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
