• 18 things for 2018
  • 2015 Challenge – 52 in 52
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  • This is Me – May 2015
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RuthsArc

~ Looking forward, looking back & enjoying now.

RuthsArc

Category Archives: all about me

Changing Seasons – January 2022

31 Monday Jan 2022

Posted by RuthsArc in all about me, days out, photography

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

Hobart, seasons

It’s been a month of long summer weekends and hectic weekday workdays. 

We’ve been to the beach most weeks, for lazy barefoot walks and late afternoon swims, refreshing on the hotter days.

We’ve enjoyed blueberry picking, as well as continuing to buy delicious summer fruits from local growers. A wet spring has produced a bumper crop of large juicy cherries.  

Earlier this month, Hobart hosted the 5th Test of “The Ashes”, a long standing cricket challenge between Australia and England. As this was the first time a game has even been held in Tasmania, the locals were rather excited. Various city buildings were lit up in the “green and gold” colours of Australia and there was a joyous atmosphere around the city.

I’m moving to a new role within my current company, so handing over my own workload to someone new whilst learning new tasks has required overtime on work days, therefore my weekends have felt extra precious.

The month began with the final days of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race, with the visiting yachts moored up on Hobart Waterfront. 

The month has ended with MONA FOMA, a music and arts festival. The highlight is a fabulous laser light show across Hobart with a soundtrack. These photos show the lights from various spots in the city.

The month has flown by, after a slow start I have already started ticking things off my “52 things in 52 Weeks challenge.  Here are my first weekly selfies to sum up my January 2022.

This is my contribution to Ju-Lyn and Brian’s monthly “Changing Seasons” challenge.

Citizenship Ceremony

26 Wednesday Jan 2022

Posted by RuthsArc in all about me

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Australia

I unofficially joined in an Australian Citizenship Ceremony today. My ceremony in July 2020 was a solo zoom call. So today it was surprisingly emotional to repeat the Pledge out loud with other New Citizens and sing “I am Australian”.

52 Things in 52 Weeks

22 Saturday Jan 2022

Posted by RuthsArc in 52 challenge, all about me

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

52 Things, me

I need to send this out into the universe. I’m committing to “52 things in 52 weeks” challenge. Some are daily, some weekly, some are one-off challenges. I want 2022 to be a memorable year for positive reasons, not just another year living with covid. Some things I’ve done before but there are several brand new ideas too. In no particular oder ….

1 ~ Visit the Northeast corner of Tasmania  

2 ~ Visit Ben Lomond and drive up “Jacob’s Ladder”
3 ~ Spend more time out in nature
4 ~ Create new health habits and make them stick
5 ~ Exercise before breakfast on week days
6 ~ Pay it Forward
7 ~ Reduce our environmental impact
8 ~ Review and reduce our rubbish and recycling every three months
9 ~ Do something special on public holidays
10 ~ See a show at The Playhouse, Hobart
11 ~ Swim in the ocean on Christmas Day
12 ~ Keep my diary up to date, include sketch noting
13 ~ Complete another year of Photo a Day 
14 ~ Change my job within current organisation
15 ~ Update our driftwood Christmas tree throughout the year
16 ~ Complete another year of Sentence a Day journal 
17 ~ Learn more about indigenous culture and history
18 ~ Read a meaningful book every month
19 ~ Visit a new restaurant every 3 months
20 ~ Attend two workshop to learn new skills
21 ~ Try a new craft activity
22 ~ Ride an e-scooter
23 ~ Go to a drive in movie
24 ~ Fly in a sea plane 
25 ~ Go to a basketball match
26 ~ Visit all exhibitions at TMAG Tasmanian Museum & Art Gallery
27 ~ Take part in a painting workshop
28 ~ Revisit MONA regularly 
29 ~ Get to a healthy weight and maintain it
30 ~ Add a new recipe to our diet every two months

31 ~ Try a new ingredient every month
32 ~ Go to a Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra concert
33 ~ Review and use photography techniques 
34 ~ Join a reading challenge
35 ~ Ride a Jet Ski 
36 ~ Take a moonlit walk on a beach 
37 ~ Review and reduce my photo catalogue 
38 ~ Visit the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens every season
39 ~ Grow more veggies and herbs
40 ~ Make use of local library and street libraries
41 ~ Visit Phillip Island
42 ~ Visit Brighton Beach, Melbourne, to see the beach huts
43 ~ Reduce my alcohol intake, have alcohol free weekdays unless special occasion 
44 ~ Go to a live comedy show
45 ~ Regularly go to the local farmers market 
46 ~ Visit Canberra
47 ~ Go Blueberry picking
48 ~ Visit Evandale for their Penny Farthing Fair
49 ~ Decide on blog direction, expand my blog network 
50 ~ Try six new tea flavours
51 ~ Sort out my wardrobe and be realistic 
52 ~ Take a selfie every week for a year 

2022 – A year to drift or to achieve?

09 Sunday Jan 2022

Posted by RuthsArc in all about me

≈ 13 Comments

Tags

art, me

January is usually my time to review, reflect and think about what I want for my future. This new year I feel rather flat, lacking in energy, enthusiasm and motivation.

So …. Today I have drawn a mind map, thinking about ideas to nurture my body, mind and soul. I don’t want to spend 2022 just drifting, which is how the past two years feel. 

I had such big plans for 2020, a zero birthday, a new decade. It started brilliantly with New Year and my birthday in New Zealand. But then the pandemic hit and everything else fell by the wayside. 

 I achieve a lot more if I have a list, or a challenge, so this mind map is a starting point. How do you take stock of a year, of your achievements, your wishes for the future?

December = Summer

07 Tuesday Dec 2021

Posted by RuthsArc in all about me, creativity, photography, remembering / musing

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

beach, seasons

We moved to Australia in 2015 so my brain knows that December here is summer. But this time last year I was back in the UK from November through to March and it seems my brain has reverted to December must be winter. 

Here are a couple of photos comparing my summer Christmas and my winter Christmas.

Face Masks

18 Monday Oct 2021

Posted by RuthsArc in all about me, my place, one with nature, photography

≈ 20 Comments

Tags

Hobart

Here in Hobart, we have to wear face masks for the first time. 

We’ve been in a snap 3 day lockdown over the weekend. Tasmanian has been covid free since June last year, with no cases in the community. 

Recent risk of transmission from a positive case in hotel quarantine resulted in this lockdown. As there have been no new cases, restrictions eased this evening. Except for mask wearing.

The weekend “stay at home” order allowed exercise within 5 km of home. I’m fortunate that this coastal path is just 200 steps from our front door. 

Do you wear a face mask when you leave your home? 

Golden Hour

25 Saturday Sep 2021

Posted by RuthsArc in all about me, one with nature, photography, remembering / musing, weekly photo challenge

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beach, Sydney

Pacific sunrise at Manly Beach. 

Six months ago, this was the perfect way to celebrate the end of hotel quarantine and getting back to my Aussie life.

I’m joining HeyJude’s challenge, “Life in Colour” at https://traveltalk.me.uk/2021/09/22/life-in-colour-84/

Paper Bag Challenge and Goodbye Hotel Quarantine

23 Thursday Sep 2021

Posted by RuthsArc in all about me, creativity, photography, remembering / musing

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

Life with Covid-19

The hotel hosted a challenge to create something from the meal bags. I made use of the metal lamp that was in my room. It was a perfect shape for my gum tree. The leaves moved in the air conditioning.

I enjoyed knitting these colourful cosy socks.

The only people I saw during the 14 days were nurses for a covid test on day 2 and day 12, then a doctor with police escort on day 13 who confirmed negative test result and gave me a letter authorising my check out on the final day. It was exciting getting the wristband which eased the check-out process.

Although it’s been mandatory, this quarantine has been a good experience, a retreat, time to reflect and recharge after a hectic and intense year.

Locked Out of Australia

21 Tuesday Sep 2021

Posted by RuthsArc in all about me, photography, remembering / musing

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Life with Covid-19

Although I was able to get a flight out of Australia within a day, it took me 3 months to get back.

Government limits on international arrivals means there are few commercial airlines actually flying to Australia, those that are flying can only have 30 or 40 passengers on each flight. Flights were cancelled or rescheduled as quotas were reduced by the government. A ludicrous situation.

On 10th December the earliest Business Class seat I could get was on 25th January. That flight got cancelled. The next available seat was 4th March. I had to pay £ 4,500 again, waiting weeks for the refund of the cancelled original booking. Ironically it was cheaper to get a return ticket One way to Sydney was over £5,000. Economy tickets were even more scarce.

The 4th March flight was also cancelled. Fortunately, my UK travel agent was able to move my booking to a flight on 9th March. Third time lucky. 

I celebrated with a few glasses of bubbles and enjoyed the full Business Class experience. Heathrow long haul departures was empty.

Thousands of Australian Citizens have struggled to get home in the past 18 months. There are still 38,500 Aussies stranded overseas.

Behind this number are real people, living in highly stressful situations of uncertainty, financial impact, juggling employment, housing when expected departure dates keep changing. Missing family and friends, missing the big life events.

I was fortunate to have a house to live in, have financial stability, have a job I could do remotely and have my daughter staying with me.

The sale of Mum’s house was going smoothly but the logistics of actually clearing the house and moving out, getting specific PCR tests within 72 hours of flight, was a leap of faith, knowing that flight could still be cancelled at the last minute. It was a very tense time. 

Government repatriation flights were few and expensive. For many people, they have been a last resort after multiple cancellations.

Information of Repatriation flight from London to Darwin in February 2021

Locked In Australia

20 Monday Sep 2021

Posted by RuthsArc in all about me, photography, remembering / musing

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Life with Covid-19

I know that we chose to live in an ex-convict settlement, but I never expect to be Locked Inside Australia, unable to leave without Government permission. That has been the reality for 18 months. 

This is my experience of leaving Australia in November 2020…..

I had to get permission to leave Australia due to the total travel ban. My dual nationality helped me get permission on compassionate grounds. 

At the airport, the check-in clerk had to phone the government department in Canberra to confirm each passenger. I knew there would be mandatory 14 day hotel quarantine on my return.

I arrived at Heathrow and walked straight out. No one checked where I had come from. No one said anything about quarantine or self-isolation. No one checked that I had completed the UK “Passenger Locator Form”. 

Sydney had 9 international flights leaving in a 12 hour period. Flights were almost empty.

Airport was like a ghost town. Only a handful of food outlets open. A couple of shops to buy books, magazines, etc. One Duty Free shop open. All designer shops were closed and empty of all stock, abandoned spaces.

Flights were the best I’ve ever taken. I had 18 seats to myself in economy. No queues for the toilets. 

Passenger gift bag had no socks or eye mask, but face mask, hand sanitizer and anti-bac wipes. Face masks were mandatory, even when seated.

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