Hodge Podge Wednesday no 11 - Goosebumps, 31 days meme and almost HAlloween

1. What gives you goosebumps?

Emotional moments of almost any kind. Like the winners in the Olympics. Or the final runners in a marathon that try get over the line just before the final gun goes off...Someone singing a poignant emotional song. My daughter did that last night. Or Susan Boyle on Britain’s got talent. And often an incredible witness of something that happened in someone’s lives and how they overcame that problem, usually with the help and Grace of God...

2. Halloween-are you a lover or a hater? Okay, that sounds harsh...Halloween-yay or nay?

Nay. But I do enjoy reading the old traditions of where Samhein (?) might have originated from

3. Can you respect someone you do not trust, and can you trust someone you do not respect?

Nope to both. Trust and respect go hand in hand.

4. Apples or oranges? Yes, you have to choose.

Hmm...apple juice, baked apples with cinnamon, apple pie...love the smell of citrus peel/orange peel and orange blossom, but if I HAD to choose...probably apples....

5. What is something you wish was in your town? (shop, restaurant, attraction, etc)

A decent movie theatre, a games park for teenagers (roller skating, putt-putt golf, volleyball court, foefie slide, paintball, video game center ) etc etc...without anyone messing it up with drugs and alcohol...

6. What non-food item is in your refrigerator or freezer?

Um.......only bicarb of soda in the fridge

7. Are you at all superstitious?

No

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Hmm...in early October over at Nester.com I think they had a whole October blog meme of 31 days. They had over 700 subscribers. I woke to this a bit late, and only arrived at such last weekend. Inbetween I’ve read many many blogs re what they are doing for 31 days. After a while I thought this certainly was a good idea but to me (like most everyone no doubt) I wanted to choose a topic that would really :

a) Have meaning to me to complete such and learn from such

b) Add value to my life ie something I could continue with after my 31 days trial period

c) Fit in with my daily life as it is now as I work all day at the office and have lots of studies – upcoming exams now in November.

So being too late for the blog meme itself, well small things like that don’t put me off. I identified 3-4 things I would like to do (on my own, and here I must admit, the idea on the Nester.com was to do this every day for 31 Calendar days, but for me to make this work in my life as it is, I might miss a day or two here and there, so I would aim to complete the 31 days within max say 45days - 2 months...). My purpose is to do it properly. (Perfectionist tendencies????)

I identified the following to choose from

1) 31 days of exercise – yip, need that right now even if it’s 20 minutes on the treadmill every day/most every day. Can’t tire myself out though I still have to study 3-4 hours every night after evening meal and I’m usually bushed by 8pm this time of the year

2) 31 days of quiet time – and finding meaning in that quiet time – excellent blog found here....

3) 31 days of better motherhood – yes well, I’m not a bad mother, probably just a demanding overly involved one with my 2 teen girls. I need to reconsider where can I step back and let them take their own responsibility without of course dropping my so-called standards and what I think/believe a mom should be. (ie leaving them to their own devices with no discipline...). It’s end of the year exams coming up for them – my girls are finishing grades 10 and 9, and I must let them make their study schedules and stick to them and let them see their results etc. And of course going forward into grades 10 and 11, it is time to step back a bit. I have already started that meme in my own personal diary, not yet sure it’s something I can blog about daily/alternate days, but I will come back and share what lessons I have learned for myself from this 31-60 days of a dedicated project that can only bring good to both myself and my kids..

Other than the above, life is busy, trying to ‘blog’ and community more with the blog people I know, but time is really limited right now, so I do the best I can and come back later. And it’s deep summer here already – temps 34-40 this week and we desperately need a week of good rains....they anticipate hot dry summer till say Mid December and then lot’s of rain for the 2 weeks after that...exactly same weather pattern we’ve had last 2 years and certainly a change from our usual summer pattern where we used to get early Sept/October rains...now we drain the water table empty before the heavens fall down on us...I trust this end of October will be a good one for you all...

“Quote:

"May today there be peace within. May you trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith in yourself and others. May you use the gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content with yourself just the way you are. Let this knowledge settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us."



LG