A tale of three photos:
October 1:
November 17:
November 21:
Sigh.
Here’s hoping your week was more photo-worthy, dear Reader!
– KRidwyn
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Tag: memories
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41/52
A friend convinced me to roller-skate with her recently. Haven’t done *that* in more decades than I care to remember! It was rather confronting…
but I managed to stay upright for the entire session (almost 2 hours!) and I was immensely proud of myself for such an accomplishment. Perhaps it was the lucky orange laces?
Anyway, have a accomplish-ing week yourself, dear Reader!
KRidwyn
Categories
10/52
Kids grow up. So slowly you don’t notice when you’re with them
Minute by minute, hour by hour, day after day. But then you lift your head out of the trenches and realise that years have flown. Suddenly it’s not sleepovers, it’s Youth Group; it’s not The Wiggles, it’s Beyoncé. And you sigh and ask ‘what next’?
I had one of those moments recently. I knew one cherub had switched from Minecraft to Ark, but the change several months ago didn’t impact me until she told me one evening, “What I really want to do is teach you how to play Ark on the (Nintendo) Switch.”
Huh. Hold me back.
This game, from what I could tell, seemed like Minecraft with dinosaurs, with a dash of the breeding from DragonMania thrown in. Not really interested… especially when my Nintendo Switch time had to that moment involved learning Splatoon – badly – and playing Zelda, death of the Wild – also so badly my children loved watching to laugh at me about how slow I was to do anything. (And how many times Leaf died, but that’s another story.)
So I sighed, and said ‘okay’ and watched her face come to life.
And it hit me. THIS was her passion. At the moment, it’s this game. And she wanted to share it with me. Instant transportation back to her younger years when she’d bring me a dandelion flower or a lizard she’d caught. The same light in her eyes, the same grin; the same joy flooding through me because I am so incredibly blessed to have such a wonderful daughter who loves me and wants to do stuff with me.
So Ark? Yeah. Not the biggest fan – but now I want to play it when she asks, so I can play it with her. Because she’s an absolute angel and I love her to pieces.
And that – doing stuff you’re not really interested in because the benefits so clearly outweigh any other objection? – that’s my thought for the week.
Have a blessed week yourself, dear Reader!
– KRidwyn
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1/52
I’ve decided, instead of New Year’s resolutions for 2019, to try implementing two pieces of advice I’ve been given in the past several years.
The first was from a nurse helping me through depression following the birth of child number 2. Her piece of advice (among many others, most of which I use regularly) was to have realistic expectations – for myself, as well as for others. That’s a tricky one for me – but one I’m going to try to remember in 2019.
The second was a few years ago, from New York literary agent extraordinaire, Janet Reid. She wrote a blogpost responding to a question I’d sent her; the gist of her answer was for me ‘to focus’. Again, something which is going to require more than a little training, for those of you who know me IRL… but something that’s worthwhile, I think.
So in 2019 I plan to ‘focus’ on my writing. The novel-in-progress, that is, not my blog. Hence the plan to post photos each week. Starting with this:
The view from one of my early-morning writing spots. Peaceful. Quiet.
Amazing, hey!
Anyway, here’s wishing you a wonderful week, dear Reader 🙂
– KRidwyn
Categories
On sleep…
So I’ve been a self-diagnosed insomniac for years now. And I’ve kinda always prided myself on what I’ve been able to accomplish on minimal unconscious time.
But I’m coming to the realisation that these days I can do less and less.
And that saddens me.
Time was, I could go to bed at 2am, get up at 4am, do a 16 hour day, or an 18 hour day, or perhaps even more… and do it all again the following day.
No more though.
I’ve always been an early riser. At the moment, I’m up at around the 4 – 4.15am mark. And I love that. I love my morning routine, and I never want to give it up.
But it’s meaning that I can’t stay up too late at night. And that’s the bit I don’t like. I crave the ‘me’ time I get, after the cherubs are in bed for the night. Perhaps I’m just being a little too selfish? Wanting ‘me’ time prior to 6am, and again in the evenings?
I’ve been told I’m a pragmatic person. Realistic. Maybe I am; I don’t see it myself. And I certainly don’t want to acknowledge it in this particular set of circumstances! I want to have my awake time and keep my patience (and my sanity) too 🙁
I guess that’s my arrogance talking though, yeh? And that’s a little embarrassing.
So I’m going to stop typing now. And try this week to (as a wise friend once suggested) be ‘rhythmic in my rest’. Feel free to join me in a ‘seeking sleep’ quest this week 🙂 or not, too 🙂
Either way, have a great week, dear Reader!
— KRidwyn
Categories
It’s fast running out…
My middle child graduates from Primary School in a few weeks. I’m not ready for this to happen.
She’s ten. Young for her grade; she was bright enough to be accelerated a couple of years ago, and she’s been blossoming ever since. And I’m immensely proud of her for that.
But I’m also aware of the potential problems. She’s small (and cute! Mummy bias here) and possibly more naive than her peers. And yet, mature, for all that. She continually surprises me, with her reactions to events and the considered approach she takes to life. She’s an amazing kid.
And she’s graduating Primary School. Entering the big bad world of High School. Although not really. She’s entering the Middle School which I’m Head of, so it’s not too bad. And it never will be, as long as I have something to do with it! I’m looking forward to having her in my school, even though it means I personally will have more offspring in secondary than I’ll have in primary school, and I’m not particularly comfortable with what that says about my age! But I’ll need to suck it up, I guess. Cos I can’t stop it, no matter what I do.
Sigh. Carry on, one day at a time. Realise that there’s a milestone here to be celebrated… one that’ll never happen again.
Enjoy, and remember. Be like Mary, the mother of Jesus, who “treasured these things in her heart”.
Amen, LORD.
And have a memorable week yourself, dear Reader!
— KRidwyn
What feels like aeons ago now, but was only decades (ha!) I played violin in an orchestra. The South-West Regional Youth Orchestra, as a matter of fact, which changed its name during my time there to the Brisbane Regional Youth Orchestra. I was a member for the majority of my teenage life, and made friends there who not only came to my wedding but with whom I’ve kept in contact for the many years since.
Which brings me up to recent days – in which I received an invitation. To join their massed orchestra, with all their other alumni, for their 35th anniversary celebration concert.
Aiieeeee!
I’d love to go, to play… but I haven’t played (truly ‘played’, as in, played well, with technical proficiency) for well over a decade now… and I’ve never been to a reunion in my life!
Hence the apprehension.
It’s this Sunday.
By my next blog post, it’ll be all over.
Wish me luck!
– KRidwyn
Wow – what a month it’s been! I knew, starting the #blogJune challenge this year would be difficult… I just didn’t realise exactly how challenging it was going to be!
So the month started by introducing the whole #blogJune challenge, and my theme (blessings) for the rest of the posts. Then I followed this with:
#1 Getting an incredible (impossible!) car park
#2 Finding the hiding engagement ring
#3 Knowing a fellow driver would be safe
#5 Lightning flash when I needed it
#7 purchasing (and collecting) a mobile phone storage box in an impossibly short time frame
#8 free family entertainment – and awesome entertainment too!!!
#10 Hubby being awake before me…
#11 Family, friends, and youz guyz sending me birthday wishes 🙂
#13 My #WritingRace friends – youz guyz ROCK!!!
#14 Colleagues who go the second mile 🙂
#15 My Mum – the reason Hubby and I could get a night away together!
#19 Heat – natural and electrical – both are great!
#20 The incomparable Mr Stephen Dittman – thank you, my friend 🙂
#21 A different perspective on vomit…
#22 Raindrop, splatting on my head
#26 My Knight (well, Lady) in shining armour 🙂
#27 Additions to the #TBR pile
#28 My schoolkids and the absolute delights that they are!
And that was it for the month! Twenty-eight blessings which I thank my God for, not even a scratch on the surface of the myriad of blessings he pours out on me day-after-day-after-day-after-day and you get the idea.
He is just SO incredibly awesome. And I’d encourage you, dear Reader, if you’ve never sought Him before, to do so. To trust Him, because He is truly the one and only One worth trusting!
And even should you choose to not, then maybe just try the whole ‘count what the good things are in your life’ because the change in attitude which develops is also pretty cool 🙂
Anyway, I’ll get off my soapbox now. Have a Blessed rest-of-the-week, dear Reader! And I’ll catch you all on Monday 🙂
— KRidwyn
I work at a Christian school. The pastor of the church which established our school has a saying: “The LORD has blessed me so much, my cup is overflowing (taken from Psalm 23) and I’m sipping from the saucer.”
I like the visual, so I’m using it here, in this month-long blogging challenge focusing on the blessings God has poured out on me.
Today, blessing #5.
Decades ago, I remember Hubby and I listening to a tape (yes, tape – I *did* just say ‘decades ago!’) by Christian speaker Chuck Missler, on the Old Testament passage where the Israelites were in a battle against their enemies, and God was fighting alongside them with hailstones. And more were killed by hailstones than by the Israelites. Chuck Missler made the point that God must have a pretty amazing aim! To be able to set into motion the hail – in exactly the right places so that only Israel’s enemies were killed, and not the Israelites themselves! (Whoever heard of hail discriminating before?)
Anyway, knowing about that story makes mine own tale of blessing seem like child’s play. And yet to me, it was miraculous. You see, it was just about to start POURING down as I was leaving a late-night church meeting, and the car park was pitch black and not covered. So I ran towards the driver’s door, thinking ‘how on earth am I going to be able to see the lock to open the door, and get inside before the rain starts?’
I arrived at my door, key at the ready, about to start fumbling when ‘flash’ the sky lit up, the instant I had my key near where I thought the lock would be. Lightning had streaked across the sky, making the car door as distinct as if it had been broad daylight. The key went straight in, and I was able to slide into the driver’s seat, close the door and even turn the engine on before the thunder rumbled.
How cool was THAT?!!!
God is truly an awesome God, don’t you think?
Anyway, that’s my ‘blessing’ for today. Have a great one, dear Reader – and I’ll see you tomorrow for blessing #6!
KRidwyn
I work at a Christian school. The pastor of the church which established our school has a saying: “The LORD has blessed me so much, my cup is overflowing (taken from Psalm 23) and I’m sipping from the saucer.”
I like the visual, so I’m using it here, in this month-long blogging challenge focusing on the blessings God has poured out on me.
Today, blessing #3.
As some of you know, I’m one of those crazy people who drives to the gym for an early-morning session before the rest of the world gets up.
Well, I was driving home after my session recently when I noticed a car behind me was driving with no lights on. We were in an 80-kilometre-an-hour section of road, heading quickly toward the 110-kilometre-an-hour section, and when I say the car had no lights on, that’s what I meant. Zero lights – and the stretch of road wasn’t the safest. And it was super-dark, so I was worried for the driver’s safety. Very worried.
My first thought was, ‘How can I get the driver’s attention, to let him know?’ But there was no way I could, of course. So I turned to prayer.
“Please Lord, please let the driver of the car know that they haven’t yet turned on their lights…” and then I watched, anxiously.
Maybe five seconds passed. Literally – only five. Then their lights turned on.
How awesome is God, huh?
I mean yes, that *could* have been co-incidence… but then again, how much of ‘God-incidences- are explained away by such a ‘reason’. Me? I prefer to believe that God is involved.
Have a great day, dear Reader!-
– KRidwyn