The last time... for now

The last instalment of posts about what I have managed to do over the past 30 years.  This doesn't include everything.  Let's do it!

Travel Highlights... continued from yesterday!



I love travelling alone.

I went to Sea World on the Gold Coast, Australia.
 

Dad took me on this ride when I was about 4. I remember hanging on very tight to my Daddy!
 

I am so blessed and for that reason I am able to help others.  Here are a few things I have been able to do - only through the abundance of God's provision for me.  I am not trumpeting my generosity here.  I hope you see that I am only saying that I have had the opportunity to do these things because God has provided for me and for that, I am very grateful!

I think we all change the lives of people we meet and
we often don't know how our actions and words manage to change
our world and the people around us. 

I gave them enough for a happy meal.  But you can't do any better than a happy meal!

 

I am not going to tell you where or who or which organisation.  I am just going to say that some of my donations are regular contributions made monthly to support overseas and local charities as well as one off donations to various organisations as I am able. 

 

I'm not going to give you too many details on this one.  I just know that there is at least one young lady who has looked up to me as a role model.  I hope that there are more who have crossed my path and been inspired or encouraged to be the best they can be.  If so, that's awesome! 
 

I wouldn't have been able to be generous if I hadn't been blessed with the next item... 

Yes, I am doing my dream job.  That doesn't mean it is easy. 
That doesn't mean I don't have bad days.
It means that I know I have a purpose for which I am called and
I am lucky enough to get paid to do it!

To finish off, here are some random (and maybe a bit silly) items, but they have appeared on others' bucket lists and I have actually done them.

That's that then. 
Who says I missed out?! 

More.. Showing Off.... Remembering what I have done

I'm not showing off.  It seems like I might be, but that isn't really my intention.  I'm just amazed at what I have done.  I often look at my day to day life and what my friends are doing then think that I am somehow missing out.  I think that maybe I should be having more new experiences and... living more.  Sometimes, it is hard to "live" new experiences and getting through the day is enough.  Sometimes I need to remember that.  This little exercise in looking at what I have actually experienced isn't about saying, "look at me, aren't I great?" it's about saying, "I have done some cool stuff and I have experienced things that others only dream of... aren't I lucky?" 

Today, I'm showing you the ticks on the bucket list for which I am truly grateful.   These experiences didn't seem all that special to me until I saw them on Pinterest and remembered that many have not had the blessed life that I have. 

Not only have I done this several times as a child on my own, I have built forts with my nephews and nieces and had a blast!  One school holidays, my mum helped my sister and I built a huge blanket fort that stayed up for two weeks!  We could see the TV from inside it and had all sorts of fun.  She even let us sleep in it at night time. 

Living on the coast of Queensland, I often forget that many people don't get to do this until they reach adulthood.  I have seen the ocean more times than I can count. 

A group of people from my church went to see the filming of Family Feud in the early 1990's. 
I was about 7 or 8 years old.  We were the studio audience for a week's worth of episodes.

I have done this three times.  I seem to remember a school camp,
a holiday with my grandparents and a day trip with some friends. 

Technically, I didn't swim with the dolphins, they swam around me while I stood thigh deep in the ocean and fed them with our latest catch of small fish.  These particular dolphins often swam right up to the boat ramp to say hello to the tourists.

We went whale watching on a family holiday when I was about 10 or 11 years old.  Mum, Dad, my sister and I took photos of these small ridges in the distance.  I remember it was fun to been away from everything and have the undivided attention of both my parents.  That was more fun than trying to spot the whales.

We got a free upgrade when flying from Brisbane to Sydney once.  My sister and I were very young, but it was still really cool.  I have flown first class one other time as an adult.  There was a national celebrity in the seat across the aisle from me.  I didn't realise until the plane landed! I was too busy being pampered.   

I reckon I can fit the rest of the fun and frivolity into one more post, so stay tuned. You will soon be hearing about more travel and other random highlights of my life. 

Been There Done That with Others

There are relationship bucket lists and couples bucket lists. I found it interesting that I've done a lot of things on these lists. I often forget that I had this whole other life in my teen years and early-twenties.  I have worked so hard at moving on from my "old life" that I also forget some of the good things that happened.  I did some cool stuff.  I have surely lived.  Check it.


It still counts, even if I don't anymore.

I'm sure that I did this one, I just don't actually remember it.

I wonder if we will get to do this again?

There was more than one perfect valentine's day.  I also had a wonderful valentine's day this year. 
The secret to this one is low expectations!

More things I did at that time but I did it on my own.

When I was a house wife (between teaching contracts and on weekends)
I spent entire days cooking and baking. 

That's that then, for now.

Up next on the DONE IT List:  Some ticks I got before I turned 20.



Making Progress

Since I posted the latest "to do" list, I have...

• cleared out the linen closet
• tidied up my bedroom
• walked again
• blogged- including drafts of future posts
• started a shopping list
• completed and lodged my tax return
• sorted some papers (a step towards organising/ tidying the back room)
• Submitted my student reports
• watched a movie
• visited THE kids with my parents

A great start and more.

See you soon!

A different kind of Bucket List

I have been checking out online bucket lists in the last day or so.  It never ceases to amaze me what you can find on the internet!  There are bucket lists for couples, for teenage girls, teen boys, best friends and families.  There are travel bucket lists, stay at home bucket lists, bucket lists for readers, movie buffs, Potterheads and animal lovers.   

As my eye ran over the images and read the myriad of destinations, activities, life events and honourable goals, I realised something that had never occurred to me before.  It also occurred to me that the revelation that is true for me is probably true for a lot of you, too.  =D I'm about to drop some philosophy on you, ready?

While there are lots of things I would like to do, there are a whole lot of things I have already done!  In fact, many of the goals and activities that other people are placing on their bucket lists are on my "been there, done that' list.  Therefore, I am going to share my new and different Bucket List with you. Here is my list of stuff that I have done!  Stuff that other people dream about.  Stuff that I once dreamed about and thought I would never do.  Stuff that some people will never do.  Stuff that some people are planning right now.  Stuff that is pretty cool!!

Here's the plan.
Today I will share with you a few of the items on the lists I've seen.  All of which I have done.  =)

Next time, I will share some more with you- there are so many, I think it will be better to spread them out a bit- finally I will share some travel type ones with you too. 


You all know Shelly!!

 

You have met Nora!

 

They were both short vacations but they were worth it!
Just us girls!!

While I don't live with her now, me and my BFF did live in the same house for a time.
Note: we never walked around in our underwear!!

 

Please note: I sourced all the images from Pinterest.  Some of them had links to websites, some didn't. 

That's that, for now!

The Holiday To Do List.... September 2015

Another holiday comes around and so does another To Do List. 
I think I have been a little more realistic this time.  We will see. 

In a little more than two weeks I will. 

• Walk at least 6 times.
• Do my Yoga video twice
• Clean out the Linen closet
• Complete and Lodge my Tax Return
• Visit the Warra Animal Shelter to finally deliver the donations that are filling up my house.
• Catch up on the medical appointments
• Do more tidying up in the back room- this room is going to take forever to get right!
• FINISH organising my bedroom
• Spend time with THE kids.
• Catch up with some teacher friends
• Have a PJ Day
• Blog
• Set up my Teacher Folder for Term 4
• Go Shopping - clothes, storage, stationery

See, plenty to do!  Much more manageable than past lists though. 

4 days into the holidays and I can honestly say that I have already "walked" 4 times.  So first point on the list will easily be ticked off.  I have found my yoga dvd so that's a start.  I have pulled out the financial records I need to complete my tax return.  I have already spent a few hours with Miss K- which was a blast!  I made a new game for us to play and we tried some different activities to our usual line up.  I will write more about that another time.

There is more to do and even more to finish, but I got started and sometimes that is the hardest part. 

I will check in with the list at the end of the holidays so you can see how I went.  There is heaps of other things I want to share with you too, so stay tuned for that.

Felines on Film

I tried to film Shelly during our tunnel play time last week.  I got photos.  There was a lot of footage that is not very entertaining because Shelly is hiding in one of the tunnels or just sitting and staring at the toys that I am waving about under the phone. 

This experience has brought me to a conclusion or two.

1. People who have cats and put videos of them on the internet must have a lot of time on their hands!
2. These people also MUST have at least one really good friend that also has A LOT of time on their hands!
3. These people can edit their footage and add background music to pep things up.

I barely had enough time to film Shelly and I playing together and doing it alone was difficult.  I mean, it was almost impossible to hold the camera (my phone) and entice Shelly into doing something engaging enough to film.  When I positioned the camera on top of the freezer and played with Shelly, all the action ended up happening just off camera!!

Therefore, people who manage to put the entertaining videos of cats being cats, MUST have friends and great editing equipment. 

That's what I think anyway!!

Here's a few photos of Shelly enjoying play time. 



Okay, I'll count to 10 while you hide!  1, 2, 3...

See what I mean!!




 



Nearly got it!










She was mesmerised!

That's that then.
Time to go shopping!









Survival Writing: Detached!!

Last week, I started my literacy lesson with this writing prompt.

I found the image on a Writing Prompt Site which I can't locate now!  If you know who I should credit, please let me know! 
I added the red text box with the prompt questions. 

Check out my "Teacher" Example Response below.  The students were rather impressed with me.  I was too. 

DETACHED!!

SNAP! I look down and see my umbilical floating away.  The cable that keeps me attached to my ship has somehow broken! 

STRETCH! I reach out for it. Desperately, trying to swim through the emptiness of space, fumbling and grasping… nothing.  I can’t make it.  I have no control.  I stare after my lifeline as it slowly drifts further and further beyond me. 

POP! Bubbling below, the lava lake, reminds me of the greater danger.  I was photographing The Red Planet, for further research, and it’s minimal gravity was beginning to pull me in.  How am I going to get out of this one?

CLICK! CCCRRRSSSHHH! Sounds from my radio echo inside my helmet.  I flick the switch on my belt, “AAHH, We have a problem. Over.”

CCRRSSHH!  “Heh, Heh, Good One, Bill.  Hang tight, we’re coming to get you. Over.”