Tag: winter (Page 1 of 2)

Fun? What Fun?

08/07/2025 / Maureen / 2 Comments

Today’s blog post is supposed to be about something that is fun. Normally, I could come up with a lot of things to write about on that topic, but not today.

Life was sailing along smoothly: no problems, not too much to worry about. nothing much out of the ordinary, until a few days ago.

I can’t even remember what day it happened. Was it Sunday? Yesterday? Actually, it could have been even earlier than that because time seems to have stood still.

Whatever day it was, by mid-morning I realised something was wrong. My usual allergy to just about anything that moves outside my building was in overdrive. I couldn’t stop sneezing, and my head hurt every time I coughed, which was too often. And by that night, the reality sunk in. Somehow, I, who never gets sick, had a cold.

My bedroom lamp turns itself on (with the help of Alexa and a Smart Switch) at 9 pm every night. I beat Alexa that night and was in bed by 8 pm, which is a recipe for disaster because I normally only need 5-6 hours sleep a night. If I’m asleep before 9 pm, I’m going to be wide awake at some crazy hour of the morning. And that’s exactly what happened, Not that my sleep until then was peaceful, but there I was, wide awake at 3 am.

I lost count of how many times I trudged to the kitchen for a glass of water, followed by trips to the bathroom (because that’s what happens when you drink a whole lot of water). And so, the next day, and possibly the day after, depending on which day it all started, have been no fun at all. My constant companions have been a box of tissues, my water bottle, and a bucketload of feeling sorry for myself.

Between coughing, sneezing, and sleeping (yep, me who never sleeps through the day), my blog posts were the furthest thing from my mind. Until now. Perhaps I’m coming out of the doldrums and moving back into some kind of ‘better’. Not 100% better, just a whole lot better.

This blog is about how not to have fun – it’s simple, just catch a cold.

Healing, With Nature’s Gift for Body and Mind

06/07/2025 / Maureen / 12 Comments

I sit on my balcony, while my fingers tap out the words of this blog; my laptop poised precariously as I recline on my comfy bench seat. The sun above hangs in a perfectly cloudless blue sky, a distinct contrast to the grey sky of a few hours ago..

The ocean beyond the highway in front of me mirrors the blue of the sky above. Whales, on their migration north, mark their presence as they breach close to the horizon.

It is winter in my part of the world, the East Coast of Australia, but winter here feels more like autumn.

The dramas of yesterday are gone; vanished as quickly as the flash of inspiration recently lost on a busy day. My mind is focused on my writing; there is no room for worries, at least for a while. Even the noise from the busy highway between my balcony and the ocean can’t take away from the absolute bliss of being under the warm winter sun.

My body absorbs the Vitamin D; my mood is elevated; my soul is calm.

My body and mind heal naturally on this perfect winter’s day.

Fall!

07/10/2018 / Maureen / 14 Comments

Here in Australia, we call it Autumn, not Fall. And where I live, there are no extreme differences between any of the seasons. Autumn is recognisable by the array of leaves on the ground, and being able to sleep comfortably at night for the first time in months. And yes, Autumn does signal colder days to come, but nothing like the cold days of the Northern Hemisphere.

In some parts of Australia, like Central Queensland (CQ), there are seemingly only two seasons: Hot and Cold. But in Melbourne, you can have all four seasons in one day (or, so the saying goes…).

Kids Don’t Feel The Cold!

Out in Central Queensland, it would be hot one day, and then cold the next. That’s how you would know it was winter. Autumn had been by-passed – there was no in-between. Just hot, and cold. I’m not talking – Northern Hemisphere big-heavy-coat-cold, just an extra-layer-of-jumper cold.

When I was teaching in Queensland, the only sign of winter, as demonstrated by most of the students, was the addition of a jumper (sweater) early in the morning. They still wore shorts! Some of them would pass an occasional remark about how cold it was, but didn’t connect wearing shorts, to feeling cold. Long pants seemingly got in the way of running fast at recess. And by lunchtime, the jumper would either be safely stowed in their bag or lost in the playground; usually the latter.

A beautiful Autumn day in Murwillumbah NSW

Cold One Day – Hot The Next

And the reverse occurred at the other end of the season. Cold one day, and hot the next. The only sign of Spring was the emergence of new buds on trees. But temperature-wise? – hot!

I can’t account for other parts of Australia because my experience is limited (mostly) to Queensland and the northern end of New South Wales. However – there are places in Southern parts of our beautiful Australian landscape that apparently have distinct seasons. Trees put on seasonal colours that are seemingly spectacular, and the early morning chill creeps in and warns of colder days to come. Nice places to visit – but I wouldn’t want to live there.

The Beautiful Fall Colours of Boston

Speaking of nice places to visit, one of the most memorable journeys I have taken, was Boston US, in November. I was mesmerised by the beauty of the Fall colours. A travel-buddy that I had met while on the cruise from Southampton UK, shared my enthusiasm. On a bus from the cruise ship, to and from Salem, we must have driven the Fall-hardened passengers crazy. We (two Aussies) darted from one side of the bus to the other, cameras poised, trying to capture every golden leaf along the way. It was spectacular!

This photo doesn’t do justice to the beauty of the Fall trees in Boston

Do we have spectacular Autumns (Falls) here in Australia? Yes! But not where I live. Beautiful – yes – but not Boston-type spectacular. Would I swap where I live for a place that has distinct seasons? Probably not. I love the way our seasons just ease gently into each other here in Northern New South Wales.

Oh, and yes, I did turn my heater on last winter – about three times, I think. And only for about an hour each time.

And that’s the way I like it!

Day 10 – UBC – 10 Shades of Winter

15/07/2018 / Maureen / 4 Comments

Bears hibernate in winter, and so do I. At the end of Autumn I snuggle under a thick blanket, and I don’t peep out from under the covers until the first signs of Spring. While the 10 shades of winter are making their presence felt outside, I stay inside, where it is snug and warm.

The 10 Shades of Winter!

cold!
naked trees (barely a leaf in sight)
frost on the ground
ice, on any flat surface that bares itself to the elements
drab, dreary colours
so many layers of clothing – you feel like the Michelin man
days that are too short and nights that are too long
hot (healthy) soup, instead of ice-cream (just kidding)
hot chocolate instead of milkshakes
cold!

Luckily, I live in the northern rivers area of New South Wales, where winters aren’t too bad. Yes, they can be cold, but this year the winter has been mild. So I have ventured out, a little, but usually late in the morning, and I make sure I’m home before dark, because that’s when the cold sets in.

And as for hibernation? While the 10 shades of winter are out there, I’m in here, snuggled under a blanket – or two.

Will someone wake me up when Spring arrives?

Only when the 10 shades of winter have disappeared, and Spring is here, will I be ready to come out.

My second Seattle home: The RedWing Cafe

And The Sun Came Out Today At RedWing Cafe

21/12/2017 / Maureen / 0 Comments

The Long Way To RedWing Cafe Coffee

Because there is no rain (yet) and to prove that RedWing Cafe coffee isn’t the only thing I think about, I actually took a slightly longer way to the RedWing Cafe this morning. The comparative warmth of the sun peeking through some dark clouds in the distance, and lighter ones close by, made it an easy choice to take longer to get there. In the process, I took some photos of the beauty of this part of Seattle. We’re staying at Ranier Beach and almost every direction we take as we leave the house has a fabulous view of the water.

The view from Cooper Street

There are so many things along the way that seem unusual for this time of year, apart from the weather of course. I didn’t get a photo of it, but there is a huge Holly bush in a front garden on 61st Avenue S. When I say unusual, I mean it would be ‘unusual’ in my part of the world, but very ordinary in this hemisphere. Trees stripped bare of their leaves; holly bushes; cloudy skies; cold weather; ivy climbing across buildings; moss and wet leaves underfoot. Nothing that we would expect to see this close to Christmas in the Land Down Under, but here, it just looks and feels like winter. Coupled with the sights and sounds of Christmas all around, the winter scenery brings to life all the Christmas Cards ever sent or received.

View from the end of 63rd Avenue

What Better Way To Spend Winter Than Reading

On long, cold winter days there is nothing better than being snuggled up somewhere warm, with coffee in one hand and good book in the other. The trend towards community libraries is something I have noted lately in Australia and it is certainly a big deal here. Conveniently close to the RedWing Cafe is a cute little library that people can borrow from or share books with.

Borrow a book or leave one to share

And Now, The Coffee…

I could have spent hours taking photos of interesting things along the way, but my first RedWing Cafe coffee of the day beckoned. The usual 15 minute walk had dragged out to almost 25 minutes and I was starting to feel the first signs of caffeine withdrawal. So, with my camera securely stowed in my bag, I soldiered on down the last hill. As I turned the corner from Water Street S into 57th Ave S, the RedWing Cafe sign stood out like a beacon on a starless night. I had arrived.

My second Seattle home: The RedWing Cafe

Yes, the sun is actually out; it just looks a bit dreary because the ground is still wet from the recent rain. First task: order the coffee and some coffee cake. Luckily, my favourite table was empty so I made my way over, taking the first layer off as I walked. With coat securely hung on the peg, I retrieved my iPad from the bag.

Coat securely hung on the peg; I’m ready to write

Once my iPad was set up, I had to decide whether to peel off another layer.

Decision made: I’ll just leave my outer jumper on. I’ll wait until the warmth of the coffee warms me from the inside before stripping back to the long-sleeved t.shirt.

With iPad set up, there is only thing left to do

Without coffee, nothing gets written. Period. (Nancy Kress)

That’s better!

And now, with coffee and cake safely delivered, I’m ready to start writing.

Life is good!

Seattle – The New Adventure

18/12/2017 / Maureen / 2 Comments

“I am not the same, having seen the moon shine on the other side of the world.” – Mary Anne Radmacher

In an attempt to see the moon shine (not to be confused with ‘moonshine’) on the other side of the world again, I had to get ready to go, again. Leading up to the big day I seemed to lack the motivation to pack and get organised. Why? Still tired from the last big trip maybe? The thought of experiencing my third winter for the year? I really don’t know, but it seemed a huge effort and I have no idea how it all came about, but there I was on departure day, packed and sitting at Gate 82 Brisbane Airport waiting to board a flight to Seattle.

Outward Bound

Departure Day – Seattle Adventure

The day I left was interesting to say the least. I’m usually in the city of departure on the night before an International flight, but not this time. I broke all my own rules by agreeing to stay on the north side of the city. It seemed feasible at the time, but it wasn’t without its moments of absolute terror as I contemplated what could go wrong in the process of getting to the airport on time. The biggest fear was relying on others to get me there. I normally travel under my own steam, but the generosity of Ricky and Sally prevailed and I succumbed to the offer to stay the night and have them drive me to the airport the next day.

To take my mind off what could happen, I spent the morning at the local cafe with my two granddaughters, sharing girl-talk over coffee and a late breakfast. By the time we got home there were some chores to do, another attempt to know exactly what was in my backpack and more importantly, which pocket it was stowed in, and finally another shower before putting on the semi-warm clothes I’d need for my arrival into cold Seattle. Before I knew it Sally had arrived to help me load my luggage into the car and start the journey. First stop, meet Ricky at Nundah railway station; second stop, the Royal Hotel at Nundah for a superb Italian dinner; third stop, the airport. It all worked like clock-work so I needn’t have worried.

Christmas spirit at Brisbane International Airport

Luggage – Safely Delivered!

With my bags safely labelled and whisked away on the conveyor belt, I made my way to the next challenge – the part that alerts the Government to the fact that you are about to leave the country, which country(s) you are defecting to and how long you will be away.

I miss the face of Customs and Immigration – the human element that would smile as they stamped your passport with place and date of departure, but I certainly don’t miss it at the end of the journey as you made your way home. No matter how much you declared every wooden souvenir you were bringing home, you still lived in fear of having missed something that the ever-alert Customs Officer would so easily find. I worked very hard at not having that ‘guilty’ look that Custom’s Officer’s are trained so well to detect. Interacting with a piece of paper is so much easier. Fill out the form, declare everything, and smile for the camera – Welcome Home!

Departure time – Brisbane Airport

I love that you leave the Customs area via the Duty Free area, but I still can’t get used to seeing a packet of Tim Tams sell for four times as much as in the supermarket – all in the name of Duty Free – no doubt. It seems the humble Tim Tam has acquired equal status to Vegemite as the quintessential Australian icon.

Seattle, Here I Come!

But first, a two-hour stopover in Honolulu – that turned out to be a lot longer than I anticipated, but you’ll have to read about that in the Sequel to follow….