Day 243 in a Year of my Life

Totally involved in the tennis, which means my brain is not functioning for posting tonight.

Instead, I thought I would share this photo and no, I didn't take this one ...

His head looks too big and heavy to hold up on that long skinny neck!  I hope it's not cold where he lives!

Today I am grateful to have more than 100 people watching my facebook photography page.  It's pretty good considering I'm not selling anything or doing any networking.  That's pretty cool.

Nite all.

Day 242 in a Year of my Life

Facebook share time again ...

... and my sister, Squirt, posted this with a panicked request wanting to know what sort of snake it was ....

Luckily it was just a harmless python and everybody convinced her to set it free.

She doesn't cope well with snakes, and those of you who know us, know why.

Today, I am grateful for my kids.  I spent most of my day on a Skype call with one, a phone call with another and multiple text messaging with the other.  It was a good day.

On a final note ...

Nite all.

Day 241 in a Year of my Life

You've just got to check this out.  Mother Nature at her finest.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=REP4S0uqEOc

How I would love to trek through the New Guinea jungles to capture some fabulous photos of those little gems!

YAY FOR QUEENSLAND!!  We won the second State of Origin game tonight!!  One game each, which means the decider will be a ripper on 17th July!!

The bad news is that Lleyton Hewitt lost his second round tennis match at Wimbledon tonight.  Very disappointing for me ... even more so for him (as I glance over my laptop screen and see his press conference on the tv).

Today, I made a delicious Cauliflower, potato and leek soup with crunchy dry roasted walnuts sprinkled on top.

Adoring Husband doesn't like it ... which is great!  All the more for me!!

I've been feeling a little run down as if my body is trying to fight off a cold/flu/virus, so I want to make lots of different soups full of vitamins and minerals and goodness to help strengthen my immune system and fight off the germs.

I already have chicken and roast vegetable soup in the freezer.  I might make a tomato, basil and roasted red capsicum soup next.

So I think I might head off to bed and see if I can wake up early enough to accompany Adoring Husband into The Bay tomorrow.  The car is booked in for some further repairs which will take a bit of time.

We may even go to the movies.

Today, I am grateful for discovering the very few delicious foods that Adoring Husband won't eat ... all the more for me!!

Nite all.

Day 240 in a Year of my Life

My tears are flowing for the loss of a very special lady tonight.  My heart is aching for her family, Brian, Charlie and Matilda,  her sister Christine, and for all who love her.  I know that there are so many of you, especially BGWLBH ...

RIP Liza Simpson.  

Day 239 in a Year of my Life

My "good authority"on the full moon being spectacular this morning, wasn't so good after all.

Pitiful really.

I pedalled in the dark with my head and tail lights flashing, trying to find the best spot to watch the giant moon sink behind the horizon, but it wasn't giant at all.

I was lucky enough to stumble across a live video tutorial this morning, on a site called 'Creative Live' and I watched an expert edit a whole stack of wedding photos and create an album.

He was amazing and this was day three of a three day tutorial, so I just had to buy the first two days .. because I learned so much from day three!

His name is Yervant and this is his website ...

http://www.yervantphotography.com/

He has won many photography awards and is very famous in the photography world, although, I must admit, I had never heard of him until today!  Not that that means anything .. I am a very lazy photographer with little knowledge of others in the field.

I would like to change that.

I can't wait to watch the other two days of tutorial!

Meanwhile .. have I shared this before?  I know I've seen it before, but I can't remember if I posted it here.  Oh well, it's worth sharing again.

Today, I am grateful for my favourite sporting time of year!  Wimbledon.  State of Origin football.  The Ashes (soon).

Nite all.

Day 238 in a Year of my Life

I got a super rainbow this morning ...

Fancy that!  A full rainbow across the same lagoon twice in one month!

As for tonight's super moon ... what a fizzer that turned out to be!

There was cloud cover across the horizon (so much for the weather bureau predicting clear skies!) and the moon had to fight for an hour to get above it .. by which time, it no longer looked like a super moon.

So I plan on getting out of bed at about 5am tomorrow to watch it set.  I have it on good authority that it will be just as super as it sets behind the horizon.

Therefore, this is a short post, so that I can get some sleep.

Today, I am grateful for Adoring Husband's home made vanilla, choc chip ice cream.  He gave me a full (almost overflowing) sundae glass of it last night.  It was hard work, but I swallowd every last mouthful!  Delicious!

Nite all.

Days 236 and 237 in a Year of my Life

Did you miss me?

My apologies for not posting yesterday.

I've had a bad week, with a couple of crappy things happening, and I was ready for my usual few Friday wines.

Yesterday, after I'd had breakfast, I didn't eat all day, so I went to the club with a very empty stomach and then proceeded to drink 4 glasses of wine.

Bad move.

It DID help me sleep though!  I fell unconscious onto the couch until Adoring Husband physically assisted me to bed, where I climbed, fully clothed under the doona and slept like a baby until 7am.

Almost 12 hours sleep!

I woke up feeling fine this morning, so no hangover to speak of.

Today was a perfect sunshiny Winter's day and I spent about 90 minutes enjoying it on my trike and on the beach.

I missed a good shot of a really big White Bellied Eagle, but he flew so close to me, the image is burned in my memory forever.

Today, I decided to start a series of self portraits.  It'll be good practise for portrait shots and lighting and using the remote shutter release.

A girl in one of my photography groups has started doing something similar, which gave me the idea.  There aren't too many photos of me around, so maybe one or two of them along the way will be worth sharing in printed form, with some special people.

Today's was a lazy one with very little effort put in for the lighting .. just natural light from the window.  No make-up.  No photoshopping my face.  Warts and all me.  Learning to love all of my lines and freckles.

The 'smile' sign to remind me, after such a crappy week, to lighten up and get back to being happy.

Today I am grateful to other photographers for ideas that I hope will improve my photography.  I'm also grateful to you, my guinea pigs, who have to view the practise shots!

Nite all.

Day 236 in a Year of my Life

It is definitely more difficult to get out of bed on these coolish Winter mornings.

It was 7.30am when I climbed out of bed and well after 8am when I got my coffee.

I pedalled to the beach to drink my coffee alone and spotted two Brahminy Kites about 100 metres apart, just standing on the beach.

I chose the one to the right and as I approached, it jumped up and flew over to a mudcrab that was lying dead on the beach ...

Then I got a bit too close and it flew off ...

to be with it's mate ...

I spent about an hour walking backwards and forwards on the wet sand at low tide.  My shoes were wet and sandy.  My track pants were wet and sandy up past my ankles.

But it was worth it.

It was a nice way to spend the morning and then it was even nicer going through all the photos that I had taken.

I hope that tomorrow is worth another walk on the beach .. I think I'll wear shorts and take my shoes off this time.  Might be a bit chilly on the toes, but much less mess to clean up when I get home!

I sorted through some bags of paperwork and photos today and came across a photo from my first wedding, at the ripe old age of 18.

My brother wasn't quite 15yrs of age and my little sister, who was my flower girl, was 5yrs old.  My parents were both aged 38 yrs, and both no longer with us.

I also found my mother's school reports and dance examinations - she dreamed of being a ballerina.

There was also her old bible.  It was already very old when it was handed down from an Aunty in 1947, with it's cover missing, an old bookmark in the pages and a couple of flower petals pressed and dried between the pages.

I wonder what the petals were from?  A flower that she had found as a child?  A flower from a boyfriend?  I guess we will never know now.

Such a long time ago.

Today, I am grateful for small treasures that are packed away and every few years, opened up and viewed and touched.

Reminders of the things that the people we love have experienced in the past.  Reminders that they were here, and were once a part of our lives.  A reminder that we didn't ask enough questions when we had the opportunity.

That's being just a little melancholy, but really, it made me feel warm and fuzzy.

Nite all.

 

Day 235 in a Year of my Life

Yesterday's visit to the beach at low tide...

Today I'm grateful for dvds.  Old favourites.  Dvds to watch while eating fresh strawberries and cream.

Nite all.

Day 234 of a Year of my Life.

It's sharing day today.

Check this out ... I don't know anyone this age, capable of such awesomeness!  86 Years Old!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZjljqReu1I

I can't even do it now, let alone in another 30+ years!

Now for a few little facebook gems ...

Today, I am grateful to Adoring Husband who woke me at 'stupid' o'clock, and dragged me, half asleep, out into the cold for a sunrise that was over before it began.

I could see, as we approached the beach, the final seconds of a fluorescent pink morning reflecting in the wet sand, but sadly it was gone in a few blinks of an eye.

I did get to return, for a brief time, to my warm bed, to reflect on what could have been ... thank you AH for thinking of me ... maybe next time!

Nite all.

Day 233 in a Year of my Life

A couple of shots from the boat racing yesterday ...

One thing of significance happened today, we had a special morning tea to acknowledge one year since our lovely Win passed away ...

... because we love her!

Today, I am grateful to be finishing this blog post before midnight and I hope that I can be climbing into my warm bed inside the next ten minutes.

Wish me luck!

Nite all.

Day 232 in a Year of my Life

We spent the morning out at the lake at the other side of Burrum Heads, taking photos of remote control model boats racing on the water.

I wasn't all that keen to go out there, but the enthusiasm and excitement shown by the guys, was kind of infectious and I quite enjoyed the two hours I spent with them.

I'll post some photos on here tomorrow.

After we arrived home, I was feeling motivated and creative, and for the first time in a year, I made a couple of bracelets.

It was nice working in my new workspace and there was lots of room and good light.  I enjoyed it.

Then, as luck would have it, the sky was looking particularly nice, so I tested my luck and pedalled down to the river for the sunset.

My lucky day!

So, it's been a busy and productive day for both Adoring Husband and I.  Adoring Husband spent a few hours in the garden, working in the Winter sunshine.

What a great way to spend a sunny Sunday.  That's what I am grateful for today.  Free sunny Sundays that we are able to fill doing whatever we feel like!

It's already after midnight, so I'm off to bed.

Nite all.

Day 231 in a Year of my Life

I apologise for another very short post.

I had a bad day today, feeling pretty miserable, but I worked my way through it and ended up having an excellent evening with friends.

The local club ran a trivia night, to raise money for the Hervey Bay animal shelter.

A group of ten of us formed a trivia team (even though the teams should have been only 6 people), but unfortunately, we came fourth for the night overall.

 Last year we came 2nd by just one point, but we didn't fare so well tonight.

There was just one low point, when we received a text message from someone, who last year, chose to play trivia with another group of people, but who, this year,  expected us to invite her to our table.

She attempted to make us feel guilty about the fact that we didn't.  That upset us greatly, and we feel that she may be burning bridges that cannot be repaired.  Toxic relationships have no place in our lives.

Enough is enough.

I'm pretty sure that I have mentioned before, I will only allow nurturing relationships in my life.

I want to feel the love.

Not guilt.

Not anger.

Not remorse.

I will no longer make excuses or allowances for the behaviour of others, especially behaviour that is not acceptable to me.

None of my genuine friends EVER make me feel guilty about any decision I make in my life.

None of my genuine friends EVER talk negatively about me behind my back.

I am responsible for my happiness.  Mine and mine alone.

If you have expectations of me, then tell me to my face.  Don't assume that I know what you want from me.

There is so much more that I want to say, but I feel that I have already said more than I should in here.

HERE is generally my happy place, where I share mostly the joyful things that happen in my life, unless there is trauma, like a tornado, and I share that with you as part of my therapy.

I have one photo to share today ...

Today I am grateful for supportive friends who nurture me and share the love, have no expectations, make no demands and never attempt to make me feel guilty or unhappy about anything I have or have not done.

Nite all.

Day 230 in a Year of my Life

I admit to being absolutely exhausted after a very long and emotional day.

Rodney's service was lovely today and I was so chuffed when the leaflet for the service was handed to me and there on the front page was the photo that I had taken of him a year ago.

It was a very emotional moment for me.  A little while later, I overheard somebody say that it was the best photo they had ever seen of him.

It made me feel a little closer to him and I felt a real connection.

It was nice to sit with the boys for the service and the 'Seat of Knowledge' was even mentioned in the eulogy.

So, please forgive me, for signing off early tonight and let me leave you with a bright, happy and colourful treasure from after the rain a couple of days ago.

Today, I am grateful to friends who love and support me through difficult times like these.  You know who you are xxx

Nite all.

Day 229 in a Year of my Life

The morning of the day that Adoring Husband was returning from Sydney (Wednesday), there was an amazing sunrise.

Unfortunately, I had work commitments and was unable to make the most of it.

I DID, however, take my camera with me and even though the location is not very picturesque, it still shows how awesome the sunrise was.

Then, on the way to the Seat of Knowledge, there was some pretty heavy dew highlighting cobwebs in the sunlight.  This was my favourite.

We've had a very wet, rainy day today, so I didn't get to spend any time at the Seat of Knowledge this morning.

It began to pour with rain as AH and left the Bakery with our coffee.  We stopped briefly at the SOK, as the boys were all scattering to head home.  I was able to give Gentleman Jim a rain poncho as he was leaving, so he didn't have to get too wet.

There was some nasty weather in southern Queensland during the night.  Pratten and Bony Mountain were both hit by severe storms.

The Southern Downs Storm Chasers called the Pratten storm a 'microburst' but they believe that Bony Mountain copped a tornado of sorts, or in their words "dropped a funnel" and say that they found the spot where it first touched ground.

They also stated that this is very unusual storm activity for this time of the year - we seem to be hearing that more and more often.

I was surprised by my emotional reaction when I first read about it and saw the photos.  Just when I think I've recovered nicely, something happens to open the wound again.

Last night there was a ten minute period when the wind picked up so strongly that the noise of it scared the dogs and they jumped up to look out the window.  It made my heart skip a beat.

I guess it's going to take a bit longer yet, to get over it.

Anyway, something nice to come out of the disaster is our new dining suite :) which I absolutely love!

Today I am grateful for bike rides in the rain, when the rain is so heavy that it literally runs down the glass of your sunglasses like a waterfall.  When it fills the lid of your take away coffee so that when you try to take a mouthful, all you get is water.  When you pedal really fast hoping to get out of the rain, but realise halfway home, that you can't get any more wet, so you slow right down and enjoy the wetness as it drenches your clothes and runs down your knees to your ankles and flicks off the back of your thongs as you pedal along.

After all, it's only water :)

Nite all.

Day 228 in a Year of my Life

Sadly, one of my boys passed away yesterday.

He had spent a lot of years, on and off, fighting different forms of cancer, but this last diagnosis hit him hard and I don't think he had any fight left in him.

These past few months were a real struggle for him.  He was in a lot of pain and unable to look after himself properly, though he fought hard to stay in his own home right to the end.

He had been in hospital for almost a week after a fall at home, when he finally gave up.

Even though we all agreed that he may not be able to fight this one out, it was still a shock to us that he lost the battle this soon.

He's no longer in pain and he doesn't have to fight anymore.  His suffering is over.

But I still feel sad.

He really liked this photo and asked for a copy.

Rest In Peace Rodney.

Today I am grateful to have known Rodney Ross.  He was one of my boys and the first one I found and hugged after the tornado in January.  It took a while, but he shared a little bit of his life with me and always gave me a cheerful 'good morning' when I arrived at the Seat of Knowledge.

We will miss you.  I will miss you.

Nite all.

Day 227 in a Year of my Life

Went to the Thermomix demonstration.

Loved it.

Trouble is ... we have in our kitchen, every single kitchen appliance and gadget that the Thermomix replaces.

That makes it really difficult to warrant spending almost $2000 for the Thermomix.

Even the time saved in the preparation of food is lost to us, because we are not workers and have all the time in the world to prepare and cook.

So, as much as I LOVE the Thermomix and would LOVE to have one permanently placed on my kitchen bench, with a bit of practical thinking, and common sense, it's probably not the smartest buy for us right now.

I think it would be ideal for a young family just starting out and where both parents work.  Space saving in the kitchen, time saving for healthy and fast family meals, time saving as far as cleaning at the end of the meal goes and the advantage of having just one gadget for so many purposes.

It would also be excellent for anyone travelling in a caravan or campervan.  The one place where you need to save space and weight, and still want the versatility to cook a variety of different meals, even in remote locations.

Great for a single person, who just can't be bothered spending time in the kitchen preparing, would find this ideal because it does everything for you,  is so fast, and healthy meals wouldn't be such a chore.

I am so tempted to write ten thousand words on the virtues of the fabulous Thermomix, so be grateful that I am ending the Thermomix story right here!

Another thing that I gained from this party was the discovery of a business that provides organic fruit, vegetables and groceries in the area .. something that I thought we had lost forever, after moving from Sydney.

I'm pretty excited about this find and can't wait to put in our first order!  Especially until our new veggie garden is established.

Today, I am grateful to Donna, the Thermomix demonstrator, for reminding me about food and environmental issues that affect our health, which I have become lazy and complacent about of late.

Time to take better care of our health by focussing on all the things we cared so much about before we moved here.

Time to sleep now.

Nite all.

 

Day 226 in a Year of my Life.

The high point of the sunset, was that it happened on the change of tide while it was low, so the light reflected beautifully on the still water.

I had hoped to share lots of knowledge today.  I'd hoped to spend a lot of time watching tutorials and learning heaps about photoshop and practising on my photos and then sharing them here.

I'd planned a whole day in self imposed solitary confinement.  I was going to be focussed and my workload was going to be intense.

My day, instead was a run of interruptions, and I didn't get longer than 30 minutes running to focus on anything.

Also, because today was a public holiday, something photography-related, that I was expecting in the mail, won't be here til tomorrow, so that was a bit disappointing too.

So I have no new knowledge to share and only a couple of sunset photos.  Ah well.

Today, I am grateful (really) for friends and loved ones, who interrupt my planned days of solitary confinement, because I know that they care about me.

Nite all.

Day 225 in a Year of my Life

I almost got my dream shot this morning.

My dream shot is a rainbow across the river at exactly the turn of the tide so that the water is still and the rainbow is reflected in it.  A shot that I missed a year or more ago.

I did learn an important lesson though - when you're in the rain with your camera, protect it between shots ...

I took about eight shots before I looked and realised my photos were spotty.  Sad but true :)

Ya live n learn!

Today, I am grateful for backyard barbecues with delicious salads, the mouth watering aroma of meat and onions cooking on the grill and home made punch.  Catching up with friends for a couple of hours.

Time for bed.

Nite all.

Day 224 in a Year of my Life

A very successful garage sale today.

We sold lots of stuff that we didn't think we would ever sell .. some of which, we had in our last garage sale, and nobody even looked twice at, but just about everybody who walked up the driveway in the first hour, took something with them when they left.

We still have two lounge suites, the tv cabinet and the dining suite left .. so I'll phone Lifeline on Monday and they can have them.

My trike also didn't sell ... surprisingly.  I'll hold onto that til the right person comes along.

So today, I've taken some photos of the new lounge room and hallway, since the repairs and everything that was damaged has now been replaced.

In the middle of writing this, the sun set behind some interesting cloud, which produced a bit of colour, so I rushed across the road to the lagoon with about 3 minutes to spare before the colour disappeared ...

I didn't have time to grab my camera bag with the other lenses, or the tripod, so this is taken hand held.

Today, I am grateful to Adoring Husband for dealing with all the people today.  You know, there are some days when you just don't have the mental/emotional energy to deal with a bunch of strangers .. that was me today.  So thank you AH.  You done good :)

Nite all.