• 18 things for 2018
  • 2015 Challenge – 52 in 52
  • 2016 challenge – 52 new things
  • 2017 Challenge – 17 things
  • Bucket List – Done and dusted
  • Bucket List – Still to do
  • This is Me – May 2015
  • This was Me – August 2014

RuthsArc

~ Looking forward, looking back & enjoying now.

RuthsArc

Tag Archives: challenge

A to Z Blogging Challenge

30 Wednesday Mar 2016

Posted by RuthsArc in 52 challenge, creativity

≈ 10 Comments

Tags

challenge, me

I don’t usually post twice in the same day, but fellow blogger, Joanne at my life lived full introduced me to the seventh annual “A to Z Challenge” that runs through April. The challenge is to post every day except Sundays, each post relating to a letter of the alphabet.

I’ve signed up for the challenge.

Some bloggers follow a theme, but I’ll keep it random. It’ll be a good opportunity to pull out some archive photos. My photo a day group have run two alphabet challenges, so I may use some of those ideas and pictures.

I’m trying to plan ahead as it is a big commitment to complete sequential daily posts. I have ideas but hope there may be some spontaneous posts too, depending on how the month pans out.

Hopefully, I’ll continue with the weekly photo challenge, posting that on Sundays unless I can link it to a specific letter. I also hope to contribute to Thursday Doors, but not sure how that will work out.

If you’re interested in joining the challenge, it’s not too late. Click here for info and the sign up page.

Many thanks for reading my blog and as always, I look forward to any comments during this challenge.

A2Z-BADGE_[2016]

10,000 steps

05 Friday Feb 2016

Posted by RuthsArc in all about me, making changes

≈ 10 Comments

Tags

challenge

How far do you walk in your average day?

I’m a recent convert to a “fitness tracker”. My Fitbit bracelet records steps, as well as heart rate, distance walked, stairs climbed, calories burned, and sleep patterns. It talks to my iPhone and encourages me with messages and badges. It’s a winning formula.

Fitbit has a target of 10,000 steps per day. That is approximately 8km or 5 miles.

According to various reports and surveys, Australian adults walk an average of 7,400 steps per day. Swiss over 9,000, American’s just under 5,000 while Brits average only 3,000 to 4,000 steps.

One of my 52 challenges at the beginning of January was to complete 10,000 on six days a week. After four weeks, I achieved that with only 3 days below my target, but still above 5,000 per day.

I know I feel better. I can see that my resting heart rate has dropped. My mid life sleep patterns are still erratic but hey ho.

So in February I will continue the step challenge but add a target of 10 floor on 6 days per week. If I eat less, perhaps I will lose some weight too.

There have been days when I am walking around at ten pm, to get to the magic 10,000.

Don’t tell the neighbours, but I might have to do late night runs up and down the communal stairs of our building to achieve the floor target. My pj’s are quite respectable.

IMG_0270

Part of the crowd

10 Sunday Jan 2016

Posted by RuthsArc in 52 challenge, days out

≈ 12 Comments

Tags

challenge, Hobart, me

I can tick off the first of my 52 challenges for this year.

This afternoon we went to a T20 cricket match.

I’ve never been particularly interested in cricket and never imaged I’d want to go to a match. But the Aussie Big Bash League is a fast and fun format of the game. Eight teams competing against each other, with each game limited to twenty overs per team. I’ve been hooked on the tv coverage in recent weeks.

It was the last home game for the Hobart “Hurricanes”. We were part of a record crowd. It was a real family affair with people of all ages, lots of kids and teens, girls and boys. Lots of purple in the crowd, supporting the local team. It was as great atmosphere, lots of clapping and cheering.

I know more about cricket than I ever realised. I’ve obviously taken more notice of office conversations over the years, male colleagues talking about sport. I’ve even been explaining some of the rules to an Aussie.

It turned out to be an exciting game. We lost by 1 run.

The visiting team went into bat first, scoring 173 runs for 5 wickets. After the interval, the home team steadily scored runs, but not quickly enough. The run rate increased. We needed 42 from the last 16 balls. The crowd cheered as the batsmen hit the ball to the boundary scoring fours and sixes. We needed 16 runs from the last over. Everyone around us was doing the same maths, 3 sixes or 4 fours from the six balls. Then it got down to needing 6 runs from the last 2 balls. The penultimate ball took a wicket when the non–striking batsman was run out. A four from the last ball was not enough to win the game. Oh but how thrilling. I’m glad I went along.

10th a10thIMG_9489

52 in 52 update

09 Monday Nov 2015

Posted by RuthsArc in 52 challenge, all about me, remembering / musing

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

challenge, me

At the beginning of the year, rather than commit to new year resolutions, I set myself a challenge to achieve 52 things in 52 weeks.

It was a random list, a mix of places to visit, things to learn, things to do, sometimes a one off achievement, sometimes an ongoing commitment over twelve months.

With less than two months left of the year, it is time for a review of the 52.
High level stats :
31 completed
13 still left to do
5 on track
3 will not be completed

In the past four months I have finalised another 12 challenges.

Our health has improved by walking and hiking, by reducing the amount of wine we drink and by eating more fresh vegetables, salad and fruit from the local farmer’s markets.

August marked my first anniversary of blogging and of participating in “photo a day”. I have made new friends with both of these activities, online friends from around the world, but also friends here in Hobart, in my real world. Sixteen months ago I had not considered either as a hobby but I am so glad that both are now an ongoing part of my life.

To date, I have used my iphone for all my photos but I have learned new photography techniques and terminology and have experimented with editing. This will continue to be a learning curve. We have just started the research to buy a camera as our joint birthdays and Christmas present.

One reason for the camera is to take night sky and aurora photos, which are just not possible with an iphone. We have seen the aurora on a couple of occasions and have taken night time walks on the beach, in moonlight and dark skies. It’s not been warm enough yet for the skinny dip though.

We have now lived in Tasmania for more than six months. We’ve had several family visitors from the mainland and it’s been fun taking them to some of our favourite places and exploring new locations with them. We had a relaxed visit to a favoured vineyard when a classic guitarist played live music and lots of people had taken picnics. Kids enjoyed the outdoor play area and watched the ducklings on the duck pond. They weren’t so happy when the owner’s corgi helped herself to food from picnic plates left on the ground.

So far, there are 3 challenges that I will not complete. Two are by circumstance, one restaurant was booked for several months in advance so we could not get a booking before we left London. Another restaurant had closed in Hobart before we arrived.

There is one challenge that I have made a conscious decision not to complete. After consideration and feedback from other bloggers, I have decided not to post on Twitter. I spend enough time online with facebook and this blog, I personally do not need more social media platforms.

There are still a few things to do in the next eight weeks:
7 ~ Drive along Australia’s Great Ocean Road
10 ~ Get a new job
12 ~ Visit Cradle Mountain National Park, Tasmania
15 ~ Make a driftwood Christmas tree
20 ~ See moon set over the ocean
22 ~ Skinny dip in the ocean
23 ~ Go to a drive in movie
24 ~ Participate in a protest
27 ~ Paint a picture
29 ~ Get to a healthy BMI and maintain it
30 ~ Visit Western Australia
31 ~ Send a message in a bottle
37 ~ Lie on my back in the rain and watch the drops fall

On Track
4 ~ Send a postcard every week for a year ✔
16 ~ Complete “a sentence a day” journal ✔
17 ~ Learn the Southern night sky ✔
50 ~ Organise my jewellery and wear it more often ✔
52 ~ Take a selfie every week for a year ✔

Completed in past four months:
July
41 ~ Hike on Mount Wellington, Hobart ✔✔
43 ~ Reduce my alcohol intake, have alcohol free weekdays unless special occasion ✔✔
45 ~ Regularly go to the local farmers market ✔✔
August
6 ~ Blog for a year ✔✔
13 ~ Complete 365 Photo a Day ✔✔
49 ~ Expand my blog network and blogs I follow ✔✔
September
8 ~ Visit Puddleduck Vineyard on a picnic day or duck race day ✔✔
36 ~ Take a moonlit walk on a beach ✔✔
October
21 ~ Bake my own bread ✔✔
2 ~ Live in another country for 6 months minimum ✔✔
33 ~ Learn more photography techniques ✔✔
34 ~ Learn more photo editing techniques ✔✔

Not Completed
39 ~ Breakfast at Duck & Waffle restaurant in London ✘
40 ~ Dinner at Garagistes restaurant in Hobart ✘
48 ~ Expand my Twitter network ✘

Completed in first half of the year
1 ~ Visit Gibraltar ✔ ✔
3 ~ Drive a left hand drive car on the right hand side of the road ✔ ✔
5 ~ Join “postcrossing” ✔ ✔
9 ~ Live by the sea ✔ ✔
11 ~ Do some voluntary work ✔ ✔
14 ~ Make blueberry muffins ✔ ✔
18 ~ See the Milky Way ✔ ✔
19 ~ See moon rise over the ocean ✔ ✔
25 ~ Go to an Aussie Rules match ✔ ✔
26 ~ Go to a rugby match ✔ ✔
28 ~ Revisit MONA in Hobart ✔ ✔
32 ~ Observe a court case at The Old Bailey, London ✔ ✔
35 ~ Watch 10 movies that were made before I was born ✔ ✔
38 ~ Draw a picture / message in the sand on a beach ✔ ✔
42 ~ Re-read my original gap year journals from 1985 ✔ ✔
44 ~ Visit Penitentiary Chapel in Hobart ✔ ✔
46 ~ Make banana bread with C~M ✔ ✔
47 ~ Complete London Underground Circle Line challenge – my own version ✔ ✔
51 ~ Sort out my wardrobe and be realistic ✔ ✔

52 in 52 update

02 Thursday Jul 2015

Posted by RuthsArc in 52 challenge, all about me, remembering / musing

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

challenge, me

At the beginning of the year, rather than commit to new year resolutions, I set myself a challenge to achieve 52 things in 52 weeks.

It was a random list, a mix of places to visit, things to learn, things to do, sometimes a one off achievement, sometimes an ongoing commitment over twelve months.

Now that we are half way through the year, here is a review of the 52.
High level stats :
19 completed
2 unable to complete
14 on track
17 still left to do

In January we spent a lovely day in Gibraltar, so challenge number 1 was ticked off on the second day of the year. During that holiday in Seville, Spain, I drove on the other side of the road in our left hand drive hire car. I can do it, but I didn’t like it. I’m happy to let Aussie Mate be designated driver on such holidays. Back in the UK we had a fascinating day at The Old Bailey.

We had another wonderful day out in February when we did our “Circle Line Challenge”. During this winter month of long, cold evenings, we watched nineteen movies that were made before I was born. We both enjoyed a variety of genres and got to know some of the big screen idols of that era. February was my first complete month of voluntary work, in a charity shop. It was an eye opening, new experience.

March was a frustrating month as we waited to exchange contracts on our house sale. I cooked and sorted out possessions as we planned to pack up our UK life. I re-red my 1985 journals and wrote notes for blog posts. Finally we had a move date. We tried to book breakfast at the Duck and Waffle restaurant in London. We didn’t expect the restaurant to be booked for two months in advance. That was the first challenge that we were unable to complete. We couldn’t get a table for breakfast, lunch or dinner until May, when we’d be in Australia.

In April, we turned our lives upside down. We sold our home of twelve years, packed up and flew to Tasmania. Within nine days we had moved into a waterfront rental apartment. We look out over the River Derwent estuary. Although I can see land across the water, it is tidal, so in my mind I am now living by the sea. We explored and found several beautiful deserted beaches. I wrote messages and drew hearts in the sand. We discovered that Garagistes Restaurant in Hobart had closed earlier in the year. That was the second challenge we were unable to complete.

May was the beginning of various new experiences. We went to a rugby league game in Sydney and saw the moon rise over the Pacific Ocean. In Tasmania, the Milky Way is visible even from Hobart. With minimal light pollution, the night sky is just stunning. We also begun to visit places with historical importance, such as The Penitentiary Chapel.

Last month, we continued to explore and experience life in Hobart with a visit to MONA gallery and attendance to an Aussie Rules football game. I also joined the global “post crossing” community.

All of the long term challenges are on track. I missed two weeks of sending a postcard, the week we left the UK and the following week when we arrived in Australia. I think this is an acceptable margin of error, considering how busy those weeks were, so I’m marking this as on track.

My blog continues to grow, with more visitors viewing more posts month on month. I am following more blogs myself and interact with other bloggers through various challenges, weekly photos, bench series, weekly walks, occasional 100 word challenge. I am thoroughly enjoying this online community. My blog has grown way beyond my initial idea of keeping in touch with family and friends. And photography continues to be an important part of each day.

There are still things to do so I’m looking forward to the second half of the year.

Still To Do
7 ~ Drive along Australia’s Great Ocean Road
8 ~ Visit Puddleduck Vineyard on a picnic day or duck race day
10 ~ Get a new job
12 ~ Visit Cradle Mountain National Park, Tasmania
15 ~ Make a driftwood Christmas tree
20 ~ See moon set over the ocean
21 ~ Bake my own bread
22 ~ Skinny dip in the ocean
23 ~ Go to a drive in movie
24 ~ Participate in a protest
27 ~ Paint a picture
29 ~ Get to a healthy BMI and maintain it
30 ~ Visit Western Australia
31 ~ Send a message in a bottle
36 ~ Take a moonlit walk on a beach
37 ~ Lie on my back in the rain and watch the drops fall
48 ~ Expand my Twitter network

On Track
2 ~ Live in another country for 6 months minimum ✔
4 ~ Send a postcard every week for a year ✔
6 ~ Blog for a year ✔
13 ~ Complete 365 Photo a Day ✔
16 ~ Complete “a sentence a day” journal ✔
17 ~ Learn the Southern night sky ✔
33 ~ Learn more photography techniques ✔
34 ~ Learn more photo editing techniques ✔
41 ~ Hike on Mount Wellington, Hobart ✔
43 ~ Reduce my alcohol intake, have alcohol free weekdays unless special occasion ✔
45 ~ Regularly go to the local farmers market ✔
49 ~ Expand my blog network and blogs I follow ✔
50 ~ Organise my jewellery and wear it more often ✔
52 ~ Take a selfie every week for a year ✔

Unable to Complete
39 ~ Breakfast at the Duck and Waffle, Heron Tower in London ✘
40 ~ Dinner at Garagistes restaurant in Hobart ✘

Completed
January
1 ~ Visit Gibraltar ✔ ✔
3 ~ Drive a left hand drive car on the right hand side of the road ✔ ✔
32 ~ Observe a court case at The Old Bailey, London ✔ ✔
February
11 ~ Do some voluntary work ✔ ✔
35 ~ Watch 10 movies that were made before I was born ✔ ✔
47 ~ Complete London Underground Circle Line challenge – my own version ✔ ✔
March
14 ~ Make blueberry muffins ✔ ✔
42 ~ Re-read my original gap year journals from 1985 ✔ ✔
46 ~ Make banana bread with C~M ✔ ✔
51 ~ Sort out my wardrobe and be realistic ✔ ✔
April
9 ~ Live by the sea ✔ ✔
38 ~ Draw a picture / message in the sand on a beach ✔ ✔
May
18 ~ See the Milky Way ✔ ✔
19 ~ See moon rise over the ocean ✔ ✔
26 ~ Go to a rugby match ✔ ✔
44 ~ Visit Penitentiary Chapel in Hobart ✔ ✔
June
5 ~ Join “postcrossing” ✔ ✔
25 ~ Go to an Aussie Rules match ✔ ✔
28 ~ Revisit MONA in Hobart ✔ ✔

Update on 52 in 52

28 Saturday Feb 2015

Posted by RuthsArc in 52 challenge, all about me, days out, more to life

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

challenge, me

As we are two months into the year, I thought I’d post an update on my 52 challenges.

I have completed 7 challenges and 10 are on target, as work in progress.

1 ~ Visit Gibraltar ✔
3 ~ Drive a left hand drive car on the right hand side of the road ✔
11 ~ Do some voluntary work ✔
14 ~ Make blueberry muffins ✔
32 ~ Observe a court case at The Old Bailey, London ✔
35 ~ Watch 10 movies that were made before I was born ✔
47 ~ Complete London Underground Circle Line challenge – my own version ✔

4 ~ Send a postcard every week for a year
6 ~ Blog for a year
13 ~ Complete 365 Photo a Day
16 ~ Complete “a sentence a day” journal
33 ~ Learn more photography techniques
34 ~ Learn more photo editing techniques
42 ~ Re-read my original gap year journals from 1985
43 ~ Reduce my alcohol intake, alcohol free weekdays unless special occasion
49 ~ Expand my blog network and blogs I follow
52 ~ Take a selfie every week for a year

It has been fun and we’ve had some special, memorable days at The Old Bailey, on the Circle Line and in Gibraltar.

Driving on the “wrong” side of the road was ok, I’ve proved I can do it, but I’ll always let Aussie Mate do the driving out of choice. Every time I tried to change gear my left hand whacked the side door, as habit kicked in before I remembered the gear stick was on my right hand side. Roundabouts were just scary!

I’m enjoying my volunteer shifts, meeting new people and experiencing a different side of life. I am baking a bit more than I’ve done in recent years too, after success of blueberry muffins and various flavour muffins in a mug.

The big surprise is my new love of old movies. We have already watched eleven movies that fit the category.
From Here to Eternity – 1953
..Montgomery Clift, Frank Sinatra, Burt Lancaster, Deborah Kerr
Streetcar Named Desire – 1951
..Marlon Brando, Vivien Leigh
The Wrong Man – 1956
..Henry Fonda, Vera Miles, Anthony Quayle
Bridge on the River Kwai – 1957
..Alec Guiness, William Holden, Jack Hawkins
Giant – 1956
..James Dean, Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson
Operation Petticoat – 1959
..Cary Grant, Tony Curtis
Hobson’s Choice – 1954
..Charles Laughton, John Mills
On the Waterfront – 1954
..Marlon Brando, Karl Maldon
The Wild One – 1953
..Marlon Brando, Lee Marvin
An American in Paris – 1951
..Gene Kelly, Leslie Caron, Oscar Levant
Sabrina – 1954
..Audrey Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart

We’ve a list of many more that we want to watch. We will continue with this challenge to see how many we can watch throughout this year.

There are some great films from the early 1960’s which are getting into the mix, even though outside the original criteria. Such as ….
To Kill a Mockingbird – 1962
..Gregory Peck

The “work in progress” challenges are going well, as I continue to enjoy photos, sentence a day, blogging, and improving my knowledge, techniques and networks.

So far, so good.

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