This week’s Sparks of Joy #15 post is about catching up with friends and preparing for the Festive Season, my favourite time of the year. As Min is still grieving the loss of her Mum, Deb from Deb’s World and I are again working as #TeamWWWhimsy and hosting the linkup on Min’s behalf.
This week’s Sparks of Joy #15
A very special letter
In my last Sparks of Joy I shared a text from my grandson Ethan which had brought me joy. This week, when I returned from holidays, his younger brother, Elliot gave me a letter with the instructions – ‘Don’t open it until you get home, Nan’.
When I opened the envelope I my heart just overflowed with joy and gratitude for the love that my grandsons have for me. This tops my list for Sparks of Joy this week.
Catch ups in Caloundra
If you read my #WBOYC? post you would know that Mike and I had a short and delightful getaway to Caloundra on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. You can read about my review of the area HERE and we had such a wonderful time we will return.
Whilst in the area, I received a message from a friend I hadn’t seen or actually spoken to for over 20 years. Karen and I worked together many years ago but lost touch. She now lives in Caloundra and we met for coffee. I was wonderful. We picked up from where we left off. Caught up on family news, reminisced about our time working together and the fun we had. The coffee catch up ended way too soon but now we have reconnected hopefully there will be more online catch ups and visits.
The other highlight of my week was catching up with my dear blogging friend and author Joanne Tracey. Jo and I met several years ago through blogging and became part of the online Stunners group during COVID. Our Stunners Book Club is still going strong but it is online as we all live in different parts of Australia and Vancouver Island.
Jo lives on the Sunshine Coast so it was an opportune time to catch up over lunch. An added bonus was that Jo and her husband Grant, finally met Mike and we enjoyed a delightful time talking about travel and life in general.
As an aside, Jo’s latest book is now available so be sure to get your copy of Christmas At Fountains Hall which I highly recommend. You can read my review HERE.
Yummy Gelato
Our last night in Caloundra we enjoyed a delicious gelato from newly opened Fifty Acres Gelato. My friend, Karen who I had coffee with earlier in our stay, sent me a message telling me about this place which was right in front of our hotel.
Owner and winner of Series 3 @masterchefau Kate Baracks and her sister, is serving scrumptious gelato in classic or Creative Flavours.
Lovingly made with all natural ingredients, the menu changes daily depending on the produce in season. Using the pozetti method of keeping the gelato covered to maintain flavour, Mike selected the Tirimasu and I selected the Banoffi. Of course we shared! OMG the taste is incredible.
Located in the boardwalk in Caloundra just in front of Breakfree Grand Pacific, it is a must visit if you are visiting the area.
Putting up the Christmas Tree
We arrived home on a dreary Saturday morning so to cheer me up it was time to put up the Christmas tree. I was delighted to find my decorations purchased from our travels around the world. Our latest additions were closer to home. We purchased the cute Kangaroo and Platypus from the Christmas Tree Farm during our stay at Stanthorpe earlier this year as an Aussie addition to the tree.
Mike and I divide the jobs. He looks after putting the tree together and adding the lights. My job is ‘to ‘director’ LOL and we both add the decorations.
This year we have handed the baton onto other family members to organise the Festive get togethers. I’m still coming to terms with this but even though we won’t have many guests visiting, I will always put up the Christmas tree. First visitor was The Elf 🙂
The final week of Share the Dignity and an exciting milestone
I have been so overwhelmed with joy being part of the Share the Dignity It’s In the Bag drive. The generosity of people astounds me and to date the Sheros have collected over 45,000 bags for vulnerable women, teen girls and Mums & Bubs. The bags have been delivered to the various charities for distribution and it feels good being part of this wonderful initiative.
The biggest news though was that Share the Dignity has now collected it’s one-millionth #itsinthebag donation yesterday. I feel so proud a Shero playing a very small part.
Here is Share the Dignity’s founder, Rochelle Courtney’s Facebook post announcement
“One million bags filled with essential items so many of us take for granted.
ONE MILLION.
That’s one million vulnerable women and girls who have received a gift of love and hope through #ItsintheBag. It feels surreal.
When our founder cleaned out her bathroom closet in 2015 and dropped bags to a local domestic violence shelter, never did we think we would be here, ten #ItsintheBag campaigns later. This number felt like a long shot yet here we are, a million bags later, proof that kindness and community can achieve the unimaginable.
Behind each of those bags is a story: a woman or girl who felt seen, valued, and supported at a time when life felt impossibly hard. Each bag represents hope wrapped in kindness—shampoo, conditioner, soap, deodorant, period products, toothpaste, toothbrush but most importantly, dignity.
Thinking about the ripple effect of this love and generosity, multiplied a million times, is humbling. Today, I’m puffed up with pride and gratefulness. This milestone has been made possible because of all of you – our supporters, our selfless volunteers, the wonderful team at Bunnings Warehouse Australia and all our incredible partners. Your kindness has turned this into something bigger than we ever could have dreamed.
We have been dreaming of this day for a decade and we can’t believe it is here, 1 million #ItsintheBag donations…“
Action for Happiness December Calendar – Do Good December
In case you missed my dedicated post sharing the Action for Happiness December Calendar you can find it HERE.
What has brought you joy this week? I’d love you to share with me and spread the joy.
18 Comments
Sue, 1,000,000 bags! That is incredible! I love reading your sparks of joy. They cause me to look for my own. I must say putting up the Christmas decorations is never a spark of joy for me…I’m too particular and want everything where it was the year before. I really need to downsize my collection! My biggest spark of joy was delivering hairbrushes, lip balms, hand lotion, and deodorant to a local alternative school. My daughter told me this school has many needs, and so far, my church, my travel friend, and I have delivered 13 coats, several period products, the hairbrushes and other items. Yet to come are hats. One thing that made me chuckle was our men’s Bible study group, when approached and told their contribution would likely go toward period products, proclaimed they’d been buying those things for years so no big deal! I’m hoping to get this going as an ongoing thing at our church because the need is great.
https://marshainthemiddle.com/
It was a wonderful result after 11 long years of hard work from the CEO. What a lovely spark fo ryou this week. I’m sure the students were so grateful to receive them. Aren’t men funny? You do so much good for you community, Marsha. xx
I hadn’t checkout out the calendar yet Sue. I love the prompts for Kindness month. I can see that you are well organised for Christmas. Once Mum stopped having Christmas at her house, as the oldest, I always had it, until I moved to Bendigo. I haven’t hosted a Christmas since then, as over the past few years we have gone out for lunch with friends. This year, our friends are coming to our house. There are only four plus us, so it will be very simple.
Hi Jen, we aren’t hosting this year and I have to admit part of me is disappointed. However, we need to pass the baton as it is a lot of work. I’m sure you will have a lovely Christmas day with your friends. x
Hi Sue, this is a wonderful joy filled post. From Eliot’s love note to you, meeting an old friend, catching up with Jo and Grant, Share the Dignity generosity and the kindness calendar. I forgot the gelato! I can see you’re doing so well with these sparks of joy posts and I love reading them. Thanks for helping Min out with the linkup, it’s great we can do it together. #TeamWWWhimsy
It’s been a great week full of Joy, Deb and I’m very grateful. Elliot is such an adorable child and so thoughtful. x
That was such a lovely and refreshing post Sue. Love is the way you connect with many, and those grandsons of yours are treasures for sure. I know what you mean about ‘other plans’ around Christmas because as families change and grow, our presence is often not as ‘important’ …We understand is what I am saying. Your Caloundra holiday looked wonderful.
Take care, you were an amazing rep for Share the Dignity and yes I saw the good news.
Denyse x
Hi Denyse, I am very grateful for the joy in my life. We had a wonderful time away and have booked again for next year! My heart just fills with so much joy and love for Elliot and Ethan, I’m very lucky. x
SO many fabulous sparks of joy this week! I just read Joanne’s latest book over the weekend and I loved it (of course, I always love her books!).
Jo’s book was so good, Joanne, I read it twice through. I love all of her books to and she just gets better with each one. x
I really do enjoy reading your weekly Sparks of Joy posts Sue, they remind me that it’s the little things in life that often are the most special.
Those little ‘love’ letters really do make you feel good don’t they. The Golfer had some returned to him after his mother died. Mainly ones our children had sent to their nana but also some he himself had written to her when he was a little boy. He was thrilled to bits that she had actually kept them.
Isn’t that a lovely story about The Golfer? I hope my family find the special letters they have written to me. I’ve had to dispose of some of the cards but have kept very special notes. I just don’t want to throw them away! x
Darn that that letter from Elliott took me to some Pinterest thing and wouldn’t open. But I am sure it was joyful and heartfelt as most of your actions so far this month have been. So cool to meet up with your friend after a couple of decades and then to see Jo and Grant.
Oh I’m not sure what you mean about the letter taking you to Pintrest, Bernie? I don’t think I had it linked to anything. We had a lovely time meeting up with Jo and Grant. x
Oh my, Sue! So much goodness and joy in one post! Your heart must be overflowing! From the yummy gelato to decorating the Christmas tree to catching up with a long time friend and then the impact that the Share the Dignity initiative has had on so many to your grandson’s precious letter and more – it all made me smile! Wishing you a wonderful week ahead!
I’m glad my sparks of joy made you smile, Laura. I’m sure your little ones bring you sparks of joy each day. x
That’s great news on the Million bags (though a sad indictment on Australia that we need that many in a country with only 27 million people – shame on us). Your grandson’s letter is soooooo sweet!
Lastly, you look so glam in the pic with Jo. It’s a great one! Beautiful!
Yes, I agree Lydia it is a bitter/sweet achievement but Rochelle and her team have worked so hard over the last 11 years. Thanks for the compliment about the photo and yes Elliot’s letter just blew me away x