Wednesday 6 February 2013

Fifty-three today xx

Today would be my Daddy's 53rd birthday... 
 
 
It is the strangest, saddest feeling, knowing that he isn't here for his own special day :( 
I clearly remember his last birthday and although he was struggling, he was full of jokes and smiles.  He had a cruel lung disease plus a swag of other ailments trying to hold him back - but he kept going for so long!  On his last birthday he was JUST starting to suffer from hypoxia (lack of oxygen to the brain) and was getting his words muddled up.  At the time we weren't exactly sure what it was, and were worried that he had maybe had another small stroke or something.  It was probably one of the worst things I had seen him deal with as although his body had been failing him for years, his mind was as sharp as a tack.  He was funny, witty, clever, wise.  To hear him saying things that didn't make sense and see him struggle in frustration was just heartbreaking.  Five and a half weeks later he was gone... 
 
Today I am trying not to think about him passing away.  I'm trying not to think of the sad stuff, the bad stuff, the gut wrenchingly heartbreaking stuff.  But it's hard!  I know some people may wonder why I would want to 'celebrate' his birthday.  Why wouldn't I?  Without his birthday he never would of been here.  I never would of been here.  We never would of been able to share the beautiful bond we had.  A lot of people remember the day someone passes and do special things on that day.  I'm not sure I want to do that.  I'm not even sure that I can.  I haven't had to think about it yet as that time has not yet come for us.  For now I know that I would much rather give thanks for his birth and the wonderful years he was here, rather than remember the day he left and all the feelings associated with it.
 
I had to try and think about what I could do on this special day, Dad's birthday.  I wanted to do something worthwhile that could potentially help someone else.  After a bit of thought, giving blood sounded like a great option.  And it was on my list of things to do!  I have always wanted to give blood (my Daddy also had a blood disease) but due to numerous tattoos, I had never been able to when I thought of it.  My last ink was in March last year and my next one is booked in for next month, so today was the perfect time!  You now only have to wait 6 months after being inked to give blood by the way.  Check out the other criteria at the Red Cross website.  I was feeling a little anxious about the whole thing as everyone I spoke to or asked to come along, either couldn't give blood for some reason, or was too scared of needles.  A big thanks to one of my girlfriends Roxy for offering to come along.  In the end we couldn't get the same appointment time, but she still came and gave blood today :) 
 
  When I arrived I filled out some forms and then had an 'interview' with a lovely lady (in fact all of the ladies were lovely!).  She tested my blood for haemoglobin and I almost cried when it identified that the levels were too low - I really wanted to donate today!  She offered to take another sample of blood from my arm and said it had to be atleast 120 otherwise I would have to wait 6 months.  So I went and hopped in the chair, with butterflies in tummy, and hoped for the best.  She took my blood and put it in the little machine... 120!  Yay!  Dead on what I needed, so I was happy.  From here all went well with the donation process, and I left feeling good.  Thanks to my friend Lisa (who works there) for chatting to me throughout the process!  I strongly urge anyone who can give blood to do so because donations are much needed.  I actually booked in my next appointment for 4 weeks time to donate plasma!  Number 5 on my list to donate blood - tick!
 
 
 Today I also decided to register to become an organ donor.  Once again it is something that I had thought about for a long time.  In the early stages of my Dad's illness, he was on the list for a double lung transplant.  I often wonder how different things would be if he received it...  He soon was taken off the list as there were too many things that could go wrong due to his condition.  I still remember the day ,sitting around the table with the table with the family, when he told us the news.  That little glimmer of hope had been snatched away...  Anyway, since then I often thought about organ donation.  Obviously the idea that you could save another peron's life is amazing.  Unfortunately there were a lot of things that scared me about it too - selfish, but true!  What would my family think?  What if I needed all my bits for the afterlife (whatever that is)?  How would it effect me if I was in an accident - would they still treat me like someone who wasn't an organ donor.  How would it effect my loved ones - would I look different at my funeral one day, would it delay the funeral and cause more sadness to my family when that day comes?  Silly I know, but honestly this is all the stuff I have thought about in the past. I decided to research it a bit more and was happy with the info I found.  I signed up online with the Australian national register and am now feeling proud that maybe one day I can give the gift of life - how amazing would that be? :)  Donate Life Week is coming up at the end of this month so again I urge you all to take a look at the Donate Life website and start talking to your loved ones about it.
 

The final thing I did today in honour of my Daddy, was write a poem.  Now I am certainly no poet and it has been years since I have written anything but this just sort of came to me.  Dad loved poetry and was a beautiful writer himself.  I originally looked on the net for a poem but couldn't find one that summed things up right for me.  However, I was inspired by a couple of different poems and even borrowed a verse from one - I hope they don't mind! ;)  The rest was all me though.  All from my heart.  All for him... 
Happy birthday Daddy xxx


If I wrote a story,
It would be the greatest ever told.
Of a kind and loving Daddy,
Who had a heart of gold.

 
I could write a million pages
But still not be able to say,
Just how much I love and miss you
Every single day.

 
I miss everything about you;
Your smile, your face, your hands.
I miss your one of a kind humour
And just how much you cared.
 
Today was the big day
53 years ago,
You were born into this world
Bringing a super special glow.

 
A smart and humble man,
The wisest I ever knew.
You encouraged everything I did,
And always said ‘I love you’.
 
So full of love for us
With laughter so funny and loud,
We think of you every day
You’ll always make us proud.

 
A thousand words won't bring you back,
I know because I've tried.
Neither will a million tears,
I know because I've cried.
 
I’ve said a million prayers
Even though I’m not religious.
On dandelions and shooting stars
I’ve made a million wishes.
 
Each wish is for the same thing
but they never will come true,
To bring you home, turn back time
And give me one more hug with you.
 
Remembering you is easy
I do it every single day,
But missing you is so very hard
The heartache doesn’t fade…
 
I was your butterfly princess,
And you were the first man I ever loved.
It’s heartbreaking to no longer have you here
But I hope you’re somewhere close above.
 
Daddy, I hope you’re watching.
I hope you’re looking down.
I hope you know what’s happening
Even though you’re not around.

 
Today is your birthday
And of course you’re in my prayers.
I’m sending loving birthday wishes
To you, my Daddy, my special angel upstairs xx.




Tuesday 5 February 2013

What a week!

Well, this week has been unlike any other in my life, and one that I never want to see again.  Aussie day weekend brought us storms, torrential rain, tornadoes and the biggest flood in Bundaberg's history!  I will talk more about the flood in a separate post, but for now I just wanted to quickly update my blog with where I am at with my list.

Firstly, very sadly, due to the floods the dance classes I was super excited about starting (#8 on the list) have been postponed until further notice.  The lady that owns the dance academy also owned a local hairdressing salon that has been devstated by the floods, aswell as losing two halls that were used for classes.  My thoughts are with her and the thousands of others effected.  Hopefully classes can start again soon - I will keep you posted!

Number 28 on my list was to learn how to play a harmonica!  I'm sure you are asking yourself why.  Well, I LOVE to learn new things.  I also love music.  When I decided I wanted to learn something completely different, it seemed like a logical choice to learn how to play an instrument!  Don't you think!? ;)  I love acoustic/soul/blues and just adore the sound of the harmonica, plus I thought it would be really easy - I quickly realised it wasn't!  I received my harmonica in the post on 22/01/13 after ordering from an online music shop.  I was so excited to get it and quickly started scouring you tube and google for some very basic lessons.


The hardest part is getting your mouth in the right position to blow the air into the holes properly and trying to feel the holes so you don't have to pull it away to look at the little engraved numbers. It's definitely going to take a lot of practice!  The first song I am learning to play is Somewhere Over the Rainbow - one of my all time fav songs.  I will write about my progress another time ;)
 
Due to the very unfortunate circumstances in Bundaberg lately (with the floods) I have actually been able to tick two more items off my list.  Number 22 - help a stranger, and number 29 - encounter a new animal.  Before the main flooding in town occurred, we received a LOT of rain!  At the time we were at our friends place in Moore Park (about 15 min out of town) celebrating Aussie day.  Their place tends to flood if we have a couple of days of heavy rain, and by that afternoon their whole road was well and truely flooding.  Throughout that night we got hammered by a huge storm and damaging winds, waking to find their property was knee deep in water.  When we were walking between the shed and house (moving some items) hubby spotted a furry creature struggling in the water.  Without thinking too much, he quickly plucked it to safety!  I had no idea what it was, but soon was told it was a bandicoot!  I had never seen one before and instantly fell in love.  It was very gentle and placid and seemed almost grateful to have been saved.

 
Thanks to our friends, and hubby willing the little guy to survive, we were able to keep him in a blanket tucked in an old bookshelf under the house that was safe from the rising water.  He stayed there for 2 days and nights before venturing back out on his own.  He was soooo cute! Encounter a new animal - tick!
 
Number 22 on my list was to help a stranger.  When I added this to my list, I had no idea how I was going to do it, but I wanted it to be good.  Little did I know we were about to find ourselves in a declared state of emergency right here in Bundaberg.  As soon as we were able to get home (after being stuck on the wrong side of the bridge for 6 days) I had to do something to help - as did thousands of others.  We spent Friday helping one of our best friends gut and clean their home after the flood waters swallowed it up.  On Saturday I was exhausted!  I have a dodgyback and after heavy lifting and scrubbing the day before, it was not very happy with me :/  Instead of helping a stanger clean their home, I decided to help lots of strangers!  I went to the supermarket and then got to work (with help from my best friend) making over 100 lunch packs with cold drinks.  I had decided I would go around East Bundaberg handing out food and drinks to those busy cleaning out their homes - many of which had lost everything!  An absolutely devastating sight I must say :(  My friend Kylie came along to help me and we just couldn't believe some of what we saw.  Despite how many of the people we visited that day must have felt, they were all extremely grateful for our gesture and were smiling and appreciative of us coming by.  It was very heart warming.
 
The next day we headed back over north to take our mate his clothes we had saved and washed from the flood, plus take some supplies over. By this stage a lot of people were busy busy making food to take over for residents and helpers. I was originally going to take more lunch packs over to hand out also but decided to drop it off to one of the local churches that was distributing it instead. Rather than taking the food over, I made up some essential suplies packs including things like toothpaste, deoderant, soap, etc for a few people that had lost everything. I hope it provided them with one less thing to worry about in that moment...  Help a stranger - tick!


So, after a big week (and ticking off a few things from my list) I am looking forward to a little less eventful weekend this weekend!  We personally weren't directly effected by the flood or storms and we are so very very grateful for that.  Flood waters were approx 2-3 blocks from our home and a tornado whipped past about 2 blocks on the opposite side.   Unfortunately thousands of others weren't so lucky, including a number of people we know.  Our hearts and thoughts are with everyone in our community at this time.  It's going to take a long time, but Bundy will be back on it's feet soon enough.  Make sure you stay safe and tell your loved ones exactly how special they are to you xx.

Wednesday 23 January 2013

Tick tick tick!

Well, I am very pleased that I am already able to tick a few things off my list!  Of course I have already told you about the gorgeous Rahayu, our adopted animal (number 18) - TICK!  I have also enrolled with a local dance academy and am so very excited to be starting both tap and hip hop classes in two weeks.  I haven't danced in over 10 years and I am REALLY looking forward to it!  Even more so now that a couple of girlfriends have joined in so we can have fun together :)  Join a dance class (number 8) - TICK!

Number 23 on my list was to go to Fraser Island.  I grew up in Hervey Bay so of course was lucky enough to go to Fraser a lot in my younger days.  It is one of the most beautiful places on earth and I just adore it.  A mixture of magical beaches, rainforest, swimming spots and wildlife.  If you haven't been, I highly recommend it!  For quite a while now I've been saying that I wanted to go back for a visit as I hadn't been in about 7 years.  Well last weekend we went, just for the day.  We walked from Kingfisher Bay to Lake Mackenzie (below) and back.  And nearly died... :/
 
 
Well, that may be a little dramatic I guess.  But there was certainly times throughout the day that we were there when I wish I wasn't!  We decided to join a group of other women and head over to Fraser on Saturday 21 Jan to do a 22km walk - purely for fitness and 'fun'.   The longest I have walked previously is 20km (from Bargara to Burnett Heads and back) with one of my girlfriends.  It was a lovely walk that we really enjoyed.  The thought of doing the same over at Fraser, in one of the most beautiful settings I could think of, and only an extra 2km, was quite exciting.  When I heard about it I decided straight away that I wanted to go.  I ended up talking my bestie into coming and headed down to Hervey Bay to catch the barge with a car full of ladies.  This is us all ready to rock 'n' roll.  We had plenty of water, high energy snacks and sunscreen on board!
 
 
In total there were 38 people that met up to do the walk.  And when I say walk, I really should say trek!  It was tough!  Unlike our previous 20km walk at home on flat, concrete paths along the esplanade in the breeze, THIS walk was in sand.  It was up and down hills.  It was in the middle of summer, through the middle of an island with very little breeze!  It was THE HARDEST physical thing I have ever done.  But I did it!  We all did it!  And although we were completely buggered when we finished (that is an understatement), we were glad that we completed it :)
 
 
It ended up taking us almost 6 hours (including a stop at Lake Mackenzie to cool off and attend to our aching feet and muscles).  We left Kingfisher at 8am and got back just before 2pm. In hindsight, probably not the best idea in the middle of the day in the middle of January!  Apart from blisters, minor cuts and grazes from sticks/trees, stiff knees and hips, aching feet and calves and sore shoulders, I am very happy that no one was injured!  Haha :)  In the end we finished our 'walk' and indulged in a yummy feed and a beautiful long dip in the resort pool before catching the barge back to Hervey Bay and driving home to Bundy.  I'm not sure that I can say I 'enjoyed' our adventure at Fraser, but I certainly enjoyed spending the day with some of my favourite people and relaxing afterwards!  Go to Fraser Island (number 23) - TICK!

Monday 14 January 2013

Clean cook up

Over the weekend my best friend and I decided to do a 'clean' cook up.  As some of you may know, I am on a bit of a health and fitness journey.  Basically I have decided, as lots of people do, to make some valuable healthy changes in my life.  Towards the end of last year I decided I want to feel comfortable, fit, healthy and happy in my own skin.
 
I have been overweight my whole life.  That isn't an excuse or a reason as to why I still am, it simply means that I have never made the right changes to 'fix' it.  Over the last 10 years I have 'tried' just about every diet under the sun.  I use the word 'tried' loosely, as in all honesty I never tried very hard or for very long.  Sure I lost 5kg here, 10kg there, but I have almost always put it back it on.  Why?  Because I stopped the 'diet' and went back to my previous ways.  Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, Michelle Bridges 12WBT, soup diets, blood type diets, Atkins, shake replacements - I've done them all.  Now, don't get me wrong, I am not saying these programs don't work.  In fact they ALL work - whilst you are doing them.  Unfortunately, for me, none of them were sustainable to do for the rest of my life.  And I clearly need a long term solution.  Some programs are definitely better than others, and some are a fabulous way to kick start a healthier lifestyle.  I have learnt some great things by trying these 'diets' but I know that none of them are the answer for me.  
 
I have done a LOT of research on healthy eating and weight loss, more so in the last few months than ever before.  During this time I have met some amazingly inspirational people that 'know their shit' and have been more than happy to pass on some very valuable information.  I'm also very lucky to have some great friends that lead active healthy lifestyles who are very motivational. Although I have been researching my butt off (if only that burnt calories! lol) I'm certainly not an expert by any means!  However, I do now feel like I am armed with enough knowledge to make better choices when it comes to  nutrition without having to join a program or go on a 'diet'.  I don't think the same thing works for everyone, particularly as everyone has different goals, tastes, lifestyles, and ideals.  I certainly don't believe there is a quick miracle to losing weight or getting fit and if I could suggest one thing to anyone wanting to change their lifestyle without joining a weight loss program, it would be to research research research.
 
So, my research (and guidance) has basically lead me to clean eating. It is really VERY simple!  The following definition of clean eating has been taken from the Clean Eating magazine website:  The soul of clean eating is consuming food in its most natural state, or as close to it as possible. It is not a diet; it’s a lifestyle approach to food and its preparation, leading to an improved life – one meal at a time.  This basically means avoiding processed and refined foods and instead eating lots of fresh, whole foods.  If something includes an ingredient you can't pronounce, that is a good indication that you should probably put it back on the shelf!  Mix the clean eating philosophy with drinking lots of water, eating regularly throughout the day, reducing sugar (I have a terrible sweet tooth), reducing portion sizes, making sure protein is included in most meals and moving regularly.  Sounds like a pretty decent foundation to me anyway! :)
 
Changing the way you eat most definitely means you need to change the way you cook, or at least change some of the ingredients you use to cook!  Ingredients like quinoa, kale, almond meal and lentils have never been used in my house until recently - I had never even eaten some of them!  But, as new recipes are discovered, it seems new tastes are also forming and it is a great feeling to know that I am finally starting to do the right thing by this amazingly made machine I cruise around in ;) 

If you are interested in trying some of the recipes Deb and I cooked up yesterday take a look at my new 'Recipes' page.  I've added my Not Fried-Rice, Zucchini Slice and Lemon and Coconut Yoghurt Muffins.  We also made Turkey Meatballs and Tuna Patties.  Despite a couple of fails along the way with some 'clean' recipes I have tried so far, we are happy to report that all of these recipes turned out well (yay!) and tasted delicious (double yay!).  Here are a few of the ingredients we used to whip up our new creations!
 


Fried Not-Rice

Ingredients:
5 cups cooked quinoa
1 egg + 3 egg whites                                                   
1/2 Red capsicum
1/2 cup frozen peas                                          
1/2 cup frozen corn
6 shallots                                                            
100g sliced chicken/turkey/ham
2 tsp. fish sauce
4 tsp. soy

Method:
1. Prepare quinoa as per instructions (very similar to rice) and put to side.
2. Whisk eggs and pour into pan making sure it is nice and thinly spread out.  Flip when almost cooked through so you have a large looking flat omelette.  Remove from pan and chop into small squares.
3. Finely slice shallots and dice capsicum.
3. Cut sliced meat into small squares.
5. Add all ingredients including sauces to electric frypan (you may want to lightly spray base with olive oil spray) and toss through for approx 10 minutes.



Zucchini Slice

Ingredients:
6 eggs                                                                  
2 zucchinis                                                          
2 tsp. chicken stock powder
1 carrot                                                               
1 onion
100g sliced chicken/turkey/ham                                         
1 cup almond meal
3/4 cup cottage cheese                                   
Small tin sweet corn
Sundried tomatoes (dry packed, no oil)

Method:
1. Grate zucchini and press between paper towel to remove moisture.
2. Grate carrot, finely dice onion, sundried tomatoes and sliced meat.
3. Whisk eggs in large bowl with cottage cheese.
4. Add all other ingredients and mix well with wooden spoon.
5. Pour into a shallow baking dish lined with baking paper and cook in 180 degree oven for approx 30min or until golden brown and skewer comes out clean when poked in centre.



Lemon & Coconut Yoghurt Muffins

Ingredients:
2 eggs                                                                  
¼ cup honey
250g natural yoghurt                                     
Juice from one whole lemon               
2 tsp. vanilla                                                      
1 tsp. baking powder
3 cups almond meal
1/4 cup shredded coconut
Coconut oil (to grease tray)

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees and grease muffin tray with coconut oil (we used mini muffin trays)
2. Add all ingredients together in large bowl and mix well with wooden spoon.
3. Spoon into muffin tray.  You can add blueberries, as pictured, or other fruit/nuts to top of mini muffins if you wish.
4. Bake until golden brown.  This will depend on size of muffins.

 

Friday 11 January 2013

Our new adoptee!

I am so happy to introduce our new adoptee Rahayu ♥


Number 18 on my list of things to do this year was to adopt an animal.  For those of you that know me well, know I am a huge animal lover. Domestic, wild, big, small - I love just about all of them!  Years ago I came across the The Orangutan Project online when I was doing some research into palm oil (that's a whole new blog post right there!).  They are a wonderful organisation doing great things for Orangutan conservation.  Among their numerous projects, they support four rescue and rehab centres in Sumatra and Borneo.  They currently have over 1000 orangutans in care with the ultimate goal of them being returned to the wild where possible.  I was so pleased to find out that you could adopt an orangutan!  Obviously you can't literally adopt them, make them your own and bring them home, but you can make a monthly donation (like a sponsorship) with funds going directly to helping these gorgeous little orphans. From just $55 per year you can help make a difference.
 
So, I didn't waste any time.  I immediately adopted a cute little guy called Lear.  He was so tiny and gorgeous.  As time went on I received updates about him and his progress and am pleased that he is now a very healthy and cheeky young man!
 
 
He is now no longer available for adoption.  Nearly a year has gone by without me having anything to do with the project but seeing as I decided to 'adopt' an animal again this year, I knew I would be contacting The Orangutan Project once again.  This week I jumped on their website and browsed through the gorgeous orangutans on their adoption page.  I very much encourage everyone to go and take a look.  This time round I chose the beautiful Rahayu as I loved her story, and her eyes!
 
Rahayu arrived at the Orangutan Emergency Centre in April 2011 as a baby in a very critical condition.  She had Cerebral Malaria and they were uncertain if she would survive.  If she did, they thought she may have long term problems.  She didn't show any signs of visual reflex and was having convulsions. 
 
 
Slowly, thanks to 24 hour care, she got better and stronger and recovered from the disease.  Another life saved thanks to The Orangutan Project.  Rahayu is now about two and half years old.  She weighs about 10kg is doing great!  Although her eyesight was effected by Malaria, she doesn't let it stop her. She loves to eat and playfully tease the younger babies, but doesn't stray too far from her babysitters.  They are transitioning her to a new, bigger care centre later this year where her human contact will be more limited and she can start bulding nests high in the trees.  Hopefully one day she will find a mate and become a mummy, and maybe even be released back into the wild ♥
 
 
So, number 18 can be ticked off my list!  I also have a few other items in progress which I will tell you about next time :)
 

Monday 7 January 2013

My 'bucket list'

2013 is here!  And what will it bring?  For me, hopefully plenty of smiles.  And consistent entries in this blog!  You may have read my first (and only) post back in March last year after I lost my Daddy.  I have wanted to write a blog for a long time and thought it was a great time to start, but looking back, it wasn't a great time for anything.  However, I think 2013 is a great time for everything :) 

So, what about you, what are you hoping for?  What are you resolutions, goals, dreams?  This year instead of thinking of my normal 3 outrageous unacheievable resolutions and not sticking to them, I decided to make a list of do-able things.  A 'bucket list' of sorts - but just for this year!  I have 30 things I want to do by the end of 2013.  Some things I have never done despite saying for years that I really want to, others I may have done before and loved, but haven't done them again and should!  Nonetheless, they will all be ticked off before the year is over :)  Here it is...


1.   Make a vegie garden
2.   Go on a cruise
3.   See a live concert
4.   Go rollerskating
5.   Donate blood
6.   Go whale watching
7.   Get my half sleeve (tattoo)
8.   Join a dance class
9.   Learn how to drive manual
10. Build something out of wood
11. Lose 15kg
12. Ride a tandem bike or trike
13. Climb a mountain
14. Kiss in the rain
15. Finish the 50 Shades series
16. Sing karaoke
17. Go kayaking
18. Adopt an animal
19. Book an overseas holiday
20. Have lunch with a friend I haven't see in more than 12 months
21. Capture something absolutely magical on my camera
22. Help a stranger
23. Go to Fraser Island
24. Visit a town I've never been to
25. Complete an adventure run longer than 5km
26. Grow my own herbs
27. Go on a picnic
28. Learn to play a harmonica
29. Encounter a new animal
30. Go snorkling



I'm sure some of things sound boring or uneventful to some, but they all make me smile for one reason or another and I can't wait to do each and every one!  As I tick them off I will share my experiences right here.  I shared this list with my beautiful sister and it got her thinking about what she wants to do so perhaps it has made you think to.  What do you want to do in 2013?


*EDITED TO ADD LIST IN PROGRESS BELOW:

Here is the list!  30 things I want to do/achieve during 2013 :)  I will be talking about these activities regularly on my blog throughout the year.

1.   Make a vegie garden
 
2.   Go on a cruise
     
3.   See a live concert
      We have bought tickets to see Pink in July!  It's going to be great!

4.   Go rollerskating

5.   Donate blood
      In honour of my Daddy on his birthday 06/02/13.

6.   Go whale watching

7.   Get my half sleeve (tattoo)
      I have three ink sessions booked in for March, April and May :)

8.   Join a dance class
     
9.   Learn how to drive manual

10. Build something out of wood

11. Lose 15kg
      
12. Ride a tandem bike or trike

13. Climb a mountain

14. Kiss in the rain

15. Finish the 50 Shades series

16. Sing karaoke

17. Go kayaking

18. Adopt an animal
      Adopted Rahayu on 07/01/13 - read about it here.

19. Book an overseas holiday

20. Have lunch with a friend I haven't see in more than 12 months

21. Capture something absolutely magical on my camera

22. Help a stranger
      The Jan 2013 flood provided an ideal opportunity to help LOTS of strangers!

23. Go to Fraser Island
      We went on 20/01/13 - what a challenge it was!  Check it out.

24. Visit a town I've never been to

25. Complete an adventure run longer than 5km

26. Grow my own herbs

27. Go on a picnic

28. Learn to play a harmonica
      I bought one!  It arrived on 22/01/2013 - learning in progress :/

29. Encounter a new animal
      Hubby rescued a bandicoot we named 'Bandi' on 27/01/13 - take a look!

30. Go snorkling