My most memorable vacation was the cruise to New Zealand. I went on a few years ago. It was such a lovely genteel way to travel. The rooms were luxurious with the most comfortable bed I had ever slept on. The food was absolutely delectable, and I must say I found the fine dining to be absolutely lovely, only occasionally did I eat at the buffet, preferring to be treated like a lady at the fine dining restaurants. New Zealand is such a beautiful country from the rugged beauty of Milford Sound to Dunedin and the beautiful seaside villages of Akaroa and Gisborne to the amazing cities of Wellington and Auckland I think everyone should see New Zealand at least once in their life, and I think cruising 🛳 is the perfect way to see it.
I know I have answered this question before. The essence of romance lies in the small gestures of love and appreciation that we share with our loved ones.
I am quite old-fashioned in my views of romance, and through experience both bad and good, i have some feelings about how I like to experience romance. I love to be courted and enjoy the company of a chivalrous gentleman, who woos me and treats me like a lady with no expectations. They are kind and thoughtful, and their kind gestures reflect their true personality, not an act they put on to impress me. My ex-husband put on an act to reel me in, and then once we were together, his true personality of selfishness revealed its ugly head. I like true gentlemen whose intentions are good. I have a few male friends who are true gentlemen, so I know they do exist.
Flowers and chocolates are lovely, but so are small, thoughtful gestures that are individual to the giver and receiver. One small, well thought out gesture can say so much more than flowers or chocolate. To be treated like a queen is something most women would love but is hard to find. Expressions of love don’t have to be grandiose, just thoughtful. Having someone who makes you feel special is something we all want. True love may be hard to find, but remember life is all about the journey and not the destination, so enjoy the romance that life brings your way and realise giving and receiving love is not a competition, but something to be treasured.
I think I have answered today’s blog topic many times before. I have spoken about being both gracious and grateful 🙏🏽 in my everyday life.
I had a beautiful angelic role model in my passed over angel lady Susanna. She taught me to accept good graciously into my life and because of the example she set I know send all my loved ones a good morning gif every day.
I may not be wealthy financially but I am wealthy in terms of relationships and don’t take the love of my friends and family for granted. I try to always be positive and gracious with loved one’s and regularly tell them how much I love them. It is important to thank your loved one’s and let them know how much you appreciate them. Kindness and genuine courtesy costs nothing and helps us to generate good karma for ourselves and others.
The next time someone in your life does a small act of kindness, say a polite and genuine Thank You and experience the positivity such a gesture brings both you and the recipitant
I also have a routine of silently saying grace to myself whenever I eat a meal. I am genuinely grateful that I have enough food in my life and thank God for so generously providing me with enough for my needs. Do this and feel the benefits of being grateful. It makes the world 🌎 a nicer place to be.
On this my birthday, I am not particularly worried about the future . I am in a positive, optimistic frame of mind. I do have my moments when I worry about the future normally about my mental health and physical health declining as I age or about Lily getting sick as she ages. I don’t worry constantly about these things. I bounce back and choose not to let these worries consume me.
Todays blog topic is making me reflect on Mr Guppy, the most truly wonderful teacher he was , and his lasting impact on my life.
Mr Guppy was my social studies teacher in year 9 at the tech school that my brothers had gone to, and I followed in their footsteps. Looking back, the tech school was never a good fit for me because my talents were academic and literary based .I was never going to become a tradie. I was being bullied at the time, by some particularly nasty girl’s. I came into Mr Guppys radar as he could see my very obvious talents and wanted to nurture them and also was concerned of what the bullying of me would mean for my future
He was an inspiration as a teacher, challenging us to think outside the box and also to think about the world 🌎 and our place in it. I will never forget the class in which Mr Guppy wrote the lyrics to the John Lennon song Imagine 🎵 🎶 on the Blackboard and asked us to think about what those lyrics were about. He tried to educate us about social justice and inequality to help us learn and make the 🌎 world a better place. He had checked out a number of good academic secondary colleges in the area and approached my parents with his desire that I try to get into Strathmore Secondary College, the best government school in the area. He helped me to do the entrance criteria for Strathmore and was delighted for me when I got in . I can remember him buying fish 🐟 and 🍟 chips for a great lot of students when we travelled to Sandringham beach by train during our end of year program.
He was a teacher who performed above and beyond the classroom. He brought out the best in us, and nurtured the talents of different students, he modelled empathy and compassion 🙏🏽 and taught us about the realities of life and to question things, instead of just blindly believing what we are told.
Just like the line in the song 🎵 To Sir With Love, he took me from crayons 🖍 to perfume. He was a role model, a leader, and a compassionate man, and he was the greatest influence on what my life was to become. Thank you, Mr Guppy. You were outstanding.
I have a few daily habits. My my day begins by putting on the radio when I wake. I keep the radio on as I have breakfast and shower. When I am dried and dressed, I send a good morning gif to my loved ones. When I have my own breakfast, firstly, I put Lily’s breakfast in her bowl. Once I have finished dressing and send the good morning gif, I put on my walking shoes 👞 and take Lily for her 🚶♂️ walk in the fresh morning 🌄 air. This is Lily’s favourite part of her routine, and it is both bonding time and good exercise for us both. When I come back from our walk, I write my daily blog post and then am ready for whatever my plans are for the day. As I write ✍️ the blog post, Lily curls up on my lap. This is such a nice way to start the day, and it is at this time of morning that I am at my most productive, creative, and inspired. I am definitely a morning person.
What’s the most delicious thing you’ve ever eaten?
The most delicious thing I have ever eaten would be a tie between the Lemon Soufle or the Bombe Alaska , both of which I had on the cruise to New Zealand that I went a several years ago. All the food on the cruise was amazing, and I really enjoyed the fine dining experience on the cruise. On a one day trip, we went on a foodies day trip on board a tour bus. We went to a beach sife cafe and had the best fish and chips I’ve ever had, but I think the Soufle and Bombe Alaska were extra special because they aren’t what I would normally eat.
If you were forced to wear one outfit over and over again, what would it be?
Todays topic📫 is again another good topic, and my regular readers will know how much I treasure the clothes given to me by my dear angel lady Susanna.
I will be realistic this time around and would say that I need the sort of outfit that I could wear 🚶♀️ walking Lily and also be dressy enough to go out for lunch or dinner in. I would most likely wear leggings or loose-fitting 👖 trousers with a very feminine, comfortable blouse 👚 that could be worn year round, with a cardigan for the cooler months. Susanna has given me a variety of clothing, so most likely it would be clothes she has given me. I will follow her example of always looking ladylike, but comfortable and practical as well. Most of the clothes I would choose could be worn year round. I enjoy looking feminine, but as I age, I dress more for comfort and practicality than fashion. I think a few few classic good pieces worn together are far better than the fast disposable fashion of the younger generation.
Spirituality is very important in my life. My faith and beliefs are core in my soul. I believe in God and have had some encounters in my life that could not be written off as coincidences. I believe in the presence of angels, as messengers of God and have deeply felt their gentle guidance 🙏🏽 throughout my most challenging 🙏🏽 of times. I believe that some angels 😇 come in human form and firmly believe that Susanna was definitely an angel in human form. She only ever spread love and goodwill. She was both grateful and gracious and radiated beauty from the inside. I feel as part of my spirituality that she continues to watch over me from heaven.
I believe 🙏🏽 🙌 that when we search for God in our life, we will find evidence of him if we practice the belief of doing onto others as you would have them do onto you. We reap what we sow in this word 🌎 and if we are horrible people, we will attract negative spirituality in our life. Be good and do good, and then the spiritual 🙏🏽 energy you attract will be positive and loving. Believe it and you will see it at work in your life. Our souls are eternal, and we are spiritually connected to the divine.
Self care is very important to me, and it is something I do on a daily basis..
The first thing I do to practice self care is to make sure I take my prescription medication every day, so I keep both physically and mentally well.
The next thing I do is practice mindfulness in my everyday life. I try to saviour the sweetness of life and live in the moment. I eat slowly and gently Pat Lily’s soft coat and focus on taste and touch. Having Lily is also practising self care. She brings me so much love and joy.
I also try to be kind to myself and not judge myself harshly if I make mistakes. I am only human and to err is part of being human. In the past, I suffered greatly from self-esteem issues and now through experience have developed a more healthy view of myself and my self-worth. I have learned to be kind to myself.
I largely believe that we reap what we sow in this world 🌎, so I try to treat everyone as I would like to be treated myself. This isn’t always easy, particularly when people aren’t nice to me. I also believe in Karma and know that you don’t generate good karma for yourself by trying to mess in another’s karma. We are all on different journeys with different lessons to learn, so wish everyone well on their own journey and don’t interfere with their life.
Self care is always a work in progress but is something we all need to be aware of and worked on gradually each day slowly chipping away like a sculpture being made by a sculptor. It gets more beautiful over time and is a blessing to behold.
Kaye's Life and other gems 