Words for Wednesday 31/3/2021

 

 

This meme was started by Delores a long time ago.  Computer issues led her to bow out for a while.  The meme was too much fun to let go, and now Words for Wednesday is provided by a number of people and has become a movable feast. 

Essentially the aim is to encourage us to write.  Each week we are given a choice of prompts: which can be words, phrases, music or an image.   What we do with those prompts is up to us:  a short story, prose, a song, a poem, or treating them with ignore...  We can use some or all of the prompts, and mixing and matching is encouraged.

Some of us put our creation in comments on the post, and others post on their own blog.  I would really like it if as many people as possible joined into this fun meme, which includes cheering on the other participants.  If you are posting on your own blog - let me know so that I, and other participants, can come along and applaud.

The prompts will be here again this month but are provided by Hilary Melton-Butcher.

This week's prompts are:

1.    Watchful

2.  Laggard

3.  Pudding

4.  Mulberry

5.  Bark

AND / OR

1.    Promenade

2.  Vineyard

3.  Allotment

4.  Wisdom

5.  Tenth

 

 Hilary is incredibly generous and also provided us with an extra set. 

1.     Life

2.    Borrow

3.    Wily

4.    Ochre

5.    Brook

Have fun.  And huge thanks to those who come back (sometimes time and time again) to offer encouragement to others. 

I am very, very grateful to Hilary for providing the prompts this month.  They have taken us on some truly delightful journeys.

Next month Wisewebwoman will be providing the prompts on her blog.  I hope to see you there.

Sunday Selections # 526

 

 

Sunday Selections was originally brought to us by Kim, of Frogpondsrock, as an ongoing meme where participants could post previously unused photos languishing in their files.

 

Huge thanks to Cie who gave me this wonderful Sunday Selections image.

 

The meme was then continued by River at Drifting through life.  Sadly she has now stepped aside (though she will join us some weeks), and I have accepted the mantle. 

 

The rules are so simple as to be almost non-existent.  Post some photos under the title Sunday Selections and link back to me. Clicking on any of the photos will make them embiggen.

  

I usually run with a theme.  I am finishing my Enlighten posts for the year this week, with a jaunt into the city to marvel at the Illuminating Mini Beasts.

The Mini Beasts were in our city centre - and in my eyes at least improved the ambiance dramatically.  Some of them were huge (up to 4  metres tall).  There were four of them and I happily wandered through the centre (not something I can usually say) to track them all down.

Starting with the delightful dawn as I headed off to do my shift on the crisis line and to ogle the mini beasts.

 

The first I found was the Swallowtail Butterfly, especially common in Queensland.

Then to the Jumping Spider.  They are  mostly small spiders, with large eyes, brilliant colours and remarkably jumping ability. Our peacock spiders fall into this category.

 

The Mini Beast was impressive too.

The next beast I found was the Cicada.  As an aside it is a long time since I have heard them.  They used to be a song of summer, a song which seems to be fading away...

 

The final Mini Beast was a Neon Cuckoo Bee - something I have never seen for myself.  They are apparently common in Sydney and rely on other bees to raise their young by laying their eggs in other species nests.

Fun, aren't they?  Next week (and possibly the week after as well) photos from our annual Balloon Spectacular.

Words For Wednesday 24/3/2021

 

 

This meme was started by Delores a long time ago.  Computer issues led her to bow out for a while.  The meme was too much fun to let go, and now Words for Wednesday is provided by a number of people and has become a movable feast. 

Essentially the aim is to encourage us to write.  Each week we are given a choice of prompts: which can be words, phrases, music or an image.   What we do with those prompts is up to us:  a short story, prose, a song, a poem, or treating them with ignore...  We can use some or all of the prompts, and mixing and matching is encouraged.

Some of us put our creation in comments on the post, and others post on their own blog.  I would really like it if as many people as possible joined into this fun meme, which includes cheering on the other participants.  If you are posting on your own blog - let me know so that I, and other participants, can come along and applaud.

The prompts will be here again this month but are provided by Hilary Melton-Butcher.

This week's prompts are:

1. Silent
2. Tea
3. Summer
4. Scrunch
5. Tapestry
   

AND / OR

1. Hare
2. House
3. Catalogue
4. Clear-cut
5. Path
   

Have fun.  And huge thanks to those who come back (sometimes time and time again) to offer encouragement to others.

Sunday Selections #525

 

Sunday Selections was originally brought to us by Kim, of Frogpondsrock, as an ongoing meme where participants could post previously unused photos languishing in their files.

 

Huge thanks to Cie who gave me this wonderful Sunday Selections image.

 

The meme was then continued by River at Drifting through life.  Sadly she has now stepped aside (though she will join us some weeks), and I have accepted the mantle. 

 

The rules are so simple as to be almost non-existent.  Post some photos under the title Sunday Selections and link back to me. Clicking on any of the photos will make them embiggen.

  

I usually run with a theme.  I am taking you back to Enlighten this week, with a jaunt into the city to marvel at the Illuminating Mini Beasts.

Starting with Enlighten, and at the display on the walls of Questacon our interactive Science and Technology Centre.

Wandering down towards the National Library we were delighted to find a flock of illuminated birds.  They were decidedly wind swept so I apologise for the blurry photos.

I have no idea how the lighting was done, but the last one looks very like a sulphur-crested vandalcockatoo.

The National Library featured slides about fruit growing/harvesting/processing in early years and was enhanced by voice overs from some of the people involved.

I said earlier in the post that I was going to show photos of the Illuminating Mini Beasts (also part of Enlighten) which brightened our city centre.  I lied.  As is usual I took a heap of photos and I think they deserve a post of their own.  Next week.

As I prepare this post much of Eastern Australia is under flood watch and some areas have been ordered to evacuate.  My heart goes out to them.  Here we have been promised rain which is conspicuous by its absence.

I hope you all have a healthy, happy, brightly coloured and safe week.

#Dignity Drive

 

Share the Dignity is an Australian charity which works to help disadvantaged people, particularly women.  The #Dignity Drive focuses on providing sanitary items so that 'No woman should suffer the indignity of choosing between eating or buying sanitary items.'

The Goods and Services Tax has (finally) been removed from sanitary products but they are still not cheap.  When the flyer below landed in my letter box I was very glad to help.

 

McCann's (a local real estate agent) is acting as a collection agent.  When I took my contributions down I was thrilled to see that they had a great collection (and was told that it was the second or third time they had taken their collection in to the organisers in my city.

 

It is a great cause, and shouldn't be necessary.  Sadly it is. 

The impact of COVID-19 has meant that even more women are having to make the choice between buying food or sanitary items, with Share the Dignity reporting a 54% increase in charities registering  Dignity Drive, when compared to their last drive. 

The Dignity Drive will run across all Woolworths Supermarkets and Metro stores nationally, giving customers the opportunity to donate sanitary items via collection boxes. These will then be distributed to girls and women who cannot afford to buy sanitary items.  Other businesses are also acting as collection points.

In addition, Woolworths will donate five cents from the sale of pads, tampons and liners in to Share the Dignity, to help the charity fund more dignity vending machines that dispense free sanitary items to women experiencing homelessness, fleeing domestic violence, or are facing difficult circumstances. 

While Share the Dignity is an Australian charity the need still exists across the world.  Perhaps there is something similar near you. 

I do hope that my Australian readers will be able to donate some items to this wonderful and sadly needed drive.    

 

Words for Wednesday 17/3/2021

 

This meme was started by Delores a long time ago.  Computer issues led her to bow out for a while.  The meme was too much fun to let go, and now Words for Wednesday is provided by a number of people and has become a movable feast. 

Essentially the aim is to encourage us to write.  Each week we are given a choice of prompts: which can be words, phrases, music or an image.   What we do with those prompts is up to us:  a short story, prose, a song, a poem, or treating them with ignore...  We can use some or all of the prompts, and mixing and matching is encouraged.

Some of us put our creation in comments on the post, and others post on their own blog.  I would really like it if as many people as possible joined into this fun meme, which includes cheering on the other participants.  If you are posting on your own blog - let me know so that I, and other participants, can come along and applaud.

The prompts will be here again this month but are provided by Hilary Melton-Butcher.

week's prompts are:

1.    Wafer

2.  Haggard
3.  Procession
4.  Juniper
5.  Drips

 
AND / OR

 
1.  Disdainful
2.  Stream
3.  Weed
4.  Chalk
5.  Treasure

 

Have fun.  And huge thanks to those who come back (sometimes time and time again) to offer encouragement to others.