SUNSHINE, LOLLIPOPS AND RAINBOWS - WHAT'S MAKING ME HAPPY #3


IT'S TIME TO BE HAPPY

It's the end of October and time to share some "Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows" ..... Sunshine - what's been happening to make me happy, Lollipops - silly things and memes that gave me a smile, and Rainbows - what I'm grateful for this month.

SUNSHINE/HAPPINESS

There's been lots to be happy about this month and first and foremost is always family.

FAMILY

We had another lovely visit from our daughter and son-in-law that involved eating, talking, laughing, and playing Pictionary (it's been a long time since that came out of the cupboard!) I love the quality time we get to spend together these days and look forward to every visit.

The other absolute joy for the month was having our two granddaughters stay with us for their first proper sleep-over. Their parents needed a few days to get their house re-carpeted without little people being underfoot while furniture was moved, stacked, and moved again. Plus all the cleaning and tidying that goes with a major update. So....we had them stay with us for three days and two nights and it was delightful - exhausting (mainly mentally - they do chatter a lot and they never seem to stop buzzing around until they're in bed) and an absolute joy.

time with the grandgirls

My husband also headed off for almost a week hiking part of the Bibbulmun Track. He took his 22kg pack that held all his food, tent, clothes, sleeping bag, and goodness knows what else + his water supply for the first day or so (you can re-fill along the way). I waved goodbye and settled into a lovely time of lazing in my pajamas and eating like a teenager - bliss! It reminded me of a post I wrote a few years ago about Celebrating Spinsterhood and how pleasant it is to have a few days of "alone time" every so often. We might not share all the same interests, but I love how we can let each other have the space to do what we enjoy without feeling pressured to participate.

Bibbulmun Track 2020

BLOGGING

Another great month of blogging - I was featured in Handicare's post on staying positive during difficult times and shared my pavlova recipe in my super easy monthly recipe post. I also won a lovely prize in Christie's 5th year blogaversary competition (wow!) and realized she and I are almost exactly the same age - we're both heading into the last year of our 50's with big plans for finishing the decade well and looking forward to what our 60's will hold.

LOLLIPOPS/MAKING ME SMILE

I'm smiling big time because my hairdresser has finally agreed to giving me some fun colour in my hair again - it was a bit out of her comfort zone, but it's purple and I just love it. It makes me feel a bit sassy I think. As well as that, I discovered some amazing iridescent pens at my local bargain store and couldn't resist buying a couple.

a little purple in my hair for a fun Spring look      iridescent pens - what's not to love?

I loved this Quarantine Through Art video - beautifully done and so clever.



And a few memes that gave me a smile this month:

October funny memes

RAINBOWS/GRATITUDE

MY DODGY HIP

This is a bit of a weird one for a gratitude update, but I've had a "dodgy hip" for at least 10 years (probably a lot longer) that I finally had diagnosed as hip dysplasia, and the arthritis that comes as a result. After putting up with the deep ache, random stabbing pains, and referred pain down my leg for forever(!) I finally took myself off to a sports medicine doctor and he gave me an ultrasound guided cortisone injection into my hip - it wasn't fun but I'm hoping it works, and that the pain will be gone. It would be great to feel like a new woman and nimbly speed walk each day without any after effects. It's not a permanent cure, but it should last for a year or so - fingers crossed!

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

Do you have some highlights this month that are making you smile and count your blessings? Is life in general treating you well or are you getting swamped with the dismal state our world seems to be in right now? I hope you're choosing joy where you can and that there's some sunshine in your day.

ALL MY OCTOBER POSTS


In times of uncertainty it's good to focus our thoughts on the things that bring joy and remind us of how blessed we are.

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This post was shared at some of these great link parties
Cresting the Hill - a blog for Midlife (Middle Aged / 50+) women who want to thrive

50 comments

  1. Hi Leanne, Coincidentally, I have been thinking about you the last few days. I am in the middle of reading “The Happiness Pursuit” by Chris Guillebeau. Many gems and brings up many things we have touched upon.

    Yes, foremost is always family. I love your descriptions and the photos of your family. Your granddaughters are adorable. We had the sleepover weekend with our granddaughters. A great deal of fun and non stop chatter and buzzing. Very pooped out today and in recovery mode. 😊

    I have all the ingredients for your pavlova recipe ready to go. Maybe, I will make it tomorrow. Your hair is cute and fun. Yes, clever video, especially Week 3. Good luck on your hip.

    Thank you for sharing you, Leanne. Definitely a rainbow in my week.xx

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    1. Erica - I always love your comments because you engage with my life and it feels like a really good friend stopped by for a quick catch up xx I bet you're pooped after a weekend of grandgirls - those piping little voices and the constant buzz is so lovely but man it wears out your brain!

      I'll add the Happiness Pursuit to me reading list because it sounds interesting - I'm a big fan of positive stuff - I think that's why I like Brene Brown and Marc and Angel so much - there's the acknowledgement that life isn't perfect, but we can still find so much joy in it if we look. xxx PS - I hope you make the little pavlovas - very sweet and you'll love them x

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  2. Leanne, It is almost like we are living parallel lives in different parts of our planet. 😊 I am reading the "Happiness Pursuit" periods throughout the night when I can’t sleep. I want to read it during the daytime and make some notes. Many goosebump moments. I just looked up a quick summarizing sentence from my advisor/mentor Mrs. Google “Finding the quest that will bring purpose to your life.” xx

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    1. Hi Erica - I've bookmarked the Happiness Pursuit for downloading when I finish my current series and will definitely be taking notes (and probably be inspired to write a blog post afterwards!) Love that we're sharing a mentor these days x

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  3. Hi Leanne, the highlight of my month was finally seeing my brother for the first time since Covid closed the Qld/NSW border. We had a wonderful weekend with lots of laughter and discussion. There's nothing quite like seeing someone in the flesh, and getting a huge bear hug from them! I'll never take hugs from family for granted again. Regards Christina

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    1. Hi Christina - I feel the same way about the hugs - every time I see my Mum these days it's the first thing she does. I think living alone makes her even more appreciative of the human contact. I'm so grateful we live in a country where covid hasn't stolen hugs from us for as long as it has in other places.

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  4. Beautiful family photos. Enjoy with family. Very nice video. I like.

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    1. Thanks Raj - nothing beats family time together for me - those grandgirls make my heart smile every time I see them.

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  5. I'm so pleased to see your photos of the grandchildren, it sounds like so much fun to have them for sleepovers - I can't wait for that stage!! I agree it's good when you can have different interests from your husband and still enjoy alone time, we all need that from time to time. Your hair looks great, I love a pop of colour as you know :)

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    1. Hi Deb - I loved that the grandgirls were so comfortable with staying with us. It would have been a nightmare if either had had a meltdown and wanted to go home! It's such a joy being with them - and also good that we're happy to let them go back to their parents again at the end (while we catch our breath!) There's going to many years ahead for both of us of school holiday sleep-overs.

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  6. Always love your Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows posts. We need all the happiness we can get these days! Sleepovers with the grandkids are always fun. And exhausting! Love the new hair color - how fun! I am keeping my fingers crossed for you and your hip!

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    1. Thanks for the crossed fingers Laurie - I'm not sure it's going to be a complete success at this stage, but there's definitely a lessening of the "grabby" pain and the deep ache. I'll settle for any improvement I can get. And yes I'm loving having a bit of fun colour in my hair - especially as we slide into Spring - it peps me up x

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  7. Love the memes you shared... made me laugh! Thanks.

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    1. Hi Pat - they're the pick of the ones that I see popping up on Facebook or Pinterest. I always love dry wit and certain memes seem to hit the spot for me and those are the ones I save to share.

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  8. Plenty to smile about here. I googled that track your hubby did and yeah nah. Loving the purple hair - it really is quite sassy.

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    1. Oh I do love being a bit sassy Jo - I'm thinking of pink next as we head into Christmas and Summer! And yes that track is a hard slog - and after a doctor's visit, two dressing changes, a tetnus shot, and a course of antibiotics, I think Ross will be reconsidering how many kms he tackles next time!

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  9. Hi, Leanne - A granddaughter sleep-over, alone-time, a blog-feature, a GC prize, and fun hair highlights (amongst other cool things)...this is definitely a lot to smile about. So much so, your post made me smile with you.
    See you Wednesday! :D

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    1. Hi Donna - I love picking out the highlights of the month - there's enough time for a few to pop up and be remembered. I feel sorry for those who forget the little goodnesses and only see the hard slog because it's those snippets of joy that really keep us going. And yes, looking forward to Wednesday (as always) x

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  10. Leanne, Lots to smile about here. Your purple hair looks fun and cool. Have a wonderful week!

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    1. Thanks Natalie - yes, it's been a lovely month and my hair was a fun change - I'm thinking of going pink next but we'll see if my hairdresser is brave enough to tackle it!

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  11. There's always something to be grateful for and you just need to look for them. So happy that your grandkids got to have a sleepover with you. Seeing my son I know how much he loves to be with his grandmom....ya alone time is so important ..good you got that ..Ruchi Nasa https://thevagabond.me

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    1. Hi Ruchi - yes time with the grandgirls is always lovely (small chunks and then recovery time!) And as much as I love my husband, having the house to myself now and then is delightful!

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  12. Sorry to hear about your hip, Leanne. I hope you feel better soon. I love the spinster days concept. I get these when the husband heads off to Mumbai, even if we miss each other, there's something to be said for space for both partners.
    Glad you had some lovely times with your daughter and family. The pictures are a delight!

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    1. Hi Corinne - it's amazing how we can love our husbands, but also love some time to ourselves - I think it's a sign of a healthy marriage - not being co-dependent. And yes time with the family always gives me a boost x

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  13. Hi Leanne, I always smile when I read your posts - thank you :) The video is beautiful and amusingly, I think I'm stuck in week 3. haha. Good luck with your hip though xx

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    1. Hi Anne - I've seen a few videos over the last several months, but this one I thought was very clever (and short - I always love them when they don't go on and on...) I'm hoping the hip improves too - not holding my breath though.

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  14. It’s so nice to be able to spend time with family. Lovely pics of your grandchildren. Mine are also such a joy but very tiring. I’m also a bit of a stationery addict and can’t resist beautiful pens and notebooks.

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    1. Hi Veronica - I think these little visits from the grandgirls are so special because they're spaced well enough to give me some recovery time in between. I'm not sure how grandparents cope who have their grandies full time! And yes, there's nothing like a pretty pen.

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  15. Great to catch up with what you've been up to a bit through this post. Loved the video and the meme's (some of which I've seen)! It must be great to have grandkids. I can't wait till I have some (hopefully I DO get one/some eventually). I hope the cortisone injection works. I had one once for a pinched nerve in my chest that was causing me terrible pain. It hurt like hell (the injection) but my pain was soon gone and never came back! Fingers crossed you get a good result. xo

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    1. Hi Min - grandkids are the BEST - we're only going to have the two of them by the looks of things - but I'm happy to have even that many! They're such a delight - all the good bits of parenting without the responsibility! And yes, I'm hoping the injection helps - he used local anaesthetic first to reduce that horrible injection pain (I remember having one in my shoulder many years ago that was agony).

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  16. There’s loads in your happy post to make me smile Leanne. Seeing you enjoying time with your grandchildren for one. So many in Australia have missed out on this pleasure. One the other hand ‘ home alone’ time is also good time - one I haven’t experienced for a while. It certainly does us (both partners) good to have time apart....I loved it when The Golfer was away. I was able to just think for myself....work out things that had been on my mind by myself not having to think about someone else. Like you and your man, The Golfer and I have different interests so never begrudge each other space or time to indulge in them. No matter what others say It does make for a happy marriage.

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    1. Hi Cathy - I'm actually grateful for the differences in our personalities and interests these days - it gives us time together and time apart. I love that we're both independent enough to enjoy our time on our own too - to be dependent on someone being there 24/7 would be a nightmare! And yes, we're so grateful that we can see our grandgirls - when they closed the zones here for 3 months it was awful.

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  17. Loved reading the family catch up news. As for the hip, I hope it settles. Your purple highlights look great. Thank you for linking up this week. I do hope to see you link up next week too of course. The optional prompt is44/51 Outside 2.11.2020. Wow: November is here! Denyse.

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    1. Hi Denyse - always a pleasure to link up and catch up with the other bloggers and yourself on a Monday - it's a great start to my week x

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  18. OH I just bet it was wonderful to have the grandbabies for a proper sleepover. I am sure they had a fabulous time too. I love the hints of purple in your hair and truly hope the cortisone shot works and helps keep you pain free for a good long time.

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    1. Hi Joanne - lovely to have you visiting and commenting (I love making friends!) and yes I'm sure they had a lovely time - but were probably glad to go home to their familiar world while we sat back and breathed and enjoyed the re-discovered peace (until next time!) And thanks for the hair compliment - I'm loving it!

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  19. So much to love in this post, Leanne! Of course, time with the Grands. Then I am so impressed by your husband backpacking into the wilderness. I love a nice hike, but only grudgingly wear a small pack to carry snacks, sunscreen, and bug spray. Now the PJs and eating like a teenager, I can get down with that! I love the sassy hair. The memes gave me a good laugh, and finally, thank you for the shout-out. It was lovely to have someone that's been with me on this entire journey win a prize. Here's to an adventurous final-fifties year for both of us!

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    1. Hi Christie - I intend to make the most of this last year in anticipation of hitting 60 at a run and with a smile. Reminding myself at the end of each month about how much I have to be grateful for fits into that nicely - and I always enjoy your gratitude posts for exactly the same reason x And thanks again for the lovely prize.

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  20. Hope your hip gets better and what a great and uplifting post. Very nice.

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    1. Thanks Patrick - I have my fingers crossed for some improvement - I really want to avoid a hip replacement for as long as possible!

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  21. Hi Leanne, how fun to have a sleepover with your grandkids. They are adorable and I'm sure a lot of fun. I am a bit jealous of your alone time while your husband was hiking. Since the pandemic started my husband has been working from home and now we rarely go anywhere. I could use some time alone! I love the purple hair. It is fun! Covid is raging here again, but I am grateful that we are safe. I am having fun watching seven seasons of Rizzoli and Isles. I've also enjoyed a few little Halloween chocolates!

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    1. Hi Michele - we seem so far away from all the Covid horror with no new community cases for months and the few returned travellers quarantined in hotels. They're opening the borders here in two weeks and that's when reality will begin again - because people cheat and don't stay isolated and the spread is just one ignorant person away on any given day. I'm glad you're staying well (even if you are stuck at home with the husband - lucky we like them enough to be in the same space for so much time - it could be our mothers or an annoying friend!)

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  22. Thanks for sharing your gratitude for this month!! I really enjoyed hearing all about it!! I am grateful for have been able to go away for two weekends this month!!!

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    1. Hi Kerrie - I just love looking back and reminding myself of all the little joys that the month held. If I don't stop and note them down, they're gone and forgotten.

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  23. Hi Leanne - I try my best to look for something that will make me smile. It could be a song or TV programme or something on the radio or a call to a friend.

    My niece, who has been staying with us since February, will be leaving for her hometown, Bhopal, for a couple of months. Since t's work from home for her, it doesn't matter if she is here or there. That will leave just my wife and me at home. My niece in a way made up for the absence of my son who is in Australia.

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    1. Hi Pradeep - how lovely to have had a young person around for those months - although you'll probably also enjoy the peace of being at home with just your wife for a while. I was wondering if your son was still in Australia - he couldn't have picked a safer country to be living in - so that must be reassuring for you (even though you'd be missing him I'm sure).

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  24. I LOVED THIS POST!! Laughed all the way through. Well, not about your hip...but quietly cheered that you had gone to the sports med doc and have gotten a steroid shot. I have had that on my wrist and am still virtually pain free 3-4 years later! Hope it works as well or better for you.
    Oh, that video!! I am going to share it on my blog and give credit back to you. It is hilarious. And those memes. Hysterical. That pup. Love my crockpot. It is my BFF. And have cans of cream of everything in my cupboard.
    The pics of the babies are just precious. I am jealous that you broke out the Pictionary!! I so enjoy playing Pictionary. My favorite game.
    Thanks, dear one, for all the giggles.

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    1. Hi Leslie - you are the perfect example of why I blog - it's the connection isn't it? Seeing into each others lives and enjoying the similarities and celebrating the joys. I thought the video and memes were too good not to share and I still have my crockpot from our wedding 37+ years ago - still going strong!!

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  25. Such a beautiful and uplifting post. Thanks for sharing this wonderful place. Very nice.

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    1. Thanks Patrick - and lovely to have you staying in touch.

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