What movies or TV series have you watched more than 5 times?

There are a few moves and TV series I have watched more than five times.

Probably the movie  I have watched the most is the 80s teenage movie Pretty In Pink.  I have also watched The Man  From Snowy River, Dead Poets Society,  The Sum Of Us a lot..   My all-time favourite movie would have to be Pay It Forward.   I love that movie so much.

I also have the series of Little House On The Prairie.   Recently I have taken greatly with watching clips of The Mentalist which has become my guilty pleasure,  because when I was married my husband wouldn’t let me watch The Mentalist because he was so insecure about Simon Baker being eye candy

The other television program that I could watch endlessly is the ABC program The Recording Studio.  Thank God for iview here in Australia. .

Which animal would you compare yourself to and why?

I would like to compare myself to a wombat.  I do so because I am an Australian who loves our native animals.   Wombats build burrows and love peace and quiet.   I had the pleasure 🙏🏽 of holding a baby wombat at Mole Creek  Wildlife Park in Tasmania  and it was such a lovely memorable experience .  The baby wombat snuggled into my big jumper and fell asleep.   It was a gorgeous little creature and was really trusting of its human carers.  They build burrows and lead a quiet existence.  They are also particularly cute 😍 😉.

Where would you go on a shopping spree?

When I first thought about this blog post, I thought mainly of places local in the state of Victoria where I live,and after I read a fellow bloggers response,  I started think worldwide 🌐.

To be honest I probably wouldn’t go on a shopping spree, but if I did I would probably go opshopping at the Salvos or St Vinnies, charity op shops. In the past I would have travelled to a shopping strip, like Moonee Ponds, or Camberwell,  here in Victotia..

In the past when I travelled with my work to a Conference in Hong Kong 🇭🇰 I had the pleasure 🙏🏽 of shopping in Hong Kong,  but also the privilege of crossing the border into mainland China to shop at the tourist Mecca of Schenzeng.   It was amazing.

If I am totally honest, I probably wouldn’t go on a shopping spree,  but I would rather save my money to go on a cruise again and travel in genteel luxury.

What is your middle name? Does it carry any special meaning/significance?

My middle name is Janice after my mum, and it means God has been gracious, a gift from God.  I feel it is a special name, given my faith in God.

What is one question you hate to be asked? Explain.

There is one question I often get asked that I really dislike.  That question is ” Do you have kids”.  I have been asked that question so many times and I dread how my answer of “No” will be received.

I was asked that question a lot in my late 20s and early 30s by friends of my sister inlaw.   When I would answer that question with “no I don’t have kids, these women would instantly judge me as being not worthwhile and would stop talking to me,like I had told them I had the plague.   I married later in life and then had fertility issues and then a marriage breakdown,  so children obviously aren’t a part of Gods plan for my life.  I don’t like how judgemental some people can be about women not having children.   Not every in life is blessed with children of their own,and I don’t believe that childless people are inferior in any way.  Empathy towards childless women is rare. I am still an interesting, compassionate woman, and I feel not having children doesn’t define me.  I am still an interesting person.  I do feel I have missed out, as a woman,  though never having experienced pregnancy or childbirth, but I see now that God has other plans for my life. Such is life.

You’re writing your autobiography. What’s your opening sentence?

My family told me that man walked on the moon for me.

That would be my opening sebtence to my autobiography.  I was born on the 1st July 1969vand came home from hospital the day man first walked on the moon.

What are three objects you couldn’t live without?

The only problem with today’s post is limiting it to 3 objects , but I will do my best.

The first answer is obvious.  It is Lily.  I love ❤️ her dearly and couldn’t imagine life without her.   I know one day I will have to live without her, and it makes me cherish all the more the time I spend with her.

The second answer is the white gold little cross and chain I wear around my neck all the  time. I bought this cross with some money I inherited from my grandmother,  and I never take it off.  It is a deep part of my faith, and I wear it knowing that Gods love will always protect me.

The third answer is that I cherish everything that Susanna had given me and find it hard to narrow that down to one particular thing. I don’t think it is possible to do that,  so I say the thing I treasure most is the love and generosity that Susanna brought to my life.  It is as precious as gold and as delicate as fine bone china.

What experiences in life helped you grow the most?

There are a couple of experiences in life that have helped me to grow.

The first would have to be my experience of mental health issues.   It has made me a more empathic,  compassionate and wise person.  I think I am a better person for it, a hell of a lot more caring and wise.  Experiencing the stigma has been challenging,  but I know throughout my career and my life, I have helped a lot of people to gain a better understanding and perspective 🙏🏽 when it comes to mental health.   Also, having such a wonderful psychiatrist helps me immensely on my journey through life.

The other experience that has helped me to grow was to move out of the family home and to live independently. Being responsible to yourself in this way is an experience that brings about the most growth in your life.   Having to pay your way leads to becoming financially responsible,  because you can’t spend madly when you have to pay for rent, food, bills etc.  It makes you an adult with a strong understanding of responsibility in your life. I think everyone should experience this before you consider marrying someone,  because the whole experience of living with a spouse is better when you have had the experience of being solely responsible for yourself first.

These experiences have helped me grow as a person and have assisted in making me the person I am today.

Do you believe in fate/destiny?

Yes I do believe in fate or destiny.   There has been just too much happen in my life that could not be coincidence.

Everybody we meet on our journey comes into our life for a reason, some only for a season and some for a lifetime.  

Our life is all about the journey, not the destination, so we meet fellow travellers on that journey . If our journeys are similar, we develop relationships with those travellers.