Water. 41/51 #LifeThisWeek. 121/2021.
I admit that water is my favourite drink and tends to be from a bottle. It is a small one that I can fit into my bag. I buy these bottles in bulk from the supermarket and then re-fill for a time. With both of us ageing, and dry mouths from time to time, each of us needs a sip or two when we are out in the car or waiting…at the doctor’s for one. I also have to have water nearby to help any food that may not want to go down with ease. That is the legacy of the reconstruction of my mouth inside
This post however moves away from the practical and necessary aspects of water to these images;
Papa aka Bernard caring for the pool water whilst grandkids LOVE the fun. 2014. We had pools in almost all of our backyards and this one was particularly loved by little ones as we had a ‘beach area’ where they could play and feel safe (under an adult’s eye) until ready to strike out into the deeper water.
Love this shot of Miss 4
We lived in north-western Sydney and there was a man-made lake nearby – Bella Vista and it was somewhere pleasant to walk around the board walk and look at the ducks – very overfed – and perhaps get a milkshake and donut afterwards. Back in 2014. Miss GD (who photographed our pre- Wedding Anniversary shots) with her lil sis who is now 9.
One granddaughter (#7 grandchild, #5 granddaughter) was being born….as this extremely wet day poured water everywhere…I was driving back home and would find out once I was there, she had been born back in 2013.
And some favourites from now and the past….
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- Clouds over lake…
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- Sunrise at Manly Beach
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- After the flooding rains
Then there was this:
A young grandson into the water at the beach. His grandfather was not far away. Soon after we had moved to the coast he had a special stay in January 2015.
Oh….and yesterday was his 14th Birthday!!
Then there is this view…from inside the Sydney Opera House, of Sydney Harbour. A big favourite of mine and many in the water stakes. I was attending TedX 2015.
As a family we all enjoy being near or on the water. Not everyone likes the waves and current of the surf (and we oldies would say that now too) but as younger adults both B and I loved to surf. Both of us spent our formative years by the ocean.
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- Miss 5 explores the water at Long Reef
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- Our daughter with 2 of her girls
And then there is this: my favourite place to visit: summer, winter and all the in-between times. The roaring winds, the gentle waves, the sand where I walk…and perhaps the water where I paddle all help to ground me and help me focus on “now”….this image of me, taken in June 2017 just after my cancer diagnosis and before any surgeries. I think I was pretty determined to come here to make more memories and to help me have those to view for what was ahead. It was a good plan.
But then: how wonderful, some 3 years later, to be taking an image of Avoca Beach at sunset before speaking at a head and neck cancer fundraiser ball….
I could find more images but suffice to say, I love being by the water. I am also respectful of water where levels may rise quickly in heavy rain. It’s a wonderful resource but being from nature we need to be careful of it too. I would never go into the sea here and it’s easy to see how powerful that surf is and how some rock fishing people can be swept off rocks…
I admit this is a bit of an emotional way to finish. My Dad, is well over 97, and has been in lockdown at Dee Why in his independent retirement unit for as long as we have. Hopefully I will be visiting him as this post goes live or in that week.
Dad (in this image, in blue shirt) walked at Manly, on the beach for years and years before Mum died in 2007 and then probably tended to walk along the paths to and from Fairy Bower. He loves this place.
He grew up in Wollongong near the water so it’s always been special for him. We have talked about where his ashes may go after his death…and this maybe where. Not that he is going anywhere soon.
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- Where he used to walk.
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- Where I captured him walking in 2013
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- My feet in the Manly sand that day.
I am a fan of water that is for sure.
And here is a special short video taken of the water about 20 minutes from home:
How about you?
Denyse.
Link Up #261.
Life This Week. Link Up #261.
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, or multiple 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. It’s a kind connection I value as a blogger!
* 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.
Next week’s Optional Prompt: 42/51 Self Care Stories #6. 18 Oct. Link Up #262
I will be doing a Part One of Two Tribute to the Women of Courage series. Part Two will be the following Monday.
Series Of All Stories is found
Grateful For This. 38/51. #LifeThisWeek is 4 years old! 76/2020.
Grateful For This. 38/51. #LifeThisWeek is 4 years old! 76/2020.
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.
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:
2018:
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!
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.
*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: 39/51 Healthy. 28.9.2020
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