February and going strong!

Hello.

I hope this blog post finds you well as the year settles in to what it looks like being. Things are certainly happening. Here are my obsessions.

I had to return my cast iron pot with a non-fitting lid, but I got a refund and spent half of it on new kitchen scales, which are actually very useful. A lot of recipes have weighing options which are more accurate than volumes.

I found a similar pot for $30 I think it was, on facebook from a bloke who has a warehouse full of stuff in Telarah. 

I have cooked 3 loaves now, and still working out my own process. It's getting easier but the results haven't improved. My first loaf, very messy and difficult, was probably the best, the 3rd which was easier by far, was still good but not as high and springy, I think it was too warm and activated too early. So over time I'm getting a feel for how to balance all the variables and getting a better skill for dough handling.

Cooking has been a development area this month. I had ordered Six Seasons from the internet and it took weeks to come. Very satisfied with it. It's been weird doing different things like soaking things in vinegar or iced water. But so convenient to cook with what is in season. I've made 3 recipes so far, 2 salads one pasta.

I have also been enjoying "friend dates". Branching out of my routine and usual people. 

I am especially aiming to get to know younger women at church this year. 

Have had a month in my new home group, and it is very nice and still feeling new and polite. 

Some cultural highlights! The local rep did The Mousetrap and I had JK and Dan over for a fancy dinner of leftovers in wraps before the play. 

I really enjoyed the landscapes exhibition at MRAG, seeing some beautiful nature captured especially places that have changed unrecognisably since they were painted.

I broke a cello string the week before my first lesson, so I went in to newcastle on a saturday to buy a replacement and if you are going all the way in for a 5 min job, why not go for a swim. The water was cold, the sky grey, but so refreshing.

Borrowing a tapestry stand from Ruth is my latest attempt to finish the tapestry. I have actually sat down a few times and made bit of progress. It is definitely easier.

At work, the most remarkable thing was I spent a few hours each day for a week learning about leadership. It was full-on, intense, but packed full of valuable things. I am trying to be more self-aware at work. And God-aware.

I've had a really strong start to the year with my health! I did heaps of 7 min workouts which really gave me a boost. My tummy is better and I've lost a little fat off it I think so I can wear some of my old pants again. And my energy was GREAT. I was feeling 100% for the first time. Taking vitamins and going for walks and everything. Last weekend I noticed feeling tired, and that has continued this week at work, so I think all my salads and fun cooking has meant not enough red meat. So I'm going back to boring but useful slow cooked beef curry. I had a one-off awful day yesterday, when I couldn't sleep on thursday night until 2am, so lack of sleep combined with building inflammation and lower iron. Struggled to get going, had 4 good hours of work, at 6 hours I could not make it any further my body was hurting. So it's a shame, for some reason fatigue has built up again and I'm back to <70% energy. Hopefully beef will help. And no more sugary food like tomato. Plain plain plain.

Another thing is, I found a house I like and went to the open house. I really like it, it ticks a lot of boxes, but I think I want to stay here a bit longer, see my roses flower. The other house didn't have an ensuite, one bathroom far away, which is the main drawback for me. I love my ensuite. But it did have a great yard, established trees, and is very cute. The famously crazy property market is too overwhelming to consider. Easier to stay here.

I've started my annual organising of things, the women conf band and the field days DPI tent, and either I'm succeeding in not being stressed, or it's just a lot easier this year because of recycling work from last year. I think both. I don't care as much, and things are easier. I've made the call out outsource some of the music to younger women so we have 2 small groups instead of 1 big band, and not organising a band is a huge burden lifted. There was too much pressure on me to find female drummers and guitarists out of thin air in previous years. Now I'm not bothering. And with the work stuff, I've negotiated some frustrating situations like team meetings with pretty good patience and diplomacy. 

Here is my bible verse for the year, for trying to be God-aware at work and all day.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding.

Think about him in all your ways, and he will guide you in right paths.