Tag: Memories
Share Your World – 2016 Week 46
Are you a traveler or a homebody?
I love travelling. I find exploring new places, their history and culture fascinating. Unfortunately, the longest time I have traveled is 6 weeks. However, I look forward to spending my long service leave travelling to far off lands in the next few years.
PS. Most of the world is far off when you live in Australia.
What kind of TV commercial would you like to make? Describe it.
I don’t think I would want to make a TV commercial, although I have been in two and not actually paid for either. The first was planned and I was shopping for baby goods in my friends’ parents baby shop. I was young and it was fun making it.
The second commercial I was in was for the first season of The Voice in Australia. I had seen the battles being taped live and as we were leaving they asked for our opinions. I must have done a great job as suddenly people were telling me I was on TV advertising The Voice. Personally, I was never lucky enough to see me on TV but it had my family, friends, colleagues and patients talking for weeks. Fortunately, one of my friends sent me a photo of it on her TV. Gotta love technology these days. I think that I look okay for midnight. 
Describe yourself in a word that starts with the first letter of your name.
Maternal, mindful, motivated
List some fun things for a rainy day.
- Skipping in the rain
- Jumping in puddles
- Sitting by an open fire reading a book
- Playing board or card games with the family
- Sleeping especially under a metal roof
- Baking
- Planning my next holiday
- Mindful colouring-in
- Art and craft work
- Spending the day in a museum
- Blogging
- Writing
- Playing Wi games with the family
- Swimming but only if there is no lightening
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. Even though he was overseas, my husband, daughter and I went out and enjoyed his favourite food.
This week I hope to finish painting my kitchen cupboards and finally decide where things will belong permanently in my new home.
Share Your World 2016 – Week 36
If you were given a boat or yacht today, what would you name it? (You can always sell the yacht later)
Choosing a name for a boat or yacht depends on it type. My father used to have a Hood 23, which he cleverly named Child. The rowing boat attached was called Baby. I loved it.
Photo Credit: Google Images
Which of Snow White’s 7 dwarfs describes you best? (Doc, Happy, Bashful, Sleepy, Sneezy, Grumpy, Dopey) Plus what would the 8th dwarf’s name be?
I think I am a mixture of Doc and Happy although there are times when I am tired that I could definitely be called Dopey. In my world the 8th dwarf would be called Techno. Although just for fun I asked my girls and their suggestions was Attitudy.
Name a song or two which are included on the soundtrack to your life?
I find music very powerful and the following soundtracks have been with me since they first hit the charts in the 1970’s. They have both gotten me through many hard times and remind me that I can do anything I set my mind to and to keep moving forward.
Complete this sentence: I like watching…
PEOPLE! They are so interesting.
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 the transition from Sydney to Newcastle is going so well with few hiccups. This week I am looking forward to getting some ideas for our home renovations from the Better Home and Gardens Show.
Share Your World – 2016 Week 36
Feedback Sandwich
When I think about a sandwich I don’t think about food but a way to deliver difficult feedback. I start by telling the person something they do well. Where possible I try to make it as close to the topic we are discussing. After we have discussed this for a minute or two I then introduce my difficult feedback. Where possible I look at the big picture of the issue discussing how the problem impacts the person and others. If appropriate, I will also give some ideas to help the person to move forward and make the changes required. To complete my feedback I would ask the person if they needed anything from me and remind them of the positives of what they are doing.
Often feedback is very difficult to hear but I find the more open the discussion, the better the outcome. By using the feedback sandwich, the person becomes less defensive because the news has been softened by positive feedback. It is a system that works well and has an overflowing impact of developing respect between the people involved.
A win/win for everyone, the feedback sandwich is:
POSITIVE FEEDBACK
DIFFICULT CONVERSATION
POSITIVE FEEDBACK
Coffee Catch-Up #14
If we were having coffee I would tell you how excited I was to welcome my 800th follower to my blog this week. My current goal is to have 1000 followers by the end of 2016. I enjoy my blogging community and I have learnt a lot over the last 2 years as I’ve visited your blogs. We are all unique and together we make each others world’s brighter.
If we were having coffee I would tell you that I enjoyed working at my new hospital. They are a great team although they use a slightly different system to what I am used to. However, I quickly settled into my new rhythm and was lucky enough to work a few more shifts than I was originally booked for, which helped expedite my knowledge of how things are done.
If we were having coffee I would tell you that I enjoyed my birthday last Tuesday. My husband made me breakfast before he had to leave for work so I took myself shopping. I even managed to get myself a $20 birthday discount when I bought myself some new clothes. Bonus! I then caught the train home with my daughter who taught me how to hunt Pokémon before cooking me dinner. The one thing that I was looking at when shopping was a Fitbit however I have yet to decide if I would use it enough to justify the cost. If you have one what has been your experience?
If we were having coffee I would tell you I was grateful on Thursday night after Toastmasters to be able to watch the Semi Finals of the Toastmasters International Convention 2016 from Washington DC. What amazing speakers. It was also exciting to be able to cheer on one of our fellow members, David Griffiths who came third. It was hard to pick the order of the winners although I do think that the 3 people who placed were the best speakers.
If we were having coffee I would tell you that I have enjoyed the bits of the Olympics that I have seen and was particularly excited to see some of the people my children used to compete against, do personal bests and in some cases come home with an Olympic medal.
If we were having coffee I would tell you that last night we enjoyed cooking pizzas in our outdoor pizza oven and chimney. The smokey flavour was awesome. One problem we found with the pizza oven was that it was too small to cook the bigger pizzas in. We solved this problem by using our chimney but it wasn’t nearly as effective at cooking them as the pizza oven. So with our new-found knowledge, when we move we have decided to buy a new, bigger pizza oven that takes all pizza sizes. We also secretly hope to be able to cook other foods in it using our various sized camp ovens. Cooking over fire – there is nothing like it.
If we were having coffee I would ask you what is happening in your world? Let me know in the comments.
Weekly Photo Challenge: Rare
As this weeks photo challenge calls for something rare I am reposting my photos of The Veiled Virgin. I couldn’t believe that her veil is made of thin marble. She is so beautiful. If you ever get the opportunity to visit St Johns Newfoundland, Canada, go out of your way to immerse yourself in her presence. It is a rare and memorable experience that will leave you smiling.
For more information about The Veiled Virgin please click on my earlier post below.
Weekly Photo Challenge: Fun
When I think of fun, I think of Disneyland. It is so exciting to immerse myself in the characters, places and adventures I grew up with. I love that Disneyland was designed as a place for adults as well as children and that it is constantly evolving. I first went to the original Disneyland on my honeymoon during its 35th anniversary, which was amazing. The day and night time performances are etched in my memory forever.
The following photos are from our recent fun trip to Hong Kong’s Disneyland. I can never get enough of Disneyland and I am looking forward to visiting Japan’s Disneyland next year. Mickey and friends are universal so I am sure language won’t be a barrier to fun.
Share Your World – 2016 Week 30
Do you prefer a bath or shower?
I love a soak in a deep, bubbly bath sipping on a glass of champagne whilst reading chick lit. It my total escapism. Unfortunately, it rarely happens these days due to my lack of time or access to a deep bath.
If you had an unlimited shopping spree at only one store, which one would you choose? Why?
As we are in the process of moving and redesigning our house I would choose a store that is Australian and covers electrical, computers and furniture that we like. So historically for us that would be Harvey Norman. Over the years we have shopped there regularly and we even have made a special connection with one of the computer department staff and he has never guided us badly.
If you could be one age for the rest of your life, what age would that be?
Age is a funny thing and I believe you are only as old as you feel. My life is great now, I am moving into semi-retirement and finally have some money if I wish to buy any thing or travel. My body could be a bit fitter but that is actually up to me as medically I have no problems. The other advantage of remaining at this age may be that nothing deteriorates any more. So a WIN WIN for everyone.
List at least five movies that cheer you up.
Movies that cheer me up are a bit tricky as most of my favourites are tearjerkers. So after thinking hard I came up with:
- Suddenly 30
- Father of the Bride
- Parent Trap
- The Lion King
- Frozen
Yes! You could describe me as a kid at heart.
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 get my contract for my new job. This week I am looking forward to getting a start date and working with my collaborator as my book gets closer to completion.
Share Your World – 2016 Week 30
Weekly Photo Challenge: Narrow
The Narrows is the only entrance to St John’s Harbour, Newfoundland, Canada. The Narrows has a rugged natural beauty seen above from many angles over many days. At it’s narrowest point it is only 61 metres across, which has proven to be a great natural defense over the centuries. In the 1600’s, the harbour’s narrow entrance has provided the city with protection from pirates and later from enemy ships during war time.
When I first visited the Narrows, I remember my joy at seeing the mighty Atlantic Ocean for the first time—it felt different to the Pacific, I can’t explain why it just did.
Coffee Catch-Up #12
If we were having coffee I would tell you that I enjoyed my job interview last Monday and am very excited to start work at my new hospital in early August. The unit has a calm feel to it and I am pleased to be back working in my home town, although I have been happy living a free lifestyle for the last 2 months.
If we were having coffee I would tell you how surprised and in some ways saddened I was, to hear on Friday nights news that they were closing the wooden escalators in both Wynyard and Town Hall Stations over the next 12 months. Apparently there are only 7 wooden escalators left in the world — 4 at Wynyard, 2 at Town Hall and the other in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Of the 4 at Wynyard Station, 3 were opened in 1932, the same year as the Sydney Opera House and the 4th in 1952. The Wynyard wooden escalators were the first in Australia and over 80 years later are still working hard carrying over 150,000 commuters daily.
Growing up I remember that I loved to ride on the wooden escalators in David Jones stores as they had a warm and inviting look to them which made me feel like a part of history. Unfortunately, these escalators were taken out over a decade ago and since then using the escalators is just a means to an end. My mission now will be to make sure that I get to Wynyard Station before they close the wooden escalators for one last ride and reflection.
If we were having coffee I would tell you about the walk my father and I went on, from his house along Throsby Creek to Newcastle Harbour and back again. With stopping off along the way to explore, our walk took us 2 hours and as you can see it was a magical winters day. I couldn’t believe the growth that has occurred in this part of Newcastle including the formal walking trail includes many beautiful sculptures like the large lounge shown below.
If we were having coffee I would tell you I can’t believe how quickly this year is going. Tomorrow is the 25th July which means that it is exactly 5 months till Christmas Day. Wow! Then I think about how much I hope to get done between now and Christmas and that is when I get truly exhausted. Start a new job, pack up one house, do repairs to our Newcastle house before moving in, move in, finish book, catch-up with old friends, shop for Christmas and plan a trip to Japan to visit our son. Think positively is my motto so I am sure it will sort itself out for the best. After all, its amazing what one can achieve when motivated to do so.
If we were having coffee I would ask you what is happening in your world?