Something to Munch on…
To put it simply….dinner at our house can be a real scream! But, then again, maybe our dining habits are naan of your business….
Happy Birthday Noreen!!!
Chris and I made you a little something for your birthday….we sure hope you like it!
Happy Birthday Noreen. I really wish we were there to share in this special day with you. Miss you…love you…and we’re so very grateful for your friendship!
Introducing A Great Sydney Ambassador — Nigel Marsh!
I’ve recently read two books by the same author in quick succession. Nigel Marsh first got my attention in the Padstow library when my inherent passion for a great alliterative title was aroused when I spied Fat, Forty and Fired. I’ve also just closed the jacket on Observations of a Very Short Man
I never would have guessed that, next to Chris, the person I’d learn the most about Sydney from would be a forty-something, UK father of four, ex-stand up comedian, communications professional, CEO turned author and performance coach, whom I had never met.
Three weeks, two books, 600 odd pages and many humourous and touching insights, observations, anecdotes and confessions later, I felt like I had made a new friend. Both of Nigel’s memoirs dealt with being in your 40’s (you know, the wistful decade) and learning about, adjusting to and embracing a new life in Sydney (not to mention stumbling upon a mid life crisis and some serious personal truths). His openness, humour and sincerity were evident through every page and his words continually resonated with me and my present circumstance.
I’ve offered to take him out for an apple juice (explanation found in the pages of F,F &F) and I’m excited that he has tentatively accepted. I hope to have the opportunity to thank him in person for helping me to better appreciate so many things about my new life in Sydney.
If you want two easy reads that leave you feeling enthusiastically optimistic and unapologetically human, then Nigel’s memoirs are just the ticket!
Our own kind…
There’s a whole club of people like us. Chris and I recently discovered the Canadian Australian Club or CAC for short. They’re a great group of people, who, just like us, share connections between Canada and Australia. The membership has some Aussies and some Canucks and many couples that consist of one of each. This group meets regularly and participates in some great social activities….so far, Chris and I have joined them for an incredible hike from Taronga Zoo to Balmoral, a restaurant night at Churrasco ,a Brazilian restauarant that was a blast even though it induced my very first meat hangover, and Friday night cocktails at Darling Harbour’s Novotel.
We’ve met some fabulous people and can’t wait for the next event to meet even more. Chris and I both feel lucky to have found a great group like this and I’m grateful for the chance to be able to connect with some of my Canadian compatriots to share stories, challenges and suggestions that will help us all to get the most out of our new life here in Australia.
Looking for a house sitting gig for July in Toronto area…
…know anyone who’s going on vacation and needs someone to mind their home/animals? If so, please let me know…
Ready… set…WRITE!
It’s no secret that I have dreams of making the New York Times Bestseller List. I’m also grounded enough to know this will require practice, practice and more practice and writing, writing and more writing. And that’s why I participated in a 24-hour short story competition this past weekend to help me hone my craft.
It works like this: you pay a minimal fee and register to participate ahead of time, the contest organizers secretly choose a topic and a word count (varying from year to year); at a previously specified time (geared to North American time zones of course), participants are sent an email detailing the topic and word count, this signals the contest start; then, everyone has exactly 24 hours from that time to write their story, polish it, name it and then submit it.
While the topic was decidedly ”darker” than I usually gravitate toward, it was a terrific experience. Once I decided that I wouldn’t require 24 whole hours to put together a decent 700-1500 story, I was okay with not bounding out of bed at 3 am, the scheduled start time. I did rise rather excitedly at 7am though.
I grabbed my laptop, sat in bed, checked my in-box and read, then re-read, the topic to Chris. I had an idea for my story straight away. I considred a few others, but kept coming back to my first thought. This part was the obstacle for Chris. He had originally thought he’d participate, but with a non-fiction book deadline looming and a bad case of fiction block, he bowed out after a valiant attempt. He got over 1,000 words written for his book though, so it was probably a good long term decision. Plus, between you and me, it prevented the awkward situation of me beating him in the contest!
I let my thoughts float and form and did some plot brainstorming while I had my morning coffee and hung the laundry on the line. At 9 am-ish I sat down to write and the story came fast and furiously. I had my first draft down before 1PM. I left it for a while, then came back and edited and edited some more. I left it one more time, edited it one more time, shared it with Chris, got some great suggestions and then implemented them.
My story, entitled Mountain Time was completed and submitted by 9PM. I was happy with it. I was proud of myself for exercising my writing and editing muscles and I felt it was a day well spent.
Judging will take a month or so, but I promise to let you know what the judges thought and even share it at that point as well.
For you writers out there, I’d highly recommend this timed competition format. It forces you to make some tough decisions and makes you far more efficient at your craft. Hey, you could even try it on your own if you wish. It’s not as hard OR as easy at it looks!
If you want to try, here’s the topic they provided:
TODAY’S TOPIC!
She thought she heard water trickling over rocks and turned toward the sound, ignoring the thorns that sliced her short, chubby legs. She sat down, drinking as fast as she could. She jumped up when she once again heard all those strangers calling her name, somewhere behind her, higher up. She wasn’t sure. She quickly stepped back and her hair got tangled on a low branch. She wrenched it free, her panic having dulled all pain hours ago. The forest canopy swallowed her as she sobbed and stumbled, repeatedly whispering to herself…
WORD COUNT Stories for today’s topic must not exceed 1000 words.
It’s YOUR turn…
What’s happening in your world? What’s new? What’s changed? Do you have a recent photo, a funny story, an observation, an entertaining anecdote to share?
Not only would I love to hear from you , I’d be honoured to post a glimpse into the lives of my family and friends on here too. I’ll gladly continue to share the activities/stories of our lives, but I’d welcome the chance to put the focus on you for a change!
Crikey, it’s a “snyke”…and a lizard and a spider and a…
Australia is known for it spiders and “snykes” and I knew in coming here that it would only be a matter of time before I’d have an encounter.
Some of you might recall that during my visit last July, I had been here a whole three days before I came face to face with a huntsman spider in the bathroom. It was almost the size of my hand - the biggest I had EVER seen. I was assured it was harmless enough, but I kept my distance nonetheless….and, yes, that meant from another room!
Since then, I’m proud to say that my confirmed cockroach kill stands at 6 and I’ve actually sought out opportunities to learn more about the pesky creatures that had previously made my skin crawl. Chris, Kate and I went out to see the snakeman of La Peruse where we were introduced to about a dozen venomous snakes and a half dozen lizards and one very entertaining Aussie bloke who had them all under control.
And just recently, I attended an exhibit containing more lizards (including one of the double headed variety) and a black headed python. I actually held all 1.5 metres of it.
As the photo below will attest….I’ve come along way in four months. But heck, I figure if Bindi can, Lindi can too!
Speaking of goldens….An Update on Mr. Briggs
I was happy to hear that Mr. Briggs has found himself a wonderful new home, with lot’s of room to roam around, parents that love him and a sister to play with. Those of you who know me personally, know that this was the single hardest part of this journey, but I feel so much better now knowing that he’s in a loving home. I still miss him and always will, but at least I know he’s happy.
Golden Rescue pulled through for us once again and I can’t thank the good folks there enough. If you’re looking for a new charity to support or just feel that you’d like to make a one time Briggs-inspired donation to them…your support would be well appreciated and well used.
I thought I’d share the letter and some photos that I received from his new parents…..
Many Happy Returns
Now that I’ve returned from my trip to Canada, it’s time to create some new and lasting habits here in my new home. Many of these will be transplanted from my old life, but reestablishing them still takes some effort.
My writing has suffered terribly through this massive wave of change. In fact, it had ground to a halt until about two weeks ago. It’s time to change that! I’m currently sitting at about 65,000 words, so a great chunk has been completed, but I needed a kickstart. I looked for classes here and found nothing that was appropriate. And even though I can’t attend another Sheridan writing class (where my dual adventures began), I can still seek out the assistance of the person who has provided so much help and guidance in reaching this point. So, thanks to technology and a willing mentor, I’ll be working again with published author, writing instructor extraordinaire and all round enthusiastic and entertaining literary lass, Lynda Simmons, to finish off this breakout effort.
I also just finished a terrific resource book on writing, entitled Beginnings, Middles and Ends, written by Nancy Kress, a wonderful resource for anyone up to their elbows in whipping up a work of fiction. And speaking of returns, I must get that back to the library.
I’ve also returned to the gym. I’ve just joined Health Mates at Revesby Workers Club, and have just begun a new workout routine. It’s another thing that Chris and I can do together and benefit from individually, so I’m pleased to return to this healthy habit. I’m pondering returning to running, but truth be told, the hills here are a tad intimidating, it’s not flat here like it is back home - maybe after a few weeks on the treadmill.
I had a bit of a blogging sabbatical while I was back in Canada, but am back on track and will continue to provide regular updates here, so check back and check back often. And why not, add a comment or two?
And speaking of Geeking out, I’m back on a daily dose of podcasts too. Being a veritable information sponge, I find the podcast an easily digestible medium for ongoing exposure and education. If you haven’t starting listening to them yet, get your butt to itunes and do it!. There is so much great content out there to explore. My daily exposure can range for technology tips, to marketing hints, to interviews with published authors, to running coaching, to new trends and theories in management, to financial advice, to comedy routines……and it feeds the type A in me, I can listen while I’m doing other things. So, even though I wear my ear plugs funny, I’m happy to be back to receiving my daily podcast fix. Now, I just need to master Smart Playlists!
Even though I can’t truly go home again (not that I’d want to), I can reconect with a few of the practices from my daily round that can help create some familiar feelings….now, if only I could find a golden retriever to walk around the neighbourhood!
