watch a telly, why clutter the room with a lounge suite when two chairs would do – seriously? Did glean many excellent nuggets though, the basic premise being – if you rarely use it, get rid of it. A fabulous de-clutter exercise, count me in and add that to the list, along with ‘be charitable’, ‘give generously’.

Which led to the sabbatical plan requiring I pack and store everything except the basics my prospective tenants would expect from a fully furnished lease. Pack all that stuff then unpack it all again in 6 months? No, just the clothing items that fit and flatter, the electricals that have earned their keep, the signature items that make my abode my home, my haven, my nest.

Colleagues, friends and family…if you would use or wear it, it’s yours. Charities…stand by. Oh! And would someone please claim that damn fondue set?

My beloved friends, I am coming back…to clean lines, clutter free cupboards and elegant, minimalist living. Wonderful things those resolutions! Thank you for caring.

Books available at Amazon.com

A pretty little dessert

March 22, 2013

When feeding my lovely girlies recently, concluded our sweet and sumptuous soirée with a delightfully cool, fresh and fruity summer dessert. Ever so elegant, rather pretty and oh so simple! Try it!

Need:
400g ricotta cheese
165g caster sugar
300ml thickened cream
100g white chocolate Toblerone chopped finely
100g Turkish delight chopped finely
150g chopped nectarines

Do:
• Line 140cm x 21cm loaf pan with a strip of foil or baking paper to cover base and extend over the two long sides
• Beat ricotta and sugar in small bowl with electric mixer until smooth. Transfer ricotta to larger bowl
• Beat cream in same small bowl with electric mixer ’til soft peaks form
• Stir chocolate, turkish delight and nectarines into ricotta mixture, fold in cream
• Spoon mixture into prepared pan, smooth top, cover, freeze overnight or until firm

Present:
• Turn parfait out onto a long platter, slice. Stand at least 10mins or until softened slightly before serving.

Decorate with extra chopped turkish delight and throw a few delicate pink rose petals around the platter for a little extra visual pizzaz…present!

Enjoy!
(Recipe can be found in Women’s Weekly Best Food Collection)

Month: March 2013