Newsletter Extract: Time management when time is running out.
I'm a big fan of the late Randy Pausch who was excellent at getting a balance in his life. If you haven't seen his talk on time management and you need more time to do the important stuff in your life you should check it out here on YouTube (although it takes an hour to watch, it is time you will save after watching it!). When I'm in need of a refresher, I listen to it when inking.
One of the things I think (I definitely need to listen again) he mentions in his talk is Stephen Covey's Urgent vs Important Matrix:
Stephen Covey wrote The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People . I haven't read his book, but I use his matrix all the time. Basically, you need to work on the things that are important first and let go of the things that are not important. With the constant barrage of information from the likes of social media, it is worth bearing in mind.
Forget Kids– Get a Dog is something that's not urgent but it is important to me. Working on it this week is sad in a way because so much of it reminds me of Billie. And he was the reason for writing it in the first place, as he brought so much joy to our lives (hey, I love my niece and nephews, but...). Also, when I showed fellow cartoonists some drawings from the book way backin 2011, it had a lot of resonance. So I want to put it out in the world before it's too late.
And that's where we get to the next thing that happened this week…
Head to the archive to read more here.
This is an extract of my Illustrated Epistle, which goes out in the middle of the month. It is a behind-the-scenes look at the life of a cartoonist (specifically, mine). I'd love it if you signed up at the bottom of this page, or here:
http://eepurl.com/cCOOeD
Reasons to Be Cheerful - Using Dictation to Prevent Repetitive Strain Injury Can Be Entertaining
My Mac translates my dictation (Click to see options for using this image)
I get repetitive strain injury when I type too much and so I have switched to dictating when I can. I'm dictating this right now. The Mac is pretty good at deciphering my speech, But sometimes its mistakes can be very entertaining.
(Well I didn't didn't even need to edit that. Looks I spoke too soon. I better stop dictating now.)
Living in New Zealand: An Overnight Tramp to Spurs Hut Near Fairlie in Canterbury
An easy overnight hike to Spurs hut in Canterbury. This DOC hut is basic and you need to take water and possibly firewood.
Opuha River looking pristine
The boyf and I don’t like hiking in bad weather, or the dark, so we took the opportunity to do an overnight tramp in Canterbury before the days get too short, or rainy. It’s just over 3 hours in our 1975 land rover to the start of the trail to Spurs Hut, near Fairlie.
The track isn’t very demanding, except for having to pick your way over streams that have been peppered with cow shit (unfortunately the cattle are able to walk through the tributaries and the Opuha River itself. There’s no way I’d swim in Opuha lake knowing this. See earlier post).
Hiking beside the Opuha River looking for trout and not finding any
With our stopping to take pictures and look at the river (no trout), it took about 3 hours to get to the hut. It was a sweet little hut with 4 bunks and a wood burner (but no wood and no rainwater collection).
Spurs Hut in Canterbury (Click to see options for using the image)
A long drop toilet near the DOC Spurs hut
We woke to find ice inside the hut and on our washing up
Spurs Hut seems to be used a lot by hunters and some of the idiots who use it think it’s fine to leave their rubbish. I packed some of it out, but didn’t have room for it all.
Bogan evidence bag
It was pretty walking out in the frost.
It only took an hour and 45 minutes to hike back out, which left us plenty of time to stop for a great coffee in the Farm Barn and a bit of lunch and second hand shopping in Methven before we drove though the Canterbury Plains and home.
New Zealand Garden Diary: Happy Trees, Including Fred the Fig
Growing figs, feijoas and olives in New Zealand
Fred the Fig is doing well - Click to see options for using the image
A long, hot summer with regular watering and use of mulch has meant happy trees up in the back section. I can’t believe Fred the Fig and Fiona the Feijoa each produced two fruits in the first year. I’ve cleared the weeds and put on more mulch (the ground is already wet from rain). Hopefully we’ll get more next year.
No olives on Olive yet, but lots of growth
Fiona the feijoa
