Tag: Memories

B – Beer Float

inspiringmax

Although Australian I choose to drink wine not beer. It wasn’t until our recent trip to Canada that I began to learn about beer. At lunchtime on New Years Eve in Montreal my husband and I had lunch at The 3 Brewers Microbrewery and decided to try a beer float.  Our beer float consisted of 6 beers all made on site:

  • White
  • Blonde
  • Amber
  • Brown
  • Christmas Beer—special beer of the month
  • Portobello

I was excited. This was a new experience for me, the beers were beautifully presented and looked appertising—something I would have never consider possible before. And now for the test—what were my thoughts. I tried all beers in order as they looked to get stronger as they went.

White – I enjoyed this unusual beer. It was light with a gingery feel and had a pleasant after taste. I could definitely trial a larger glass later.

Blonde – I had tried blonde beers before so the taste wasn’t unusual. It was wheaty and fruity and whilst pleasant it wasn’t my favourite.

Amber – Described by the microbrewery ” as a specialty found nowhere else” I did enjoy this beer. It had a light, caramel flavour that went particularly well with my lunch—Beef and Mushroom Poutine.

Brown – This was my least favourite beer. I found it a strong, malty flavour that I felt took over. It was interesting to try.

Christmas Cheer – Made only for the month of December this beer was very enjoyable. It had a fun, light, festive taste. The flavours did remind me of Christmas. It was one of my favourites.

Portobello – This beer was dark and strong. Surprisingly, I didn’t find it bitter like other strong beers so I did enjoy it although only in small quantities.

 It was a fun, practical learning experience and I am glad I took the risk. I will gaining more beer knowledge as the opportunity presents.

#AtoZChallenge

A – Australians

inspiringmax

Well I am a day late however I have decided to join the A – Z April Blogging Challenge. It involves writing a post a day for the month of April going through the letters of the alphabet. For most people this challenge started on April 1 with A and concludes on April 30th with Z. As Sunday is a free day I will catch up to everyone then.

I am Australian and proud of it. Australians are an eclectic mix with people from all corners of the globe now calling Australia home. Although affectionately called Down Under and along way from many countries—there are many reasons we are grateful to call Australia home. Some of which are described in my acrostic poem—Australians.

A – Amazing animals

U – Unique characters

S – Sydney Harbour Bridge and other famous icons

T – Temperate temperatures

R – Rugby League and Rugby Union—two of our favourite football codes

A – Art and culture

L – Lifestyle choices

I – Idyllic beaches

A – A friendly bunch of people

N – Nature

S – Surfing, swimming and sports

@inspiringmax1

Loving Advice

inspiringmax

My loving neighbours, married for 62 years had  died within a week of each other. I was approaching the house to give the family my condolences, when I found an old tattered letter at the front gate. No-one was watching. I took a peek.  Tears swelled in my eyes. The letter was written in response to a question asked of the loving couple the week by the local newspaper. It read.

Dear Friend,

Here are  the  secrets of our happy marriage. We hope they also work for you. Give them a go—you might surprise yourself.

1. Respect each other and yourself

2. Communicate

3. Compromise

4. Know your limits and what is important

5. Work as a team and rely on each other

6. Spend quality time together

7. Share the tasks and the glory

8. Laugh a lot

Love Mary and John

Day 5

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_assignment/writing-101-day-five/

Weekly Photo Challenge:Ephemeral

inspiringmax

This week’s theme: ephemeral. Show us your interpretation!

Last Sunday my husband and I took photos of the sunset from Cape Byron—Australia’s most easterly point. It truly was a ephemeral experience. The top photos show the sunsetting over Australia while the bottom two totally different photos are the hues over the Pacific Ocean. It was quite remarkable.

Over Australia

 

Over The Pacific Ocean

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_photo_challenge/ephemeral/

Wonder Woman

inspiringmax

If you were involved in a movie, would you rather be the director, the producer, or the lead performer? (Note: you can’t be the writer!).

I love acting. Bringing characters to life and making them believable. Acting allows you to totally immerse yourself in the character and find things about yourself you didn’t know existed.

It has been many decades since I last acted but who knows I may return to it in my retirement when I have more time on my hands.

My greatest acting moment was playing Wonder Woman to a crowded theatre. At the time I didn’t look to bad either—unfortunately I don’t think I have any photos to remember it by.

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/the-show-must-go-on/

10,000 Views

inspiringmax

Tell us about a time things came this close to working out… but didn’t. What happened next? Would you like the chance to try again, or are you happy with how things eventually worked out?

Inspiring Max was born on Mother’s day—12th May 2014. I knew nothing about blogging but thought I would give it a go anyway. As a self-hosted blog, I soon realised I had a lot to learn about how I was different to other WordPress.com sites. It was a very slow process. I was frustrated. In July, after  completing Blogging 101 I had—34 views, 13 visitors and only 1 follower. So I stopped blogging and prioritised other things.

In late August I was off work sick for a week. I had nothing to do so I popped back to my site. To my surprise I had a few followers, several more views and an Inspiring Blogger Award. I was humbled and excited. Suddenly I got it. Blogging is a long-term journey—a commitment not only to yourself, but also every one who reads you blog. We all grow together and allow each other to reach our own individual goals. By the end of December 2014, my goal was 100 followers. I ended the year with 110 followers and now I have 335. It may have been a slow start but Inspiring Max is on the move.

Somewhere around September I learnt not to focus on the followers but the views. If people were regularly viewing more than one page of my work I was happy. This usually meant they would come back again. The more I connect with my blogging community—the more they connect with me. I view 3 new blogs a day that I interact with. As a result, I am excited to have been viewed by people in 105 countries—many of whom I didn’t know existed. I love the coloured in world map of where Inspiring Max has been.

My advice to bloggers is make sure you have great content and keep going. When you are discouraged visit new blogs. Connect with your community at every opportunity and overtime—your community will connect with you. Blogging is a rewarding experience that has allowed me to grow in ways I would have never imagined possible before. Thank you for sharing my journey. I look forward to our future together. To celebrate I offer you a virtual glass champagne instead of a cigar.

champagne-250-FOR-TRIDION_tcm18-132345

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/but-no-cigar/

Play

inspiringmax

Draft a post with three parts, each unrelated to the other, but create a common thread between them by including the same item — an object, a symbol, a place — in each part.

“Mum can we go yet, I want to play?”

“Who or what do you want to play with, Sandy?”

“I want to play with Mary.”

“Mary is visiting her family in Queensland so that is not possible.”

“Yes it is mum she has her mum’s I-pad.”

“Sorry Sandy, remember yesterday I said during the day you play outside while the weather is good.”

“Okay mum I forgot.”

 

Practical and fun

Life’s building blocks

Alternate way of learning

Your friend

 

Last night I went to see the new play in town. Great story and the characters were so real. Initially I didn’t want to go but I went as a favour to my friend. She was worried nobody would go. Wrong. It was a sell out crowd and the critics loved it. Simply titled—PLAY—it is the story behind the importance of playing in our adult life as well as our childhood. So when you get the chance don’t forget to play.

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/weaving-the-threads/

Quebec’s Holy Door

inspiringmax

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.

 

Share Your World 2015 – Week 11

inspiringmax

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/

World’s Best Ice Cream

inspiringmax

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.

Cow's - The World's best Icecream

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.”

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/32-flavors/