A Sister Like You

 This is from one of my calendars, the one given to me by Sue.

The older we get, the closer we feel (and we were lucky to be close from the get go) 

The older we get, the more we count on each other in the clinches, t he good times, and the hard times, and especially in the times nobody else understands. 

You make me laugh when there is nothing to laugh about and when there is. 

You lighten my heart and remember the good times. You forget our foolish falling-outs, dismissing them as human frailties and of no consequence.

I don't really know how anybody makes it through life without you as a sister. I'm so grateful to be able to say with absolute honesty, you are the very best sister in the whole wide world and I'm the luckiest person. 

Cathy Cash Spellman

 

Getting to know me

 

What’s your favourite thing to do on a rainy day?

Nothing just stay home and do as little as possible

What’s your favourite thing about your current stage of life?

The fact that I am happy with who I am and have formed a good friendship with my sister Sue

What’s a piece of advice you’d give to your younger self?

Trust your instincts and don’t second guess yourself  

Hodgepodge on a wet day

 

What was your after-school routine like when you were a kid? 

I don’t remember having one I came home changed out of my uniform and either went outside to play or went to my room to read.

January 26 is National Green Juice Day ( I guess it's true everything really does have it's day). Do you juice, as in make your own in an attempt to get healthy? Do you do the green juices? What's your favourite kind of juice (home blended or store bought, either one)? 

Green juice doesn’t appeal to me, I don’t drink a lot of juice

 What's something trivial about which you have a strong opinion?

At first, I couldn’t think of anything then it came to me how the washing is hung on the line to dry I do not like it when Tim does it and uses different colour pegs and has no order to how the clothes are arranged.  

What do you need more of in your life? Less of? 

Sometimes I could do with more patience from Tim over how long it may take me to do something as he has a habit of making me feel rushed.

Less of? Well lately that would be my body moving all the damn time.

 Give us three adjectives to describe your January.

Crazy, emotional and busy

Insert your own random thought here.

Remember to be appreciative when things are going your way, as for many that isn’t the case, life can be an uphill struggle for some, you may not see the struggle someone is experiencing but that doesn’t make it any less of a struggle.   

 

 

                                      

Getting to know me

 

1. If you could start a charity, what would it be for?

To assist parents with expense of school stuff like uniforms, computers and excursions

2. What subjects should be taught in school but aren’t?

Everyday finance, like how to budget, pay bills and understand about credit cards and interest free terms, many do not understand that with an interest free loan the loan must be paid off in full by the end of the term and that many have other monthly fees.    

3. What scene in a movie always gives you goosebumps every time you watch it?

Since I rarely watch movies, I can’t think of anything

 

A Cold Hodgepodge in Summer

 

1. What's a winter memory you treasure (can be from any winter in your lifetime)? 

It the time Tim and I went on a snow holiday; Tim was inspired to take the holiday as our niece was working in snow lodge as waitress.

2. Tell us about the last time or a recent time you were caught up in red tape. Does it send your frustration level off the charts or is it something you've come to expect when dealing with any sort of bureaucracy?

I can’t think of any time I have caught in red tape

3. Do you eat/like fish? Do you cook fish at home? What's your favourite fish dish? Ever been ice fishing? 

No, I do not like any seafood, and ice fishing isn’t a thing as far as I know in Australia.

4. Did you watch any of the US President's Inauguration coverage on Monday, Jan 20? On a scale of 1-10 (with 1 being not at all and 10 being very very) how interested are you in politics in general? Do you follow/keep up with/ get involved with local politics? 

Nope didn’t watch it, only saw highlights on the news. My interest in politics is a 1, right at this moment I can even remember who the mayor is.

5. What's the coziest thing you own and what makes it so? 

I have thought about this answer for hours and still drawing a blank, can’t think of a damn thing.

6. Insert your own random thought here:

While visiting blogs this morning I came across this quote on Jessica’s blog, she can be found here: https://goalsandgoodvibes.blog/2025/01/22/weds-3/

“As you move through the day, may you know it’s okay to create a little space, to let this day be what it needs to be and however you can, create room to simply breathe.” By: Morgan Harper Nichols

This made me think about mostly people have times when they find being around other people difficult, this is what my youngest refers to as “peopling”. There are many reasons why a person feels unable to socialise and be around others, many people who have mental condition will find it difficult to be around others. If you don’t experience this difficulty, please be understanding to those who do experience it.

Sam's Drawings

Ok a little while back some asked about seeing some of Sam's artwork, I had written down who it was but now I can't find were I wrote that information. Anyway here are a few of Sam's drawings. 

Getting to know me

These questions I found on Kymber’s blog which can be found here: https://booomcha.com/. Now for the questions and my answers.

If you could sit on a bench in beautiful woods, who would you like sitting next to you on the bench and why?

My mum, who passed away in 2021 and who I miss so very much we talked daily, and I missed that so much.

What was your least favourite food as a kid, and do you still dislike it?

Cauliflower have never liked it along with green beans, or really any type of bean don’t like them either.

What game show would you like to be a contestant on?

Since I like being around my family, I guess I would say Family Feud

Hodgepodge and Change

 

It's been said January is 'the month of opportunity, inspiration, and change." Which of the three do you need most right now? Elaborate. 

Inspiration, always need some of that, me and change are not good friends, I accept change, I just don’t long for it.

 Do you consider opportunity as something that comes to you or something you create for yourself? 

A bit of both, sometimes it just pops up in front of you other times you have to go looking for it or have to create it yourself.

The British Museum opened on this date (January 15th) back in 1759. Do you like visiting museums? Do you have a favourite? 

I love museums, I don’t have a favourite

It's National Oatmeal Month (yes, apparently it gets a whole month as opposed to a single day). Do you like oatmeal? How often do you eat a bowl of oatmeal? How do you like yours? What about an oatmeal cookie? Is that a sweet treat you enjoy? 

I believe oatmeal is like porridge and I like porridge in the winter months, not that keen on oatmeal cookies but I do love Anzac biscuits.

What's something useful you learned in high school? 

Can’t think of a single useful thing I learnt in high school

Insert your own random thought here. 

I have always said me and change are not good friends and for the most part that is true I generally don’t like change, however, often change happens without us being aware of it, our hair loses its colour turning grey this is something we see happening but often don’t take any notice of.  Of course, not all change is good nor is all change bad sometimes change is just different, when we can accept that we will be less stressed and feel hopefully feel happier.   

Getting to know you/me

This morning while visiting blogs I found on Astrid’s blog which can be found here: https://astridetal.com, these questions and thought I would do a post with my answers, she got the questions from Kymber’s blog which can be found here: https://booomcha.com/. Now for the questions and my answers.

What is the most memorable activity you did with your family as a child?

It would have to be Christmas Day when we would go to my grandparents’ house for Christmas lunch.

What quality do you appreciate most in a friend?

Someone who gets that I can be weird at times and just accepts that part of me

What is one characteristic you received from your parents you want to keep and one you wish you could change?

My dad’s short temper I could do without,  but my mum’s loving and caring nature I will keep.

It's Hodgepodge Time

 

At the end of every year (or at least since the mid-1970's) Lake Superior State University posts a list of words they think should be banished from the Queen's English for misuse, overuse, and/or general uselessness. You can read more about the decision-making process here, but this year's list includes-

cringe, game changer, era, dropped, IFKYK (If you know you know), 

sorry not sorry, skibidi, 100%, utilize, and period. 

Which of these words/phrases do you use regularly or even just every now and then? How many did you have to look up? Which of these words would you most like to see banished from everyday speech and why? Is there a word/phrase not on the list you'd like to add? If so do share, then tell us why. 

What the hell does skibidi mean, never heard of this word, I had to Google it

 Your favourite soup? Do you make this one yourself or is it from a can? 

As a child it was pea & ham but now days it is creamy chicken, yes, it is canned always have been.

How do you feel about winter? What's one winter activity you look forward to? 

Not a big fan of winter I like Autumn and Spring, when it’s not too hot nor too cold.

The Pantone colour of the year for 2025 is mocha mousse (sample pictured here). What say you? The website describes it as 'a warming, brown hue imbued with richness. It nourishes us with its suggestion of the delectable qualities of chocolate and coffee, answering our desire for comfort'. Is this a colour I might find in your home or wardrobe? Is it one you might add in some big or small way in the year ahead? 

I went and checked out the colour, it was what I expected, and it is took dark for me wouldn’t like clothes in that colour and really wouldn’t want the house painted in it.

In a similar, but not really vein...if I were to offer you a choice right now of either a cup of mocha or a cup of mousse which would you say yes to? 

Since I can’t stand coffee, the smell nor the taste of it I would have to choose a nice chocolate mousse.

Which of the following winter related idioms can best be applied to your life in some way right now? Choose one, then tell us why you chose it.  

snowed under, on thin ice, tip of the iceberg, chill out, break the ice, snowball effect, not a snowball's chance in hell, get cold feet, the cold shoulder 

“chill out”, because I have been trying to do just that chill out and not let things upset me or make me feel stressed.

Insert your own random thought here.                       

There are so many things happening around us personally and the world in general that are out of our control, but we still get upset and stressed over them.  This is something that just is what it is and it is normal but for us to be healthier and happier we need to learn how not to dwell on such things. As when we do that it isn’t good for our physical or mental health.  My grandmother told me at the end of the day she would hand over to God all that caused her worry or distress during the day, asking him to give her guidance in how to deal with them.

 

Sydney-May

 

These clips were taken on Boxing Day at my daughter Kathy's house, this is my granddaughter Sydney-May she is turning 15 on the 22nd 

It's Hodgepodge Day

 

Oxford's Word of the year for 2024 is 'brain rot'. Are you familiar with this term? Do you suffer from the condition? Ha! This is a term used to 'capture concerns about the impact of consuming excessive amounts of low-quality online content, especially on social media'. If you were choosing a word to capture 2024 (for the nation/world, not your own life personally) what word would you choose? 

The only word that popped into my head was unstable and yeah, I think the world is unstable at time.

It's National Polar Bear Plunge Day (January 1) ...will you be participating in one of these events (or even your own)? How will you spend the first day of this brand-new year? Do you have a traditional New Year's Day menu? 

Well since I am an Aussie living down under this is not a thing here, also those who partake in such events are mad in my opinion.

 What's something that brings you joy and how will you do more of it in this new year? 

There are many things that bring me joy but can’t think of anything I want to do more of.

Do you struggle with the January blues? What's one thing you can/will do to keep them at bay?           

Nope don’t have issues with the start of the year

Will you choose your own personal word of the year for 2025? What about a goal, resolution, or maybe even a bucket list? Elaborate as much or as little as you like. 

My word would be acceptance, because I feel like is better when we accept that some things are not in our control and not everyone will agree with your point of view.

I do not make resolutions because those fail, I do not have a bucket list because often those will fail, a goal is more achievable, but I don’t have any. 

I live life one day at a time and just roll with the flow.                       

Insert your own random thought here.

If someone is able to accept what is, then that person may feel less stressed, to truly believe in God one must be willing to give control over God, choosing and believing he is running the show and that we are in strong and good hands.

In order to love unconditional, one must be willing to accept someone as they are and not want to change them in any way.