Share Your World –Week 45
November 13, 2014 at 9:16 pm | Posted in Australia | 8 CommentsTags: family, friends, gratitude, reading
Every week, Cee poses us five questions. In answering Cee’s questions, we share a little of our world with fellow bloggers and readers. Thank you, Cee. Here are Cee’s questions for Week 45.
What is your favorite color?
Kookaburra and blue sky, October 2014
Blue has always been my favourite colour. Very predictable I suppose, as it seems about half the world has blue as a favourite! The blue I love best is the deep blue of the Australian sky that we especially see in autumn. Stunning!
In what do you find the simplest of joys?
Both my husband and I find all our joys in the everyday things around us – we couldn’t afford anything more anyway, so it is good that it keeps our focus on the small things.
We love our many kids (8 between us) and grandkids (11 and another on the way), but they all live at a distance from us. So, getting a photo of them at their daily lives and activities, or a drawing from one of the grandchildren, warms our hearts. So does speaking with any of them by phone or Skype. In the meantime, we truly relish what nature shares with us.
Would you prefer a reading nook or an art, craft, photography studio?
My study is crammed with books and scrapbooking materials and albums, as well as my computer desk where I do a lot of my writing. It is rather crowded, but I can get by with the space I have for those.
I have a nice comfy chair in the lounge room where I can read. However that is where the TV is. I rarely watch TV, so when I go there to read, hubby is really good to me and wears earphones to listen to it. It would be lovely if I could have a bigger study so I could have my comfy reading chair in there too.
What is at least one of your favorite quotes?
Bonus question: What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?
Last week we visited an old friend in hospital after a bowel cancer operation. We are always amazed at 92-year-old Jean and her positive attitude to life. We are grateful to have her as a friend.
We are going to visit some of my husband’s kids and grandkids tomorrow, and will also see some of my siblings. I am particularly looking forward to seeing my younger sister, as we haven’t been able to spend any time together for over a year. It will be great to catch up.
Linda Visman
Share Your World – Week 39
September 30, 2014 at 9:14 pm | Posted in Australia, Nature, Reading | 4 CommentsTags: camping in the bush, friends, history, relaxation, TV shows
These are the latest questions from Cee Neuner – getting to know each other on Share Your World.
Did you ever get lost?
Nope, never been lost – not that I remember, anyway.
Who was your best friend in elementary school?
I don’t remember even having a particular friend in primary (elementary) school. I guess I was rather a loner when I was young.
Since the new television season has started in the US, list three favorite TV shows.
I rarely watch TV, though there are a few programmes I will watch when they come on. Most of them relate to historical aspects. I love the British Time Team with Tony Robinson, though we are several years behind on getting them here in Australia. I also love the Australian and British Who Do You Think You Are? which trace back the antecedents of well known people. That’s pretty well all I watch on a regular basis – when they are on free to air TV. We don’t have pay TV.
If you were a mouse in your house in the evening, what would you see your family doing?
My hubby will be watching TV –either war histories or aeroplane crash investigations usually. I will be either working at my writing on my computer, doing some scrapbooking, or reading.
Bonus question: What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?
We have had the last few days away, camping at a place where there was no mobile (cell) phone reception or internet reception. It has been a time of relaxation and enjoying the country and wildlife.
In the next week, I will be getting into my writing group activities again.
(c) Linda Visman
Breakthrough!
January 21, 2014 at 11:17 pm | Posted in Mental Health, Psychology, Writing, Writing and Life | 11 CommentsTags: encouragement, friends, novel-writing, overcome fear, speed writing, support, Thursday's Child, writing block, writing group
For months, I haven’t been able to write. If you read my last blog post you will know that a combination of fear and lethargy have shackled me.
Last week, my writing group had a social get-together. We talked about our writing, shared stories, ate lunch and drank tea or coffee or water, and laughed a lot.
The day after that, I began going back through the 19 chapters I’d already written to get into the mood and the story again..
After that, I wrote another chapter, one that linked chapters 15 and 16. I discovered that I had already written over 38,500 words on my second Y.A. novel, Thursday’s Child. I had no idea I had written so much.
Then yesterday morning, two of the group and myself had a “write-in”, sitting at a picnic table in a local park. Our challenge was to write as many words as we could on our individual projects. We had short chats about our writing, regular writing, and also speed writing sessions – as many words as possible in 15 minutes bursts.
It was all aimed at getting us to just write. To get words on paper, without thinking, and see where those words took us.
For me, it was fantastic. The chapter I was working on flowed, and in a direction I had not expected.
Today, I went to the same park with my husband. We went for a walk along the lake shore, then he lay on the bed in our camper van to read, while I sat at the same picnic table as before and just wrote.
From the two days’ writing, I have a full chapter that I am quite happy with.
All this time, I have been afraid to write. Now, with the help of my writing friends, I have made the leap from fear and immobility to excitement and fluency.
How good is that!
(c) Linda Visman
2012 in review
December 31, 2012 at 11:44 am | Posted in Experiences, Family, Health, History, Mental Health, Society, Special Occasions, Tourism, War and Conflict, Writing and Life | 2 CommentsTags: 2013 in review, blogging, friends, New Year, positive attitude, writing
The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
600 people reached the top of Mt. Everest in 2012. This blog got about 4,100 views in 2012. If every person who reached the top of Mt. Everest viewed this blog, it would have taken 7 years to get that many views.
Click here to see the complete report.
Hello readers. I haven’t blogged nearly as much as I’d intended this year. However, when I look back, I realise I haven’t done too badly. As with you all, I have had health and other issues to face, but I think I have come through the year pretty well.
I would like to thank all those who have been kind enough to follow this little blog, and especially those who have commented on my posts. It is always great to receive feedback.
The most viewed and commented on post was The Long Goodbye, which really struck a chord for many people.
My dad is still there, living at home on his own. However his short-term memory is gone and the longer-term memory is all mixed up. Fortunately, he knows his children still. He has lots of visiting care workers, as well as my sister who goes over to see to specific needs a couple of times a day. I make the trip (4-5 hours each way) every couple of weeks and spend a few days with him to give my sister a break. Dad is still so accepting and positive, and we can still have conversations about general things. He is a wonderful man.
I have posted several times about reading and writing, and those posts have also attracted lots of views and some comments. Perhaps the most popular was When do you know when you’ve found a good author?
Travel or tourist posts have been popular, including Mystery Bay, The Entrance and Kiama Blowhole.
A couple of philosophical posts attracted a few comments. I think we all tend to look back and wonder what effect the past has had on out present selves. Bringing Back the Past and Whose Tradition? were popular, but What would you go back and change? topped them.
And finally, Making Lists brought out those who like to make sure they don’t forget to do those important things that may be lost to memory if not written down.
2012 has been a rather tumultuous year, with political, social, religious and economic instability in evidence around the world. It has been a difficult one personally for many of you, with illness, loss of loved ones and other issues taking their toll on confidence and optimism.
I hope that 2013 brings a much more positive and creative approach to solving both the problems in the world and your own personal challenges. Wishing you all peace, health and happiness for the year ahead. And I hope to see you here again through 2013, the Chinese Year of the Snake.
Regards to all, Linda
Christmas Day
December 25, 2011 at 1:52 pm | Posted in Australia, Philosophy, Society | Leave a commentTags: Christmas, family, friends, gifts, joy, love, peace, security, thankfulness
We have just had a simple lunch out on the verandah – toasted sandwiches with a cup of tea.
It is so lovely out – a beautiful Australian summer day; warm but not hot; breezy but not really windy; not as humid as it has been; sunny and bright; and still clean from yesterday’s rain.
The beauty of the place we live brings home to us, even more than usual, how very fortunate we are.
We have peace and security, in our family, our home, our neighbourhood and our country.
We have plenty to eat, regular and clean water, the clothes we need, a comfortable bed and a home of our own.
We have reasonable health, even after several scares, and we have good medical care.
We are blessed with lovely friends and decent neighbours, as well as families we love and are proud of.
We have worked hard through life, and can now enjoy retirement in a delightful place where people come for their holidays.
My husband and I exchanged gifts this Christmas morning; gifts that were bought with love and thoughtfulness.
We were able to speak by telephone with our eight children, who all live far away, and with their older children; to share in their day just a little – enough to know that we are loved, and to tell them of our love for them.
There is a sense of gentle peace all around us today – no cars going by, no noisy parties, and even the local dogs aren’t barking for a change. The twittering of the numerous birds only adds to the beauty.
We have so much to be thankful for – and we are thankful for it.
I hope that anyone who reads this has had the good fortune to experience the same peace, joy, love and thankfulness.
That is what Christmas is about – even for a non-believer.
© Linda Visman
My second Y.A. novel
Available from Amazon.com
My self-published novel for Middle Grade and Young Adult readers. Older readers love it too.
Linda Visman's blog
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