This week’s poetry challenge theme is THAW. In Australia this word doesn’t have the same power it holds in many parts of the Northern Hemisphere.
Using anaphora
I like the snow
I like the ice
To work yesterday I couldn’t go
And shoveling is such a chore
So today I like the thaw
Haiku
Come in and thaw out
Love will defeat the cold
Together we’ll grow old
On our recent trip to Canada I passed through Quebec’s Holy Door at the Bascillica of Notre-Dame de Quebec. The Holy Door was granted to the people of Quebec by the Pope to celebrate the 350th anniversary of the first Catholic parish in Northern America (Canada and USA)—at one time the largest Catholic parish in the world. The Holy Door opened on the 8th December 2013 and closed on the 28th December 2014.
It is one of only seven Holy Doors and the first Holy Door opened outside of Europe—four in the Vatican, one in France and one in Spain. The door itself is made of bronze and weighs about half a tonne. The external side of the door has Christ on the front and the internal door has Mary sculptured into it. Upon entering should you choose you place your hand in the hands of Christ and pause mindfully for a moment.
The Holy Door must be entered from the outside in and leads into the small chapel at the side of the Bascillica. After its closure on the 28th December 2104 the Holy Door was sealed to be opened again in 2025 when the next Holy Year was expected. However on 17th March 2015, Pope Francis announced that a Holy Year of Mercy will begin on 8th December 2015 that will close on the 20th November 2016. During this Jubilee all seven Holy Doors around the world will be opened.
The brochure stated “this door is open to all persons of good will. For Catholics it is a pilgrimage, a sign, a passage, a kind of spiritual preparation.”
Despite not being Catholic I found passing through Quebec’s Holy Door quite a spiritual experience. Although it was not the purpose of my trip to Quebec City—it was one of my highlights. The fact that I entered on Boxing Day—the day after Christmas Day made it more special for me. If you are traveling in an area next year that has a Holy Door consider adding it to your travel plans. Once closed the Holy Doors will all be sealed again until the next Jubilee Year possibly 2025 as originally expected.
Write about a time you had a Goldilocks experience, exploring different choices and finally arriving at “just right.”
Our choices shape our lives. But how do we make the right choice—when so many are available. One helpful way I have found to make any decision is to draw up a pros and cons list for each choice.
Take a piece of paper and divide it in half. On one side write your reasons for doing the activity, behaviour or change (the pros) and on the other side write your reasons not to do it or why it won’t work (the cons). Be creative. Even ideas that seem silly or far-fetched can be helpful in the big picture when you make a plan around them.
Once you have your lists—see how balanced or unbalanced they are. Sometimes it may be immediately obvious which choice is right for you. On other occasions—you may find yourself more confused. No problem. Hang your lists in your room or somewhere you can see them regularly for a couple of days. Focus on each option. Does one draw you in more than the others?
If you struggle to choose which option is right for you—give yourself a challenge. Try the most positive one or the option that will give you the biggest reward on completion. Remember, if this choice don’t work—you can always adjust it slightly to make it more practical. Break it down into smaller steps if needed but keep moving forward with your choices. Sometimes— just right— takes a little while to feel comfortable, but when it does it fits beautifully.
List 2 things you have to be happy about?
I am happy that my family is happy and healthy.
Today I printed of a draft copy of my book and it is starting to come together nicely. I must admit however I am very surprised at how much time the editing process takes.
Do you prefer ketchup or mustard or mayonnaise?
I do not prefer any of the above chooses. My favourite sauce is chilli BBQ—a combination of chill and barbeque sauce. It has only been in Australia for about two years but I am eternally grateful.
If you were to paint a picture of your childhood, what colors would you use?
A picture of my childhood would use a mixture of dark and light colours. It definitely wasn’t all sunshine and roses—there were many thunderstorms. My experiences were varied however they pathed the way for a bright adult life and gave me a great base for my work in mental health.
Do you prefer a bath or shower?
I shower daily that is out of necessity. When time permits and I have access to a spa bath I will indulge myself. Many years ago we had one in our home and it was a great way to relax on the weekend complete with a glass of champagne.
Bonus question: What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?
Last Sunday I traveled to Newcastle and caught up with my extended family. I only get to do this about 3 times a year due to the number of people involved and their busy lives. The older I get the more important this time is.
Next weekend I am looking forward to traveling to Lismore in northern New South Wales to get away for the weekend with my husband. I cannot remember that last time I visited the area so I am sure it has changed.
http://ceenphotography.com/2015/03/16/share-your-world-2015-week-11/
For this week’s photo challenge, share with us a photo that expresses something fresh.
To celebrate our daughters birthday one year, my husband and I created this giant ice cream cupcake. We used a giant two-piece cupcake mould—to create our masterpiece. One half was lined with chocolate biscuit crumbs and the other melted white chocolate. This gave us the bottom and top of our cake. The middle was made of 5 layers of ice cream. Each layer was a different flavour. My husband choose 2, I choose 2 and the last was a mutual decision to bring it all together. They worked brilliantly. We then put it all together and sprinkled chocolate flakes over the top for an original fresh, yummy birthday cake. You couldn’t wipe the smile of her face.
If you could be a “fly on the wall” anywhere and at any time in history, where and when would you choose?
Owing to my curiosity I was unable to decide on just one moment to spy on—too many options. Instead I choose an acrostic poem with my various ideas—some are a little out there but the knowledge gained from each experience would have been amazing.
Flying with Amelia Earhart across the Atlantic Ocean as the first woman to go solo
Landing on the moon
Yellowstone’s super-volcano last eruption in 1350 BC
Observing Michelangelo paint the Sistine Chapel
Normans adventures and conquests
Titanic’s last day
Historic occasion of the Berlin Wall coming down
End of World War II
Womans movement development in the 1970’s
At Gander, Canada the day all planes en route to USA were forced to land there because American airspace was closed as a response to 9/11
Listening to Martin Luthur Kings “I have a dream” speech
Lunch with the royal family just being themselves—no protocol or formalities
What do you love most about the city / town / place that you live in? What do you like the least about it? If you were mayor, what would be the most important problem you’d tackle? How would you tackle it?
I live in Sydney, Australia along with 4.5 million others. It is a vibrant, exciting city visited by millions of people ever year and home to the deepest natural harbour in the world. See my earlier post—Welcome to Sydney here for more information.
Working in mental health I love that Sydney’s specialists and hospitals are recognised on the world map as leaders in research in all areas. If help is needed it can be accessed—something that cannot be said for many places.
My biggest problem living in Sydney is the daily commute. Compared to other cities in the world, it is expensive—although now a little cheaper with the Opal card, time consuming and the buses are unreliable. I mostly use the trains which have improved recently however they are not yet at a level that encourages drivers to get off the road and catch the train. On average it takes me 1.5 hours to get to work on the train. If I leave for work early and leave work late I can drive the distance in half an hour—something I have begun doing a couple of days a week. During my usual hours however the drive will take a minimum of an hour so the extra stress isn’t worth it.
My only solution to this problem is to bring down the price of public transport, increase services and make sure they run on or close to time. Sydney trains has worked hard on this however the buses have far too few routes and buses often don’t show. Only last Sunday I needed to wait for 50 minutes for a bus that should have arrived 6 minutes after I did. If I had taken my alternate train/walk route I would have been home before the bus arrived.
These problems are not insurmountable and commuting would take less time in a smaller city. Smaller cities also have fewer resources something I am not interested in giving up. While 5 minutes to work may be great if I worked in an office or shop—in mental health physical distance can be a blessing in disguise as it gives time between work and home which helps me to wind down after a busy day. Having a view of Sydney Harbour to start and end my day isn’t hard to take either—something I don’t get on the days I choose to drive.
https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/we-built-this-city/
In regional China people seem to live life on the street. They cook, play and sleep in front of their homes or shops. I found it fascinating as it was so different to anywhere else I had ever been. Life is simple, colourful and it works.
http://eclecticoddsnsods.com/2015/02/24/eclectic-corner-7-street-life-photography-writing/
Today I am joining Mara Eastern’s weekly poetry challenge to continue to develop my newly found poetry skills. To add some interest and mix it up a bit—each week using the theme I will write two poems, not one. This week’s theme is RIGHT—I have chosen to write a limmerick—in celebration of St Patrick’s Day yesterday and a concrete poem.
Is it wrong or is it right?
This is my common plight
How can I tell?
If I do not dwell
Because I need to prepare for the fight.
Alright.
Yes I got
uptight,
every time
I couldn’t
tell my
left-hand
from my right. Then
I solved the problem
I put a ring
on it.
http://maraeastern.com/2015/03/16/poetry-101-rehab-right/
Vanilla, chocolate, or something else entirely?
During our trip to Canada, in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island we discovered a secret—the world’s best ice cream. The brand was appropriately named Cows and decorated in a black and white cow print theme. The weather may have been cold, rainy and miserable outside but wasn’t going to stop us treating ourselves.
The names of the ice cream flavours were also a delight with an unusual twist on the cow theme. I choose Cowie Wowie—vanilla ice cream, English toffee marble,chocolate flakes and moo crunch for my bottom level. On the top I had Moo York Cheesecake—cheesecake ice cream, Oreo and chocolate swirl. My husband choose Cowberry—vanilla ice cream, fresh PEI strawberries, PEI blueberries and raspberries for his bottom layer. He topped this off with Birthday Cake—cake batter base, blue frosting swirl and sprinkles.
The ice cream was amazing. Rich and smooth and you could tell the individual flavours that went into each cone. My regret is that I didn’t choose a chocolate flavour as I usually would which I think would have taken my choice to a new height. Cowie Wowie is their most popular flavour which is why I choose it and I am not sorry I did.
Upon leaving there was a sadness as we realised we wouldn’t be able to try it again as there is not a big chain of Cows stores around Canada. This was a one hit wonder and a highlight of our trip to Charlottetown.
The experience put new meaning to the old quote—”I sceam, you scream, we all scream for ice cream.”