Top Ten Thursday - Wise Words

This weeks top ten is our favourite sayings, quotes, or basically pieces of wisdom. Top ten is hosted by Tamara at Part-time Working Hockey Mom.

Here are my wise sayings - I'm going to let them speak for themselves.

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Are any of these ones that you live by? Before you go, hop over to Tamara's Blog to see what my fellow bloggers have come up with for their favourite wise words.

Until next time, be good, stay safe, and do a random act of kindness this week.

Pamela & Ken
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A Hodgepodge of Happiness

It's Wednesday, it's hodgepodge time, with the questions set by Joyce at the blog From This Side of the Pond.

1. January is National Mentoring Month. Have you ever had a mentor? Been a mentor? How would you rate the experience?

This one is an odd one as I don't always think that we know when we're a mentor for someone and that we choose who we see as a mentor, they can't be assigned us as some people try to do. When I worked in education I hope that I gave good advice and support to student nurses and junior staff nurses, as I remember how difficult that time in your life can be. I've worked with several people over the years that I definitely saw as a mentor, and that was because I could talk to them about anything without being judged, they listened and gave constructive support and they also seemed to understand my slightly odd sense of humour.

2. What current trend makes no sense to you?

It's a trend that's been around for a while and I don't think I'll ever understand it, and that is the trend of pouting in photos. Rather that smiling, the person opts for looking slightly petulant which just seems bizarre to me.

3. I saw a cartoon on facebook highlighting a few 'weird' things that make you happy as an adult. The list included-writing with a nice pen, having plans cancelled, freshly cleaned sheets, eating the corner brownie, cleaning the dryer lint screen, and sipping coffee in that brief time before anyone else wakes up. (Credit for the cartoon goes here) Of the 'weird' things listed which one makes you happiest? What is one more 'weird' thing you'd add to the list?

I can totally relate to all the things on the list except for the dryer screen one as we don't have a dryer. I think my favourite of the ones listed is writing with a nice pen, and if it's a pink one it's even better. What would I add?  Okay, this is going to sound really weird, but I would add the rasp of a cat's tongue when they lick something off your finger.

4. What's the last good thing you ate?

Just before I started this blog post I had a coffee and a lovely ANZAC Biscuit that I bought at the Mountain Cafe in Aviemore. The owner and head chef, Kj, is a fellow antipodean though she is from New Zealand. An ANZAC is an oaty biscuit which Kj adds seeds and fruit to and it's delicious.

5. Describe life in your 20's in one sentence.

Finished my nurse training in Tasmania, visited the south pacific islands and the USA before working in Saudi Arabia and then deciding to move to the UK where I fell in love with the man of my dreams. 
(The shorter version would be: Qualified, worked, travelled, and fell in love.)

6. Insert your own random thought here.

I love street art and when we were wandering around Inverness at the weekend we came across this delight in a side alley. Love the colours and creativity.

What were your twenties like for you? Before you go, make sure you hop over to Joyce's Blog and see what my fellow bloggers have come up with for their responses.

Until next time, be good, stay safe, and make sure you eat something delicious this week.

Pamela & Ken
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Small Sparks

Sparks is hosted by Annie at McGuffy's Reader (visit to see everyone else's sparks) and her words are the best to use to explain:

"I believe we are meant to be lights in this world. If we allow our light to shine, we can see where we are going. It is then that we can begin to truly see each other clearly. Together, we can light up the entire world!"

The aim is to post a positive quote, thought, poem, or verse. My contribution for today is about having the courage to make a change or start something new.

Pamela & Ken
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Friday's Friendly Fill Ins

It's Friday so it's time for the friendly fill ins which are set by Annie at McGuffy's Reader and Ellen at 15andmeowing.com. The words in purple are the prompts that are provided and then the rest is me.

1. My guiding word for 2018 is write. Allow my creative words out and put my thoughts and feelings down on paper - that's where the best poetry and prose comes from. It doesn't matter if no one else ever reads it, but it's important to get those words out there.

2. A house is not a home without a cat (is that too predictable?). I always had a cat when I was growing up, and even when I left home my cat Tiddles was still at mum and dad's so it was like I still had a cat. When Ken and I got married it took us five years until we were renting a flat where we were allowed to get a pet, and we got our first two babies - Muffin Monster and Princess Cookie Cat. (We miss Muffin so much).

Muffin

Cookie

3. I look forward to seeing what exciting things my beloved and I find to do this year. 

Blog post: Seeing How the Other Half Live at Harrods

4.  I really need to walk more, because it's good for me. I've downloaded Map My Walk onto my phone and it's a great motivator as it keeps track of the route you took and how far it is. Here's our walk from new years day.

What makes a house a home for you? Before you go, make sure you hop over to McGuffy's Reader to see what my fellow bloggers have come up with for their answers.

Until next time, be good, stay safe, and make sure you have some moments of calm this weekend.

Pamela & Ken
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P.S: Today Princess Cookie Cat received a parcel from the USA - it was some lovely homemade cat toys from the tooth fairy (aka Ellen from 15andmeowing.com). Cookie was loving them and got very spaced out - thank you so much Ellen.

Top Ten Thursday - Fun Things in 2018

This weeks top ten is about the fun things we want to do in this new year of 2018. Thanks as always to Tamara from Part-time Working Hockey Mom for hosting this fun weekly blog challenge. This top ten sort of coincides with the theme I chose for one of my beloved's Christmas presents - I made up a diary for him with things booked throughout the year for us to do together. This is the front page of the diary that I coloured for him.

Here's my top ten:

1. Find a recipe for vegetarian marshmallows and learn how to make them (I love marshmallows and miss them - you can buy them but not as easily).

2. Go wild swimming in a Scottish loch.

3. Have more picnics.

4. Enter some baking in the Nairn Country Show - Ken has to as well, we're going to see if either of us get a prize.

5. Eat more ice cream. There are so many Italian ice cream shops in Scotland that it would be rude not to try them.

6. Visit more old graveyards - hours and hours of fun.

7. Visit more places in Scotland that we've never been before.

8. Have a campfire on the beach at night and roast marshmallows (see #1)

9. Go for more walks and hopefully find more interesting things like in the photo below.

10. Snuggle with my beloved any chance I get as that's always a fun thing to do.

What fun things have you got planned for this year? Before you go, hop over to Tamara's Blog and see what my fellow bloggers have come up with.

Until next time, be good, stay safe, and make sure you have fun in the next week.

Pamela & Ken
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Hodgepodge Resolutions

The first hodgepodge of the year and of course the theme is what 2018 brings for us all and what we want to leave behind in 2017. The hodgepodge is hosted and questions set by Joyce at the blog From This Side of the Pond - do visit to see what my fellow bloggers have come up with for their answers.

New Years Day - Happy 2018 from both of us.

1. It's that time of year again...time for Lake Superior University to present a list of words (or phrases) they'd like to see banished (for over-use, mis-use, or genera uselessness) in 2018. You can read more about the decision making process and word meaning here, but this year's top vote getters are-

unpack, dish (as in dish out the latest rumor), pre-owned, onboarding/offboarding, nothingburger, let that sink in, let me ask you this, impactful, Cofefe, drill down, fake news, hot water heater (hot water doesn't need to be heated), and gig economy

Which of these words/phrases would you most like to see banished from everyday speech and why? Is there a word not on the list you'd like to add?

I'd never heard of a nothing burger, and now that I've looked it up, that's the one I want to get rid of. The Urban Dictionary describes it as: something lame, dead-end, a dud, insignificant; especially something with high expectations that turns out to be average, pathetic, or overhyped.

One that I would love to get rid of is 'feel it in my water' - such an awful saying and I think it's a very British one as I'd never heard it before I moved here. My beloved would love to get rid of 'at this moment in time', 'cooking with gas', and all management speak like 'blue sky thinking'.


2. What's something you need to get rid of in the new year?

 I really need to go through my clothes and take the ones I don't wear to charity. There's not too many, but there are things in my wardrobe that I've either fallen out of love with, or they don't fit properly anymore, so I must motivate myself to do the dreaded cull.

3. Where do you feel stuck?

Sometimes I feel really stuck in my creativity - I think it's because I'm my own worst critic and tend to not be very happy with what I do.

4. January is National Soup Month. When did you last have a bowl of soup? Was it made from scratch or from a can? Your favorite canned soup? Your favorite soup to make from scratch on a cold winter's day?

Had lentil soup from a can at the weekend. My all time favourite canned soup is Heinz Cream of Tomato - it's a real comfort thing to have it with buttered toast. My favourite soup to make from scratch is sweet potato and coconut.

5. Tell us one thing you're looking forward to in 2018.

Spending more time with my beloved exploring this beautiful land and discovering new things.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

On new years day we went for a long walk along the beach at Findhorn Bay and there was a surprising number of people and dogs out enjoying the freezing cold weather. When we'd walked past the crowds and was much further along the beach we saw a man get down on one knee and propose to his girlfriend - so romantic and sweet proposing on the first day of a new year. 

Have you made any resolutions for this year, and are there any things that you definitely want to leave in the old year? Whatever comes your way we hope that your year has moments of joy, peace, and love.

Pamela & Ken
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First sunset of the new year.

Caring Sparks

Sparks is hosted by Annie at McGuffy's Reader (visit to see everyone else's sparks) and her words are the best to use to explain:

"I believe we are meant to be lights in this world. If we allow our light to shine, we can see where we are going. It is then that we can begin to truly see each other clearly. Together, we can light up the entire world!"

The aim is to post a positive quote, thought, poem, or verse. My contribution for the first day of a new year is something that I'm always telling other people to do - to take care of themselves. We often forget this in the busyness of life, me as well, so here's our gentle reminder for the year ahead.

Pamela & Ken

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