The Be Thankful Challenge

November 11, 2015November 11, 2015 raphaela995 Comments

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The wondrous Danica has nominated me for the Be Thankful Challenge. I am thankful for this honour! Check out Danica’s blog for excellent content!

Challenge Rules

Share this image in your blog post
• Write about 5 people in your life you are thankful for
• Write about 5 things in 2015 that you are thankful for
• Spread the love and challenge 5 other blogs to take part

5 People in my life that I am thankful for.

I am honoured to have many beautiful people in my life, and am finding it difficult to narrow the selection down to 5!

I hereby will give a shout-out to those in the following categories:

1. Those who inspire me with their individuality and creativity. Those with whom I can talk for hours about art, literature, love and colour.

2. Those who have woken from a dark dream and have the battle scars to prove it. They woke up shackled and in the dark, and through their own efforts have broken the chains. These survivors are lighting their path. I am in awe and inspired by these courageous spirits.

3. The comedians. We all have those people who are irreverent and mischievous and make us smile. They make life worth living with their lightness of being.

4. The friends who are there in illness and in health. Those who seem to instinctively know that you require an intervention in the form of lunch or a walk.

5. The people you can be yourself with. No masks. If you are in pain, you don’t have to fudge it. You are accepted with your grief, sadness, joy and silliness.

5 Things I am grateful for in 2015

1. Home schooling my daughter. We have met many wonderful parents and kids and were warmly welcomed into the community. She has had many great opportunities as a result. It has been a thrill to see her flourish.

2. My beautiful friends. It has been a whirlwind of a year, and they have supported me and understood when I was snowed under.

3. Moving house. After five years in a place we have outgrown, we are looking forward to new adventures. I am looking forward to fresh energy and a new start.

4. I am thankful for the simple things. Sunshine, tea cups and teapots, books and art galleries, bird song and guinea pigs. I am thankful for laughter and shelter and music. I am thankful I am still here.

5. I am thankful that I had a few little breaks away this year. Even a few days away makes a world of difference.

I nominate the following to take part in the challenge!

1. The Confusing Middle.

2. Another Bad Conversation

3. The Colourful Kind

4. Life In My Tin Can

5. Know the Sphere

The Sunshine Award

September 30, 2015September 30, 2015 raphaela999 Comments

The beautiful Erika Kind nominated me for this lovely award. Please go and check out her blog. She is a dear and inspiring friend.

Rules for the award:

Thank the person who nominated you.
Answer the questions from the person who nominated you.
Nominate a few other bloggers.
Write the same amount of questions for the bloggers you nominated.
Notify the bloggers on their blog.
Put the award button on your blog.

I nominate:

Lupey Loops

Passion through Poetry

Inside Charlotte’s Mind

Eclectic Ali

Alphabet Story

Mama Mick Terry

Living for Creativity

Afternoon of Sundries

Here are the questions:

1) Which decade do you miss the most?

The 60’s. Such a hopeful time.

2) To which poet do you feel most connected to?

So many! Local poets such as Irina Dimitric-Stojic, Brian Bell and also Eva Poetex and A Fullness in Brevity amongst many other fine poets.

3) Your spirit cartoon character/TV show artist?

Casper!

4) Your favourite indulgence when in stress?

Bubble bath, red wine, candles and lavender essential oil!

5) How has your blog helped you the most?

It has given me a platform to speak from my heart, which I am so grateful for. It has also given me many lovely friendships with fellow bloggers.

My Questions are:

What has blogging given you?
What do you do when you are under stress?
What music do you love?
What advice would you give new bloggers?
What artist inspires you?

Liebster Award

September 28, 2015September 29, 2015 raphaela9917 Comments

Dear Lily June has nominated me for this wonderful award! I am so thankful, my friend. Thankyou!

Here are the Rules:

Make a post thanking and linking the person who nominated me and include the Liebster Award sticker in the post. [Check! See above!]
Nominate 5-10 other bloggers and notify them of this in one of their posts. [See below!]
All nominated bloggers are to have less than 200 followers. [Oops! I have no clue. Oh ye, gods of the Liebster, forgive me and be merciful.]
Answer the 11 questions posed by your nominator, and create 11 different questions for your nominees to answer. Or, you can repeat the same questions. [I’ve got my own, thanks.]
Copy these rules into your post. [Done and done.]

I have no idea how many followers I have, as I don’t follow the stats. I am just very grateful for you all!

Here are the Questions asked of me:

Have you ever experienced deja vu before? If so, when? I have had many experiences with deja vu. When I am going into the city, meeting strangers and also when my senses are heightened, I get the distinct feeling that I have done it all before.
Do you believe deja vu comes from premonitions into the future or recollections of a false past? If you look into quantum physics, our time-line continuum doesn’t exist anywhere else. It is quite fascinating that you may be sensing people who lived a century ago and they may be thinking of those who come after them at the very same time.
What’s one day or moment in your past you wish you could relive over and over again (in the style of the film Groundhog Day)? The day my I found out I was pregnant and the day she was born.
What’s one day or moment in your past you’re glad you only had to live through once? So many! The day of my fall, the many spinal surgeries, etc. Sadly, I still have nightmares and flashbacks on occasion.
What’s one thing you never get to do, but wish you could? I haven’t been able to skate, ride a bike or horse since my spine was broken, and really wish I could do those sort of things with my daughter.
If you were to have one thought every year on your birthday, what would it be? ‘I am incredibly blessed.’
If there were a day every decade you could indulge in any vice, habit or hobby with no consequence, what would you choose? (Caveat: You can only indulge in it one day every decade, but as much as you want that whole day.) Probably try my luck with a flutter! In everyday life the consequences of gambling aren’t worth it.
What’s the best part of growing up/getting older? Feeling comfortable with who you are, and not accepting any nonsense.
What’s the worst part of growing up/getting older? I have to work hard to keep my bones strong. I definitely feel more pain due to prior injuries.
If you were forced to stay one age forever (a la Kirsten Dunst in Interview with a Vampire), what age would you choose? The age I am now.

Here are my nominations:

An Ordinary Miracle Day

Van by the River

Never Less than Everything

Musings of an Old Fart

Your Questions:

1. Describe what a perfect day would look like to you.

2. What is your favourite animal and why?

3. Favourite piece of music?

4. Favourite film?

5. What is your favourite beverage?

6. What is your favourite colour?

7. Tell me about your blog; when you started it and why.

8. Do you like driving?

9. Which season do you prefer?

10. What is your favourite meal?

11. What is the motto you live by?

Dragons Loyalty Award

July 8, 2015 raphaela996 Comments

4 Year Old Adult has nominated me for the Dragons Loyalty Award. Thankyou very much for this honour!
Here are the rules:
1.Thank the giver and link their blog to your post.
2.Pass the award on to other bloggers of your choice and let them know that they have been nominated.
3.List 7 facts about yourself.
Here Goes!
1. I am caught between being an extrovert and somebody incapacitated by fear of social settings.
2. I have been creating a mandala each night, and have been amazed by what has come up. It’s interesting to look at a few week’s worth and see what has popped out of my brain!
3. I wake up each night at 3am. I usually read and think before having a light sleep again for an hour or so.
4. I love riding the red double-decker bus around Sydney with my daughter. I turn the phone off and relax.
5. I love good coffee and fine wines, preferably with a harpist playing at a lovely venue.
6. I love photographs and feel a little overwhelmed that I now have a few year’s worth to print off! Digital photography has made the taking of pictures easy. Too easy!
7. I am eccentric, though only in my routine, diet, dress sense, hair, way of thinking and decorating. I love people who stand out as individuals.
I nominate the following:
Corina
Wonder of My Worlds

Once a Victim, now a Survivor

June 28, 2015June 29, 2015 raphaela994 Comments

I am incredibly touched that Gentle Kindness nominated me for the Once a Victim Now a Survivor Award.

This award is for those who have gone through mental illness of any kind, abuse, trauma, and especially PTSD. Here are the rules:

Thank the blogger that nominated you
Nominate 5 – 10 bloggers to pass the award to
Post questions for your nominees to answer (you may use the same as these below)
Inform your nominees and post a comment in their blog to let them know they’ve been nominated

Here are the questions for my nominees. Feel free to skip any questions that you want to skip. You can fill in your own questions as you feel appropriate.

1. In what ways do you feel that blogging can help people with psychological trauma or mental illness?

Most definitely! It gives you a platform to not only articulate your experience and feelings, but also to educate.

2. How has blogging helped you with your healing, or your personal journey?

Being able to tell my story has been invaluable, and the messages of support I have received are incredibly uplifting. We are a real community! I certainly feel validated.

3. What books, movies, or YouTube channels would you recommend to someone with a similar background to you?

I have written a book called Lived to Tell. It details what occurred, and most importantly, how I came back from hell. It has a happy ending! People placed bets that I wouldn’t live to fifteen, and now I am a grown woman. That still makes me shake my head in wonder! My worst day now pales when compared to my worst days then.

Here are my Nominees:

There are so many others, and you all deserve this award. Please put it up if you would like to.

Freestyle Writing Challenge

June 22, 2015 raphaela994 Comments

The glorious Judy of Edwina’s Episodes has nominated me for the Freestyle Writing Challenge.

Here are the rules:

1. Open a blank document.
2. Set a stop watch timer to 5 or 10 minutes, whichever length you prefer.
3. Your topic is at the foot of this post BUT DO NOT SCROLL DOWN TO SEE IT UNTIL YOU ARE READY WITH YOUR TIMER!!!
4. Once you start writing do not stop until the alarm sounds! Do not cheat by going back and correcting spelling and grammar using spell check (it is only meant for you to reflect on your own control of sensible thought flow and for you to reflect on your ability to write with correct spelling and grammar.)
5. You may or may not pay attention to punctuation or capitals
6. At the end of your post write down the number of words to give an idea of how much you can write within the time Frame.
7. Put the whole document onto your post and nominate 5 others and give them a new topic. Remember to copy paste the rules in!

My topic is: What music gets you up on the dance floor?

Tremulously I stood. Dancing is hard when you use a walking stick, though not impossible. I do a little jig on the perimeter of the throng, and feel the music. A rigid spine made out of hip and ribs cant stop the connection. The songs that get me up on the dance floor? Songs from my younger years. Battle-cries of defiance and rebellion. Though I am flesh and blood and can be wounded, you wont break me. Pat Benatar and Bruce Springsteen, Madonna and Cyndi Lauper are amongst the artists I will dance for. They do their thing as autonomous humans, undefined by social norms and generic expectations. They sing of love and pain, of anger and joy. Their music is knitted into the fabric of my soul. I get up every time, and dance my clumsy dance.

Words: 140

I nominate:

fillyourownglass

Melissa Barker-Simpson

Putting My Feet In The Dirt

Bloomin’ Uterus

Homemade Naturally

My Question is, What fills you with joy?

The Creative Blogger Award

June 18, 2015 raphaela9910 Comments

The wonderful Erika nominated me for The Creative Blogger Award! Thankyou very much, my friend!

Here are the rules:

* Display the Creative Blogger Award logo on your blog
* Nominate 15-20 blogs and notify all nominees via their social media/blogs
* Thank and post the link of the blog that nominated you (very important)
* Share 5 random facts about yourself to your readers
* Pass these rules on to them

Seven Random Facts About Me:

1. I am shrinking with age. My last bone density scan showed I have lost 2cm in height!

2. One of my favourite meals is steamed vegetables with chilli beans and cheese. I also love Indian and Italian food. A vegetarian can always find something yummy to eat!

3. I can’t resist anything covered in sparkles, or that is shiny and/or glittery!

4. I want to create more art when I grow up (I don’t like the odds, seeing as I am shrinking)!

5. I can’t stand ironing and buy clothes that don’t require it when I can. I don’t understand ironing at all!

6. My lavender scones are the stuff of legend and the aroma of the lavender flowers streaming from the oven is heavenly.

7. I love gift baskets and buy far too many at fetes!

I Nominate:

MaKupsy

Journey of MsT

A Red Lip And A Nude Shoe

Cooking with a Wallflower

The Practical Mystic

witlessdatingafterfifty

Free Style Writing Challenge

June 18, 2015 raphaela995 Comments

The wondrous Josefine has nominated me for the Freestyle Writing Challenge.

The rules:

open a blank document
set a stop watch timer to 5 or 10 minutes, whichever length you prefer
your topic is at the foot of this post BUT DO NOT SCROLL DOWN TO SEE IT UNTIL YOU ARE READY WITH YOUR TIMER!!!
once you start writing do not stop until the alarm sounds!
do not cheat by going back and correcting spelling and grammar using spell check (it is only meant for you to reflect on your own control of sensible thought flow and for you to reflect on your ability to write with correct spelling and grammar.)
you may or may not pay attention to punctuation or capitals
at the end of your post write down the number of words to give an idea of how much you can write within the time Frame
put the whole document onto your post and nominate 5 others and give them a new topic. Remember to copy paste the rules in!

Milk.

Building bones and knitting cells, milk is a pure white food. It’s the stuff of cheeses and ice cream, milkshakes and cream. There is something about pouring it out of a milk jug and into my cup of tea that is contemplative, like having my own tea ceremony. Reinforcing our scaffolding, making us stronger. As delicate as a snowflake, as porous as a sponge.

63 Words in 5 minutes.

Should you wish to take part, I nominate you all!

The subject is rain.

Allergic to “E” Challenge

June 11, 2015June 11, 2015 raphaela993 Comments

My Friday Blog has nominated me for the Allergic to “E” Challenge! I am linking back to Asil’s Blog as they are the originator of this challenging challenge! Here are the rules: 1) Write a whole paragraph ( a paragraph sounds easy right?) without any word containing the letter “e” (still easy for ya?) 2) By reading this you are already signed up. 3) Challenge at least five bloggers to do the challenge. They must do it within 24 hours or it is considered as failure. 4) If you fail or pass, suffer in the Page of Lame. 5) If you win, wallow in the Page of Fame. 6) You can check your standings on my menu Your Standings. In this part of Oz it is dull and it is cold. My child is in a coat, doing work. Our animals munch and a bird sings. It is dry though looks as though it may rain. My child has singing today and can’t wait! I am drinking H2O and am in a coat too! I am working on a laptop and shall do so until its dark. I will do lunch soon. Child wants Sao’s (as usual), and fruit. I may do a salad wrap. I wish it was sunny! Childs wants to do art and maths; child is good at it. I will watch TV whilst I work for company. An ABC show or two. I am organizing a trip to a zoo! I nominate: Ungiornonellavita Wild Daffodil thehutownerblog Nutsrok Dailymusings

Liebster Award

May 6, 2015 raphaela996 Comments

The wonderful Jose Finemk has nominated me for the Leibster Award. Since I started my blog, I have been overwhelmed at the kindness and friendship shown in the blogging realm.

The Rules.

Thank the blogger who nominated you & answer their questions.

Think of 10 new questions and nominate other bloggers you would like to know more about.

Here are my answers to the questions asked.

1. What is the best photograph you took whilst travelling?

I have a few. Mostly they are of my daughter. Travelling with a fresh pair of eyes incites wonder and a thrilling sense of awe.

Making wishes for peace at Crystal Castle

2. Where would you like to travel that you have never been before?

My soul is calling out for me to travel to London, Paris and New York. I have many wondrous places on my list!

3. Describe your blog in 5 words.

Love, survival, hope, colour and whimsy.

4. If you could speak a language fluently, what would it be?

Definitely Spanish. Such an expressive language!

5. What was the most surprising element of a travel experience? Something you did not expect?

The lightness of my being. There was something freeing about having only the essentials in a little suitcase and feeling okay with it.

6. What were your funniest moments of a journey/time in a new country?

My adult life thus far has been about rebuilding my body, and it has been an expensive endeavour! I haven’t travelled as much as I would have liked, but that is set to change! The furthest I have been is QLD and Adelaide!

7. What do you bring home after a journey?

Precious memories, clothes, jewellery and trinkets.

8. Camping, hostel or hotel? What do you prefer?

As long as I am having an adventure, I don’t mind!

9. Did you see an animal which you did not know of before? If so, which?

I have adored animals my entire life, and am familiar with many. My daughter and I did love seeing these little guys running about Currumbin Sanctuary, pinching food every chance they got!