Profile of A Blissful Life
My name is Felicity but I'm also known as Bliss. I got my nickname because 'Felicity' means 'happiness' and 'Bliss' means 'extreme happiness'. I think that 'Blissful' is a perfect 'hook' for this website. Aged in my late forties, I lead a busy and interesting life in Brisbane, Australia, surrounded by people I love and who love me.
I'm married to Paul (aka The MOTH) & am mother to Miranda (The Crown Princess), David (The Crown Prince), Diana (The Living Doll) and Gabriella (The Cadet Princess) all born from a previous marriage. The kids have grown and have all left home at least once, but they come and go (usually checking out fridge and pantry while they are here) and remain a very important part of life. We occasionally see Paul's three grown sons, but they are not a part of our daily lives as they live in Mackay in Central Queensland.
Paul & I have two Labrador teens named Lucy & Harry. They keep us fit & active with daily walks in the park and other such adventures around our neighbourhood, and swims in our garden pool. Our cat, Gypsy, looks on in mild amusement at our activities, often precariously leaning too far towards the water's edge...
According to a 'high performance' consultant's website I once visited, one of the definitions of a 'passion' is 'a strong, enthusiastic devotion to a cause, ideal, or goal and tireless diligence in its furtherance.' I was like that about teaching. I'd be out of bed well before dawn and heading off to be at my desk at school by 7am to prepare for the working day. I'd still be at school until late afternoon doing all the things that are required of high school teachers. In hindsight, my enthusiasm was a bit over-the-top, though now and again I still have working weeks like that.
Fortunately, things change. Life evolves and other opportunities come along. Right now, while I'm supply teaching in contract blocks & working my way through a Masters program, I'm more passionate about spending time with my husband and family, renovating the house that we bought in August 2005, cooking, cross stitching and collecting stash, improving my IT capabilities, playing the piano, gardening, reading, chatting, travelling, and drinking good coffee and great wines with friends.
On the sidebar you will see a list of links. Go exploring! Now that I have the time, I'm creating a series of WebPages related to these passions. Each link blogs something quite different.
Start with Daily Bliss. This is my online journal. It tells you about the comings and goings of life. It also links to other sites of general interest, including other people's blog sites.
Blissful Creations shows you all my cross stitch works in progress (WIPs), all the 'stash' that is part of the enthusiasm of cross stitch and the house and garden renovating delights as they happen. There are also cool links to other people's work.
Blissful Christmas gets updated once a year. While hosting this webpage only started in 2006, I already have a tradition of writing an annual Christmas newsletter, so some of the older editions are on this site as well.
The other sites are still more in the planning stages, rather than full blown sites of interest, as yet.
Blissful Reads reviews my latest reading material and the films I watch. As a literature and language teacher, I have spent most of the last ten years working my way through films, books and articles specifically aimed at teaching necessities (think French, English and Australian literature and film). The site still reviews this kind of stuff - once an academic, always an academic - but there's now a whole swag of popular culture in there too.
Blissful Music will always be a work in progress. I originally went to university in Townsville, in North Queensland, to study piano technique. I still tinkle when I can and enjoy it immensely. My offspring are also passionate about music production. My two eldest, Miranda and David, studied at The Conservatorium of Music here in Brisbane - clarinet and cello respectively. Diana and Gabriella also had large childhood and schooldays doses of musical tuition in various forms. Everyone still plays my aging Yamaha piano when they drop in to visit. Miranda, David and Gabriella often perform in concerts to which we all go. Gradually, Paul and I are doing our bit for the coffers of other performers of classical, jazz and contemporary music by going to other concerts. Included in this site are references to visits to the theatre, to The Convention Centre and to exhibitions for performances of dance and other forms of entertainment.
Blissful Travels kicks off with a trip Paul and I took to Bali back in 2004. Paul regularly travels for work so he racks up the frequent flyer points at a great rate. In our day, Paul and I have lived in quite a few places. With this in mind, the site reviews where we have been, both as a couple and as individuals, and outlines the plans for our next trip together.
Blissful Beginnings is devoted to family history bits and pieces. I am 'the keeper of the keys', so to speak, of Graves family history for my siblings. I inherited many photographs and newspaper clippings from my parents and their parents. I'm gradually getting them organised. I have also a fabulous collection of bits and pieces from my offspring’s' childhood that I would like to preserve. This site explores ways and means of doing so.
Blissful Explorations!
I'm married to Paul (aka The MOTH) & am mother to Miranda (The Crown Princess), David (The Crown Prince), Diana (The Living Doll) and Gabriella (The Cadet Princess) all born from a previous marriage. The kids have grown and have all left home at least once, but they come and go (usually checking out fridge and pantry while they are here) and remain a very important part of life. We occasionally see Paul's three grown sons, but they are not a part of our daily lives as they live in Mackay in Central Queensland.
Paul & I have two Labrador teens named Lucy & Harry. They keep us fit & active with daily walks in the park and other such adventures around our neighbourhood, and swims in our garden pool. Our cat, Gypsy, looks on in mild amusement at our activities, often precariously leaning too far towards the water's edge...
According to a 'high performance' consultant's website I once visited, one of the definitions of a 'passion' is 'a strong, enthusiastic devotion to a cause, ideal, or goal and tireless diligence in its furtherance.' I was like that about teaching. I'd be out of bed well before dawn and heading off to be at my desk at school by 7am to prepare for the working day. I'd still be at school until late afternoon doing all the things that are required of high school teachers. In hindsight, my enthusiasm was a bit over-the-top, though now and again I still have working weeks like that.
Fortunately, things change. Life evolves and other opportunities come along. Right now, while I'm supply teaching in contract blocks & working my way through a Masters program, I'm more passionate about spending time with my husband and family, renovating the house that we bought in August 2005, cooking, cross stitching and collecting stash, improving my IT capabilities, playing the piano, gardening, reading, chatting, travelling, and drinking good coffee and great wines with friends.
On the sidebar you will see a list of links. Go exploring! Now that I have the time, I'm creating a series of WebPages related to these passions. Each link blogs something quite different.
Start with Daily Bliss. This is my online journal. It tells you about the comings and goings of life. It also links to other sites of general interest, including other people's blog sites.
Blissful Creations shows you all my cross stitch works in progress (WIPs), all the 'stash' that is part of the enthusiasm of cross stitch and the house and garden renovating delights as they happen. There are also cool links to other people's work.
Blissful Christmas gets updated once a year. While hosting this webpage only started in 2006, I already have a tradition of writing an annual Christmas newsletter, so some of the older editions are on this site as well.
The other sites are still more in the planning stages, rather than full blown sites of interest, as yet.
Blissful Reads reviews my latest reading material and the films I watch. As a literature and language teacher, I have spent most of the last ten years working my way through films, books and articles specifically aimed at teaching necessities (think French, English and Australian literature and film). The site still reviews this kind of stuff - once an academic, always an academic - but there's now a whole swag of popular culture in there too.
Blissful Music will always be a work in progress. I originally went to university in Townsville, in North Queensland, to study piano technique. I still tinkle when I can and enjoy it immensely. My offspring are also passionate about music production. My two eldest, Miranda and David, studied at The Conservatorium of Music here in Brisbane - clarinet and cello respectively. Diana and Gabriella also had large childhood and schooldays doses of musical tuition in various forms. Everyone still plays my aging Yamaha piano when they drop in to visit. Miranda, David and Gabriella often perform in concerts to which we all go. Gradually, Paul and I are doing our bit for the coffers of other performers of classical, jazz and contemporary music by going to other concerts. Included in this site are references to visits to the theatre, to The Convention Centre and to exhibitions for performances of dance and other forms of entertainment.
Blissful Travels kicks off with a trip Paul and I took to Bali back in 2004. Paul regularly travels for work so he racks up the frequent flyer points at a great rate. In our day, Paul and I have lived in quite a few places. With this in mind, the site reviews where we have been, both as a couple and as individuals, and outlines the plans for our next trip together.
Blissful Beginnings is devoted to family history bits and pieces. I am 'the keeper of the keys', so to speak, of Graves family history for my siblings. I inherited many photographs and newspaper clippings from my parents and their parents. I'm gradually getting them organised. I have also a fabulous collection of bits and pieces from my offspring’s' childhood that I would like to preserve. This site explores ways and means of doing so.
Blissful Explorations!
posted by Felicity | 9:16 AM
