Living a Bold Life
Posted on by Debbie

A #BOLD takeover in September

Hello to all the bold and beautiful people out there!

My Word of the Year (#WOTY) for 2021 is BOLD. You can read my original post here – 60 years old and feeling BOLD – which sets the scene for my year. My monthly updates can all be found here!

How’s my bold year going so far?

It’s been a weird year in many ways hasn’t it? I still can’t believe we are getting so close to the end of the year, and I’m desperately hoping things start to get better from now on. I have to say September was a much better month than August, and I embraced a takeover with the advent of Spring!

This comment was left by Denyse on my post last month, to me it sums up my midlife adventure just perfectly, and she kindly gave me permission to use it.

Checking the waves

We’re expert body surfers Deb, going with the waves and not fighting them!

Showcasing my bold photo for September

Each month I try to have a photo that shows boldness. Instead of one photo from the month, I’ve included a gallery of my favourite nature photos which I took during September – in my view, nature is bold in so many ways we can only hope for. The colours, the textures, the light, the randomness…

  • raindrops on green leaves
  • rainbow over Tumbarumba
  • painted sunset sky
  • heart shaped cloud

There is no better designer than nature.

Alexander McQueen

So how did September go for being bold?

My words for BOLD this month are Bikes, Orange, Looking (back) and Dashing – let’s see how they played a role in the month.

Bikes – I am known as a bike rider, nothing special or competitive, but just for fun. I used to take my daughters out for rides in the baby seat on the back of my bike when we were all a lot younger, and now I ride for fun and fitness. I have an electric bike which gives me the added bonus of helping me up the hills when I need assistance – it is just brilliant and all my friends now have them too so we have fun social rides along our rail trail.

This month my Rotary Club took delivery of two trioBikes, an electric bike with front facing seats for two people (with seatbelts), a cover for inclement weather, a bright red fleecy blanket to keep passengers warm and rechargeable batteries. We are now training volunteer pilots (person riding the bike) to enable them to take aged, people with disabilities or those unable to ride a bike for whatever reason, out on our rail trail so they too can feel the wind in their hair! These trikes aren’t cheap coming in at $16000 each and we raised money from our local Rotary Club, our community, grant funding and donations from generous people. There will be no charge to those being taken for a ride 🙂 and we can’t wait to get out there and share the trail with these senior citizens who used to catch the train to Wagga Wagga when it was still running. They will enjoy seeing what’s been done to make the old railway line a user friendly activity for all ages.

I was lucky to be a volunteer passenger on the trial run with some other friends, and we called it the Granny Tour! It was a lot of fun.

Granny Deb and Papa G on the triobike
Granny Deb and Papa G on the triobike, I got the easy job!

Orange – We got a new car during September, although we’d ordered it at least 2 months beforehand. Things are taking a while to arrive during Covid! When we were deciding which car to buy, they told us one was arriving in the next delivery that might suit our needs. It was a Sport model Subaru Forester, white with orange trim!!!!! Well anyone who knows me, knows that at that very moment I was sold on it and even the Mathematician rolled his eyes and said – of course it has orange trim! I am a lover of colour as I’ve written about many times and just this month I wrote another post about this very subject for a #SundayStills prompt.

Anyway the new car still has that delightful new car smell and is a delight to drive with the orange touches adding that something special je ne sais quoi – the only problem is that due to everywhere we want to go being in lockdown, we can’t actually drive it anywhere!

new car
Our new car with delicious orange trim everywhere!

Looking back – It seems I’ve been BOLD for quite some time without even realising it! September had me looking back at memories of a fabulous trip we did with family 10 years ago this month. What a BOLD plan it was and it worked!!

It’s 10 years ago that we left UK on the Eurostar to meet up with family in Paris, a major feat of organisation on its own, stayed in amazing accommodation with our multi-generational family, enjoyed the high temperatures of an Indian summer in Paris, then hurtled off on a 2 week barge and bike tour from Paris to Bruges – with my parents (and did I mention dad had Parkinson’s Disease?). I wrote a post about this trip, a few years ago and it is still so fabulous to read it, to relive those wonderful times. It’s also sad in its own way as dad passed away 3 years ago and often said that trip was one of the best holidays he’d ever been on. I agree with dad – best.trip.ever!I wonder if my children will take me on a cycling tour when I’m in my early 70s? Start planning now girls 🙂

First day of cycling
Family in Paris
Mum and Dad in Paris 2011
Saying goodbye in Paris 2011

Dashing – I dashed to town to do some jobs recently and decided to pop in to my favourite cafe for a quick hot chocolate and a quiet sit down on my own. As I entered the cafe, two of the staff immediately complimented me on my attire, telling me I was the coolest Granny they knew and they wanted to be like me when they were my age!

In case you’re wondering what I was wearing to get this reaction, I had on jeans, my orange top with the pink star as featured in my Bold post in July, my orange converse sneakers which were in my January Bold post and a big happy smile on my face! It really made my day, and I’m getting better at accepting a compliment!

Now I know that dashing is usually attributed to men who would ‘cut a dash’ but I’m using it in this context because I’m feeling bold and dashing is another word for bold according to the Mathematician’s crossword dictionary!

  • orange converse sneakers
    orange converse sneakers
  • Bold jumper
    Bold jumper

What else did I get up to in September?

  • We celebrated my granddaughter’s 3rd birthday with a Zoom party, as my daughter’s family was in lockdown. It was a coordinated part time wise, so relatives in England and around Australia could join in. Although it was fun, it wasn’t the same as bing there. I still have some birthday presents for her, just waiting for the day we can be together in person.
  • Participated in a daily one word photo challenge with Denyse over on Instagram and I enjoyed the challenge of finding a photo for each word every day. I blogged a weekly summary Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4
  • I exercised more regularly, joining a group of friends for an online session twice a week and making sure I ran, walked or cycled on the days in between.
  • Read a lot of books as it rained a lot during the month – and I just love reading! It helped that we were in lockdown for much of the month too.
  • Had a cooking catchup with my online bookclub where we made Bakewell Tart slice together over Zoom, after finishing our discussion of Anne Bronte’s The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. It was delicious and so easy to make – luckily it froze well as there was a lot of it!
Bakewell Tart Slice
Bakewell Tart Slice

Sunday Stills – Sports and Hobbies

I’m including this post as my #SundayStills post as it seems to cover most of my hobbies really well:

  • Exercising: walking, bike riding, running (I’m building myself up to start running more). I mention many of these activities in my posts.
  • Rotary – As mentioned in this post I am a member of our local Rotary Club and love helping the community, being involved in projects like these trikes, and being a part of an international volunteer service club, with the motto of Service Above Self.
  • Photography – usually with my iPhone – I always include my photos in my posts and love sharing what I see around me. I also enjoy participating in photos challenges and seeing how others interpret the prompts. I like challenging myself to see things from a different perspective.
  • Reading – such a great hobby. I belong to two bookclubs, one local and one online with a small group of friends. I read a lot as it helps me escape into different worlds. I’m glad I’m not one who has been impacted by a reading slump during the pandemic, in fact I’d go as far to say I’m reading more than ever. I’m also proudly involved as a co-host in a monthly #Whatsonyourbookshelfchallege – we’d love to have you join us!
  • Blogging is a great hobby for me which I started back in 2012. I love the interaction, the engagement with others (like you) from around the world, the creativity we have, the sharing of knowledge and sometimes I even get to meet my favourite bloggers in real life!

I hope you’ve enjoyed my latest edition of Becoming Bold. Let me how you’re going at the moment, I’d love to have a chat with you.

Thanks for stopping by, I always appreciate your visits 🙂

Deb xx

Although not known for my gambling prowess I offer my trifecta +1 of blogging challenges I’m joining this week:

Terri’s Sunday Stills – All my Sunday Stills posts can be found here

Denyse’s #lifethisweek with the prompt Share your Snaps

I’m wondering if I can also link up for Becky’s #PastSquares as these photos all cover the past month and some are squares???

Natalie’s #weekendcoffeeshare

My favourite posts for the month of September have been:

You can also find Deb’s World in lots of other places – stay in touch by clicking any of the buttons below.

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Everyone has a story to tell!

Debbie - mother of a 40 year old

Deb is a young-at-heart & active 60+ blogger/retiree, after being made redundant from her 22-year career managing education programs in a men’s correctional centre (jail). She now spends her time reading, blogging, riding her ebike and travelling. Deb was awarded a Bravery Award from the Queen when she was 17 after a tragic accident – a definite life changing moment! She is married with 3 grown-up daughters & has 4 grandchildren. You can read more of Deb’s story here

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53 Replies to “A #BOLD takeover in September”

  5. Pingback: Sunday Stills Monthly Color Challenge: Burnt or Blood #Orange – Second Wind Leisure Perspectives

  6. Hi Deb. I had to think about it, but after the reaction the car with orange trim got, the orange shoes and tone of your life as I’ve read it through your posts, I’ve decided that “dashing” works just fine for you, In fact, it’s a bold use of the attribute and for you it just fits.

    A fun post. Thanks

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  8. WOW. Oh what a brilliant, comprehensive and BOLD post dear Deb. Thanks for the mentions. I totally get the colour and brightness thing. So much there to read and absorb. I went back to your post about the holiday and your dear dad’s death. What a time, indeed. I seem to recall finding your blog around that time of dad’s death and I think, another family member? And I recall thinking that IS a lot happening at once. Let’s hope you will be back in contact in real life with the family soon. This Sunday marks 16 weeks of lockdown for us. Sigh!!

    Great to have you link up for #lifethisweek. Next week, the optional prompt is Water. See you at Denyse Whelan Blogs then too I hope. Denyse.

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  9. For some reason, I’ve been fixated on orange as well . . .suddenly I have orange jewelry, lipstick, nail polish, flowers. What is it with that color? It’s a new favorite, and I don’t even look that good in it!

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  10. You certainly live up to your WOTY ‘Bold’ Deb! I love the orange trim in your new car and those sneakers and jumper are fabulous!

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  11. Such a lovely and uplifting post, Deb. It sounds like you’ve had a wonderful September and are truly embodying boldness. I love those orange cons! I don’t think they have any orange pairs anymore. I need to remember to link up this month to your bookish link up. Hope you have a wonderful week ahead!

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  12. Thanks for sharing your bold month of September, Deb! Your photos are stunning, especially the one with droplets on a green leaf. And I totally agree with the person who called you the coolest granny!
    The idea of the trikes for disabled people is a great one. We have those in Clonakilty! I have a photo from St Patrick’s day 2019 with a friend of ours cycling with a few people at the front – there is some kind of elderly bike project of sorts, I have to look into that a bit more now!

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  14. I loved reading about your Bold September Deb. It’s been a difficult time but you’ve definitely made the most of the situation. I love your bold outfit also. It did make me realise how drab I’ve become over recent years. It’s almost two years since I’ve been out anywhere so you’ve made me think I should try to get some colour for the first outing. Hopefully that day is not too far away. The trikes are a great innovation for the rail trail. I love the idea.

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    1. Many thanks Jen, it’s not been an easy year to say the least, as you well know, but I have tried to be bold and bright in my outlook when I can! I deliberately wear brighter things to bolster my mood and it undoubtedly works. Hope it helps you too! The trikes will be great to offer people in town who can’t ride.

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  15. I hadn’t realised you’d long been a bike rider / cycler Deb! So great you’ve kept it up all of these years.

    I love the comment by Denyse you’ve shared… so true.

    But I really really love the outfit you’ve shared – the converse sneakers and that jumper. Did you share a pic of you in it at the time?

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    1. Thanks so much for reading my long post Deb! It was great to share Denyse’s quote too.
      No I didn’t get a photo of myself in ‘the outfit’ but I will try to next time I wear it. I was really chuffed with the compliments 🙂

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  16. There are so many wonderful things about this post, Debbie! Love all your gorgeous images, first of all, and secondly, love that quote from Denyse! So much truth to this. Your positive energy exudes from you in this post. You are a happy person who loves life and boldly grabs the tiger by the tail! I can just see you bopping around town in your orange shirt and tennies–how fun and lively! I’m so glad you worked your hobbies into this post as you are very inspirational to many including me! I love it when bloggers can link to several challenges in one post! I always appreciate your loyal support and thoughtful posts for Sunday Stills. Have a joyous week, my friend!

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    1. Thanks Terri, you are very kind! I smiled as I read your words. I do bop around town, how did you know?? I’m glad you didn’t mind me working my hobbies into this one, but it made so much sense to me, I am often in awe of people who did this so felt quite proud of myself at the end!
      My only problem is where do I start for next week’s theme?? I have so much material!

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  17. Another great month for you Deb and I love your positive outlook despite being in Lockdown and far from your family. The bikes are great and would suit me perfectly so I’ll have a ride when I come down for the Tumbarumba run next year. I enjoyed doing the challenge with Denyse and it was one I actually stuck to for the whole month. Thanks for starting my week on such a positive note and I’m loving you being BOLD! Your converse sneakers are fab, perhaps I need to define myself by colour too.! Have a lovely October. xx

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    1. Thank you Sue for this lovely comment, you are more than welcome to come and try the bikes when you visit. We both did very well to stick with the monthly challenge and it gave me a focus each day rather than thinking about what I couldn’t do or who I couldn’t see. I am enjoying being BOLD this year, that’s for sure!

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  18. That rainbow shot is fab, and I love Denyse’s quote. There’s a lot in this post but I just want to say how glad I am you had that trip with your Dad when he was physically able. Parkinsons is so cruel. And how lovely to share all those good times as adults together. A real gift to him (and you). #Lifethisweek

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    1. Thanks Lydia, the post was way longer than I intended but I decided to just go with it, I appreciate those who wade through it! I too am glad of the trip we took with mum and dad, they both loved spending time with us and we have fabulous memories of our special time with them.

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    1. It’s different filling in time now that I’m retired, so I seem to spend a bit of time on lots of things and it all comes together quite well! Love my orange converse sneakers 🙂

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  21. Love the orange Deb. We’re hunting around for an electric car right now – you may have heard about our irritating petrol distribution issues – so a bright colour has to be the order of the day. Not sure Linda will buy into it but I’ll try and pass on some boldness.

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    1. Good question about WOYBS – the 3rd Friday is when it normally would be for us but given our Canadian counterpart posts on Thursdays then we might have to move it to 22 October. I’ll get back to you!

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    1. Thanks Ali, for recognising the effort I’ve made with finding my words each month. I actually keep a spreadsheet with possibilities/suggestions and when i’m ready to write my post I look to see which of them inspire me and how I can fit them into my month!! It’s a huge effort putting these posts together but I enjoy it mainly for the sake of keeping a track on how the month has gone down and what I’ve done and achieved. I will be able to look back on them one day 🙂 All the best for October to you.

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  24. Hi Deb – it looks like you’ve had a wonderful month – and I must say that the orange trim on your new car would definitely have bee an huge plus in the buying process for me too – it’s all about the colour isn’t it? Also loved the compliment from the cafe staff – we all need to rock our Midlife years – or what’s the point? No invisibility for the 6S! May October bring open borders, family time, and lots of joy for you xx

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    1. Yes we are still rocking it in our midlife Leanne, we’re definitely not invisible!! I’m glad you are with me re the colour of the trim in our new car, it makes me smile every-time I get into it! Have a fun month ahead 🙂

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  26. A fabulous month of September Debbie, despite the lockdown. So nice to be complimented on your bold style of dressing. I love wearing colourful clothes too 🙂

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