What’s your CHOICE

July 15, 2016July 20, 2021 / Denise / 2 Comments

This morning at work, one of my colleagues asked me with acute curiosity and a bit of disgust – “Why are you so cheerful this morning?” And without thought I answered, “This morning I woke up and chose to be happy.” There was nothing different about today. It was raining cats and dogs (oh and by the way, I love the rain). There was no great bit of news. I did not win the lottery. I did not get a raise. And I still don’t have any grandchildren.

But just the act of choosing to be happy. I. WAS. HAPPY.

And that’s the power of choice. Life is all about choice in everything that we do. And there are always only two choices.

To be happy or sad
To move forward or stay where you are
To forgive or to forever be resentful
To love or to hate
To drink red wine or ice cold bubbly
To exercise or to lay on the couch
To sit on the sand or to swim in the sea
To tell the truth or to lie
To laugh or to cry

Our life is one choice after another. The hard part is taking ownership of our lives and realising that the choice is always ours.

My love of lists

July 15, 2016July 20, 2021 / Denise / 2 Comments

So I’ve been wanting to get back into my blogging for a while now and to do so I realised I needed a little help. Well maybe a lot. OK ! I needed a great big fire under you know where to start again. So I’ve enlisted with WordPress to send me topics every day to get me going.

Lo and behold I’ve been sent the greatest of gifts. I need to make a list. You cannot imagine my joy. Just to put things into perspective. I’m the type of person who will leave home on a Saturday morning with a list of things to do and, as I complete each task, I take enormous pleasure in crossing them off. So much so that if I do something that’s not on the list, I immediately write it on the list and then, with the greatest of satisfaction, I cross it off. LOL. I laugh at myself all the time, so you can too.

So here are my lists for today’s writing challenge:

Things I Like
Sunsets
Flowers
Ice cold Bubbly
Unexpected visits from friends
Fam Jams (family get togethers)
Things I’ve Learned
Trust your judgement
Parents are your biggest fans – appreciate them
Honesty, integrity and hard work will get you everywhere, eventually
You can be your worst enemy – stop beating up on yourself
Always but always do the right thing
Things I Wish
I could see into the future
I could protect my children forever
I could fly
I understood the value of my parents while they were alive
I could see how people see me
Things You’re Good At
Bringing people together
Sharing
Cooking
Drinking ice cold bubbly
Laughing

Go ahead! I dare you to make your own list!

I write because….

July 14, 2016July 20, 2021 / Denise / 4 Comments

I’m not a very naturally talkative person and my emotions run very deep. I can and very happily, spend a whole weekend without interacting with another soul. Writing allows me the freedom to express those feelings in words that I would otherwise botch up verbally. What I’ve realised too is that I have a sense of humour that is possibly better received in my writing – maybe because I can’t see the other person’s reaction – or non reaction.

I first started blogging to share my vacation experiences with my family and friends. It was my way of sharing what I thought would be the experience of a lifetime. I love to explore and I found that many people enjoy reading about other people’s adventures. A sense of living vicariously through another person I guess. But more than that it has allowed me to document what I’ve seen, heard and most of all felt during my travels. Feelings that are only appreciated through the written word. For most people respond better to emotions from afar.

To a certain extent too, writing has launched my love of photography. Sounds crazy but it’s true. Most times a story needs to be supported by images. Images which pretty much sum up what the writer has been saying. Yes I know – a picture tells a thousand words. But I’ve found that just a few written words can enhance a picture if only because they set the tone, build your interest and for those of us who float above the rest, words just simply tell the story.

Words connect us all whether verbal or written. Some people are so verbose I sometimes wish they would write instead of speak so that I can quickly skim through all the chitter chatter without having to hear every single detail. Yup. That’s the anxious me. Get on with the story already.

Funnily enough as much as I like writing, my love for reading does not necessarily rise to the occasion. Of course reading has influenced my style, but for me the story has to not only pique my interest, it must also match my mood. During travel, I’m interested only in simple romance. During a relaxing vacation of at least on week, I’ll enjoy something with a bit more drama and depth. When wanting to extend myself a bit, inspirational and somewhat spiritual stories are my first pick. But always I enjoy a story that will bring all my emotion to the fore.

Yup – I love a good cry.

So why do I write you ask? I guess because there are no rules. And I can literally say what I want without fear.

How do you express yourself?

Sounds of the early morning

August 9, 2015July 20, 2021 / Denise / Leave a comment

I’ve written about this before – the beauty of the early morning, the rising of the sun, the peace and calm that envelops your surroundings. But have you ever sat and truly listened to the early morning.

Of course it depends on where you are, the sounds will vary – some may not even be worth the attention as they disturb you rather than put you at ease. I am truly blessed to be living on an island where I have the occasional opportunity to spend my weekends at the coast. Waking up to the waves gently crashing against the rocks is comparable to being awoken by your mother gently rubbing your leg on a morning singing in her soft voice – “time to get up”. It puts a smile on your face as you stretch your body and open your eyes one at a time, feeling calm and rested, eager to start another day.

Sitting in the garden this morning, watching the sun slowly rise above the trees, I realised just how many other creatures were awake and starting their day. The birds were having a stretch themselves picking at the grass seemingly without a care in the world, chirping in the trees as I imagine them waking each other.

As the macaws fly by they too bring another sound with their loud squawking, so out of character with the beauty of their red and blue bodies. Then you are almost disturbed out of your revery by the tap tapping of the woodpecker as he too, searches for his early morning breakfast. Brontis, my dog, was not bothered, too relaxed himself to even grunt.

Wake up Wake up – it’s another beautiful day.

Nieces are a gift from God

March 28, 2015August 28, 2021 / Denise / 2 Comments

Having only sons I often wonder what it would be like to raise a daughter. They are different – boys, for the most part, like boy things. Trying to teach my boys the wonders of sewing one day, I realized very quickly how boring it was to create things from cloth, in their eyes anyway, as I found myself surrounded by no one after a very short explanation on the art of keeping the cloth and the needle in sync, trying to sew a straight line. They just wanted to be outside exploring.

Having failed miserably at the concept of changing the status quo and raising sons to appreciate ‘girly’ stuff (I know this is not socially correct – but bear with me), I soon realized that my mission in life was not to change, but to lead by example.

That’s where my nieces come in. I am from a family of 5 – 2 girls and 3 boys – and guess what – the girls have the sons and the boys have the daughters – for the most part anyway. Why Oh Lord Why? It’s not often we find the answer to this type of question in one’s lifetime, but fortunately I’ve discovered that nieces are in fact a gift from God.

Your brothers by some sort of misguided chance and the love of their wives, deal with the daily struggles of raising daughters, and you, the unsuspecting but very loving aunt, reap the benefits of the young female adult, eager to share, create, experience, learn, from and with you, the old aunt – who has not a care in the world but loads and loads of love to give, many stories to tell, and lots of wine to share.

I thought the Lord was playing a dirty trick on me, but now I realize that He has given me the best of both worlds – young men who will care for and cherish the women in their lives and young ladies who will share their simplest of dreams, their most creative of talents, and most of all their love.

Always cherish your role in life and Never, but Never, under estimate the value of a niece.

If “Peace” were a place, where would it be?

March 17, 2015July 20, 2021 / Denise / Leave a comment

You know the feeling – it’s the moment when your body physically relaxes, sometimes without warning. Your mind stills, sometimes floats away. You become one with your surroundings and nothing, but nothing, can put you in a bad mood. The moment is surreal, your body warms, your heart smiles, there is a beauty around you that you’ve never noticed before, and you don’t ever want to leave.

Interestingly, for most people, that peaceful place lives in a dream – it’s far away and you’ve never been there before. We tend to look beyond, instead of around. We keep this place in our dreams, instead of bringing it to life.

Personally, I love places that seem untouched by man. Places that lure you in to the depth of their being – a mysterious place filled with wonder. It’s an empty beach with a lone palm tree beckoning you to lay there, relax, watching the waves gently caress the shore. It’s the rugged coast line with danger looming with every explosive sound of the water pounding against the rocks. It’s the flower gently swaying in the breeze, awakened by the early morning sun. It’s the sun dropping from the sky ever so slowly at first, then quickly sinking to rise again on the other side of the world, leaving behind a sky painted with the most amazing hues of orange, pink and blue.

Some people find peace within themselves, and luckily, can take the moment with them wherever they go. We all long for peace. We actively seek it. Not all of us attain it.

If “Peace” were a place, where would it be, and will you be there to enjoy it.

The other best time of day

October 29, 2014July 20, 2021 / Denise / 1 Comment

Ever since I can remember, the one thing in life which always gets me to make a double take is a sunset. Fortunately for me I live on a spot which I can truly say boasts of one of the best sunsets ever. Well, at least it boasts of a sunset every day of life. Whenever I’d come home on an afternoon after work, I’d call out to my boys – “You’re missing out” and without fail they would run outside to see what they were missing out on. Always it was simply the sheer beauty of the end of another day.

And each day it was different. A huge sun ball in the sky, the brightly lit sky in its varying shades of orange. The white lights behind the dark clouds, the changing colours after the sun has sunk behind the horizon. And the favourite sight of all – the green flash as the sun disappears into the ocean. Well that’s a rarity and may just depend on the amount of wine sipped at the end of the day.

As they grew older, the scampering feet would diminish, as they knew what they were missing out on, and no longer thought it a treat. Still I would saunter down to the end of my property and take in the view. Marveling at the beauty of nature, the security in knowing that the sunset would always be there and the serenity, peace and calm that it brings.

As they grew older still, my boys now share in the moment with me. And that is truly the best time of day. Stationed in a time of silent discussion, surrounded by a beauty that only nature can create, knowing that tomorrow we can do it all over again. Same view, same sense of calm, same sunset.

The best time of day

October 24, 2014July 20, 2021 / Denise / 1 Comment

Most of us would agree that getting up late on a morning is one of life’s greatest pleasures. You feel as if the world is at your beck and call. You own the day, everything and everyone is just waiting on you to decide what to do. Well I’m not so sure. I don’t usually suffer with FOMO (fear of missing out) but when one early morning you jump in your car and make a journey that you’ve made for over two years at varying times of the day and you suddenly feel as if you’re making this journey for the first time, you can’t help but feel as if you’ve missed out on so much for so long.

There’s a great sense of peace emanating from the earth almost as if it’s waking up from its own slumber. You are the only person around and you feel as if you own the moment. The silence is calming and reassuring almost as if preparing you for something great. The rising mist slowly unveils a world you’ve seen so many times before but somehow, the newness of the day gives it a promise that makes you want it to last forever. You know it won’t but still you beg it to stay.

The silly grin on your face only disappears when another car honks at you to move on. But it soon returns because you’ve just witnessed what could be the best time of day. The start, the promise, the adventure.

Do yourself a favour. Wake up early, go outside, open your eyes, your mind, your heart. Embrace the moment and let the beauty in.

Morning Morning…

September 25, 2014July 20, 2021 / Denise / 2 Comments

For the past how many years, I’ve been jogging the savannah and environs, with my head down checking my step so that I don’t trip and fall (which by the way, has happened on occasion). My mind is always focussed on something else, somewhere else, solving some issue in my life, or that of others, to the extent that I miss almost everything around me.

Recently I’ve had to change my daily schedule because of work commitments and began jogging early in the morning before sunrise. Jogging in the morning presents a totally different perspective. It’s dark when I start which makes me super aware of my surroundings and the people around me. You begin to raise your head in the first instance for safety, and then when you realise the charm, the beauty and the excitement around you, you keep your head up not wanting to miss out on anything.

The first thing that struck me was the simple fact that you wanted to greet everyone you passed. At first “Good Morning” received severally different responses. Sometimes a grunt, sometimes a suspicious stare, but most times, especially from the more senior gentlemen, a sincere “Morning, Morning” and even a “Morning my Lady”. After just a few days, the return greetings increased considerably and I had made some “morning” friends. One guy almost always seeming to extend his arms with the hope of receiving a “morning” hug as well.

Needless to say, with my head up, I began to smile more, participate more and generally enjoy my run from a more holisitc point of view.

You “meet” so many people. The older gentleman holding his hand’s wife on one side and the leash of his dog on the other (not sure what that symbolises). The animated faces of the three ladies catching up on the gossip while working off those unwanted pounds. The young boy panting and gasping as if he’s about to have his last breath (makes me laugh actually). The father and son making their way up Lady Chancellor hill – son on bike, father in tow.

You also begin to appreciate the beauty around you. The gentle breeze that cools you as you wake up your muscles from their slumber and the views that greet you, every time, without fail, at every turn, each one deserving of a mental picture.

I’ve promised myself to raise my head just a little bit more. It’s amazing how much better the day turns out.

In my own backyard

September 4, 2014July 20, 2021 / Denise / 2 Comments

One of the many travellers we met while in Aussie remarked very casually that he’d travelled through Europe visiting what was deemed some of the most beautiful places in the world. Only now to realize that, while touring his own Northern Territory, some of the most beautiful places in the world exist “in my own backyard”, he boasted. That remark made me smile and think of my own backyard.

We have Blanchisseuse, a small coastal village just one hour’s drive from the capital. Blanchisseuse boasts of a rugged coast with simple serene beaches, a rainforest whose varied flora and fauna comforts and shades you as you amble along its winding and hilly path luring you further and further along the north coast. A fishing village whose boat launching and docking system will bamboozle the most learned, and a people who will warm your heart with their down-to-earth and simple approach to life.

The cool breeze is always there to caress you and the sunsets never disappoint.

Enjoy the pics