Category: Random thoughts

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Random thoughts teaching Work

36/52 On what affects our reputation the most

What we do is who we are, I think.

I teach school students… but I am not just a teacher. In my hours spent not in front of my students or with my colleagues, or planning or assessing, in my hours interacting with family and friends, who am I?

I am the person who thinks a certain way, who values particular things, and from these thoughts and beliefs, makes decisions and acts (or refrains from acting) on and in the world around me.

What I do reflects what I value; what I think.

The thinking comes first.

I think, therefore I am.

Our thoughts are pre-eminent. And yet: how often do we acknowledge them? When they are so influential on what we do and who we’ll become in the future?

I saw this the other day, and it’s left me quite reflective:

Here’s hoping my thoughts on the matter (Ha! See what I did there?) are of some value to you today, dear Reader 🙂

– KRidwyn

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momentous events Random thoughts

30/52 Surprised and Inspired!

I watched the musical Gigi yesterday afternoon with my eldest daughter, something we hadn’t done in years.

After the expected discussion regarding morality and her appreciation that society is no longer like that, she asked if Leslie Caron was still alive. I doubted she would be, but picked up my phone to check… and was SO surprised not only to realise that yes, she was in fact, alive and well at 93 years old, but also, still working (well, she played ‘Pauline’ in “Written on the Water” in 2020)!

How incredible is that! SO impressive.

So inspirational.

And on that note, I need to go and better myself, or something 😛

Have an inspirational week yourself, dear Reader!

  • KRidwyn
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Random thoughts

29/52 Things I’m grateful for :)

New starts. The fact that I awoke this morning with a wealth of opportunities to enjoy and spend my time on.

The warmth of the sun on my back in spite of the chill in my toes (within  of just socks but also ugg boots – have I mentioned before how much I don’t enjoy the cold?) and the fact that our house was warmed by a fire last night.

I’m listening to my daughters (aged 19 and 16) voluntarily spending time together, talking and playing with Kiya now we’re home after church.

My house is not clean. The list of ‘stuff I should be doing’ is huge. But I am happy. Even with the hedge clippings that my eldest daughter shook off her clothing, yesterday, in the sunroom, which still litter the floor near my feet.

These clippings mean the mock orange hedge beneath my bedroom windows is now looking amazing, and through my daughter’s – and not my – efforts. They’re glossy green, meaning the plants are healthy and have enough water in spite of the lack of rainfall here in this part of Queensland. Again, through no effort of mine. That’s a God thing.

My part to play in all this? Enjoyment. That’s it. (And pick up the leaves in the sunroom.)

What an amazing blessing that is!

Have an amazing week yourself, dear Reader!

– KRidwyn

Categories
Random thoughts teaching Work

28/52 On the return to Term 3

Phew! What a week it’s been!

Yesterday morning, I drove Kiya, with Mum and her dog Trav, down to Brisbane for an appointment. It occurred to me that last Saturday morning (7 days earlier) I had also collected Mum… but instead, to go car shopping. We’d visited a quite rusty Suzuki Jimny, locally, before heading down to Brisbane to look at a 2020 version – which sold en route. We then pulled into Suzuki at Nundah, and ended up buying a brand new Ignis, before stopping at CostCo on the way back up the Coast.

This week was

  • the return to school (that’s right, I have a 0.9FTE teaching job as well)
  • the collection of Mum’s car on Wednesday
  • Miss 16’s trip to QldTransport to have her photo taken for her Learners
  • the (hopefully successful) migration of this website from one host to another
  • Miss 19 job-hunting and speaking with prospective employers, and finally
  • yet another big trip yesterday.

Today, I’m playing violin at church, then spending the afternoon with my parents and godfathers who are visiting from NZ.

Phew! again…

Hope it’s been a productive week for you, too, dear Reader!

  • KRidwyn
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Random thoughts Work

27/52 On habit creation

So June ended, and with it, the challenge to publish a daily blogpost for #blogJune.

And it took a number of days before I stopped thinking ‘oh! I haven’t posted yet… and this’d make a good post!’ so… I guess that means I’d created myself a daily blogging habit?!

But it’s definitely July now, the first Sunday of, so it’s time to resume my Sunday blogging schedule. And today marks 27 of the 52 posts I had set myself back in January 🙂

So keeping with the topic of ‘habits help you to get things done’ I just wanted to post this photo right here:

That’s right. For a mere $25K you could own your own barrel organ. How cool is THAT?!! (Ooh! I’ve never seen one of these intact before, as Nemo’s teacher would have said)

Seriously though: it’s incredible to think of the dedication that the creation of this instrument must have taken. Not only the mechanics of making the instrument actually work, but also the incredible craftsmanship in the painstaking attention to detail in the instrument’s decorations! A true work of art.

And such incredible-ness can ONLY happen through habit-creation. The dedication of doing small amounts consistently, day by day by day by day by day.

Without this, the instrument wouldn’t exist.

And this day by day process is not just for weeks, nor months, but YEARS.

Inspirational dedication, that. An aspirational habit.

And with that thought, I’m off to go be productive for the rest of my day.

Have a great week, dear Reader, and I’ll see you next Sunday!

– KRidwyn

 

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#blogjune Blogging challenges Random thoughts

#BlogJune Day 30

#BlogJune for 2024… done!!!

I think 28 June blogposts, almost in a row, is close to my record, so I’m happy with that 🙂

I also found time, before church this morning, to burn off the pile of stuff that’s been accumulating over months and months now, so that was also a very fulfilling accomplishment.

And I think my fire may even have been larger than my friend Steven’s from the other day, so there’s that too 😛

Here’s wishing you a successful end of month too, dear Reader!

KRidwyn

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#blogjune Random thoughts Review

#BlogJune Day 28

Seriously in love with these boots. I’ve had them a week and they’re fast becoming my new favourite footwear!

They’re fur-lined so it feels like slippers… worn while out and about! And oh so comfortable 🙂

Here’s hoping you have a ‘favourite item’ purchase soon too, dear Reader!

– KRidwyn

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#blogjune family anecdotes momentous events Random thoughts

#BlogJune Day 25

Yesterday was a red letter day. I finally succeeeded at something I’d been unable to do: finish dessert at The Pancake Manor.

Eating there is a pleasure I share with my Mum. Not sure why, but whenever we’re in Brisbane for the day we make a point of eating a meal there. And although I ensure my stomach is growling prior to entry, I’d never yet made it through a meal AND dessert due to the huge meal sizes.

So yesterday, Brisbane bound with Miss16, the challenge again was to consume the entire dessert. And we did it!

(Admittedly, we shared one dessert between us, and both of us were wise enough to only order the ‘entree’ sized meal… but we did it!)

And it was DELICIOUS!!! and so decadent 🙂 🙂 🙂

In case you’re intereseted, I had the Chicken crepe (chicken and mushroom filling on a bed of mashed potatoes) and Mum the seafood crepe, and our dessert was the Macadamia Madness. And even now, writing about it, I can feel my tastebuds watering behind the smile playing around my lips.

It was truly a memorable day!

Here’s hoping yours is as well, dear Reader 🙂

  • KRidwyn

[Also, sorry for the shocking photo quality. But we all know how badly I take photos…]

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#blogjune Random thoughts

#BlogJune Day 18

Back on June 7, I bought Kiya a new toy. Huge, thick. Indestructible, or so I thought.

This morning’s photo shows not only how loved it has been, but also just how wrong I was.

Sigh. Destructo-gurl for the win. Again! You’ve got to admit though, she’s a source of continual amusement 🙂

She loves it. She’s even napping with it, as I write:

(She turned her head to face me, to check out what I was doing, just as I took the photo. lol)

Have an amusing day yourself, dear Reader!

– KRidwyn

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#blogjune family anecdotes momentous events Random thoughts

#BlogJune Day 13

I missed a day! Sad 🙁

but a friend I hadn’t heard from in simply ages replied to a tweet and also commented on here (hi Snail!) so: happy!

Reason for missed day: my Mum had had a car accident on the 11th (hence the cryptic post because I was too emotional to write coherently) and – although she’s okay and in fact, better than okay, she’s remarkably good praise God! – I spent hours (literally) on the phone with the insurance company and that chewed up good blogpost-writing time. Sigh.

I *had* intended to post this photo (taken yesterday, when I discovered its existence!) as I found it so amusing:

I guess I’ve reached the age whereupon (ha! Check out that old word!) I receive birthday cards from politicians by virtue of not dying yet. Ummm… not sure how that makes me feel, really, but… okay?!

Have a ‘not dying’ day yourself, dear Reader!

– KRidwyn