This is easy for me as I don’t play any sports, nor do I watch them.
Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy watching big matches on tv with friends in a social gathering, like football and rugby. I also enjoy watching the Olympics and tennis but I wouldn’t be following sports daily, it’s just not my cup of tea.
I used to play sports when I was younger but haven’t really found anything that I enjoy enough to play regularly as I have grown older. I love the gym, walking, running, hiking etc but I’m just not really into sports. Maybe it’s the competitiveness that I don’t like or the fact that I wasn’t great at sports when I was a kid at school. Who knows but it doesn’t really bother me. As long as I’m active, healthy and happy, that’s good enough for me.
Happy Monday everyone! I hope you all have a great week and for those participating in Bloganuary, I hope you enjoy the last few days.
I don’t even play the lottery at the moment so my chances of winning are nil / nada / zero / zilch.
However, if I were to play and happened to win I would, first of all, quit my job…or at least take a long time off.
I would help my family with their mortgages and / or divide some money out to them (although I am well aware that money causes a lot of problems with others, why did they get so much, I only received this amount etc etc).
I would go on a long vacation, maybe a world cruise, although that could be too long. Maybe just a couple of weeks somewhere interesting or a relaxing holiday to the Maldives. I would love to travel around Australia for a few months, that would be a dream come true.
I would buy a house or two. Perhaps one in Australia and one in Northern Ireland so that I can travel back and forth and follow the spring / summer seasons.
I would love to do some charity work, not necessarily donating money to charity but I could give my time and volunteer, hopefully make a difference to the world somehow. It would be lovely to be in a position to help others, no strings attached.
My brother in law gave me this book to read on our flight over to Australia, however, we were exhausted and too tired to read. I am looking forward to reading this on my train journeys to and from work. I remember reading George Orwell’s Animal Farm in school and being mesmerised by the language and context. It was so relevant and accurate of the times both past and present. I hope this book will be just as fascinating. Have any of you read this book or any book from George Orwell?
I am heading to work today so I will make a start en route…
Write about a few of your favorite family traditions.
I don’t think we really have any family traditions except for Christmas Eve when we have raclette.
Raclette
This is a Swiss style of cooking on a small grill in the centre of the table. Under the grill you can place your little dish of food and cover with cheese (we normally have some veggies or shrimp) and on top you have a hot plate where you can grill your meats and potatoes. we have this a couple of times a year but always on Christmas Eve. Does anyone else do this?
What do you enjoy doing most in your leisure time?
I was a little underwhelmed reading this prompt to be honest, only because I feel we had a very similar question two days ago about what we do for fun. Personally, fun and leisure time are interchangeable 🤷🏼♂️.
Anyway, in my leisure time I like to walk and see new places, especially with my partner. I finally have a day off tomorrow and we will take a walk to the E.G. Waterhouse National Camellia Gardens that I mentioned yesterday. I have been here before but my partner hasn’t so I’m exited to show him around. There’s lots of nature and water views and I find this extremely good for the mind and soul.
Also we will be joining a gym tomorrow!!! This is another thing I love to do in my leisure time. I haven’t had the time to train at a gym in about 3 weeks and it’s really upsetting my normal routine. I really miss that feeling of being alive after the gym and my weight gain has went completely in reverse. I’m hoping 2024 will be my comeback year and I will be stronger and fitter than ever.
Name an attraction or town close to home that you still haven’t got around to visiting.
As most of you will know, we have just recently moved house. We are currently living in an area called the Sutherland Shire, about half an hours drive from Sydney by car. We have always considered living here before but never had the courage to take that leap and leave the eastern suburbs. The housing crisis in Sydney has actually propelled us to live further afield now and so we have chosen to come here, where you can get more value for your money.
An attraction close to here is the E.G. Waterhouse National Camellia Gardens and we are looking forward to visiting here this weekend. We haven’t got around to it yet as we have only been here for two days, however, I did visit here back in 2021 with the hope of one day returning. You can see my previous blog post on this attraction here. It’s a wonderful place with gardens, wildlife and beautiful scenery. I will be intrigued to see if it has changed much. Thankfully, it’s only a 20 minute walk from where we are living and I look forward to keeping you updated with this.
If you could make your pet understand one thing, what would it be?
To pee and poo outside! Today is our last day of dog sitting and I think it has genuinely put us off having our own dog.
Now in the dog’s defence, he is pretty blind and has a neurological disorder. Maybe he hasn’t been shown to do his business outdoors, it doesn’t really matter the reason but it’s not pretty when he urinates or defecates in the house.
We have started to keep him outdoors more and walk him straight away after he has eaten. This has helped massively and we can’t blame the dog at all, it is what it is. However, if we could make him understand the importance of peeing and pooing outdoors, that would be lovely!
Happy Monday everyone! Today is officially our moving day. Yippee!!
Write about your first name: its meaning, significance, etymology, etc.
I love this question. This is something I used to think about a lot as I feel I have a very random name that doesn’t really match my personality. If you look up the definition of Wayne, it means “wagon maker” in Old English. That has to be the complete opposite of me. I would not have a clue how to make a wagon! I’m not even very practical with my hands at all.
I feel that I was given the name Wayne as it was a very popular name in my town when I was born in the early eighties. I grew up in a small town and there were five kids (including me) there with the name Wayne!
I moved to Belfast, the capital city of Northern Ireland in my late teens and I never met another Wayne for years! Actually, people found it strange to meet someone with my name.
When I moved to Australia, it seemed to be a popular name again there and I believe it’s a very popular name in America too. I used to try to think of what celebrities were called Wayne to see who I could have possibly been named after but the only person I could think of was John Wayne. Quite often, if older people don’t comprehend my name, I will say my name is Wayne, like John Wayne and they often have a laugh about it and reply – “is your horse parked out the back!?” – it’s a running joke.
I will also get referred to as Wayne’s World (party on) also as this was a huge movie when I was growing up. I like to think yes, it is my world haha.
I found this in Leura, NSW, Australia and feel that it managed to sum me up quite well (apart from the wagon maker). I do love adventure and trying new things.
I do quite like my name now as it is quite unusual and I don’t often meet people with my name, for instance, I have no friends called Wayne so it’s very easy for people. The only issue is that I have to change the way my name is pronounced as every country seems to say it differently. If I could insert a voice clip here I would, to be able to show you what I mean. Quite often people will think my name is Win due to my Northern Irish accent.
It’s also an easy name for friends / family and work colleagues to create nicknames from and I quite like that. For example, I have been known as Wayney, Wayners and Waynebow throughout the last twenty five years or so.
I wonder if there are any Wayne’s out there reading my blog or do you know someone called Wayne?
I’m not sure if a dream job exists but if there does, please let me know!
I would love a job that would let you have a lie in and also finish early. So if I could work maybe 11 – 2pm with an hour lunch break haha, that would be amazing.
I actually wouldn’t mind what I do, perhaps I could be available to give out money to people, like a competition winner announcer. So you are able to make people happy, help them, tell them the good news and feel good for doing it, all while not being tired or stressed yourself. That would be a lovely job. Do you know if this job exists anywhere?
I’m writing this at 5.30 am on my way to work. Although, I’m grateful to have a job that I actually enjoy and still have the ability to work, so I can’t complain too much.
I have seen many good and bad leaders in my time so I feel I can definitely comment on this. If you have a boss / manager at work or a teacher at school / college, it doesn’t automatically make them a good leader. I learned that along the way. The qualities that I feel a good leader should have are :
– Leading by example, if you do a good job and help others, your followers will strive to do the same. Don’t ask someone to do something that you yourself would not be prepared to do. Delegate appropriately. If you’re a good leader, people will want to help you.
– Be kind but be firm. You don’t need to rule with an iron fist, however, you can’t be a walkover either. You need to stand up for what is right and look after your followers / employees / students.
– Be approachable. This is very important to build a good rapport and communication. You want everyone to feel at ease and know they can come to you with any issue / problem. It creates a good atmosphere and builds strong relationships.
– Be open and honest. Be authentic. You don’t have to put yourself on a pedestal, we are all human beings. No one is better than anyone else.
That’s my list for now. I really strive to have these qualities when I’m nursing / teaching. I always say to my students, “treat people how you would like to be treated and if someone is not kind to you, think how you will never be that person”. I will have a lot of respect for a good leader. I don’t expect them to be perfect, nobody is but if they have these qualities, we’re onto a winner.
If you could un-invent something, what would it be?
PLASTIC! I know it has its many uses and has been a great commodity for humans but it is destroying the planet. When I see and hear of animals being trapped in plastic or eating it, it just breaks your heart. The amount of water and environmental pollution from plastics is horrendous. It doesn’t break down so it’s taking up space in landfill and now it’s causing microplastics that we can also be consuming from animals / water etc.
Let’s go back to simpler times. Anyone remember when milk would be delivered in glass bottles from the milkman? Does that still exist I wonder? I’m glad we are making some changes like reusing carrier bags and making use of reusable bottles / bags etc. I just hope it’s not too late.
Can you share a positive example of where you’ve felt loved?
Wow! I feel very fortunate that I could share SO many examples of feeling loved by my friends, family and even work colleagues.
However, I will share today that I feel loved every single day by my amazing husband. We just celebrated 17 years together a couple of days ago and we still tell each other everyday that we love each other.
A simple example could be this morning, when my husband cooked my dinner for me this morning so I would have a meal to eat later in work. I feel loved for that kind gesture, that he didn’t have to do but he wanted to, to make my day that little bit easier. I feel very fortunate indeed.
To be honest I don’t really have much clutter at the moment. As I’m still living out of a suitcase and I don’t own many things at the moment. That is one good thing about moving countries, you de-clutter a lot and it’s actually very refreshing to free yourself from all the material things you gather up. It feels good for the soul.
I don’t really like clutter and I find it makes me less productive and sluggish. If I clear away the clutter, I instantly feel better and more productive. It’s like that saying “clean home, clean mind” or something to that effect.
The one thing I could maybe de-clutter is my email inbox. I really hate when it becomes cluttered with unnecessary emails, for example, rental listings that I am still receiving. I like to turn off notifications, unsubscribe to emails and delete anything not needed. I will also move emails to the junk folder. I do this on a regular basis and could do another clear out today. It’s the same with unwanted texts from companies such as gyms trying to get you to sign up. They can be full on, not taking no for an answer. I like to delete these messages and block the sender so I can have some peace from these companies and have a nice, ‘clean’ inbox.
It has to be a dog! It’s probably the animal I know and trust the best. I can’t say I love every breed of dog out there but any dogs we have ever had as pets, have been truly amazing.
Why do I love dogs? (generally speaking)
– They are friendly and unassuming.
– They are non judgemental.
– They are kind hearted, warm and friendly.
– They are loyal and obedient.
– They are caring. We grew up with a Labrador at home and anytime you had been reprimanded by your parents or were sad for any reason, he would always know and try to console you with a nudge of his nose or a paw on your shoulder.
– They are cute!
– They are super intelligent. I love how they can detect if you are unwell, they can guide you if you cannot see, they can work, be it a police dog, therapy dog or simply chasing away pesky seagulls (as can be seen at the Opera Bar in Sydney).
– They love to walk (not the dog we are currently dog sitting, much to my dismay) which in turn is good for us.
– They release happy chemicals in our bodies just by being with us, such as endorphins, dopamine and serotonin, making us feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
– They like to clean our dinner plates 😜 (pre dishwasher of course).
– They love receiving affection and also love to give affection, be it licking your ears or legs!
Ok so my list could actually go on and on but you get the idea. They provide a lot of good things for us humans. Whether I want one right now, is another matter but I do love dogs. There are of course exceptions to my list, just like humans, dogs are not all the same.
Communicate online? So that rules out talking on the telephone, in person, sending text messages etc.
I have just woken up and having my morning coffee, thinking about how I communicate online. Here are my thoughts:
– email
– social media apps such as Facebook & Instagram
– WhatsApp (I think that’s online). I use this for sending messages to friends and family over the internet as it is free. It’s very handy for living in a different country.
– Oh and I almost forgot about here on my blog! This is a very enjoyable method of communicating.
I think that’s my lot. I don’t play games with others online and I don’t participate in chat rooms any more, actually do they still exist?
What about you? How do you communicate online?
Have a great Sunday everyone. I’m looking forward to recharging today.
The first road trip that springs to mind was when we took a road trip to The Great Ocean Road in Victoria, Australia. Our good friends took us there on an unforgettable day trip around Christmas time 2018z
For me, this was the trip I had always associated with Melbourne, Victoria and had always wanted to witness firsthand. I had seen many pictures over the years and to be honest, it didn’t disappoint in real life. The Great Ocean Road was formed to commemorate the sailors and soldiers of the 1st world war.
The drive along this road is spectacular with beautiful ocean views and many places where you can stop and take photos. We happened to drive on a cloudy day and the views were still spectacular. The main aim of the drive for us was to see the 12 apostles at the Port Campbell National Park.
When you reach the apostles you will be mesmerised. However, I must say there were so so many tourists and even more flies!!!! You had to be super careful not to breathe them in.
There are a few different locations to view the apostles so make sure you check them all out. There is a map printed at the visitors centre to help you. Words can’t even describe how amazing this landscape was to see, so be sure to visit soon, as the apostles are subject to some severe weather erosion. There are actually only eight remaining but there are some other rock formations visible. As they are made of limestone, they will be subject to constant changes.
I think this trip stood out for me as it had been on my bucket list for some time and we were able to experience this with good friends during the Christmas season.
Have you ever been here? What was your most memorable road trip?
A banana! Which I will be eating in about 15 minutes. It’s 0540 here in Sydney and I’m on my way to work via the light rail (tram). I always have a banana before I start work, it really keeps me going for a couple of hours before I have breakfast. Without it, I’m a mess. I don’t think I could eat anything else right now. How about you?
What about this for a crazy idea. A store where you can buy furniture online, they deliver it to your house and assemble it for you. That would be absolutely amazing for me right now.
In good news, we have found a beautiful apartment to rent just out of the city. I have to call this morning to pay the deposit and secure the deal.
Next steps will be to buy the furniture and other bits and pieces. I really enjoy buying new furniture etc. but I really hate having to build them. The big items are the worst like a bed and sofa. If the retail store could have their staff assemble them for me, I would be absolutely delighted!
I wonder does this already exist somewhere? I am yet to hear about it.
Describe an item you were incredibly attached to as a youth. What became of it?
I used to love playing with little cartoon figures / figurines and using my imagination to create a world for them. I played with and collected many of these over the years (mostly Disney characters) and it was a great way to play on your own and become lost in a fantasy world. I would make homes for them in my coat and pretend they were living in a den. It sounds funny now but I could have done this for hours. My sister would sometimes play too but her imagination just didn’t quite fit mine most of the time!
Recently my niece and nephew have really enjoyed playing with these type of figures also and so I gave my collection from my youth for them to enjoy over the next few years. My nephew was especially delighted and I hope it brings him the same joy they brought me.
Wow this topic is so HUGE! You could write for hours about ‘your mission’…but I won’t. I wouldn’t want to bore you all.
My mission for now is to find a house to call home for the next six months at least. Today my mission is simply to get through a 12 hour shift that I’m about to start here. I have already dropped my electric toothbrush on my uniform, toothpaste everywhere and stained my uniform for the day ahead, oh dear!
Long term, my mission is to be healthy and happy in life. My mission is to be a good friend / husband / son / brother / uncle / nurse and be a kind person to people I meet on a daily basis. Life is tough, we should be kind to each other. Also life is short so we need to make the most of our time on earth (cliché I know but so true).
That’s it, short, sweet and to the point.
Have a great day everyone. See you this evening, or morning, depending where you are in the world.
What are your thoughts on the concept of living a very long life?
I think it’s only good to live a long life if you have a good quality of life. For example, I’m happy to live a long life if I have all my faculties. I would like to be “compos mentis” but also physically well enough to do things like going for a walk, doing the daily chores. I would hate to be a burden on someone or dependent on someone to help me.
I have met so many older people in my career as a nurse that have simply had enough and would prefer to pass away due to living a poor quality life, either physically, mentally, financially, being dependent or being in pain. It’s excruciatingly sad, especially when you see people praying to God to “take them home” as they are in so much pain and no longer wish to be on earth.
Therefore, I think a good quality life is important, not how long it is. What do you think?
Worry less! I have a tendency to over worry. I am currently doing this with regard to finding somewhere to live. However, I recently met a couple of friends for coffee and they advised about checking out airbnb. I had never thought of this. Upon having a look on the app, I found many places to stay that are the same price as paying rent. I couldn’t believe it. Absolutely amazing and it really takes the pressure of now with having to find somewhere soon. We can simply book a nice room / house for as long as we want and it will be fully furnished. Such a relief. All that worrying for nothing. I never learn 😅.
Do you spend more time thinking about the future or the past? Why?
Hmm this is a tricky question. I would say that I spend time thinking of both equally. I don’t like thinking too hard into the future and I don’t like to wish my life away. However, sometimes it’s good to look ahead and try to plan your future somewhat. I would say I probably worry more about the future than dwelling on the past.
I do like to think of the past, either to look back in fondness or as a way of reflection. The past isn’t always easy to look back on with certain things so I try not to dwell on it too much, instead I try to concern myself more about the present.
I want to be in the present, appreciate what’s around me, my family and friends etc. and try to enjoy myself. I need to learn not to stress so much about every day life as things normally will work out in the end ☺️.
I think in America, colleges mean universities. Back in Northern Ireland a college is an academic school that you can attend from 11 years old until you’re 18, or in my case, from 15 – 18 years. However, I will write about the university that I attended as I think that is what this prompt is referring to.
I attended Queen’s University Belfast, not once but twice. I feel extremely blessed to have studied here (especially on 2 occasions) as it is the most prestigious university in the country, has a great reputation in the UK and is ranked within the top 200 universities in the world.
It is a very historic building with fantastic architecture and you can’t help but feel like you’re studying at Hogwarts. It is situated in a beautiful part of Belfast with lots of bars, restaurants and a botanical garden nearby.
I lived in Belfast whilst studying, pretty close to the university (as many students do) and was fortunate enough to be able to work in the students’ union. You really have a sense of belonging to part of the university here and it provided me with the best opportunity for making the most amazing life long friends.
I studied a geography degree firstly as I had no idea what I wanted to study and this seemed like the perfect fit. Although enjoyable, it was extremely difficult to find a job relevant to my degree. After a few years of working in minimum wage jobs, I decided to return to university to study nursing. I was thrilled to return to Queens’s and thoroughly enjoyed my nursing degree. The teaching and clinical skills learned here were fantastic and I have nothing but good things to say. If you study nursing you do not have to pay any fees and they pay you a small subsidy to help with your everyday living costs (as you have 9 placements to carry out as well as studying). The course was full on with a lot of assignments, clinical hours, studying to do etc., however, when you enjoy the course, that is half the battle.
If you are ever in Belfast, this has to be on your list of places to visit!
Graduation 2006Graduation 2015Queen’s University Belfast
Have you attended any colleges / universities? I appreciate they aren’t for everyone and there are so many amazing careers that can be achieved without needing to attend university. The other thing is that they can be extremely pricey. I was looking at studying in Australia before and the fees were extortionate. Even in America, I don’t know how people can afford university. There are extremely expensive to attend. Maybe some of you can enlighten me, I would be intrigued to know your thoughts.
Do you play in your daily life? What says “playtime” to you?
I’m not sure what this means at my age, I guess it could be anything that provides enjoyment in your life. When I think of play, my immediate reaction would be to think of the games I play on my phone. I play these games not to pass the time but more to relax and take my mind of other things. I have been playing the same couple of games for years now (at least 10 years). They started off as a distraction from studying but now they are something I enjoy to do if I have some free time. I may only play these for 15 minutes a day or it could be more if I am procrastinating.
I’m not ashamed to say I play Pet Rescue (this started off as a game on Facebook many years ago) and Pokemon (which I know is often associated with younger people). I find them entertaining, somewhat stimulating and a good distraction from any responsibilities I have.
Am I the only one who plays these? Do you have a favourite game on your phone? Candy crush? Tetris perhaps? Or does anyone remember Snake on the old Nokia phones??
Happy New Year everyone. We have just woken up on the first day of 2024 whilst the rest of the world will be counting down now until midnight (it’s 2340 in Ireland). I hope you all enjoy the celebrations and if not, at least have a good nights sleep.
This will be my third year participating in Bloganuary, a writing challenge where you are prompted to blog every day of January. I usually look forward to these prompts, even just to write something simple, it gives me the encouragement and motivation to keep blogging. I could definitely use this of late as my mojo has been waning. Will anyone else be partaking in this daily writing challenge?
My biggest challenges at the moment are;
1 – to keep up with this blogging challenge. I hope the prompts will be interesting (there can be some dodgy ones).
2 – as most of you will know, we have just returned to Australia. Therefore my biggest challenge is to find a new home to rent. This is difficult due to housing shortages and high rental prices.
3 – to return to my jobs and make a positive impact.
4 – find a new gym that I will love and can afford.
That’s it for now. Not too bad really, as long as I find somewhere to live, everything else will fall into place. What are some of your current challenges?
This is very relevant to me now as we are currently waiting on new neighbours to move into the apartment below us. Having rented for most of my adult life and moving homes a lot, I have encountered great neighbours and maybe not so great. Luckily, I have never had a horrific neighbour…yet. A good neighbour for me doesn’t have to do much but there are two essential qualities that I would want.
1 – Respect those around you and be aware that your actions may affect others. This could relate to noise pollution, keeping the communal areas tidy etc. Noisy neighbours has been the worst thing for me, especially if people are partying late. We have experienced some crazy kids / parents in our time and even heard people’s sexual activities (not fun to listen to in the middle of the night!).
2 – Friendly but not overwhelming. I enjoy knowing our neighbours and making conversations but it’s great when neighbours have boundaries and don’t feel the need to pounce on you every time you open the front door. This could also be down to respecting each others boundaries.
Has anyone ever had a bad neighbour? What qualities would you like in a neighbour?
My number one priority tomorrow is to catch my flight to London tomorrow to visit my sister. I am really looking forward to head away for a few days and I see the weather is supposed to be good, so that’s always a bonus. Before I reach the airport, I have a few things to do :-
1 – wake up and have a coffee
2 – brush my teeth and pack away my toiletries
3 – wear something comfortable for travelling
4 – lock up the house and hop in my car.
All pretty straightforward as I have packed everything this evening because I hate to be disorganised and feel stressed. What’s your ritual before catching a flight? Do you have a number one priority?
Every single day. I walk ALL the time and I love it. Walking is one of my favourite things to do, although it does depend on the weather and environment you’re walking in. After work, I will try and walk for at least 45 minutes and here is why I like to do that –
1 – I find it relaxing.
2 – Walking clears my mind, I can switch off and forget that I have been working all day.
3 – It’s a great form of exercise and I always feel better after exercise, both physically and mentally.
4 – It’s a great way to have personal time and space or if walking with someone, it’s the perfect way to catch up without any distractions.
5 – Fresh air (obviously this depends on the environment). I have a forest park that I walk around daily and I always feel so refreshed after. Apparently even seeing trees and / or water can make you feel really good and has many health benefits.
6 – Walking is good for your body and heart health.
7 – It’s free!!! I love if I can walk somewhere and not have to rely on public transport / driving.
Besides from walking after work, I will walk pretty much all the time. I walk from the car park to work and as a nurse, I am on my feet all the time. Even in the hospitals, I will take the stairs as often as I can and avoid taking lifts. Also on my days off, I love to find new places to walk and explore.
Ok I think it’s obvious to everyone now that I love walking! I’m just grateful that I have the ability to walk, not everyone has that luxury.
As for running, I’m not such a fan. Don’t get me wrong, I have run in the past and do occasionally run. I always enjoy it and feel really alive afterwards. The only thing for me is that I will lose too much weight if I run too much and that is not something I need to be doing!
What daily habit do you do that improves your quality of life?
For the past couple of years I have been eating oats for breakfast, normally up to five days per week. I love how they taste, they’re super healthy, easy to make and relatively cheap. I feel that they will improve my quality of life due to the many health benefits that they have been linked to, for example, lowering blood glucose levels, they’re rich in antioxidants and can lower cholesterol levels.
I often refer to Healthline to research anything to do with health. According to this website, oats have nine health benefits, feel free to check them out here. I always love to know the good things that food can do for our bodies
I have recently become obsessed with a brand called White’s and was delighted to discover that they are made in my hometown of Tandragee. I always knew we made oats where I am from but never thought I would end up eating them, never mind loving them!
Do you like oats? Do you prefer quick or overnight oats?
I read here that someone had written about this prompt and stated that what we watched as a child could inform others of what era we were born in. This could not be further from the truth for me as the tv shows I watched as a kid were very much from the eighties, some of which have now been brought forward into the modern age by having been reintroduced.
The shows I loved were mainly cartoons. Some of them created by Disney and others more like live action, with the use of puppets. I will list a few that I can remember below and please let me know if you have seen or heard of any of these. Are there any people here from the eighties who can recall these shows?
The Gummi Bears
Rescue Rangers
Duck Tales
Thunder cats
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Super Ted
Banana Man
Mysterious Cities of Gold
The Racoons
Galaxy High
Jumbo and the Jet Set
Around the World in 80 days
The Muppets
Fraggle Rock
Dogtanian and the 3 Muskehounds
Inspector Gadget
Thomas the Tank Engine
Fireman Sam
The Dreamstone
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
Danger Mouse
Woof
Ok so there are quite a lot of shows here and these are only the ones I can remember off the top of my head. I watched a lot of tv as a child. I used to love waking up early and running to watch “the funnies” in the living room, especially at my Granddads house as he had sky tv in the late eighties. This was a game changer as there were so many new channels with all the cartoons on show.
Good morning everyone and happy Sunday. When I woke up and saw this morning’s daily prompt, I just had to answer as I love where I currently live. Most of you know I am living in Hillsborough, a small village in Northern Ireland, close to Belfast, the capital of the country. I have only been living here for about six months and although I had heard of this village and visited once or twice before, I have a whole new love and appreciation for this place now. I have ten bullet points below to show you all why I love where I live.
1 – Its location and proximity to Belfast / other towns of interest for shopping, travelling etc. Yet Hillsborough is a small village and pretty quiet, almost like its own bubble, it is located right beside the motorway, making it easily accessible to travel around Northern Ireland.
2 – The quaintness. This village has a real old school charm with some great stone architecture, lots of flowers, quirky shops and a homely feel.
3 – The doors. There are some really amazing and colourful doors here which is a great for me with my passion for doors.
4 – The bars and restaurants. Not only does Hillsborough have one fantastic bar but it has three! This is amazing for a village to have three excellent bars / restaurants, all within walking distance. A fourth one has also opened this month and we will be trying there today for lunch.
5 – Coffee shops. We have soooooo many coffee shops in this village and we have still to try some. If you love the coffee culture, then this village is the place to be. No Starbucks or chain coffee places but lots of local independent cafes with fantastic coffee.
6 – The forest park. We have our own forest park to walk around and get lost in nature. We walk this park pretty much every day and I feel super lucky to have this on our doorstep.
7 – Hillsborough Castle. This village has its own castle, steeped in history and used as the Royal residence for when when the royal family come to stay in Northern Ireland. You can have a tour or walk around its beautiful gardens.
8 – The cars. You will see some really fantastic old classic cars or some newer and expensive models driving through the village or parked on the streets. This may not impress many but I am always in awe when I see a cool car (I am not car savvy by any means).
9 – There is an abundance of wildlife with ducks, geese and swans. These can be seen in the forest park or the castle gardens. I am used to being wakened in the mornings by birds, especially when I lived in Sydney but it’s so refreshing to be wakened by the sound of ducks quacking in the morning.
10 – The people. They are extremely friendly here, much like most people in Northern Ireland to be honest.
Hillsborough
I may be biased but I love this place and am very happy and thankful to live here at present. It’s definitely a place you would want to visit.
Most people age well (depending on genetics, lifestyle and our environment). Of course we look older but that’s a good thing. It’s a blessing to get older and I think it’s good to grow old gracefully. No need for all these fillers and botox. Wrinkles are laughter lines, signs that we have lived our lives, through the good and bad times. They add character and warmth, at least that’s what I tell myself as my wrinkles continue to grow and grow.
Port definitely ages well, enhancing in flavour and quality, much like people, you could say. I love a port with a cheese board or coffee, may it be tawny, LBV or vintage.
My most memorable vacation will have to be our trip to the Amalfi Coast, Italy in 2014, before it blew up on Instagram and became an insanely popular tourist destination.
We were looking for a holiday destination that could guarantee some beautiful sunshine but that could offer lots to see and do. I’m not a huge fan of lying by a pool all day, rather I like to pack in my days with sightseeing and exploring different cultures.
We picked a few spots to visit beforehand and then used public transport to navigate to the different locations, finishing in Amalfi and Ravello. The trains in Italy were fantastic, very easy to use and although we spoke little to no Italian, the locals were happy if you at least tried to speak the language. They were extremely friendly and helpful, no matter where we were travelling.
I think what made this trip SO memorable was just being away as a couple and enjoying each other’s company, whilst exploring some really beautiful scenery. The colours, the architecture, the food, the limoncello, the coast and the weather all made this trip absolutely stunning and I would wholeheartedly love to return to this area one day again. It is just pure magic and a real feast for the senses.
I have highlighted below the places that we managed to see on our way to the Amalfi Coast, travelling from Naples. We actually never even stayed in Naples, we flew in and caught the train out straight away. We used Sorrento as a base for the first few days before travelling on towards the Amalfi Coast.
The ancient city of PompeiThe island of Capri SorrentoAmalfiRavello
A holiday never to be forgotten. Thank goodness for photographs to help capture the good times. It’s funny to see how cameras have greatly improved over the years as I thought these photos were great at the time but now I feel that I need to return to take better quality photos. Please let me know if you have ever travelled to Amalfi or any other parts of Italy. I would be interested to hear your thoughts also or even what is your most memorable vacation?
Where do I even start? I have visited a good few countries in my lifetime but the world is a big old place and there are so, so many left to see. Not that I wish to see them all but there are heaps on my wish list.
When we lived in Australia we had planned to travel the countries nearby but with covid and our never ending lockdown, it just wasn’t possible. I also want to see a good few in Europe, however, I simply don’t have the funds at present.
As I have numerous countries on my list, I will simply show you my top ten at this present time, excluding any country that I have previously travelled.
I feel very fortunate to be able to say that, yes, I do very much remember life before the internet. I remember the first time I was exposed to the internet. I was 15 or 16 years old and in school we had weekly computer lessons. We were taught about the internet and how to type in a web address to search for a specific topic. Typing in www. for the first time was very surreal and I couldn’t believe we could look up anything at all on the World Wide Web and find information on that subject . It wasn’t until a year or 2 later that we had dial up internet installed in our family home. We would hear the internet dialling up every time someone wanted to go online and you would have to ensure no one else at home was using the phone. The amount of times I heard my parents say “get off the phone” when they were trying to connect to the internet!
What do I remember before the internet?
– Having to use a map and asking people for directions if I needed to go somewhere. There was no google maps in my growing up.
– Playing outdoors until the sun went down.
– Using pay phones to contact your friends or family when you were out and to make arrangements about where and when to meet up.
– Reading all the time. I was obsessed with books growing up, not so much anymore sadly.
– Visiting the local library, a lot!
– Having to visit a travel agent to book a holiday. Hard to believe as it is so convenient now to just book a quick flight online.
– Looking at cook books for cooking inspiration.
– Attending the bank in person to lodge money with my lodgement book.
– Making photo albums with real photos and in real albums.
– Writing to pen pals from countries near and far.
– Using a typewriter, this was such a novelty for me to type and then I progressed to the next level…
– My Commodore 64. My first computer where you could paint, play games and type in different fonts, even before the internet had entered my life.
Ok that’s my lot for tonight. That’s plenty but I’m sure there are many more things to remember. How about you? Do you remember life before the internet? It’s quite sad that the new generations will not know life before the internet.
I STRONGLY dislike cold weather and here are my reasons why –
1 – I don’t like the sensation of feeling cold, I find it extremely uncomfortable. Have you ever washed your hands in freezing cold weather and it’s been painful?!
2 – I feel like I can’t think straight, which is actually a biological trait for when you are really cold, your cognitive function slows down or becomes sluggish.
3 – It affects my mood. I don’t necessarily feel down about the cold weather, I just know that when I’m warm I feel much better in myself and everyone seems to be in a better mood around me too. It’s been proven that people are happier in warmer climates.
4 – Goosebumps. I just don’t like them, even though I know they’re just trying to do their job and keep me warm.
5 – Clothing. I prefer not having to wear more clothing in the colder weather, i.e. coat, hat, scarf, gloves. Plus it’s more expensive! Furthermore, I have been scarred from having to wear woolly jumpers as a child, the itching would drive me insane.
6 – The price of oil and gas. I love having a warm home but it is so expensive to keep your place warm, more so recently with the ever increasing prices. Many people are having to live in cold homes due to the inability to afford fuel.
7 – Dangerous. Snow, sleet and ice can cause a lot of issues, especially when you have to drive.
As you can clearly see, I am not a huge fan of cold weather. However, I can appreciate that it’s not the worst thing if you are prepared and it can be very pretty to look at. I was recently in New Zealand at winter time and it was absolutely stunning! I can also appreciate winter fashion, especially when I’ve been wearing shorts and T-shirts for the past few years, however, I will always pick that over winter clothing.
I have to say I really do love emojis. I know, I know, they are not too popular here in the blogging world and that’s ok. I do try to keep them to a minimum here but I do use them a lot in text messages or in my social media apps. Not everyone has to like them but for me, they add a bit of fun and colour, plus sometimes the one emoji can really some up your mood, rather than a few words. Find below some of my favourite emojis 👇🏼
😊 – you just can’t go wrong with a smiley face. This is my number one go to emoji and it often sums up my feelings as I’m a pretty happy person most of the time.
🙏🏼 – I always use this as a way of saying thank you or thank goodness if I’m worried about something. I don’t pray too often but I use this also if I am hoping something goes well.
🩵 – I am a big heart person and I use the hearts to show if I love or care for something or if I am thinking of someone. I love the different colours of the hearts 🖤🩶🤎💜💙❤️🩷🧡💚💛🤍 and at the moment this one is my favourite as it’s a new colour and my favourite colour is blue.
🤷🏼♂️ – This one is great if I have no idea about something. Used more than I care to admit too 🙈
✌🏽 – My signature sign off emoji especially on my blog as I think it’s cool and it’s the symbol of peace.
😂 – I love this emoji and use it A LOT. It sums me up to a tee and it’s great if you find something really funny.
Ok so these are my most used emojis but I love SO many more and I could be here all day so I won’t bore you with them all 😂.
What are your favourite emojis? I would love to hear what you all think.
I love this question as it is SO important to wind down after a hectic day, both for your physical and mental well-being. I have a few things that I do to unwind, sometimes all in one evening and other times maybe just one or two of these. See below my top five ways to unwind after a demanding day.
1 – Chat to my partner about how our day has been.
2 – Have a cup of tea.
3 – Take a warm shower.
4 – Go for an evening walk (delighted now with the light nights).
5 – Read some blog posts and / or catch up on social media.
Since being back in Northern Ireland I just haven’t had the time to attend the gym as much as I would like to.
I work long days here so by the time I arrive home, have dinner, take a shower, prepare for the next day, it’s time for bed again.
I would love more hours in the day so I can exercise and / or attend a gym class. It really makes me happy to be exercising, feeling fit and releasing those endorphins.
I’m hopeful now that I have moved house and am closer to work that I will have more time to exercise, be that the gym or even a long walk in the evening, especially now as the lighter nights are coming in. Roll on this weekend when our clocks spring forward 😊😊.
I had never driven in snow before, believe it or not. Today was my first time and the snow fall was plentiful. It has been snowing all night so I was not looking forward to my 5.40 am wake up call.
So what did I learn before arriving to work?
I learned the importance of giving yourself plenty of time to clear the snow from your car.
I learned to use a higher gear when driving from your driveway so the wheels do not spin.
I learned not to break when driving down a very steep hill, instead steering my way down and hoping not to meet any other cars.
And if at first you don’t succeed (almost sliding into a wall), try, try again.
Thankfully I made it so work successfully and survived my first snow day in my car 😅😅.
The short answer is YES! I really do enjoy my job. Luckily for me, nursing is a career path, therefore, you can have numerous types of nursing jobs available to you and you can travel the world. Any job that I have had in nursing, I have thoroughly enjoyed and that includes my present job.
I am a haemodialysis nurse, caring for patients with chronic kidney disease / kidney failure. These patients will have to attend for dialysis treatment three times a week for a few hours at a time to basically have their blood cleaned and possibly have fluid removed from their bodies. Their kidneys do not work very well or may have even been removed, so we as nurses, care for our patients by connecting them to a dialysis machine where the machine will do the work for the kidneys. It will take the blood from the patient, clean it using an artificial kidney and then return the blood to the patient. We will care for the patient before, during and after treatment with a holistic approach to ensure they have the best possible experience for their health and well-being.
That’s a very basic explanation but it’s a pretty complex and sophisticated process. For the patients there is also a lot to consider. Not only the physical difficulties of having to have dialysis but also the emotional, mental, sociological, psychological and even economical impacts on people who have a kidney injury or failure.
As a nurse, I love to help others and make a difference in their lives. Even if it’s something small like making them smile or helping them to be at ease with being on dialysis. I try to be empathetic and compassionate with my patients, whilst remaining professional and accountable to providing the best care for them.
Nursing can be a difficult profession, however, it helps to enjoy what you do. I couldn’t imagine being a nurse if I didn’t enjoy it. If that was the case, I think you would have to leave your job!
I’m sure I can speak for all nurses when I say, we would just love to be appreciated as professional people, be treated fairly and paid accordingly. Yes, we as nurses love what we do but we still need to pay the bills.
Describe the most ambitious DIY project you’ve ever taken on.
To be honest I am not the best at DIY projects, nor do I enjoy them. My most ambitious project was probably having to build our bed in Australia from IKEA when we moved into our first apartment.
Even with instructions, it will take me more than the average amount of time and patience but I will arrive at the finished project eventually. IKEA furniture is typically straightforward to assemble and requires very few tools, yet it still will be an unwelcoming challenge for me.
I did, however, manage to build the bed with the help of my husband. On my own, I fear that building the bed might have taken me many weeks to put together! Nevertheless, we succeeded not only once but on three different occasions as we had to mantle and dismantle the bed on a few occasions when moving homes.
Thankfully, it does become easier the more times you put the bed together, although never any more enjoyable. I’m sad to say this is my most ambitious project to date. Who knows what future DIY projects await in the future. I dread to think…
Tell us about your favorite pair of shoes, and where they’ve taken you.
So I have just transitioned to the Jetpack app (I wonder will I miss seeing the WordPress app on my phone?!) and now I appear to have prompts for writing. That’s pretty cool, especially on days that you’re maybe struggling to think of material. I maybe won’t always respond to these but this prompt I found interesting.
My favourite pair of shoes were a pair of Vans that my cousin recommended. They were black with brown laces and I found them to be stylish, yet extremely comfortable. I love a shoe that you can wear with chinos or jeans and appear smart but also look casual with a pair of shorts. The downside was that they didn’t last too long but I guess I wore them to death! They took me all over Sydney on many, many walks and also around Northern Ireland when I wore them home in 2019 when touring the north coast.
Visiting the Game Of Thrones spots in Northern Ireland. Check out my Vans 👆🏼
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