I love this week’s black and white challenge – The back of things
Here is my contribution.
Checking out the shipwreck – Cape Agulhas
Orpen Dam Lookout – Kruger National park
Target Bum of the Waterbuck
Stripy bottoms
Woolly-necked Stork – Back view
Journey of Giraffe
Elephant Mums and Elephant Bums
Here is my contribution for this week’s Fun Photo Challenge from Cee
The topic is – words that contain two Es
Elephant
Cheetah
Rainbow Lorikeet (Australian)
Scaly feathered Lorikeet (Australian)
Magpie Geese (Australian)
Black Fronted Dotterel (Australian)
Here are my answers to this weeks Questions from Cee’s Share Your World
Complete this sentence: I want to learn more about …
I want to learn more about lots of things. You’re never too old to gain new knowledge. It’s just that learning new skills is perhaps a bit harder? I don’t know – I actually have more time to read and also I’m less stressed about getting it right because it’s for my pleasure and not with any particular aim in mind. I have been learning Italian for a year now and my husband points out that I still can’t speak it! My response is that I know more words that he does! Perhaps I can’t quite have a conversation yet but I’m really enjoying the process. My app tells me I’m 45% fluent in Italian. Three months ago I was 23 % fluent so some progress has been made!
I’ve never been too good at gardening – I tend to kill my plants but I am learning more about how to do it correctly now in my old age. The internet really helps with researching how to care for what I’ve planted. I am having great fun with my new hobby.
On a vacation what you would require in any place that you sleep?
Usually when I’m on vacation it’s in a caravan and in it I have everything I need. When travelling abroad I just want a comfortable bed, shampoo and soap in the bathroom and the facility must be clean. It doesn’t have to be luxurious because I’m not going to spend much time there – I’ll be out exploring and I’ll just need a place to rest my weary head at the end of the day.
As regular readers of my blog will know, my husband was hospitalised in Italy last year. I stayed in the hostel nearby and all I had was a tiny room with a narrow single bed. But it was clean and I had my own shower. It was also very cheap! What a great idea to have accommodation for families of patients.
Bed I slept in for three weeks in Italy
What is your greatest extravagance?
I’m not too sure how to answer this one. The dictionary defines extravagance as lacking restraint in spending money or using resources. I honestly don’t think I lack restraint but in the eyes of some, things I spend money on, may seem extravagant. For example – we go out to eat breakfast at least twice a week. We also eat dinner out from time to time but not as often as when we lived in Cape Town. Another extravagance is having my nails done professionally twice a month. There are many other luxuries that I enjoy – so yes, perhaps I am extravagant!
What inspired you this past week? Feel free to use a quote, a photo, a story, or even a combination.
The Western Cape is a winter-rainfall area but this winter has been very dry. This has affected not only the human population but the animals and birds too. I was inspired when I saw this little bird taking pleasure in a puddle of water on the side of a dirt road – the only water for miles around and he found it!
Three-banded plover enjoying his great find – a puddle on the side of the road.
Here is my contribution to Nancy’s A photo a week challenge – hand made
Selfie of me in hand knitted cardigan
Garden Bench made by hand by my friend Willie – Gecko hanging too
Lighthouse and House Name (Milkwood Manor) carved by hand by my friend Willie Matthee
Today’s prompt for Stream of Consciousness this week is any word containing ‘vol’ I have chosen the word involved.
I have spent my life getting involved in all kinds of things. Of course it is important to be involved. You could not really survive if you were not involved. One’s first involvement is with one’s mother and then the rest of the family and how you handle this involvement determines how you cope with the rest of your life. I believe all the things I was involved in were right for the time the involvements occurred. I enjoyed my involvement in everything and was always busy with one thing or another.
When I retired it took a while to leg go of all that consumed my time. But once I let go I started to enjoy all the time I had to involve myself only in things that I really wanted to to. Not having a commitment to do something or go somewhere has been liberating and I am really enjoying it. I do believe that there is a time to slow down and let life just happen at it’s own sweet pace.
Don’t get involved, I keep admonishing my darling husband – but he still finds it difficult to let go and keeps getting involved in things he should have let go ages ago. That’s why we moved away from Cape Town – but the involvements seem to seek him out and drag him into yet another commitment. Oh well – it’s not too harmful, keeps him out of mischief and when he’s not involving me allows me more time to involve myself in my pleasurable pursuits that don’t have deadlines – like gardening, taking care of my home, reading, writing, learning another language, photography, doing number and word puzzles, bird watching, taking long walks etc. etc. Life is Good!
Enjoying a quiet glass of wine and a chat with a good friend – it’s all the involvement I need
This week Cee asks us to post candid black and white photographs. Here are some of mine.
Play fair or else!
Fun on the beach
Fishing from the canoe
Enjoying the wet sand
Naturally as a mad keen birder I am choosing the word DUCK for this week’s Fun Photo Challenge from Cee
Pacific Black Duck (Australia)
Wandering Whistling Duck (Australia)
Fulvous Duck (South Africa)
Yellow-billed Duck (South Africa)
Oh alright then, I won’t be totally boring – here are two DOOR pictures as well.
Amalfi, Italy
Door seen on Main Street of Berkhamstead, Hertfordshire, England.
Here are my answers to this week’s Share Your World from Cee
Would you want $200,000 right now or $250,000 in a year? It’s safe to assume all money is tax free.
In South Africa $200,000 would convert to R3m and that would be a fair amount to play around with. I’d take it with both hands and say thank you very much, I won’t wait for more later as I believe in living in the moment in case I don’t make it till tomorrow. I would make sure I put the funds to good use!
Is it more important to love or be loved?
Not an easy one this but I’d say to be loved is very important. The first love you experience is from your parents as a child and then you learn to love others. I also believe that you can love somebody who doesn’t love you and that’s fine but don’t waste too much time on that love – it should be reciprocal. If your love is rejected – move on and give it where it is more deserved.
List things that represent abundance to you.
Abundance Indeed!
What inspired you this past week? Feel free to use a quote, a photo, a story, or even a combination.
Spring is here in the southern hemisphere and taking walks and seeing the beauty in the spring flowers fills me with peace and happiness. It inspires me to plant more in the garden and to appreciate all that life has to offer here in the pretty little village that I live in.
Cape Francolin just loving a dust bath on a perfect spring day
Today’s Stream of Consciousness Prompt is Motive
We all have a motive for what we do or don’t do. Some motives come from something within and some from something without. As a teacher I had to have the word “motive”clearly in focus so that I could motivate my learners to do their best. The best motivation comes from within – intrinsic motivation – when a child will do something because he enjoys it of finds the task interesting and the reward to himself satisfying. This is the best type of motivation. But sometimes one must motivate with extrinsic motivation which will get the learner to apply herself for that gold star, accolade or treat.
Using these two types of motivation is the key to getting learners to do their best. It’s part of the teacher’s job to make the tasks interesting and also to discover how each learner ticks so that she can know how to make the intrinsic motivation kick in – and have as many learners wanting to reach their full potential for their own personal satisfaction.
What was my own motive for teaching? In the beginning it was because I thought I just loved kids and wanted to work with them. But in the end it was the thrill of watching a child grasp a new concept, to see her eyes light up with each small and great success. All the stresses and struggles are worth it just for that moment. It is the most rewarding career in the world.
My contribution today comes from the Botanical Gardens of Singapore. I have no idea what they are called. But they are rather beautiful.
More Orange Flower a day Challenge
Here is my contribution from Nancy Merril’s challenge
Walking on Struisbaai Beach
At the top of Elsie’s Peak after a lovely hike
Cycling Fun
Here is my contribution to this week’s Black and White Challenge – Texture
Spotted Thick-knee comfouflaged in thorny texture
So much texture in the craters on the moon
Vygies in beautiful texture
Just love the texture in this photograph
Kelp Gull texturning in the rippling sea
Diary of an Adventurous Retiree 