tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21880923655270310072023-11-17T05:31:00.002+11:0030for30MCPlease sponsor me! I'm doing the 30for30 fitness challenge to raise funds to improve the first 30 days of infant health. And I'm writing a poem everyday!Merilyn Childshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03863634409012723981noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2188092365527031007.post-42124729206836621152015-01-30T15:25:00.000+11:002015-01-31T10:12:39.982+11:00Day 30: "Heart"<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Sponsor me by clicking </span><a href="https://30for30fitnesschallenge.everydayhero.com/au/merilyn" style="background-color: white; color: #6699cc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghJ8XhFHkZ1P86WQvaEIaCzxrtlCd24roZw6jCpj4Mtmzj5c72VCgp-JbBvx0DhKK18rQ3n0bDYEiMiVeFvHy9PVubsSBOqODik2GbmKJIRdlLKr6aPKabCGcBraznklfgtoYPZMtltFDk/s1600/me2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghJ8XhFHkZ1P86WQvaEIaCzxrtlCd24roZw6jCpj4Mtmzj5c72VCgp-JbBvx0DhKK18rQ3n0bDYEiMiVeFvHy9PVubsSBOqODik2GbmKJIRdlLKr6aPKabCGcBraznklfgtoYPZMtltFDk/s1600/me2.PNG" height="320" width="241" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Today's theme: "Heart"</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><span style="color: red;"><b>My fitness challenge</b>:</span> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">My goal was to do </span><b style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">3 x 30 supported pull-ups at Level 1</b><span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"> by 30th January 2015. And to write a poem everyday. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">TODAY I ACHIEVED MY GOAL! </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">In achieving my goal <a href="https://30for30fitnesschallenge.everydayhero.com/au/merilyn" target="_blank">I raised $75</a>8.50 for World Visions' <a href="http://www.everydayhero.com.au/event/30for30fitnesschallenge" target="_blank">30for30 fitness challenge</a>! I did </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">3 x 30 supported pull-ups at Level 1</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"> by today, 30th January 2015. And I wrote a poem everyday. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yay! I achieved my goal!</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><b>Today's poem</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><i>Heart</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">it's still there</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">as are you:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">as she is:</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">like sound</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">like sound.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><b>Postscript</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">It seemed obvious to me to do the 30for30 fitness challenge. As I said at the beginning, this year I turn 60 and my deceased daughter would have turned 30. I was 30 when she was stillborn. I was dreading the start of 2015, and 30for30 gave me hope, strength and focus - and yes, distraction. It also allowed me to turn my deep-felt empathy for other mothers, and other babies, to action. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">During the challenge my mother's Alzheimer's suddenly deteriorated and she had a fall on Day 28. On Day 30 she was in a difficult state, so achieving my goal was one of those life moments - great pleasure and deep pain. 30for30 helped me more than I can say. I am very glad I was able to raise funds to help infants in their first 30 days. Thank you World Vision.</span></span></span>
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Merilyn Childshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03863634409012723981noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2188092365527031007.post-5851921904259937242015-01-29T20:08:00.002+11:002015-01-29T20:16:51.009+11:00Day 29: "Change"<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Sponsor me by clicking </span><a href="https://30for30fitnesschallenge.everydayhero.com/au/merilyn" style="background-color: white; color: #6699cc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFUxxjH4Gk3cyLEWcxsb6rtnA8Cluw9pmDyUx_VsdDoIS0n5XC8OhextBoOkk_eKPzYdrDqDCM8hFdc2-jiepWIeQElYfD8BQlhHPbJqqPOGDHb-KwHL6Ahyx-DqdoE86ieF_rB119NY3F/s1600/Gates.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFUxxjH4Gk3cyLEWcxsb6rtnA8Cluw9pmDyUx_VsdDoIS0n5XC8OhextBoOkk_eKPzYdrDqDCM8hFdc2-jiepWIeQElYfD8BQlhHPbJqqPOGDHb-KwHL6Ahyx-DqdoE86ieF_rB119NY3F/s1600/Gates.PNG" height="321" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Gates Foundation: <a href="http://www.gatesnotes.com/2015-annual-letter?page=1&lang=en&WT.mc_id=01_27_2015_AL2015-BG_TW_Img1_HealthHeader_17" target="_blank">5 ways to save newborn lives for less than $5 a day</a></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">As I've done this challenge, I've learn new things, often drawing on my twitter feed for inspiration to bring to this Blog. This week Bill and Melinda Gates released their <b>Big Bets for the Future</b>, in the <a href="http://www.gatesnotes.com/2015-annual-letter?page=1&lang=en&WT.mc_id=01_27_2015_AL2015-BG_TW_Img1_HealthHeader_17" target="_blank">Gates Annual Letter 2015</a>. It's an inspiring read. For a summary, see the video below.</span></span></span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7DmpncBDibA" width="560"></iframe><br />
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They present the argument that the child death rate will be cut in half in the next 15 years.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhvzmQEv3tpqoK2Mj_XGiub2se2jAvUQEamE69DCc08GW6epbx26tZvcOU0ATsBhqX0tqvLGuUU2E9ZazZqZC0N9x6dx33HvUQdiqxw4Xey28oni7YuLiPonwN4VljbT7HoUK5yL5KXDVZ/s1600/gates2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhvzmQEv3tpqoK2Mj_XGiub2se2jAvUQEamE69DCc08GW6epbx26tZvcOU0ATsBhqX0tqvLGuUU2E9ZazZqZC0N9x6dx33HvUQdiqxw4Xey28oni7YuLiPonwN4VljbT7HoUK5yL5KXDVZ/s1600/gates2.PNG" height="216" width="400" /></a></div>
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They make a call for people to become global citizens and <a href="http://www.gatesnotes.com/2015-annual-letter?page=5&lang=en&WT.mc_id=01_27_2015_AL2015-BG_TW_Img1_HealthHeader_17" target="_blank">make a difference</a>:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeZp2SlOIwFv8MLM9AsGye8B-cqCqGv5awep7pPRcTAiDVQSRpdDfT6m7eaAPrJEQxS0Ljqz6sIYqvMX1QQt9x76MWKuhFOt-TELqfrDINzrxFhcWdAudz_8SiV0HyfSx4Dj9HOcI8QH8a/s1600/gates3.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeZp2SlOIwFv8MLM9AsGye8B-cqCqGv5awep7pPRcTAiDVQSRpdDfT6m7eaAPrJEQxS0Ljqz6sIYqvMX1QQt9x76MWKuhFOt-TELqfrDINzrxFhcWdAudz_8SiV0HyfSx4Dj9HOcI8QH8a/s1600/gates3.PNG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.gatesnotes.com/2015-annual-letter?page=5&lang=en&WT.mc_id=01_27_2015_AL2015-BG_TW_Img1_HealthHeader_17" target="_blank">Click here</a></td></tr>
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I have learnt during my 30for30 challenge, many things. With one more day to go, I am thinking about the next steps I'll take to turn empathy into action, as I have tried to do by raising funds for World Vision.</div>
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<b>Today's Poem</b></div>
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with a break</div>
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of heart, and fear</div>
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this journey came.</div>
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<i>Alice Walker </i>whispered</div>
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"each one pull one",</div>
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packed her bags, came with me.</div>
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and I saw into the mud</div>
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where your feet walked</div>
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where my feet (shod) left marks.</div>
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i am bookmarked </div>
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between poetry, keyboard, muscles, whiteness:</div>
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it is a small gesture Alice,</div>
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I pulled. And I pulled.</div>
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Merilyn Childs, 29/01/2015<br />
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Alice Walker reading "Each One, Pull One" from <i>Her Blue Body Everything We Know: Earthling Poems 1965-1990 </i></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="//www.dailymotion.com/embed/video/x8bv87" width="480"></iframe><br />
<a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x8bv87_alice-walker-each-one-pull-one-poem_creation" target="_blank">Alice Walker - 'Each one pull one' (poem)</a> <i>by <a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/mickeynold" target="_blank">mickeynold</a></i>Merilyn Childshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03863634409012723981noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2188092365527031007.post-81142947290490165392015-01-28T12:04:00.003+11:002015-01-29T20:10:05.161+11:00Days 27-28: "Daughters"<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Sponsor me by clicking </span><a href="https://30for30fitnesschallenge.everydayhero.com/au/merilyn" style="background-color: white; color: #6699cc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnITIV3mqllq_yaJL0oWrClf7bUPWThrphur4YDZELQP1rpiESBKUS6VxWIINQFqk1gxUXsb-CSaNMRQw-H2n8m5QfR7ekugsNOZpAOJrrIH2RqBm6oVsHnPjRnQPfUjoHR0RAw02oNh8m/s1600/daughters.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnITIV3mqllq_yaJL0oWrClf7bUPWThrphur4YDZELQP1rpiESBKUS6VxWIINQFqk1gxUXsb-CSaNMRQw-H2n8m5QfR7ekugsNOZpAOJrrIH2RqBm6oVsHnPjRnQPfUjoHR0RAw02oNh8m/s1600/daughters.PNG" height="332" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Today's theme: "Daughters". Image taken from the article "<a href="http://www.ipsnews.net/2015/01/not-without-our-daughters-lambada-women-fight-infanticide-and-child-trafficking/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=not-without-our-daughters-lambada-women-fight-infanticide-and-child-trafficking&utm_source=ipsnews&utm_medium=twitter" target="_blank">Not without our daughters</a>"</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><span style="color: red;"><b>My fitness challenge</b>:</span> </span><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">My goal is to do </span><b style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">3 x 30 supported pull-ups at Level 1</b><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"> by 30th January 2015. And to write a poem everyday.</span><br />
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This post is dedicated to my mother Helen, as I am her daughter. Also to my deceased daughter who would have turned 30 in 2015 had she lived. Symbolically, to all daughters.<br />
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<b>And to 8 month old Aria</b>. May your journey be resilient, compassionate and hopeful.<br />
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<b>My progress</b>: Yesterday my challenge came uninvited. My mother, who has Alzheimer's, had a fall and was taken to the local hospital where it was found she has two "teardrop" fractures in her L1 & L2 vertebrae. These will self-heal, so she was back to her care facility by late afternoon. I spent the day caring for her at the hospital. My physical challenge was met by doing assisted lifting. I think had I not done the 30for30 challenge I would not have been able to do the lifting as confidently as I did. </div>
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To day I went back to the gym, knowing I have only 2 days left in the challenge (oh no!!). I did a range of tasks designed to warm my shoulder muscles and build my resilience.<br />
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Oh and I achieved 1 x 10 at 75 kl lat pull-downs in addition to 2 x 30 at 62.5 </div>
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<b>Poem</b></div>
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I am doing a combined poem for yesterday and today. [Edit: Can't get this one right.] [I think I am deeply hopeful and positive, despite life's challenges, so I find it hard to be a grump in a poem].</div>
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<i>Daughters</i><br />
<strike>each week in my newsfeed:</strike><br />
<strike>"if you love your daughter hit share"</strike><br />
<strike>pisses me off.</strike><br />
<strike>[srsly].</strike><br />
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My mother's daughter is angry<br />
every time a pink puffed up smug<br />
meme lands.<br />
she says: love all daughters -<br />
<i>fight </i>for them:<br />
<strike>your daughter is alive, right?</strike><br />
<strike>fed? well-dressed? pink?</strike><br />
<strike>But:</strike><br />
[My daughter is addicted to ice<br />
My daughter is a sex worker<br />
My daughter was kidnapped by ISIS and is a sex slave<br />
I had to sell my daughter for the family to have enough food<br />
My daughter's forced "marriage" is daily rape<br />
My daughter was abused by her uncle<br />
My daughter is starving<br />
My daughter is gay, transexual, wants to be a man<br />
My daughter is sick, disfigured, disabled<br />
My daughter can't read<br />
My daughter has a black dog calling]<br />
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Merilyn Childs 28/01/2015<br />
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Merilyn Childshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03863634409012723981noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2188092365527031007.post-51775771564940017472015-01-26T19:27:00.004+11:002015-01-26T19:47:50.074+11:00Day 26: "Australia Day"<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Sponsor me by clicking </span><a href="https://30for30fitnesschallenge.everydayhero.com/au/merilyn" style="background-color: white; color: #6699cc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">!</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV-KQHeNjkClcAfKMFfOkeKdISdBnHKYVZQGnygnGsCDDBGb74II1yr_7OOmlw5nMfTBu156bhjeRVdT2oOl8eADJpAVFau_tOr0aohsnxypB1zU7QrqpYFPNmfsjvQWpMrbhmesitikx_/s1600/65.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV-KQHeNjkClcAfKMFfOkeKdISdBnHKYVZQGnygnGsCDDBGb74II1yr_7OOmlw5nMfTBu156bhjeRVdT2oOl8eADJpAVFau_tOr0aohsnxypB1zU7QrqpYFPNmfsjvQWpMrbhmesitikx_/s1600/65.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Today's theme: "Australia Day"</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><span style="color: red;"><b>My fitness challenge</b>:</span> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">My goal is to do </span><b style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">3 x 30 supported pull-ups at Level 1</b><span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"> by 30th January 2015. And to write a poem everyday.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><b>My progress</b></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">: It's Australia Day, went to the gym early so I could hunker down with a rare beer in the afternoon. At the gym I did my usual routine, and managed 2 x 20 lat pull-downs at 62.5. Strength building- and to reassure my friend Liz, yes I did lots of stretching! There are only four days to go!!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Before I write my poem, here is a photo that has a great deal of meaning for me - taken from behind my mother pushing my son in a stroller, on Australia Day 1988 (the Bicentenary). We were heading towards the Aboriginal <a href="http://www.kooriweb.org/foley/essays/essay_11.html" target="_blank">protest march</a> agitating for better conditions of Indigenous Australians. </span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbdO1pSTrEMFiFV2c04aJFNN1myH2CfRMslPmIaS_H8MpHwGnCWQb5nT4HIpws7bPHzgfzhMN01X9wKB03vUw32tmSQzJenPX8BZtFaz8sBYsse8isjgNjDJriUgW_D1y_eA98nf0eO2rv/s1600/IMG_0158.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbdO1pSTrEMFiFV2c04aJFNN1myH2CfRMslPmIaS_H8MpHwGnCWQb5nT4HIpws7bPHzgfzhMN01X9wKB03vUw32tmSQzJenPX8BZtFaz8sBYsse8isjgNjDJriUgW_D1y_eA98nf0eO2rv/s1600/IMG_0158.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mum, January 26th 1988, walking with 100,000 Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. <br />
We marched under the Teacher's Federation Banner.</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><b>Poem</b>:</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><i>Australia Day</i></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">A rhyming Australian poem,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">A bush ballad forced into </span></span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">rhyme,</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Rhythms so bad you could throw 'em, </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Then<i> coooee! </i>yelled<i> </i>just in time.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Ouch!</span></span><br />
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Nah, not putting my name to this! 26/01/2015<br />
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<br />Merilyn Childshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03863634409012723981noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2188092365527031007.post-62509450524593846612015-01-25T16:34:00.001+11:002015-01-26T10:23:00.918+11:00Day 25: "Going in the right direction"<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Sponsor me by clicking </span><a href="https://30for30fitnesschallenge.everydayhero.com/au/merilyn" style="background-color: white; color: #6699cc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">!</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibUCIPKeod2mFsIO8vvEWSwZOgv0dKuJmFOy-QIzu9AuUmzK3rhpJ3e46pfzzkplTPccOF1mKs_KYRr21VKukXM2loXUir__QuSGwi48nRzQZST0wa1EC3gp5RLzkCXRLq48gSxNSxwBtC/s1600/reduce.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibUCIPKeod2mFsIO8vvEWSwZOgv0dKuJmFOy-QIzu9AuUmzK3rhpJ3e46pfzzkplTPccOF1mKs_KYRr21VKukXM2loXUir__QuSGwi48nRzQZST0wa1EC3gp5RLzkCXRLq48gSxNSxwBtC/s1600/reduce.PNG" height="85" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Where are we up to? <a href="http://www.africa.undp.org/content/rba/en/home/mdgoverview/overview/mdg4/" target="_blank">Read</a><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><span style="color: red;"><b>My fitness challenge</b>:</span> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">My goal is to do </span><b style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">3 x 30 supported pull-ups at Level 1</b><span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"> by 30th January 2015. And to write a poem everyday.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><b>My progress</b></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">: After today I have 5 days of this challenge to go. I'm on track, with a plan to do a bike ride before sunset. At present it is 4.30pm in the afternoon and still 33 degrees C. If I have to make a change of plans, I report it here.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><b>Today's Poem</b>:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><i>direction</i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">sometimes it's hard to tell</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">the direction of good.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Bad seems visceral; vocal: like</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Vlad with vampire teeth</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">on the blood of hope.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">I weave garlic into chains,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">ring bells, knot ropes</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">and throw handfuls of rice. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">(The last rather odd, but there you have it):</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">in search of sunlight</span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Merilyn Childs 25/1/2015</span></div>
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Merilyn Childshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03863634409012723981noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2188092365527031007.post-7343685376902627042015-01-24T15:07:00.002+11:002015-01-24T15:13:56.566+11:00Day 23-24: "The struggle against forgetting"<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Sponsor me by clicking </span><a href="https://30for30fitnesschallenge.everydayhero.com/au/merilyn" style="background-color: white; color: #6699cc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">!</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxA7jUEE0XVWdUEkiXiqyjRs3p9pTFx0yr8yWfeaiqik9jmCsSa0rFGptAZI9V5RW0q6YBPCazct362vAJhiGw2ch0m2djY-qOjcQvuILFjSKIxDPKz6gE-aoW7oVWNs-fL3EiK1VJ8ljO/s1600/4464205726_662b4d3ce2_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxA7jUEE0XVWdUEkiXiqyjRs3p9pTFx0yr8yWfeaiqik9jmCsSa0rFGptAZI9V5RW0q6YBPCazct362vAJhiGw2ch0m2djY-qOjcQvuILFjSKIxDPKz6gE-aoW7oVWNs-fL3EiK1VJ8ljO/s1600/4464205726_662b4d3ce2_z.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Today's theme: "The struggle against forgetting"<br />
https://www.flickr.com/photos/quinnanya/</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><span style="color: red;"><b>My fitness challenge</b>:</span> </span><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">My goal is to do </span><b style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">3 x 30 supported pull-ups at Level 1</b><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"> by 30th January 2015. And to write a poem everyday.</span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><br /></span></div>
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<b style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">My progress</b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">: I've been sad these past 2 days. Perhaps my poem "<a href="http://30for30mc.blogspot.com.au/2015/01/day-21.html" target="_blank">View</a>" might give you a clue as to why. That said, I've done my challenge each day. Yesterday I walked 3 km, and today I did work at the gym. I made the following post on my 30for30 fundraising page: </span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">I am incredibly excited to say that on Day 24 of my 30for30 challenge I have achieved my fund-raising goal. Thankyou so much to my supporters, you are amazing! Your money is going to a wonderful cause. Follow my journey at </span><a href="http://30for30mc.blogspot.com.au/" style="background-color: white; color: #049cd0; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">http://30for30mc.blogspot.com.au/</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"> And I don't mind more sponsorship either!!</span></blockquote>
I don't like sentimental quotes often posted in Facebook like "life is an up and down hill journey". Doh! But doing this challenge began from a position of sadness and strength, working together to make a difference. Sometimes that sadness is my biggest challenge. I tried to use today's theme to explore infant funerals in the developing world - but I found the exploration tough. I also kept coming up against a very western view of child death: lots of teddy bears. Lots of assumptions about the resources and infrastructure available.<br />
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<b>Poems</b>:<br />
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<i>...forgetting</i><br />
For the first time Mum<br />
your world<br />
was nothing more<br />
than an ice-cream bowl.<br />
<i><br />Merilyn Childs 23/1/2015</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i><br /></i>
<i>The struggle against </i><br />
When I die<br />
my dust will be lain with yours<br />
under the azaleas.<br />
Passing strangers might say your name-<br />
And: "Oh look, mother and child<br />
Isn't that sad".<br />
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Merilyn Childs 24/1/2015<br />
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The title of today's theme is drawn from a quote in Kundera's <i>The Book of Laughter and Forgetting</i> (1999)<br />
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“The struggle of man against power is the struggle of memory against forgetting”</h1>
Merilyn Childshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03863634409012723981noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2188092365527031007.post-90357348482712159122015-01-23T11:41:00.002+11:002015-01-23T11:52:41.632+11:00Day 22: "My feet hurt whah!"<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Sponsor me by clicking </span><a href="https://30for30fitnesschallenge.everydayhero.com/au/merilyn" style="background-color: white; color: #6699cc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><span style="color: red;"><b>My fitness challenge</b>:</span> </span><span style="color: red; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">My goal is to do </span><b style="color: red; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">3 x 30 supported pull-ups at Level 1</b><span style="color: red; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"> by 30th January 2015. And to write a poem everyday.</span></div>
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<b style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">My progress</b><span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">: Today (22nd January) I did 2 flights at our local <a href="https://www.iflyworld.com/" target="_blank">iFly</a> early in the morning with my son, then stood all day helping him pack. By night fall my feet really hurt!! (I have feet problems made worse by the 30for30 challenge, even with great shoes and foot care). </span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">I started to think about pregnant women and children in the developing world, and their feet - something I had not really thought about before. I started searching for information, and found very little. But I did find the NFP <a href="http://soles4souls.org/" target="_blank">Soles4Shoes</a>, see video above, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCE-nOUhHeOlq94j0VmquM1Q" target="_blank">and visit here</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Poem:</span></div>
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<i>My feet hurt!</i></div>
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I've made <a href="http://30for30mc.blogspot.com.au/2015/01/day-11-30for30-fitness-challenge.html" target="_blank">progress</a>, true.</div>
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<a href="http://30for30mc.blogspot.com.au/2015/01/day-4-30for30-fitness-challenge-january.html" target="_blank">Carried weight</a>, lalala</div>
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<a href="http://30for30mc.blogspot.com.au/2015/01/day-2-30for30-fitness-challenge-january.html" target="_blank">Gone some distance</a> yeah!</div>
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But my feet hurt whah!</div>
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Yes, my feet hurt, whah!</div>
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I've got the sore feet ice-pack blues!!</div>
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lol, Merilyn Childs 22/1/2015</div>
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Merilyn Childshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03863634409012723981noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2188092365527031007.post-40238727281780923902015-01-21T22:28:00.004+11:002015-01-21T22:29:05.211+11:00Day 21: "View"<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Sponsor me by clicking </span><a href="https://30for30fitnesschallenge.everydayhero.com/au/merilyn" style="background-color: white; color: #6699cc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">!</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Today's theme: "View". This photo is a view<br />
of the wisteria tunnel referred to in the poem below. </td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><span style="color: red;"><b>My fitness challenge</b>:</span> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">My goal is to do </span><b style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">3 x 30 supported pull-ups at Level 1</b><span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"> by 30th January 2015. And to write a poem everyday.</span></div>
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">My progress</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">: Back to the gym today, where I did the usual workout, but decided I would add in a challenge test to see what my progress is like. I managed to do 2 x 30 supported pull-ups, then had a break and did some leg work. After 10 minutes I did 1 x 25 supported pull-ups. So: progress, thankfully, with 8 days to go. [Note though, it sounds easier than it was!].</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><b>Poem</b>:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><i>View.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Today is memory.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Through window grime</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">to park: the wisteria tunnel</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">where o</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">nce there was a rocket</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">and a roundabout</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">long since gone.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">where once I pushed a stroller</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">with grandparents</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">long now dead.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">On Sunday I walked there with you</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">once-were-Helen. Mother.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">We sat on the second wooden bench</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">your eyes closed/skin an empty shell.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">My eyes blinded.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">A young girl runs past, we stir.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">There's a Labor Party BBQ. Speeches I can't hear.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">I think of David Hicks. Your protest.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">I want to tell you: <i>He's free now Mum</i>. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Vindicated. I know you'd be pleased.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Through window grime</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">to park, and the wisteria tunnel:</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Yes, I see the landscape of my years,</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">and the view of yours forgotten.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Merilyn Childs, 21/1/2015</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">[The gym I work out at has a view over a park where I walk my mother, who has Alzheimer's].</span><br />
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Merilyn Childshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03863634409012723981noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2188092365527031007.post-7694737476119238742015-01-20T21:02:00.004+11:002015-01-20T21:03:07.534+11:00Days 19-20: "Burden"<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Sponsor me by clicking </span><a href="https://30for30fitnesschallenge.everydayhero.com/au/merilyn" style="background-color: white; color: #6699cc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3MXSKgJO3owbs0D6m0K2E_ZFVBcSyGUJay9KORlLI6l1V7Pb1fUdyGx1Z8E2vo1gK-FVrq6_EdIa5F8ayGpa39iOQj3WOZUKDzIxoEdhJFwSyeJqhgdAnvGYJmOXTaSMzlD-kzmxsBhn7/s1600/BUCKETS.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3MXSKgJO3owbs0D6m0K2E_ZFVBcSyGUJay9KORlLI6l1V7Pb1fUdyGx1Z8E2vo1gK-FVrq6_EdIa5F8ayGpa39iOQj3WOZUKDzIxoEdhJFwSyeJqhgdAnvGYJmOXTaSMzlD-kzmxsBhn7/s1600/BUCKETS.JPG" height="320" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Today's theme: "Burden". </td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><span style="color: red;"><b>My fitness challenge</b>:</span> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">My goal is to do </span><b style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">3 x 30 supported pull-ups at Level 1</b><span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"> by 30th January 2015. And to write a poem everyday.</span></div>
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">My progress</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">: On 19th January (yesterday) I walked for 5km. Today (20th January) I set myself a different challenge - to see how far I could walk carrying two buckets with 5 litres of water in each bucket. It turned out I managed only 1km. The pain my my arms and shoulder joints was tough, and I became worried I'd do an injury that would stop me achieving my overall challenge. I did this challenge because I wanted to understand more about the <a href="http://girlsglobe.org/2013/12/12/the-burden-of-collecting-water-while-pregnant-2/" target="_blank">burden of collecting water</a> for women in the developing world when pregnant. My small challenge was nothing compared to theirs. After the 1 km, I then did a fast 2 km through local streets.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><b>Poems</b></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtjG7MR7ZKH-uzHIYfiiFPvgX9ZyGhnj_pahtMmovepUMPRNWVAiKQUo7vdGZgCGpvDz573lOd7sQHmtIjERnR1D4RbXBycxlBKskw81OkS3jlLPMWm_lT37HEuhZMrQ7WTizgn3-SChiv/s1600/Capture3.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtjG7MR7ZKH-uzHIYfiiFPvgX9ZyGhnj_pahtMmovepUMPRNWVAiKQUo7vdGZgCGpvDz573lOd7sQHmtIjERnR1D4RbXBycxlBKskw81OkS3jlLPMWm_lT37HEuhZMrQ7WTizgn3-SChiv/s1600/Capture3.PNG" height="137" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From: <a href="http://girlsglobe.org/2013/12/12/the-burden-of-collecting-water-while-pregnant-2/">http://girlsglobe.org/2013/12/12/the-burden-of-collecting-water-while-pregnant-2/</a></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><b>Burden</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">mine is a noun:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">quick, flowing-</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">a blue bucket</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">on an asphalt street.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Burden Two</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white;">hers is an endless</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white;">relentless verb:</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i>to.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white;">Merilyn Childs 20/1/2015</span></span></div>
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Merilyn Childshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03863634409012723981noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2188092365527031007.post-16403241423936369002015-01-18T08:27:00.001+11:002015-01-18T18:36:47.048+11:00Days 16-18: "Warming"<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Sponsor me by clicking </span><a href="https://30for30fitnesschallenge.everydayhero.com/au/merilyn" style="background-color: white; color: #6699cc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">!</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioc9L0hfxUPHCvH7-8m0oEnkc0Rtq46R6oi-tipSqTV-m0OQW5R3EaOe90H-zVsrkMAIchiH8tQ5D_1LFtzX86cfw1Hhm354UvVjoYvrZulnTgtA3FECznLA0JMo99GmmKr8_QYJNyvHed/s1600/7151393345_6c6afaf678_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioc9L0hfxUPHCvH7-8m0oEnkc0Rtq46R6oi-tipSqTV-m0OQW5R3EaOe90H-zVsrkMAIchiH8tQ5D_1LFtzX86cfw1Hhm354UvVjoYvrZulnTgtA3FECznLA0JMo99GmmKr8_QYJNyvHed/s1600/7151393345_6c6afaf678_z.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Today''s theme: "Warming"<br />
2012: Local people taking local action:<br />
<a href="http://350.org/">350.org</a> and <a href="http://climatedots.org/">climatedots.org</a> with the global slogan <br />
"It's time to connect dots between climatic change and extreme weather"<br />
https://www.flickr.com/photos/350org/</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><span style="color: red;"><b>My fitness challenge</b>:</span> </span><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">My goal is to do </span><b style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">3 x 30 supported pull-ups at Level 1</b><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"> by 30th January 2015. And to write a poem everyday.</span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><b>Reflection</b>: NASA has released data to show that 2014 was the <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-01-17/2014-was-hottest-in-modern-history-say-us-scientists/6022714" target="_blank">hottest year in modern history</a>. Climate change impacts different regions, countries and populations differently, and climate impact management is resourced differently across the globe as well. Climate change impacts on the most vulnerable in poorer countries and communities - including "the mother, the fetus and the newborn child" </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">(<a href="http://www.globalhealthaction.net/index.php/gha/article/view/19538/html" target="_blank">Rylander, Odland & Sandanger, 2013</a>). </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<b style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">My progress</b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">: I completed the following during the past 3 days: Jan 16th: a 4 km walk, Jan 17th: gym, Jan 18th (more gym). </span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><b>Poems</b>:</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><i>Warming I</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">"warming one's toes"</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">: </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">hearth</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">& home; winter fires/</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">hot chocolate/</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">the lights on low.</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><i>Warming II</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">lobster</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">boiled</span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"> red:</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"> dead.</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><i>Warming III</i></span><br />
born into hot air<br />
the dew long forsaken<br />
the babies of potluck<br />
sicken, horizon-blinded<br />
by winter fires & lobsters<br />
boiled<br />
in the mouths of somewhere else<br />
where the lights are low.<br />
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<br />
<br />
Merilyn Childs 18/01/2015<br />
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Merilyn Childshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03863634409012723981noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2188092365527031007.post-28132411928843533012015-01-15T21:11:00.004+11:002015-01-15T21:15:27.298+11:00Day 15: "Gap"<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><b><span style="color: blue;">HALF WAY THROUGH THE CHALLENGE!</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Sponsor me by clicking </span><a href="https://30for30fitnesschallenge.everydayhero.com/au/merilyn" style="background-color: white; color: #6699cc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix8HhVuW5dp2Ivrhg6TlSfLeM6IfJglnL5OxjK4KydM5hiRawd0qQL9ouFVTyiBxJDjjzZyfq_9rH-ruYrX4X5DUULvMGUujEYEEU5_H68mmb-NB-AJM8kyvIpoYMqkhyphenhyphendmslIFALUg9hr/s1600/LAP+PULL+DOWNS.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix8HhVuW5dp2Ivrhg6TlSfLeM6IfJglnL5OxjK4KydM5hiRawd0qQL9ouFVTyiBxJDjjzZyfq_9rH-ruYrX4X5DUULvMGUujEYEEU5_H68mmb-NB-AJM8kyvIpoYMqkhyphenhyphendmslIFALUg9hr/s1600/LAP+PULL+DOWNS.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Today's theme: "Gap"</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><span style="color: red;"><b>My fitness challenge</b>:</span> </span><span style="color: red; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">My goal is to do </span><b style="color: red; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">3 x 30 supported pull-ups at Level 1</b><span style="color: red; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"> by 30th January 2015. And to write a poem everyday.</span></div>
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<b style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">My progress</b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">: I began today with a visit to the gym. I did all round fitness training, and also focused on lat pull-downs as a way of preparing for the supported pull-ups. Today I achieved 3 x 30 lat pull-downs at 50 kilo setting. I could not have done this at the start of the challenge, so I'm pleased!!</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><b>Reflection</b>: Because of people doing this challenge, more than $87,000 has been raised so far for World Vision Australia's campaign to improve the survival and health of babies in their first 30 days of life!</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><b>Today's Poem</b>:</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><i>Gap</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">I squeezed in to the ball room.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Madeleine was there,</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">and an injured paramedic with a trainer.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">I had to wait my turn.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">It crossed my mind that it should be</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">bigger, cooler, better equipped.</span></span></div>
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Mental note (or so I said): </div>
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"Next time after 10</div>
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There'll be a bigger gap":</div>
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#firstworldproblem</div>
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Merilyn Childs 15/01/2015</div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">[World Vision reports that "child deaths have been almost cut in half, from 12.6 million per year in 1990 to to 6.6 million in 2012. Despite this welcome progress the </span><a href="http://www.wvi.org/article/lancets-review-closing-killer-gap-childrens-health-inequality" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;" target="_blank">Killer Gap report</a><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"> 2013 shows that millions of children, including the 6.6 million who sadly died in 2012, are still not benefiting from improvements."]</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirSkk3-QsW_UmQQhDfvKNEh75IuHwZlcr4Q6Tcc8CITJnbVnJm4c7es2tC1eeFKJ-88Wq5_sXaBMiGYXXmfKIDNRJTx5flC8MzdPVCH0tNoeO3dkEybaynuVEBVwlF_x4y1CUko9bWKtgC/s1600/half+way.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirSkk3-QsW_UmQQhDfvKNEh75IuHwZlcr4Q6Tcc8CITJnbVnJm4c7es2tC1eeFKJ-88Wq5_sXaBMiGYXXmfKIDNRJTx5flC8MzdPVCH0tNoeO3dkEybaynuVEBVwlF_x4y1CUko9bWKtgC/s1600/half+way.PNG" height="400" width="383" /></a></div>
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Merilyn Childshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03863634409012723981noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2188092365527031007.post-77586796828930865912015-01-14T22:28:00.000+11:002015-01-14T22:29:38.537+11:00Day 12-14: "Acute"<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Sponsor me by clicking </span><a href="https://30for30fitnesschallenge.everydayhero.com/au/merilyn" style="background-color: white; color: #6699cc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">!</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWXzMe3Um8Y2QvVKboC_Z240bRMj3kaGdfga86YhetB5K_53Uoaxy6xwcLfnGEueLYwVbTcG95wShaqcgqM203ftgHo2vLYtIje1t8mupPtjV5IyBK5pe2gVxgKAH8PUwgMpe0amrRsvBC/s1600/earthquake.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWXzMe3Um8Y2QvVKboC_Z240bRMj3kaGdfga86YhetB5K_53Uoaxy6xwcLfnGEueLYwVbTcG95wShaqcgqM203ftgHo2vLYtIje1t8mupPtjV5IyBK5pe2gVxgKAH8PUwgMpe0amrRsvBC/s1600/earthquake.PNG" height="523" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Today's theme: "Acute". <br />
UNICEF recently reported the efficacy of the work they did after the Haiti earthquake, <br />
with money raised through donations. <a href="http://www.unicef.org.au/Discover/News/1--2015-January/The-five-things-you-did-to-help-children-after-the.aspx?utm_medium=Email&utm_source=ET&utm_campaign=150104_NEWS_MNEWS_Jan_CSH&utm_sub=" target="_blank">Read the report</a>.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><span style="color: red;"><b>My fitness challenge</b>:</span> </span><span style="color: red; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">My goal is to do </span><b style="color: red; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">3 x 30 supported pull-ups at Level 1</b><span style="color: red; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"> by 30th January 2015. And to write a poem everyday.</span></div>
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<b style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">My progress</b><span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">: This entry is for the 12th (I walked 4 km), the 13th (I worked out at the gym) and the 14th (I did hard physical labour around the house and did a 15 minute bike ride). This has allowed my shoulders to recover, ready for more work at the gym tomorrow.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><b style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Reflection</b><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">: Sometimes cynicism exists about the impact of fundraising by NGOs on the lives of those the funds are meant to help. It's good therefore to read outcomes based reports from organisations like <a href="http://www.unicef.org.au/Discover/News/1--2015-January/The-five-things-you-did-to-help-children-after-the.aspx?utm_medium=Email&utm_source=ET&utm_campaign=150104_NEWS_MNEWS_Jan_CSH&utm_sub=" target="_blank">UNICEF</a> to show how moneys raised change the lives of those they are meant to help. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><b>Poems.</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><b>12th January 2015</b>:</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><i>Acute</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">behind the door</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">a mathematician</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">carves fine lines,</span></span></div>
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perfecting Division.</div>
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tasting Subtraction.</div>
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Yum. Saliva on chin.</div>
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He's never been hungry</div>
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Not even in dreams,</div>
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and when he comes out</div>
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Boo! the children scream.</div>
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Merilyn Childs 12th January 2015<br />
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<i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">[This poem is in response to <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-12-15/myefo-foreign-aid-slashed-again-deficits-balloon/5966620" target="_blank">cuts made to foreign aid </a>by the Australian Abbott Liberal Government </span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">of AU$3 billion over 3 years on</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"> </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">15th December 2014]</span></i></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><b>13th January 2015</b>:</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-weight: lighter !important; margin-bottom: 0px;">
<i><span data-dobid="hdw">acute</span></i></div>
/əˈkjuːt/</div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">intense, deep, sharp.</span></div>
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//pain//pain*</div>
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in the depths of where you died.</div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Merilyn Childs, 13th January 2015</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">[<i>Sometimes even years after the loss of a child, living is like drowning in thick treacle</i>.]</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><b>14th January 2015</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><i>acute</i></span></div>
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I'm not a story teller baby,</div>
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But I want to tell you this:</div>
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They have no idea</div>
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the knife will kill you.</div>
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They've waited for you</div>
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smiling, fearful, hungry.</div>
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They sing to you</div>
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as the cut is made.</div>
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Merilyn Childs, 14th January 2015<br />
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[<i>This poem was written to reflect the fact that "Newborn sepsis is responsible for over 500,000 of the 3.1m newborn deaths globally. The infection is usually transmitted when the umbilical cord is removed with unsterilised materials. Applying a basic antiseptic which cost less than $1 helps to stop infections. This action reduces mortality by 23%" (<a href="http://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/2014/nov/20/ways-save-premature-newborns-cheap-simple" target="_blank">Olagunju</a>, 2014)]</i></div>
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Merilyn Childshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03863634409012723981noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2188092365527031007.post-19079109515173964782015-01-11T21:41:00.003+11:002015-01-12T11:18:27.093+11:00Day 11: "Progress"<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Sponsor me by clicking </span><a href="https://30for30fitnesschallenge.everydayhero.com/au/merilyn" style="background-color: white; color: #6699cc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">!</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimKqcVV98jU7_RsZsPdzH-61y8erbM2S3XfifrkrS4FUfRbj_fpuY8K63hvQnWjRe5SKCfEyaKoU4SgeT76-KV3QzV3rMIsaURQazMJvHBx4Sl-F_mUPi_k6Aj0zUes_SZzagVksP3uG9B/s1600/progress.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimKqcVV98jU7_RsZsPdzH-61y8erbM2S3XfifrkrS4FUfRbj_fpuY8K63hvQnWjRe5SKCfEyaKoU4SgeT76-KV3QzV3rMIsaURQazMJvHBx4Sl-F_mUPi_k6Aj0zUes_SZzagVksP3uG9B/s1600/progress.PNG" height="264" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Today's theme is "progress".<br />
For example: Progress in <a href="http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/ourwork/hiv-aids/successstories/in-zimbabwe--improving-clinics---helps-improve-healthcare.html" target="_blank">Zimbabwe</a>:<br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19.5px; text-align: start;">to support the fight in Zimbabwe against HIV/AIDS</span> </td></tr>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><span style="color: red;"><b>My fitness challenge</b>:</span> </span><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">My goal is to do </span><b style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">3 x 30 supported pull-ups at Level 1</b><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"> by 30th January 2015. And to write a poem everyday.</span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><br /></span></div>
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<b style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">My progress</b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">: Today I tested my progress towards my goal. I can now do 1 x 30, 1 x 19, 1 x 15. So I have progressed since last challenge [30, 16, 13] - I'm moving forward.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><b>Today's Poem</b>:</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><i>Progress</i></span></div>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">it smells here</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">like the dawn gone bad.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">I breath in</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">arm curls/</span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">dips</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">bench press, crunches:</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">hope/</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">growing</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">hold.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">hold.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">it hurts like fuck.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">but </span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">it's also morning,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">and the sky is open.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">I once heard someone say</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">"I will never see the cathedral built"</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">but regardless</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">they made the bricks</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">doggedly. daily.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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Merilyn Childshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03863634409012723981noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2188092365527031007.post-89899762721951313402015-01-10T22:30:00.001+11:002015-01-12T11:21:44.859+11:00Day 10: "Terrorism"<div style="text-align: start;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Sponsor me by clicking <a href="https://30for30fitnesschallenge.everydayhero.com/au/merilyn" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here</a>!</span></div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><br /></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg83-bh8VsIT0ILy_1SBRVijNTtlfgOShFpDi6gwMNtglE3DD9zSqZtJRmrZIiZnXxqf_UU-hJ4aUPOgGGnWLpWIhJDEu2GFV-Vu-35m5lVfYm5BA7mT_flt1T_dtY9bB_KLGmxodw1bAeH/s1600/no+heaven.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg83-bh8VsIT0ILy_1SBRVijNTtlfgOShFpDi6gwMNtglE3DD9zSqZtJRmrZIiZnXxqf_UU-hJ4aUPOgGGnWLpWIhJDEu2GFV-Vu-35m5lVfYm5BA7mT_flt1T_dtY9bB_KLGmxodw1bAeH/s1600/no+heaven.PNG" height="146" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Today's theme: "terrorism"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Today my challenge is the <i>Charlie Hebdo</i> atrocity.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><i>Heaven</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">I wanted to believe in heaven.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">When you died.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">I tried.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">I wanted to meet you,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">having been so close</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">between rib and bone.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">It stopped me dying</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">That pretence of you: </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">spirit waiting.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Daughter: you died.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">Heaven is a verb</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">used by terrorists.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span>
<em style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Remembering Charlie Hebdo, and my deceased daughter.</em><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span></div>
Merilyn Childshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03863634409012723981noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2188092365527031007.post-28446385596848460332015-01-09T21:10:00.002+11:002015-01-12T11:18:55.720+11:00Day 7-9: "Three"<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Sponsor me by clicking </span><a href="https://30for30fitnesschallenge.everydayhero.com/au/merilyn" style="background-color: white; color: #6699cc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO7cEpmxh0lQy1YQuKKf4vH1zRyAUFUdK8z6uMM6DToIYwdym-wlSvqa0U2labWxZ8HAcRbKTjm0AeVthTdaaq7h9Ljv6usJir-34Z7k4O1IZNkHhsUziUpY9DJcWBG2XxN61O9zBV0eGU/s1600/three.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO7cEpmxh0lQy1YQuKKf4vH1zRyAUFUdK8z6uMM6DToIYwdym-wlSvqa0U2labWxZ8HAcRbKTjm0AeVthTdaaq7h9Ljv6usJir-34Z7k4O1IZNkHhsUziUpY9DJcWBG2XxN61O9zBV0eGU/s1600/three.jpg" height="106" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Today's theme is "three"<br />
https://www.flickr.com/photos/30839999@N06/</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: red;"><b>My fitness challenge</b>:</span> </span><span style="color: red; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">My goal is to do </span><b style="color: red; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">3 x 30 supported pull-ups at Level 1</b><span style="color: red; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"> by 30th January 2015. And to write a poem everyday.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">
<b style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">My progress</b><span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">: I have now had 3 days when I've had poor access to wifi and a computer, so I am putting three day's work of records in today's Blog post. I have spent today, and the previous two days, walking 4-5 km a day. Tomorrow I plan to return to the gym and check my progress towards my goal.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">
<span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">
<span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><b>Poems for 3 days</b></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">
<span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">
<span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><i>Poem 1</i></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">
<span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">you had membrane</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">
<span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">i never held.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">
<span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">
<span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><i>Poem 2</i></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">
<span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">you were born as laughter</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">
<span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">into February and our slow</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">
<span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">decay.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">
<span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">
<span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><i>Poem 3</i></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">
<span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">you were my tender</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">
<span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">quiet, the world</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">
<span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">like dark sound.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">
<span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Merilyn Childs</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">
<span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">9/01/2015</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Merilyn Childshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03863634409012723981noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2188092365527031007.post-58609382985503498712015-01-06T21:03:00.003+11:002015-01-12T11:19:10.055+11:00Day 6: "Celebration"<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Sponsor me by clicking </span><a href="https://30for30fitnesschallenge.everydayhero.com/au/merilyn" style="background-color: white; color: #6699cc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuq9L7RTe7RvgFmWCDV9gy-GPTAjFWB-TfxUc7fR72VXVTers5xm9ERhqF5I5kK6Eq2H13dtDM72RQCNZ488qekSmXazMPCwntoMFiJ71AIca-BsN-BUdx2RhGWWgo2QtA5-7ac4b5d0ji/s1600/746911606_aa60c40d72_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuq9L7RTe7RvgFmWCDV9gy-GPTAjFWB-TfxUc7fR72VXVTers5xm9ERhqF5I5kK6Eq2H13dtDM72RQCNZ488qekSmXazMPCwntoMFiJ71AIca-BsN-BUdx2RhGWWgo2QtA5-7ac4b5d0ji/s1600/746911606_aa60c40d72_m.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Today's theme "Celebration".<br />
https://www.flickr.com/photos/julien_harneis/</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: red;"><b>My fitness challenge</b>:</span> </span><span style="color: red; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">My goal is to do </span><b style="color: red; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">3 x 30 supported pull-ups at Level 1</b><span style="color: red; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"> by 30th January 2015. And to write a poem everyday.</span></div>
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<b style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">My progress</b><span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">: Today I focused on stretching and walking.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><b>Today's Poem</b></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><i>celebration</i></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">
<span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Oh, incredible.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">
<span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">this human being</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">who once was conceived</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">then lived til now</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">to be sitting here thus:</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">
weaving dreams.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">
Merilyn Childs 6/1/2015</div>
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[On the occasion of a celebration for my oldest son].</div>
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Merilyn Childshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03863634409012723981noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2188092365527031007.post-642613077909401012015-01-05T21:09:00.002+11:002015-01-12T11:19:28.423+11:00Day 5: "What hope looks like"<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Sponsor me by clicking </span><a href="https://30for30fitnesschallenge.everydayhero.com/au/merilyn" style="background-color: white; color: #6699cc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjttP6EvcDKe5DspE_2LsC0NYiFo6FCtnqUXKQ6xQK5onxo89rZxFLRL3kH263d5kEgwxeykRwbsROorJbcsWImmRjxa9LEgUtw8soUF5KPLRf-OIASHSs4oCnrK2S64SbcJ0TBYBFfvZDl/s1600/viral-meningitis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjttP6EvcDKe5DspE_2LsC0NYiFo6FCtnqUXKQ6xQK5onxo89rZxFLRL3kH263d5kEgwxeykRwbsROorJbcsWImmRjxa9LEgUtw8soUF5KPLRf-OIASHSs4oCnrK2S64SbcJ0TBYBFfvZDl/s1600/viral-meningitis.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Today's theme is "What hope looks like". Photo above shows <a href="http://www.meningitis.com.au/about_meningitis/viral_meningitis.phtml" target="_blank">viral meningitis</a>. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: red;"><b>My fitness challenge</b>:</span> </span><span style="color: red; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">My goal is to do </span><b style="color: red; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">3 x 30 supported pull-ups at Level 1</b><span style="color: red; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"> by 30th January 2015. And to write a poem everyday.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">
<span style="color: red; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<b style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">My progress</b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">: Today I did time at the gym. I tested my progress towards my goal, and achieved 1 x 30, 1 x 20, 1 x 13, then I waited 5 minutes and did another 1 x 20 supported pull-ups at Level 1. So I am feeling more positive about achieving the goal I've set myself. [At the start of the challenge I could only do 1 x 25, 1 x 20 and 1 x 12]. In 5 days, I've improved! I've also improved in other ways. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><b>Today's Poem:</b></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><i>what hope looks like</i></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">he screamed during the spinal tap.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">"He has meningitis". There it is.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">We can't block out that sound.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">6 weeks and he has taken his first step.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Curtains wide open, no looking away.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">He is bandaged and needled.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">We make phone calls.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">We wait. We cling. We keen.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">There is a room full of mothers</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">sleeping on the floor.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Impossibly, I am one of them. </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">There is air-conditioning</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">and a play room, and </span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
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<div style="background-color: white;">
People speak in whispers.</div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
Family come and go.</div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
Time is hot.</div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
We are melting.</div>
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Then: the thermometer makes friends.</div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Merilyn Childs 5/1/2014</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">[<i>My son contracted viral meningitis at 6 weeks. He is now 25 and well.</i>]</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3gI49WIny8rqRWdaaiL7CNhkx5aSJhM5dxpbpypQ6T2xX-DbXaLgK59LkPKxFYr3f6L-bMO9HYdyQr4UpmH7Z4MPEqEPmpdct0uB9MboiUeOdzfoShsN5qvus-DkR2299rBRJOGnfRygD/s1600/hope.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3gI49WIny8rqRWdaaiL7CNhkx5aSJhM5dxpbpypQ6T2xX-DbXaLgK59LkPKxFYr3f6L-bMO9HYdyQr4UpmH7Z4MPEqEPmpdct0uB9MboiUeOdzfoShsN5qvus-DkR2299rBRJOGnfRygD/s1600/hope.PNG" height="400" width="311" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.worldvision.org/resources.nsf/main/press-health/$file/Neglected-Diseases_USA-Today-insert_20110915.pdf" target="_blank">World Vision</a> 2011.<br />
We can make a difference and reduce the incidence of meningitis around the world! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><br /></span></span></div>
Merilyn Childshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03863634409012723981noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2188092365527031007.post-27126386818627093982015-01-04T19:27:00.004+11:002015-01-12T11:19:45.387+11:00Day 4: "Carrying weight"<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Sponsor me by clicking </span><a href="https://30for30fitnesschallenge.everydayhero.com/au/merilyn" style="background-color: white; color: #6699cc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL9oJRkUvOf0XWYP7FUeFPFaoXfrBA8bBmOYfES35plSENTkOphPOeVPTIOkUZHEAP4yiNlLinoa5l0upxWDtnxXbWAIB5lnP1v3gE5sg1FnyNNfEH4ZhByoy6-6wC6ICEqTCzF8xSntgs/s1600/weights.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL9oJRkUvOf0XWYP7FUeFPFaoXfrBA8bBmOYfES35plSENTkOphPOeVPTIOkUZHEAP4yiNlLinoa5l0upxWDtnxXbWAIB5lnP1v3gE5sg1FnyNNfEH4ZhByoy6-6wC6ICEqTCzF8xSntgs/s1600/weights.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.6319999694824px;">Today's theme "carrying weight"</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><span style="color: red;"><b>My fitness challenge</b>:</span><span style="color: #333333;"> </span></span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">My goal is to do </span><b style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">3 x 30 supported pull-ups at Level 1</b><span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"> by 30th January 2015. And to write a poem everyday.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><b>My progress</b>: Today I did fitness training at home, as part of a "rest day" to ensure I don't injure myself during the challenge. I did 3 x 20 2kg arm curls (the photo above shows the weights I used), yoga stretching like<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5UVzV2WYes8MubUvWS5ov9YJU8lhjlfxQIR3Cw-v0fU75Gxddhaz6kjpSIkVDrCzT-kAvG80swcs6fZrxnOV54lqBZgqzz3_v0xo3Byx-C0KZ9pQ4Xq3r8hQkdYD53P_MwJJpveWyTba6/s1600/spilt.jpg" target="_blank"> this</a>, and 3 x count of 30 <a href="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2009/01/19/article-0-030C0810000005DC-790_468x251.jpg" target="_blank">plank</a> (no, those photos are not of me!). </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><b>Some facts about the weight of living for women in developing countries</b>. Did you know that many women, including pregnant women, carry water often for kilometres? So while I am working with a 2km hand-weight to try to build my strength in an air-conditioned house, poor women </span></span><span style="background-color: #f8f8f8; color: #504943; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.4479999542236px;"><b>children spend 200 million hours a day collecting water. </b></span><a href="http://water.org/" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Water.org</a><span id="goog_1108770098" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"></span><span id="goog_1108770099" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"></a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"> reports that </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">"Nearly 1.5 million children under the age of five die every year from diarrhea globally". Babies within their first 30 days also die from <a href="http://water.org/water-crisis/water-facts/sanitation/" target="_blank">poor access</a> to safe drinking water.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><b>Today's poem</b>:</span></span></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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<i>weight/wait</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">I start with a homophone.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">To explain.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">I have discovered that the words that we use,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">(you and I)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">intersect. Yes:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">somewhere in English.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">perhaps in a poster?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">or a handout caught by wind?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">perhaps on a sign left behind?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">mother: somewhere between your poverty</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">and my <i>Soda Stream</i> bubbled air-conditioning</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">I pump 2kg weights</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">While you for water wait. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Wait. Then walk.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"> </span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">https://www.flickr.com/photos/ilri/</td></tr>
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Merilyn Childshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03863634409012723981noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2188092365527031007.post-42131946454036500072015-01-03T13:18:00.001+11:002015-01-12T11:20:10.628+11:00Day 3: "Hardship and vulnerability"<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Sponsor me by clicking </span><a href="https://30for30fitnesschallenge.everydayhero.com/au/merilyn" style="background-color: white; color: #6699cc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">!</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Today's theme is "Hardship and vulnerability".</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px; text-align: left;"><b>My fitness challenge</b>: <span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">My goal is to do <b>3 x 30 supported pull-ups at Level 1</b> by 30th January 2015. And to write a poem everyday.</span></span><br />
<b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px; text-align: left;"><br /></b></div>
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px; text-align: left;">My progress</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px; text-align: left;">: Today I went to the gym early and did ball work, stretching and weight training. Lots of improvements. No supported pull-ups, bu did lat pull-downs instead.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px; text-align: left;"><b>Some facts about vulnerability and the first 30 days of infant health</b>: </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Vulnerability</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"> isn't what I experienced today at the gym - I simply found some of the exercises harder than others. The</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px; text-align: left;"> </span><a href="http://hdr.undp.org/sites/default/files/hdr14-report-en-1.pdf" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px; text-align: left;" target="_blank">Human Development Report</a> by the<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px; text-align: left;"> United Nations Development Programme is a good read to clarify the meaning of "vulnerability". W</span>hen I do my fund-raising activities, I'm thinking about "unfair economic structures that create huge inequalities" (ibid, p. 14) and the small contributions I can make to mediate these inequalities. As I wrote in my poem <i><a href="http://30for30mc.blogspot.com.au/2015/01/day-2-30for30-fitness-challenge-january.html" target="_blank">Distance</a></i> yesterday, my access to resources is far greater than those accessed by women and babies in developing countries, and compared to rural and remote Australians.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi01My3LvVB3TInoruGDrCDPlGrly13zoCBTEDUyyRHh6D-dshinXEqT68pe0whq_YkR6tWJv9mG4bzrqEZkCAGC5GULFOgkEyC0_OtN5szRv7wiKQhAiGlPfG9MmqW7yL_ieUcRS_AvoKi/s1600/Capture.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi01My3LvVB3TInoruGDrCDPlGrly13zoCBTEDUyyRHh6D-dshinXEqT68pe0whq_YkR6tWJv9mG4bzrqEZkCAGC5GULFOgkEyC0_OtN5szRv7wiKQhAiGlPfG9MmqW7yL_ieUcRS_AvoKi/s1600/Capture.PNG" height="193" width="320" /></a></div>
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This does not mean I am comparing grief with grief, or minimizing my own painful experiences of child loss and infant illness. But these are a bridge to understanding, not the destination.</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px; text-align: left;"><b>Today's poem</b>:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px; text-align: left;"><i>Hard</i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px; text-align: left;">muscles test weights</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">my mind sweats</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">memories:</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">being 29, before your name</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">was called.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">I've fought for you/</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">my silent battle cry:</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">other people's daughters</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">my own</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">and other mother's sons.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Merilyn Childs 3/10/2015</span></span></div>
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Merilyn Childshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03863634409012723981noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2188092365527031007.post-27498746874591390292015-01-02T14:10:00.004+11:002015-01-12T11:20:32.449+11:00Day 2: "Distance"<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Sponsor me by clicking </span><a href="https://30for30fitnesschallenge.everydayhero.com/au/merilyn" style="background-color: white; color: #6699cc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXMXrfa11Wek0szjb7Do4IYw7-s5RfCq6wnSd4UVPPkYa3VnY9bFHGCpG5avgsElN-racs-zdn7yJe5ESw9tSM2zLlgrOk7fNNKN7YQeK4W-wvmQINsNSqeakCNv9kIZ9rCeO7M67nkY7Z/s1600/bike.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXMXrfa11Wek0szjb7Do4IYw7-s5RfCq6wnSd4UVPPkYa3VnY9bFHGCpG5avgsElN-racs-zdn7yJe5ESw9tSM2zLlgrOk7fNNKN7YQeK4W-wvmQINsNSqeakCNv9kIZ9rCeO7M67nkY7Z/s1600/bike.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.6319999694824px;">Today's theme is "distance"</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.6319999694824px;">because dealing with infant health for many means very long walks to a doctor or hospital</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><b>My fitness challenge</b>: <span style="line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">My goal is to do <b>3 x 30 supported pull-ups at Level 1</b> by 30th January 2015. And to write a poem everyday.</span></span><br />
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">My progress</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">: Today I went for a 5 km local bike ride. I have done this ride previously, but in the past I've hopped off the bike going up two steep hills. Today I challenged myself mentally to ride to the top before resting, and I did it!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><b>Some facts about distance from hospitals and infant health in the first 30 days</b>:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Did you know that distance from hospital is an important factor in the first 30 days in infant health? </span></span><a href="http://www.aihw.gov.au/publication-detail/?id=60129548202&tab=2" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;" target="_blank">Read more</a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"> about Australian Indigenous mothers and their babies. In developing countries, distance to health care may be a 50 km walk away for a pregnant woman. Not surprisingly, poorer countries have much higher </span></span><a href="http://gamapserver.who.int/mapLibrary/Files/Maps/global_underfivemortality_2013.png" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;" target="_blank">risks of child death</a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"> before the age of 5, that we do, here in Australia (however, in Australia, Indigenous babies have a higher mortality rate than non-indigenous people). World Vision is one of many NGOs trying to achieve the <a href="http://www.who.int/topics/millennium_development_goals/child_mortality/en/" target="_blank">WHO Millennium 4 </a></span></span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><a href="http://www.who.int/topics/millennium_development_goals/child_mortality/en/" target="_blank">goals</a>. For example, it is promoting an <a href="http://www.worldvision.com.au/issues/MaternalChildHealth/Who_is_it_happening_to_/shafiqas_story_how_becoming_a_midwife_chang.aspx" target="_blank">in-community midwife education program</a> to reduce the problems of the tyranny of distance, and educate women to achieve better maternal and infant health within communities. .</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><b>Today's poem</b>:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><i>Distance</i></span></div>
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your distances are not like mine.<br />
there is no equity between us:<br />
I have clean water; you have mud.<br />
Oh, bridge: be short.<br />
Midwife, lean into her heart.<br />
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Merilyn Childs 2/01/2014<br />
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Merilyn Childshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03863634409012723981noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2188092365527031007.post-56139801842921189812015-01-01T12:42:00.001+11:002015-01-12T11:20:49.418+11:00Day 1: "Corridors"<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Sponsor me by clicking </span><a href="https://30for30fitnesschallenge.everydayhero.com/au/merilyn" style="background-color: white; color: #6699cc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">!</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGKN7BjTV6OSjJpWqPIAHnfVgWjCeEmafz5puHhZJJ6zWWOUIzoAPKKg2VQ78f2VFMpqHViYPuBPT-gQsKRqbEuRYjx2ipaKUv3VD2fCL5HsP0rSQ1rTq_uVKFTPBbzUvlZbiuOVKec1AO/s1600/corridor.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGKN7BjTV6OSjJpWqPIAHnfVgWjCeEmafz5puHhZJJ6zWWOUIzoAPKKg2VQ78f2VFMpqHViYPuBPT-gQsKRqbEuRYjx2ipaKUv3VD2fCL5HsP0rSQ1rTq_uVKFTPBbzUvlZbiuOVKec1AO/s1600/corridor.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Today's theme is "corridors"<br />
because dealing with infant health for many means hours waiting & worrying.</td></tr>
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<span style="color: red;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: red;"><b>My fitness challenge</b>: <span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">My goal is to do <b>3 x 30 supported pull-ups at Level 1</b> by 30th January 2015. And to write a poem everyday.</span></span><br />
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<b>My progress</b>: Today I went to the gym and established my base-line at <b>1 x 25, 1 x 20 and 1 x 12 supported pull-ups at Level 1</b>.<br />
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To achieve progress I do lot of stretching and isometric exercises, ball work, weights, and walking (in the gym, and outside) mixing it up everyday.<br />
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<b>Today's poem</b>:<br />
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<i>Corridor, 1985</i><br />
i think i screamed.<br />
wailed at least.<br />
was it me, thus in a wheelchair?<br />
wild, crazy, indestructible me?<br />
the white tiles shiny/shiny<br />
the walls passing/passing<br />
some vague figure pushing:<br />
pushing/pushing pushing<br />
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the end of the hall kept it's distance<br />
reluctant for my arrival<br />
<i>your</i> arrival.<br />
me: time-looped<br />
in the dark-shifting corridor,<br />
just where the hinges swung<br />
just where an empty cot hovered.<br />
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Merilyn Childs 1/1/2015<br />
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Merilyn Childshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03863634409012723981noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2188092365527031007.post-3301764602029263552014-12-31T17:51:00.002+11:002014-12-31T21:20:04.317+11:00Counting down - minus 1 day til 30for30 challenge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFphoAdJUGWugCyUIqGOsfh3PyLW71svsNk8WlYF0uXeXqQcwZ8Rby6rUdse20RDO95FcdsGTg8nIWy5U-GOrzfquioTCrzHozwAR13ICwsZ_Yk-rdvdMMJsHXaR4q4OBK72_cMF8RSMLD/s1600/cat+tinsel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFphoAdJUGWugCyUIqGOsfh3PyLW71svsNk8WlYF0uXeXqQcwZ8Rby6rUdse20RDO95FcdsGTg8nIWy5U-GOrzfquioTCrzHozwAR13ICwsZ_Yk-rdvdMMJsHXaR4q4OBK72_cMF8RSMLD/s1600/cat+tinsel.jpg" height="276" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px; text-align: start;">Sponsor me by clicking </span><a href="https://30for30fitnesschallenge.everydayhero.com/au/merilyn" style="background-color: white; color: #6699cc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px; text-align: start;">!</span><br />
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Today, I rested. <span style="text-align: center;">Last chocolate! Last lazy day. </span><span style="text-align: center;">Ready for tomorrow. </span><span style="text-align: center;">Challenge, here I come!</span></div>
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Merilyn Childshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03863634409012723981noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2188092365527031007.post-59667028291614741042014-12-30T16:56:00.000+11:002014-12-31T10:36:13.958+11:00Counting down - minus 2 days til 30for30 challenge<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9qTWOiRZMosFq_KKmYjfyiatU_x5sLA8PVnZpkIHMl0YqXiGbZopPnt1Oj3Eu-P7y0dtDm8D9Ne3zOKAnNz7KWt8TLlUgT0w8kVAZTcDGPDIqlVZwpFMtgHFQh53MBvnQYY1yIzQvR3eQ/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9qTWOiRZMosFq_KKmYjfyiatU_x5sLA8PVnZpkIHMl0YqXiGbZopPnt1Oj3Eu-P7y0dtDm8D9Ne3zOKAnNz7KWt8TLlUgT0w8kVAZTcDGPDIqlVZwpFMtgHFQh53MBvnQYY1yIzQvR3eQ/s1600/photo.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Resistance training</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Sponsor me by clicking </span><a href="https://30for30fitnesschallenge.everydayhero.com/au/merilyn" style="background-color: white; color: #6699cc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">!</span><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>resistance</b><br />
<i>poem for Catherine</i><br />
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I'm female, right?<br />
Well, true.<br />
But I was never having kids.<br />
<br />
The atomic clock<br />
tickticktick to midnight<br />
bunkers in our dreams<br />
not you.<br />
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One day I said<br />
"why not"<br />
a different ticking.<br />
so we did:<br />
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you; my greatest irony.<br />
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Merilyn Childs, 30/12/2014<br />
<br />Merilyn Childshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03863634409012723981noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2188092365527031007.post-82684673357048724722014-12-29T09:51:00.002+11:002014-12-29T22:20:39.001+11:00Counting down - minus 3 days til 30for30 challenge<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBGunLAa8s5UW8SV2Pm8o1P62TyaDUIsY6yExSFqNSF_j7Z2PRKPYK_oL1Csy2oaXccRnBfONKx6m7CiCTCo5OKBr64GTYXweJB0eHjtDzN5ocA3GqxvhuLqxoYZ9QLRf1uYwyaolOHSFl/s1600/bushwalk.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBGunLAa8s5UW8SV2Pm8o1P62TyaDUIsY6yExSFqNSF_j7Z2PRKPYK_oL1Csy2oaXccRnBfONKx6m7CiCTCo5OKBr64GTYXweJB0eHjtDzN5ocA3GqxvhuLqxoYZ9QLRf1uYwyaolOHSFl/s1600/bushwalk.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walking with friends in the bush this morning, <br />
recovering from a backburn in October 2014</td></tr>
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<h3 style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b>Preparing</b></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Sponsor me by clicking </span><a href="https://30for30fitnesschallenge.everydayhero.com/au/merilyn" style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">!</span></span><br />
<br />
I've been preparing for 2015 for a while. It only happens once that your deceased child turns 30, and symbolically, I was 30 when she was stillborn. So at 30 she may have also had a child (or not, her choice) who I will never know. That's how this story works - infant loss can be of the moment, as well as existential and emerging. But it strengthens me enormously to know and support so many strong, diverse, bright young women making their own life choices - maneuvering and articulating their own life stories - around me. Other women's children, <a href="http://www.unicef.org/mdg/mortalitymultimedia/" target="_blank">surviving the first 30 days</a>, is important!<br />
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I've also been preparing physically for the 30for30 challenge for 6 weeks. So I'm not coming at it "cold" as I'd like to end the 30 days without an injury.<br />
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<b>Preparing</b><br />
it feels possible<br />
a sentence; controlled/<br />
verb, noun, participle, colon<br />
acts/dates/lines:<br />
go that way.<br />
then sun falls<br />
burns grass/seers<br />
the smell of charcoal<br />
<i>the smell of charcoal</i><br />
smeered<br />
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Merilyn Childs<br />
29/12/2014<br />
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<br />Merilyn Childshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03863634409012723981noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2188092365527031007.post-42853760745630566832014-12-28T17:12:00.000+11:002014-12-29T22:35:00.822+11:00Counting down - minus 4 days til 30for30 challenge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sponsor me by clicking <a href="https://30for30fitnesschallenge.everydayhero.com/au/merilyn" target="_blank">here</a>!<br />
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Being an academic has meant a lot more sitting at a computer than is good for me! At present I can do 2 x 20 pull-ups at the lowest setting. My goal is to do 3 x 30 by 30th January 2015.<br />
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See below for a poem I wrote in 1994<br />
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<i>heaven help Sarajevo</i><br />
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there is wind<br />
wild on the mountain,<br />
there are angels flying<br />
there are angels with atlases,<br />
compasses, helmets with lights,<br />
picks, shovels, climbing ropes,<br />
feathers for the night.<br />
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there are no angels<br />
but the angels that are there<br />
(peering between the crevices)<br />
have wind in their bloodied hair.<br />
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Merilyn Childs, 7/2/1994<br />
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<br />Merilyn Childshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03863634409012723981noreply@blogger.com0