December: pleasant weather! And a lot on.

Hello friends and readers. The blog continues.

I have to say I am loving this weather. A Summer where my garden isn't dying, we are cowering indoors in the AC, life is good. I've finished the year surprisingly strongly.

This photo shows the transition from spring to summer. The last few poppies, and the first few zinnias. I am very happy with my fancy zinnia seed purchase from veggie seed shop in Tasmania. A really lovely variety. The bunch I planted directly in the garden did well.

I was quite busy, but I felt like everything was under control. One of our 1 Timothy studies convicted me about using my gifts. Not neglecting a gift, but working on it and sharing it with others. Fighting my inclination to resent being asked to do things. I was asked to lead another bible study and while I had a lot on my plate and thought about it carefully, decided to do it because I could do it, I had time, and it is a valuable opportunity to practice and grow at it. This is a new experience and skill I've had a chance to develop this year. I'm thankful for my new home group.

A significant thing was doing music at 3 6pm services in a row and on Christmas Eve. Takes a lot of time and energy to organise people and songs. As above, I was convicted about developing and using gifts, and this is a unique time to do that, with the usual music team leader at another service and new people to play with at 6pm. May have already mentioned it if it happened in November, but one of our items I was very brave, and sang the first half of the first verse of Yet not I but through Christ a capella on my own. It was so different and our arrangement was so perfect for the song, it was a really authentic moment that people listened to and felt. A personal highlight. I was also very happy with the music on Christmas Eve. 4 musicians, including one who is new to church and I was a bit worried about him playing the piano and me not having control over the vibe, but I was able to play the cello, and praise God it went well. It was our first service with congregational singing since the August? lockdown.

I took a couple of flex days. It helps with catching up on admin and staying calm about life. On one of them, I did the car and the teeth. The dentist recommended me to an oral surgeon and I fit that in too. I've got a wound in my mouth that won't heal since October last year. It might be another auto-immune thing.

 

Work wasn't too busy but I was doing publications now the other designer is gone. I finished and sent to print a book that Dean had started. I did a minor update including some photos and sent that to print. I've got a book that I've done the whole thing, and I managed to get it to proof reading before I finished for the year. Good achievements to get those to the best stage or finished in the last month of the year.

Everyone enjoyed the intense orange blossoms on the memorial Nathan tree, which flowered early this year.

I got in early at the start of the month to start tidying up my garage and hanging fairy lights for carols in the garage - the situation with covid was getting more uncertain but I felt like being optimistic this year. I did the minimum organising and no music practice for it, partly because so busy and partly because not wanting to invest too much effort in an event I would cancel.

I had a very fun and wonderful trip to Sydney! I took a Friday off, drove down to AM, and we went to IKEA so that I could buy some stacking guest beds and mattresses and other spontaneous things.

AMs house is a peaceful haven near Lane Cove National Park.

Saturday: There is a new little track down to the park, and then we walked along the river.

Then I drove further in to Sydney for lunch with G, her friend and her ferrets. Then I drove home in extreme tiredness - the sort you are fighting a nap the whole way, shaking my head and eating chocolate to stay awake.

I have a temporary housemate, so I have cleared some pantry space and it has been nice to have company in the house, although it isn't the best time for her.

This is a little dog who stayed for a sleepover.

And here is Banjo guarding his bone. He is cute, but terribly neglected and full of anti social habits.

The weekend before Christmas I hosted a small crowd for Carols! Still enough to be worth running and for good singing - a man joined us from next door when he heard us. It was a hot day of 35 but not too uncomfortable. I think that will be my temperature limit in future. 

This is me putting all the stuff back in the garage - unloading junk from my boot and garden stuff that I moved up the driveway.

I took another day off during the week, timed it with all my work jobs, to spend time at Toukley with J and L and the girls. JK came, we went to Norah rock pool, had lunch at their bnb, bought some milkshakes next door and then headed back.

And here is the Christmas lunch at Singleton!

Parents gave me a birdbath and brother gave me some hanging pots. Very nice presents. Garden keeps levelling up! 

On the Monday after Christmas I had my Covid booster so took my sister over to the baths and we swam even though the weather was pretty windy and awful. She saw friends while I filled in time at Harris Farm and then went to Belmont Bunnings again.

We then had a Wheel of Time marathon and finished the season, me Heather and Dad. I started to get very achy and hot, so actually had a reaction this time.

The next day I put away the fairy lights in the garage and washed the car, and then was struck down again by tiredness and aches, so I just slept and rested on the couch.

I now have time to couch shop, so me and K did a drive down to Erina to see the couch I liked on the floor and test it - very soft, but the back is low - so no good. We had brunch at a nursery cafe and did some browsing and lunch at Erina fair. A good old fashioned shopping day out. I bought some pink/orange shorts from Sportcraft, which was an impulse buy, but actually I'm loving them, nice length, shape and colour. 

That afternoon I went kayaking with H and for the first time explored upriver of the Maitland bridge. We got up to Bolworra/Walka. A pretty strong current to paddle against upriver but fun floating back down.

And now it's the New Year's Eve tradition of G and E coming up from Sydney, morning swims and afternoon naps. Everyone is napping and I am blogging and writing a prayer. I made dough yesterday and baked it this morning. 

Then G and I jumped in her new yellow car and headed to Merewether baths for a swim. The weather is perfection. After many NYEs of so hot, so smoky, no fireworks, we are actually having a good one this year!

Stay tuned for next month - Did they cancel the fireworks again? did we get Covid? Did I go to Mudgee? It's all so exciting.

November stretching

Here is my account of a post lockdown month.

Starting with two accidental family calls, one from mum and one from Lucy. I'm especially honoured that I was the first person Lucy has ever called.

Did Banjo come in November or October? Ah it was October and he was still stressed. Well now he has settled down, had an operation and worn a cone, and started growling and biting men. He's a bit of a project as he's never been properly trained, but he's cute and entertaining.

Big news at work, the other graphic designer has gone on leave to probably retired, so me and V organised some farewells. It was an added stress bc I hate organising, but we got him an awesome gift, and had a lovely afternoon hanging out on the homestead verandah, which was probably the first work social thing post lockdown so there was a very happy atmosphere. We invited other retired colleagues back so it was very special.

Pepe Saya sent me and L a hamper of butter, crumpets and pancake mix, so we hosted a little morning tea breakfast.

Here now are some of my many non-work social activities! I have taken people to Tre Viet, my new favourite place around the corner!

I'm also trying to catch up with church people before church so this is me and some friends having gelato for dinner!

And this is a picnic I thought of where 4pm and 6pm can eat and mingle. 4pm have arvo tea and we bring picnics or kebabs. It has rained a lot and also I've been on music a lot, so it hasn't happened since this one time but this was great.

This is our new temporary home, we have been meeting in the afternoons at 2,4 and 6 at the Uniting church in town. It has great accoustics but pews. Lovely facilities though such as the front lawn, the halls, the car parking.

The post is called "November stretching" because as well as stretching out after lockdown, I've stretched myself in other things. I have led homegroup again. I have organised musical items for 3 weeks at church. I even sang solo a capella in one song. 

George and Elsie made a trip up for the weekend! Of course we ate Tre Viet.

We also did a morning walk at Mt Tomaree on the super windy day. We ate at the food truck market, although it was also too windy so less options and less pleasant. But better than rainy weather as we weren't stuck inside.

I am very fit in this photo.

Dad and I have been watching Wheel of Time together as the episodes come out. 

My parents have had their ancient 3-way bathroom renovated, so we had lots of video updates!

Luke organised a combined birthday (Lucy and Matt) dinner at a Japanese restaurant at Honeysuckle. I liked it a lot, would repurchase. Lucy liked my jumpsuit pants gift so much she put it on straight away.

And then the following weekend I had another dinner in Newcastle for Kristy, and I went in early and had a nice walk along the foreshore looking at the big surf and getting rained on.

We had dinner in an Italian restuarant on Hunter Street, and then there was drinks at the Babylon (below), and while I had planned on just the dinner, I popped inside and was impressed at the old theatre converted into a bar. I think I ended up home at 10pm which is good.

It has been very busy compared to lockdown and I knew I'd have to manage my energy carefully, hence my early night. The night before, I went to Maitland rep theatre for the importance of being earnest, and I left at intermission because it was 9:45, I was tired, and I already knew how it ends. Plus I went alone so didn't annoy anyone to leave. I skipped going to an engagement party in Newcastle last weekend because tossing up the energy cost vs the seeing people, decided it was time to save some energy.

The orchid is still flowering, on its second stem. What a champion. There are zinnias starting and poppies dying. I have done a big prune and filled the green bin to start December. Need to prune more and mow again! Lucky only a small garden!

And of course, I am preparing for Carols in the Garage. This is the before photo, I've tidied up and hung fairy lights.

I started the month with a lot of ambition, to have an early alarm, do my cello practice and bible reading before work, do zoom word and prayer tuesday and thursday, work back in the office, and after work do things like workouts, home group, music practices. I couldn't sustain it, I had to give up on the early mornings. I get the odd bad nights sleep either when I'm anxious or just because I've got a pinch in my right shoulder at the moment and that doesn't help. So it's hard to do normal life. I'm not mentally struggling with it, but as I expected I can't physically do it without exhaustion.

October opening.

 And so we farewelled lockdown. Here are my last good memories of lockdown - takeaway dinners with my bubble buddy.

We also had a crafternoon and made cards, with Georgina JK and Aleisha joining us on zoom to chat and craft.

I tried to maximise my newly discovered new local vietnamese with takeaway work lunches as I had to finish up working from home.

I felt a bit anxious about fitting good habits and a normal diary of activities into my life again. I'm having a crack at 5.30am alarms to have more time and less pressure before work and I've been able to be more regular with my cello practice and bible reading. I am going well with my energy most days, and I've bought heaver weights to use my app as a strength work out now they have added a weight feature.

I still have paint to use up so I did 2 windowsills and the front door. Just a subtle change.

On to garden news! The garden is still an eden, with the first blooming of my climbing roses, abundant jasmine flowering, and still lots of sweet peas and poppies to pick. The roses smell amazing. The shade from the roses makes the garden cooler, it's pleasant to sit under them.

The view out my windows is transformed and softened as I hoped. The trees next door are still missed but no longer do I see the stark fence and sky!

Pink blooms and you can see the white jasmine covering the fence behind.

I've wrestled a few spiky bouquets of roses out for me and loved ones.

I've had some candle bottles for a few years and now I have a fit place to hang them and light them I enjoyed that for a few evenings.

Now to the leaving lockdown experience! I bought this souvenir tee shirt that says "I come from a lockdown under" to celebrate it as well as to honour James Valentine leaving ABC radio afternoons.

My first joy was going for a walk without a mask on.

My second adventure was on thursday after work, going to a lounge shop and spotlight. I bought zippers to fix my 2 old hoodies and a new sewing box.

On Sunday lunch JK came to my LGA and we had honey chicken and beef noodles at a nearly empty restaurant at Greenhills. Not enough double vaccinated people I guess. GH is certainly a lot busier 2 weeks later. 

I went back to home group, and went to a Pinot and Picasso event for a friends birthday.

I also took a day off work to go to Singleton LGA and see the nieces, we went to the Dr and then we tried to nap while J went to the car repairer. 1 napped the other cried so we ate a mulberry instead.

I moved my work set up back to the office on Monday this week and that went well. It was a big and long week but I only had one fatigued morning.  The other designer went on long service leave after 35 years, probably to retire who knows. I'm helping organise his farewell and gift. His leaving will make work different for me. I started book layout work which I'll now be taking on, I've decided to do it in the afternoons and my usual workload in the mornings so that will contain things fairly.

We also restarted park walks on Friday. The roads are so busy now but the park is quiet again yay! W can talk a lot now.

In family news, someone in a whatsapp group was offering a spare dog so I offered it to mum and dad and they bravely accepted him. Banjo was extremely stressed to be moved house twice in one week and taken away from his dog wife, so he was difficult to manage. The first 24-48 hours was all about escape, hence the baricade below.

When I visited after 2 days he was not desperately trying to escape, he was coming to us for pats, but he was panting non stop, so must still have been stressed. Eating a little bit.

2 more days after that he has stopped the constant panting and comes and lies near us. I walked over today for lunch. This is me in my old giant hat. 

I've had an empty weekend, just life admin, exercise etc, and lunch at parents. Tonight church regathers but not in our usual school, in an old uniting church building, so that will be interesting and different. Excited for no packup!