Category: Share Your World

Sharing My World This Week

If you didn’t have to sleep, what would you do with the extra time?

I’d read more, write more and unfortunately I’d probably shop more online.

What job would you be terrible at?

I can think of loads of jobs I’d be terrible at. I’d be a terrible athlete, I’d be terrible at anything that involved ladders, don’t ask me to clean your windows or gutters. I would be lousy at anything in the medical profession as I can’t even watch CSI without cringing at the sight of blood and gore. It would probably be a shorter list if I said what I might be good at.

 When was the last time you climbed a tree?

I’ve never climbed a tree. Fear of falling remember.

Do you count your steps? 

What for? I have tried a pedometer a couple of times but for me walking is more enjoyable if I am not thinking about exercise.

 

Bonus question (just because it’s really silly)   What’s the dumbest way you’ve injured yourself?

I’m not sure it’s the dumbest but I once put my back out cutting my toenails.

 

What’s the closest thing you’ve experienced to real magic?

Well to me science is magic, the internet, how amazing is that? This invisible link between people all over the world.

Who is the messiest person you know? And why?

I’m not going to name and shame here. I am not by any means a neat freak. Given the choice between cleaning and doing almost anything I’d take the other thing but I don’t like to live in a pigsty so I keep my place moderately tidy. I don’t have kids, I guess keeping a home tidy when you have children is more of a challenge and sometimes things get overwhelming, picking things up and putting them away must seem like too much. However, there is no excuse for me to have my chairs and floor covered in stuff.

I used to think the messiest person I knew was a cousin of mine. I went to stay with her once and was meant to be sleeping on the couch but when I arrived it was piled high with ironing and clothes waiting to be put away.  I have seen far worse since.

If you could know the absolute and total truth to one question, what question would you ask?

I could ask what happens when we die but I am not sure I really want to know the answer to that.

---

What benefits does art provide society? Does art hurt society in any way?

Art provides many benefits. It can be soothing or stimulating, it can make us think and most of all remind us that there is more to life than eat, work, sleep. However, graffiti is harmful to society I believe. Some of the people who create so-called street art are very good artists and if they chose legitimate ways to create I would have no problem with them. However, years of working in the railways brought me into contact with a lot of graffiti. Defacing the sides of public transport with rude and ugly tags is not art and the large murals were difficult and expensive to remove.  We had to use nasty chemicals and wear respirators and gloves even in the hottest weather so it was certainly harmful to us railway cleaners. Here’s some legitimate street art commissioned by a local engineering works and scrap dealer.

What’s something positive you’d like to share?  Can be a smile, a joke, or music..anything that gave you a lift this week!

I’m grateful for our strong community. As there are bushfires in the district many people have been on social media offering paddocks for animals, accommodation for anyone who has to leave home and asking if there is anything they can do for the firefighters. A local man has made himself available with his utility truck to help people move animals and possessions if they need to at no cost. It’s not a nice situation but a reminder of what a good place this is to live.
Friends have called me to make sure I’m OK. I am, and I know that if I do need any help I have only to ask.

I was writing

these answers late last night and my laptop totally refused to let me add a link, or even change the size of my heading. I decided to finish it off this morning on the desktop. I was dismayed to find that I can’t do it here either so obviously, WordPress is being weird again. I think I found another way. I hope it worked.

You’re walking in a forest and you find a black suitcase.  Inside it is one million dollars and a piece of paper, stained in blood and bearing the single word “Don’t!”  Would you take the suitcase home or leave it?

First of all, I am very surprised that anyone would leave a suitcase full of money unlocked. I don’t know that I would even open it in case there was something nasty inside. I certainly would not take it home. If I had opened it and seen the blood and the note I’d feel that it was something that needed to be reported to the police and that I should not touch it because obviously, the area is a crime scene of some kind.  I am certainly not going to keep the money because. a) I would feel bad when it wasn’t mine. b) someone might come after me for it. c) I’ve never seen a million dollars, for all I know it might be counterfeit notes.

Imagine you lapsed and cheated on your partner. You feel horrible and you know you’ll never do it again, because the feeling is so awful. Would you confess?

I can’t imagine that I would ever have done that but if I had I would give myself away for sure because I would act guilty even if I didn’t say anything.

Would you live your life differently if nobody ever judged you for anything you did?

I want to say no but I don’t think many of us are completely unaffected by what other people think of us. As I get older I care less about what people in general think of my life choices but of course you want your family and friends to think well of you so sometimes you don’t say or do exactly as you please in case you upset them.  I really don’t care if people think I’m stupid to collect dolls, or if they criticise my appearance, eating habits or anything like that because it is really none of their business.

Would a fly without wings be called a walk? No? What would you call it?

Well, that depends.  Was the fly born with wings and lost them in some kind of mishap? Can a fly survive losing its wings? In that case, I think you can still call it a fly. If its parents were flies it is a fly.

In any case, wings or not I’d call it a noisy, dirty little pest.

What’s something that brought joy and lightness of being to you this past week?

Before I started to write this post I was watching cricket on TV and I must say that even though I haven’t been able to go to any of their games this summer I’m really enjoying how well our Hobart Hurricanes are playing as they are currently on top of the points table.

Sharing My World This Week

Did you have to help out with chores when you were growing up?  If so, what were you assigned to do?

Mum was not as strict as some parents about chores. She expected us to keep our rooms tidy and pick up our toys but we did not have to do regular chores.

Have you ever researched your family tree?   What do you know about your family’s roots? 

I did do a little although after you get to a certain point it can become expensive getting certificates to verify the names and dates when you live in a country other than the one where you were born. I think it is an interesting subject. My roots are mostly English on both sides although one grandparent was born in Canada.

What’s your cure for hiccups?

I don’t really have one. I try holding my breath but it doesn’t seem to work all that well. I’ve tried drinking a glass of water which also doesn’t seem to help a lot. I think in the end they go away of their own accord.

What makes you roll your eyes every time you hear it?  Either figuratively or literally?

Election promises. You know that there is an election due when politicians start bringing out plans for projects that you know will get dumped as soon as the election is over. In Australia, the favourite one is the Very Fast Train between Sydney and Melbourne. I have heard that one so often that when I hear it is being talked about I just assume someone thinks it is a vote winner. Other favourites are “new flag” and “Have a referendum to decide if we should become a republic.”

Finally:

Share a gratitude or positive moment or experience from 2019 so far.

The year is barely a week old and there has not been much positive news in the papers. There are bushfires burning around the country including in the Tasmanian Wilderness, our politicians are still behaving badly, India beat us at cricket, Trump is still an idiot. In other words business as usual.

In my own little world, I try and find positive moments where I can. I’m enjoying listening to the Harry Potter books on Audible and someone is coming to look at my house tomorrow. Maybe they will want to buy it.

Sharing My World This Week

What’s the worst topping you could put on popcorn?   (Credit to Teresa for this one)

 It had never occurred to me that you needed to put a topping on popcorn. It has butter, what else could it need? Mind you I haven’t had any for years. I love it but it would be wasteful to make it for one person.

In what country did Silent Night originate?

Without cheating and consulting Mr Google I believe that it is German, certainly it was originally sung in that language.

I did not read your answers Mel until afterwards so I know what I should have said now. Long time since I read the story about it but I do love the one about the British and German troops singing it in the trenches in WWI.

(WARNING! The following question is NOT meant to start a fuss.  It’s merely a good discussion question in my opinion.  Most everyone knows where I stand on this. If you feel like arguing about it, please give it a pass.) We’re all adults and sensible ones at that.  We can be mature about such things, right?

How would you react if there was irrefutable proof that God doesn’t exist? How about if there was irrefutable proof that God does exist?

Wow, that is a very deep question and I’m afraid that my first reaction was to think of “The Hitchhikers’ Guide to the Galaxy” in particular the part about the Babel Fish. I’m not  ridiculing the subject it was just the first thing that popped into my head. 

In truth I’m not really religious although I have respect for those who are, and I don’t know that it would make a huge difference to me either way. I can’t see myself living out my remaining years differently. I guess that I believe that God exists but I don’t require proof.

And last question:

What is the scariest non-banned item you could take on to a plane?

I am not really sure what is banned and what isn’t these days. I probably fly less than once a year.  On a flight home from Singapore Naomi was not allowed to bring a tube of toothpaste. I would not have said that was a particularly dangerous item. I’m pretty sure we can take it on domestic flights. I think a knitting needle would be a more dangerous item and I believe they were banned for a while but not sure about now as we have relaxed the rules a bit.

 

Traditions

Which version of the holiday celebration do you and your family enjoy?  By this I mean do you follow Jewish traditions with Hanukkah; Christian celebrations with Christmas and (for those over the pond) Boxing Day; or some other festivities that I’ve overlooked?   Please do share with everyone!  I truly feel that this sort of question lets us know a little more about our fellow bloggers without getting too personal (i.e. revealing too much of private lives, which some folks prefer to keep private.)

 

We celebrate Christmas although as I have mentioned neither my sister nor I are particularly religious. As I think I mentioned in a previous post I do enjoy Christmas Carols, the old traditional ones like “Silent Night” as opposed to Christmas songs although they can be fun in the right place. My idea of Christmas is about family(including pets), friends and trying to do a bit of good in the world because there are always people worse off than you are; at least if you live in a first world country and have any income at all. Some of my Christmas gifts to family members that are better off than I am may be donations to organisations that protect animals or supply people in less well-off countries the means to make an income or have clean water. I think that is important.

Boxing Day is a public holiday in Australia too although I think this is more a carryover from our British heritage than because we really understand what it was originally for.  In Australia Boxing Day means barbecues, the beach for some, eating left over Christmas food while watching the cricket on television, or going to the MCG to see it live if you happen to live in Melbourne.

 

Sharing My World This Week

What are the most important lesson(s) you’ve learned in life?

Don’t rely on other people to do things for you. I don’t like to ask people to do things for me all the time. There are a few who I know that I can call on if I really need help and I have done that when I was in situations that I really couldn’t manage myself. However, a lot of the time in life people will say that they will do this or that but they don’t. I don’t like to impose on the good people too often and I value my independence so if there is a way to manage alone I will.

How did you meet your husband/wife or significant other? How did you know he/she was “the one”?

David and I met on a steam train excursion. He was 19 and I was a few days off my 18^th birthday. We had both been going on these trips run by the Australian Railway Historical Society (SA) for some time and on this particular occasion our locomotive had broken down and everyone was asking everyone else if they knew what was going on. David and I got chatting that evening and met on a couple more trips before he asked me out. We found we liked a lot of the same things apart from trains, photography, books, especially science fiction and generally had the same values. We were engaged after a year and married when I was 20 and David was 22. I don’t know if I ever  thought “he’s the one.” I’m not very romantic. Neither of us had ever really dated anyone else as we were so young but luckily things worked out for us. We were married for nearly 38 years.

If you could take a year-long paid sabbatical, what would you do?

That’s a hard question to answer in some ways as I haven’t worked for several years. I guess if I’d had that opportunity when I was working for the railways and making decent money I would have traveled overseas or to more distant parts of Australia.

What is your favourite thing to buy at a movie theatre concession stand? (Credit to The Haunted Wordsmith for this one)

Well, Fantales of course, you have to have Fantales at the movies so you can read the movie trivia on the wrappers, Jaffas to roll down the aisles and those ice cream cones that are covered in chocolate.

Fantales//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Jaffas
By Flickr user Andynahman – https://www.flickr.com/photos/87701254@N00/2172834272/, CC BY 2.0, Link

Lastly:

What are some Holiday Traditions you and/or your family observe in December?

Every year since I was about 14 I have made mince pies to eat over Christmas. I don’t think I’ve ever missed making them. We like our British style traditions of Christmas pudding and rich, dark fruit cake but in recent times have added another treat called White Christmas to the list of “must haves”.

As there is now just Naomi and me on Christmas Day it is pretty low key. We have a hot lunch, something we were not able to enjoy in Adelaide as it was often too hot for meat and three vegs. We open our presents and presents for the pets of course and later usually watch a replay of the Christmas Pageant from Adelaide and some Christmas movies. Usually, I talk to family and friends who live in other states on the phone at some point during the day.

We don’t observe any religious ceremonies although I used to like to go to Carols by Candlelight years ago it’s not possible now because of the lack of transport. It has become rather more like a pop concert than a Carols service though so I don’t really miss it.

On Boxing Day David if we were not going out David and I would watch sport on TV and eat leftovers. We watched the first day of the Boxing Day Test Match at the MCG and the start of the Sydney Hobart yacht race. I still like to do this and to go to Hobart later in the week to see the yachts when they have arrived.