Share Your Snaps #4. 20/51 #LifeThisWeek. 61/2021.

Monday 17th May 2021 by Denyse Whelan 30 Comments

Share Your Snaps #4. 20/51 #LifeThisWeek. 61/2021.

Every 5th Week on Mondays

Yesterday I saw the musical Hamilton. In preparing this post, a week or so ahead, I thought I would use images that are not related to Hamilton until I have seen it, decided if I loved it and wanted to share more.

So, in this Share Your Snaps edition I am sharing my great fun using photo apps which help me make interesting and different collages. I have paid small amounts for some. Can’t remember which ones but loving the variety I am getting. I still use an old favourite called a Beautiful Mess. Purchased years ago and no longer supported by still does what I need it to do. I used it to make the photo for share your snaps.

But first..today is the 4th anniversary of finding out I had squamous cell carcinoma in my gums….and yes, that was a pretty memorable day but even more so was meeting (for the very first time!) on 18th May 2017, the man who would give me the best chances of having no more cancer and a pretty useful mouth along with the best smile*(see end of post) ..so “My” Prof Jonathan Clark AM, is starring with me here today:

Professor Jonathan Clark AM

Director of Head and Neck Research
Lang Walker Family Foundation Chair in Head and Neck Cancer Reconstructive Surgery

Prof Jonathan Clark AM

With Jonathan last Sept, inserts: Me post surgery July 2017, Info re mouth cavity and head & neck cancer.

It took 4 surgeries and a LOT of time & patience for this head and neck cancer patient to get her smile. These images are all from Chris O’Brien Lifehouse records of my progress 2017-2018

Onto the showing of my photos via the apps.

I wondered about how to get more photos into my collection as I love their colours, shapes and sizes…and that was when I had my ah-ha moment. Visit local nurseries and take pics! Occasionally look like I am buying a few flowering plants too. I have done that! And I went back in time for some family and other shots to play with.

Background: Nursery and my plants individually

Two areas inland from where we live are doing Autumn beautifully.

Six years ago: H&R at Lakes Beach having a holiday with us.

I will never delete these photos! My old home town of Manly N.S.W. in Winter 2014 when I drove from home to get the sunrise. So worth it. My shadow on the beach.

Autumnal Display. I am a pattern-lover so these apps are perfect.

Daily Calm quote, with my art…on a background of my washi tape collection.

Cannot resist these amazing colours in the flowers. Some from home, others at the nursery.

Pattern Play using flowers and colours in this app

Pretty in Pink…bright pink and using repeat photos for patterns.

This app…I loved it but I had it on trial. May end up signing up. It did a cut-out scrapbook affect. I got to move the photos around. Fun.

The same photo in different collage sections. Interesting.

All about purple and sizes.

Gentle pinks and bright pinks using an app and its photo in middle. Repeat patterns. Very pleasing to my eye.

I love colours.

I love nature.

I love getting outside to take photos.

This is a great way to do self-care for me….

I also love constructing the photos into patterns via the apps because…

I love patterns!

And all of this reminds me of my Word Of The Year: S M I L E*

How about you?

Denyse.

Link Up #240

Life This Week. Link Up #240

You can link up something old or new, just come on in.

* Please add just ONE post each week! NOT a link-up series of posts, thank you.

* Feel free to go with the prompt for the week to add your ‘take’ on the prompt. Or not.

* Please do stay to comment on my post as I always reply and it’s a bloggy thing to do!

* Check out what others are up to: Leave a comment on a few posts, because we all love our comments, right!

* Add a link back to this blog in your post somewhere, or on your sidebar or let others know somewhere you are linking up to this blog’s Life This Week.

*Posts deemed by me, the owner of the blog & the link-up, to be unsuitable for my audience will be deleted without notice. These may include promotions, advertorials, sales and any that are overly religious or political or in any way offensive in nature.

* THANK you for linking up today! Next Week’s Optional Prompt: 21/51 Self Care Stories #3. 24 May.

Filed Under: Blog 2021, Creativity, Art, Mandalas., Denyse Whelan Blogs, Gratitude, Head & Neck Cancer Awareness, Health & Mindfulness, Life This Week. Monday Link-Up., Photography Shared., Self Care Stories, Stories From Life's Experiences. Tagged With: Australian Based Link Up, Blog 2021, Bloggers, Denyse Whelan Blogs, Every 5th Week, Every Monday, Join In, on or off prompts, optional prompts, Photography, Share Your Snaps, Sharing Words and Pictures

Word Of The Year. 1/51 #LifeThisWeek. 1/2021.

Monday 4th January 2021 by Denyse Whelan

Word Of The Year. 1/51 #LifeThisWeek. 1/2021.

W E L C O M E E V E R Y O N E 2 0 2 1

Welcome to Life This Week in 2021. I am so glad you are joining us. Every Monday for 51 weeks this is the place to connect, to share, to add, to comment and to meet-up virtually with many! Love this community. Thank you for being one very important part. If you are new here, extra big welcome. The optional prompts for the weeks ahead are found on the home page. Denyse.

For the past three years I set a word of the year for me to live by. I admit I found this both a blessing and a curse. Ha! It was more the former than the latter. I did say to myself in November: ‘I think I will leave trying to live with a word of the year in 2021′

Then on 30th November for my 71st Birthday my dear husband wrote this to me on the card’s envelope:

There it was. A word to live with and by, and as many who read here know I do love having my smile. So now you know!

Why “SMILE”?

A smile is a valuable form of communication and connection.
I know for some people smiles can be hard to manage depending on the time and circumstances and not everyone is a ‘smiler’. That is what makes the world go round, we are all different.
I too do not like being told “smile!!”. Umm. No, unless I have the emotions that warrant a smile, I may be able to slightly fake it but truly I prefer the genuine smile.
I know there are many more muscles used in the face to frown and far fewer to smile and that can be a suggestion as a mood lifter.
In fact, the old adage of ‘fake it till you make it’ can work as a psychological tool at times. Try it.

Some Thoughts on Smiling.

“A simple smile. That’s the start of opening your heart and being compassionate to others.”

– Dalai Lama

– Thich Nhat Hanh

“Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.”

– Dr. Seuss

“The greatest self is a peaceful smile, that always sees the world smiling back.” – Bryant H. McGill

“https://www.keepinspiring.me/quotes-about-smiling/ecause of your smile, you make life more beautiful.”

My Friends Shared Here About Smiles and Smiling After This Request From Me.

Reading random acts of kindness
My dog Lucky makes me smile all the time
You make me smile. Especially now with your beautiful new smile x
At this moment in time, seeing (and hearing) the delight as my 2 year old granddaughter experiences the beach. It starts as we prepare, then as she sees the water in the distance and then peaks as she plays in the water. Her pure happiness and joy at life in general makes me smile.
My adult kids, watching them live their lives makes me smile x
Snowflakes Music Ice cream Love Energy
Babies laughing
My garden

The Story of My Smile.

It’s said we often don’t know how much we appreciate something until it’s gone. I agree.

Regular readers here will know that I was diagnosed with a form of head and neck cancer in the top area of my mouth and this page tells the whole story.

The loss of what I counted on as something unique to me and special, oh so special, my smile was something that I came to terms with over time. I had to.

However, the length of time it took for me to get my smile back was fourteen long, arduous, surgery and treatment filled months.

The day I got to see what my new smile would look like nearly brought me to tears. It was like being reunited with an old but changed new friend.

Under each of the photos here I have added some commentary connecting the word S M I L E to:

why I smile(d)
the story behind the smile
what can make me smile
appreciation for my team who gave me back my smile

: Little Girl Smiling For Parents!

: Smiles as part of Family Photo Shoot in 1980s

: Ah, school photos early 1990s…and perm!

: Where I Got My Smile. Mum. Her last great photo Nov 2006.

: This makes me (and many) smile. 2010 Two grandkids.

: Same two grandkids SMILES of delight.

: Selfies for the win 2012 with 2 grandsons.

: Smiles all round. Me & Miss E 2015.

: 2016 Christmas Visitors. I was SO happy to see them.

: Weeks before I knew cancer was under the denture. Fake yet relieved smile after driving to Sydney first time in months.

: Last SMILE (if you can call it that) for 14 months July 2017

: Making a point?? No teef…smile 2017

: Nov 2020 very genuine smile of love with 2 granddaughters 2020

: Christmas Day 2020 Smiles. Gratitude for my professional #hnc team every day of my life.

: Love these smiles which make me smile! Nov 2020

: Boxing Day 2020 – a smile of gratitude

: Mask Up: hides my smile but worth it. Dec. 2020

: Compilation of a life of smiles.

That’s the story of my smile and why I chose the word for 2021. Actually I now think the word chose me. In a way, it was from my husband’s compliment and then this. I found a letter he never sent but he sure did proudly share with me and I have permission to share now here.

From B about my smile: written in 2018.

ABC Recording Studio, William St., SYDNEY.

I would dearly love to record a song for my wife of 48 years. I first encountered her at the Tamworth RSL Club where we were attending a Teacher’s Conference. Seated at the same table that evening, I was immediately struck by her smile. Since then, we have combined to produce two great children and eight adorable grandchildren.

Two years ago that smile was seriously threatened by a most unusually rare squamous cell cancer in her mouth. However, thanks to the brilliant intervention of an unusually rare surgeon at Chris O’Brien Lifehouse in Camperdown, Prof Jonathan Clark, she now has a new palate hewn from leg flesh and bone. Now that unusually rare smile has returned even more vibrant than before.

So, the song I would like, with your wonderful help, to dedicate to her is the Carpenters’ “Sweet Sweet Smile”!

Of course, smiling is contagious and I do this as much as I can when I am out and about to show my appreciation for others.

It is made harder by the addition of the mask thanks (no thanks) to COVID19 but I will still smile with my eyes and use words of appreciation where I can.

I hope your year has begun well.

Do you choose a word for the year?

I will review the word I had for 2020 in a future post.

Thanks for being here!

Denyse.

Link Up 221.

Life This Week. Link Up #221

You can link up something old or new, just come on in.

* Please add just ONE post each week! NOT a link-up series of posts, thank you.

* Feel free to go with the prompt for the week to add your ‘take’ on the prompt. Or not.

* Please do stay to comment on my post as I always reply and it’s a bloggy thing to do!

* Check out what others are up to: Leave a comment on a few posts, because we all love our comments, right!

* Add a link back to this blog in your post somewhere, or on your sidebar or let others know somewhere you are linking up to this blog’s Life This Week.

*Posts deemed by me, the owner of the blog & the link-up, to be unsuitable for my audience will be deleted without notice. These may include promotions, advertorials and any that are overly religious or political or in any way offensive in nature.

* THANK you for linking up today! Next Week’s Optional Prompt is Announcement. 11/1/2021

Filed Under: Blog 2021, Denyse Whelan Blogs, Gratitude, Head & Neck Cancer Awareness, Health & Mindfulness, Life This Week. Monday Link-Up., Stories From Life's Experiences., Word Of The Year Tagged With: AESDT, Australian Link Up, Blog 2021, Denyse Whelan Blogs, End Every Wed 5.00 pm, First Link Up in 2021, gratitude, head and neck cancer, Join In, Life This Week, Mindfulness, optional prompts, oral cancer, settling back, Sharing our life stories, Starts Every Mon 5.00 am, Summer, Taking Our Time, Welcome Back, Welcome to New Bloggers, Winter, word of the year

Grateful For This. 38/51. #LifeThisWeek is 4 years old! 76/2020.

Monday 21st September 2020 by Denyse Whelan

Grateful For This. 38/51. #LifeThisWeek is 4 years old! 76/2020.

I am forever grateful to be a blogger.
I am always grateful to have bloggers link up here.
I am feeling the gratitude that through this computer of mine we can connect!
So, today: celebrating 4 years of this link up, I offer you my gratitude. In abundance for coming here, reading, commenting, linking up and sharing!

If I could reach out to you all, here’s what you might have to celebrate the blog’s 4 years of link ups on Mondays. Big on cake and biscuit cooking at my place.

: More Isobaking

: Isobaking…

Where did it all start?

Back in August-September 2016. Gosh, I hadn’t even known I had cancer back then. Lovely Kirsty from here, decided to close her Monday link up called “I Must Confess” and I approached with an idea for Mondays and she was delighted to support and promote….we ARE good mates!! Thanks Kirsty.

This post tells some of the story too.

Here is the first blog post about it. With the first set of optional prompts.

M E M O R Y L A N E : September each year.

2016: see above

2017:

LTW is ONE. #LifeThisWeek. 35/52. 2017.105.

2018:

Have You Ever? 38/52. #LifeThisWeek is 2! 2018.93.

2019:

What Is Love? 37/51 #LifeThisWeek. 95/2019.

About the Optional Prompts.

I admit they can be easy to decide and then, I can find some weeks harder than others. I do use a calendar for some, for example recent post on Sydney 2000 based on the Sydney Olympics Anniversary. Some are personal because I have some views I want to share but they can apply generally, for example “birth order”. Then in 2018 I made a plan to help sort out the year by adding:

Each 5th week: Share Your Snaps (photo-based post)

Each 7th week: Self-Care Stories

Each 9th week: Taking Stock

This meant for me I “only” needed to come up with prompts in between those intervals.

The reality of the blogging calendar is there are 51 weeks of prompts, and often the last one or two is free choice.

Why Optional Prompts?

Sometime we can sit at the computer and draw a blank but we still want to write! I know this helps me to have a prompt but to ensure no-one felt if they had not blogged based on the prompt they could not link up, I call them optional prompt.

2020.

What a year 2020 has been. Nothing like any of us expected when we made our first of the year posts and mine was this!

Word of Year: Gratitude. 1/51 #LifeThisWeek 1/2020.

I admit when I set out to make a daily gratitude post on Instagram, I thought it would be easy. I knew I could find, feel and notice gratitude all around me. I was ready! Bring it on. Then…the year changed as we know, for all of us. My go-to daily activities were curtailed via the big C (not cancer, the other one) and I also had some surgical procedures. I really HAVE had to seach for gratitude far more deeply and note it even on the worst days for me. I continue to do the daily gratitude on Instagram (see the right hand side of the blog) until 31.12.2020.

2021.

I have no particular hopes nor dreams for 2021, given how 2020 has played out, but I do know one thing: Hamilton, the Musical, has been on repeat for me.

This sums it up…the title anyway, for 2021 and Life This Week!

Thank you for linking up today and commenting too. I will read your post later this week, as always!

Denyse.

Link Up 207

Life This Week. Link Up #207

You can link up something old or new, just come on in.

* Please add just ONE post each week! NOT a link-up series of posts, thank you.

* Feel free to go with the prompt for the week to add your ‘take’ on the prompt. Or not.

* Please do stay to comment on my post as I always reply and it’s a bloggy thing to do!

* Check out what others are up to: Leave a comment on a few posts, because we all love our comments, right!

* Add a link back to this blog in your post somewhere, or on your sidebar or let others know somewhere you are linking up to this blog’s Life This Week.

* THANK you for linking up today! Next week’s optional prompt: 39/51 Healthy. 28.9.2020

Filed Under: Blog 2020., Denyse Whelan Blogs, Life This Week. Monday Link-Up., Stories From Life's Experiences. Tagged With: Blog 2020, Bloggers, Commenting, community, connecting, Denyse Whelan Blogs, Four Years Old, Life This Week, Link-Up, optional prompts, September 2016 start, Sharing

Taking Stock #2. 18/51#LifeThisWeek. 47/2019.

Monday 6th May 2019 by Denyse Whelan

Taking Stock #2. 18/51#LifeThisWeek. 47/2019.

It’s that time again folks, which comes around every 9 weeks on the blog for #lifethisweek. Taking Stock originated with Pip here and I thank her for that. I have amended the list recently. I hope you enjoy what I’ve been up to. I look forward to reading your post, if you have also ‘taken stock.’

Making: so many little cakes. Maybe I am ‘fooling’ myself making them tiny but I look at it this way, I feel less guilt and small still has lots of icing!

Cooking: see above. And as well, quite a few meat meals in small serves for both me and my husband. I prefer a batch cook and freezing the meals. Recently it’s been sweet & sour chicken, slow cooked lamb shanks and sausages/bacon in tomato and gravy base. And pies.

Drinking: my daily double shot latte ( seen as a model for the meme for this post)

Reading: I start so many books (non-fiction) and have yet to finish them. Megan Blandford’s book is one. Go Megan for sharing the story of your post-natal depression.

Wanting: as I write, less pain in the parts of my upper mouth which are tight. So tight. However by the time you read this, it will likely be gone.

Looking: at the wonderful awards won by my favourite Aussie fiction writer at the recent publishers’ awards. Go Trent Dalton and Boy Swallows Universe.

Playing: a game I liked in 2017 and enjoying it again. Not strictly a game but an app called Elevate and it’s a brain-training one and I love me a personal challenge. Back at it. It’s a paid annual one but they had 40% off so snapped it up.

Wasting: enough time – too much I mean – considering how much I have added weight to my body since I can eat….properly and well…..and being more kind to myself as I learn more about mindful eating vs mindless eating!

Wishing: that cancer was cured. Eradicated. Gone. Done. Two friends ( one on-line and one I have met) have died far, far too young in the past 2 weeks.

I am so sorry @curlypops and @t_to_the_racy your time here ended too soon.

Enjoying: some quality time with my husband as we have made it our practice to go out once a week somewhere different for morning tea.

Waiting: for not much. That is a good thing!

Liking: the fact that we live in a very modern house, the lease has been extended till April 2020 and we are content with that.

Wondering: what this year will bring to our family and relationships. Nothing mysterious in this. Just wondering as when your kids are adults and some of their kids are adults, you can get some news about all kinds of things.

HB to SM! A while back but I will never forget the day this beautiful butterfly joined our family!

Loving: that relationships made with our grandchildren in their early and formative years, translate into memories made even if we do not see them frequently, they have our love embedded in them.

Hoping: that the ~~rotten~~ federal election is over with a clear result one way or another. Please.

Marvelling: at nature. Always. These flowers were in pots last May. I planted them in the very small garden out the back when they stopped flowering and now, it’s May and here they are! Again.

Needing: to remember self-compassion before self-blame and it’s getting better. It really is. I highly recommend as I have written before: Dr Kristen Neff’s work.

Smelling: coffee. It is aromatic. Love it.

Wearing: more tops with sleeves, so it must be getting cooler!

Following: my education tweeps and their schools and being so proud of what public education in N.S.W. is doing for ALL kids.

Noticing: that I am far less reactive generally. Not always but better! And I always realise “oh” and think, that could have been a better way to respond.

Knowing: I am loved. Not much more needed is there?

Thinking: How fortunate I am to have been treated by the best every professional team when I was diagnosed with my Head and Neck Cancer almost 2 years ago.

Feeling: gratitude. And for the next few weeks on the blog, will be posting about Gratitude on Tuesdays and linking up here.

Bookmarking: so many of my real books. Sigh. I love getting them. I just need to actually read them as well.

Opening: a parcel from Ebay that I did not recognise then realising I knew exactly what was inside.

Smiling: at so much these days and with so many people because I CAN smile

I hope that your weeks have been wonderful.

I hope for sunshine and warmth and rain too….it’s needed!

Very soon, on this blog, I am starting a series called Women of Courage. Each Wednesday. It promises to be a very interesting series judging by those whose words I have already received. Thanks to all.

Have a great week.

Denyse.

Linking here on Mondays with Kell for Mummy Mondays.

You can link up something old or new, just come on in. * Please add just ONE post each week! * Feel free to go with the prompt for the week to add your ‘take’ on the prompt. Or not. * Please do stay to comment on my post as I always reply and it’s a bloggy thing to do! * Check out what others are up to by leaving a comment because we all love our comments, right! * Add a link back to this blog in your post somewhere. I don’t have a ‘button’ so a link in text is fine! *Posts deemed by me, the owner of the blog and the link-up, to be unsuitable for my audience will be deleted without notice. * THANK you for linking up today!

Next week’s optional prompt: 19/51 Contentment Is…13/5/19

Filed Under: Denyse Whelan Blogs, Life This Week. Monday Link-Up. Tagged With: catching up, Denyse Whelan Blogs, every 9 weeks, life, Link Ups., meet me at mikes, optional prompts, Pip Lincoln, Share, Stories, taking stock

Optional Prompts for #LifeThisWeek. Updated! 34/2019.

Wednesday 3rd April 2019 by Denyse Whelan

Optional Prompts for #LifeThisWeek. Updated! 34/2019.

Some of my blogging friends like to plan ahead.

I am one of them too.

Some of my blogging friends like to join in when the optional prompt works for them.

I like that idea.

Some of my blogging friends take the ‘add a post, any post old or new, on or off prompt’ approach.

That is also a great plan.

Recently I had a look at “where the optional prompts” were up to and as we ease into April, the current ones are until early May.

With that in mind, I have added to the list. So, here they are! I hope you find some or all to your liking.

19/51 Contentment Is. 13/5/19

20/51 Share Your Snaps #4 20/5/19

21/51 Self-Care: Share Your Story #3 27/5/19

22/51 First Job. 3/6/19

23/51 My Best Birthday Cake. 10/6/19

24/51 Thank You to Me. 17/6/19

25/51 Share Your Snaps #5. 24/6/19

26/51 Worst Job. 1/7/19

27/51 Taking Stock.#3. 8/7/19

28/51 Self-Care: Share Your Story #4 15/7/19

29/51 Winter: Like/Loathe 22/7/19

30/51 Share Your Snaps #6. 29/7/19

Thanks for being part of the #LifeThisWeek community!

Denyse.

Joining with Blogging Friends here:

Midlife Share The Love on Wednesdays here.

Lovin’ Life Linky on Thursdays here.

Open Slather on Fridays here.

Filed Under: Denyse Whelan Blogs, Life This Week. Monday Link-Up. Tagged With: Bloggers, Denyse Whelan Blogs, Life This Week, Link Ups., new prompts, optional prompts, Self Care Stories, Share Your Snaps, taking stock

Hello Again. 1/51 #LifeThisWeek. 2/2019.

Monday 7th January 2019 by Denyse Whelan

Hello Again. 1/51 #LifeThisWeek. 2/2019.

Welcome to the New Year..here on the blog.

Thanks for coming on board, reading and commenting along with sharing your posts.

Some Bloggy Housekeeping.

Every Monday (and there are 51 of them in 2019) it’s #LifeThisWeek with optional prompts for bloggers. Some people pick and choose, some do no prompts and others may add a post from ages ago or a new one. All I ask is:

just one post each blogger

you take a bit of time to comment on others’ blog posts when you can, because you make new connections

to comment on my post of the day because I love replying!

I always visit your blog and comment. I usually wait till the end of the link up – Wednesday 5 p.m. where I am – N.S.W. But the link up opens at 5.00 a.m. Mondays.

I have made one change to the line-up of optional prompts which is explained further on.

Happy New Year. Is It For You?

I know that we get quite a bit excited/apprehensive/bored (choose your own word) at the end of one calendar year and the start of another. I felt like this a little about the fact that I am still getting over cancer and that I will be seventy this year and that we do not yet have a house to call our own.

Then I decided to S T O P and appreciate what I have now.

So, for the seven days of January my instagram photo will be based on the word:

Appreciation.

The next 7 days will be about:

Beauty.

After that it will be about:

Connections.

Are you seeing a pattern emerging? Here is a little know (to me) fact: the exact same number of the letters of the English alphabet = half of the weeks of the calendar year. 26!

Trying Some New Ideas in 2019.

I will outline more next week about my ‘word of the year’ and ‘my intention’ for 2019, but for now I wanted to share this:

I have joined a private facebook group about using Tarot and Oracle Cards in our daily lives – it is part of a paid course for the first 3 weeks of 2019.
I do not really understand much about this but am a willing learner without being totally committed..at this stage.
I did an on-line free course (at own pace) with the same person, Susannah Conway who leads the above Daily Guidance) and found it more helpful than I imagined. It turned out that whilst I am new to this but others I know make this an annual commitment
I am enjoying taking time to explore, play with and arrange my sets of crystals. I like them from a sensory and beauty perspective and know there are other people who know much more but for me, this is enough
I have tried some easy journalling and colouring in other people’s publications not my own and have found it to be meditative and fun.

Practices I Need To Remember.

It is easy in the run of the mill week (yes, even retirees have them) to forget what both refreshes my soul and body. So, to this end, I am going to commit as best I can to this:

at least one beach walk a week
continuing to enjoy the plants in my pots and care for them, recently due to the weather, I have become the proud owner of 4 pots of varied succulents
making and colouring my mandalas. I have been missing doing these and my mind and body tell me, so I need to start up again. I will. I do love it.
out every day for at least a coffee. It does not always have to be a treat accompanying it but the ‘hit of caffeine’ once a day is beneficial for my mood and pain
dressing with purpose every single day NO matter WHAT and having that photo taken. It is about accountability too. I have put on some weight and remain OK with that but I want to be at ease with my size as it is now.

: Succulents

Looking Forward To This Year.

In keeping with some changes on the optional prompts, because I have come up with over 1o0 prompts I think I am making one more to add to the repeating regular ones.

Each 5th Week: Share Your Snaps continues

Each 9th Week: Taking Stock continues

Each 7th Week: a New Optional Prompt: Self-Care. Share Your Story.

Let’s get on with it! Here’s the post #1 for #lifethisweek in 2019. Only 50 to go!!

Happy Monday all,

Denyse.

Joining Alicia here for Open Slather and Kell here for Mummy Mondays.

Next Week’s Optional Prompt: 2/51. Word/Intention/Nothing for 2019. 14/1/19.

An InLinkz Link-up

Filed Under: Creativity, Art, Mandalas., Denyse Whelan Blogs, Gratitude, Head & Neck Cancer Awareness, Health & Mindfulness, Life This Week. Monday Link-Up., Photography Shared., Self Care Stories, Stories From Life's Experiences. Tagged With: Life This Week, Link-Up, optional prompts, sharing our stories

We Made It! 52/52.#LifeThisWeek 2018.134.

Monday 24th December 2018 by Denyse Whelan

We Made It! 52/52.#LifeThisWeek 2018.134.

Thank you all.

Yes, we made it. Each Monday to come here and read, join in with a blog post link up and comment.

: How was the road you travelled to ….get here, end of 2018?

Some of my blogging friends have had big changes in their lives: I know there have been travel experiences far and wide around this world of ours. I do also know that some of the bloggers have struggled through life transitions of job changes, moving house, starting new courses, having health issues to overcome and losing loved family members. Sadly.

There is no doubt in my mind, this community here, and ones where I also join in here, are living, breathing and caring ones and I am very grateful for the connections. Always. In 2018 a much loved link up ceased…so I for one am hoping these lovely link ups continue into 2019.

Open Slather with Alicia http://onemotherhen.blogspot.com.au on Mondays and Mummy Mondays with Kelly http://allmumsaid.com.au

Midlife Share the Love Linky on Wednesdays with Leanne: http://crestingthehill.com.au Sue: http://www.sizzlingtowardssixty.com.au

Lovin Life Linky hosted on Thursdays with Leanne http://deepfriedfruit.com.auand friends

Now, for the round-up of blog posts for 2018 on Mondays for Life This Week. I was going to use my teacher-voice and call it an award…but it’s not. I looked at the posts from each month and checked the comment numbers as an indication of higher engagement via the comments…as you know Denyse Whelan Blogs To Connect!

January 2018.

Intention or Word for 2018. 16 links.

Sign Above Where I Blog.

February 2018.

Taking Stock 1. 17 links.

Night before 3rd surgery I walked up to COBLH.

March 2018.

Out My Window I See. 15 links.

HAPPY me, with a smile I almost recognise…in my art room.

April 2018.

School Holiday Memories. 11 links.

The signpost…to where we used to live 1971-1972. House is gone.

May 2018.

My Biggest Fear. 16 links.

Writing this in the sand did not reduce my fear but it did make me think about why I was/am fearful at times.

June 2018.

What I Will Never See Again. 14 links.

Loved my art-ing times with my pre-school aged grandkids

July 2018.

Taking Stock. 23 links.

Spreading the news of Beyond Five & Head & Neck cancer awareness with my local Federal MP.

August 2018.

Famous People I’ve Met. 18 links.

Photo with then NSW Governor Marie Bashir. Taken by former NSW Premier, Barrie O’Farrell.

September 2018.

Have You Ever? 12 links.

Excited not only to be part of #celebratingwomen but to be quoted in the book!

October 2018.

What I Have Learned Lately. 15 links.

What a wonderful experience it was to be able to smile again!

November 2018.

Share Your Snaps. 15 links.

Waves. The Beach!

December 2018.

Taking Stock. 18 links.

My ‘word’ for 2018.

Thank you all for visiting, commenting, reading, viewing, following and linking up in 2018.

#LifeThisWeek starts for 2019 on Monday 7 January:

1/51. Hello Again. 7/1/19

2/51. “Word/Intention/Nothing” 2019.. 14/1/19

In the meantime I will be making up some new prompts.

The GOOD news is Share Your Snaps will continue every 5th week

And, good old Taking Stock, around each 9th week.

See you there!

Denyse.

: Stories Shared

: Photos Shared

: Life This Week

Joining Alicia here for Open Slather and Kell here for Mummy Mondays.

Next Year’s Life This Week commences on Monday 7 January with: Hello Again, as the optional prompt.

An InLinkz Link-up

Filed Under: Denyse Whelan Blogs, Life This Week. Monday Link-Up., Photography Shared., Stories From Life's Experiences. Tagged With: #lifethisweek, Link-Up, Mondays, optional prompts, Photos, popular posts, Posts, Share Your Snaps, Sharing, taking stock, telling stories

Have You Ever? 38/52. #LifeThisWeek is 2! 2018.93.

Monday 17th September 2018 by Denyse Whelan

Have You Ever? 38/52. #LifeThisWeek is 2! 2018.93.

I have said in previous posts that sometimes my reason for an optional prompt is not always remembered when I get to it, which is why THIS one is very simple…or complex depending on how I decide to respond.

But before that!

It’s time to mark a special occasion. It was on Monday 12 September 2016 that the first link up for #LifeThisWeek debuted. As many of you will recall, Kirsty had retired I Must Confess as a link up and I was able to introduce this one for bloggers who post (and link) on Mondays.

In the two years much has happened to me and to you, my blogging buddies and readers, but what has not changed at all is the community, the conversations and the connections we make as we read and then comment on others’ posts.

So, biggest thank you goes to you all. Without you there is no link up!

#LifeThisWeek is going into 2019 and I am delighted about that as I hope you are too.

Happy 2nd Birthday:

Have You Ever…been published in the media?

That is the question I decided to respond to. Well, yes I have.

In local newspapers when I was a school principal and stories were published about the school and its activities. I had my photo taken with my eldest granddaughter aged 4 at the Christmas Carols in the local park and that was very pleasant.

I have had articles written about my work when I was an Education Specialist helping families from Early Childhood centres navigate the starting school issues.

I have written to newspapers and have had letters to the editor published in both the Sydney Morning Herald and the Daily Telegraph.

Articles by me were published in the N.S.W. Parents and Citizens Journal for some time.

But…there is this one, and it is the one I want to highlight this time:

In April 2017 I did what I thought was a brave thing, and encouraged by an on-line friend who had done the same, I put my story (as asked in the questions on the site) for a year-long project called Celebrating Women. The aim of the founder, Dr Kirstin Ferguson was to have 2 women share their story a day for 2017 and that it was the spread the word around the world, of the very essence of these women. Not limited to Australia or by age or by career. I admit now, I wondered “me?” “really?” but sent in the responses and the photos.

And forgot about it as being diagnosed with cancer some weeks later, I was totally in another headspace when I got the email from Kirstin saying “your profile #298 and story is ready to go live on…(date named)”. I was feeling vulnerable and unsure about whether I wanted to share my profile as now the “word cancer’ was part of my story. I wrote to Kirstin about my feeling vulnerable and her kind words in response were that of course it was up to me but that maybe, my cancer diagnosis and news of my surgeries and treatments in the future would give others more insight into me.

I said yes. My story was published on 31 May, just 2 weeks after my cancer diagnosis.

My post about Celebrating Women is here.

Over the next year I was updating myself about the #CelebratingWomen stories and saw that Kirstin had been approached to write a book in conjunction with Catherine Fox about the project (which ended up with over 700 profiles by the way!). The book, called WomenKind has just been released and with my permission, Kirsten wrote this paragraph about me. I was very proud to see it when I leafed through a new-on-the-shelf version. My own copy is still winging its way to our place.