What are you good at?

I have already answered this question last year, focusing on my empathy and compassion. I think I am very good at being switched on to people, particularly people in need of support, empathy, and a bit of positivity in a dark world 🌎.  I understand that we all as humans need to be validated and affirmed.  Some of my friends say that I am a huge positive force to be reckoned with.  I try to fill my loved 😍 ones’ lives with positive affirmations and to make them feel that they are the wonderful human beings who deserve some recognition of how good they are. I look for the good in people, and the celebrities I most admire are those doing good in the world 🌎 without seeking accolades.

I guess I am good at endeavouring to be a good friend, sister, etc. I form close soul bonds with people, eg, Susanna, Lani, etc. I don’t take these relationships for granted, and if there is anything I have learned from Susannas legacy, it is to be the loving bearer of good tidings for all. Susanna led by example, and now I am doing the same.

I guess I am good at recognising the human condition and try to give my loved 😍 ones the support they need in their life.

What am I good at?  I will let my friends 🧡 and loved ones let me know what they think are my strengths.  I do try to lead a life where I grow and learn from my mistakes. I think I am good at becoming more wise on my journey of life.

Who would you like to talk to soon?

The last time I answered this post 📫 I said I would like to talk to Neil Finn  and also talk to someone about supported social housing.  This has progressed over the last 12 months.  I am now on the waiting list for social housing close to where I already live.  I would like to talk to Mind the mental support service who is building the housing to make sure I am on top of the waiting list.  I pray 🙏🏽 all the time that this works out, so I am really talking to God about this, making sure God knows how important this is to me.

I would still like to talk to Neil Finn, being a fan of course I would like to talk to him.  I would love to have a cuppa and a chat with Scott Aplin,  Harry Connick Jnr, Andrea Lam, and Amanda Keller about the series The Piano because it is so good that it is absolutely mind blowing.  I think I will always want to meet Scott Aplin because of how nice to me he was when I have had contact with him in the past.

The other person I would like to talk to is Sam Reid, the actor who played Dale Jennings in The Newsreader.   Sam appears to be quite shy and introverted in interviews I have seen with him, and that makes him all the more charming and interesting.

Do you have any collections?

I have several collections.

I have a large collection of books, particularly those by Cathy Kelly,  Janet Frame and Graeme Base.

I have a large record collection, comprising of vinyl records and compact discs,  a lot of Australian music 🎶 from the 80s and onwards.

I have a collection of teddy 🧸 bears and antique tea cups and saucers.

I have a collection angel things, eg, angel Oracle cards and ornaments.   When I move house in the not too distant future, I plan to make angels the theme of my home..

How do you feel about cold weather?

We are heading into winter here in Melbourne, and I am not enjoying it. It has been freezing here the last few mornings 🌄 and I have not wanted to get out of bed. I hope I can acclimatise soon, so I can walk up Lily around 7.30 am.  The last few days, I have walked 🚶‍♂️ her later, but I know I need to get used to the cold weather. In Melbotrne, I love late spring and early autumn 🍂.  I dread winter.  It is true here in Melbourne that we have four seasons in one day.

How do you balance work and home life?

How I balance work and home 🏡 life is to work from home. Now that I no longer travel great distances to work in mental health, I can work from home and not leave Lily for hours on end.

Being a writer now means I can work from home with Lily beside me as I work. She is a placid contented 💕 little soul now that I don’t leave her for hours on end. It is quiet and peaceful to work from home and I no longer travel on noisy crowded public transport,  because of that I no longer constantly battle colds and flu, like I did when I was always on public transport.

If you are seeking a more peaceful, quiet life,do try if possible to work from home. Your pets will thrive with you around. Separation anxiety will be a thing of the past.

What’s the oldest things you’re wearing today?

Today’s topic has got me thinking. Today everything I am wearing is a different stages of being old.  I don’t have any new clothes

I am still wearing the clothes that Susanna gave me for my 50th birthday, nearly 6 years ago and the oldest thing I am wearing is my white gold cross ✝️ and necklace that I bought with my Grandmother’s inheritance that I have had for over 20 years and I never take it off.

These things are part of my very DNA and carry a lot of meaning about who I am in this world 🌎 and what I value. Wearing things Susanna gave me makes me feel very loved and attached to many good memories.  What we wear tells a story about ourselves.  Wearing sentimental things makes me who i am, and remembering the feelings attached to these is part of my self-worth and self-esteem. I don’t mind the fact that I don’t have a lot of brand new clothes,  I am wise and don’t constantly need new things to feel good, rather I like the familiar and comfortable feelings of my clothes that are part of good memories.  I am grateful 🙏🏽 for these and will wear them until they are threadbare because of their meaning.

Are you a leader or a follower?

The last time I answered this blog topic, I answered that potentially I was a leader, particularly in my career in mental health. I was a role model.

If I am a leader it is because of the guidance of some fantastic people who saw my potential and nurtured that in me. Probably the first person to notice my potential and the most influential on my journey would have to be Mr Guppy.   If he hadn’t nurtured me and made arrangements for me to attend Strathmore Secondary College I wouldn’t be here today. He was absolutely remarkable and the earth is a little darker and colder without his guiding light.

There were many people at university whom I associated with that nurtured my potential and shared like minds. Pam Macintyre, who lectured in children’s literature, definitely impacted on my desire to be an author, and two fellow students, Tammy Walsh and Gabby Harrison, were kindred spirits.

Susanna encouraged my writing ✍️ skills  as does my wonderful psychiatrist.  In fact I would have to confess without the presence of my psychiatrist I would not be writing this blog.  Just like Susanna my psychiatrist goes about his work quietly and is very humble.

In my career in mental health I received gentle guidance and TLC from Michael Fleming.  Again the world 🌎 is a darker colder place without Michael’s gentle and creative presence.

So yes, I am a leader,  but I became so through following the guidance of some particularly wonderful people. God has plans for us all, and the people he brings into our orbit are not by accident.