During our trip to Canada my husband and I spent what felt like hours studying and taking photos of flags. Their history interested us greatly and it was so different to our Australian flags. Our biggest problem was getting the wind right to get one flag to fly perfectly. So image our surprise when we looked up and saw these four flags perfectly aligned in the Old Port, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
If we were having coffee I would tell you how glad I am that it is now July because what a month June turned out to be. On top of everything I spoke about in my last coffee catch-up this month has continued to serve up curve balls to challenge us and make us stronger.
If we were having coffee I would tell you the reason I missed coffee last weekend was because I was in hospital after a major allergic reaction to antibiotics. I am rarely sick so the fact that I got an infection from an unknown source that wouldn’t go away was frustrating. Then, after a week of not getting better to change antibiotics, get sicker and end up in hospital was an eye opener for me. Initially, I looked very beautiful with my swollen face however with time and treatment my face has returned to normal. Each day I feel better, however I am looking forward to getting all my energy back soon.
If we were having coffee I would tell you that I taught myself to use Publisher this week. It has always been on my bucket list of things to do and I have looked at it many times before, but always gone back to Word – for me the simpler option. This time I persevered and once I got a handle on it I liked it. In fact, I liked it so much that I have decided to transfer my book to Publisher when I have finished this last edit to see how different it looks and increase my knowledge base of this tool. I may even use You tube and see what other secrets it can reveal. With a coy smile, I would also ask you if you have any Publisher experience or handy hints to share with me.
If we were having coffee I would tell you that despite everything I am loving the simpler, slower pace of life at the moment. Not having to rush anywhere, use what food we have and shop minimally is turning out for me to be very rewarding. Instead of buying a large amount of food on the weekend to make feeding the family quickly after a busy day commuting and working possible, we have made a daily plan together about what we eat based on what we have and suddenly we have so much more time. Because we aren’t rushing for some bizarre reason it takes us even less time to cook, we spend hardly any money on food and we are more creative with our ideas. Who knew?
If we were having coffee I would tell you how on the last day of June my husband discovered that the cat had a swollen left neck. We are so pleased June has ended as we don’t want any more surprises. Turns out the cat just wanted to be like me so he got himself an infection that needed antibiotics. No problem, a quick visit to Uncle Tom (his vet), a big needle and he was sorted.
If we were having coffee I would tell you how interesting it was for me to write my curriculum vitae this week. I have lost all previous copies so had to start from scratch and remember 30 years of history, experience and knowledge. It took me a day and a half but in the end I was very pleased with how it turned out. I am also grateful because I am moving back to my home town city and working on semi retirement, hopefully I won’t need to fill out another one, but hey never say never. None of us ever knows what the future holds. If I didn’t believe this before the June I’ve had, I certainly know it know.
If we were having coffee I would tell you how excited I was to be presented with my Toastmasters Triple Crown Award by the District Director at last weeks changeover meeting. It is a difficult award to achieve as you need to complete 3 educational awards. Last year I decided I was up for the challenge and I set it as my goal during my year as President of one of my club’s. I needed to keep focused and plan well but in the end everybody won and I have a super fancy pin to wear whenever I need an extra boast to be the best I can.
If we were having coffee I would ask you what is happening in your world this last fortnight?
If we were having coffee I would tell you how dramatically my life has changed since our last coffee catch-up 5 weeks ago. My son has moved to Japan to be with his finance, I have resigned from my job, taking a month off before returning to casual nursing and this week it was confirmed that my husband has a new job in Newcastle, the city I grew up in. Life is definitely moving forward and the future looks bright.
If we were having coffee I would tell you about the great, wet weekend my husband, son, daughter and I spent together in the Hunter Valley before he left for Japan. The villa I rented contained a slow combustion fire place, so, despite the cold and wet we were toasty warm. I had kept this a secret from my husband to add to give him a surprise. He was so excited that he didn’t stop playing with it all weekend. The fact that he didn’t have to chop the wood made his day even better. The cabins were in wine country and had resident kangaroos that roamed around the property. The photos below are from our verandah and we thought one of the kangaroos even had a joey in her pouch, however, because it was too wet we couldn’t get any closer. What do you think?
If we were having coffee I would tell you that since we last meet my blog has turned 2. I can’t believe how much I have learnt and grown since I joined the blogging community. This time 2 years ago I think I was still struggling to have 7 followers and now I have over 700 and fortunately they continue to grow daily. My goal by Christmas is to have over 1,000, which I think is doable if I keep chipping blogging away. My goal for my 3rd blogiversary is to have had 50,000 views. As this is just over double what I am now on, it may be a tall order, but hey reach for the stars I say.
If we were having coffee I would tell you that since I resigned from my managers position, I have enjoyed having no stress and getting back into my blogging regularly. I don’t think I realised the impact the stress was having on me until I stopped and literally felt my body relax. Every time people see me now they are commenting on how good I am looking and how it is nice to see me smile again.
If we were having coffee I would tell you how grateful I am to A Momma’s View for choosing my poem on understanding as one of her pick’s of the week. It has helped me develop my confidence in my new skill of poetry writing. Stop by and visit her blog if you get the chance it definitely worth a look.
If we were having coffee I would tell you how nice it was last Saturday to share an Aussie BBQ with my son and close family and friends just hours before he left the country to start his new adventure in Japan. Sharing stories and future plans is great bonding experience and with the ease of travel these days nowhere is far away.
If we were having coffee I would tell you about the beautiful flowers I got from my staff after leaving work. They were so heavy and take pride of place on the table behind my desk, bringing a smile to my face daily.
If we were having coffee I would tell you that my daughter’s birthday seems like it was months ago, however in reality, it was only 3 weeks ago. Because everyone was busy, it was extended over the week and celebrated many times with some intimate gathering of family and friends at the times everyone was available.
If we were having coffee I would ask you what you have been up to since we last met. Has your world been calmer or crazier than mine? Let me know in the comments.
What is the most fun thing you did in school?
During our 5th form Jindabyne Ski Excursion (yes I am that old, now called year 11) I became a popular girl for 5 days. My rise to fame happened quickly and by accident, when I became friends with a group of popular kids from another school. Unfortunately, as they were from another part of the state, we never saw each other again as travel between areas wasn’t as easy as it is today. At the same camp I also discovered my natural ability to ski. This also helped my popularity as most of the kids couldn’t ski. It was a surprise to many as usual my reputation was as the person nobody wants on their sporting team. Karma felt nice for a few days as suddenly the roles were reversed.
What is your favorite type of dog? (can be anything from a specific breed, a stuffed animal or character in a movie)
I wouldn’t describe myself as a cat or dog person. However, one dog I have always loved is Snoopy. So loyal, cute and creative, he helps Charlie Brown out of many scraps. I haven’t seen the Peanuts Movie yet but hope to enjoy Snoopy in his latest movie soon. My long time love of Snoopy is the reason somewhere hiding in our house is a much loved stuffed Snoopy that has been a part of the family since my children were little.
You are invited to a party that will be attended by many fascinating people you never met. Would you attend this party if you were to go by yourself?
I have spent my life doing things by myself so attending a party I want to attend doesn’t phase me. The secret is if I want to attend it or if some else thinks I should for whatever reason. I am not a work the room sort of person but can easily find my way when I need to.
Complete this sentence: Never In My Life Have I….
Won a talent or popularity contest. To be fair and honest however, I have never put a great deal of effort into trying to win them either. One thing I plan on putting a bit more effort into this year is my Toastmaster speeches to see if I can by polishing them give myself the chance of taking my speaking to the next level.
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 most of my family was able to travel to Sydney to farewell my son who left on Saturday to spend a couple of years in Japan. We had a great afternoon although it went quickly before his departure later that night.
During this coming week I am looking forward to getting back into my aqua aerobics and organizing my house. We have many things that are no longer required and need removing. Now is the time to put this plan into action.
Understanding another person’s thoughts, feelings or behaviours is part of getting to know them. It is easy to judge based on our own assumptions of what is appropriate, but life is not that simple. It can be hard sometimes to look at a situation through another’s eyes. However, from my experience, the real growth comes as you can learn about your response to the initial trigger. Without this knowledge, you will find yourself in the same situation again and again.
To help me gain understanding I regularly review situations outside of the moment. The stronger my reaction, the more important I find it is to dig deep and be honest to develop the best outcomes for every one. In the following acrostic poem I share my thoughts and experiences reviewing difficult conversations and situations.
Unveiling the uncertainty
Negativity or neglect
Discovering the depth of the drive
Educating myself to encourage and empower
Realising any resentfulness I respond with reassurance and respect
Secure, sensitive and supportive
Treading lightly, building trust and tolerance
Aware and authentic of my feelings
No longer nervous, nasty or numb
Delighted the situation is different now
Invigorated through involvement
Nurturing and
Getting to know myself as well as you better
On Mother’s Day 2014, I started Inspiring Max. I had researched and considered my options for 5 years before I finally plucked up the courage to put myself out there. Up to this point, I had lived me life in secret but knew to achieve my dreams something had to change. You see after completing several writing courses I knew that to improve my very remote chance of my book being published by a publishing house, I needed to start a blog. Although my blog was never going to be related to my book’s subject—eating disorder recovery—it has helped me develop my voice.
Over the past 2 years, today is Mother’s Day 2016, Inspiring Max and I have developed in ways I never thought possible. I am so pleased that finishing my book and needing to think about publication pushed me out of my comfort zone and into the blogosphere. Because of blogging I have grown not only as a writer but also as an editor. Another great blessing I have received through Inspiring Max’s blogging community is great feedback, which ensures that I write in a way my audience understands my meaning. This gives me confidence in my writing style and helps me to minimise confusion, which hopefully I have transferred to my book – I’M SO OVER THIS!….. A Skill-Based Guide To Eating Disorder Recovery. At present, I think I am still on track to self-publish it in the second half of 2016.
Whatever your reason for blogging, if you are still in the contemplative stage give it a try, you’ll be pleased you did. There literally is an audience out there for everyone.
https://dailypost.wordpress.com/discover-challenges/raison-detre/
Today, we remember those that have fought for or served our country, starting with the Anzacs and continuing over the next 101 years in all wars, peace keeping missions and other areas help is needed and given. Whether it be at home or overseas, all serving roles are important. Like the unknown soldier, a persons background doesn’t matter and fortunately the world is a better place because of the spirit of the Anzacs and those in service that have followed. This new song by Australian country singer, Lee Kernaghan describes these emotions perfectly when he sings “side by side, we say with pride, he is all of them, she is all of them and they are one of us.”
Happy 90th birthday Queen Elizabeth II
Quality
Understanding
Experience
Elegance
Neatness
Empathy
Learning
Influence
Zen
Authentic
Balance
Endurance
Tradition
Harmony
What household chore do you absolutely hate doing?
I hate doing all house hold chores which is why I pay a cleaner. They enjoy it, are definitely better at it and the stress is removed. I love to come home the day the cleaners have been and just sit quietly and smell the clean silence. It rejuvenates me to think about the blogging and editing I can do at the weekend.
What was the last URL that you bookmarked?
I don’t know what this question means so I guess I don’t do it. I am really only an amateur when it comes to this technology.
Close your eyes. Listen to your body. What part of your body is seeking attention? What is it telling you?
When I closed my eyes I did so at my computer desk and put my head in my hands. At this time my body began to tingle and my head began to slightly ache. I think it was telling me thanks for stopping and are you going to feed me soon as my blood sugar levels are dropping after a long day computing and working. Message correct. I felt better after food.
Would you rather have a two-bedroom apartment in a big city of your choosing or a mansion in the country side in the state or country where you currently live?
If I could afford to not work I would rather be in country New South Wales. If I had to work I would rather be in apartment in the city close to work. I of course would be happy to give working in Canada, London or USA a go if I met the qualifications.
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 the support I received during a tough week. This week I am looking forward to putting all the little illustrations back into my book before I review it with my collaborator. Editing is such a long process.
Share Your World – 2016 Week 8
Today, only 21 months after my first post — Happy Mother’s Day, on Mother’s Day 2014, I celebrate my 400th post. This is a milestone I never dreamed possible, so to celebrate please enjoy my acrostic poem — another skill I’ve learnt on my Inspiring Max journey.
Following my dream
Out of my comfort zone
Under the guidance of those who had gone before
Rewarded by new friends in over a hundred countries
Honing my skills with
Unique and positive posts
Navigating my way
Determined to make a difference
Respecting and responding to others
Enjoying the journey
Driven by inspiration
Trusting my instincts
Happy others find my hard work helpful
Passion, persistence and positivity
Open the way for my original
Simple success
Thankful for Inspiring Max’s amazing community
