List 10 things you know to be absolutely certain.

There are a few things on life of which I am certain,  but don’t think there is a total of ten.

The first thing of which I am certain is that God exists, so therefore I am certain of that faith.

I know God exists everytime I look into my dog 🐕 Lily’s innocent eyes.  At that moment I know God exists because he created these beautiful creatures for us to love and cherish.

I believe in Karma and the fact that we reap what we sow in this life.  You don’t bring good karma onto yourself by trying to bring bad karma onto another. We all experience karma and if you put negativity and nastiness into the universe.the universe will reward you with negative experiences and a lot of hurt and pain. The good news is if you learn from these experiences and grow and change and treat people with a little TLC, then your karma will change, to be good karma. Remember that goodwill generates goodwill.

Another thing I believe in is heaven. Our bodies are merely vehicles for our Souls and one day, we will enter the afterlife. If we have lived a good life and learned the harsh r realities of life along the way then we will be rewarded with a lovely afterlife

I believe in angels and with that I also believe that God sometimes sends angels to earth 🌎 in human form to live amongst us to give love and goodwill when and where it is needed. My regular readers will know that I believe my passed friend Susanna to be an angel. She was beautiful in the truest sense of the word and spread love and generosity wherever she went. As she is now departed the only thing that makes sense to me, is that she has returned to heaven, her true home 🏡.

I also believe in the power of love and that love conquers all. If we are true to our soul, we get to experience love in its many forms. My favourite songwriter Neil Finn in his song Distant Sun, a song about universal love, wrote his most prolific line, that being, ” I DONT PRETEND TO KNOW WHAT YOU WANT, BUT I OFFER LOVE. Isn’t that a line about our very humanity. We can learn to faithfully love and we will receive love and goodwill in return, guaranteed by God.

If you could host a dinner and anyone you invite was sure to come, who would you invite?

This again is a great question. My dream dinner party would be a mix of friends and a couple of well known people I really admire.

I would love to invite Sam Neill, as he would make an interesting guest, who would provide great dinner party conversation and hopefully provide some of his wonderful 🍷 wine. I would just like to chew the fat with him. I would also like to ask Scott Aplin, whom is the music director of both The Voice and The Recording Studio and one of Australia’s most talented musicians. I would like to invite Scott because he was genuinely very kind and engaging to me, when I approached him about The Recording Studio. He seems to be a very talented and compassionate person and I would hope that after the dinner, he could play piano for us guests. That would be just heavenly.

The other people I would invite would be friends. I would invite my most gentlemanly friend Russell because he is just such a generous spirit and a joy to be around. I would invite my friend Adrian because he is an interesting conversationalist and would Guarantee the conversation would be intriguing. I would invite my neighbour Liz and my friend Kathryn because they are both so special and make my life joyful and both deserve the best life has to offer.

What do you think gets better with age?

Just like fine red wine our friendships get better with age. I think as we age our shared experiences with friends become deeper and we share wisdom and love. The friendships I am now blessed with are of a deeper and more personal level than those of our youth. Yes true friendships do get better with age.

I think some men get better with age. I look at the males I admire and think yes definitely they are all aging gracefully. Simon Baker is my age, and he still could be rated as the sexiest man on television. I look at old clips of The Mentalist and drool. That role was written for him and fits him like a glove. He is definitely a gentlemanly dreamboat.

Both Neil Finn and Sam Neill share the fact that they are both aging gracefully. As Neil Finn gets older, his musical talents are still great and I think he showed Fleetwood Mac, just what a wonderful man he is. He quietly goes about supporting charities like So They Can, Auckland City Mission, The Fred Hollows Foundation etc. He is sharing his abundance around and I for one think that is the mark of someone truly good.

Sam Neill just gets more attractive as he ages and he too uses his talents to help humanity. Kindness and decency are just so attractive and Sam has both in abundance. I would like to share a meal and good wine 🍷 with Sam and just chew the fat with him. I have no doubt that dinner conversation would be fascinating and intriguing. Just like the wine from his vineyard Sam is a class act and I think women of a certain vintage find Sam very much to their liking and Sam has certainly lived a life less ordinary.

What time do you go to bed and wake up currently?

At the moment I tend to go to bed around 9.00pm to 9 30pm. I am naturally an early riser, a morning person, so I tend to wake up between 5.00am and 6.00am. I think the morning is the best part of the day, when the air is fresh and crisp and all the smells of nature come alive. I treasure 🚶‍♂️ walking Lily at this time and she just loves it. My mind is sharp and more highly functioning of a morning 🌄 so that is the best time for me to work and write. Because of my mental health issues I develop fogginess of mind later in the day and after dinner time my mind is tired and foggy, so I am not as lucid as I am earlier in the day. I tend not to study or write later in th day because mentally I am tired and need a good night’s sleep to function at a high level the next day .

What are you most excited about for the future?

This topic is a bit of fun and a chance to dream. What I am most excited about is my writing, in particular writing this blog. I also am in the process of collecting all the blog posts Susanna has inspired and self publishing that collection for her family and friends. I am not seeking to make money out of that. It is more a gesture of goodwill, so Susanna will live on in loved one’s memories forever more.

I am also excited for the future celebrations in my life of family and friends. These celebrations don’t have to be big or expensive, just good times spent in good company. And of course time spent in the company of Lily never goes astray and brings me 🙏 pleasure.

What is your favorite genre of music?

I love today’s question because I am  music lover.  My absolute favourite band is Crowded House.  I love them with  passion, particularly the music Neil Finn has written,  I also include Tim Finn and Split Enz amongst the music that resonates with me, and brings back memories of a childhood well spent.  Paul McCartney was right when he said Neil Finn was a great songwriter and the world 🌎 is all the more better with Songs like Dont Dream It’s Over,  Better Be Home Soon and Distant Sun.  To say Neil is a wonderful human being is an understatement.  Not only is he a talented performer,  but he is a very good person, whom does work on various charitable projects and he really earned the credit he received by becoming part of Fleetwood Mac.

I also liked ABBA as a child, and my Mum is determined that I am never going to forget that

  I also like Van Morrison for his love sings.

The music I grew up listening 🎶 to was Australian Music of the 1980s and 1990s.  I am still fond of this genre and love Cold Chisel. Midnight Oil,   Noiseworks Moving Pitures, Hunters and Collectors and 1927.  I am lucky that all the 🎶 music Iike is still played on the radio.  From my Dad I have inherited a like of Big Band Swing like Glenn Miller.

Music is an important part of my life that brings me so much 🙏 pleasure.

Describe your most memorable vacation.

My most memorable and most loved vacation was the cruise to New Zealand that was back in 2019. It was lovely beyond words, and New Zealand is my favourite place in the world 🌎. It is beautiful, picturesque and the people are gentle,friendly, warm and engaging.

I will always treasure having seen Milford Sound from the cruise ship. The beauty of the wilderness of Milford Sound is indescribable. I could easily live in Dunedin, Akaroa, Christchurch, Gisborne or Auckland. Dunedin would be much colder in winter than what I am used to, but it definitely is beautiful and peaceful. Gisborne is a seaside village that is charming. I would most definitely love to live in Auckland, which wouldn’t be greatly different to life here in Melbourne, the only big difference is that it is more expensive to live in Auckland than what it is in Melbourne. Oh well we can always dream.

The cruise itself was wonderful, yes it was the dreamboat of holidays, pardon the pun. The accommodation was so comfortable. The activities on the ship were interesting and fun

The food was the most delicious, magnificent and plentiful I have ever experienced. There were so many people who would spend all day at the buffet on the cruise,and come home 15 kilos heavier. I ,much preferred the fine dining restaurants where you could have a three course meal included in the price of the cruise and be treated as a Princess or Royalty. Again pardon the pun, as it was a cruise on the Golden Princess. To say I love Princess Cruises would be an understatement, the whole experience and in particular the staff, made the cruise memorable beyond all.

This vacation was to me the experience of a lifetime and I would definitely go on a Princess Cruise again.

On what subject(s) are you an authority?

Wow what a question. I don’t consider myself an absolute expert on anything, but there are topics that experience has taught me a helluva lot about.

Firstly I know alot about mental illness, mostly from my own experience and from having had a career working in mental health. I am very tuned into the warning signs of someone who is obviously experiencing mental health concerns both in myself and others. I know how someone with these issues will act,say and do. People need to know that people who are unwell aren’t evil and that not all negative behaviour is a sign of mental illness. Unfortunately I have experienced some people trying to use coercive behaviour and ringing my mental health professionals everytime I have a disagreement with them. This is extremely frustrating and totally unhelpful.

I have learned through my own experience of mental health issues how to practice self care and mindfulness to better improve my mental health. It is so important to be kind to yourself first and foremost, particularly when the black dog of depression and anxiety come knocking at your door. I know when I get extremely anxious or frightened about something, that is really the sign that I am starting to become unwell. Knowing at this time to adopt a more mindful attitude and experience helps to reduce and heal from whatever is troubling me. Taking things easy and experiencing the little things that bring pleasure help. Focusing on my breathing and savouring the taste of what I eat all help. Experiencing pleasure 🙏 and taking it easy on yourself all do wonders to help heal what has caused your issues.

Through my experience of studying children’s literature has taught me what sort of themes and stores children are really drawn to.. I shower the loved children in my life with wonderful children’s literature. I always knew I would be writing ✍️ as my main occupation, and it should be no great surprise that my first published book was a collection of dog stories called God bless our dogs 🙏. Children love dog stories because they love dogs and you can have eat fun reading about the exploits of our canine companions. Children’s literature doesn’t have to be complicated or intense but it should be fun and little bit of fantasy doesn’t go astray.

I may not be a total expert but my experiences have taught me well and made my journey all the richer.

What’s your definition of romantic?

To be honest it has been a little while since I have experienced romance. I believe that beautiful flowers and things like scented candles add to make a more romantic atmosphere.

For me personally a man whom is chivalrous and gentlemanly and treats me respectfully, like a lady helps to put me in a romantic mood. Nothing brings on romance more than respect and tender loving care.

How do you express your gratitude?

As part of my faith Gratitude and Gratefulness are an essential part 🙏 of my life am very fortunate as I have some truly wonderful people in my life, and really do appreciate that. I don’t take this for granted, as I know what it feels like to feel lonely, isolated and misunderstood. My faith has helped me on this journey.

Probably the greatest lesson I have learned from my beautiful angel lady Susanna, is to accept good graciously into my life. Susanna was a beautiful angel who showered me with love and genorosity. She was a sister to me in the very essence of the word. Now because of what a beautiful role model she was I have decided to spread love and goodwill amongst my loved one’s and everyday send a good morning text and gif to all my loved one’s. Susanna taught me well and I am so grateful 🙏 ro have known her. Her legacy is that she taught me to appreciate the little things in life.

She taught me that Goodwill generates Goodwill and I am forever in her debt

To my dear readers Take care and may God bless you all.