Guest Blogger - Jacana

It's Tuesday and it is time for another getting to know you session in my guest blogger series.

If you missed my news about guest bloggers you can read about it here

If you'd like to participate please drop me a note to

nellie@mccarthydesigns.com.au

This week my guest blogger is Susan 

Susan's blog is Jacana and  having only recently found Susan's blog I really enjoyed getting to know her a bit better through this guest post, I hope you enjoy it too.

      Why did you start to blog and how long have you been blogging?

Michellefrom Home, Love and Life As I Live It is the person who is responsible for getting me hooked on blogging.  She use to be my neighbour. We both watched the Movie Julia and Julia around the same time and how she blogged her way through her goal. 

A few weeks later Michelle began her blog and then I began a blog called Dragonfly-Realisation.  I decided just like the movie Julia and Julia I would find a goal based around something that I loved and whilst I attempted to achieve the goal I would blog about it.  Dragonfly-realisation was about getting 365 books given out as travelling books in 365 days.  I am pleased to say I achieved this goal and possibly got a few children reading and save some books from landfill.

I enjoyed the blogging experience so much that I then started Jacana.  Jacana is a bird that I use to see every day when I lived in the north-west of Western Australia.  I use to think how amazing it was that this bird always looked like it was walking on water.  The locals use to call it the Jesus Bird.

What do you mainly blog about?

I blog about my thoughts, my dreams and my goals.  However if something that is happening in the world or around me that takes sparks my fascination, I also write about that.   I am a school teacher so I also blog about ideas from the classroom.  As a reader I also have a page in my blog of the books I have read so far this year.

However, I mainly blog about my goals.

Do you have a major goal and what is it?

I set myself a goal at the start of the year to attempt to make a few ripples in the world for the better (small delicate ripples, just like the Jacana Bird).  My goal is to do the things we all think about, but never get around to doing. A few examples of these type of things include, sponsoring a child in Cambodia, I joined the Kiva website and give loans to people around the world trying to make their life better (such as education, house, business etc) and I donate my time to a local charity story to name a few things. 

Another goal I am aiming for currently is to give more time to myself.  Get fitter, look better and do things that make me happy.   To change my attitude from putting myself last all of the time, like many of us women do.

Aiming to go from this

to something more like this  

Hence why you can now finds posts on my blog like how to dye your eyelashes at home.

What is your dream job?

So far in my life I have been a dental nurse, a shop attendant, a function co-ordinator, a tour guide, a flight attendant, a book keeper, a secretary, a remote mining camp manager, a beautician, a barmaid, a babysitter, a receptionist and an employment officer.  I enjoyed each and every position; however none of them were my dream job.

Five years ago I made the move to get my dream job. In my forty’s I went back to University and studied.   Which at times was a challenge because of my work in my husband’s business and I am a mother to 4 children, all who were still at home when I started my teaching degree.   I am now doing my dream job which is an upper primary school teacher.

What does a normal day for you look like?

A normal day is probably fairly boring to others but exhilarating to me.  It is filled with teaching children how to learn.  

  

What is the most used appliance on your kitchen?

My slow cooker

It is my dream machine.  It works like magic ..... In the morning I throw ingredients into it and I come home after school to a meal.  Da Da!    Right now it is turning ingredients into a pumpkin and leek soup.

Do you buy things for your house because they are pretty or because they are functional?

I am Miss Functional.  I usually, only purchase items for the home that are needed and serve a purpose. 

However if you look hard enough in my home you can see glimpses of some pretty things that show who we are.

A statue that goes on display every time our son who is with the Australian Army is sent to a war zone.  She recently stood as a reminder for over 14 months whilst he served in Afghanistan.

  

There are signs of my love and fasination of dragonflies.

  

Small signs of my husband’s fascination with Budda from our many trips to Asia

Are you a homebody or a traveller?

We are definitely travellers.  Our passports have more stamps than our children’s exercise books from school.   We have plans in place to eventually base our home in Kuala Lumpur. 

Each year my husband and I take time out to travel overseas together.  We have a fascination with Asia.  So far I have spent a lot of time in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, New Zealand and Japan.   I have also spent a little time in Indonesia. 

At times we also travel for work, my Husband’s business.  This mainly takes us to our favourite country China.

I backpacked Australia as a teenager.  Also having previously having been a flight attendant for Ansett Airlines I am very well travelled in Australia.  I have also lived and worked all in every state of Australia, except Tasmania. 

As I am married to a work-a-holic, so the children’s school holidays are left to me and them.  I have taken my children north in a campervan for a long holiday and south by car for short weekend trips.  They have also been to Queensland with me.  I plan on taking my daughter to Melbourne this year for some mother and daughter time.

All of my children have been overseas.  Two have a fascination with Europe and have done university exchange programmes there.  And of course my son, the soldier has seen the worst places on earth.

We are definitely a family of travellers.

How do you relax?

I work hard so that I can afford to travel.  When I am travelling, I am relaxed.

Where do you get your inspiration from?

I live in a town that is on the ocean’s doorstep in the south west of Western Australia, south of Perth.  I find this place is full of inspiration, even on a grey winter’s day.

Thanks Susan, it was such a pleasure hosting you today as my guest

Please pop over and say hi to Susan she has a lovely blog that I am sure you will enjoy.

I would love for you to join in and be my guest just email me to

nellie@mccarthydesigns.com.au

xx