I didn't see the whole Creativeblogger thing the first time around, so when Hive account@mamrita tagged me I was in. It's a lovely way to get to know each other. After all, these social interactions are what keeps many of us here! You can read about the whole thing here - thanks to Hive account@jongl for the initiative. I hope I'm doing it right! I always feel a bit strange doing these self reflective things and I can't say I like to do them, but what I do love doing is connecting to other people - so when Hive account@mamrita called, how could I say no?

If you're relatively new to HIVE, entering challenges is a fun way to get involved. Hey, even if you're a veteran like me it's fun to get involved!

The first two questions are obligatory ones, so here goes!

How do you add value to HIVE?

Oh gosh, I feel a little uncomfortable with this question. I founded Hive account@naturalmedicine a while back as I really believed the alternative health community was important and still do. Although I couldn't keep up with the massive demands of such a huge community and had to step down as leader, I'm really proud of providing a space for people to write about their interest in yoga, meditation, herbalism and so on. I've since shifted to smaller communities, The Herbal Hive that I started with Hive account@trucklife-family, and The Hive Garden community with Hive account@minismallholding and the #gardenjournal tag I took over from Hive account@simplymike which she couldn't do anymore. It feels good to run these passion areas and I feel like my expertise at running communities helps provide a place for that kind of content here. I"m going to keep this one short as it's making me squirm a bit. But I also am told I write quality content, and I do my best to join in lots of communities and help out when I can.

How would you make HIVE a better place?

I really hope I've done my bit to make HIVE a nice place to be. I know that in my small communities people seem appreciative of my efforts. I like to make people feel heard and valued, as I know how it feels to be unread or ignored, so I think I try hard to do my part there. I also try not to get involved in any on chain drama, though goddess knows I've wanted to say my bit. Just I don't anything really gets achieved through shirt fronting, abuse and attack - I'd rather talk about problems kindly and rationally and work things out. I also like to support content that actually has the potential to make the world a better place - things to do with the environment, with resilience, truth, love and so on. Yeah, I'm a hippie at heart, but there's nothing wrong with that, right? You can do worse than peace and love!

Now, to the questions from Hive account@mamrita!

1. How does a typical day look like for you? From the time you get out of bed until it's time to go to bed.

Ha, a typical day? Me? I kinda hate routine, so most of my days are fairly different. Now I've quit work I have even less routine! However, I always start with a cuddle from my husband. We sleep in separate rooms, mainly as I like my personal space and I'm a light sleeper, but we always start the day with a snuggle. He always gets up to make me a cuppa, no matter what, which I love as it makes me feel like a princess. We usually have a shower together as well. Then I'm off for a walk. This routine might change if I get up for a dawn surf, which basically involves me making a takeway cuppa and jumping straight in the van! I like morning exercise, so sometimes it's yoga too. Then goodness knows! Gardening? Visiting my folks (I get along really well with my parents - they are best friends), a bit of Hiving, tidying up, reading, etc etc. Next year's going to be great as I hope to spend more time with Dad taking photos, which might mean trips to waterfalls and the forest and sea around here to capture good shots. But who knows - that might change when we move to Tassie of course! Yesterday we went for a long walk on the beach and then painted the ceiling, today we visited our son in Melbourne and had bahn mi for lunch. Tomorrow I want to go stand up paddle boarding. I guess we're on holidays at the moment so we have time to do different things. But I do like to mix life up a little.

2. What is one thing you really like about yourself?

My intelligence, adaptablity and creativity. I think I'm a flexible thinker. I never thought I was 'creative' from some bad experiences as a teenager where my version of 'creative' didn't fit what school said was creative, which dashed my confidence. But I love creating - from writing, to home decor, to mosaics, to garden spaces, to all kinds of projects. It took a long time to accept this and say 'hell yeah, I'm a creative person!'. I guess anything good about yourself is hard to crow about, right? It's embarrassing! I also like to think that I'm smart enough - in particular ways. I don't like being locked into single narratives and I like to question why I think a particular way, because I'm wary of the Big I Am ego, because when you lose 'that thing' then who are you? But a certain amount of ego gives us purpose. I like to think that I have something to offer others, especially as I get older and realise I have all these life skills which would be awesome to pass on, maybe in the form of workshops. I do get a buzz out of teaching, just not traditional teaching.I also think I'm pretty empathetic. I never thought that was a positive trait until my husband said it's one of the things he loves about me most. Isn't it funny how sometimes you have to look at yourself through the eyes of others to see yourself?

3. How would your dream life look like? Or are you already living your dream life? Or do you feel that's not a good question to ask because you create your (dream) life every day?

It's so hard to pick a 'dream life', because I believe you should be happy in your moment, even if it's throwing terrible stuff at you. I mean, I'm breathing and the sun is out and I'm loved, so what else do I need? But we're moving to Tasmania, so clearly we aren't happy here. I'm a simple girl, really, so as long as I'm in nature, have a garden to create, the beach or forest to play in, I'm happy. My husband wants friends, which is harder - I don't care for them as I feel a lot safer on my own. Long story. But I guess I'm grateful for what I have. I think I'd be bored in a tropical island paradise with a lot of money. Adversity can be a problem solving adventure that adds interest! So long as it's not me or anyone I know being terribly ill, of course. But hey, living by the beach with perfect ways every day wouldn't be a bad way to live either. I think just a garden to tend, poeple to love, nature to enjoy - and if I'm being really demanding, lets just have everyone being nice to each other, okay? Enough already with the cruelty, the violence, the greed and all the other things that make this small planet a little sad.

4. Name one person you admire and why. It could be someone you know or a famous person.

I have this really annoying habit, as my husband says, that I am LESS likely to like or admire a person according to how much money they have, any records they've broken, or how famous they are. I dig my heels in and shrug. It annoys me to be told who to admire. I know, I know, it's dumb - it's just my stubborn streak. There's plenty of amazing famous people out there that have done famous things.

Recently I watched 'Fourteen Peaks' on Netflix. I love a great mountaineering story (though I loathe even walking up a HILL) and am fascinated by people who climb these mountain peaks. I loved this story of a Tibetan climber who vowed to climb all the 14 peaks with his team and did it in six months. To compare, if you haven't watched the film, one guy took 16 years to do them all. The fact it was a Tibetan guy made it even better - often western climbers get all the accolades and fame.

I really like stories of people going to find themselves in the wilderness. Feats of endurance are pretty cool. I'm not a sporty person, but I think I really admire how people must overcome their own brain monkeys to get over what the mountain throws at them. And that can be metaphoric mountains too - the things that are thrown up in a person's life that can be incredibly difficult, yet the person chooses to work through it rather than check out.

Also, as a teenager, I always loved the woman in the forest trope. The one that lived on the outside of her society, was intelligent and independent, and could live off wild plants and her wit, and be damnded with social convention. I really related to this archetype, alot.

5. What do you usually have for breakfast? (I'm interested 🙂).

My Mum used to annoy me when I was a teenager as she always argued I couldn't have the same thing every day for breakfast. Damn you mother! What if I wanted to eat vegemite toast EVERY DAY! Vegemite on white toast - heaven. Or honey. Or marmalade. But saying that, I love a smoothie as well, especially in summer - this morning was banana, maca, linseed, tulsi and raspberries. Sometimes a mini omelette with garden greens. Or tofu fried with tamari and sriarcha with fried tomatoes. Or halloumi and mushrooms. Or polenta with mushrooms. Or fried potato rosti and fried tomatoes. Muesli with mangoes and coconut yoghurt. Corn fritters with guacamole. I'm really GOOD at breakfasts. I was only saying to the husband this morning how fun it would be to have a cafe that JUST served breakfast.

And now to the questions for others!

Eeek, this is super hard as there's so many people here I'd love to get to know more. I'm going to choose relatively new blogger Hive account@traisto, because she seems like a girl after my own heart and I'd love to visit her on her farm in Greece! Also, Hive account@fermentedphil, because I have just discovered his amazing writing on HIVE and I think I'd love to visit his garden and philosophise with him! Don't feel obligated, either of you - but if you'd like to join in, have fun! And if anyone else at all wants to answer these questions I would LOVE to read your answers - you don't need to be tagged by me! Consider this your invite 😘

1. What is the one book that blew your mind? It doesn't have to be a favourite, just something really memorable.
2. If you were to take 5 items of food to a desert island on which you would be stuck for 5 years, what would they be?
3. Are you a dog or a cat person?
4. What's your very first memory from childhood?
5. What is the last song that was stuck in your head, that you love (not a horrible ear worm thanks!) or woke up to happily humming?

With Love,

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