March: making it to Melbourne!

I shall begin this post reflecting on the culling, the making way. The Summer zinnias have been removed to make way for sweet peas and other babies for Spring.

I picked up an old 3 seater leather couch on Facebook. I really like the look of worn tan leather and it has the right dimensions for head support and extra seating while not over crowding the room. It's not as comfy as the 2 seater but nothing is. I put the 2 seater in the garage for 2 sisters to pick up in the future. I got the 3 seater from a couple in Raymond Terrace and paid them a bit extra to deliver it. It's not intended to be a long term couch, but given I live with an inside dog, and I may move house in the next 2 years, it makes sense to get something that works for us now and I don't over-invest in.

I had a clothes cull too, on a particularly bloated week, where I decided to get rid of clothes that were not fitting well, old, didn't have pockets, and generally weren't sparking joy. There were some very old and beloved clothes in this cull, but I was able to see it positively as making room for clothes I could buy in Melbourne.

For future reminiscing, this is the Summer of rains and floods, where Maitland missed the real storms every time, but was still completely saturated. A patch of the back lawn is dead due to walking on while wet. We're fighting mould and damp (just running fanboy all day to circulate air has been my tactic).

Work has been busy, and here is the first AgGuide book I laid out from scratch. I am also proud of how the field days is developing while I'm not getting stressed and I am involving others.

I got the opportunity to design a mural for the entry of an office that is being fixed up. I've also got a honey label and some other unique jobs on my plate.

I started to wear a mask to work and everywhere, to avoid Covid for my holiday. Covid REALLY took off this month, I would hear of a couple of families a week in my direct circle of friends. My immunity was dropping because it was getting to 3 months since my booster. A perfect storm!

Lil D turned 1! I missed a dream house inspection and risked Covid for her birthday, while she mostly napped and we ended up sitting around awkwardly waiting for her to wake up for 2 hours. But she is a happy baby and we love her. And there was a jumping castle and tasty chicken wings and yummy slice.

My birthday was on a Saturday this year, which was a great joy! I could actually do fun things! I organised a brunch with JK and my 3 exercise friends (but one got Covid) and G surprised me by spontaneously driving up to join us! I picked the below ceramic mushrooms for my gift from G and E, and JK gave me some cushions and door mate which have brightened up the place.

And that afternoon, I flew to Melbourne! I was slightly delayed, and Elsie met me at the airport, we shared a taxi to the city and then E drove a go get expertly out of the city. My directions weren't great, she was a champion! I was unusually directionally challenged this whole holiday.

We got to Ballarat at about 7pm and I realised none of the comms from airbnb actually said how to get into the house, so I left VM and we went to find dinner. The closest was Italian, which turned out to be a bit fancy and also booked out, which was a relief to me as I felt under-dressed. So we next went for Chinese and the experience of this old-school decor was amazing. While we waited for a table, our host called us and let us know the keys were in the mailbox the whole time - we both thought about looking but did not. Lesson learned.

We did a shopping run, getting ourselves set up with some breakfast staples for the week. In the morning, Sunday morning, we ate at home and then drove out to a sunflower farm! It was their last weekend so the flowers were mostly a bit old, but if you wanted to pick them, still heaps of good ones to be found! We enjoyed wandering around making silly videos and photos.

We had learned from Shelby Sherrit's instagram tour of Ballarat that there was a cool shop called Hattie and the Wolf, and we had a long browse here. I bought some pants and a cardigan, some earrings and a gift. A bit of an alarming early splurge but I make great fashion purchases on holidays.

We had lunch at Panchos which was delicious, another instagram recommendation, and then I bought tickets to Sovereign Hill. We did a little underground experience, walked randomly around, and I chatted to these nice ladies. 

We didn't spend too long there, I got very tired, so we went in to town and had a gelato which surprised me by being the best gelato I've had ever. I had chocolate with brownie or something in it.

On Monday we visited the Ballarat Botanic Gardens. It has a lot of statues, including busts of PMs up the main walk. There was a big flashy greenhouse with an amazing display of begonias, we came just after their big Begonia Festival. 

We then drove to Daylesford and the scenic route to Melbourne. Daylesford was beautiful and most suitable for a holiday. We didn't have time to go to all the shops but we walked around, went to Cliffy's for lunch which was very popular and cool, but with good reason because I had a super tasty sandwich with porchetta and buratta. We went to a massive antique warehouse called Mill Markets and I resisted becoming an egg-cup collector. We also stopped for arvo tea break at Trentham and had an amazing pie with custard filling and slivered almonds on top.

We got to Melbourne and the go-get spot was taken :( so Elsie achieved several hook turns to navigate back to the street and sort out the parking situation, during which the naughty car left. We walked 3 blocks to our hotel with our suitcases and checked in, then walked down to eat some noodles for dinner. We had very large noodles which I was too tired to lift to my mouth. Sounds funny but it was a real struggle. Lesson learned.

On Tuesday morning, we went to the victoria markets, because that is what I realised on my last trip - you should shop here on day 1, so you can actually buy fresh food for your hotel and not eat out every meal! We decided to recreate the tasty sandwich from Daylesford which gave us the opportunity to buy veggies, deli food, bread, dips and more. E also bought 2 lovely hats and we both bought a pashmina - mine is a gift as I already have one and like it.

Our home made gourmet lunches. 

I had a couple of shops I wanted to check out. One turned out not to be in the city after all, but Design a Space is still there and I got 2 bargain dresses and a gift.

On Wednesday we split up, I went to the flower show, and had a most enjoyable time. I listened to 2 talks, one on lawns and one on small garden designs. I bought a show bag of bulbs and some ratchet secateurs. I window shopped for a hanging chair and a compost bin and hellebores and other things I couldn't fit in my luggage.

We met Bei-En and Aleisha for dinner, at a good dumpling restaurant where they communicate with walkie talkies (it has upstairs and downstairs). I should mention Victoria is still checking vaccine passports. And we used the Melbourne Money offer to get 25% off so it was a very cheap meal.

We then went to an improv comedy play called Murder Village which I had discovered on google, and it was in a tiny theatre at this alley, upstairs, through a small bar and another random room and up more stairs, into a room seating perhaps 30 people. The cast of 6 incorporated audience suggestions into the plot of an english village where someone is murdered and someone else is the murderer. It was silly and very fun, and the whole experience was excellent value, it was spot on my niche.

Elsie organised the Thursday around Puffing Billy, a tourist steam train that takes you through the Dandenongs to a picnic area, and the tradition is to sit on the window sill and hang your legs out of the train. I didn't think it would be comfortable but eventually I did it, and I can highly recommend. 

The only disappointment for me was that I had packed lots of warm clothes for Melbourne had hadn't needed them. It was shorts and cardigan weather. However this day was much colder than forecast and I didn't have my coat or anything with me. We packed lunches but bought hot chips and hot chocolate to supplement it so we could warm up in the cafe at the other end. Always put a raincoat in the car! Lesson learned.

We had a last dinner in Melbourne! We figured out that we were staying very close to a Koreatown area, and had already had Korean Fried Chicken earlier in the week, so had spicy tofu soup. It did leave us with slightly upset tummies the next morning though, but it was delicious.

On Friday morning, I had hoped to have Aleisha join us for a nice melbourne cafe brunch before we went to the airport, and we picked out a nice cafe, but upon arriving we realised it was super full and very trendy and we'd be unable to get a table. I guess out of a whole week, only having one plan go awry is pretty good! We went instead to a very basic cafe but with windows on a 2nd floor looking over the street at Southern Cross station. We had simple eggs on toast and tea. We had flights at 2pm and there were no delays. I had some interesting rowmates, a woman who shared her entire family and work history and a girl who was a skater and a graphic designer. I played solitaire. 

JK and Sweep picked me up from the airport and that was the end of my first holiday away from home in years! I avoided Covid and had a great time!

Although the next day I got a runny nose, and eventually realised it wasn't dust allergy, I probably had a cold and should get a Covid test. I did a PCR about 2.30 Saturday, and woke up on Sunday to a positive result text. I had so many false alarms from tickly throats, and when it happened for real, my throat had nothing to do with it. I was surprised. And also relieved that I didn't get sick until after I was home. And also relieved to just be getting it out of the way because there would be a serious inconvenience to get it later when I have a band to rehearse or print deadlines at work. So all in all, could have been worse.

Anyway, on Saturday I battled through my runny nose to wash, change sheets, and empty compost into the garden - it was a rare few sunny days and I am glad I made the most of them! I had a lady pick up mums weaving loom which I sold on facebook, but I wore a mask to transact the sale thankfully.

And then I spent 6 days in my room, isolating from JK. My symptoms developed into aches, and then tonsilitis, so I had pretty bad sleep for waking up to take more panadol and eat honey and so on. I ate my own chicken soup from the freezer plus some good food from JK. I mostly listened to audio, and tried to get outside for fresh air occasionally, and move around in my bedroom to help with the congestion - things like watering my plants, doing some stretches, washing my hair. I did my cello lesson over zoom on Monday but that was probably too much. 

Percy hung out in my ensuite or bed a lot of the time. I felt better from Wednesday, got my first sleep through on Wednesday night. Thursday I was up to spending a couple of hours dealing with my disaster of an email inbox and paying overdue bills, and watching netflix on laptop in bed. And today, day 7, Friday, I am deleting stuff to make space on my full laptop and also writing this blog! It's the 8th of April so this has been a bonus week for you. 

And here is a bonus photo of Sweep in his raincoat, very miserable after an attempt at a walk in the rain.

 

February, staying above water

I'm feeling well back into regular life now. At the start of February I was still working from home and recovering from January. JK getting the house organised. Me getting new church music organised and work getting busier.

JK threw a lovely Galentines Day party, so that was a huge weekend. I think it was the same weekend I babysat Lucy for a whole day!

Julia had made a very thorough program explaining what Lucy ate for morning tea and lunch and what activities could fill the day (thankfully a long afternoon sleep was part of it). Lucy was calm and untroubled to be with me all day. We even got a wee and a poo in the toilet! But a few wees in other places just to keep it exciting. We made a brownie, went to the park, read some Spot, played in the backyard, drew, and watched playschool.

I also spent 4 days working at my parents to look after Banjo, who was most sad to be without mum.

Then I transitioned back to working from the office, which was went well, having face to face meetings to plan field days things and going for lunchtime walks with colleagues and doing the office puzzle. It was very busy with publications, suddenly 3 books went to print.

And we had a lot of rain, but all the exciting rain missed us. It's just been constantly showing and keeping damp and some minor flooding - the violent storms just skimmed below us. Maybe this was March, I can't remember. I think it started at the end of February.

I was feeling potentially overwhelmed going into the busy season of field days, womens conference band, and doing more music team leading at church and taking on the publications work as well. I've been busy, but I've been keeping in front of the organisation, and keeping a reign on my perfectionism. I've been keeping up a morning prayer time habit, and staying more aware that I'm relying on God.

A wonderful thing was while I was pondering should I make the effort to organise a quick holiday in March pre-busy-time, but feeling like it was too hard, Elsie said she wanted a holiday then too. So that decision was made, to go to Melbourne for a week for the flower show and do some nights in Ballarat, and it was a relief to just get it booked and have something fun to look forward to. Otherwise I felt like I'd start the year with a terrible holiday, be busy, and then not have time to holiday until Winter, or Spring.

I had a quiet Saturday too, among everything, where I did a fun admin job of buying new joggers, also having lunch in a cafe with a book, buying some baby girl clothes because I haven't in ages, and generally wandering freely around wherever I felt. It's good to do that. Wander and stop and wander some more without purpose.

 

January: balmy.

Last year I finished on a cliff hanger. Would we get fireworks or covid? The answer was mostly covid. JK got symptoms but tested negative on a RAT. So G came and stayed the night on her way back from Tamworth and E planned to come up NYE bringing another RAT. As we packed our picnic for NYE party JK did the RAT and it was positive. So E went back and stayed with my parents, and me and G started isolating for the week. We had a picnic in the backyard which was rather pleasant. 

Below if photo of my birdbath, after isolating I went to bunnings and bought a cement tile to stand it on.

Anyway the first week of the year was kind of awful. Having a sick sad friend stay with you but having to avoid each other is bad, waiting and wondering if covid will happen to you. On the bright side, because the weather is so mild and lovely we could have the doors and windows open for ventilation and not worry about the AC; I read some enjoyable books; I went for walks because that's an isolated activity really; I was very tired and I slept a lot - was I fighting the virus, or just run down from the end of the year? I had a coldsore so my body was definitely under attack. I even had a catch up at maitland park with some friends who were visiting from NZ and passing through, and they were already around other close contacts, so I wore a mask and stayed a bit distanced from them. When covid is everywhere and we are taking responsibility ourselves, a bit of safe freedom is OK for mental health.

Next thing that happened was JK needed to move in properly so after isolation we moved house with some of her kindest friends. One big saturday to pack and move everything into my garage and house. We're still making things fit, but on Monday JK and friend sorted and stacked so that I can park my car in the garage so life is mostly normal.

And Sweep joined us. He was originally called Benny, but we changed to Sweep which he actually answers to, it just took us a while to get used to. He's a black cavoodle. He is very smart and trainable.

We hosted Sweeps brother for 2 days but it was too much work and he had bad habits.

I tried to return to work after isolating, but not in a good mood and not much interesting work so I worked 2 days, one in the office then took my stuff home and set up spare room office again. On one of the days off we visited the Singleton family and had a lovely afternoon.

Lucy has gorgeous hair.

I've been kayaking a couple of times. AM came up and we explored around Tocal in the Paterson river, saw some really cool birds including a heron nest and a wedge tail eagle. Then I went out with Kristy at Morpeth, the river was stunning, and we saw some rainbow bee eaters. 

A church friend invited me to the live music on the river. They had a pontoon stage. Lovely evening. The weather this summer has really made life nice.

I worked a full week then last week every day except Australian Day wednesday, and JK was up at hawksnest with a family so I went up for the day, we swam at Jimmys Beach, water was perfect.

We had lunch at tea gardens!

THursday was a big day. I had an oral surgeon appt to get blood test results. Turns out the ulcer in my mouth that wont heal is probably Crohns Disease. That was a bit unexpected. I know it is an autoimmune gut disease, but what is it doing in mu mouth. So now I add immunologist to my specialist list. 

On Thursday night church had a Paint and Sip event for women, with a good panel discussion on identity/self-worth. It was fun and also fun to see my work friend for the first time in 5-6 weeks I think. 

 Today I went lounge shopping again! There are good sales at the moment and I've found 2 I like, but I have to also deal with the lounges I already have which is the hard part. So I might miss these sales. But I'm getting closer.

Tomorrow is a long day, doing music for both afternoon services after a 2pm meeting. And then Monday back to work with the first cello lesson of the year and Tuesday home group starts. The full regime. I've been a bit fatigued and achy, life is a bit daunting, but I've done it before and it's all good things so it'll be OK. I think it's been hard getting back into work because the holiday was so bad, and not getting the mental boost from being in the office among other workers. But it's getting easier. I hope you are adjusting back into "regular" life as it is now.