Old Quebec City has many murals however the first created, known as the mural of Quebecers is very special. It depicts life through the history of Quebec and its citizens. I could have looked at it for hours and still find something new. Cleverly disguised as part of the artwork on the building are:
Key historical figures
Architectural building and monuments
Coat of Arms
Physical attributes of the city — the wall and staircase
Cultural communities
Sports
If you ever get the chance to go to Old Quebec City seek out the Mural of Quebecers–its definitely worth a look.
Today is Australia day. To celebrate I would like to share my A-Z of Australian things. Although far from a complete list it is fun way to share Australia. Included in the list are:
Animals
Birds
Food
Inventions
Items
Places
Treasures
A:Aboriginal Art – Paintings by indigenous Australian often using a dot design.
Anzac biscuits – Australian biscuits eaten by our troops on the shores of Gallipoli hence the name. They are made from rolled oats, golden syrup, coconut and butter.
B: Beaches – Australia is known for its sandy beaches. The most famous being Sydney’s Bondi Beach.
Bondi Beach Photo Credit: Google Images
Black Box Flight Recorder – The black box voice and data recorder was invented in Australia.
Beetroot – Your typical Aussie hamburger include beetroot, lettuce and tomato.
Baby Safety Capsule – Developed in 1984 to make sure babies and small children could be safely locked into a seatbelt.
C: Cockatoo – There are 21 varieties of Cockatoos in the world and all can be found in Australia. In my area the Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo is common and are often seen on the ground in groups looking for food.
Caramello Koalas – Small Australian chocolate bar
Photo Credit: Cadbury
D:Dual FlushToilet – Toilet with two flush buttons—able to flush either a half or full load of water dependent on amount required.
Dame Edna – Australian iconic entertainer known for her
Didgeridoo – An wind instrument, invented by Aboriginals and originally found only in Northern Australia. It is thought to be the oldest musical instrument in the world.
E: Emu – Australian flightless bird
Esky – Portable coolers keeping food and drink cool in the Australian sun.
Electric Drill – originally invented to drill through rock this technology was later adapted to household use.
F: Fair Dinkum – Aussie slang meaning true or fair. Used when wanting someone to believe you.
Fridge – In 854 the first mechanical ice making machine was invented in Australia that lead to the development of the refrigerator—”fridge.”
G: Great Barrier Reef – World’s largest coral reef covering 2,300 kilometres off Queensland
Photo Credit: Google Images
G’day Mate – Australian welcome
Google Maps – 2003-4 Australian’s Lars and Jens Rasmussen developed the platform that developed into Google Maps.
H: Holden cars – Holden is an Australian automaker based in South Australia. With limited choice for cars in the early days many families had a Holden.
I: Icy Pole – Famous Australian water ice block
Photo Credit: Peters Icecream
J: Jackaroo/Jillaroo – Male and Female workers on a cattle or sheep station in Australia.
Jumbuck – name for sheep in Waltzing Matilda.
K: Kangaroo – One of Australia’s most iconic marsupials
Koala – small bear-like herbivorous marsupial that eats gum leaves.
Photo Credit: Google Images
L: Lamingtons – Spongy butter cake coated in chocolate sauce and rolled in coconut.
Long wearing Contact Lens – Were developed by the CSIRO as the original ones couldn’t stay in day and night for long periods.
M: Melbourne Cup – “The race that stops the nation” is the richest two-mile handicap horse race in the world. Run the first Tuesday in November, it is a public holiday in Melbourne.
Meat Pie – The meat pie is an Australian icon. Traditionally it is pastry filled with beef and gravy just big enough to fit into your hand, making it easy to eat on the go.
Macadamia – A tree nut specific to Australia with a creamy texture.
N: Nullabor Plains – 1200 kilometre stretch of desert runs from South Australia in the east to Western Australia. Its name means no trees, just flat mostly straight road. In fact, the Nullabor holds the record for the worlds stretch of straight bitumen 146.6 kilkometres.
New South Wales – My home state between Queensland and Victoria.
O: Opera House – Multi-purpose entertaining venue on Sydney Harbour. A white building during festivities it is changed dramatically using lights.
Outback – The Outback is the large, remote, arid space that covers a Australia. Usually covered in red soil.
P: Platypus – Unique Australian mammal that looks like a cross between a duck and beaver
Credit: Gambassa
Plastic Banknotes – Invented by the CSIRO, making bank notes tougher and reducing their ability to be counterfeited.
Powerboard -Invented in 1972 allows multiple electrical devices to be powered from one electrical socket.
Q:Quokka – Australian macropod about the size of a cat found on Rottnest Island off Perth
Photo Credit: Google Images
Quoll – Carnivorous Australian marsupial first seen by Captain Cook in 1770.
Photo Credit: Wikipeadia
Queensland– Australian state north of New south Wales.
R: Rotary Clothes Hoist – Clothes line that raises and lowers as well as swings around in the wind.
Rottnest Island – 18 kilometres off Perth, it is home to Quokkas, pristine beaches and world-class surf.
S: Sydney Harbour Bridge – The world’s largest steel arch bridge and connects Sydney to the north shore. I travel across it everyday on my way to work and never tire of the sight.
Surf Life Savers – Australians classics that keep our beaches safe by rescuing swimmers in difficulty
Photo Credit: Google Images
Surf Ski – Australian invention to assist in saving lives see above photo
Speedos – Australian men’s swimmers—sometimes colloquially referred to as “budgie smugglers.”
Splayd – Australian invention that combines the spoon fork and knife
T: Tim Tams – Iconic Arnott’s biscuits that involves two layers of chocolate biscuits joined together with chocolate cream and covered in chocolate.
U: Ugg Boots –Unisex sheep skin boot with fleece on the inside.
Uluru –Also known as Ayers Rock is a large sandstone rock in the Northern Territory.
Photo Credit: Google Images
Ultrasounds – Invented in Australia through work with the Department of Health.
V: Vegemite – Sandwich spread most Australians won’t travel without and most of the rest of the world try but find it very bitter. Below is the original ad that explains alot.
http://youtu.be/0yA98MujNeM
Victoria – Southern State of Australia on the East Coast—Capital is Melbourne.
W: Wiggles – The original Wiggles —children’s entertainers—are Australian.
Photo Credit: Wiggles
Wine casks – Wine casks are an Australian invention to carry large amounts of wine in a plastic bladder with a simple pouring spout
Wi-Fi Hotspots – Wi Fi technology was invented in Australia through research at the CSIRO.
X: XXXX Beer – Famous brand of Queensland beer
Y: Yackandandah – Small tourist town near the New South Wales and Victorian border
Z: Zeehan – Former silver and gold mining town in Tasmania
If one of your late ancestors were to come back from the dead and join you for dinner, what things about your family would this person find the most shocking?
Back in the day, there was a saying that children should be seen and not heard. In our family all members are heard particularly around the dinner table. Our guests, particularly our children’s friends, frequently state that they can’t wait to see where the conversation at dinner goes to this time. There are many things that surprise them:
That we eat together regularly
The topics of our conversations—anything is possible
How animated our conversations get and that everyone joins in
The laughter created is very welcoming
Once they go over the shock of not having a nice quiet meal with the family, I think my ancestors would get involved with some horror stories form their own time to add to the eclectic mix of conversions on the day. It is common for us to continue our crazy conversations all night by staying around the table chatting or while we play cards together to finish the evening. The following acrostic poem describes our conversations well.
It has been over two months since our last coffee catch-up and life has been pretty busy.
If we were having coffee I would tell you I’m feeling a little confused. I began preparing this post as I usually do, by adding links to earlier posts. However, this time, with my new WordPress version the result is a little different. I don’t know if it’s the same for everyone or only WordPress.org blogs. My next question is can anyone re-blog my posts now as this has been a problem in the past and it would be great to have it changed.
If we were having coffee I would tell you about Berry Christmas. My sister and her family do an excellent job of hosting the event—decorating their home in theme colours, preparing gift bags for everyone and organising and preparing food. We had a great day reconnecting as a family—sharing the joys and dealing with the dramas of the past year. Christmas is definitely my favourite holiday, although because I live in a different city south of my family on Christmas day it takes 3 hours to get there. I don’t enjoy the travel but Berry Christmas was worth it.
If we were having coffee I would tell you that over the Christmas period I was initially frustrated that my blog wasn’t working because of problems with my Jetpack. I tried to fix the problem, however when I couldn’t and Jetpack staff where on vacation I decided to surrender to the moment and use my time more efficiently doing other things.
If we were having coffee I would tell you how much I enjoyed my husbands and my date to the city over the Christmas New Year period. We decided to catch the ferry into Sydney. The trip along the Parramatta River takes about an hour and it was a glorious day. As it had been several years since we had caught the ferry we enjoyed every moment. We then had lunch at a little pizza restaurant at the Rocks before spending the afternoon wandering around Sydney’s Botanical Gardens. We saw many places I had never been before. It was a great way to round off 2015.
If we were having coffee I would tell you how excited I was that my first sugar cookie Christmas tree worked out so well. I iced it a blue-purple to match our berry theme and at the end of the day most of it was eaten.
If we were having coffee I would tell you about the champagne fountain trial on Christmas Day. The science of what was the best way to do it kept many people entertained and in the end they were proud of their working efforts.
If we were having coffee I would tell you about the huge moon on New Years Eve that was as mesmerizing as the Sydney Fireworks. Unfortunately, I choose not to take my camera as I am not good at photographing fireworks—a rookie error I won’t make again. The fireworks were fantastic and our viewing place, a hill, is only a 10 minute walk from my house. While we couldn’t see the fireworks coming off the bottom of the Sydney Harbour Bridge we could see the top of it through the trees. We could also see the fireworks going off up and down the Parramatta River and from the other side of Sydney. At times it was like 360 degrees of fireworks. Once the live fireworks have ended we went home to watch the taped version on television and catch the ones we missed.
https://youtu.be/viqQGXVeb8s
If we were having coffee I would tell you how much I enjoyed the second week of my holidays being a full-time writer. I spend many hours everyday working on the last stages of editing of my book. With the amount of work I did I was hoping to finish it but no I still have work to do. It is getting exciting however, as it nears completion and the next part of its journey begins. Just when I thought I had the chapters in the right order, I decided to rearrange the early chapters again and to my surprise the order I have changed it to is my second order. I think my lesson is trust your gut.
If we were having coffee I would tell you how excited I was on Christmas Eve to win the hamper at the local bottle shop. I had gone in the draw after buying two bottles of champagne for an early family Christmas party a few days earlier. It was fun investigating my laundry basket full of goodies and deciding who to give each item to.
If we were having coffee Iwould ask you what you have done and how you have been since we last met. Let me know in the comments what you have been up to.
What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word “fun”?
I love having fun. Doing something spontaneous that involves lots of laughter. I may be in my 50’s but I am happy to play games and have fun at every opportunity.
What is your favorite time of day?
I don’t think I really have one. Although there is something beautiful about sunrise and sunset.
Given the choice of anyone in the world, whom would you want have a evening with?
I would love to spend an evening with Louise Hay. She is a very powerful motivator and positive thinker. She thinks outside the box, has many creative ideas to solve problems and literally hundreds of positive daily affirmations. She is also the owner of Balboa Press the self-publishing company I am using to publish my book next year so I am sure she could supply some great tips.
“Don’t be afraid to be you. The world needs your unique brand of awesomeness.” Louise Hay
Complete this sentence: Something that anyone can do that will guarantee my smile is…
Smile at me. I will always return a genuine smile and connect with the other person. If I smile at someone first and they return my smile, my smile gets bigger.
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 family time celebrating my son’s birthday and my work Christmas party celebrating together the year that was 2015. This week I am looking forward to getting back to blogging more regularly as life has gotten in the way a bit recently.
Treats and indulgences can take many forms. Share yours with us!
I love Disney so going to Disneyland is my favourite treat. Unfortunate, living in Australia means it is many years between my indulgences. I hope you enjoy these photos taken at Hong Kong Disney in 2012. They brought a smile back to my face.
Last week I was honoured to be nominated by Safar at Blisters, Bunions and Blarney http://safarfiertze.com/blog/ for the Sunshine Blogger Award. This award recognizes blogs that share positivity in the blogging community. I would like to encourage you to stop by her blog which covers many topics as you will surely find something that you can connect with and thank her for her consideration. I love looking on the bright side and look forward to sharing this award with other deserving blogs.
The Rules:
Thank the person/people who nominated you
Answer the eleven questions from your nominator(s)
Nominate eleven other bloggers and give them eleven questions to answer
Answers to my questions:
1.Voltaire once said that a person should be judged by their questions rather than their answers – what question would you pose?
My question would be simple. It would be an honest “How are you going?
2. Mahatma Gandhi advised us to learn as if were were to live forever. What did you learn today?
This weekend through participating in Writing 101 I learnt how to add social media to a blog post. Initially this confused me however with perseverance I was able to do it and I am proud of myself.
3. Marilyn Manson suggests to be yourself and make a difference. What difference did you make today?
Working in mental health and focusing on positivity I believe I make a difference everyday.
4. Audrey Hepburn believes laughter cures a multitude of ills. What last made you laugh?
I agree with Audrey Hepburn and laugh everyday—the last time being an hour ago whilst watching comedy on the television over lunch. Humour can be found everywhere and is catchy.
5. Satchel Paige asks, “How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are?”I am in my early fifties and most people if asked to guess would say I was in my late forties. A smile can take a few years off you and I smile a lot.
6. ‘Why?’ is the endless question of a child. What’s your why?
Unlike a child when I review why something happened I get an answer and make a plan to do it differently next time.
7. Oscar Wilde observed that we each are own devil and that we make this world our hell. What would you need to do to make this world your heaven?
I am constantly working on making my world better. There is no one thing for me that makes the difference it is a mixture of all my daily choices.
8. The UN declared 30 human rights. Was anything left out?
Not that I can think of.
9. John Stuart Mill argued that non-conformity and eccentricity is an essential service to society. Do you agree?
I think that having a unique personality, trusting your ability to follow dreams and not listening to the nay sayers is important as that is how society grows. Most successful people have broken the rules and gone against society to achieve their dream.
10. Woody Allen attributes 80% of success to just turning up. What might you have succeeded at if you had just turned up?
Giving things a go has taught me a lot over my life. I believe you have to be in it to win it so will give most things a go.
11. Think of a quote and ask yourself the question you would have liked me to ask
“In the end, we only regret the chances we didn’t take” Unknown
This quote helps to motivate me. It reminds me to take risks reap the rewards so that as the years go by I don’t have any regrets. So far it is working.
For many people it is where they live, however as this is regularly changing I believe the consistent factor is yourself. For me, home is a place of security and I am the only person who can be responsible for my security. I create my security in me, which is why I agree with the following quote on Twitter. Home is myself.
Home is a person. If you're lucky, home is yourself.
— Duchess Goldblatt (@duchessgoldblat) May 13, 2015
When I think about the factors that make home myself—I think of my personal values.
Harmony
Open-mindedness
Mindful motivation
Expressiveness
As home is myself when life gets tough I take a few moments, recentre myself wherever I am around the world and recharge. I hold the power and can go home, wherever and whenever, I choose. It’s a powerful skill—going home for me doesn’t need to wait for my physical return to my residential address in Australia.
This week, share a symbol with us, and tell us what it means to you.
I loved this symbol of creativity I found at Lithgow’s McDonald Restaurant. It may be an “only in Australia” moment but it works for me. It is an example of simple, practical fun.
