Tag: Family

Eat, Drink And Be Merry

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…for tomorrow we die. The world is ending tomorrow! Tell us about your last dinner — the food, your dining companions, the setting, the conversation.

If the world was ending tomorrow I would choose to go camping  in the Australian bush with all my family. Not glamping—glamourous camping with all the modern conveniences. Camping à la natural. No electricity, no showers and dig your own toilets. I love getting out with nature, listening to the sounds of the bush and hopefully seeing  a koala or possum in the trees. We have never had a problem with snakes as with over 20 people we make too much noise.

Tom Possum

The food would be a bush BBQ that we begin preparing in the afternoon by collecting a massive amount of wood to keep us going all night—waiting for the world to end. Included on the menu is:

  • bacon
  • capsicum
  • corn
  • damper
  • green salad
  • mushrooms
  • potatoes
  • rissoles
  • rocket salad
  • sausages
  • steak

After dinner as we continued to chat and drink champagne and beer by the fire I would introduce S’mores to the family. I would get everyone to cook their marshmallows over the fire while I prepared their chocolate and biscuits. We don’t have graham crackers in Australia so I would use the best substitute I could find. Once the marshmallow is cooked I would join them all together and watch everyone’s enjoyment.300 - hot choc and smores

 

The spontaneity of sitting around a campfire is the best. Nothing is or can be planned yet the memories last forever.

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/eat-drink-and-be-merry/

It Takes Two

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“And they lived happily ever after.” Think about this line for a few minutes. Are you living happily ever after? If not, what will it take for you to get there?

Unlike in the fairy tales where happily ever after just happens — in the real world, it needs to be worked on. There is no magic formula. Relationships take two people sharing, working and dreaming together to create a happily ever after. If one person is planning in one direction and the other in a totally different direction, unless there is a compromise or connection drawing both plans together — their happily ever after is at risk.

My husband and I are living in the happily ever after the best way we can. Nearing retirement we are getting excited about how closer to our dreamed happily ever after we can get when we no longer have to work.The following acrostic poem describes what we blend into our happily ever after plan as we adjust it.

Harmony

Attitude

Positivity

Purpose

Insight

Life

Yearning

Express emotions

Vitality

Enjoyment

Respect

Adaptability

Freedom

Tolerenace

Empathy

Responsibility

My earlier post on secrets of a happy marriage can be found at https://www.inspiringmax.com/loving-advice/

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/happily-ever-after/

Powerful Playlist

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Put together a musical playlist of songs that describe your life, including what you hope your future entails. 

Music is powerful. It is part of my everyday life and is a great reminder of the past and motivator for the future. My present life playlist includes the following songs:

This song reminds me of my early years. It gives me motivation to continue with whatever goal I am seeking at the time.

https://youtu.be/MUBnxqEVKlk

I have loved this song since I was a teenager. Helen Reddy is Australian and the fact that her song was changing the world for women everywhere made me realise I could do anything I set my mind to. It was the anthem of International Women’s Year in 1975.

I am proud to be Australian. This song describes the history of the Australian people and reminds me—we are all one.

The final two songs give me motivation to set goals and work hard to achieve them. They remind me that I can choose how things impact me. By pushing myself, I can achieve things I never thought possible and become stronger in every way.

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/mix-tape/

Share Your World – 2015 Week 19

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Would you prefer a one floor house or multiple levels?

I prefer a house on one level. It makes it easier to live in and opens out the house. As I am beginning to age, I will make sure my next house is on a single level—just-in-case it is the last house I buy. Afterall, stairs and old age don’t mix.

When we lived in Wagga Wagga, country New South Wales, we had a great house built on one level. The previous owners liked the design so much that they rebuilt the exact design in their new suburb. If we ever built I definitely would consider it myself.

If you have a TV, would you prefer the TV in the living room or another room?

I prefer TV’s to be in either the lounge room or the family room. These rooms are places people congregate in, although in a perfect world maybe my home would have a designated home theatre room. The one place I don’t like a TV is in the bedroom as it disturbs my sleep.

When you leave a room, do you turn the lights off behind you or keep the lights on throughout your house most of the time? Explain your answer.

When I leave a room I prefer to leave the light on unless I know I won’t be returning to that room for over an hour. I think it is cheaper than turning lights on and off regularly. My husband however has other ideas and he is always trying to get me to turn lights off.

What’s your favorite room in your home?

I don’t really have a favourite room.  However, I spend most of my time on my computer in the family room at the back of the house. I have also managed to make it my own by decorating it in purple and adding my Mickey Mouse collection.

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

Last week my father came for a visit and brought me some editing of my book he had finished. It is always exciting to get feedback from others on the progress ogf my book. This week is my daughters 21st birthday and I am looking forward to helping her celebrate with parties at home.

http://ceenphotography.com/2015/05/11/share-your-world-2015-week-19/

Party Time

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You’re throwing a party — for you! Tell us all about the food, drink, events, and party favours you’ll have for your event of a lifetime. Use any theme you like — it’s *your* party!

I love to celebrate my birthday. I take the day off work and do something fun—its my way of reminding myself that I am special. For my significant birthdays however I throw a party to share with my friends and family. My parties are simple affairs held at home.

Food is either a good old Aussie BBQ or pre-made finger food requiring heating only on the day. Everyone always loves my choices:

  • Cheese Dip
  • Chipolata Sausages
  • Chicken Sticks
  • Chicken Nuggets
  • Frankfurts
  • Meatballs
  • Party Pies
  • Prawns
  • Quiche Lorraine
  • Salmon Quiches
  • Sausage Rolls

Save some room for the sweet options:

  • Caramel Tarts
  • Chocolate Slice
  • Fairy Bread
  • Home-made Ice-cream With Lollies and Sherbet
  • Jelly Slice
  • Vanilla Slice

All of this is washed down with a few glasses of champagne or cocktails. Clever conversation is what follows—with maybe the odd party game or two. Basically whatever we feel like doing. My last party was my 50th birthday a few years ago. Remembering the food for this prompt has helped me as I am plan my daughters 21st celebrations over the coming weeks. Here’s a glass of bubbles to celebrate.

Photo Credit: Google Images

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/its-my-party/

Moving Forward

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When was the last time you did something completely new and out of your element? How was it? Will you do it again?

Moving Forward

I am regularly moving forward by stepping or often leaping out of my comfort zone to grow. Nothing exciting ever happens in our comfort zone. This time last year I was working my way up to begin blogging. And just to make it a harder I had decided to set my blog up on WordPress.org not WordPress.com. It took me weeks to get any views and after 2 months I had 34 views. I didn’t give up. I kept learning about the process, connecting with others and becoming more comfortable as a blogger. It feels natural now. I have had 12,250 views and am averaging about 50-70 views a day.

My latest journey out of my comfort zone is with Twitter. I don’t think I have any idea about its power but I am becoming more comfortable with it daily. Twitter for me is a double comfort zone as it has by name attached to it. Twitter is the next level of social media for me to connect with before I publish my book later this year. It feels a little more comfortable each day so I know I am moving forward in the direction of my dreams.

At the time I began writing my book my life was out of my comfort zone in many ways. I found Miley Cyrus’s The Climb extremely motivating and would play it loudly and regularly. This song describes the journey of moving forward and dealing with the difficulties faced during your climb to follow your dreams. It empowered me to do what I needed to do and see what happens. I am so glad I did. My life has changed for the better in so many ways and I am grateful I took the chances I did. Now when I need a shot of motivation I replay The Climb and re anchor the thought that I can do what ever I dream and that I don’t have to know how it will turn out first. I have learnt to trust the process.

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/beyond-the-pale/

Share Your World – 2015 Week 15

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Regarding your fridge, is it organized or a mess inside?

My fridge usually starts off the week organised as I clear it out every Sunday to co-inside with the weekly garbage collection. I have my own system to keep it organised—dairy on the second shelf, leftovers on the third shelf, chocolate on the bottom and large items on the top shelf. My husband however doesn’t care for my system and put things wherever he can find a space.

Have you ever been a participant in a parade? What did you do?

When I was a teenager in the 1970’s I participated in the Mattara parade in Newcastle. Mattara was held during the last week in September and celebrating the people of Newcastle and the arts. This festival is over 50 years old and includes people from all walks of life. I remember feeling very proud to  march in the parade representing the Girls Brigade.

How do you stand out from the crowd?

It depends on which crowd I am in as to how I stand out. I don’t deliberately try to stand out but I usually find my own way based on my personality. If |I am interested in what is going on I will start talking and using open sentences give people enough information that they are interested in finding out more. If not I like a chameleon will blend in with the environment and not let others know anything specific about me.

How many bones, if any, have you broken?

I broke my right arm skate boarding when I was 15, my right little toe in the Newcastle earthquake and my right foot when a girls gymnastics beam fell on it about 7 years ago during agynastics set-up.

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 that I recovered from illness in less than 24 hours.

This week I am looking forward to celebrating 100 years of the ANZAC spirit.

http://ceenphotography.com/2015/04/13/share-your-world-2015-week-15/

L – Lithgow Small Arms Factory

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IMG_5975

Opened in 1912 the Lithgow Small Arms Factory was Australia’s first precision mass production factory. The Small Arms Factory was commissioned out of a need to make sure Australia was safe from invasion. Little did they know that world war would break out in two years creating a major demand for their product—Short Magazine Lee Enfield Rifles for the Australian military.

Building the Small Arms Factory at Lithgow changed the lives of the town and many people as it brought employment and housing to the area. I was excited to visit this factory as my father had only recently told me that my grandfather had found employment there when he was a boy. Despite the family connection, it was not until I spent a morning in their fascinating museum that I realised the true important of Lithgow’s Small Arms Factory on Australia’s history. The museum built on the site of the original factory is manned by very knowledgeable volunteers—many of whom had previously worked in the factory and had many interesting  stories to tell. We got lucky because it was a quiet morning the volunteers were happy to chat for half an hour and I was grateful to get some insight into my grandfathers life.

Between the wars the Lithgow Small Arms Factory produced an incredible array of commercial products and in their spare time worked on inventing new technologies and devices.

Wonder Woman

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If you were involved in a movie, would you rather be the director, the producer, or the lead performer? (Note: you can’t be the writer!).

I love acting. Bringing characters to life and making them believable. Acting allows you to totally immerse yourself in the character and find things about yourself you didn’t know existed.

It has been many decades since I last acted but who knows I may return to it in my retirement when I have more time on my hands.

My greatest acting moment was playing Wonder Woman to a crowded theatre. At the time I didn’t look to bad either—unfortunately I don’t think I have any photos to remember it by.

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/the-show-must-go-on/

Play

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Draft a post with three parts, each unrelated to the other, but create a common thread between them by including the same item — an object, a symbol, a place — in each part.

“Mum can we go yet, I want to play?”

“Who or what do you want to play with, Sandy?”

“I want to play with Mary.”

“Mary is visiting her family in Queensland so that is not possible.”

“Yes it is mum she has her mum’s I-pad.”

“Sorry Sandy, remember yesterday I said during the day you play outside while the weather is good.”

“Okay mum I forgot.”

 

Practical and fun

Life’s building blocks

Alternate way of learning

Your friend

 

Last night I went to see the new play in town. Great story and the characters were so real. Initially I didn’t want to go but I went as a favour to my friend. She was worried nobody would go. Wrong. It was a sell out crowd and the critics loved it. Simply titled—PLAY—it is the story behind the importance of playing in our adult life as well as our childhood. So when you get the chance don’t forget to play.

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/weaving-the-threads/