Author: Fee Writes

Fee Writes

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The Power of Persistence

The Surfer’s Lesson: Persistence Pays Off

I just got back from the beach, and wow, it was absolutely stunning down there! The salty breeze, the sound of the waves rolling in—it was one of those perfect moments that made you stop and soak it all in. Right now I’m housesitting at a beach house, so out on the balcony with my morning coffee, still feeling that fresh ocean air, I decided that I wanted to share something I saw today that really stuck with me.

While I was at the beach, I found myself watching a surfer—this guy was clearly determined. He kept paddling out, trying to catch a wave, but time and time again, he couldn’t seem to keep hold of any wave he caught. I’m guessing he was a beginner, as he should have been able to get some decent rides, but what stood out to me was his persistence. He didn’t get discouraged. He just kept going, paddling back out, trying again. And then—finally—he caught one! He rode that wave all the way in, and you could just tell it was a moment of triumph.

Watching him reminded me of my own surfing days. Fun fact: I used to surf all the time when I was younger! I must have been around 11 years old when I first started, maybe even younger. My sister had a surfboard—one of those classic, oversized longboards—and I would lug that thing across the sand, determined to get out on the water.

Back then, we didn’t have fancy ankle straps like surfers do today. If you wiped out and lost your board, well, you were in for a long swim! Sometimes, if you were lucky, another surfer would grab it and bring it back to you—one of those little acts of kindness that always meant a lot.

But the thing that really hit me today, watching that surfer, is how much persistence matters. Whether it’s surfing, golf, painting, music—anything really—the key is to just keep at it. You might wipe out a dozen times, but if you keep paddling back out, eventually, you’ll catch your wave. And when you do, it’ll be worth every single struggle that came before.

That guy on the beach today? He had a great ride. And it was a reminder to me (and maybe to you, too) to keep pushing forward, no matter what.

Fee Writes

Retirement Brain

Retirement Brain: When Every Day Feels The Same

Not that long ago, I woke up one morning with absolutely no idea what day it was. None. Zilch. I knew it was a weekday because kids were marching off to school like tiny, grumpy commuters. But beyond that? Total mystery.

This, my friends, is what happens when you cross the threshold into the so-called “retirement years.” (By the way, I despise that word—retirement sounds like you’re just waiting for someone to close the lid on you!) Life after a career isn’t about fading into oblivion; it’s about keeping the wheels turning. Learning, growing, doing stuff—that’s the real deal. But one of the unintended side effects? Time becomes a vague concept. Days blend together like a smoothie of confusion.

Usually, I always know when it’s Tuesday—because, like a responsible part-time worker, I head into an office. Plus, I live next to a preschool, which is basically an audio calendar. Monday to Friday: a symphony of tiny voices. Weekends? Silence. That’s my system. And it works… most of the time.

But my usual cues are missing when I’m house-sitting cats, especially in unfamiliar places. (Cats are terrible at reminding you what day it is, by the way. They live in their own time zone called “Feed Me Now O’Clock.”) I still work online, but my routine is out the window, and suddenly, Tuesday could be Thursday or even a rogue Monday. Who knows?

Here’s my pro tip: Keep a diary—not just for appointments but for daily adventures, big or small. Schedule fun, plan outings, and create things to look forward to—because having a reason to be present is what keeps life exciting. Otherwise, you might just wake up one day and realize you’ve been living in an endless loop of Tuesdays.

Stay curious, stay engaged, and, for the love of all things, be organised—write things down!

P.S. If you figure out what day it is, let me know.

Fee Writes

Random | WTF

Desktop Disaster Averted: Backup Saves the Day!

What a crazy day!

This morning, I had to go into the office, but before I left, I did a little bit of work on my computer. Just as I was finishing up, a little pop-up appeared telling me it was time to empty the trash. Being the obedient wee soul that I am (yeah, right), I emptied the trash. At the same time, I checked my clock and realised that I was cutting it rather fine to get to the office.

So, I shut the laptop down. Well, I shut the lid down, threw it in my bag and off I went.

Arriving at the office, I opened up the lid, and there on my my desktop was NOTHING!

Let me explain. I have one folder on the desktop, and everything is in that folder. Think me weird? Well it’s simply to reduce the clutter on the desktop and away from prying eyes.

BUT it was gone!

My heart sank, and I thought, ‘nooooo, it’s got to be here. It just has to be.’ But I sure couldn’t find it. And the only thing I could think of was that it had somehow got into the trash bin, and so was deleted.

Now I have an Apple. We’ve got a little search thing. The first thing I did was put in the name of the folder. Nothing came up, so I searched the names of folders inside this folder. And it was a big fat zero.

It was like I had lost everything. I mean this was all my work was GONE.

First thing was ‘don’t panic, Fee, we can work this out’. ‘Take a breath and get into a calm state so you can think logically.’

I then remembered that I had my Time Machine backup at home. This is a hard drive that I use to back up my computer, but I also back up on iCloud.

The first thing to do – go on to iCloud. And, damn, if that wasn’t empty as well.

Obviously, from the time I left home to the time I got to the office and opened the lid, it had done a new backup.

I thought, ‘Well, I’ve got a Time Machine backup, thankfully.’ I do backups regularly, and I knew there wasn’t a great deal of new stuff since the last time I plugged in the Time Machine, so there was no point in getting worried. It would be okay.

I made my apologies and left work, as I couldn’t do any work anyway. When I got home, I plugged in the backup, opened it up, and… it wasn’t there!!!

It was now getting close to panic mode. I hadn’t been into my Time Machine to recover files for years, so I wasn’t sure if I was doing it right.

Now, I am fortunate that one of our clients does computer stuff. So I called him and said, “Help. I need you.”

Off I went with my laptop and Time Machine to see him. It took all of a minute for him to open the Time Machine correctly, and there was my desktop exactly as it should be.

Whew!

That’s right – back up your computer using an external hard drive because if you lose shit, you’re screwed.

The other thing was I tried to stay calm to logically figure out what went wrong and how I could fix it.

All’s well. I’ve got all my stuff, and life moved on.

Gosh. Don’t want to do that again. That was scary.

Fee Writes

Laugh! | Memories

Paper Maps vs GPS

A Nostalgic Journey with a Modern Twist

I’ve just returned from a bit of an adventure in a new neighbourhood I don’t know very well. You know the kind of outing—stop for petrol, a quick dash to the supermarket, and a lot of driving down unfamiliar streets. By the time I was on my way back, it struck me how lucky we are to have GPS. My mind wandered back to the late ’60s and ’70s when I was single and constantly on the go. Back then, there were no helpful voices telling you to “Turn left in 200 metres.” We had paper maps. Big, fold-out, impossible-to-manage paper maps!

I was pretty proud of my map-folding skills—most of the time. But when you’re in a rush, it’s a whole different story. Folding one of those maps felt like wrestling a fitted sheet that had just come out of the dryer. You try your best, but it always ends up in a messy bundle. My glove box quickly became a graveyard for paper maps, each one crumpled and slightly worse for wear. The car started looking like a mini archive of my travels, with maps poking out from under seats and crammed into every available space.

Fast forward to today, and I’m completely in awe of GPS. It’s nothing short of magic! This morning, it took me down tiny streets, round unexpected corners, and safely back home without a single wrong turn. Without it, I would’ve been hopelessly lost. What a game-changer!

But just when I thought my little adventure was over, I hit an unexpected twist—a breathalyser checkpoint at 11 a.m.! Surprised, I said to the officer, “Bit early, isn’t it?” She smiled and said, “Not really. You’d be amazed how many people we catch still over the limit from the night before.” Whoa. It’s a bit of a wake-up call, isn’t it? Apparently, there are plenty of people who party hard and then try to drive home in the morning, still feeling the effects.

That aside, I just can’t get over how much easier life is with GPS. No more pulling over to squint at a map under a streetlight, no more trying to fold it back neatly, and no more stuffing it into the glove box with a resigned sigh. GPS, you’re a lifesaver.

Paper maps, you had your time. But GPS? You’re the future—and I’m never looking back.

Fee Writes

Health | Random

Combat Loneliness: Simple Ways to Reconnect

This is the most brilliant quote I’ve read for a while.

It certainly resonated with me and got me thinking. I hope the same happens when you read it.

It was by a guy called Jean-Paul Sartre. He was a French philosopher, playwright, and novelist born in 1924—quite a remarkable philosopher and very interesting.

That whole concept of being alone for me is fine. I’ve lived alone for 18-odd years or so. But the lonely part. I will admit there has been an odd time when I have been a bit lonely. But thankfully, I recognised the feeling early on and did something about it so I didn’t spiral into that loneliness.

It’s at the beginning of that spiral when you need to do something. So here’s a couple of ideas:

Go for a walk listening to a podcast, music or audiobook.
Get yourself out into nature.
Go to a café, get a coffee and people-watch.
At the same café, take your computer and write emails or ‘journal your thoughts’.
Don’t hesitate to read out to someone. It might be a neighbour or whoever, but reach out to someone.
Watch a movie at home or go to the theatre and watch one there.
Go to the library and get a book. As my mom always used to say, “if you’ve got a book to read, you’re never alone because books use your imagination and you can absorb yourself into the story“

Perhaps try and learn something new. Go online and have a look and see if there is something in your neighbourhood that you would like to do. Is it is it dancing? Is it comedy? Is it learning how to work a computer?

Is that anything that gets you into a group situation, and especially a group situation where you’ve got younger people? So it’s not all just your age group. (I’m talking to the older people here now.) Younger people bring in a fabulous vibe. It’s brilliant when you talk to young people as they offer different perspectives. So, if you feel like you’re spiralling into loneliness, go online, find a group to join, get out there, and participate in your community.

Author: Fee Writes

The Power of Persistence

The Surfer’s Lesson: Persistence Pays Off

Retirement Brain

Retirement Brain: When Every Day Feels The Same

Desktop Disaster Averted: Backup Saves the Day!

What a crazy day!

Paper Maps vs GPS

A Nostalgic Journey with a Modern Twist

Combat Loneliness: Simple Ways to Reconnect

This is the most brilliant quote I’ve read for a while.

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