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 |   The simplicity of my day to day. |
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This is where I write my thoughts, feelings and my daily trials, tribulations and happy things
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| Have fun with these words: celebrate, options, baskets, eggs, chocolate, jellybeans, laughter and children. Yes, it’s getting closer to Easter. A time to celebrate. Churches around the world will be celebrating Jesus’ resurrection. For non-christians this is also a time for celebration. It’s a time of renewal. Spring flowers bloom, birds nest and their babies grow, fly and life begins anew. But for children, Easter is a time for searching for chocolate eggs to place in their baskets. Laughter and giggles will be heard on Easter Sunday morning when the Easter Bunny has hopped in to leave candy, jelly beans and lots of chocolate, before hopping off to see other boys and girls. Since I’ve been a grandma, my eldest is 37, and now I’m a great grandma, I’ve always thought the children received enough chocolate from other relatives. So my options were to give them even more, or buy them something else. As we live in Australia Easter is in Autumn, the nights are becoming cool, so warm Pyjamas are what I give for Easter. It’s become a tradition, one which my daughter, also a Grandmother is carrying on. |
| Levis or Wranglers or Madewells or J.Crew or Amazon or Walmart or Target Women who want to wear jeans struggle with getting a good fit. Do you wear jeans? What brand do you wear? Is your decision based on cost or fit? Yes, I do wear jeans but only when the weather is cooler. In Summer I tend to wear loose pants. Jeans are tricky to get the right fit. Brand doesn’t always come into it. I’ve had the most amazing fit and comfort from stores which don’t only sell jeans but dresses, coats, skirts and even pj’s . But the next time I go to purchase the same jeans they no longer stock/sell/make them. Most jeans are either too low cut, or loose around the waist. If they fit around the hips and length then you’ve struck lucky. They should have a little stretch in the denim, not be too baggy or hang loose around the rear. It’s an actual minefield shopping for jeans and one which is looming for me as the weather here gets cooler. I’m not looking forward to it. |
| Prompt: Storytelling "You’re never going to kill storytelling because it’s built into the human plan. We come with it.” Margaret Atwood Do you like telling stories in any shape or form? Life is just a series of stories. Everyone has a story don’t they? Every time we sit and talk to someone we’re just adding to the story. A story never really ends, even if the person who told you an amazing tale is no longer with you, each time you speak about him/her, you will probably embellish as you retell their story, add a little to it, or change it in some way. I love telling stories, no matter how humdrum or ordinary the subject matter. I love to hold a person’s attention, and to also add a little fiction or exaggeration, just to make it more entertaining. We can never run out of stories. While ever or wherever there are people, new stories will be made. In some countries, like Australia, their indigenous population didn’t have the written word and were dependent on word of mouth to relate the news or to pass on information. Maybe it’s just to inform where the best fishing holes are. Our indigenous used stories as their maps. It’s called The Dreamtime. Each story had a purpose. They tell of their history, geography and where water is to be found. Dreamtime stories are always oral, passed down from generation to generation. |
| What's the best excuse for being late? Do you find it annoying when people keep you waiting or are you that person who makes others wait? There are no excuses for being late. By making someone wait for you to turn up is like saying my time is more important than yours. I’d rather be early than late. Being late causes me stress. I don’t know why but I’ve always been like this. And what’s more I cannot stand to be the one waiting for someone who is late; it’s the height of rudeness. One should always give oneself extra time to get somewhere. Factor in traffic delays, road closures, detours or parking issues. By doing this, one never gets impatient or irritated with other road users. My children learned from a very early age not to keep me waiting. As teenagers they knew if they weren’t at the nominated pick up zone when they were supposed to be then I’d give them five minutes grace before I’d leave them to catch the bus home. Those were the days before mobile phones. I believe the instant contact these days make it easy for people to turn up when they like. They believe if they’ve sent a text saying they’re running late then that’s fine. Just don’t be late ! |
| Prompt: Shoes What are your views on the importance and use of shoes? I mean, why do we humans need shoes? Didn't we evolve feet capable of standing up on the ground like other animals? Shoes are important to me. Not that I’m a fashionista or anything, in fact it’s been years since I wore anything with a heel. I have arthritis in my left foot which precludes me from wearing anything but sneakers or sandals. Even those items have to have specific requirements. I must have spent thousands of dollars on footwear, orthotics and gadgets to improve my problem. My husband compares me to Imelda Marcos, although her choice of footwear was much more glamorous than mine. I even bought barefoot shoes against all the advice for anyone with arthritic feet. Needless to say they were useless and just made the pain worse. The jury is out about whether people should be able to wear no shoes whilst out shopping. Is it hygienic? I suppose feet are no dirtier than the soles of shoes. But seeing anyone bare foot reminds me of the childhood stigma I grew up with. Only very poor children would have no shoes in the UK. In Australia I don’t think there would have been the same stigma attached to a barefoot child at school. Have you ever tried walking on a beach when the temperatures soar? The sight of a person hopping down to the water for the relief the cool waves would bring is a sight worth seeing. |
| Prompt: "If you hear a voice within you say you cannot paint, then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced.” Vincent Willem Van Gogh What is Van Gogh trying to tell us and what do you think of his paintings? This is a great quote which I’d never heard before. That inner voice which tells us about all the things we can’t do is one I’m sure most of have heard. Just today at my singing group a new member told me that she couldn’t sing. I wondered if she really thought that would she have come along. Maybe today she had decided to stop listening to that voice. She must love singing, if only around the house or in the shower. I’m so pleased she did as afterwards when I asked her if she’d had a good time, her smile said it all. My daughter told me the other day she couldn’t sleep and so stayed awake all night watching movies. I told her you keep telling yourself you can’t sleep, now try telling yourself you’re going to have a great night’s sleep instead! Where does this voice come from? Further more why do we listen? I used to listen to that voice telling me I couldn’t do so many things, now I take no notice whatsoever. In fact I think that voice has taken the hint and taken a hike. |
| Prompt: "If a composer could say what he had to say in words he would not bother trying to say it in music." Gustav Mahler What is Mahler trying to say, in your opinion? And is music more expressive than words? What do you think? Sometimes music can express more than words. When I’m feeling sad, pensive or just want to figure something out then I need background music which allows me to do that, be that, to calm not excite. When I’m feeling up and energetic, I want to hear an upbeat rhythm. I appreciate the amazing talent of the composers who write the music for film. Without the music, which often goes unnoticed subconsciously, a film would be unwatchable. If you’ve ever had the subtitles on whilst watching a movie you’ll see such things as “sad music,” or “scary music,” describing the mood of the music whilst a scene is playing out. But then of course music often needs words. This is where the poets amongst us shine. Lyrics are what I love to listen to. They say more to me than just music by itself. I think that’s why ballet has never struck a chord with me, so to speak. I appreciate the tremendous hard work and talent of the dancers yet I need more. I need words. |
| What are your feelings on daylight savings? Do you think it still has a purpose or is it time to end it? Oh goodness this subject come up every few years or so. Here in the West of Australia we don’t have daylight savings any more after many trials. Oh, the for and against arguments get quite heated. Faded curtains, confused cows and other off the chart ideas all have had an airing. The Eastern states still have to contend with it each year, leaving a three hour time differential between one side of the country and the other. I have always hated it. I’m always so pleased to see the sun go down as early as possible in the summer here. After days in the high thirty to forty degrees we need a few hours of darkness before bedtime. I’m not aware of the time differences in the US and which states have daylight saving thrust upon them, or what the general consensus might be. Perhaps someone could enlighten me. Maybe some people think it’s great but it’s not for me. |
| Prompt:Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to success is to try just one more time.” Thomas Edison Do you give up easily? why do you think some people quit at the beginning of a mission or project? And/or What is Edison trying to tell us? I don’t really think of myself as a quitter but I certainly know my limitations. I’ve been a person who has always enjoyed a reasonable level of fitness despite my issues with skeletal problems. My spine has been a trial ever since being young. I think though it has been having a bad back which spurred me on to try to overcome it. Recently I attempted to get back to an exercise class and after three goes I had to admit I couldn’t do it, it was too much for my many ailments. So I gave up! Much to my disappointment. As I write this I’m waiting to see yet another specialist to see if a magic cure can be found so I don’t end up incapacitated for the rest of my life. So I don’t give up easily but sometimes the universe has a different plan, doesn’t it? |
| Use these words in your entry: play, madness, time, mind, pray, slice, dice, and March. I love the sound of the word March. It reminds me of armies, striding out, their big boots crunching on gravel. March is the first day of Autumn here in Australia. That doesn’t mean that summer will suddenly turn off the heat, but the days are shorter. The plants somehow know the season has changed and begin to breathe a sigh of relief. March reminds me of Mad Hatters and madness. Madness reminds me of a time when mental illness was referred to as madness. We have a lot of ‘madness’ in our family. I often pray for a miracle but I think instead I should pray for understanding but it’s a big ask. One needs to always be aware of sudden changes in mood and to remain calm whilst being berated. Sometimes I take on different roles. Usually I’m just mum, but at other times I play the wise counsellor or just a friend but which ever the way you might choose slice and dice it, the problem never goes away. |
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