It’s really quite cold here now and the snow is very evident on the main range in the distance, so grab a cuppa, make yourself comfortable and settle in for a chat! Are you warm enough? Let’s take a break and look back over the month of June together.
TIME
As you know, TIME is my word of the year and I’m well aware of how fast it goes! But where does it go??
Last month was full of fun but I think this month has been extra special.
Time is free
But it’s priceless
You can’t own it
But you can use it
You can’t keep it
But you can spend it
Once you’ve lost it
You’ll never get it back
Harvey Mackay
My monthly wrap-up posts for the year will all have a similar flavour, taking into account the TIME theme.
TRAVEL, CYCLING and FAMILY – TIME
June was a month of travelling. In fact we managed to drive approximately 4079km in just a few weeks. We visited our daughter and son-in-law in Brisbane which is quite a long way from our little town of Tumbarumba in the Snowy Mountains of NSW
We took our time and visited towns on the way which we’ve never been to before – Forbes, The Dish at Parkes, Coonabarabran, Moree, Goondiwindi, Toowoomba.
As well as driving over 4000km we also rode our bikes over 300km – in shorts and t-shirts!! I just had to add that in because it will be some time before I’m back wearing shorts and t-shirts. Winter in Queensland is not the same as winter where I live!!
We cycled along the beach front, on shared pathways next to railway lines and through peaceful bush landscapes.
We also took time out to visit other areas to go riding on our bikes – Blackbutt and Benarkin on the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail system and then Kingaroy, Wondai and Murgon for some riding on the South Burnett Rail Trail.
We had fun with our youngest daughter celebrating her birthday, going to the movies, shopping, eating out and just hanging together.
We loved our few days at Noosa and even went swimming at the beach on the Winter Solstice. Not a bad effort for winter in Australia!
On our way home we stopped in to see our daughter and son-in-law in Canberra, and of course baby Emilia. It was so good to catch up with them and we went to Wiggle and Giggle at the local library – it was so much fun singing songs and doing all the actions with Emilia on my knee. I loved it!
BLOGGING – TIME
My now, not-so-new Friday Feature, is where I share various bits that have made me laugh or cry during the week, and they’re fun posts to compile. I find I’m taking more notice of things that are going on around me. I’ve been heartened with the response I’ve been getting too, so thank you to all my faithful readers for your continued support, ideas and suggestions. I can’t believe I’m up to #17 this week! Where does the time go?
I was featured in Denyse’s Women of Courage series – which related to this post about Surviving a tragic school excursion
I was also honoured to be mentioned in Leanne’s post about her favourite Aussie midlife bloggers.
I’m also thrilled to be joining Sue from Sizzling Towards 60 and Beyond, as a co-host for #JournalinginJuly – a monthly journal prompt each day and a compilation post every Saturday throughout July. You can read more here – Journal Ideas in July
During my trip up north I managed to meet up with Sue – in case you missed the photo of us together, here it is again.
As I said last month, I’m no longer working so I find that blogging fills in quite a few gaps in my life. I’m thinking of areas like creativity, socially, technology, problem solving, time management and to top it all of, it’s a lot of fun.
WINTER PHOTOGRAPHY- TIME
Please note this is winter in Queensland!!!
READING – TIME
I have read a number of good books lately and thought I’d share my top two reads for the month of June.
Hope – by Terry Tyler
I found this book to be riveting! I just love the first sentence – We haven’t elected a Prime Minister, we’ve elected a lifestyle. It was almost too close to the truth at times, with #GuyMo and #MoMo, despite being set well into the future. Read the blurb from Goodreads below to see if it would be your cup of tea. Terry is a blogger as well as an author and I’ll be looking at her other books now!
‘We haven’t elected a Prime Minister, we’ve elected a lifestyle’.
As the fourth decade of the 21st century looms, new PM Guy Morrissey and his fitness guru wife Mona (hashtag MoMo) are hailed as the motivational couple to get the UK #FitForWork, with Mona promising to ‘change the BMI of the nation’.
Lita Stone is an influential blogger and social media addict, who watches as Guy and Mona’s policies become increasingly ruthless. Unemployment and homelessness are out of control. The solution? Vast new compounds all over the country, to house those who can no longer afford to keep a roof over their heads.
These are the Hope Villages, financed by US corporation Nutricorp.
Lita and her flatmates Nick and Kendall feel safe in their cosy cyberspace world. Unaware of how swiftly bad luck can snowball, they suspect little of the danger that awaits the unfortunate, behind the carefully constructed mirage of Hope.
Red Leaves – by Paullina Simons
This was recommended by my daughter and was my first Paullina Simons book. I enjoyed it and found it to be an intriguing story but not always believable. I went on to read another one by the same author, The Girl in Times Square which I enjoyed. I tried another one, Road to Paradise, but I just couldn’t get into it and gave up!
On a New England college campus, the naked body of a beautiful student is found frozen in a bank of snow. Why had she not even been reported missing by her friends?
Spencer O’Malley, the police detective assigned to the case, is soon drawn into the strange world of four friends, Jim, Conni, Albert and Kristina. O’Malley finds that these children of privilege who played, studied, and occasionally slept together also kept secrets of their own, secrets that must be pieced together to form an entirely new picture.
O’Malley is a stranger in this Ivy League environment, yet he feels an affinity with the victim. In her death, he gradually discovers the truth of her mysterious and complex life, and each revelation is more shocking than the last.
Suspenseful, claustrophobic and utterly compelling, Red Leaves puts Paullina Simons in the very front rank of contemporary writers.
THAT’S A WRAP – WE’RE OUT OF TIME!
If this your first time reading my monthly wrap-up posts or even the first time you’ve read my blog – a huge welcome to you.
To all my regular readers many thanks for your continued support and encouragement through comments, likes and shares. I love our blogging community and I’m a very Grateful Blogger!
Thanks for the chat, I’ve enjoyed your company as always 🙂
Wishing you all the best for July. Let me know what you’re up to and stay warm!
Deb xx
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I’m still catching up on some of my blog reading. June sounds like it was a fun and busy month. Great that you got to travel north, read, watch movies and live life. The book Hope sounds interesting. The only Paulina Simons book I’ve read is Tully and I didn’t find it believeable all the time either so never bothered reading any more. Hope you have a fab July { which I’m aware is coming to a close!}
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Thanks so much, yes it’s almost over but it’s been a good month too!
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So impressed with the activity you enjoyed during the month. Bravo on the bike riding. Just had a tune up done on my bike and have started enjoying riding again. Always hard for me to imagine that you all are going into winter as we welcome summer. Yay for enjoying wiggles and giggles with your baby doll.
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Thanks so much Leslie, it’s the best feeling being a grandma! I’m so happy to hear you’re going out riding, it’s a fun way to exercise and I love it. Yes I look at all your stories and photos and envy you your warm weather at the moment. We’re expecting snow this weekend. I love reading your updates too!!
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I went to Brisbane in June but the it was raining kangaroos and koalas! But you’re right, winter in Queensland is usually like summer in most other places! Looks like your June was full of family, fun and adventures – that’s a winning combination in my book. Lovely pic of you and Sue, it’s so lovely catching up with friends in the computer in real life!
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Yes Sam I think we were lucky we left just as the rain started. It was a really good month with catching up with family and friends like Sue!
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Family, travel and challenging exercise – what a great month. I am intrigued about ‘Red Leaves’ too. I have a love hate relationship with Paullina Simmons’ novels. They are addictive but the main characters can be challenging to warm up to.
SSG xxx
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I totally agree about the main characters being a bit hard to warm to. I did try to get into them and persevered through. Thanks 🙂
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Love the ‘time’ theme and what a great June. Yes, we can’t really complain about our winter here in Qld. I wouldn’t be swimming though!
I love the balance you’ve achieved in your month. You make me realise I need to make more of my ‘time’ and be more grateful!
And I was supposed to do the Journalling in June and did day 1 (and was going to post it as a blog post) but it was too wallow-ish so I shelved it!
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Thanks for your comment Deb, it was a good balance throughout the month. It can be hard to make more of our time and to be grateful but it’s worth a try every now and again. Hope things are working out for you 🙂
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Looks like you had a marvellous time in sunny Qld. I’m up there soon. Love your take on time – it’s a gift all right.
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Thanks Chris, I agree, it’s a great gift we can’t take for granted! Enjoy the warmth up there, we had a ball!
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Your posts are always so joyful, Deb and bring sunshine to my day. What a lovely June you had and it was so special to be able to catch up with you. You certainly did so much and mother/daughter time is so important isn’t it? Elliot has just started going to Rhyme Time and just loves the music. Here’s to a fabulous July as we hurtle towards the second half of the year! Thanks for sharing at #MLSTL and enjoy the rest of your week. xx
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Oh that’s such a lovely comment thank you Sue! I really enjoyed my mother/daughter time and special time with my baby granddaughter. Yes we are certainly hurtling into the second half of the year a fast rate!! Thanks for your friendship and the #mlstl linkup. xx
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How true that once time is lost and can never be retrieved. Sounds like you had a great month. Mine was a little mundane.
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Thanks Chris, it was so much fun but I think July will be a bit calmer and more sombre as we remember a few loved ones lost in July in years gone by.
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Funny how lots of things happen together, not funny haha in this case, but good that you have a lot of memorials together for remembrance.
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Hi Deb,
You have certainly covered a lot of ground lately. And it always takes me by surprised when you start with comments about the weather getting colder…we are really starting to heat up here!
And Time, this is the second post I have read today about the passage of time. I find that as I grow older I am becoming more increasingly aware of its fleeting nature. Tomorrow is not promised, so it is so important to enjoy and take advantage of each moment and find what gives life meaning.
Lovely post.
#MLSTL
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Thanks Nancy, I know I am enjoying everyone’s posts and photos from your summery world! Tomorrow isn’t promised so it is vital we make the most of each day. Thanks again for your friendship.
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Revisiting via #MLSTL and thought I’d comment this time just to say I love that poem. And how it fits with your Time theme!
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Thanks again Pat, the poem is so true isn’t it and it fits perfectly with my word of the year.
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I have to admit that I thought it would be hard to find the name of a place that I liked that would be better than Tumbarumba. But I’ve got to tell you that Coonabarabran, Goondiwindi, and Toowoomba are right up there vying for the top spot!
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That’s made me smile Jennifer, right before I head to bed! Our Aussie names are great fun aren’t they? So happy you enjoyed them 🙂
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You went to the Eumundie markets!! Weren’t they amazing? We had a great few hours there when we did one of the day trip tours while we were in Qld in February. Nice to catch up on all your news in one place and of course you’d be in my top Aussie blogger list – and now you’re sharing a party with Sue – I’ll be checking in to read some of the posts each week. x
Thanks for linking up with us at MLSTL and I’ve shared on my SM 🙂
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Thanks sop much Leanne. I enjoy these monthly catch ups, it helps me put the month into some sort of perspective! I went to the markets in January for the first time and this time took my husband. He enjoyed them too! I’m looking forward to the linkup with Sue and seeing what people are writing for their #JournalinginJuly posts! xx
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Wow Debbie what a jam packed June you enjoyed. I’m very impressed with the cycling kms you were able to click over in Qld. Well done! And I love how you combine travel adventures with family catch ups. Oh, I can imagine the snow tipped mountains in the distance. Keep warm and best wishes for a wonderful July.
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Yes Estelle, it was a great way to spend time doing what we both love! It’s good having family spread around so we can stay in touch this way. Thanks for your lovely comment 🙂 all the best to you too.
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It’s always a wonderful time when you can see the family, especially the little ones! And I love the picture of you and Sue, it’s awesome that you were able to spend some time face to face! #MLSTL
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Thanks Candi, we both enjoyed our catchup!
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I really enjoyed seeing your updates from Qld. I seriously envy yours and hub’s commitment to fitness. Go you two. How wonderful to make memories with the family along the way. Thanks for the shout out re Women of Courage too.
Denyse #mlstl
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It was great fun sharing our adventures up north Denyse, and we like doing these types of things so we’ll continue a while longer. Today in contrast we’ve done some gardening together then retreated to the sunroom to read for a while. But my apple watch wanted me to do some exercise so I went for a lovely walk in the forest and got reacquainted with the trails. Always love giving shout outs 🙂
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Lovely to read this again…and yes the ‘bossy’ Apple watch sometimes is annoying… Thank you for linking up for #lifethisweek. Next week’s optional prompt is Self-Care Sharing Your Story. I hope you will consider linking up again. Denyse.
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Thanks so much Denyse, I enjoy the linkup each week, so it’s likely I’ll be back!
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Hi, Debbie – I was at the Eumundi Markets (in 2010). I was very excited to see them featured in your opening photo. So cool that you were able to meet up with Sue. I will be seeing her in Victoria this September. Still waiting for our turn to meet up. Your room is ready! 🙂
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I was at the markets for the first time in January this year with my mother so this was my second time and I thoroughly enjoyed the variety and talent of so many people. My husband actually enjoyed them too which was a bonus 🙂 .
I know! Sue told me she was meeting up with you later this year and I’m so envious, but happy for you both!! As long as my room is ready I’ll be happy 🙂
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That was a lovely brew you poured 🙂 Lovely to see you had a fun time in Queensland and I am impressed by all the cycling X
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Glad you enjoyed it!! The cycling was so good, relatively flat, scenic and in glorious weather. Now home and coping with lovely sunny days but cooler temps but no riding! x
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Cool nights and sunny days are great. At least you don’t have to contend with the humidity. Winter days are great for catching up on blogging and reading 🙂 x
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Apparently, June is s busy month whether it exists in winter or summer, Debbie! I’m glad you got some daughter time, so important and some time outdoors! And how fun to meet up with Sue! If I ever get to Australia, I will have quite a few bloggers to meet in person! Have a great week!
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Yep I think you’re right Terri, but then most months are busy for some reason. You’ll have heaps of us to visit when you come over to Aus!!
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I enjoyed reading your post! Lots of interesting reading from your trip, to books you read and your photos.
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Thanks so much, it’s a pleasure to get positive comments like this and it helps make it all worthwhile.
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Winter in Queensland looks warmer than summer in the UK! What a fun and action packed month you had.
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Yes I think you’re right about the weather in Queensland Deb! It was a great month full of fun and activity.
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Hi Deb,
Wow! you had a busy and enjoyable month of June. Nothing like travelling, by car or bike, being in close proximity to nature, getting to see new places! And if one can combine that with meeting our loved ones, what more to make it exciting!
— Pradeep | bpradeepnair.blogspot.com
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Thanks very much for your visit and comment, yes it was a very enjoyable month! Spending time with family always makes me happy 🙂
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You did so many interesting things. Loved reading. Good luck for the new month!
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Thanks very much, it really was a great month!
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I enjoyed following your road trip on Instagram. We did the opposite this time last year – road-tripped down to Tumba, Eucumbene and Canberra via the same towns. I’ve actually never read a Paullina Simons (how has that happened?) but the premise of Hope sounds like something I’d be interested in… Here’s cheers to July.
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Thanks Jo, it’s been great to have you following along and knowing the area helps too! Have a great July 🙂
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My you did have a busy time this month Deb. Sounds like you enjoyed every second of it.
My mother used to come out with lots of time related ‘snippets of wisdom’ – if I had a penny for every time she relayed them to me I’d be quite rich.
Usually female related and as a young person they made sense. Directed at a feisty young girl she’d come out with:-
‘Take time for all things – grow calm serene and gentle.
‘Be an individual – don’t follow the crowd – be yourself. In time it will all fall into place’
Looking forward to hearing how your July days go
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They’re great snippets of wisdom Cathy, what a wise woman your mother was!! I had a really fun month and I did enjoy every minute of it. Thanks so much for your visit and lovely comment.
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