Journalling in July – Week 2

My bloggy buddy Sue from Sizzling Towards 60 is on a mission this month to get more people journaling. I journal daily – mostly in bullet points – but Sue’s come up with a great list of prompts if you’ve always thought that you might like to journal but don’t really know where to start.

Each Saturday in July Sue and another bloggy buddy, Deb from Deb’s World are hosting a journaling linky showcasing the week’s prompts. I lost last week’s post when I had the hiccup with my blog last weekend, but here goes for this week.

Day 7 – My favourite quote 

Seriously, how hard can it be?

I have no idea who said it, or if it’s me quoting me, but it’s pretty much my mantra.

Another I like was something that Paul Keating said once. I don’t recall the exact words, but it was something like “down the mountain, one ski and no poles.”

When I come to think about it, both of these quotes are quite similar and give away a lot about my attitude to life.

I tend to jump first, very often unprepared and naïve in regards to the consequences and potential difficulties. There have been some slips but generally, touch wood, I land on my feet, or on one foot, or at least not too battered and bruised.

Day 8 – My top 5 favourite books

Really? Can I have five per genre? What about my five favourite cookbooks? Five favourite bookish series? No?

Okay, here goes. I’ve decided I’ll just stick to the classics, and I’ll reluctantly keep to five.

“Pride and Prejudice”, Jane Austen. I re-read this at least every couple of years. I also re-read “Emma”, “Sense and Sensibility” and “Persuasion” regularly, but I figured I’d better only have one Jane on my list. I’ve often been tempted to attempt a modern re-working of “Persuasion” with a mature heroine. Maybe one day.

“Wuthering Heights”, by Emily Bronte. As an aside I love “Wuthering Heights” by Kate Bush too, but that isn’t a book. I think it’s the passion and intensity that I love. Catherine and Heathcliff’s was a story more of revenge and obsession than love, but the use of light and dark is just great. I also love how light and love wins out in the end. Is that a spoiler alert? 

“The Buccaneers” by Edith Wharton. The last novel written by Wharton, it was unfinished at the time of her death and completed for the screenplay of a mini-series in 1995. The scenes with Annabelle and Guy Thwaite (Greg Wise) are some of the most intensely passionate while maintaining a PG rating that I think I’ve ever seen. It was exactly how I imagined it would be from the book. It’s such an incredible insight into the social climate at the time – and roles in society. I think I’m due to read it again…

“Middlemarch”, by George Eliot is another one that has feminist undertones as it deals with the status of women, the nature of marriage and the role of education. This also was a mini-series.

“The Forsyte Saga”, by John Galsworthy. This is more of a series of books and a couple of interludes so represents a bigger commitment than what I’m usually prepared to make. It’s a true saga with the original love, betrayal and obsession reverberating through the next two generations. Another one where the mini-series was done really well.

Day 9 – My Favourite Place

Now, this is a tough one…Not! Mooloolaba Beach of course.

We were talking about this on the way back from our walk the other morning and Grant asked me if I had 2 weeks and could go anywhere for that period of time, where would I choose. After ascertaining that the two weeks didn’t include travel time and could include car hire and a road trip, I deliberated between the South Island of New Zealand and Ubud in Bali before finally landing on France in Spring – or, more specifically, the region around Burgundy and Lyon. I have a story set here that’s percolating around in my head. “The Lilac Queen”…watch this space.

Day 10 – What my favourite day would look like

This was a toughie. It would naturally involve not having to log into the day job, other than that? I start the day in the way I want almost every day – with a walk and a coffee at Mooloolaba. Maybe I’d like to sleep in until it’s daylight on account of not having to log into the day job, but then I’d miss the sunrise.

Other than that my ideal day would involve some writing, some sunshine, some ocean, and Mooloolaba prawns and white wine for lunch at The Spit. 

Day 11 – What brings me joy

So so much:

• Sunrises
• Doggy grins
• Waves
• Blue skies
• Stormy skies
• Daisies
• Reading in my red reading chair with my pooch beside me
• My daughter’s off-tune whistling
• The tune of a Butcher Bird in the morning
• The first and last kookaburra for the day
• The adventure of travelling
• Nature

Day 12 – who inspires me

Can I pass on this one? I have foodie heroes, bookish heroes, but I’m not sure what or who inspires me to do what I do. I know that’s a cop-out, but it’s actually the truth. I dedicate each of my books to my family, so everything is for Grant and Sarah. 

If there’s a single concept that inspires me it’s freedom. 

Day 13 – My favourite time of the year

Autumn, Winter and Spring.

I’m not a summer person – and I realise the contradiction there given I live in South-East Queensland. I don’t like travelling in the summer and would always prefer to be somewhere in the shoulder or low seasons.

I love the changing of the colours in places where they have autumn (we don’t) and I love the new growth and freshness in places where they have Spring (we don’t). I love wrapping up to visit wintry places, but winter here on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland is pretty close to perfection.