Photos from the end of Autumn.

Sydney work breakfast thing. Had a good trip down in a work car, with Liz, we stayed over night at Kirribilli, walked over the bridge, networked at breakfast and then had I all sorts of fails catching the train home, but it’s a nice thing to be out and about during work hours, people at shops and train stations were friendly. The central coast train trip is enjoyable.

I’ve helped mum make a website and a business card for her counselling business. inkspotcounselling.com

I had an efficient day off work where I got appointments done. I drove down to Gosford for my last retainer check. I have never driven there I think and it’s a long way but the exit of the freeway is really cool, windy through cliffs. Then I went to bunnings and spotlight on my way back. Then I took my car to be serviced. Then I found a very cute shop over the road from Toyota where a girl fixes up old furniture.  

Then I got a quote from locksmiths. Then I think I sewed a new pillowcase for my banana pillows. I don’t think banana pillows or pillowcases are around anymore.

Maddie and I had a big youth group dinner on a Friday night, in the garage. I also organised dinner for church the following Sunday so that was a baptism of mass catering.

I wanted to do some decluttering so I hit the spare room, which is the room of things I am least attached to. I donated a spare queen sized doona to friends. I threw out my old feather pillow. I found so many pictures that I put in the cupboard because I actually like bare walls now, but I decided to hang most of them up gallery style in the spare room (to create cupboard space). They look nice there. Also they are rather childish. Nice but childish, so I will try and remember to give them away to friends who have babies. There is a scene in Guards Guards where Vimes is looking at Lady Sybil’s bedroom and she’s an older single lady and she has a bunny dressing gown or something sad. Teddy bear cross stitches are like that. I’ll keep the ones that spark joy and gift away the others.

 Also in the spare room I found the braids for a rag rug. I decided to declutter it by finishing it.

Weekend visit to Goulburn for Grandfather’s 93rd Birthday. All my siblings were there. We are a quality family.

I went for a scooter around town with Julia’s Mr 4, and found a chair and I really regret not buying it. It's so beautiful. Comfy. And green.

Then I must have been a bit tired and down, because Maddie gave me flowers.

I saw a gorgeous sunset at work last week which I actually managed to get a good photo of on my iPhone, which is normally rubbish at sunsets.

This week has seen me off work a few days with a throat infection. It's Friday and I'm feeling well enough to enjoy being off work, which is the perfect amount of sickness.

I've forgotten so many of my ponderings in the last month. I guess one thing is wanting to buy furniture but also wanting to have an uncrowded house. I rearranged the furniture which gives me the buzz of new furniture and new spaces, without actually buying anything. 

Another thing is feeling loved. When I was feeling like the I was looking after other people but nobody was looking after me, I had people suddenly look after me. Maddie gave me flowers, someone else is checking in to see if I go OK this winter or how I'm going with singleness, someone else keeps me company on Sundays so we can go to church together instead of alone, someone else writes encouraging emails to me. Amazing. 

Another thing is, people asking me about marriage or kids, or telling me I'm so lovely I'll get married, etc etc. I'm OK at the moment with being single, but what do people think I'm going to say to those questions?

Another thing is, I'm reducing meat and processed food. Whole grains like oats, a variety of vegetables, eggs and dairy, but no chicken any more and just occasional steaks.

Another thing is, I'll join the music team, when someone can replace me on the sound team or in August.

Today I've realised I have too many jumpers. I'm thinking of decluttering my clothes soon. It is hard though. I like my clothes. But I've changed how I dress since moving to Maitland. A different work environment I guess, and different weather. I still like my old clothes, but I've left them behind. Time to Kondo, respectfully release things into the world to serve someone else. With a housemate the same size as me and other girls at church my size they don't have to go far! Look at the positives.

South Coast break.

Tuesday to Saturday were here with G, B, and E. Lovely water to watch, so much sun.

We had decided beforehand to make it a relaxing spa type holiday. B gave each of us a massage, and E brought some facial masks from Japan.

And we did bits of exercise, so E and me went for a 4km jog each morning, gradually jogging more of it as we got fitter.

There was thermomix food! I was impressed with steamed buns.

By God's goodness, another friend was staying nearby and it was really nice to catch up a couple of times with her and her baby.

None of us brought a DVD! so we didn't do much screen-watching, which we survived well. We chatted quite a lot about life issues, and we listened to Mindy Kaling's audiobook, and there was a bit of cross stitch, and napping.

We had a stopover at Berry on our trip back on Saturday. I didn't buy anything there, surprisingly, but I had a trove of books and earrings from Goulburn and Bowral.

So that is the end of that big week. It was all lovely. Still feeling refreshed. Holidays, travelling around, are important for lifting your head up and getting a fresh perspective on life other than routine and work. Getting a break from the urgent things to contemplate other potentially important things.

Haircut and travelling.

Had one night in Goulburn by myself, which I filled with another lovely walk, and listening to an audiobook in the sunroom.

I decided I would get the long anticipated Autumn Haircut, so here is the before and after shots. I walked into town first thing in the morning and got an appointment at the second place I tried. I'm happy with the cut and if it's not too hard to maintain I might keep it short for a whole year!

Then I walked on to the Argyle book emporium and asked for some old detective books, I bought 3. I'm into this one which I bought because of Percy. So far one parrot has been murdered but 2 are still OK.

I drove to Bowral to buy earrings and stop for a hot chocolate and cake at the Elephant Boy cafe which is another book related place. I started reading a Jungle Doctor book and found a really good example of praying for a plan you want to succeed, "if our thoughts are right in this matter, help it to work out." I think that's good.

I think the drive through Kangaroo Valley is one of the most beautiful. Winding roads down and up mountains with stunning farmland.  I stopped at the Fitzroy Falls lookout for a look out.

Then I waited at Bomaderry to pick up Elsie. After lovely Goulburn and lovely Bowral, Bomaderry is pretty uninspiring, sort of industrial and drab, but these stag horn plants in the station are beautiful.

ANZAC Day.

On Sunday I drove down to Goulburn and arrived for lunch with parents and Grandfather at the food court. Dad and I had sushi bento boxes, and it was Dad's first wasabi experience.

The Goulburn house is rather beautiful in places, because nobody lives in it and it's full of old furniture but stuff is being slowly removed, so it's a hipster minimalists dream house. But also sad. I always want to take a lot of photos of it when I'm there to preserve the memories.

The Autumnal weather was stunning. I went for a walk with Dad and he showed me a park I hadn't been to with a rose garden, and he found the best rose.

Oh exciting news, I'm trying chickweed ointment for my xma. It was working, but the test is, does it keep working.

This is a hilariously wrong prophecy which proves beyond all doubt that astrology is stupid.

We helped Grandfather get ready and wait for his taxi to go in the march.

Big amazing Saturday.

Quite a lot of photos and life to catch up on.

JK had a 10th Anniversary Prayer Pancake thing on Saturday morning. I went and helped by cooking pancakes, and then led her prayer time and finished with Amazing Grace. It was really special to gather with brothers and sisters and thank God for his faithfulness. It's grace that brought me safe thus far and grace will lead me home.

Denise came up for it, and we also went back to Maitland for the Olive Tree Markets at MRAG, and checked out the Shaun Tan exhibit and other things.

After popping home for a cup of tea and a spot of packing and car washing, we went back to JKs (she fed us pork belly!) for the music highlight of my year, Luke Thompson. K did a lovely job smothering the garage with fairy lights. The support act was great.

And LT was everything I remembered from last time I saw him, even more.  Beautiful simple sad songs, witty self-deprecating banter, let us sing along to the easy songs. Did the song I requested https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8w7Hhfz6CII (even though he said last time he was asked to play it he said No).

It was the sort of day I'm still thinking about a week later.