Finding My Muse

Here's my One Shot for the week.

She builds me up
When I'm feeling low
No need to think
The words will flow

Sometimes I giggle
At the lines we share
Did I write that?
Blissfully unaware

When I'm stuck in a rut
She whispers and taunts
Words don't make sense
Her rhymes she flaunts

Silently mocking
When I'm feeling my best
Beneath the surface
With my misery suppressed

She knows I'll be back
We are one and the same
Her words I must write
Or she'll drive me insane

She's gives herself freely
Time and again
I can't thank her enough
My muse, my trusted friend



I haven't been around much in blog land because my Dad has been in the hospital. He's feeling much better and is going to be fine. I'll write more about it tomorrow when I've caught up with my emails etc.

See you tomorrow
Take care of each other
Love KB
xxx

Rugby World Cup - NZ

It's not long now till Rugby World Cup. I'm getting excited already. Here are a couple of Rugby ads that Whitesnake and I really enjoy.









Hope you likey.
See you tomorrow.
Love KB
xxx

Weekend Walkabout - Cockle Bay On A Rainy Day

Welcome to Weekend Walkabout, a place to share and explore the different corners of our world.

Walkabout is a phrase we use in NZ, which means to walk around and explore with no specific destination in mind. Have you been walkabout anywhere interesting this week? If so, post your story or pictures to your blog, leave a comment here and a link to your post on our Linky and Whitesnake or KB will come take a look. Don't forget to put a link to Weekend Walkabout so others can find us and join in the fun.

See you tomorrow,
Love KB
xxx

Keeping Up With KB

Hi all,

All is well here. Whitesnake and I are enjoying a well deserved long weekend.

Today's posts are over on our joint blog...

Coco has a video to share of a silly dog playing piano and our recipe is for a yummy tomato sauce which you can use for a base for many meals.

See ya tomorrow for Walkabout.



Love KB
xxx

Don't Mess With Me

Each Friday I write a short story in exactly 55 words. Atually, I haven't written a 55 for a while. Thanks for the reminder G. If you'd like to join in the fun and games, write your story, visit G-Man and let him know you've posted.

Every day was the same. She waited alone, after school, at the bus stop.

'Hey, big nose.'

The girls poked and taunted her. She couldn't take it anymore. She strode proudly onto the bus, sat next to the ring leader and whispered in her ear.

'Bring it on. I'm ready.'

They never bothered her again.





Have a great weekend all. See you tomorrow for Simply Delish.

Love KB
xxx

Topping Up My Vitamins

30 days to a happier, healthier me - day 19 - take a multi-vitamin daily.

I've been taking a multi-vitamin daily for the past month or so. Many experts believe taking a multi is a waste of time but here's some interesting info I found on The Real Age website -  benefits of taking a multi-vitamin on a daily basis...

Have you been thinking multivitamins are so over? Despite some recent pooh-poohing headlines -- and dissing from a few loud experts -- don't dismiss these nutritional back-ups as another health fad gone bust. New research shows that a multi could help your waistlines and your heart.




Don't get us wrong. A bottle of vitamins can't fill the gaps in a diet that's got more burgers, fries, and shakes than McDonald's on Friday night. But everyone has days when pizz is more tempting than salad or a tight deadline leads to foraging in a vending machine. Besides, some vital nutrients -- like vitamin D3 -- are tough to get enough of from food alone. That's one reason we YOU Docs still recommend a multi: It's insurance against an imperfect diet. But add these two new reasons as well:



1.Multis help you lose weight. If you're female and need to lose a little, get this: In a recent study of overweight women, those who took a standard multi for 6 months lost an average of 8 pounds. Those who got fake pills didn't lose a thing. Why? A multi may help your body slim down by filling tiny nutritional gaps that slow your metabolism (calorie-burning rate). That's not just speculation. The metabolism of the vitamin takers increased by 6%, so their bodies burned more calories 24/7.



The researchers suspect that the extra nutrients help the energy-producing "power plants" inside your cells burn more fat (the plants are called mitochondria, for you science geeks). The nutrient boost may also help your body respond better to insulin and leptin, hormones that affect appetite and weight. That may explain why, in another study, dieters who took a multi felt fuller between meals and had 60% fewer hunger pangs. Add it all up and it looks like feeling extra hungry may be due, in part, to small nutritional gaps a multi can fill.





2.Multis defend your heart. After researchers tracked 34,000 women for a decade, they found that taking a daily multivitamin for at least 5 years makes you 41% less likely to have a heart attack (if you don't have signs of heart disease to begin with). Yup, men get similar benefits.



Multis may protect your heart in several ways. Vitamin C, niacin, and pantothenic acid (vitamins B2 and B5) help several systems discourage heart-threatening plaque. And some minerals, especially magnesium, work to keep arteries flexible and fight bodywide inflammation.


My diet is quite healthy but I don't think taking a multi will do any harm. Anything my body doesn't need will be flushed out anyway.

That's all from me folks.
See ya tomorrow
Love KB
xxx

Previous days to a happier, healthier me are here.

A Poem In My Pocket

I've shared this poem with One Shot. 






A poem in my pocket
close to my heart

it's there to remind me
of our love
when we're apart



A poem in my pocket
I read every day
it's short and simple
shows you love me
in every way



A poem in my pocket
brings tears to my eyes
I know it's always there
yet each day
unfolds a new surprise





See you tomorrow
Love KB
xxx

I'm Grateful

30 days to a happier, healthier me - day 18 - keep a gratitude journal

One of my favourite books is pictured below. It's packed with inspirational quotes and has a fun exercise for every day of the year. I dip into it when I need some guidance.

One of the first lessons is to keep a gratitude journal. It's something I used to do daily but I have been a bit slack of late. Each night, before bed,  I write in my journal at least 5 things I'm grateful for. Some days my list will be full of amazing things and other days, I'll write down the basics...having a bed to sleep in etc.


I love doing this because it makes me more aware of my surroundings and focuses my mind on picking out the positives during the day rather than dwelling on the negative. I'm more 'in the moment'. It's also a great trick for when I feel anxious because it changes my thoughts from anxious to grateful.

I know there will always be negative aspects of life which can't be ignored and have to be dealt with but being in a positive frame of mind makes moving forward much easier.

I'm going to start right now by listing all the things I'm grateful for in my journal.

See you tomorrow
                                  Love KB
                                  xxx

Read my previous days to a happier, healthier me here.

Keeping Up With KB

I think I've finally lost the plot, LOL! I've written on my note pad - B List and I can't for the life of me remember what it means. Perhaps I'll remember by the end of this post.

Had a lovely weekend with Whitesnake. We had lunch with my parents yesterday. The food was delish and the company wonderful. Shame I forgot to take pics. Spent the rest of the time eating yummy food that Whitesnake cooked for me, reading, watching TV and doing the crossword puzzle. Heaven!

Still can't remember what B List means. Any ideas? Perhaps I'll go bang my head against the wall to knock some sense into it.

Be good to each other and I'll see you tomorrow.
Love KB
xxx

Weekend Walkabout - Out and About with Whitesnake

Welcome to Weekend Walkabout, a place to share and explore the different corners of our world.

Whitesnake and I dropped our car off for a service on the weekend. We decided to decline the offer of a courtesy car and walk to and from the workshop instead. It was a 20 minute walk each way but man it was a hot day. Loved it!

Mechanic gave us a beautiful carnation too

Walkabout is a phrase we use in NZ, which means to walk around and explore with no specific destination in mind. Have you been walkabout anywhere interesting this week? If so, post your story or pictures to your blog, leave a comment here and a link to your post on our Linky and Whitesnake or KB will come take a look. Don't forget to put a link to Weekend Walkabout so others can find us and join in the fun.

See you tomorrow,
Love KB
xxx

The Biggest Loser Makes Me Wanna Eat

I love watching The Biggest Loser, I find the programme motivates me in many ways but one thing I can't figure out is why I love to eat potato chips while I watch. I hardly ever eat them any other time. They seem to taste so much better while I'm watching other people exercising and dieting, hehe!

Speaking of food our weekly recipe is up on our joint blog... Simply Delish Light Summer Salad.

That's all from me for today
See you tomorrow
Love KB
xxx

It's All About Me

30 days to a happier, healthier me - day 17

My plan is working well. I've started some really healthy habits which I intend to continue with. In fact, I'm doing most of my 30 day plan already, it's just a matter of writing the details up :)

For the last month or so, I've been setting aside time just for me. I'd like to eventually have a whole day but at the moment it's usually Friday afternoon. The hardest part is not feeling guilty about it. I have reminders of things I think I should be doing all around me. It takes a bit of disciplin to take time for myself but the rewards are fantastic. I usually spend the time doing the crossword, reading, pampering myself or watching a movie.

In these busy times, there is always something to do but if we're stressed out to the max and rushing around trying to do everything, we won't be doing those things very well. Try to carve out some time for youself today, even if it's just half and hour. You'll find you have more energy and motivation to tackle those other things you need to do.

In other news, Coco and Whtiesnake have been busy writing up a storm. Follow the links for their news and pictures for the week.

That's all folks
See you tomorrow for Simply Delish
Love KB
xxx

Previous days to a happier, healthier me here.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

A ventriloquist is telling Irish jokes in Davy Byrne's pub in Grafton Street, Dublin, when, O'Leary, an irate Irishman stands up shouting, 'You're making out we're all dumb and stupid. I oughtta punch you in the nose.'

'I'm sorry sir, I...........'

'Not you,' says O'Leary, 'I'm talking to that little fella on your knee.'


Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Had a lovely time last night. The girls were very nice, Whitesnake and I had a couple of drinks then toddled off home. Don't know what I was worried about. I guess they don't call me KRAZY Blonde for nothing, hehe!

See ya tomorrow
Love KB
xxx

One Shot - My Creativity

Here's my contribution to One Shot. An acrostic poem this week :)

M  y soul exposed

Y  our understanding

C  onstantly in my head

R  hythms and rhymes

E  xpressions of self

A  heart at peace

T  ime to dream

I   maginaton runs wild

V  isions on paper

I   nspiration

T  otal freedom

Y earnings met

Not much to report today. I just made myself a cup of coffee, sat down to check  my emails and then made myself another coffee without even realising I already had one waiting to be sipped. I think it's gonna be one of those days, hehe. Feeling a little nervous actually, going out with Whitesnake tonight to meet some of his work buddies. I love meeting new people but there's always that thought in the back of my mind...what happens if I have a panic attack and have to leave? What will they think? I know these thoughts can bring on anxiety and I'm working on retraining those thoughts. It's a hard habit to get out of after years of panic attacks but I'm getting better all the time.

Have a great day/night and I'll let you know how I get on  tomorrow.

Love KB

xxx



Forgotten Faces - Jeannie Johnson

One of my goals this year is to read more books. You can read my reviews and learn where you can purchase any of the books I've read this year here...KB's Bookshelf.

Here's a bit of the blurb from the back cover...

Horatia Strong has every advantage - beauty, wealth and intelligence. But she has married a man who does not care for her. She longs for Tom's love but find herself making painful decisions - decisions which rock the foundations of their marriage. Britain is marching towards an industrial age and Bristol's trades are dissolving. Horatia's single-minded struggle to reserve the family empire leads her down some dangerous paths.

This book was given to me by a friend. It's probably not a book I would choose to buy for myself, the romance part was very predictable but I did enjoy reading about the era it was set in. I'm going to send it on to a friend and I'm hoping she will enjoy it too.

Are you reading anything interesting besides my blog?

See you tomorrow
Love KB
xxx

My Head Hurts

Hi all,

My neighbours kids must be around four and six years old. For the last 20 mins they have been sitting in their garden repeating these lines to each other...

f*#k you
f*#k you too

while their mother sits on the back step watching. Asprin please!


See you tomorrow.
Love KB
xxx

Weekend Walkabout

Welcome to Weekend Walkabout, a place to share and explore the different corners of our world.

I've been really slack with my walking this week but I'm looking forward to seeing your pics.

Walkabout is a phrase we use in NZ, which means to walk around and explore with no specific destination in mind. Have you been walkabout anywhere interesting this week? If so, post your story or pictures to your blog, leave a comment here and a link to your post on our Linky and Whitesnake or KB will come take a look. Don't forget to put a link to Weekend Walkabout so others can find us and join in the fun.

See you tomorrow,
Love KB
xxx

Keeping Up With KB

Posts for today are over on our joint blog...

Coco's Confusion

Simply Delish Pasta with Tuna and Broccoli

Whitesnake has been busy writing up a storm. Go pay him a visit too.

See you tomorrow for Walkabout

Love KB
xxx.

Skywatch

Here's my contribution to Skywatch. Have a great weekend!

See you tomorrow for Simply Delish.
Love KB
xxx

My Hard Work Is Paying Off

I'm so proud of myself right now. I received my blood test results and I'm happy to report that my cholesterol has decreased by 0.6. It may not sound like a lot but for the past 10 years, my cholesterol total has been steadily rising, this is the first time it's come down. Woohoo! Go me. It's still higher than it should be but at least now I know that exercise and a change of diet really does make a difference.

That's all from me. I'm slowly clipping away at Coco's hair today. She has knots as usual. Back to it.
See you tomorrow
Love KB
xxx

In Other Words...I'm Nosey

You Are Realistic Fiction

You are an outgoing person and very interested in others. You have many relationships that are important to you. You are always willing to lend an ear to a friend with a problem. And you're even pretty good at giving advice! Some may accuse you of loving drama, but you just seem to find yourself in the middle of it. You are a true people person. You find the lives of others to be fascinating. You're up for hearing anyone's life story.

What Kind of Book Are You?

Blogthings: Cheaper Than a Therapist

Online Dangers

"My Space turns over 90,000 names of registered sex offenders"
- Oprah show

YIKES! That's the ones that use their real names, I hate to think how many predators there are out there using false names. Something very serious to think about if your kids are using Social Networking sites. Make sure they know and understand the dangers, there could be a predator talking to your kid via computer in your home right now!

See you tomorrow
Stay safe
Love KB
xxx

Earthing Myself

30 days to a happier, healthier me - day 16

One of my goals for last year was to start gardening. I've always been interesting in gardening but didn't really know where to start. One day, Whitesnake and I decided to buy some veggies and plant them in pots and we've never looked back. I love being out in the garden and watching my baby plants grow. I even enjoy weeding, it's like meditation. Something about having my fingers in the earth and the repetition of pulling out the weeds a few at a time, is very relaxing to me. I'm definitely going to keep up the gardening and we plan to grow more of a variety of vegetables this year.






See you tomorrow
Love KB
xxx


Previous 30 days to a happier, healthier me here.

Weekend Walkabout - The Final Countdown

Welcome to Weekend Walkabout, a place to share and explore the different corners of our world.

I don't have a Walkabout to share this week but I'm looking forward to seeing yours. It's been raining and windy all weekend so Whitesnake and I have been hanging out at home. We did go to the supermarket but that wasn't a pleasant experience. It was pouring with rain at the time so there were heaps of people in there and the check out queues were really long. We entered the store and gave each other that look...let's get out of here as soon as possible. We can suffer from panic attacks at times and crowds and queues are some of our triggers. We managed to do our shopping and get out of there pretty quickly. We had a giggle about it afterwards. Some people pay heaps of money to go to theme parks or try adventure sports to get an adrenaline rush, Whitesnake and I just go to the supermarket to get a buzz, LOL! Thanks for the ride Countdown (our local supermarket).

Walkabout is a phrase we use in NZ, which means to walk around and explore with no specific destination in mind. Have you been walkabout anywhere interesting this week? If so, post your story or pictures to your blog, leave a comment here and a link to your post on our Linky and Whitesnake or KB will come take a look. Don't forget to put a link to Weekend Walkabout so others can find us and join in the fun.

See you tomorrow,

Love KB

xxx

Simply Delish - Thai Beef Stir-Fry

Simly Delish is up on our joint blog...Simply Delish Thai Beef Stir Fry

Have a great day. See you tomorrow for Walkabout.

Love KB
xxx
.

Red Is The New Green

I'm so angry right now.  New Zealanders have a reputation of being bad drivers and I'm not surprised. Recently, Whitesnake and I have noticed an increase in the amount of cars which go through red lights...not amber lights...RED lights. Red does not mean put your foot down and hope for the best, it means STOP. I'm so tired of having to triple check that there are no cars coming before I drive through a green light. What's wrong with you people? Why do you have to endanger the lives of others so you can reach your destination 30 seconds faster? Is 30 seconds really worth a person's life? Most of the time when a driver goes through a red light, we catch up to them by the next light anyway. They're not actually getting there any faster, they're endangering lives and they are using extra gas and for what...NOTHING!

Today, I dropped Whitesnake off at work and almost didn't make it home. I waited at the red light, it turned green and as I slowly made my way into the intersection, a Courier driver came speeding through and almost hit me. Luckily, I saw him out of the corner of my eye and managed to swerve into another lane and get out of his way. Not only did he almost hit me but he had to swerve out of the way of the car which was turning left (legally) into his lane. He couldn't brake because he was driving too fast...he had to swerve. My heart was beating so hard in my chest , I thought I would have to pull over and calm down. It could have been very serious because he was in a van and speeding and I was travelling slow and in a small car. I made it home and after a chat on the phone with Whitesnake, I'm feeling better.

This is the same intersection where I had my accident last year and the exact same thing happened but I didn't manage to get out of the way in time. This is probably the third time this has happened at the same intersection in a year. I think the problem is, that there is a green arrow for drivers to turn left but if drivers aren't paying attention they see the green for left and mistakenly continue instead of stopping for the red light.

Anyway, I have learnt my lesson. After my near miss this morning, I'll be taking the longer way home in future and avoiding the intersection completely. I think I'll write a letter to the Police too. When I reported my accident to the Police last year, the Policeman informed me that he had reports of many accidents at the very same intersection.

Righto, rant over. Please slow down and pay attention to what's going on around you when you're driving. Not only could you save your own life but those of others too.

See you tomorrow for Simply Delish.
Love KB
xxx

Falliing For You - Jill Mansell

One of my goals this year is to read more books. You can read my reviews and find out where you can purchase the books I've read this year here...KB's Bookshelf.

It's your typical ugly duckling gets picked on at school by boy, boy goes away, girl turns into a beautiful swan and boy comes back and falls for her kinda story.  Enjoyed the characters, had a few giggles while I flew threw it. Great book to take on holiday to the beach or enjoy on a rainy afternoon. 

Not much to report today. The sun is shining and all is well. Are you reading anything interesting besides my blog?

See you tomorrow
Love KB
xxx

Poetry: Our Escape

Escape with me to the Bay

Hand in hand, we'll walk all day

Watch the seagulls fly up above

Do they realise, we're in love?

Escape with me to the sand

Side by side, explore this land

Children playing, push and shove

Will they grow and find true love?

Escape with me to our room

The day is over, far too soon

See the strangers passing by

Do they know inside lovers lie?

Escape with me in life

Through good times and strife

Everything we've been through

I'll never stop loving you

Be kind to each other.

Love KB

xxx

Keeping Up With KB

What a week! NZ has just had 2 minutes silence to remember the Quake victims. I've seen many pics on the news over the years of natural disasters and felt terrible sorrow for the people involved but it's not the same as seeing a tragedy like this in your own country. I see places on the news where I've visited and imagine how I could quite easily have been there when it happened. Thankfully, I was not but some of Whitesnake's family where. They arrived back here the next day, shocked but OK. I'm happy to say that everyone I know in Christchurch is safe but my thoughts are with those that were not so lucky.  I can't imagine how it must have felt to experience what they have. There have been many deaths and there are still people missing. It will take NZ a long time to recover from this.


Whitesnake's family are safe and sound back in Australia. We had a relaxing time catching up with friends and family while they were here.

Our recipe for this week is Chicken, Pumkin and Bok Choy Noodle Salad and you can find Whitesnake's take on events and his story for the week over on his blog.

That's all from me today,
Stay safe.
See you tomorrow.
Love KB
xxx