March 2015 - Page 2 of 4

Weekly Photo Challenge: Fresh

March 22, 2015 inspiringmax

For this week’s photo challenge, share with us a photo that expresses something fresh.

To celebrate our daughters birthday one year, my husband and I created this giant ice cream cupcake. We used a giant two-piece cupcake mould—to create our masterpiece. One half was lined with chocolate biscuit crumbs and the other melted white chocolate. This gave us the bottom and top of our cake. The middle was made of 5 layers of ice cream. Each layer was a different flavour. My husband choose 2, I choose 2 and the last was a mutual decision to bring it all together. They worked brilliantly. We then put it all together and sprinkled chocolate flakes over the top for an original fresh, yummy birthday cake. You couldn’t wipe the smile of her face.

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_photo_challenge/fresh-2/

Fly On The Wall

March 21, 2015March 21, 2015 inspiringmax

If you could be a “fly on the wall” anywhere and at any time in history, where and when would you choose?

Owing to my curiosity I was unable to decide on just one moment to spy on—too many options. Instead I choose an acrostic poem with my various ideas—some are a little out there but the knowledge gained from each experience would have been amazing.

Flying with Amelia Earhart across the Atlantic Ocean as the first woman to go solo

Landing on the moon

Yellowstone’s super-volcano last eruption in 1350 BC

Observing Michelangelo paint the Sistine Chapel

Normans adventures and conquests

Titanic’s last day

Historic occasion of the Berlin Wall coming down

End of World War II

Womans movement development in the 1970’s

At Gander, Canada the day all planes en route to USA were forced to land there because American airspace was closed as a response to 9/11

Listening to Martin Luthur Kings “I have a dream” speech

Lunch with the royal family just being themselves—no protocol or formalities

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/fly-on-the-wall/

Life in Sydney

March 20, 2015 inspiringmax

What do you love most about the city / town / place that you live in? What do you like the least about it? If you were mayor, what would be the most important problem you’d tackle? How would you tackle it?

I live in Sydney, Australia along with 4.5 million others. It is a vibrant, exciting city visited by millions of people ever year and home to the deepest natural harbour in the world. See my earlier post—Welcome to Sydney here for more information.

Working in mental health I love that Sydney’s specialists and hospitals are recognised on the world map as leaders in research in all areas. If help is needed it can be accessed—something that cannot be said for many places.

My biggest problem living in Sydney is the daily commute. Compared to other cities in the world, it is expensive—although now a little cheaper with the Opal card, time consuming and the buses are unreliable. I mostly use the trains which have improved recently however they are not yet at a level that encourages drivers to get off the road and catch the train. On average it takes me 1.5 hours to get to work on the train. If I leave for work early and leave work late I can drive the distance in half an hour—something I have begun doing a couple of days a week. During my usual hours however the drive will take a minimum of an hour so the extra stress isn’t worth it.

My only solution to this problem is to bring down the price of public transport, increase services and make sure they run on or close to time. Sydney trains has worked hard on this however the buses have far too few routes and buses often don’t show. Only last Sunday I needed to wait for 50 minutes for a bus that should have arrived 6 minutes after I did. If I had taken my alternate train/walk route I would have been home before the bus arrived.

These problems are not insurmountable and commuting would take less time in a smaller city. Smaller cities also have fewer resources something I am not interested in giving up. While 5 minutes to work may be great if I worked in an office or shop—in mental health physical distance can be a blessing in disguise as it gives time between work and home which helps me to wind down after a busy day. Having a view of Sydney Harbour to start and end my day isn’t hard to take either—something I don’t get on the days I choose to drive.

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/we-built-this-city/

Eclectic Corner: Street Life

March 19, 2015March 19, 2015 inspiringmax

In regional China people seem to live life on the street. They cook, play and sleep in front of their homes or shops. I found it fascinating as it was so different to anywhere else I had ever been. Life is simple, colourful and it works.

002 - Back street next to river at end of main area of Wuhu

003 - Back street and Junks at end of main area of Wuhu

http://eclecticoddsnsods.com/2015/02/24/eclectic-corner-7-street-life-photography-writing/

Poetry 101 Rehab: Right

March 18, 2015 inspiringmax

Today I am joining Mara Eastern’s weekly poetry challenge to continue to develop my newly found poetry skills. To add some interest and mix it up a bit—each week using the theme I will write two poems, not one. This week’s theme is RIGHT—I have chosen to write a limmerick—in celebration of St Patrick’s Day yesterday and a concrete poem.

Is it wrong or is it right?

This is my common plight

How can I tell?

If I do not dwell

Because I need to prepare for the fight.

Alright.

Yes I got

uptight,

every time

I couldn’t

tell my

left-hand

from my right. Then

I solved the problem

I put a ring

on it.

http://maraeastern.com/2015/03/16/poetry-101-rehab-right/

World’s Best Ice Cream

March 18, 2015 inspiringmax

Vanilla, chocolate, or something else entirely?

During our trip to Canada, in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island we discovered a secret—the world’s best ice cream. The brand was appropriately named Cows and decorated in a black and white cow print theme. The weather may have been cold, rainy and miserable outside but wasn’t going to stop us treating ourselves.

The names of the ice cream flavours were also a delight with an unusual twist on the cow theme. I choose Cowie Wowie—vanilla ice cream, English toffee marble,chocolate flakes and moo crunch for my bottom level. On the top I had Moo York Cheesecake—cheesecake ice cream, Oreo and chocolate swirl. My husband choose Cowberry—vanilla ice cream, fresh PEI strawberries, PEI blueberries and raspberries for his bottom layer. He topped this off with Birthday Cake—cake batter base, blue frosting swirl and sprinkles.

The ice cream was amazing. Rich and smooth and you could tell the individual flavours that went into each cone. My regret is that I didn’t choose a chocolate flavour as I usually would which I think would have taken my choice to a new height. Cowie Wowie is their most popular flavour which is why I choose it and I am not sorry I did.

Upon leaving there was a sadness as we realised we wouldn’t be able to try it again as there is not a big chain of Cows stores around Canada. This was a one hit wonder and a highlight of our trip to Charlottetown.

The experience put new meaning to the old quote—”I sceam, you scream, we all scream for ice cream.”

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/32-flavors/

My Places

March 17, 2015 inspiringmax

Beach, mountain, forest, or somewhere else entirely?

To me connecting with nature is healing. I attempt to do it everyday even if only for 5 minutes. It clears my head. Any form of nature will do—smelling a flower on a short walk or a day trip to the beach or mountains. I love them all. As a child I spent many hours at the beach as well as walking in the bush so both have pleasant memories attach.

The higher my intensity of stress the more I will ensure that I take time out of my day to walk barefoot on the grass for 5 minutes. My other easy to go to places are the river, Sydney harbour, local parks or wetlands—all are close to my work or home. Half an hour in the silence does the trick of dealing with my stress nicely.

Last Christmas we wanted to experience nature in a different way and left sunny Australia for the cold winters of Canada. While we enjoyed our time there, it was only our last week that allowed us to experience the force of nature in this way—snow and ice. The first 5 weeks were above average temperatures and it was the first green Christmas in over a quarter century. Our proof that mother nature is to be enjoyed not controlled—she will always win.

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/places/

Share Your World – 2015 Week 10

March 17, 2015March 16, 2015 inspiringmax

When you lose electricity in a storm, do you light the candles or turn on the flashlight? How many of each do you own?

I personally would prefer to use candles, however my husband has a fear of them so torches it is. We actually keep three of them on the bookcase at the front door so they are easy to find if needed. Fortunately we rarely need to use them.

You are given $5,000 and the chance to exchange it for one of two envelopes. One envelope contains $50,000 and one contains $500. Do you make the trade? Why or why not?

I would definitely make the trade. The $5,000 was a gift so I believe it is okay to risk it. At worst I am $500 better off than I was before the gift and at best I have a large windfall. Life is full of risks and sometimes you have to take a chance. After all—nothing ventured nothing gained. I would also use a lot of positive thinking to will the preferred envelope into my hands.

What’s your first memory?

I can’t remember what my first memory is. I have several blurry memories from about the age of three but I am not sure which ones are triggered from photos. My early years were spent living in the managers cottage of a coal mine isolated from the rest of the suburb. We had no neighbours and had to entertain ourselves. At times we had wild animals—snakes, brumbies, dingoes, foxes and possums come down and visit the surrounding bush. There was no hot water to the house and I can remember on occasion going over to the coal mine to shower—a special treat—hot running water.

What do you do if you can’t sleep at night? Do you count sheep, toss and turn, or get up and try to do something?

It is rare for me not to be able to sleep. Usually the only time I have a problem sleeping is if I have something on my mind that needs sorting out. Therefore, the answer is simple—make a plan and solve the problem. Once I have done this I can easily return to sleep. If it is somebody’s snoring is the cause of my sleeplessness, I rip up a tissue and block my ears with it. Viola—I can sleep.

Bonus question: What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?

Last week I was grateful to have a day off on Friday which allowed me to catch up on jobs that needed doing including getting my hair cut and streaked for the first time. This week I have no plans so it will be a go with the flow week—something I haven’t had in a while.

http://ceenphotography.com/2015/03/09/share-your-world-2015-week-10/

Weekly Photo Challenge: Wall

March 16, 2015 inspiringmax

Share an image of a wall that reveals something about a place, people, or you.

The mural of Quebecers has brought to life this wall in Old Quebec City. It is the most amazing mural I have ever seen. Painted in 3D by several artists in 1999—it includes all significant events, architecture and people in the city’s colourful 400 year history.

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_photo_challenge/wall/

Love

March 15, 2015March 15, 2015 inspiringmax

We each have many types of love relationships — parents, children, spouses, friends. And they’re not always with people; you may love an animal, or a place. Is there a single idea or definition that runs through all the varieties of “love”?

Love is the feeling that connects us to others. It gives us reasons to do things. It supports us in difficult times and makes memories complete. Adding love and caring to any situation makes it shared. My other ideas on love can be found in this acrostic poem.

Love is letting other people or things into your life and caring about them—at times putting their needs above your own.

Obvious in your face—it makes you smile and warms you from the inside.

Valuable—without love and letting others get close—you are alone.

Every feeling the other person feels you share—if they are happy or sad—you feel their joy or sadness.