Describe a phase in life that was difficult to say goodbye to.

Probably the most difficult phase in my life that was difficult to say goodbye to was losing Susanna to the ravages of cancer. She was my closest friend of an angelic presence on this earth 🌎 and losing her was the most difficult thing I ever had to go through.  She had been my sister in every way that mattered, and good things have come out of the grieving experience,  notably my friendship with Kathryn andRebekah. .  Grief is a part of life and something that becomes more common as we age.  In time the grief becomes easier to live with. We never forget the memories of shared experiences ❤️.

If you could permanently ban a word from general usage, which one would it be? Why?

If there were words I wish didn’t need to exist  rather than just be banned it would be racism and racist because I wish there ws no such thing as racism and racist people. I wish everyone in the world 🌎 was treated equally and not discriminated against based on race.  I thought I lived in a country that was not racisthttps://www.google.com/adsense/new/u/0/pub-3691500166505297/privacymessaging but recent events have opened my eyes to the racist side of Australia 🇦🇺.   I don’t like the way some people speak of the indigenous Australians and those immigrants who, for different reasons, choose to make Australia 🇦🇺 their home. I was shocked to discover some anti Jewish graffiti on a local park bench because I innocently believed I lived in a part of Melbourne that was not racist. I believe we are all equal in the eyes of God and that God would be appalled by man’s inhumanity to fellow man. It sickens me that we live in a judgemental racist world 🌎 where people are segregated by race or religion.  I really wish the words racism and racist did not exist that we all love our fellow humans equally and that life on earth is what it is to be like in heaven. Imagine.

What is the biggest challenge you will face in the next six months?

My biggest challenge in the next six months is to prepare myself for when I move house. I still have a lot more decluttering and downsizing to do. Staying motivated to do so and maintaining good mental health is my priority, and I juggle lots of balls in the air, sometimes better than other times. I’ve got to make myself spiral upwards and not let myself fall into a downward spiral. As you can see, it is a big challenge,  but I am optimistic.  Everything will happen in Gods time.

Who are your favorite people to be around?

My favourite people to be around are my closest friends 🧡 and family

I have a lot of close friends thst I love to be around, including Kathryn,  Russell,  Adrian,  Liz, Lani, Helen, etc

I love the company of my brothers and their families my nephews and nieces.  I don’t get to see them often enough because they are busy with their own lives.

The people I would most like to meet are Neil Finn,  Sam Neill, and Scott Aplin.

Tell us about your favorite pair of shoes, and where they’ve taken you.

My favourite pair of shoes were a comfortable pair of red leather sandals that only cost me $15 Australian from Big W.  They were so comfortable and I could wear them with any colour being red leather.

Unfortunately, I had a new puppy, an angelic little creature called Lily.  One day, she got into the bottom of my wardrobe and chewed one of the pair. They were ruined, and I think Lily chewed that shoe because it smelt like me being the shoes that I wore most often.  Ah, such is life when you have a puppy in your home.

Share one of the best gifts you’ve ever received.

As my regular readers would know in the past, I have written a lot about Susanna’s generosity towards me.

Today, I am writing about another gift 🎁 that means a lot to me sentimentally.  When I worked in mental health, I befriended a fellow peer support advocate called Michael Fleming.   Michael was an advocate at The Victorian Mental Illness Awareness Council, and he was an artist whose works were growing in popularity.  Michael was like a father figure to me, and one year for my birthday, he gave me one of his framed landscapes as my present. To this day, I treasure this 🖼 painting. It means a lot to me. It reminds me of Michael, who is long passed over. My mother liked my painting so much that I purchased a similar landscape for her as her Christmas gift that year.  I miss Michael Fleming very much, and my painting means a lot to me sentimentally,  as it brings back beautiful memories of a true friend 🧡.

Write about your approach to budgeting.

As I live on a limited income, budgeting is important to me.  I always make sure my rent is paid on time,  sometimes a few days early.  I pay my bills in regular small instalments,  and often, because of that, my bills are often in credit. I have regular small transfers from my everyday bank account into my investment account. I put some money 💰 aside each week so I can afford to go to the hairdresser regularly and save up for the luxuries that make life good.  I save up for these things rather than get them on credit because the delayed gratification is just so satisfying more so than having a huge credit card debt.

My theory on budgeting is to take baby steps and save small amounts regularly and pay your bills off in instalments, and save for the things you really desire in life.