I am one of the lucky ones. I live where the colours are bright and vibrant. The blue of the sky has clarity, the rivers and oceans crystalline, the wheat in the fields golden and the grass a verdant green. I can speak freely without fear, dance with joy in my heart as I fly around the floor as though floating on air.
I am lucky – I am not starving. I do not stand on parched, cracked earth. My body is not covered in dust, my eyes and nose free from flies and biting insects. I am healthy. I have luxuries. I have the luxury of caring for animals to the point of humanizing them. I have the luxury of caring and loving. Not only do I have these luxuries I have food for my stomach, a bed for my rest and a car for my transport.
I am lucky – despite difficult times I have survived and kept smiling. I enjoy life. I am still learning. Recently it hit me how much more I have to learn and wished I had started the enlightening process earlier. Then I realised, I started at birth and my life experiences were one big learning curve. In my blog I hope to make sense of the past, look at the present and have a fun time as I journey through the world of blogging.
Reflections and Nightmares- Irene A Waters (writer and memoirist) 
Hi Irene,
As I wish to let others know how much I enjoy reading your blog, I have nominated you for a Very Inspiring Blogger Award.
You can check out the nomination in my post http://wp.me/p3O5Jj-k4 .
Participation is your choice. If you wish to nominate bloggers who inspire you, the rules are provided there.
Thanks for sharing so much wonderful content on your blog.
Best wishes, Norah.
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Thanks Norah. I really appreciate the sentiment but I am going to pass (but if I find I have a spare couple of hours I will pass it on). I normally love awards because I think they are a great way of introducing blogs you like to a new audience but just at the moment there aren’t the hours in the day to even get around and read the blogs that I enjoy, particularly the rough writers of carrot ranch. What great conversations get going. Looking forward to two years hence when I will be free to join the conversation as participant and not just a passing word.
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That’s okay, Irene. I see it as an avenue for sharing; and you have already received so many awards. Now I’m intrigued by what is planned for two years time and the difference between participating and what your do now! 🙂
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I may post regularly but I don’t manage to read other blogs in as timely manner as I would like. If I managed that I would be able to join in the twitter conversations but on the whole I often don’t know to what the conversation refers. In fact I don’t really understand twitter much at all generally. By the end of two years (actually now a year and a half) I will either have successfully completed my course or have my tail between my legs ( I won’t though because I have already gained so much out of it – nothing is a waste of time.
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That’s great to hear. Best wishes!
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Thanks for finding and following my blog, Irene. I look forward to reading yours too 🙂
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Norah pointed me in your direction. We are undertaking the same journey and its always nice to share it. Cheers Irene
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AnElephantCant claim to be smart, but he guesses from your life experience that 19 is not your age.
Good to meet you, dear lady.
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Glad to meet you too AnelephantCant. Thanks for that early morning smile. No I’m far from 19 but I can remember it. My parents used to say I was like an elephant because an elephant never forgets.
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Hi Irene! Just to let you the Work In Progress Blog Tour Stop is up now! Thanks again so much for agreeing to take part, I can’t wait to read your excerpts! http://sherrimatthewsblog.com/2015/03/07/an-early-spring-blog-hop/
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Thanks Sherri. I have just posted on your post. 🙂
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Got it!!
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Thanks for following The Immortal Jukebox Irene. I hope you have found lots to entertain you and perhaps made some discoveries. If you haven’t visited for some time check it out again! Good luck with your blog. Regards Thom.
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Thanks Thom. I will certainly get back – I liked what I saw. Life has kind of got in the way but I will get there.
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Hello Irene 🙂 Are you ready for hosting the challenge this Sunday? Please let me know.
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Hi Paula, Sorry I have been so slow. Yes I will get something to you today. I had thought I was doing a Thursday Special so will just have to alter it a tad and then will email it to you. Cheers Irene
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Thank you, Irene 🙂
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Wow can’t wait to read more!!
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Glad to have you visiting Lynz. I’ll pay you a visit in the near future. Cheers Irene
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Thanks!
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Hello there,
To help bring new faces past your wonderful work, especially after all of your 99 word Carrot Ranch pieces, I’ve nominated you for the Blogger Recognition Award over here:
http://loveliterarylife.com/2015/08/25/blogger-recognition-award/
I hope it helps your audience grow.
Please don’t feel pressured to follow through with Nominating others, we all have tight schedules, I understand. 🙂
Keep writing!
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Thanks Rebecca. That is very nice of you and much appreciated. I will take it up but in a few weeks as I am snowed under just at the moment. Thanks again for thinking of me. Cheers Irene
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You’re most welcome Irene 🙂 I hope it helps to grow your audience a little more! Don’t stress about following it through; I definitely understand! Take it easy
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Greetings from Paint The World With Words! I’m Amreen Shaikh and I blog. Thank you following my blog! I must say, you have an amazing blog & great content! Good Work! I wished to contact you, but did not see an email ID! Can you please drop in your email ID on painttheworldwithwords@gmail.com?
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Thanks Amreen. I have sent you an email address. Cheers Irene
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Thank you! Just mailed you back 🙂
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I don’t know how the others are doing but you seem to be doing quite well.
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Thank you! I’ve been preparing for the contest since a few weeks; the efforts are paying off! 🙂
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Irene, have I been missing your posts somehow? Or have you really not posted anything since October 4? Hope all is well with you and yours. Looking forward to your newest posts.
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Sharon thank you so much for caring. I had a crisis period where I doubted my ability to do anything so I did nothing. Well not quite nothing but I determined that until I had finished the piece I was struggling with I would not allow myself to do anything other than that. Total failure but am back on track now and hopefully, although there may be the odd day where I get snowed under hopefully I am back. It has made my day seeing that you care. Thank you.
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❤
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Thanks for the link Sharon. That is so funny and a good reminder. I think I’ll take your list on board.
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Charli says you have a new monthly prompt to be found here: Times Past,
but the link doesn’t work. Is it yours or just one you participated in?
I’ll go and look back further through your blog.
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Hi Jules, yes I told Charli the link didn’t work as I noticed that also. If you put Times Past in the search blog spot on the right on my blog it will come up. Would love to have you participate.
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Yes, I did that. And have it cued up in my fiction folder 🙂
I’m coming from Boomer Generation.
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Great. There are a lot of us Boomers out there. Will be great to hear whether your experience was similar.
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I have always thought of myself as a misfit of the 1960’s – born to late to really understand what was going on, and I suppose lucky not to be swept up in the ‘first counter-culture’.
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I’ve written it… now I just need time to post it. 🙂
Nice to have a whole month 😉
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This blog is wonderful. I look forward to following.
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Thank you for visiting and your very kind comment. I look forward to seeing more of you.
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Always very nourished by my visits here. Many returns in store.
Regards Thom
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Thank you Thom. You have no idea the pleasure you have given me to hear you say that. Look forward to seeing you in the future. Cheers Irene
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I was *lowers head in shame* sneakily trying to find where you are in the world? But all I get it somewhere warm maybe? You play your cards (on your ‘about ‘ page at least) close to your chest. I enjoy visiting and as I snoop in the archives I may learn a bit more. I hope so, as I like to visualise my virtual buddies where they are what they tried to be or were before their journey through life bought them to blog. Some love the annonaminity which is fine… for a less inquisitive or damned nosy imaginative mind. I am pleased to follow and interact with you, so how do you do *nods slowly and leaves*. 😉😇
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Ellen, I’m pleased to have made your acquaintance also and look forward to a mutual learning about each other. To start with I am living in South East Queensland at the northern most end of the Sunshine Coast. We are still classified as sub-tropical but we are getting very close to tropical in most respects apart from stingers in the water, stone fish on the beaches and crocodiles in the waterways. As far as I am concerned it is for me the perfect place to live. Plenty of walking, water, and cultural activities. Because it is so nice all the doctors want to come and live here too so we have very good medical services which is important as you get older. We don’t need them yet but my Mum does so it works well. I hope that answers “where I am in the world.” I shall visit you to find out more about where you come from. Cheers Irene
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You are welcome and come over anytime i am very hospitable😎
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Your positive outlook on life is very refreshing. I’m looking forward to getting to know you better. We are blessed, and have so much to be grateful for.
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Thank you so much. I agree we have much to be grateful for and if we could all just see the beauty in our world and realise that every one of us is human with the same goals in life what a wonderful world it would be. Thank you for following. Look forward to getting to know you better.
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It is so true. Enjoy this beautiful day and the season ❤
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Hi, pleased to you. Found a way here through someone’s blog. Now following.!
Looking forward to explore it more.😊
Blessings.🌸
Xoxoxo.💖
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Thank you for following and glad you found your way here from somewhere else. It is the nice aspect of blogging the travelling we do to get where we are going. Look forward to seeing more of you. Cheers Irene.❤️
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Aww.😚 that’s so sweet.💖
Yeah, you’re right. We get to know alot about people, living in different countries with different cultures and languages through wordpress. It’s just so ah-maaaaazingggg.💕
And I’m very glad to find a way to your blog.😊
Blessings.🌸
Xxx
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*Pleased to know you.😊
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Likewise.
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Aww.😚 thenkew so much.! 💖
P.S. sorry for the late reply. I’ve some serious net issues.
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No worries. 😀
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💖💖💖💖
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Hi Irene,
I realized I hadn’t gotten a post from you in a long time and that’s unusual for you. So I’m hoping that you’re OK and that everything in Noosa is going well for you and your family. If you have a moment, please check in to your blog and or even drop me an email. Much love to you, Shari.
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Hi Irene,
I continue to enjoy reading your posts about memoir. I was wondering…are you going to start up the “Times Past” challenge again? I could not find anything after the August one. I am looking forward to the October Rodeo challenge on the 10th though! Hope all is well.
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My apologies. Yes I will be starting up the Times Past again but life has got on top of me at the moment so it won’t be until December when I should have time to get around and visit. We don’t have internet at the moment so my ability to come on is limited. I’m sorry I didn’t give you forewarning but I had no warning myself. Look forward to seeing you in December.
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No problem! Will look forward to December. [No internet…well that’s a difficult situation for a blogger!] Thanks for getting back to me.
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HI, Irene — “Living to write and writing to live” makes complete sense to me. I’m so glad that Marsha introduced us. I will definitely be back!
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Lovely to see you Donna. I will be back to visit you also. It is the great thing about blogging is the connections you make lead to other connections and so the web is weaved.
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