Coffee Catch-Up # 44

If we were having coffee I would tell you that we have recently returned from Japan. The purpose of our visit was to meet our first grandchild. A beautiful healthy baby boy who we will call X. Unfortunately Japan’s covid rules don’t allow hospital visits so while we waited to see him we enjoyed sightseeing around Japan. I look forward to sharing our experiences in the future.

If we were having coffee I would tell you that Alan Joyce, Qantas CEO was right when he said that ‘Australian’s had forgotten how to travel during the pandemic.’ When he first said it, I was offended. I didn’t agree and thought he was making excuses for his company’s problems. But we had forgotten many of the things that need to happen before you get on a plane. As we hadn’t flown in 4.5 years I suppose it makes sense.

If we were having coffee I would I would tell you how great it felt to have my first swim of the season just before we left for Japan. It was a very hot day and my girlfriend and I were meant to go walking but instead choose to swim. She hadn’t swum for a long time either so it was a win-win all around.

If we were having coffee I would tell you how happy I have been learning how to make projects with my Cricut machine. I signed up to Jennifer Makers Design To Shine course. I love it. She is teaching us not only how to make things but also how to design them from scratch. I find it fascinating how by using simple shapes, very complicated designs can be created. I am loving having an idea and seeing it come to life. Below are several of the first things I have made using various techniques and materials.

If we were having coffee I would you how weird it was going from 35C in Australia to -5C in Japan. Then just to add to the weather confusion last week we had the hottest days in our state since 1964. I hope that the beautiful Autumn weather we usually have arrives soon. Last weeks hot nights made it very difficult to sleep.

If we were having coffee I would ask you what is happening in your world?

Thanks to Natalie for hosting #weekend coffee share.


Coffee Catch-Up #43

If we were having coffee I would tell you that I hope 2023 brings you fun, laughter, less stress and definitely more joy. For me 2022 was a mixed bag. I have never taken as much sick leave as I did last year. Fortunately that meant that had plenty. I’ve had covid twice, long covid as well as pneumonia. My husband and I were lucky enough to enjoy 2 holidays in Truby (our slide on camper.) We also rented a house for a weekend away with family to celebrate my 60th birthday. A lot of fun a was had and memories created.

If we were having coffee I would ask you about your Christmas. Our family has a colour-themed Christmas every year hosted by my sister. Last year was Copper. It proved to be a difficult colour for both decorations and clothes. But in the end everyone looked great and my sisters creativity shone through. It looked amazing and a great day was had by all.

If we were having coffee I would tell you that hubby and I are becoming grandparents. We got the exciting news at my 60th birthday weekend away. Due in February our bubba will soon be here.

If we were having coffee I would tell you my surprise at seeing a double rainbow outside my kitchen window. It happened on Wednesday evening 15 minutes after I posted by first blog in eight months. I smiled. And took it as a sign from the universe.

If we were having coffee I would tell you about my new toy. I bought myself a Cricut Maker 3 for my 60th. For those of you who don’t what one is, it is a die cutting machine that makes all kinds of crafting simple. It will certainly keep dementia away as there is so much to learn. This Christmas I started by making personalized glitter baubles. I then moved on to basic T-shirts. It is so much fun and I am really enjoying putting my creative hat back on.

If we were having coffee I would confess that I realize my planning for fun on my blog last year didn’t work out. Hindsight tells me that long covid brain fog and travel derailed it. However focusing on excuses won’t help. So now in 2023 I am getting back on track and making new habits. Lucky I have lots of inspiration and now I just have to do it.

If we were having coffee I would ask you what is happening in your world.

Thanks Natalie for hosting weekendcoffeeshare.


Coffee Catch-Up # 42

If we were having coffee I would tell you that it has been very quiet over the last month as our family has recovered from covid. For me getting healthy has taken a lot longer than most people. The upside is that I have had a month to consider my options for my twilight years. Oh and I have been able to binge watch Desperate housewives on Disney +. With 8 sessions it got me through the brain fog and required no thinking. It also make me laugh.

If we were having coffee I would ask you if you saw the 4 planets lined up in the night sky late in April. Just before sunrise was the best time to view them. From the end of our driveway we got a good view on the Saturday and Monday mornings. On the best viewing day Sunday however the sky was full of cloud and they were not visible.

The 4 planets that lined up were Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. It is said to have been 1000 years since these planets had aligned. I was grateful to have seen them.

If we were having coffee I would tell you last weekend was my mother-in-law’s 92nd birthday. Most family members traveled to Newcastle to surprise her on this special day. She had no idea and seeing the grandchildren in particular put a smile on her face, something that is rare these days.

If we were having coffee I would tell you last weekend was both Mother’s Day and the 8th anniversary of Inspiring Max. I can’t believe it has been so long. Blogging is the gift that keeps on giving. I find I have learnt a lot about myself, my community and the world. After reviewing my anniversary yesterday I wrote a blogpost about planning for fun where I make a plan to be more proactive in the next 2 years.

If we were having coffee I would tell you that I nearly completed this years Blogging From A-Z challenge. I missed Y and Z as my brain fog was too much. I enjoyed it although I would have liked to have blog hopped more. Next year I will start my planning early particularly for the back end of the alphabet.

If we were having coffee I would ask you what is happening in your world.


Coffee Catch-Up #41

If we were having coffee I would tell you that I can’t believe it has been nearly 3 months since our last chat. To be honest this is very similar to my real life coffee catch-ups that aren’t very regular. As you possibly know by now for 4 weeks of this year my husband and I went touring in Truby. ( Our slide on camper and Iveco. ) On many other weekends before and after, I was working to make up my shifts. After work I mean to blog but often don’t make it to the computer.

If we were having coffee I would tell you that I am again participating in Blogging from A to Z. Writing a blogpost daily is helping get my mojo back. Also, having a theme, our recent holiday, makes the decision of what to write easy. So, it is simply a matter of writing it. Each day I find this to get quicker. Just like when I started blogging in 2014 and I was following the daily word prompts. I have also realsied that when April is finished I still have a lot of other topics to write about.

If we were having coffee I would tell you that my daughter has moved home after living in regional NSW. She is easy to live with so beside the extra stuff around, everything is going smoothly.

If we were having coffee I would tell you that I have spent a lot of time covering my new secondhand books in contact. One of the things I love about traveling is going to second hand book shops. It is a great way to support the local communities and increase my library. Sometimes I have specific books that I am looking for, otherwise I accidently find new authors. My husband can now work out my book style based on the artwork on the front cover. We were even able to find some of his much rarer books at reasonable prices. Below is a photo of most of the novels I found.

If we were having coffee I would tell you how surprised I was back in January to hear our most famous children’s group had won the Triple JJJ’s Hottest 100. This countdown features the most popular song for the previous year. It the classic example of doing what you love and success will follow.

If we were having coffee I would ask you what is happening in your world.

Thanks to Natalie for hosting #weekend coffee share


Coffee Catch-Up # 35

If we were having coffee I would tell you I can’t believe how fast the last 3 months have gone. Life goes by so quickly these days. Today our takeaway coffee is from the café at Merewether beach. This is because Newcastle is currently in lock down so can’t have visitors to our homes.

It was a beautiful winter’s day out. We enjoyed watching the surfers and smelling the fresh sea air. It was also great to see the ocean looking so clear and clean. Here’s some photos we took to remember our walk.

If we were having coffee I would tell you about my latest favourite pastime. Buying second hand books. I love the thrill of the chase. They are everywhere and sometimes I am amazed at how new the books I find are. I have several authors I look for and based on them I have found many new authors. Most I am able to pick up for a couple of dollars however on our latest holiday, I was lucky and found many exciting titles for only $1.00. Needless to say, I had fun.

If we were having coffee I would ask if you have been doing a jigsaw puzzle during lockdown. I have. My latest puzzle is of the people skating on the frozen Rideau Canal in Ottawa. Its a beautiful puzzle that reminds me I need to go back to Ottawa in winter to complete this bucket list activity. Back in January 2015, when my husband and I were in Canada winter was late and the canal opened to skaters the day we arrived back in Australia.

If we were having coffee I tell you that today is both my 59th birthday and National Rum day. Ironically, my husband baked me a fancy birthday cake from scratch yesterday, while I was at work. His choice a chocolate rum cake. Imagine his surprise to discover this morning the rum day connection. Rum is also my favourite spirit.

If we were having coffee I would tell you how much I love wattle. It is the floral emblem of Australia. I am also blessed that it begins to flower in August. It is a bright yellow and pops up everywhere. Wattle never fails to bring a smile to my face.

If we were having coffee I would ask you what has been happening in your world?


Coffee Catch-Up #34

If we were having coffee I would tell you that this week is 7 years since I started Inspiring Max. My first blog post was Mother’s Day 11th May, 2014. Initially a slow start, it gathered momentum in 2015 and 2016. Now I need to regain my mojo and write consistently. No excuses. I just need to do it.

If we were having coffee I would wish mothers everywhere a happy Mother’s Day. This year mine was quiet as both my children live in different cities and couldn’t make it home. I did spend an hour with my mother which we both enjoyed.

If we were having coffee I would tell you on one of our recent road trips to Sydney we were stopped on the way back with the opening of the Swansea bridge. Lucky for me we were in the first row of traffic and therefore I could get some close up photos. The Swansea bridge opens to allow boats to pass through the channel either into or out of Lake Macquarie.

If we were having coffee I would tell you how well with our newest crops are growing. The ginger, my husband grew from a cutting and our never ending supply of long red chillies came from a small chilli bush. Both taste amazing and are perfect for the Asian style meals I like to cook.

If we were having coffee I would tell you about our family friend’s son’s wedding. It was held in the North Sydney area and the walk to and from gave us a different prospective of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The wedding itself was held in a room with a view at eye level of the bridge. It was special.

If we were having coffee I would ask you what has been happening in your world?

Thanks to Natalie for hosting Weekend Coffee Share so we can all get to know each other better.


Coffee Catch-Up #31

If we were having coffee I would tell you how much I enjoy picking my salad vegetables every morning and night. Our vegetable gardens are growing well. My fresh baby spinach, rocket, parsley, various styles of lettuce and self growing tomatoes taste amazing. Who knew my husband and I have green thumbs.

If we were having coffee I would ask you how you eat your gingerbread men. Head or legs first? I am a leg person. This special man created for me by one of my young clients is awesome. She said she made him herself and he smells divine. I wanted to name him but didn’t because then I couldn’t eat him. Taste verdict. Perfect.

If we were having coffee I would ask you if you have any idea why my hair is turning yellow in places. It has been totally grey for about 3 years now and today I noticed the changes. I hope its temporary as I’m not a fan. I love having grey hair. It’s on trend and that you can’t purchase in a bottle

If we were having coffee I would tell you how much fun I had running around the ward last Monday with a French chicken on my head. Why you ask? The company I work for has set a 12 days of Christmas challenge. The aim to get staff and patients into the Christmas spirit. Last Monday was the 3rd day and we needed to either dress or decorate with chickens, eggs or French. Every ward or area did it differently. Our 3 staff wore chicken hats with the wings painted red, white and blue. They made everyone smile and laugh. Tomorrow is cow day. Who knew work could be so much fun!

If we were having coffee I would tell you how much fun we had celebrating my husband’s 60th birthday. He never wanted a big party so COVID restrictions weren’t a problem to him. We had 2 smaller parties. One for each side of the family. A joint one with my sister’s husband who was turning 50, and a surprise one with his brother and family. It was the Beatles themed. We all wore a Beatles T-shirts, most of which came from hubby’s supply.

Both were great nights filled with fun, laughter and memories.

If we were having coffee I would tell you how frustrated I was last week when my blog didn’t work. The problem was my Jetpack plug-in. By disabling it, my blog worked. But it was useless. I couldn’t connect with anyone or receive any feedback. It was weird, like giving a speech to an empty stadium. I didn’t like it. So I stopped blogging until it was fixed. Lucky, as the posts I wrote during this time remain in limbo. Not recognised in the official count.

If we were having coffee I would ask you what has been happening in your world?


Coffee Catch-Up #30

If we were having coffee we would be meeting in an airconditioned place this week not my home. The reason, in Australia this weekend we are having an extreme heatwave. I live on the east coast which is usually cooler than inland and it’s been 41C (106F) both days this weekend.

If we were having coffee I would show you this social distancing poster. I love it. It’s unique and I thought it was fitting for a country café.

I also loved this creative Covid Marshall at the same café.

If we were having coffee I would tell you about my upcoming Christmas calendars. This tradition I began in 2016 as Inspiring Max’s version of an advent calendar in the countdown to Christmas day. I love selecting the quotes and putting the posts together.

If we were having coffee I would tell you how proud I am of my daughter as she is now a registered nurse, just like me. She was also successful in obtaining the new grad placement of her choice in regional NSW.

If we were having coffee I would tell you about my son’s favourite birthday present, a black mini lop rabbit. He and his wife had been looking for a rabbit for several months. Every time they went to buy one, it was sold. Then just when they were thinking it wasn’t meant to be, they found him. To their surprise he was born on my daughter-in-law’s birthday. He is so cute.

Interestingly, the first pet my husband and I had when we married 30 years ago was a rabbit, only ours was white.

If we were having coffee I would ask you if to have to wear matching or odd socks. It was a conversation started last night at a family gathering. My brother deliberately mismatches his socks. My son and most others preferred matched ones. My sister then decided she would poll her friends and I thought I would ask you when we had coffee. Let me know your preferences in the comments.

If we were having coffee I would ask you what has been happening in your world?


Coffee Catch-Up # 29

If we were having coffee I would tell you about my coffee last Sunday. I was so surprised to see it presented in such a beautiful way. I couldn’t keep my hands off the smooth exquisite timber. The only thing missing to make it perfect was a small handmade cookie or piece of shortbread.

If we were having coffee I would ask if you picked the winner of the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday. In the late 1980’s and early 1990’s I had a knack of picking the winner every year. As I’ve gotten older, I quickly look at the form guide, decide it’s too hard and hope my sweeps win. Rarely. This year there weren’t even any sweeps at my work place. But on the bright side my daughter won and bought us pizza.

If we were having coffee I would tell you I saw my first Santa last weekend and you’ll never guess where. Some enterprising person has started a business called Sandy Claus. You guessed it, Santa photos at the beach. He had a crowd around him 8 weeks out from Christmas.

Go Sandy Claus. Only in Australia.

If we were having coffee I would tell you how exciting it was to hear that Australia has had 2 days of 0 local coronavirus transmissions this week. This is the first time since the start of the virus and a good sign that life is slowly returning to normal.

If we were having coffee I would tell you about the surprise I found buying fruit and vegetables this week. The world’s smallest tomatoes. They are so cute. And they taste like a flavour bubble bursting in your mouth.

If we were having coffee I would ask you what has been happening in your world?


Coffee Catch-Up # 28

If we were having coffee I would ask you if you were going to watch either football grand final this week. In Australia, we have two main codes of football. The AFL ( Australian Football League ) and The NRL (Rugby League). Personally, I follow both codes, but neither of my teams made the grand final this year. Last night Richmond Tigers 81 beat Geelong Cats 50. This game was held in Queensland for the first time because of COVID. Tonight the Rugby League grand final is being played in Sydney, its usual venue. In this game I am supporting Penrith Panthers, a local team against the Melbourne Storm. May the best team win!

If we were having coffee I would ask you if you saw the kite surfers at the beach over the last few weeks. The flat surf has been perfect for them. I was mesmerized watching them jump the waves moving in and out.

If we were having coffee I would tell you how happy I was with the gluten- free short crust pastry I made last weekend. I have never made it before. Actually I’m not a confident pastry maker. My last attempt at regular pastry was probably 10 years ago. But necessity is the mother of invention so I am on a mission.

The GF pastry was much softer than regular pastry, which meant it was harder to handle. Initially, this caused me some concern. However, I quickly realized if I cut it to the appropriate size I could hand mold the pastry into the pie maker. Fortunately, this rustic method resulted perfectly shaped pies with an amazing taste. Interestingly, the GF variety also had less fat coming out in the pie maker. Therefore to simplify my life once I have used up my shop bought regular pastry I will used GF for everyone. Simpler and cheaper. All I need now is a GF puff pastry recipe.

If we were having coffee I would tell you my getting organized strategy is working. I have been working on my blog more, although not as much as I would like. I also now write a weekly meal plan. This keeps me accountable and makes life easier by ensuring we have the food needed in the house. I am also walking to work again 2 days a week which I enjoy.

If we were having coffee I would tell you about the purple sweet potatoes my husband harvested a few weeks ago. I roasted them and have enjoyed them with varies meals. It is the first time we have grown sweet potatoes and we were surprised at how many came from one plant. Some could definitely enter a weird shaped vegetable competition.

If we were having coffee I would tell you I was surprised at how much I enjoyed being able to touch my mother for the first time since March recently. She is in residential aged are and to keep everyone safe we have been restricted to window visits. However, recently due to low COVID numbers we are now allowed limited access with permission. Hugging is out, but due to her physical condition she requires help to stand. It was by giving her support in this way, I realised how much I had missed her physical touch. I’m a hugger from way back. So I will be very happy when hugging is on the can do list again.

If we were having coffee I would ask you what is happening in your world. Let me know in the comments.