What makes you feel nostalgic?

I am a sentimental person, just how sentimental I am I didn’t realise until I started to declutter my place. I had kept just bout every card and gift given to me over about 30 years.  It was very freeing to declutter,  as I can keep the memories of such, rather than keep all the items.

Certain songs 🎵 ♥️ make me nostalgic,  as do photos 📸 of loved ones and celebrations . Certain clothes make me feel nostalgic, particularly those connected to Susanna and my memories of her. Some things I have kept since decluttering,  things too precious to give away. I think we all have things that make us feel nostalgic and take us back to different times in our lives, significant events, and people in our lives.  Sometimes, we don’t need particular items to have good memories. The memories stay with us forever engraved in our hearts ♥️.

What relationships have a positive impact on you?

There are several relationships that have a positive impact on me. Most of my readers would be aware of the positive impact of my dear passed over angel lady Susanna.   Susanna has probably had the greatest impact on my life.  I have another soul sister in my life in Lani, whom I share a deep spiritual bond with.

I also have a very positive relationship with my neighbour Liz. I have 2 wonderful male friends in both Russell and Adrian, who I also share a deep spiritual bond with both of them.  They are right beside me throughout all times good and bad, they never judge,only give support. 

I also have a positive impact from my psychiatrist,  a truly good man.

The relationship in my life that has the greatest positive impact on me is my relationship with my loving little dog, Lily. She is my best friend and my most loyal loving companion.  She is amazing, and my bond with her is empowering and very loving.

What is your all time favorite automobile?

My all-time favourite automobile would have to be the Mini my Mum had when I was just a young child. It was aqua in colour and I loved it from the second mum bought it.  It was a convenient car for my mum to use in her daily busy life, running us kids to our hobbies and for Mum to use when she needed to do her shopping etc. Good thibgs come in small packages 📦 and the Mini was certainly a wonderful automobile designed to be a handy runabout for people that didn’t need a huge automobile to meet their needs.

Who are the biggest influences in your life?

There are a few big influences in my life. My first and foremost influence would have to be my Christian ✝️ faith

Another big influence would have to be Neil Finn and his music 🎶 and his body of work and the way he uses his success to do good things in the world eg his support of So They Can and Auckland City Mission.

The biggest influence on my life would have to be my beautiful passed over angel lady Susanna.  She was an angel on this earth and only ever spread goodwill wherever she went.

Share what you know about the year you were born.

I was born in 1969. The year that man first walked on the moon.

Musically, the Beatles released the album Abbey Road and Woodstock took place.

Are you a good judge of character?

Yes, I would have to say that I am a good judge of character.  My life experience has made me so.  I am choosy about who I let into my life, and if my gut instincts tell me someone is not good, I don’t let them get close to me.   I  trust my gut instincts when it comes to people in my life.  If my gut feels uneasy I keep that person at a distance and don’t get close to them   My brother David once gave me some very good advice.  He told me to surround myself with good people, and I took this advice on board and only let people of good character with good intentions get close to me.

When are you most happy?

I am basically an optimistic person, but I am at my most happy of a morning, particularly when Lily first gets up.  She lies on my lap and showers me with affection. She is an affectionate old soul, and when I look into her eyes 👀 I see her love,  her innocence, and wisdom that animals possess.  Animals have an understanding of love and are very good at expressing this love.  It is simple gestures that make them feel happy. A full belly,a pat,  a cuddle,  a walk all these things make Lily happy, and the love she shows is beautiful and profound.

What was the last thing you did for play or fun?

Other than taking Lily for her morning walk this morning 🌄 the last thing I did for fun was to go opshopping with Kathryn on Wednesday.   I scored some bargains there and am now prepared for Christmas. Kathryn and I also went to the Gatehouse Cafe for lunch, and that was fun too.

Is your life today what you pictured a year ago?

The answer to that question would be to ask me again in another year.  My life hasnt changed much in the last year,  but hopefully, by this time next year, I would’ve moved into my new unit,  bringing great changes to my life.

What skills or lessons have you learned recently?

The lessons I have learned recently is to  always follow my faith and to practise self care and mindfulness at the first signs of things possibly going awry.

It has been very warm here in Melbourne. We are experiencing our first extreme heatwave of the summer season.  Last night, I did sleep in the heat,but the heat obviously disturbed me, and I ended up waking after having a truly terrible dream.  I knew when I woke feeling distressed what to do.  I started to listen to music 🎶 and to take my 🌄 routine very slowly, practising mindfulness and being gentle with myself and giving Lily a lot of attention.  I knew to let people know about my dream, as sometimes it could be very triggering for me.  Now that I have had a good morning and talked to my support network, I feel at peace and contented.   The effects of extreme heat can play with our mind, so I am going to be very gentle with myself and keep as cool as possible. It is amazing how extreme weather events can affect our minds.

I have learned very well through experience to be very self-aware and practice self care to keep myself well.