Tag: Inspiring Max

Weekly Photo Challenge: Evanescent

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Last weekend my husband and I went on a road trip to Barrington Tops National Park, where we enjoyed many fleeting moments in time. My favourite was the time we spent with an echidna, one of our wild Australian animals. We found her on the side of the road as we drove past. She was only the second echidna I’ve seen in the wild and she was a treasure to behold. In truth, I don’t know the echidna’s sex but we nicknamed her Edna so she was a female to us.

Initially, she was scared of us taking photos of her so she hid in her spines until she thought the coast was clear.

 

Then she decided to walk into the bush for a moment.

We however weren’t giving up so we kept very still and she came out to play again. Walking or should I say waddling around on the road in front of us for over 5 minutes. I don’t know what she thought I was but she just kept walking towards me.

She was absolutely beautiful. Then, just as we had finished watching Edna, my husband noticed in the distance that one of the wild brumbies (wild horses) we had driven past earlier had wandered into the middle of the road and was just standing there. 

Priceless. Definitely shows it pays to be mindful especially when spending time with nature.

Two wild Australian animals in one fleeting moment in time.

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/evanescent/

Free Floating

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Last December, after 25 years I was reminded how relaxing it is to go to the beach after work. To lye on my back free floating, totally unmoored to the world —just bobbing around in the waves. Trusting I was safe but keeping an eye out for any bigger waves that could do me harm. Then to keep myself safe, I would simply dive under the wave and avoid its direct impact. Free floating is now my preferred mindful activity for the warmer months.

As I gazed over the horizon watching the random sets of waves, my muscles relaxed and looked for a new way to work. Suddenly, I realised my free floating had turned into the best core exercise I had ever done and with no effort on my part.

Give it a try and  say goodbye crunches. Take you feet off the ground and free float. Go with the rhythm of the waves and focus on the horizon. It’s my favourite way to centre myself.

 

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/unmoored/

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Coffee Catch – Up # 20

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If we were having coffee I would tell you I can’t believe its nearly 5 months since our last coffee. Doesn’t time fly when you don’t keep an eye on it. Today I was also struck by how quickly I have lost my writing skills. From writing nearly everyday in my old life, I am struggling for inspiration today. I know it is purely because I haven’t written anything for a while, so I’ll make a commitment to myself to get back on track as I have missed you all.

If we were having coffee I would tell you that back in March my husband and I finally got our furniture delivered from Sydney. It was very exciting to see the big truck pull up outside. Finally, our move was complete. So we did what anyone in our situation would do and had a glass of bubbly (champagne) to celebrate. Yes, it tasted good.

If we were having coffee I would tell you how much I love the Sydney Royal Easter show.I love to spend hours walking around the pavilions — arts and crafts, food, leisure and kids — they are all amazing. Some people are so talented. I love the creativity especially in the fruit and vegetable displays every year. Each area creates a display using the fruit and vegetables they grow in a design that depicts where they are from. This year  my 3 favourites were

 

If we were having coffee I would tell you about my brother and his partner’s housewarming party. It turned out to be code for secret wedding. It was very exciting and caught many family and friends of guard as they had dressed for a backyard BBQ and ended up having their photo taken with the happy couple. Fortunately, my father who was in hospital was able to get a leave pass so was able to attend. As for me I was very suspicious they were up to something and was very happy to be proven right. I loved their wedding cake — chocolate mud cake topped with cute umpa lumpas to match the chocolate factory theme of their house warming.

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If we were having coffee I would tell you how great it has been catching up with family and friends since moving back to Newcastle. Recently we meet some of our diving friends for dinner at Valentine Bowling Club and while the catch up was great, the sunset over Lake Macquarie was amazing. I had forgotten the joy a simple sunset can bring.

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

Coffee Catch – Up # 19

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If we were having coffee I would wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. 2016 has been an amazing year and I have loved sharing it with you.

If we were having coffee I would tell you that Christmas 2016 had a green theme for our family, which was a great success. My sister who organises our family celebrations really should start a party decorating business. She does a spectacular job matching everything to the colour theme and we all help by coming dressed accordingly. It’s a special and memorable day for all who attend.

If we were having coffee I would tell you that life is getting exciting as our painter is slowly transforming our house into a home. The more work he completes the happier we are with our colour choice of grey/lavender walls and white gloss trims. Interestingly, when the family voted on next years colour theme for Christmas, they chose Gravender (a combination of grey and lavender), so we should have a head start on inspiration.

If we were having coffee I would tell you how nice it was to have Christmas bush back in our life. Our Newcastle property has an old Christmas bush tree and we have enjoyed giving some to family and friends again. Australians love Christmas bush and it helps bring the country to the city.

If we were having coffee I would tell you how much I enjoyed the preparation for Christmas this year. From the shopping to the baking I have loved the planning and execution of each task. Many of the things I now do have become my tradition but I don’t think I realised it until this year.

If we were having coffee I would tell you that I would love  to see the rain falling on Ularu at present. Due to the dryness of the area, rain on the rock is a rare but spectacular event.

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

Christmas Calendar 2016 #25

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Day 25

Merry Christmas Everyone! Thank you for being a part of Inspiring Max’s family and helping to create lasting memories and traditions in the blogosphere.

Let’s spread the love, kindness and joy that is the Christmas spirit with people everywhere and remember,

“Maybe Christmas, the Grinch thought, doesn’t come from a store.” Dr. Seuss

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Treasure

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Treasure is something of value. It can come in all shapes and sizes, be shiny and sparkle or be ugly and covered in dirt. Everyone’s treasure and things they value are different. For me, my most valued treasure is my personal values.

T rust

R esponsibility

E mpathy

A cceptance

S elf Respect

U understanding

R eflection

E ncouragement

They are how I  live my life, raise my family and connect with people. Without any of them my life would be unbalanced. Individually, my values are only part of the picture, but together they form a very strong bond that can get me through any obstacle life throws my way.

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/treasure/

Share Your World 2016 – Week 26

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What’s your most memorable (good or bad) airplane flight?

On our way home from Guangzhou in 2013 we were upgraded to Premium Economy. The staff didn’t tell us of our upgrade, so image our surprise when suddenly we had more room and extra features we weren’t expecting. Nowadays, when we are traveling somewhere we always look at the price difference and if it is at all possible to pay the difference however we haven’t yet been able to justify it.

How many bones, if any, have you broken?

Fortunately, I have only had 3 broken bones and as doctors are now describing my bones as super bones, I hope to not have a problem with broken bones due to osteoporosis in my later years. My first broken bone, a greenstick fracture of my right arm, happened when I was 15.  I thought I was so cool skateboarding down a hill when I hit a stone on the pathway. Oh well. at least the plaster cast helped my cool image.

My second broken bone, my right little toe, somehow occurred during the Newcastle earthquake. I didn’t find out what was causing my pain initially as when we went to the hospital they were evacuating it and we suddenly realised my pain wasn’t the priority.

My third and hopefully last broken bone occurred in my 40’s when I was helping set up a gymnastics competition. Several men were carrying a balance beam when they dropped it onto the middle of my left foot. You could hear me yell for miles I think. It hurt and definitely wasn’t cool.

Photo Credit: Google Images

Photo Credit: Google Images

 

If you had your own talk show, who would your first three guests be? (guest can be dead, alive, famous or someone you just know)

Walt Disney: Founder of Disneyland and Disney World and creator of Mickey Mouse

Paul Ramsay: Founder of Ramsay Healthcare

Florence Nightingale: Founder of modern nursing

Make a Currently List: What are you reading, watching, listening to, eating, needing, wanting, and missing right now?

Reading — The Winner’s Bible — Dr Kerry Spackman

Watching — Ally McBeal

Needing — My tenants to find a suitable property for them to move to early so we can begin our move

Wanting — More boxes to pack our belongings into when we can finally move

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 be able to  be able to focus on being a full-time writer and totally rearrange the order of my book. This task, while not yet completed does seem to have increased the flow between the chapters which was my goal.

In the coming week I am looking forward to going to Newcastle and seeing my family. It will be weird going back for the first time since I know I will be moving back in the next few months.

Share Your World – 2016 Week 26

Share Your World – 2016 # 24

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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.

Share Your World – 2016 Week 24

Raison D’être

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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/

Weekly Photo Challenge: Earth

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I love getting back to nature and the earth with a walk in the Australian bush. This walk in the Blue Mountains, New South Wales was in winter — the air was crisp but the sun was shining and it was a glorious day.The walk itself took us about 6 hours as we stopped along the way as we marveled at the different aspects of nature including a rare bird sighting. I hope you enjoy some of our photos of the diverse bush we found on our walk.

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/earth/