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 September. #midlife #ifwewerehavingcoffee

IF WE WERE HAVING COFFEE

If we were having coffee these are a few things I'd be sharing from September - we're heading into Spring (Yay!) 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

The blog is tootling right along and I realized that I hit 700,000 views recently (Wow! and thanks to everyone who takes a moment to read my musings xxx) - my Mum wonders how I keep thinking of things to write, I think my brain just thinks a lot and putting it down somewhere - either on paper or online - helps me to process it all and gives me so much joy. I love the Midlife blogging community and a big thank you to all of you who link up with us at #MLSTL every Wednesday - what a fabulous group we have there! 

I think September has seen the end of me writing about my journey into retiring with my last post where I kissed job hunting goodbye. It's nice to feel settled, it's also nice keeping my blogging as a hobby and not trying to turn it into an income stream that would involve losing my voice and selling out to sponsors. Some people love blogging about product reviews but I'm not one of them - I just want to write about what's on my heart, so this stays as my hobby and I'll look for a "real" job if the dollars ever start dwindling. In the meantime I'll probably add a post or two about how great my life of leisure is these days!

FEATURING

Something quite out of left field for me this month was being featured in The West Australian newspaper's Weekend Magazine. I'd noticed they were doing a series called "My Passion Project" and were looking for stories. I flipped them a short email to see if Midlife blogging was suitable and they were quick to reply and ask for my photo and story. Lo and behold, a couple of weeks later I woke up to find this lovely article - and had my 15 minutes of fame when a few of my IRL friends saw it too. If you missed me sharing it on my Facebook page, here it is in all its glory! 

Cresting the Hill's feature story in the West Weekend magazine 07.09.2019

ALPHABET-ING

Ticking off another letter in my Alphabet of new things - this time it was "N" for Nanamingo - my fabulous new tee shirt that says: "Nanamingo - like a normal Nana only more fabulous and awesome" I couldn't resist it (and if you know me then you'll know I'm becoming a bit of a fan of flamingoes + a besotted Nan - so what a combo!)

Nanamingo - like a normal Nana only more fabulous and awesome

FAMILY-ING

Lots of family time this month - starting with our little grandgirl Georgia's first birthday party. Her mum excelled in the cake baking and their friends contributed to the morning tea selection. It was a lovely time of catching up with family and celebrating a first milestone birthday. Then to top it off, they came down to visit for a few days at the end of the month - my nana cup is full and running over at the moment.


JIGSAWING

With retirement giving me more time on my hands, I managed to finish two jigsaws this month - one that was bright and colourful, and another that felt more restful. It was also a great time to listen to a few podcasts as my eyes were free to hunt for pieces while my ears did all the work.

Disney 1000 piece jigsaw

READING

This month I tackled Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl. For some reason once I started reading it, I came across several other stories from the Holocaust - so much human suffering and I felt quite flat by the end of it all. It's reassuring to read that some people can rise above unimaginable horrors, but part of me just wept for those who endured so much suffering. 

Man's Search for Meaning - Viktor E Frankl

And on a much more upbeat note, I just finished the latest JD Robb book "Vendetta in Death" another great addition to the 40+ books in the series. Nora Roberts writes a phenomenal number of books and I love them all - but I have a special place in my heart for Eve and Roarke.

WATCHING

I haven't been to the movies for a while - nothing has caught my attention on that front, but I've been watching Continuum on Netflix - a bit sci-fi, a bit police drama, a bit thriller - so an interesting mix that my husband has been watching too. As well as that I've been keeping up with The Rookie on catch-up TV. I'm a Nathan Fillion fan girl from his Serenity and Castle days (and I even enjoyed him in the Dr Horrible's Sing-a-long Blog series). The Rookie so far has lived up to my expectations and I'm recommending it to anyone who's looking for something light and easy to watch.

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

Well that's it from me during September. What have you been up to? Any exciting events, good movies, Netflix recommendations, holidays or family stuff going on in your world?


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

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44 comments

  1. Loving that you've made the decision to kiss job-dating goodbye - and are feeling settled with that. Lots of great family time & I adore that Nanamingo t-shirt. Congrats on your feature & thans for the Nathan Fillon Rookie tip. Here's to a great October.

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    1. Hi Jo - There's only 7 episodes of Nathan so far - I'm desperately hoping for more soon! And yes, it's such a relief to take the pressure off in regard to returning to work. If that magical unicorn job ever knocks on my door and asks for a date.....well who knows - but supremely unlikely at this point in time.

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  2. Leanne, I think you're wise to not sell out to sponsors. While I don't object to bloggers making money from their blogs, some have been given over completely to canned sponsored posts and have lost their voice. I only do the occasional review/giveaway of a product or piece of kitchen equipment that I actually use and love and want to share with my readers; and I write every word myself. I say No to everything else.

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    1. I'm the same Jean - I'm more than happy to share a sponsored post if I think it's relevant and real, but I won't give up my voice for a product I would rarely use, or a company that doesn't understand my niche. I love that this is my special place and the people who come to visit are my friends - that's what blogging is for me xx

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  3. Hi Leanne! I missed your moment of "FAME" announcement on FB so I want to wish you Congratulations! Isn't that always fun? And It sounds like you had a wonderful month and are really settling in to enjoy your leisure time. We were at the beach for the last 45 days but just got home and are also looking forward to our "season" where the weather is wonderful. ~Kathy

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    1. Hi Kathy - yes it was a blast seeing myself pop up in the paper (although very few people still read the newspaper these days!) I was also surprised at the responses - some were great and some just blew it off and I found that really interesting.
      Glad you had a great time at the beach - I love your lifestyle and how you make it work for you. I'm SO looking forward to warmer weather (even though our Winters are mild - I'm still not a fan of the cold or rain).

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  4. Hi Leanne, I don't think my comments are coming through on Safari. I will stay with Firefox from now on. I do read and comment most of your great posts:) (copy/pasted:) Hi Leanne, You remind me of the concept, nothing ventured, nothing gained. I am referring you sending the short email to “My Passion Project.” Like you say in your article “you just need a passion for writing and a love on engaging with others.” I LOVE the article! I am at the one year mark and you are an inspiration to me, Leanne! I love the photos of your family. Another unusual coincidence with us, Leanne, I saw a patient for awhile years ago, who was on the Continuum Series. I think it is likely the same series. Filmed in North Vancouver? My husband and I loved the series and we were disappointed when they stopped filming it. Again, I think it is the same series. I look forward to continue connecting with you, Leanne:)

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    1. Erica Safari and Google (Blogger) don't play well together unfortunately and I'm sorry that your comments disappeared. They work fine with Chrome and hopefully with Firefox and I'm so glad you're here again! And yes, I was so pleased that they published that little piece on me - it gave me a spike of views for the weekend that died down again (non-bloggers don't seem to get the idea of reading blogs) but it made me happy to think that the n/paper people thought it was worthwhile.
      I'm sure the Continuum series is the same one and it was quite a good one - my husband likes it more than I do, but it's still been an interesting one to watch. Looking forward to seeing you here and connecting with MLSTL when you can too x

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  5. Congrats on hitting 700,000 views that is pretty cool.

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    1. Thanks Patrick - It's be lovely if it was that amount annually, but I'm still thrilled that it's been that many overall.

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  6. Congrats, Leanne, on hitting 700K views and getting featured in the paper. Looks like you had a lovely September with your grand's 1st birthday and other leisure activities.

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    1. Thanks Natalie - it's been a great month and there's nothing better than catching up with my family - I miss them at times and when we're all together it makes my heart happy.

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  7. Leanne I’m so pleased that your now feeling at ease with your decision to leave your job. September has been such a busy month for you. Congratulations on the article in the paper. I found it a very interesting read. Like you making money from blogging doesn’t interest me. I think the added pressure for me would dry up my thought processes. #MLSTL Will share

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    1. I think we'd all like to make big dollars from our blogging Jennifer, but the reality is that there isn't a lot of money to be made without a lot of soul selling or losing your voice. Neither appeals to me, but I'm always happy to share a post that I think has some value. Hopefully more companies will see the value in Midlife blogging in the years to come. In the meantime I'm just loving it as part of what fills my non-working days - and I haven't had a moment of boredom yet, so that's a very good sign.

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  8. Leanne, congratulations on achieving recognition for all your blogging. I won't mention my stats :-) You certainly do seem more upbeat via your blog than previously.

    I love blogging it is what I consider "my time" to connect and share experiences. Meeting other bloggers is the best part of it. As I am not sure friends and family really appreciate what it is all about. Most would never consider doing it.

    My month has been busy organising more volunteer work. In the coming months I will be one of the coordinators setting up the Remembrance Trees for the Waipuna Hospice. that will keep me out of trouble for December :-) #MSTL

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    1. Yes Suzanne, my blog goes up and down depending on what's happening in my life - it's the overflow of being authentic with what's happening in my life and being vulernable enough to share it with those who care about me online. I have very few friends IRL who understand the connection that blogging brings, and very few have been as supportive of my journey as my online friends have been.
      The encouragement and cheering on I've received since leaving my job have been the key to getting my mojo and happiness levels back up where they used to be.

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  9. Love these coffee catch ups. Soon you will be saying "how did i ever work" as you will have a busy time being retired lol I never seem to have a whole day anymore where its just for me. Need to work on that. The Rookie what channel is it on. Im watching and loving "hold the sunset" with John Cleese on BBC World on foxtel. its funny and so on point with us older people such as me and the "younger" generation the 40's and 50's who seem to think life is all too hard and mum is the place to live and go back to when i was a child. lol..too funny... #MLSTL

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    1. Bree, The Rookie is on Channel 7 in Australia and I'm not sure where it would be elsewhere in the world. It's not a Foxtel or Netflix thing yet. Hold the Sunset sounds like fun too - there's so few really nice shows to watch these days and I always enjoy it when I find one that catches my interest. I haven't even seen a movie advertised lately that I want to see, I'm hoping that changes soon!

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  10. Hi, Leanne - Congratulations on your newspaper feature, and on your 700,000 views. That's LOTS to celebrate! Very inspiring!! #MLSTL

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    1. Thanks Donna - I certainly don't think I'll be catching up to you any time soon with your blogging - especially now you're looking into travel writing workshops! I'm happy puttering along and unless something of mine goes viral one day, I think it'll be a long time before I reach the magic million!

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  11. Hello Leanne
    Wow, so cool that you were featured in your newspaper! And 700,000 views?! What a milestone! Very exciting and retirement looks good on you! Can't wait to see what's ahead in October

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    1. Hi Theresa - I loved the newspaper thing because it fits with our generation - my Mum was so chuffed to see me in there and because my kids belong to the millennial generation that don't look at the paper, I didn't have to worry about embarrassing them! I'm pleased that I'm still here blogging away and that 700k marker was a bit of an affirmation that I'm not just talking to empty air :)

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  12. Love your voice, love your blog and congratulations on hitting 700,000 views - that's awesome. Also on the feature article in the West! Plus it was just so inline with your whole blogging philosophy - a great match. Lovely to hear that you've spent time with family and found time for so many other diverse things too. I admire your ability to keep such a positive balance. The Meaning of Life is something I've been meaning to read for a long time - just not sure if I can tackle something so sobering at the moment in time. #Pinned

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    1. Hi Jo - thanks so much for your kind and encouraging words. I know to a lot of bloggers 700K aren't that many views (they get that every year - some every month!) but I felt like it was still a nice number to reach and for a little hobby blog it makes me feel like I'm going just fine.
      The book was good, but reading about man's inhumanity to man always makes me feel a little bit lost and sad - I was so impressed with the stories of those who rose above their horrific circumstances, but it still breaks my heart and I had to read it in short bursts to not get too "down".

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  13. Leanne, I loved reading that article about you! What a great article! I am sure you are inspiring many other women who read it to do something interesting with their life! I also enjoyed seeing your children and grandchildren. You are blest with a lovely family and I am sure being a Nana is amazing!

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    1. Hi Michele - it was funny being in the paper because it more than doubled my views over the weekend it was published and then everything dwindled back down to normal. I did have one lady contact me and reach out for a coffee date because she'd been meaning to start a blog and she saw it as her final push. It was interesting talking with her, and I gave her some resources, but didn't want to go down the path of "how to start a blog while I hold your hand" it's just not my strong suite I'm afraid.
      And yes, the grandgirls always make me smile and I love my little family - it's what makes all those tough parenting years worthwhile isn't it?

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  14. Hi Leanne, I always love to read your catch-ups! You sound happy and content with your life and that's a wonderful thing. Congrats on the feature in the paper!

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    1. Hi Candi - I think I sound happy and content because I've finally arrived at that point in my life. It's really nice to not be working - probably because I haven't had a job that was so meaningful that I miss it, and also after the horrible position I ended up in with my last job, it's a relief to have recovered and to have moved on. I'm just so in love with this peaceful new phase of my life and the freedom and flexibility I have these days.

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  15. I'm so glad that you've found your center and can now let go of trying to decide what you're going to do. So empowering. And I loved your Passion Project write-up. Did you have a lot of friends who were surprised by what you do?

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    1. Hi Jennifer - yes it's nice to feel settled in my heart and my head (altho' I still feel a little bit guilty that I'm allowed to not be working!) The write-up was such a nice thing to have happen and most of my IRL friends know I blog but 90% of them just don't get it and I don't think the story made any difference - altho' it might have given me a little bit more credibility??

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  16. I always enjoy our catch ups over a cuppa Leanne. You have had a great month and I love your family time. I am also in awe of your amazing blog and the rewards are there for you. I like the idea of just sticking with writing what's in your heart and you do it so well, so no need to change a thing in my opinion! I also love our midlife bloggers, we are an amazing group :) . Have a great new month! Shared for #mlstl

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    1. Hi Deb - yes I think the greatest blessing by far with blogging has been the connections with women (like yourself) who are just thriving and celebrating being alive at this moment in time. We've all had our ups and downs, but we've made it this far and the encouragement I get from you all is so heartening. I'd love for more of our generation to "get" the whole blogging thing and get on board, but maybe that's just wishful thinking?

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  17. Just recently found your blog and love it! Wow, congratulations on 700K views! That's quite an accomplishment. I have a new blog appearing soon called (much to my surprise when I read your first paragraph here!) Share a Cuppa! Hopefully it will be ready to go live soon! Here in the US, October means gorgeous fall colours - Happy Spring to you!

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    1. Hi Deirdre - Share a Cuppa made me smile and I think it's a great name for a lifestyle blog. We'll welcome you with open arms when you link up with us and I'm sure you'll love getting to know this amazing group of Midlife bloggers - looking forward to reading your posts and connecting more x

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  18. Wow Leanne, 700,000 views! That's so impressive to a newbie like me.
    And I love the Passion Project article; congrats on the publishers having the good sense to highlight you.
    My blog is a hobby, too, and I will keep this one as a hobby. But I'm thinking about starting another one that I can monetize...maybe. Still thinking. This blogging thing takes a lot of time and effort and am not sure I want to double it!
    #MLSTL and shared

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    1. 700K sounds like a lot to me too but on the other hand there are bloggers out there that get that number every month and that blows my mind! I'm happy with where I'm at and I hope that it will just steadily grow over the years ahead. I've thought about a second blog and dabbled a bit, but I just don't have the headspace to manage and promote two blogs. It's not the writing, it's the sharing and trying to get some momentum that does my head in - I don't think I have it in me to push another blog into being (let alone try to moneytize it!)

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  19. Congratulations on the blog views...and more importantly putting job-seeking behind you! How good is that. I loved reading your update. I had known of Victor Frankl's work for some time but it took me till my 'worst' days pre cancer to listen to the story that encapsulated his philosophy. Yes, it was heart-breaking. However, like you I listened in short bursts and reflected on what I heard. Great to see you in the paper and well-done for all your blogging efforts. I too resisted the pull of sponsors and ads. In fact, I find when a blogger has ads within their posts so darned distracting it puts me off reading the post well. Denyse #mlstl

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    1. I feel the same way about ads popping up and punctuating paragraphs everywhere Denyse - it looks so messy and intrusive and I don't think it would be worth the few cents per click to fill my blog up with them. It would be lovely to connect with companies that were Midlife focused but that doesn't seem to be an area with much happening in any blogging area as far as I can see - maybe more will get on board as time goes on.
      If I didn't love blogging as a fun hobby I'd have thrown in the towel years ago!

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  20. Congratulations Leanne on your feature! That's fantastic, and I enjoyed reading the article. Isn't blogging the best for making connections around the world? Thanks again for hosting #MLSTL. It's where I interact most with the midlife blogging community.

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    1. Hi Christie - thanks for the congrats - it was a lovely acknowledgement that Midlife blogging is of interest to the wider community and that made my day. And yes the connections are amazing - and Sue and I often comment on how glad we are that we started this group because it keeps us in touch with our core community xx

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  21. Hi Leanne - I'm so glad I met you through the lovely article written about you in the newspaper - otherwise I may never have known you existed! I too am giving up looking for work though am still working just 2 shifts, maybe 1 a week! Thats enough! I think I kept trying for a new job just to see if I still had what it takes, but I have soon learnt that age could be the barrier to me being continually unsuccessful cause I sure have the experience! Its ok cause now I'm feeling more settled and accepting of the job that I have. One day I hope to become a granny but it is not going to be any time soon, thats ok too cause I get lots of cuddles at work (maybe not quite the same but it will do in the meantime. My son is gay so I miss out big time there! Oh the grief of that one - I think its ok to be gay but the losses tend to outweigh the gains, haha what did I gain? Well Leanne so great to have had coffee with you this morning I'm just off to the hairdresser to have the dreaded locks fixed up! And to catch up on the latest mags xxx

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    1. Hi! How lovely to meet you and I'm so glad you found me through that article. I looked for jobs on and off before I finally bit the bullet and quit the nightmare job. I found that age definitely played into the equation - but it went both ways because there were times where I just thought "No I'm not going to work for such low money or with teenie boppers or for a crappy boss"
      I think I finally realized that we have enough and my earnings weren't saving us from the breadline, they were just going towards super etc and if worse comes to worse, we'll go on the pension later down the track and it's more than enough to support us. I'm so glad we were frugal and stewarded our earnings well over the years because it's allowed me the freedom to get off the job hunting merry-go-round and to realize that I don't want to fight for a job that someone might need more than me.
      I hope you get to be a granny down the track - we don't get to see our grandgirls as much as I'd like to - I envy the grannies who get an hour or two every week, but at the same time we get chunks of time with them - a few days of full on grandparenting that exhausts us and leaves us topped up til the next time.
      Also if it's any consolation, our daughter is married to a lovely guy - but they don't want to have children - so our grandbaby numbers are limited - not from sexual preference, but from lifestyle preference. I figure our kids are the ones who have to live with children 24/7 so it's up to them whether they choose to have them or not (and sometimes I wonder if not having them would make for a much easier life with a lot more financial freedom!)
      I hope you keep visiting my blog (and leave your first name next time you comment so I feel like we're friends :) ) xx oh and I love the mags at the hairdressers too!

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  22. oh dear I'm new to this! My name is Leanne too!

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Thanks so much for your comment - it's where the connection begins.