Tag: Holidays

Categories
Life More about me

Holiday happenings…

So it would appear that the last three weeks of December slipped by without my blogging. Whoops! And we’re at January 4th already, and the holidays are waning quickly. Sigh.

I’ve spent a bit of time at the beach / out in the sun in my garden over the past several weeks. I’m browner as a result (I had photos of both these but for some strange reason WordPress is declining to upload them.) and I also found out from my hairdresser that I should part my hair on the other side. One: it covers the greys and faded hair in my normal part, and two: it still has colour on that side, so I’m looking younger! On the down-side though, it feels REALLY weird and I’m not liking it much at all.

Well, that’s me. I’m off to work out why photos aren’t uploading, because I was planning on using them a LOT this year.

Wish me luck, dear Reader!

  • KRidwyn

 

Categories
places to visit

52/52

Happiness! Breakfast and this view šŸ™‚

What a blessed way to finish blogging for 2020, am I right?

See you in the New Year, dear Reader. And may God shower you with His richest blessings today šŸ˜€

– KRidwyn

Categories
Reading

51/52

Last week I finally had the time to enjoy a book I’d been waiting simply AGES to read. And it was so worth it!

How about you, dear Reader? What book are you looking forward to enjoying this Christmas season?

And I hope it’s as wonderful a read as mine was!

– KRidwyn

Categories
Blogging challenges places to visit

50/52

I’m rather proud of myself – that title up there tells me I’ve almost made it! A years’ worth of ‘photo’ posts… for someone who HATES posting the photos she takes, this is a pretty good achievement, even if I do say so myself.

So this week’s photo was the surf at Rainbow Beach – where the family and I stayed last week. So beautiful, so peaceful, so needed (after the tumult that was the 2019 academic year!) and just wonderful.

How about you, dear Reader? What was ‘wondrous’ in your life this week?

– KRidwyn

 

[Update: now with photo! Whoops!]

Categories
family anecdotes

42/52

It’s been almost a year since Miss11 and I bought ourselves an anklet each, on holiday. I’d never owned one before, and neither had she, so when the idea crossed my mind, we bought some and wore them. “They feel like holidays,” we decided together, and since then every time I’ve wore mine it reminds me of her, and also the incredible Rainbow Beach holiday we’d had.

During the last school holidays, we spent a week on Fraser Island. While there, this caught my eye…

meaning I now have two of them to swap out depending on outfit and mood, and both remind me of holidays with the sand between my toes!

[I also managed to lose Miss11’s anklet (yay for more mummy-guilt, huh?!) so she also has a new one now. It worked out okay – she said she didn’t mind – but now the new one’s a reminder to me of how badly I suck at this whole parenting bit…]

Anyway. Back to the point: photo 42 of the 52 I was going to share this year. My new “bling”! What do you think?

And have a sparkly week yourself, dear Reader!

KRidwyn

Categories
family anecdotes Random thoughts

29/52

Guess what Hubby took the kidlets and me to the other week? Archery!

Not too far from us, thereā€™s a guy who runs an archery store, with a 6-lane indoor range inside it.

We had a ball! I stuck with a recurve bow, as did Miss11 (pictured) but Hubby convinced Miss14 and Master10 to try compound bows. And oh boy – they look so complex! (And so dangerous too…) so I was happy to use my traditional bow, despite pressure from Hubby and two cherubs.

And Miss11 and I didnā€™t do too badly, either.

Hereā€™s wishing you a focus-filled week, dear Reader!

– KRidwyn

Categories
places to visit

15/52

Holiday perfect views. And boy, were they needed!

I hope you’re also able to receive what you need this week, dear Reader!

– KRidwyn

Categories
places to visit

2/52

Last week’s photo showed one of my favourite places: this week’s is another. Kings Beach has a outdoor community swimming pool, built next to natural rock pools my cherubs love to explore.

This was Miss10 and Master9 the other week:

And check out the crowd on the beach behind them! It was a sweltering day – that photo was taken around 10am.

Have a great week, dear Reader šŸ™‚

– KRidwyn

Categories
Work

On chocolate and other seasonal treats

Hubby and I were talking about weight the other day. Heā€™d been bemoaning his weight increase since having to cut back his gym sessions a few months back, on account of his arthritic hip diagnosis. But when I mentioned that I, too, had a little extra on my waistline I wouldnā€™t mind losing, he said, ā€œWell, donā€™t eat so much chocolate then.ā€

Oh, to be felled by a simple phrase! Less chocolate? The world would cease to spin!

Once the initial shock passed though, and the world recommenced turning, the truth became clear. How can I honestly expect my gym sessions to assist my waistline reduction plan, when I supplement my diet with sugary treats every time Iā€™m offered them?

And, at this time of year, itā€™s easier than ever to consume that sugary goodness. Every second Christmas gift from students or colleagues is chocolate. Or cupcakes. Or rocky road. Not to mention the Christmassy food that other staff open, and share with everyone. Great for exercising willpower… not!

But that, I guess, is what it all comes down to. Willpower means effort. Means intentional decision-making, not just reacting to the situation without a pre-planned ā€œif this, then thatā€ course of action.

If offered chocolate, say, ā€œThanks, but no.ā€

If given chocolate as a gift, thank the gift-giver, then open AND SHARE.

Limit sugary intake.

Maintain exercise routines as much as possible.

And most importantly: rethink waistline expectations. Perhaps that waistline measurement goal is more realistic for end-of-January, not end-of-December.

And seeing as todayā€™s the 17th of December, perhaps releasing myself from my too-hard-not-going-to-make-it goal would be best for my own mental health…

Would you agree, dear Reader?

KRidwyn

Categories
Life Random thoughts teaching Work

Out the window…

Holidays! A time of refreshing and renewal. A break from routine (and yeh, I needed *that* one like a kick in the head) and a needed period of not-regular-activity so that time with family and friends can happen.

Some routines should never be broken though. Eating and sleeping, hygiene, etc, these must all be maintained at some kind of a minimal standard. I think pretty much everyone would agree with me there. Sure, the work – school routines can go ‘out the window’ for holidays, but I wonder what other ‘important stuff’ we let slip without meaning to, or even realising.

I remember when I was a girl, reading ‘Little Women’ by Louisa May Alcott. The four daughters decided to take a break from their routines for a week, and see what would happen. Laziness, slothfulness, uncleanliness, and arguments resulted. By the end of the week, all four were keen to get back into their normal routine.

But the lesson wasn’t over. Day 1 of routine again, and the discovery was made that their pet bird had died. No food or water for a week had killed it. Tragedy had resulted because some things had been let go, which should never have been.

Relationships fall into this category. Does that mean that relationships are just routines? Like the apostle Paul I rush to say, “Perish the thought!” But that doesn’t mean that we can’t, out of necessity and convenience, consider them routines for the sake of this example. Because when these get neglected, tragedy strikes. They die.

So. These holidays, I have resolved to relax the ‘work’ standards and improve the ‘relationship’ ones. Let’s see how well I do…

And have a great week, dear Reader!

– KRidwyn