Welcome. Come on in. Today you will get nothing but smiles from me and a cup of coffee, tea or hot chocolate. Why am I so elated. I shouldn’t be but I can’t help myself but come Monday the smile will be wider. On Thursday, I finally declared my thesis finished to as best as I can make it. I attempted to put it through the plagiarism checker but failed as the document was too big. I went into a spiralling decline but the research office suggested I remove photographs from the creative artefact (my memoir in other words) and try again. By Friday I had done this and it went through.
If we were having coffee I’d tell you that I had secretly been fearing the plagiarism checker. I’d read too much about memory not to know that you can plagiarise and not know that you have done so. If you see something often enough then it can be put into memory as your own. Luckily, this had not happened to me. The check came back showing 5% similarity score of which 3% was to my own work published either in scholarly magazines or in smaller parts on this blog. All of these I had acknowledged. The other was to other peoples work that I had quoted and referenced. Nothing at all to worry about. I would have submitted apart from the fact that you have to wait 24 hours before checking a document and submitting it for checking again. I also have been told to reinstate all photographs and save it as a pdf and put it through again. Putting the photos back in is time consuming and had I known that I would have to I would have saved a document with them in. Sometimes I can be an idiot.
If we were having coffee I’d tell you that due to an altercation I had on Sunday I have decided to go elsewhere to have dance lessons and on Tuesday I trialled a new venue which I enjoyed immensely. The teacher was well organised and ran his dance in a way that all participants were given equal shares of dancing with partners, plus he teaches what is called in Queensland freestyle dancing. This in NSW is the accepted way of dance where each couple does there own thing within the rules of the dance on the floor. In Queensland the common form of dance is what is known as sequence or new vogue or old time dancing where everybody dances the same steps going around in a circle such as in a Pride of Erin. This has always been my least favourite style of dance so I was thrilled when we started off with a quick step. I look forward to going again.
If we were having coffee I’d tell you that the sunsets down on the river at the moment are just spectacular. We went down this afternoon and met some friends and had nibblies as the sun went down.
If we were having coffee I’d tell you it’s time for you to visit someone in the northern hemisphere as I’m about to put my head down. Hope you have a lovely weekend and thanks for sharing coffee. I’d love to know about your weather, books your reading, films you’ve seen and how you spend your time. Thanks Diana for hosting our coffee mornings.
Reflections and Nightmares- Irene A Waters (writer and memoirist) 
Congratulations Irene – happy to know you submitted your thesis – a mammoth task! Enjoy your weekend while I enjoy the spectacular view above 😉
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Thank you. A good feeling and the view is worth sitting back and relaxing to. 🙂
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🙂
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Congratulations!
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Thank you.
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Finally, it’s final! What a great amount of work you’ve done to earn your advanced degree.
I’m glad you found another dance class as you so enjoy dancing – I didn’t want you to have to give it up. Will you attend a ceremony?
For many decades, my parents line danced, which I think is very much like your Sequence dance. A caller calls out the steps to the dance, and everyone dances in a circle, doing the same steps at the same time. My parents loved it and even went on cruises and vacations where line dancing was featured.
Me, I like ballet, which I no longer do, or throwing my body around in all kinds of antics to a favorite song. Not pretty, but then no one is watching.
I’ve been researching family stories for my newest WIP, which means that I’m ignoring the query process for the three books I’ve finished. I know, don’t tell me.
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Submission is one thing – passing is another but we won’t go there. I’ll just dance the night away and forget it for a few months.
What your parents did does sound like a type of sequence dancing. Glad they had fun with it as you do whilst you’re throwing yourself around – the mind boggles with ballet steps and contortion .
At least you are working and whilst you are going with the passion I will not say a word. I know, you know it will get done.
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Woohoo! Congratulations on completing your manuscript. That must be a fantastic feeling and definitely one worth breaking out the nibblies and a glass of wine under a beautiful Queensland winter sunset sky.
I’m pleased you have found a dance class more to your liking – well done in that respect also.
I hope this week continues well for you. Keep smiling. 🙂
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Thanks Norah. I feel as though a weight has been lifted from the shoulders. I am even looking forward to gettting the house back in order.
Yes things are definitely looking up. Hope you are also managing a smile. Have a great week.
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Thanks Irene. Always looking for something to smile about. Never have to look far! 🙂
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Congrats! Also, this makes me so happy: “Today you will get nothing but smiles from me.” 🙂 Yes, I worry about copying, as well. The memory and plagiarism without knowledge is well-documented. Well, I am glad you found another dance class, too. Great week! (And I just noticed the pop-up copyright on your photos…is that new? I like it.)
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Thanks. The pop up business only happens when it is in a gallery otherwise it is still put in a frame around them.
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So it’s the same as a caption?
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Yes.
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Woop,woop! You’re done. You deserve more than coffee – a banana split,maybe? with a cherry on top….
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Thanks. Yes now the long wait…….. but I don’t care I have a lot of catching up to do.
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Congratulations and many accolades to you! What a terrific accomplishment. There are countless people who venture into a thesis, and sadly, never finish. This wouldn’t happen if it was easy! You jogged my memory when you mentioned the quick step—what a lovely dance! I used to be quite good at it…
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Thank you Diane. I can’t tell you the number of times I almost joined the ranks of those who don’t finish. I may not pass but at least I made it this far.
Love your memories. The quick step is one of my favourites.
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