Australia Archives - INSPIRING MAX

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/

Tree Change Dolls

March 7, 2015April 6, 2015 inspiringmax

What would you put in this year’s time capsule to channel the essence of our current moment for future generations?

Yesterday I discovered Tree Change Dolls—remodeled, refreshed and re-styled—rejected Bratz dolls by Australian artist Sonia Singh from Tasmania. Bratz dolls are everywhere. They are styled on high rock fashion with heavy make-up. The look alone was enough for me to refuse to ever buy one for anyone. My other problem is the name Bratz. It is not something I want to encourage in anyone. For the same reason, I could never buy the clothing brand No Rules.

Sonia decided to redesign the dolls into something her children wanted to play with, because of her love of playing with dolls. She found the rejected dolls in the second-hand shops and breathed new life into them. The result is beautiful natural looking dolls that children can associate with as their faces remind them of friends and people they knew. The photo below is the same doll—originally harsh looking, bordering on scary then given a new make-down—looking soft, gentle and angelic.

Photo Credit: Sonia Singh

Sonia’s transformation involves removing the original makeup using nail polish remover. She then paints on new eye brows, eyes and lipstick. Her mother knits little tops for each doll and sews some pants or a skirt—giving each doll an individual homemade feel. When the outfit is complete Sonia then moulds boots for their feet that match their outfits.

Photo Credit: Sonia Singh

Below is a sample of Sonia’s Tree Change family playing in the great outdoors—where kids used to play.

Photo Credit: Sonia Singh

Since Sonia created a Facebook page and Tumblir for her Tree Change Dolls in a no time they went viral. Everyone wants their own natural doll—the problem is she wasn’t expecting this level of support and isn’t sure what to do about it. Personally I think this is a great way to move froward. Reverting back to kids being kids and not the sexualised images of the original Bratz dolls. It has my support and is the reason I would put it in my time capsule today.

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/time-capsule/

Weekly Photo Challenge: Reward

March 3, 2015March 2, 2015 inspiringmax

What does reward mean to you?

Last year on my birthday I was rewarded with a walk along Hyam’s Beach. Situated on the pristine Jervis Bay Marine Park, New South Wales. Hyam’s beach is recorded in the Guiness Book of Records for having the whitest sand in the world. The water is spectacular—crystal clear—with a blue-turquoise coloring. The beach boarders on Booderee National Park, which gives it a natural feel. I loved the stream.

It was an amazing winters afternoon—complete with a pod of dolphins and friendly rainbow lorikeets that we watched for an hour—a truly beautiful part of the world. The only thing missing was a my celebratory glass of champagne.

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

Share Your World – 2015 Week 8

March 2, 2015 inspiringmax

Your favorite blog post that you have written? (add link)

My favourite blog post is Howling At The Moon. I am reminded of it every full moon—which is this week as I reaffirm my months goals. It is also one of my most popular posts last year. Last month I used it as the basis for my Toastmaster International Speech competition speech at club level and came third. I was pleased.

What do you feel is the most enjoyable way to spend $500? Why?

I love to go on a road trip with my husband and get away for a few days. Take the camera and explore areas close to home that we haven’t visited in years or on the odd occasion we find somewhere neither of us have been before. This month I am flying to Lismore, NSW to meet him and explore the area. It is close to the Queensland border but inland, so I am sure we will have fun exploring the hinterland.

If you could know the answer to any question, besides “What is the meaning of life?”, what would it be?

I’m not a big question asker, but if someone could honestly tell me what my future held I would be interested. I love going to fortune tellers and am often surprised by their accuracy. I would particularly like to know how successfully I will be able to market my book when I self-publish it later in the year.

Where do you eat breakfast?

I eat my breakfast every morning sitting at my computer working on my blog of the day or visiting my blogging friends blogs. It has become a happy ritual that starts my day of well.

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 for being able to take part in Blogging U’s poetry course. Although I didn’t write a lot of poetry as it is new to me and I didn’t have a lot of time—it was great to learn about poetry. I also surprised myself and I am better at it than I thought.

During this week I look forward to starting to plan our holiday to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary in September. We are still deciding where we will go but we are considering returning to Hawaii where we were honeymooners all those years ago.

http://ceenphotography.com/2015/02/23/share-your-world-2015-week-8/

Weekly Photo Challenge: Rule of Thirds

February 25, 2015March 14, 2015 inspiringmax

This week, compose your subject off-center, obeying the Rule of Thirds.

For this weeks photo challenge I have chosen photos taken last winter when kookaburras decided to visit our yard on separate occasions. Taking the photos was a challenge as I didn’t want to scare them off, but wanted to get up close enough to use the rule of thirds. For a beginner photographer I was happy with the results.

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_photo_challenge/rule-of-thirds/

https://mutafariqkhayalat.wordpress.com/2015/03/01/my-best-of-feb15/

Blue Mountains – Australia

February 22, 2015 inspiringmax

What’s your dream tourist destination — either a place you’ve been and loved, or a place you’d love to visit? What about it speaks to you?

The beautiful Blue Mountains are located 60 kilometres from my home in Sydney. For this reason I don’t take my annual holidays there but like to visit for a weekend getaway with my husband. I love the peace and ruggedness of the area that includes rare and endangered flora and fauna. Blue Mountains are also home to some of Australia’s greatest writers and photographers due to the serenity and beauty of the area. People find it truly inspiring.

The mountains get their name from the colour they appear to be when the sunlight mixes with the oil from the eucalyptus trees that cover the area. There are 91 species of eucalyptus trees here—13% of the global total. This is one of the many reasons that in 2000 UNESCO appointed the Greater Blue Mountains Area World Heritage Site—14th in Australia. This area encompasses 7 amazing and individual National Parks some of which I have not yet explored—Blue Mountains National Park, Wollemi National Park, Yengo National Park, Nattai National Park, Kanangra-Boyd National Park, Gardens of Stone National Park and Thirlmere Lakes National Park.

The above photos are from our last visit and are from the Mt Wilson area—six weeks after devastating bush fires had raged through. We were excited to see that new life was emerging. Internationally Australia is known for its beautiful beaches but just as important is its natural bush land very different to other parts of the world. If you ever get the chance come and spend a few days exploring any part of our beautiful Blue Mountains—they are so large you won’t be able to cover it all—do so as you will be greatly rewarded.

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/tourist-trap/

Life Changing

February 20, 2015February 20, 2015 inspiringmax

Write about anything you’d like, but make sure the post includes this sentence:

“I thought we’d never come back from that one.”

It was 10.27 am on 28th December, 1989. Suddenly I was woken from my night duty slumber by my house shaking violently. I didn’t know what was happening, although the realisation quickly hit—Newcastle had been hit by an 5.6 magnitude earthquake—I thought we’d never come back from that one.

But Newcastle and I both have. See more detail in my earlier post here.

The following week changed my life forever. Not only did my beloved city look like a war zone but, I got engaged—it definitely was a new decade and new life for me. On one hand there was the destruction including my house and on the other hand their was the excitement of what a new life had to offer.

The lessons I learnt working in mental health in Newcastle during this tragic time have never left me—13 people died and most of the city was effected. I learnt anything can happen to anyone at anytime. It’s how you handle it that makes the long-term difference. I know with support I can and will get through anything and when I need to I follow St Francis of Assis’s advice.

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/use-it-or-lose-it/

Our Home

February 16, 2015 inspiringmax

What do you display on the walls of your home — photos, posters, artwork, nothing? How do you choose what to display? What mood are you trying to create?

Over the years we have gradually decorated our home with a mixture of things that have meaning to us—either as individuals or as a family. There is no theme. When we were married my husband had a collection of Australian paintings that he loved and I had a miniature alcohol bottle collection. These two items have formed the basis of our lounge and dining area decoration in the 8 homes we have lived in.

A small selection

Special photos have a pride of place in our home. We have photos of people, places and activities that have were special to us. I enjoy occasionally studying them closely and letting them take me back in time—bringing a smile to my face as I remember the details surrounding the photo. This is more important when our loved one is no longer with us.

I love collections. For me there is something about having a group of similar things. It allows you to continue to make an area unique without spending a lot of money. My belief is that if you gave ten people the same 4 items to start their collection and told them to grow it to 20 items within a six months period—each collection would be different.

We currently have four collections are working on.

My little bottle collection that started with 4 bottles about 30 years ago.
My Mickey Mouse collection that I have collected for years, however, was only put together in one place earlier this year. It now sits pride of place above my desk and helps me write while at the same time bringing joy to the room.
Our cat collection
Our travel collection—this collection includes something special from each country we have visited. It is still only a small collection however, I plan on expanding it over the next few years.

For us decorating each of our homes was never a planned thing. It was always a work in progress that took on its own life. I like it this way and it seems to work for us. However you decorate your home, I think they reflect strongly who you are. This is true for us—a fun, happy eclectic mix ready for anything.

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/wall-to-wall/

Weekly Photo Challenge: Symmetry

February 15, 2015 inspiringmax

This week, share an image of symmetry.

I was attracted to this sculpture close to my house first by the striking red colour and secondly by its symmetry. It stood out from a distance along the path.