From Adversity Comes Opportunity
I have to admit that I’m loving this isolation. Rick and I have been filling our days with supercharged gardening and falling into bed at night exhausted. As we had only spent four weeks in our self contained unit under our son’s house, there is plenty to do. The first call SHOULD be to unpack and sort the many boxes in our storage room, but the garden called.
Large overgrown trees have been cut down to the glorious accompaniment of a roaring chainsaw belching smelly blue smoke as an added bonus. Rick was in heaven with his ear muffs on, oblivious to the cacophony he was creating. His destruction has opened up more sunshine, and garden space allowing me to plant colourful plants and vegetables.
The neighbours must have breathed a sigh of relief when the chainsaw stopped. But then, the hedge trimmer, leaf blower and gurney took over!
Our unit is underneath Ben’s home with thirty nine steps UP to street level. This is excellent for our cardio health and exercise, but not as easy for removing the piles of debris that accumulated from Rick’s chain sawing spree.
Thankfully we have a delightful, young, strong handyman with a ute (who also happens to be Italian!), who effortlessly carts the bundles of branches up the hill to his ute and on to the tip. He is up to five loads so far with another two to go!
Creating a garden is one of my passions. I’m grateful to have a Market Place ‘Super sleuth’ who manages to find amazing bargains for my patch. The latest being an archway with established climbers in pots. I thought it was too hard, but Rick immediately found the solution. You guessed it! The young Italian with ute!
We are lucky that Ben has given us the ‘all clear’ to do what we want in the garden.
Yesterday I had the privilege to be included in a group of authors being mentored by Ocean Reeve Publishing (ORP), in a zoom conference call with thirty eight fellow creatives. This call inspired me to carry on with my other passion of writing. More importantly we are encouraged to connect and share ideas, concerns and support each other. It was awesome and I eagerly await the next one in two weeks time.
This crazy time of isolation leads to new and innovative ways to follow our creative dreams. I know this has been the opportunity I needed to push me to the next level of communicating using ‘live’ videos. Something I have been toying with but dreading. I have to get over worrying about how awful I look, how many double chins and wrinkles that seem to be magnified on camera! Forget that Jen and share your message!
My success has always been personal connection through Author Talks and Guest Speaking roles. I know that once I can personally meet people I have their trust as they can see I’m genuine. Now I need to harness that into live video messages to achieve the same result. Get out of that comfort zone Jen!!
This is not a time to be hard selling, but instead promoting the benefits of my book. MMmmmmmm……that was a hard one. What benefits? My book is a personal story, but as I thought about it more, I believe it is a story about true friendship and helping each other through difficult times. It is a story about love. It is also funny. So….. the benefits of my book at this strange time of isolation;
Friends…….ring them. Contact people you care about.
Love…………appreciate this time with loved ones at home.
Laughter…..being able to laugh is the best medicine.
Kindness…..show kindness to neighbours and others.
I feel confident my story offers the above, and more.
‘Innocent Nurses Abroad’
Amazon.com.au Kindle
Now the creative stimulation has my juices flowing!! I have a fiction story in my head that I must start to put down. I need some wet weather to keep me indoors and away from the garden! In time I will have a jungle of Bok Choy and Chinese Cabbage……….
Until next time…..
Stay at home, stay well and stay safe! Wash your hands and sanitise. (Sounds like my nursing training!)
Author Jenny Old
Author on Board
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