IF WE WERE HAVING COFFEE

If we were having coffee these are a few of the things I'd share from my life that happened in August. #midlife #ifwewerehavingcoffee

IF WE WERE HAVING COFFEE

If we were having coffee these are a few things I'd be sharing from August - we're heading towards the end of Winter and the reappearance of Spring (Yay!) so I'm ready to pack away the Winter woollies and get out the Spring florals. And because I always enjoy a good 'Taking Stock' blog post, I hope you'll humour me and sit a while as I share my news. There's nothing like a virtual cuppa and a chat, and I have lots to share from the last few weeks.

BLOGGING

It's been a steady month on the blog - although I did receive a nice little boost when a Facebook group I follow shared one of my pins from a long-ago post. It was a surprise to see it pop up on Rebranding Middle Age and to have it shared 400+ times. It might not bring many new people to my blog, but it's a favourite Brene Brown quote of mine and lovely to see it getting some love. 

People may call what happens at midlife a crisis, but its not. Its an unraveling - a time when you fell a desperate pull to live the life you want to live

I had the opportunity to write another guest post for my Best Blogging Buddy Sue, over at Sizzling Towards 60 and Beyond. I called it Living your Best Life Now and it was the first in her Aging Well in August series. I'd love you to pop over and visit Sue if you haven't already and read some of the other posts she shared. Later in the month Candi from Inspire My Style shared my post on Living your Best Life - so I felt very loved in August!

I also updated my profile picture to one that was recent and a bit "Spring-y and sunshine-y". I felt like it was time for a change and it was just a quick pic my husband took for me - better than a selfie, but not at the "professional" portrait stage just yet!

RETIRING

I've been sharing some more posts on my journey into retirement (with more to come in September!) The last six months have been such a tumultuous time for me because leaving work came along so unexpectedly. What I'm finding (at last!) is that I'm done with work and living the 9-5 life. I'm enjoying every minute of this new life I have, so job hunting has been relegated to the garbage bin and I'll worry about it if I ever find I'm getting bored! Applying for a job and then hoping I won't get it seems to be an incredible waste of everyone's time, so I'm leaving the job vacancies for those who genuinely want to work, and I'm just going to bask in the sunshine of retirement. It's such a relief to finally feel settled in the whole "to work or not to work?" dilemma.

MORE-ING

I'm getting through my Alphabet of New Things and only have half a dozen or so to go. This month I ticked of "O" by doing some Origami with the little girl I mentor. We had a fun time making a project I found on Pinterest HERE the triangles move and change configuration - which looked great and worked out well.

Origami project - discovered here: https://www.pinterest.com.au/pin/143974519324989570/

I'm also cheating and going with "U" for Under Water which covers the little fish tank we set up for Sophia's visit. I think she was a little underwhelmed by the Gambezi fish we caught at the local pond to put in it, but I liked it enough to keep it going after she went home.

Gambezis in a fish tank

FAMILY-ING

August brought with it lots of family time for us. Our son went overseas to Spain and Finland on a work trip, so our lovely DIL came down with the grandgirls to stay for a few days. We had a lovely time shopping, playgrounding, cafe-ing and enjoying time together.

Out and about for lunch

Visiting the MacDonalds playground
We also scored a visit from my Mum - who has her own holiday place in the town where we live. Both my brothers live down here too, so she gets to fill up her "family tank" when she pops down for a few days.

On top of that, our daughter and SIL made one of their pilgrimages down too - they live a bit further away (2.5hrs) so their trips are rarer - but with a 30th birthday party to attend, it was worth the trip down and a cuppa and visit with the folks thrown in. I love it when I get so much family time and I feel very spoilt atm. Next is our littlest grandgirl's first birthday party in Perth - so we'll be doing a trip up there to have even more family time - bliss!

READING

This month I've been reading some more of Tamora Pierce - this time it was The Immortals Quartet. I love her books - easy to read, likeable characters, and they interconnect with other series' characters - win/win.

Tamora Pierce - Immortals Quartet series

I'm also ploughing my way through The Inheritance trilogy by N.K. Jemisin - a little out of my usual reading sphere, but a great challenge - the trilogy plus an additional novella all came in one giant tome - I could be using it for weight lifting when I'm not reading!

The Inheritance Trilogy by NK Jemisin

JIGSAW-ING

Don't you just love it when a family member enjoys something you like? It turns out that Hannah (my lovely DIL) has taken a shine to 1000 piece jigsaws. While she was down we did one together and she managed to finish another by herself while I blogged. There's always such a sense of satisfaction when you go from a thousand separate pieces to the final completed puzzle.

Nothing like a 1,000 piece puzzle to keep you busy

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

Well that's it from me during August. What have you been up to? Anything exciting going on in your world? I'm looking forward to the arrival of Spring sometime in the next month or so - it'll be nice to have warmer mornings and evenings.


If we were having coffee these are a few of the things I'd share from my life that happened in August. #midlife #ifwewerehavingcoffee

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42 comments

  1. Another great sounding month with a great amount of familying. Mum & dad always have one of those jigsaws on the coffee table and it's actually pretty therapeutic to sit down and faff about with it after work. As an aside, I love that Brene Brown quote. Here's to a fantastic September...and thanks for the cuppa.

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    1. Hi Jo - I'm loving doing more jigsaws now that I have extra time on my hands. They're good for zoning out, but recently I've found I can listen to a podcast at the same time and keep my brain engaged on a different level. Having the family visit was a lovely break in the month - and also nice to not have to juggle work around it all.

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  2. Hi, Leanne - Your new profile pic looks great. Your husband did an awesome job!
    As you are packing up your winter woolies, I am (thinking of) unpacking mine. I look forward to reading about your upcoming Spring and Summer adventures.

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    1. Hi Donna - I think he did well too. I didn't want to have 50 or more photos to try and get a half decent one, so this was the best of about 6 he took - not too stressful at all! Enjoy the onset of Autumn and I'm crossing my fingers for Spring to get here soon.

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  3. Beautiful warm weather here in Brisbane. I love chalk painting, or walking whilst listening to podcasts. I love listening to Conversations from the ABC. Any other recommendations?
    Also I am excited about visiting one of my daughters who works at a school in Tanzania, Africa in Jan next year so am in the midst of making plans for that. Enjoy the warmer weather to come

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    1. Hi Marie - your daughter is certainly an adventurous soul to be teaching in Tanzania! I'm sure you're already counting down the weeks until you can get over there. My daughter teaches in Perth and that's a lot closer to home (but still not close enough!) I've been listening to Christian podcasts recently and find them more interesting than the usual Sunday sermons (which can be a bit ho-hum to be honest).

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  4. Leanne, Love your cuppa posts. I've got an origami kit somewhere... it was a gift. Need to find it and play!

    I also like series books...I read a whole set of Sara Paretsky's VIW (female private investigator) books this month. And Janet Evanovich, too. As I started my summer summary (yes summer bucket list results), I realized I read 30 books in total this summer! Being is post-surgery recovery with limited mobility meant a lot of reading time.

    Looking forward to hearing more about your retirement journey too!

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    1. Hi Pat - 30 books is an excellent effort (being slowed down a bit would have given you more time I'm sure). I find that I read series faster than individual books because I'm so involved in the story I tend to not want to wait for the next book! I'm currently reading 'Man's Search for Meaning' and that's been a big contrast to my usual lighter fare. I want to challenge myself with my reading a bit more now that I have more headspace.

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  5. Hi Leanne - Your new profile photo looks great. I'm glad you made a decision on early retirement and now can focus on enjoying it. Thanks for the cuppa and for hosting #MLSTL.

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    1. Hi Natalie - thanks for the compliment on the profile pic - it's always so confronting putting up a picture and hoping it looks okay. I dream of having a professional one done some day - but I'm not prepared to fork out the cash atm. Maybe someone will offer to do me a freebie one day - fingers crossed!

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  6. I like the idea of 'more-ing'. For me words like 'more' and 'enough' are fraught with all sorts of connotations but I like the positivity of more-ing. It makes it sound like it's less about NEEDING to be more.

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    1. I think that's what I was trying to get at Deb - I already have Enough, but there's always room for improvement and allowing myself to have a little bit more of the good things in life and to grow in the process.

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  7. If we were having coffee. Retirement - you will probably be busier now than you ever have been. Since medically retiring 5 years ago Im so busy that even those days where you think you have done nothing you actually have done a lot. Its slowly getting warmer down here. Yesterday was glorious we took the dogs to the beach twice. well me once as I was doing my volunteer work in the local op shop. The water was so clear not windy ah so nice.
    I now volunteer twice a week at the op shop so will go again this afternoon. Mondays is bingo day lol...Tuesday nights is Darts at the RSL. Of course I need days to write the blog lol...love catching up with you on #MSLTP (prolly got that wrong oops)

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    1. Hi Bree - you're so right about always having something to do. I had THREE coffee dates this week with friends! Then there's all my usual things - volunteering, exercise class, walking, tai chi, church etc. The weeks just seem to whizz past and I can't believe 6 months have already gone by since I left my job. It just gets better and better - I can't wait for Summer and sitting outside in the sunshine during the day more often too. I love that retirement is so enjoyable for you too x

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  8. Another great round up - and those grand girls are adorable! #MLSTL

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    1. They are the sweetest little things Donna and we have them visiting again in a few weeks. Such a joy and also completely exhausting by the time their visit is over!

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  9. Hi Leanne, it’s always so good to catch up on your news this way. I loved all your family time and your acceptance of no more 9-5!! What a great feeling it must be for you. My husband loves having a jigsaw on the go and just plods away until it gets done. I’m usually not involved until the last few few pieces need to go in 😊. I have so much to write about with my month but I don’t think it’s going to happen somehow. I’m missing blogging and the interaction but my head is elsewhere. Take care and enjoy the arrival of spring. I’m enjoying the end of the English summer over here. xx

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    1. Deb I'm so glad it's all going well for you over there in the Mother Country. It must be so reassuring to be close to Dottie and the rest of the family while things have been so unsettled. I've loved seeing your little snippets on FB and she seems to be doing so well, which would be a huge relief for you all. Then there's that next grandbaby to look forward to - I'm soooo jealous!

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  10. Hi Leanne, looks like you had a very enjoyable month! Thank you again for a beautiful guest post on my blog, it was an honor to have you! Trashing the resumes was a great move, and you're right...let someone who really wants/needs that job apply for it. You're having way too much fun now! #MLSTL

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    1. It was a pleasure being your guest Candi and I hope it brought a few new readers over to meet you. And yes, it's so refreshing to not be reading the job columns any more, and also not trying to answer job criteria questions!

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  11. Hi Leanne, Enjoyed catching up with your activities in August over my cup of morning coffee. LOVE your new profile picture, especially since you're wearing one of my favorite colors. Wishing you a fun Sept. and happy spring.Thanks for hosting #MLSTL and will pin this post.

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    1. Hi Nancy - pink is a favourite of mine and I was pleased to see that it matched my blog header nicely when I uploaded it (lucky break!) Thanks for having a morning coffee with me and for linking up each week with us xx

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  12. Hi Leanne! I enjoyed catching up with you over my morning coffee. I'm interested in your reading suggestions! I have always been an avid reader. However, the past couple of years it has dwindled due to too much time spent on social media. This summer, I made it a priority to back off of SM and do more reading. One of my favourite summer reads was "Nightingale", written by Kristen Hannah. My hubby, Big Rich, loves to do jigsaw puzzles. Your post reminded me that I should purchase a couple of new ones for him! I have shared your link on my Twitter. #MLSTL Happy September to you! Barbie xx

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    1. Hi Barbie - I'll have to have a look at "Nightingale" because I'm always looking for new books to read too. I find the YA section of the library is a good option because books for teenagers are always fast paced and usually not to extreme in their sex or violence - which makes for much more pleasant reading!

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  13. What a lovely month you have had BBB and I'm so happy that you are sounding settled and relaxed about life. It certainly has been a huge year for you but looks like the second half is definitely on the up. Family times is wonderful isn't it? I just love spending time with my grandsons as you know. When Mike and I were in Japan last year we tried our hand at Origami and failed miserably LOL:) Have a fabulous September and I'll miss my BBB and #MLSTL while I'm away. P.S. Great about your pin being shared so many times! I've shared on SM. xx

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    1. Hi BBB - I can't believe that your BIG trip starts in only a few days. Glad that you'll be popping back in to MLSTL but also good that you won't be doing too much on SM or on the blog. Backing off on commenting etc will give you some much needed headspace and you'll be able to give all your attention to Mike (he won't know what's hit him!!) Looking forward to seeing a few travel pics popping up on my FB feed over the weeks ahead - Bon Voyage!!

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  14. Sounds like you have had a fantastic month! I forget it isn't summer over there. I love that your blogging career seems to be so satisfying and I have read your guest posts. Love being a part of this blogging community! theresa @fabinyourfifties.com

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    1. Hi Theresa - this blogging community is just the best isn't it? I can't believe it took me so long to find everyone - now I think I'll be part of it til I'm too old to move my arthritic fingers over the keyboard! Summer is slowly creeping in over here - and our Winters are pretty mild compared to the snowbound people, but I'll still be glad to pack away the long sleeves in the next couple of months.

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  15. I always love our coffee hour together! Just love these emails and catching up with what's going on in your life each month.

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    1. Hi Jennifer, I often wonder if I should give them away because it's just little life snippets, but I always enjoy reading about other bloggers' lives and it's such a nice easy post to write while looking back at all the pleasant things that have happened in the month gone by. Glad you enjoy coffeeing with me x

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  16. Lovely look for Spring in your photo. Thank you for catching us up on your month. My husband is a huge jigsaw fan. Denyse #mlstl

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    1. Thanks Denyse - I picked something bright in honour of Spring and it turned out to match in well with my blog colors so win/win! I was just so relieved that it only took a few photos to get a half decent one (I'm not as good as you are at having my picture taken!)

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  17. It's great being back at MLSTL, and catching up with you, Leanne. Sounds like you've had a very busy few months and beginning to really enjoy retirement. I'm so happy for you!

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    1. Hi Christina - I've been enjoying seeing you get yourself more settled and finding a place to call home. It will be great reading about your adventures in the weeks ahead - while you read about my lovely settled life in retirement!

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  18. Enjoyed catching up with you over a cyber-cuppa. Sounds as if you've had a fulfilled month with all that familying and no guilt about should-be-working. Go you. I'm so impressed with your reading list - I'm such a slow reader that I despair! Lovely that you can find things like jigsaws that you enjoy with your DIL. So important to have connective bridges of enjoyment. You've had a great blogging month too - very glad for you x Catch you soon irl I hope xx

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    1. Hi Jo - yes that IRL coffee needs to happen doesn't it? My reading list is a bit of a cheat because I tend to hang out in the Young Adult section of the library where the books are fast paced and easy to read. When I find a series I like I tend to churn through them at a fairly rapid rate. And yes, having someone who gets my love of jigsaws has been a treat after my the rather lacklustre approach from the rest of the family!

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  19. Your posts are often a seasonal wake up call for me, Leanne:) I am starting to find my layers of clothing for Fall:) LOVE the Brene Brown quote! I was talking with my massage therapist (lucky me and massage today). She was sharing a challenge and I told her how much I appreciate where I am at and the coping skills I have learned along the way......and I am still learning. You remind me how Pinterest is a great resource on everything. The grandgirls are adorable! A very pretty photo of you, Leanne! August was a good month, and I know September will be great:)

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    1. Hi Erica - lucky you with a massage - I think I might put in a request for a massage voucher for my birthday! And yes, Midlife certainly brings with it the added benefit of having weathered some of life's storms and being able to pretty much cope with whatever comes our way. And I LOVE Pinterest - the quotes and the pretty dresses suck me in big time - I have thousands of pins saved - I'm a bit compulsive when it comes to pinning - but not serious enough with it when it comes to promoting my blog!

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    2. You remind me Leanne how I should play more and pin more on Pinterest. Now on my list. Good luck on the massage gift. Sending you massage karma:)

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  20. I always enjoy hearing what you are up to Leanne. It was fun to see your family pics as well. Congratulations on all the blog love this month. Happy spring to you! We're just going into fall in my neck of the woods.

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    1. Hi Christie - I keep thinking that as Summer arrives down here, soon I'll be seeing pics of mountains of snow on other blogs. It still blows my mind when I see outdoor settings with piles of snow on them and white backyards - nature is truly a marvel when it comes to plants surviving all that cold!

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