Blogging isn't for the fainthearted

It’s all about ME


Hello!

My name is Debbie but you can call me Deb – all my friends do!

I’m an Australian midlife, travel, adventure and lifestyle blogger.

Welcome to my ‘About Me’ page

Debbie - 60 years old and feeling Bold
This is me: 60 years old and feeling Bold (WOTY 2021)

Who and what am I all about?

Good question! I’m a bit quirky, full of energy,  enthusiastic, into social media, sharing things and looking for the positives. 

I am Debbie –  a wife; mother; grandmother; daughter; sister; friend; blogger; reader; runner; walker; cyclist; Rail Trail enthusiast; traveller; Rotarian; Whovian; former teacher.

My aim is to make you smile, educate you in some way, maybe inspire you and to share my world, while learning about your world.

Deb from Deb’s World

Globetrotting Granny Debs

I’m also a grandmother to 2 beautiful granddaughters and 2 grandsons. I am known as Granny Debs to Emilia who was our first grandchild born in September 2018, and on 19 August 2019 we welcomed baby Dottie, who was in a huge hurry to arrive, being born at only 25 weeks over in England where my eldest daughter lives! Being born weighing only a bit over 800 grams isn’t ideal but she was well looked after at Southmead NICU in Bristol and then in Taunton’s Musgrove Park. I wrote this story for her – Dottie and the Wombat.

Our first grandson, Patrick, arrived in late February 2020 and at one stage we were expecting a granddaughter, and our latest grandson Zachary was born in January 2021!! Life is never dull 🙂 Did you notice I’ve had a grandchild born in 2018, 19, 20 and 21?

Granny Debs and Patrick
Granny Debs and new grandson
Granny Debs and Emilia
Granny Deb with Dottie
Granny Debs and Patrick
Granny Debs

A (very) young retiree

And I’m a retiree!!  A very young retiree at 56, when I finished work in 2016 – it wasn’t my choice believe me!

I’ve been called a humming bird on speed (see below) and WonderWomanDebz.

img_0261
WonderWoman Debs! Get it?

Family:

The Mathematician and I have been married for well over 40 years now, we have three beautiful daughters who are all grown up and making their own way in the big wide world. I like to write about my family sometimes.  I am very proud of my posts where I have compared our lives at age 28, 30 & 25.  I also compared my life with that of my mother, at the age of 53.

Debbie and Grant
Debbie and Grant

My youngest daughter wrote a post about me and she is my first ever guest blogger. I’m thrilled with it! My eldest daughter was a travel blogger and once wrote a great post about her Travel Loving Parents – us!  It’s a fantastic read 🙂 She is now the creator of a great little business called Dottie Wombat.

I have enjoyed being the MOB (Mother of the Bride) twice now and our youngest daughter had her destination wedding in Fiji!  It was amazing fun!

Work and Retirement:

Up until December 2016  I managed the delivery of Educational programs in a minimum security correctional centre for males. I have blogged about a lot of things over the years – but I never really mentioned my work in the gaol. That all changed when the state government decided to outsource Education services in gaols (jails) to an external (cheaper) provider.  This meant my job was made redundant, along with hundreds of others across the state.  These professional educators were replaced by clerks, on a lower salary rate with no education qualifications required, to do basically the same job that I had been doing for over 20 years.

I did not take well to these changes and experienced an array of emotions, as you can imagine.  I have written a few posts about the situation and if you want to see what I’m talking about click any of these links – Education beats crime every day, On being made redundant, Jailhouse Blues and  Mantra for the future.

On the plus side my husband, the Mathematician, retired from a successful teaching career, spanning 39 years, in January 2017, so we have lots of time to do things together, while we are still young enough!

I’m pleased to say our subsequent years of retired life are going exceptionally well!

Walking, running, cycling:

I am into keeping healthy and regularly walk, run or cycle and feel fantastic as a result of my efforts. We’ve been very involved with the Tumbarumba to Rosewood Rail Trail and we are thrilled to have it officially opened, despite the pandemic playing havoc with our celebrations in 2020. The Rail Trail opening you have when you can’t have an opening – due to a pandemic

Cycling tour in Amsterdam
Cycling tour in Amsterdam

Adventure and Travel:

Travelling is in my family’s blood and I love to blog about our travels.  Now that we’re retired we have lots more time to indulge in this passion. I have a page dedicated to our adventures and travels.

In May 2018 we embarked on the trip of a lifetime, our Odyssey, travelling for 3 months to UK, Iceland and around Europe. I recorded our travels in weekly posts – you can find them here if you’re interested – Our Odyssey posts all in one place.  Iceland was a real favourite – so much so I wrote a post (tongue in cheek) 10 reasons why you definitely shouldn’t visit Iceland. 

More recently I managed to take only carry-on luggage (7Kgs) for a month in England visiting Dottie for her 3rd birthday in 2022! I was very proud of myself!

We’ve since been back to England for two months in 2023. I wish I had a time machine to enable me to teleport myself. backwards and forwards between UK and Australia.

Blue Lagoon in Iceland
Blue Lagoon in Iceland with our eldest daughter

Reading:

I’m also an avid reader and try to document all the books I read during the year (it serves to remind me of what I’ve read!) on my reading page. I’m in two book clubs and enjoy reading books I may not have normally looked at.

Photography:

I love taking photos while I’m out and about and will often include these in my posts.  I used to participate in the Weekly Photo Challenges most weeks but since WordPress ceased that challenge a few years back, I now link up to Terri’s Sunday Stills instead 🙂

I enjoy Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest and you can see my links to all these on my Contact page .

10 things you may not know about me:

  • I love all things orange and yellow.
  • I love a good cup of tea – black and very weak.
  • I have a compulsion to step on crunchy leaves and bark just to hear the satisfying crackle/crunch. I’ll go out of my way to step on a suitable looking candidate. I’ve recently added jumping in puddles to this compulsion. I wrote a post about it called Big Debbie’s Purple Boots based on a children’s book.
  • I completely lose myself when reading a good book.
  • I like helping others and doing good in the world – being a Rotarian helps satisfy this urge.
  • I have a Bravery Award from the Queen.  Here’s the post that tells that story.
  • I hate spelling mistakes but sometimes do make them (horror!).
  • I was told that inmates (and some staff) within the the correctional centre found me to be  very intimidating – you have no idea how much this amused my daughters! I’m not really scary, I promise!

BONUS:

I was nominated in the Best Lifestyle Blog for the 2019 Annual Bloggers Bash Awards!  I was over the moon and appreciated the nomination.

Nominated in Best Lifestyle Blog category
Nominated in Best Lifestyle Blog category
Annual Bloggers Bash Awards
Annual Bloggers Bash Awards

In May 2018 I was placed as Runner Up in the Hidden Gem category at the Annual Bloggers Bash Awards in London!  I was thrilled to be there to meet other like minded bloggers and make new friends.  You can read all about it here – Annual Bloggers Bash Awards.

Follow me????

So,  after reading all that, if you’d still like to follow my blog – then please feel free to come along for the ride! Subscribe to receive updates when I post using the button on the sidebar.

Are you on Instagram? Check out Deb’s World here: Instagram for photo updates

You can follow me on Twitter @Wonderwomandebz

I’d love to hear from you. Leave me a comment to say hello 🙂

Deb xx

Page last updated: August 2023

You can also find Deb’s World on other social media platforms below – let’s stay in touch!

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

Please note:  All text and photos are © Debbie Harris, unless otherwise stated. Do not copy/paste any material found here. Linking is acceptable. Please respect this site and do not abuse it or the contents within. You can contact me by email: debbie@debs-world.com

264 Replies to “It’s all about ME”

        4. You are welcome and thank you.
          You have such an excellent and interesting website reflecting a very interesting lifestyle and philosophy about it.

          Liked by 2 people

  2. Hey Debbie. I found your blog from the blog party and reading through some of post makes me smile. No wonder you have so many comments. You got an exceptional way to put feelings into words. Keep the work up and enjoy the party!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  7. Hello, Deb, nice to meet you! We live in Northern Illinois. Thanks, for following my blog. I haven’t many posts there yet and need to be more active there. My hubby and I are both retired and have been traveling often to Puerto Rico where we hope to start spending long term. We used to go to Jamaica quite often. I would absolutely love to travel to Australia, such a beautiful country! My husband’s mother and husband were stationed there for 10yrs. with McDonald Douglas but that was probably 30+ years ago. Sorry, I didn’t mean to write a book on your site, lol! Take care!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  8. Pingback: A mystery wrapped in an enigma – who me?  | Deb's world
  9. Pingback: A carpet of colour  | Deb's world
  10. Pingback: Weekly Photo Challenge: a few of my favourite (orange) things | Deb's world

  11. Hi Debbie, I’ve nominated you for the five day black and white photo challenge. Blogging is all about having fun so taking up the challenge is, of course, optional. The guidelines are straightforward. In fact there are only two:
    1) On 5 consecutive days create a post using either a past or recent photo in B&W.
    2) Each day invite another blogging friend to join in the fun.

    Here’s the link to my response to the challenge

    Black and White Photography Challenge: Day #3

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  12. Pingback: Black and White Photography Challenge: Day #3 | Jill's Scene

  13. Well HI THERE! From way over here in Michigan. Thanks for following my blog. If I can figure out how to do it I’ll follow yours! 🙂 🙂 I am SO not technical. I have a running friend that we call the Energizer Betty (from the old battery adds that featured the Energizer BUnny that just kept going and going and going…) …I think you might be a younger version of her! She ran a marathon on her 70th birthday. AMAZING. I used to run..then I broke my foot. Then I ate too much. Now I think about running. Some of the time. Sigh. ANYWAY, nice to meet you!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Nice to meet you too. Haha, not sure I could run a marathon now let alone when I’m 70! You managed to follow my blog so you are going well. I look forward to following your blog with interest!

      Like

      Reply
  15. Pingback: Very Inspiring Blog Award | Deb's world

  16. Hi Deb

    Glad to be able to stumble upon your blog and I absolutely love it. Travelling makes us joyful, adventorous and teaches us to remain happy. I read through some of your stories and they are beautiful. I loved Cheddar too, we want camping for 3 days in the same village last summer. Oh my my what a beautiful tiny little village.

    Happy Travelling!!!

    xx
    Aanchal

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Thanks for stopping by and for following! I’m so glad you stumbled upon my blog 🙂 Always like hearing that people like Cheddar, it certainly is a lovely little village.
      All the best to you.
      Deb

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  17. Pingback: Updated blog – a summer clean up while on a staycation | Deb's world

  18. Thanks so much, Debbie, for stopping by and deciding to follow! I do hope you enjoy what comes into your email box. It still amazes me that two people (like us) who live on opposite sides of the world can touch base with each other so easily! 😀

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  20. Wow, I am honoured that you read them and enjoyed them so much. I loved writing them and talking with my daughters about our lives. I am thrilled you are going to ‘steal’ my idea and look forward to seeing the results if you decide to share. Thanks again for your kind words, you made my day. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  21. I just finished reading your three blog entries comparing yourself to your three daughters at their ages, respectively. Wow! I loved reading them and I can see why they are three in which you are most proud (the blog entries, not the daughters, although I am sure you are most proud of them as well!). I especially like the fact that you were honest and straightforward about who you were. Oftentimes, we read either a grossly exaggerated, hubris-filled description of oneself, or a blog entry full of self-deprecating humor; yours is a breath of fresh air.
    I have to admit, Ima gonna steal your idea 😉 I have two daughters of my own, ages 21 and 22, and I can’t believe that I never thought to sit down with them and talk about who I was when I was their age, I mean, really talk.
    Thank you for allowing your readers a peek into your life. ~v.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  24. Hi Deb,
    I also wanted you to know that YOU are my 100th fellow labmate in my ‘experiments’. Thank you so much once again! I think you’ve inspired me for an idea…it’s started ticking in my brain right now…will keep you posted in case it works out…. Cheers!
    Preeti

    Like

    Reply
  28. Pingback: Sunshine Award | 20/20 Hines Sight

  29. Hi Deb
    I’ve really been enjoying your blog. I especially like your comparisons to your daughters and mum when you/they were the same age. So, when I was asked to nominate blogs for the Liebster Award, you were one of my nominations. I don’t know if you have decided whether or not to accept Awards for your blogs.

    Like

    Reply

Let's keep the conversation going...

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Blog at WordPress.com.