Day 14 in a Year of my Life

Oops, I forgot to put the correct title to my last two posts!  Ah well ... catch-up time.

Another short one tonight.

I am oh so grateful to witness this for the second year in a row and hope to experience it for many years to come.  This, apparently, is the 7th year in a row that these Tawnies have nested in the same tree.

I am so in love with these gorgeous little creatures.

They are so curious and inquisitive, that as I walk around the tree to find different angles to photograph them, they shuffle across the nest and around Mum and lean over the nest to watch me.

Just as I go to photograph one of them, the other pops his/her head into the picture.

They had me giggling this morning as I tried to trick them and their cute little faces would appear from nowhere.

**swoon**

So this is what I am grateful for today and I will miss them so much when I go away for two weeks!

Nite all.

Holiday? What holiday?

Well, we have the car, but it's still not ready!

It still requires weather shields, a roof rack, a reversing camera and the correct tow bar - and probably other things that escape me right now.

Hopefully, we will be on our way by Tuesday or Wednesday next week!

Right now I'm tired and simply want to share one thing with you ...

Surely EVERYBODY knows and loves Rick!

Nite all.

To Quote 'Price is Right' ...

IT'S A NEWWWW CARRRRR!!!!!

... and here is my rant that I posted in facebook.  It doesn't even contain all of the facts or all of my complaints, but you get the idea.

WARNING - RANT BEGINS HERE

If you want to buy a new car, DON'T go through Fraser Coast Auto Centre in Hervey Bay.

The contract had 27th October as delivery date. Have been promised two different dates since then. Fourth promised date was yesterday. Caught the bus into town today and spent 7 hours waiting for them to finish adding everything. The guy guaranteed that it would be ready (because there is only one bus back home, so if we didn't take it, we would be stuck in town). Car wasn't ready and we took it anyway at 5pm.

They've put the wrong tow bar on it. Still no weather shields or roof rack or reversing camera, among other things.

I've lost count of the number of lies that the salesman has told. I've lost count of the number of phone calls that haven't been returned and the number of 'let me call you back in 5 minutes' calls that never eventuated.

The car still has to go back tomorrow to get everything else fitted (what do you reckon the chances are that we still don't get satisfaction?).

Our holiday was supposed to start today. pffft.

... BUT DON'T GET ME STARTED!!!

Thank you for listening :D



I've sent Suzuki a long detailed message via their facebook page, but I could only do it privately, not publicly.  Waiting for their response.

I don't generally like to use my blog as a soapbox.  This is usually my happy place!  But I announced that I would use all means at my fingertips to spread the word and that includes all social networking sites, blogs, emails etc etc etc.

End Rant

On a happier note, I met a lovely girl from Frankfurt today!

On an impulse, during my arduous wait for the car, I decided to have a pedicure.

In the seat beside mine, was a lovely girl who was visiting Australia, for the first time, from Frankfurt in Germany.

She has already been here for a month and has visited Sydney (disappointing for her) and Melbourne (a pleasant surprise for her) and she is heading to Cairns tonight on the bus and plans to go as far as Cape Tribulation.

I really enjoyed talking to her and she explained how 'quiet' Australia is with it's vast size and small population of 23 million people, compared to Germany, which is just a bit larger than Australia's state of Victoria, and has a population of 82 million!

That is a fact that's difficult to comprehend!

She talked about how lucky our country is.  The beautiful landscapes, the amazing food, the friendly, happy people, the wide open spaces, the healthy lifestyle, the great public transport system that takes us outside of metropolitan areas, our freedom and our work ethic.

So, today, I am grateful to be living in Australia, the lucky country.

Nite all.

Day 11 in a Year of my Life

This will be a short post tonight.

I start my day by the river every morning at the Seat of Knowledge with my boys.

They are always happy and smiling and ready for a laugh.  It's my favourite way to start the day, before I go riding off with my camera looking for photographic opportunities.

Today I am grateful for my happy smiling boys who help me start my day with a smile.

Nite all.

Day 10 in a Year in my Life

Food.  I'm not sure if I'm classed as a foodie, just because I love food.  There may be a more derogatory term for it lol.

My favourite food is seafood, in particular, prawns and crabs.  Unfortunately, I have developed an allergy to some fish and also to my absolute favourite, Tasmanian scallops, so I have to be careful when ordering seafood in restaurants.

I am also gluten intolerant, and now I miss some other favourite foods, such as freshly baked bread, apple pies, battered fish from the local cafe, Tim Tams among many more.

You'll notice that they are all fairly unhealthy foods, so it's probably a good thing that I can no longer eat them.

I love fresh tropical fruits like mangoes, peaches, pineapples and pawpaw.  Any fruit 'in season' is pretty delicious.

I love trying different restaurants and eating quality meals made with love by talented chefs who love what they do.  My son-in-law is one of those :D and you can feel the love in his delicious creations.

I love sharing a good meal with friends and family, whether it be a barbecue in the back yard, a picnic at the park, a dinner party at a friend's house, a gathering at a cafe/restaurant or a lady's day at a bistro.

I love to eat Adoring Husband's cooking, because not only is he a good cook, but his presentation skills are pretty darned fabulous too.

I love to share nibbly platters with visitors that overflow with cheeses and deli meats and fresh fruit and pates and dips and crackers.  Always nice with beer and wine.

I love delicious desserts.  Sweet, spongy, creamy, fruity, sugary, chocolaty, cold or hot yummy desserts.

I love morning teas with hot quality coffees, lattes or cappuccinos.  Even a nice pot of tea.  No more cakes, pastries or tarts for me, but there are some delicious gluten free accompaniments available now.

When Adoring Husband goes away for a few days, I like to lock myself in my house with bags of junk food.  Crisps, blocks of chocolate, lollies, ice creams etc.  I can go a whole day without eating one healthy morsel!

I love pavlova.  I make a mean pavlova.

I love Sunday roast.  Lamb is my favourite, but pork with a crunchy crackling will win me too.

I love mashed potato with raw onion chopped finely and added to it.  Gravy poured over the top is also delicious.

I love a good salsa made with avocado, tomato, cucumber, onion, capsicum and lemon juice.

When I'm sick, I love a home-made spicy creamy chicken and roasted vegetable soup.  I make a mean spicy creamy chicken and roasted vegetable soup.  I like to make it when my friends are sick too.

I love chicken and vegetable stir fries with noodles.

I love Adoring Husband's mixed salads with roasted pine nuts.

I love popcorn at the movies.

I love to make freshly squeezed fruit juice for breakfast.

So, today, I am grateful that I have all types of food available to me, ranging from fresh healthy organic goodness to the most disgusting junk food.  I am grateful that I can afford this extravagance.  I am grateful that the food I eat keeps me healthy and strong (most of the time).

Nite all.

Day 9 in a Year of my Life

I love the ocean!  I love rivers.  I love lakes.  I love water.

Tidal waters are my favourite.

Being near water, fills me with energy and hope and motivation.

For 22 yrs, I lived 6 hours from the ocean.  I didn't like it.

Whenever I had holidays that brought me to the coast, I could feel the energy building in me, as I got closer to the water.

It was a physical feeling of happiness and light.

It wasn't just about being on holidays, because we all know that holidays bring you happiness and light!!  It was about being close to the ocean.  I need to be close to water.  Close enough to see it every day.

When I travel inland, I can physically feel the energy slowly seeping out of my body.

I love the smell of the fresh salt sea air as it blows in my hair and over my skin.

I love the contrasting blues of the sky and the deep oceanic waters on a clear sunny day.

I love the soft sound of rippling waves rushing over the sandy beach, as well as the sound of full pipeline waves crashing one after the other, hard on the shore.

I love the feel of soft sand between my toes and also the feel of my feet sinking into the sand as the waves wash around my ankles.

I love collecting shells as I stroll along the beach.

I love the sound of seagulls calling out as they fight for morsels that wash on shore.

I love the sight and sound of the long beach grasses blowing in the wind along the sand dunes.

I love the sound of dogs barking as they race along the beach in front of their owners chasing sticks or balls or birds.

I love climbing over the rocks and exploring rock pools at low tide.

I love watching the colonies of soldier crabs scamper over the flats and then tunnel silently into the sand when they sense danger.

I love to see young people sitting in groups on their beach towels, listening to music, drinking their sodas, laughing and soaking up the vitamin D.

I love to see families on the beach, flying kites, building sand castles, doing cartwheels, writing messages in the sand with sticks and being 'together'.

I love to see old couples sitting in their fold up chairs, with coffee flasks beside them, and wearing big hats as they sit with their fishing rods placed strategically in rod holders in front of them.

I love to see young couples waking up in their panel vans or combi vans on the beach front, climbing out and stretching as they lift their faces to the morning sunlight.

I love to see joggers and walkers leaving their footprints in the sand as the dawn light creeps over the horizon.

I love the sight of a storm building over the ocean as the dark clouds loom and the thunder rolls across the sea.

I love to sit on the bench seat overlooking the beach and watch the world go by.

The list goes on and on.

So today, I am grateful to be living in a beachside community, close enough to the water that I can reach the beach in a 5 minute trike ride and enjoy all that it has to offer.

Nite all.



  

Day 8 in a Year of my Life

If someone had told me, ten years ago, that I would be a keen bird watcher in my future, I would have laughed in their face!

My first pet was a budgie named Sooty (my dog and my cat were also named Sooty).

Later, when I was about 5 or 6, I had a pet galah that roamed freely around the house and was trained to do it's 'business' on the toilet seat.  I don't remember his name.

When my kids were little, we briefly had a pet Peach Face, but it didn't last very long.

It's not that I didn't like birds.  They just didn't interest me really.

Since I found photography, I've become a bit passionate about birds.  They are beautiful creatures and I love all types, from the tiny little Honey Eaters, to the colourful Bee Eaters and Fairy Wrens, to the bigger raptors such as Owls, Kites and Eagles.

Even plain old boring ducks pique my interest, and I love to photograph any bird that I can get close to.

The last twelve to eighteen months has been a real learning curve for me with birds and I love that I have a few people in my flickr group who are keen bird watchers and whom I can call upon to learn more about the birds that I sometimes find.

Last year I was told about the Tawny Frogmouths who had been nesting for 6 yrs in a row in the same tree in our town, so I went looking for them and found three chicks in the nest.

This is last years photo ...

... and this year, there appears to be just one chick ...

I didn't even realise it had hatched because it blends in with it's mother's/father's feathers until it opens it's eyes.  I've been watching and waiting for weeks and missed it altogether, because the nest is quite high in the tree, so it's difficult to see much.

This little fellow seems quite curious and he leans over the nest to watch me below.

I've named him 'Pookie'.

So today, I am grateful for all of the wonderful and beautiful birdlife that Mother Nature has to offer and for the education I've received in the past 18 months as I've discovered new birds in my photographic travels.

It just goes to show, it's never too late to learn.

Nite all.

Day 7 of a Year in my Life

I am grateful for my creative, artistic abilities.

I am ok at basic maths, but nothing more complex.  I struggle with technology but I still own a laptop, an ipad, an iphone, a dslr camera and I get by.

I understand nothing about software, files, programs and the like .. it doesn't matter how you try to explain it to me, I just don't get it!

I do understand 'arty farty'.

When it comes to creativity in any form of art, I understand, and I can 'do', with minimal education or instruction.

It's my natural talent.

I'm not saying that I am a brilliant artist, by any stretch of the imagination, but generally speaking, I am naturally capable of creating all forms of creative art.

Oil Painting

Jewellery

I have painted in oils and acrylics, I have created pottery (not with a wheel), I have made jewellery, I can crochet and knit, I have embroidered, I can sew, I have designed, I have sketched, I have woven, I have stained glass, I have carved and etched, I've tie-dyed and leather worked.

Now I photograph.

I am so grateful for photography.

I love it because it's instant.  I can see the end result instantly.  Instant gratification ... much like chocolate!

Now, I have a new camera with which to play and improve and obsess.

I am grateful for the art of photography.   For the friends I've made through photography.  For the miles of memories that I can now sift through at any time of the day or night.  For all the little things on this earth that I can see because I am looking through photographer's eyes.

Here are one of the little things...

Tawny Frogmouth Chick 

Thank you Adoring Husband for just being you :D

Nite all.

Day 6 of A Year in my Life

Rainbows!

I love rainbows.

I have been obsessed with getting a rainbow shot over the river.

A couple of years ago I pedalled down to the river without my camera.  I was going out that day, so I was already dressed for my outing and decided to pedal to the bakery for my morning coffee.

I didn't take the camera because I knew that I wouldn't be gone long and because the weather was looking a bit ominous.

As I left the bakery,  I decided to stop by the Seat of Knowledge to say good morning to my boys.

It was right on high tide, there was not a breath of wind and the water was still and smooth, like glass.

The clouds in the distance were dark and looming and it was obvious that it was raining up river.

As I pulled up to the Seat of Knowledge, a rainbow appeared.

One end of it was on the opposite side of the river and the closest end seemed to be within about 50 feet from the steps near the Seat of Knowledge.

It was a perfect, vibrant and complete rainbow and the water was so still that it reflected that perfect rainbow like a mirror.

I literally gasped at the beauty and instinctively reached for my camera, which of course, was not there.

The first time I had ever taken my trike without the camera in the rear basket!

The chances of that perfect moment to ever occur again in the future are so remote.  I think I'd have a better chance of winning the lottery!

So, the night before last, when my neighbour came running over to my house to point out a rainbow after a heavy shower had passed, I was excited about what I might find.

We jumped in her car and drove down to the beach to discover this ...

The circumstances were not even close to mimicking that special morning when I was without my camera, but this rainbow was beautiful in it's own right.

I am grateful for beautiful, vibrant, colourful rainbows that bring joy to the heart and lift my spirits every single time.  Who doesn't love a rainbow?

Nite all.

Day 5 of a Year in my Life

Today's 'I'm grateful' thought is a bit lighter than my first four.  I don't want to be so intense every day, so ...

I love that time in the morning, when you first wake up, and it's very quiet, except for the sound of birds singing way off in the distance and there is a soft breeze blowing through the open window.

I love to find my most comfortable and snug position in bed and enjoy that morning moment.

I close my eyes and listen to the birds and feel the breeze and slide my feet around in the cool crispness of the sheets.

It's such a delicious feeling to doze in and out of light sleep for about twenty minutes before it's time to climb out of bed.

This isn't my bedroom, nor is it a photo that I took, but it's one of my favourite pins in Pinterest and it's how my bedroom feels to me.

So, I am grateful for a life that allows me to enjoy those moments in the mornings.

I'm off to the movies tomorrow to see 'Mental' which looks hilarious on the preview.  It's an Australian movie with Rebecca Gibney and Toni Collette.  I'll give you the report tomorrow.

Nite all.

Day 4 of a Year in my Life.

James Francis Tregea  31/10.78 - 02/03/79 (Aged 16 weeks)

Had he lived, my son would have turned 34 yrs of age today.

That being said, today I am grateful for having had Jamie in my life, even for such a short time.

Because of his time on this earth, his life and his death, strongly influenced my decision to have the three wonderful children who grace my life today.

They each bring joy to my life in different ways and I am proud of the who they have become as grown adults.

Aside from a few difficult teenage years, they have brought such a lot of happiness to my life, and often when I'm observing the wonderfulness of Chicklet, I am reminded of similar feelings toward my children as they grew and developed from babies to little people.

No doubt, she will trigger other memories as she grows.

Thanks to today's technology, I am grateful for regular insights into my children's lives through facebook, twitter, blogs, emails, phone calls, skype, text messages and visits.

When I was having my babies and living more than 1000 kms from my parents, I had to make do with a weekly (expensive) phone call and the occasional letter or card in the mail (aka snail mail).

My kids are good people.

This is a photo taken while they were on holidays with their father, many many years ago.  I've always loved this.

I am grateful to have them in my life, to give love and from whom I receive love.  I wish that we all lived closer together so that we could share more of the 'festive' times.

I know that I don't tell them often enough ... in fact, I can't remember the last time that I told them!

I love you.

I am proud of you.

I wish I could hug you right now.

Nite all.  

Day 3 of a Year in my Life

I'm grateful for extended family, who even though we see each other rarely and for very short periods of time, it feels just like we saw each other yesterday and it feels so comfortable and there is always love.

Best Cousin in the World

Kids of the Olympiad - see parents below.

The Beautiful People - more cousins and the parents of the above children.

Cousins, Uncles, Aunties and all of their children, grandchildren and beyond ... there must be close to a hundred of them, if not more!

I never feel unwelcome and the bonds that I formed with each of them in my childhood still feel strong and connected today.  Those connections are also special because they make me feel a little closer to my parents, who have both passed on.

So thank you ... family ... :D

Speaking of family.  We had a lovely day today with Best Cousin in the World and her hubby, Marco Polo.

After breakfast on the water front, then some touristy stuff in The Bay this morning, we came back home and spent six hours at the local pub, playing pool, drinking quite large amounts of alcohol (some more than others!) and then having dinner there, before walking home in the light rain.

We, 'the girlies', beat the boys at pool!!  Yay for us!!  We are the champions!!

Nite all.

Day 2 of A Year in my Life.

I feel incredibly grateful for our friends, Woman of Many Talents, and her partner, Bob the Builder, who were willing to take time out of their very busy lives to come with us to Bundaberg as our support team to drive us home after Adoring Husband had his medical procedure.

Our lives have been so busy this year, that we haven't spent much time together at all, so it's even more meaningful that they didn't even hesitate when we asked this huge favour.

This photo is a true representation of Woman of Many Talents.  Casual, relaxed and always happy.  She exudes a warmth and a vibrance that makes people feel welcome in her presence.

She is beautiful inside and out.

Thank you for being my friend and thank you for being there in our time of need.  I look forward to one day, repaying the favour in some way.

'Best Cousin in the World' and her husband Marco Polo, arrived late this afternoon.

We've had a great afternoon and evening catching up and drinking wine and getting each other up-to-date on family matters.  We have a whole day together tomorrow and I will hopefully get to share our favourite spot for dinner and a sunset, weather permitting.

Right now, it's way past my bed time.

Nite all.

Day 1 of 'A Year in my Life'

I have joined a few photography group pages in facebook over the past year and recently, in one of them, I've been watching a young woman in her mid twenties keep an album of things for which she is grateful, who and what she loves, and what fills her days for 365 days.

She entitled it "A Year in my Life".

She began this album on the 1st of September and as I was going through it today, and reading her blurb beside each photo, I felt so good, that I decided that I'd like to start one myself.

I considered starting the album in facebook, but I think I'd rather share my year of photos in here - because the people I care about the most, read this regularly.

Vegan Chickie recently put me onto an 'app' called a Gratitude Journal which I downloaded onto my iphone and have written in about half a dozen times, so that's where I will start.

I'm pretty certain that EVERYBODY knows what my first photo will be ...

A photo taken by Vegan Chickie.  Look at those little blond curls and that cheeky smile.

I am grateful for Crazy Crazy Chicklet.

I stand in awe of that beautiful, wonderful, amazing child as I watch her grow and learn and become a little person.  I watch how her parents are teaching her to be strong and brave and bright and adventurous, while I get to be 'Boz' and give her smiles and love and time.

She brings me such joy and I try to soak up every moment that I get to share with her.  She has me so starstruck that all I can do is watch her every movement and listen to her every sound and I am incapable of having an intelligent conversation when she is around.

I even have tears of joy as I write this!

While I napped this afternoon,  I got two phone calls, which I obviously didn't answer, because I was sleeping, so my caller left two voice messages.

The caller was Chicklet and she left the most adorable, talkative little messages for me.  I giggle to myself every time I listen to them.  Thank you my little sweetie possum ... I'm sorry I missed your call, but I'm glad I have the messages to listen to :D

I LOVE LOVE LOVE you to pieces and am so grateful to have you in my life.

Thank you for listening.

Nite all.

  

Things that make me nod

Here are some things that grabbed my attention today and made me nod.

I am happy BUT I'm feeling uninspired because there is nothing happening in my photography world right now.

I think I'm going to have to do the November Photo a Day challenge, just to force myself to get creative, before I lose my mojo altogether!

A photo from last week - the colour of the sun was pretty special.

I think I'm addicted to Home Ice Cream's - Fruit and Juice ice blocks.  I'm outta controlllllllll!!!

Nite all.

It's Official

I am pleased to announce that an MRI today, verified that Adoring Husband, does indeed, have a brain :D

We drove all the way to Bundaberg with Woman of Many Talents and her partner Bob the Builder.

Adoring Husband wasn't allowed to drive after his MRI, so they came along and drove us home after lunch at Sizzlers.

They made, what could have been quite a stressful day, very pleasant and much easier to handle.

Thank you lovely people :D

I spent the entire day without my camera!!  **Look of genuine shock**

After proving that he has a brain, Adoring Husband then ordered me a new camera - the Canon 5D Mark III - which will arrive in 5 days, just in time for our first road trip with the campervan!

That's very exciting!

Nite all.

Chicklet's Gift

So ... I got this t-shirt made for Chicklet, to remind her of me, because she has moved two and a half hours away and I won't see her as often.

I thought I might get 50 t-shirts made, of varying sizes, and send them to random addresses all around Australia - and then wait to see somebody walking down the street wearing one!

How weird would that be!?

Maybe Chicklet would see other people wearing my photo too and point and say "That's my Boz!"

If you are a random stranger who has just happened upon this blog today ... Boz is what my 20 month old granddaughter calls me, instead of grandma or nanna or granny.

Update on Adoring Husband's Mum ... happily, there was nothing more sinister with her injuries and she has now returned to the nursing home ... much to her relief!

We have a big day in Bundaberg tomorrow, so I'm off to bed.

Nite all.

They've Moved

Poor Mama and Dadoo woke up with the flu this morning ... on the day they were moving.

We all arrived safe n sound at the Sunshine Coast and unpacked the trailer and the cars.

Here is the lovely Chicklet unpacking while Mama lies on the couch drinking a healthy fruit smoothie and feeling very much under the weather.

Let's hope they get well quickly and let's also hope that little Chicklet is strong enough to fight off the germs and stay well.

We had an uneventful trip home ... oh except when the fuel light began to flash and we were still ten kilometres from a service station!  Well done Adoring Husband :D well done for getting us fuelled up before it was too late!

By gosh, this blog post would have been so much more interesting, with a touch of comedy, if we'd been just a little further from a service station!

It's been a big day, so I'm off to have a dessertspoon of fresh honey from the bees, to ward off the Vegan Chickie germs, and then I'm climbing into bed.

Nite all

No Words

Here she is...

We had a fabulous afternoon together, mostly in the garden, and I've been feeling the love.

Tomorrow they move to the Sunshine Coast and our lunches and coffee visits come to an end.  

**insert sad face here**

Our visits may be less often but they will last longer!  We will look forward to those visits.

**insert smiley face here**

Adoring Husband's 95 yr old Mum had a fall at the nursing home tonight and she has been admitted to hospital.  She hit her head and injured herself badly enough that she has to have an MRI to check that she doesn't have a brain bleed or any other damage.

We hope that her injuries are superficial and that she can go back to the nursing home, without any lasting effects, as soon as possible.

Nite all.