In uncertain times – be grateful

It’s hard to remain grounded with the world going mad around us. I confess, it concerns me as well, so I’ve had to try to stop watching television or listening to the news on the radio. Covid19 has impacted my world. Maybe not as much as it has impacted the world of others, but I’ve still felt the repercussions of it.
So, I don’t want this to be a doom and gloom post. Because when it comes down to it, we are all resilient human beings, and there are so many wonderful blessings around us.

Books I’ve read in 2019

Although I’m a bit of slack blogger… Okay, a really slack one because this is my first post in 13 months, so that is pretty bad.
However, I still read a number of blogs when I get the opportunity, and this morning I read Aussa Loren’s post about the books she has read this year, which prompted me to write my own post.
Like Aussa, I keep a record of the books I read each year in a little notebook that I keep in the drawer of my bedside table. Beginning in 2015, I have recorded every book I have read (not including text books or research articles). 2019, saw my greatest number of books read yet. This list doesn’t include the two books that I began and couldn’t finish past the first 3 chapters, or the book that I bought thinking I had never read it and then realised part way in that I already have (but I still finished it anyway). My end total stood at 91 books  completed, and I am currently halfway through my 92nd book The Librarian of Auschwitz by Antonio Iturbe. 

Making sense of the world

Apparently Christmas will be here in a few short weeks. I don’t feel it yet. This is most unusual for me as Christmas is my favourite time of year. Sadly, something is missing this year. My joy for celebration has gone, and I have no idea what happened. I feel emotions; more strongly than I thought was possible,but joy isn’t here just yet.

Has it really been a year?

Has it? It has! It’s really been a whole year since my last blog post.
I was all set to take this blog down until I received a message from a stranger who told me that it was a shame that I have stopped writing. I haven’t stopped writing as such, I just haven’t blogged because (as John Lennon points out in his song “Beautiful Boy”), life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans. 

Cyclone Debbie

Welcome to Australia.
We like to welcome many to our lovely country to share in the beauty of it all however in late March and early April we had a visitor that wasn’t so welcome.
Her name was Cyclone Debbie
All jokes aside about what Debbie usually does, in this case she caused utter devastation and loss of life. If you read the link above, it gives a brief Wikepedia overview of it all.
In our local area, we weren’t affected by the impact of the cyclone itself but the aftermath of her being downgraded. Generally, cyclones turn into tropical lows that result in a lot of rainfall. Debbie however, also retained the winds and the Bureau of Meteorology images still showed a distinct eye as she moved steadily south.

I Respect your Right to an Opinion

I do.
I respect that everyone has a right to an opinion. What I don’t respect however is when a person deems that their opinion is of more importance to that of another and they become rude about it.
Unfortunately I am seeing this more and more in this age of instant gratification, social media and world news.
We have become a society where respect appears to be a long-forgotten word in the dictionary.

My opinions on many things may be far different to those of you who are reading this however I’m not about to say “Hey. You’re wrong!!”
And I certainly wouldn’t go so far as to call you names because of it. Yet, I see this time and again.

I’m Channelling Britney Spears….

You know…. “Oops, I did it again!”
That is, I’ve gone weeks between blog posts once more. I think the wheels have fallen off to be sure.
But here I am, checking in and letting you all know that I am in fact still with you and still the crazy, confused and mixed up person I have always been.
So what have I been doing with my life… besides not blogging? Well, I’m glad you asked. So in my self indulgent way, I will begin to tell you…

The World Today

I had an interesting conversation with my seniors the other day. It was Monday morning and they were talking about the news of the weekend and the world at large. One of them said “The world today is far more violent than it used to be”. I countered with the question, “Do you think the world is more violent, or is it that we are shown more coverage of the world’s violence due to the availability of satellites, telephones and the internet”?
This question was discussed for a number of minutes with the consensus among everyone that the world is far more violent than the one that they remember from their past.
Interestingly, I went looking for a photo to illustrate this post on Google just now. I typed in the search term “The World Today” and hundreds of photos filled my screen. Photos of war, starvation, refugees, soldiers, disasters, suffering and religious extremism. Peppered among these photos were brighter ones of quotes about change, royal weddings, technology and animals. The world is certainly a paradox.