I'm very proud of my July. I had to push through some challenges but I can see that I had good strategies and had learnt from past times.
So, as per my last blog post, July saw me doing 2 weeks lockdown and acting leader for work. First of all, lockdown. It was hard in some ways but good in other ways. Hard to lead people remotely. Hard without the usual routine of work and chats and cups of tea. But I made my office nice with candles, plants and an orchid that is currently in flower. I could see the sun track the sky each day as I faced the window. I listened to a lot of calming classical music. The job was stressful so I really had to create a tranquil environment.
I reflected afterwards that I was a monk. I worked on documents, contemplated plants, lived quietly alone, went for a lot of solitary walks.
I received chocolate flowers from Bec! I have made them last. It was a lovely surprise.
You might remember I also did a tidy up challenge every night. There is only so much TV you can watch night after night, and looking at messes is depressing, so this was a fantastic win.
The amount of clutter after I tidied my dresser made me obsessed with earring storage so I spent days researching that and in the end I bought this and I LOVE IT. Not just earrings but pills and hair clips and all those odds and ends are now hidden and uncluttered, protected from dust, easy to access.
I also did some retail therapy for things that I wanted anyway, new fairy lights for my carols in the garage, and zinnia seeds for this summer. But basically things I wanted later this year anyway, but them early and getting deliveries broke up the monotony.
And the other thing I did was, I got all these woolen granny squares, finished off a few to complete what I needed, and joined them all together and edged it into a small pram blanket for lil Danielle. Baby 2 has not had as many gifts and attention as baby 1.
At the end of the 2 weeks of lockdown and leading from home, I committed to another 3 weeks of leading. I was feeling proud of myself for getting on top of it, and it does pay extra, so why not. And I decided to splurge on a nancybird handbag to celebrate my professional achievement and courage. It is a total work of art, and practical too.
There was a particular ongoing saga (continued from last month) at work to do with a recruitment I was managing, I hired someone and while he is working out well, his onboarding was not. I stressed so much for about 5 weeks about him not getting paid. Just when I thought I made progress, I would get another unintelligible email from someone somewhere about it not happening for some reason and I should start some other complicated process. The problem was also not my fault but involved another managers' team members. A former staff member was stuck in the role so I couldn't get my new guy into it. By the end of my first week back in the office and 3 weeks into the issue I had to go and cry in my car after a triggering email (see below), coinciding with my hormones.
As of yesterday, my last day leading, my guy is being onboarded finally (after 4 weeks of unpaid work) BUT the other staff member is also being onboarded back into the role for some reason, instead of into her actual role in her new team. That was just hilarious, and it is no longer my problem.
With the coming of spring, I researched possum defence, and decided to cover my pergola with chicken wire to stop the possum defoliating them this year. They are going to flower this year I hope!
My homegroup eating at the tavern, a rare opportunity to be all together and take of masks to eat. We are doing a lot of juggling and group splitting this term with the regional restrictions. We are also looking at peer discipling as well as Job.
After almost 2 months of not seeing the nieces, we had another family gathering for Dad's birthday. There was also a tree cut down which was dramatic but no damage done to the neighbours shed.
And then I decided to paint my living room YELLOW! And then I realised the full extent of that job. So I have started the prep work. I moved my photo wall to my bedroom. I moved my art and craft cupboard to the spare room/office/laundry room. I've measured and researched and made lists. Since my holiday is mostly now at home not in Brisbane or Sydney, I'm going to do the actual painting later in August. But there is much to do before that. Today I am going to box up all my books and put them in the garage and move my empty bookshelves out. Next weekend I will wash my walls and plaster the damaged paint. So hopefully when my holiday starts I can just drop sheet, tape and start painting.
In other news, I got my first pfizer at the new belmont bunnings mass vac centre! I had a day off on the day the bookings opened and it took ages because the website was glitchy, but I got booked, and drove over one afternoon a week later to get my shot, and it was so fast and easy. I feel a bit conflicted. On the one hand I feel like I am not the most needy person eg not a frontline worker, but on the other hand, I am keen beans for vaccines, and the sooner everyone gets done the better so because I am eligible (rheumatoid arthritis is good for something) and I can get time off work easily, I will help by getting that % of vaccinations up. I still feel privilege guilt though, especially that I had access to pfizer. I would happily delay my second shot to divert more to Sydney, so I am waiting to see what happens there. Hope they do it.
I also went to the steggles factory on my way home. I've been really enjoying the chicken I got. I got some japanese style katsu thigh, and some peri peri which was absolutely DELICIOUS. I have had Ros over for both of those meals. Big home made chicken feasts.
The other thing I did today was start the spring jobs in my garden! It seems early and cold, but my poppies are putting up buds! My roses have tiny buds all over! The lemon tree has the beginnings of tiny leaves. So I fertilised the lawn and roses, and put out the citrus leaf miner pest trap to protect my lemon leaves.
I've got a little lockdown positivity project in the works but I can't share that yet.
So basically, I am very proud of myself for getting through this month, doing so many productive things and mental health things, and things for others which I've even forgotten already like going for walks with T and thanking people and writing to people and praying and things like that. It was a hard month, I would not repurchase, but so many good things happened as well and I am thankful.
No comments:
Post a Comment