IT'S TIME TO BE HAPPY
It's the end of November already 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
November is my birthday month so the added bonus (along with being another year older - and the last in my 50's!) is that we had a lovely lunch date with our children, grandgirls, and my mum. Covid numbers in the community are zero in Western Australia, so we could sit together, hug, laugh, and eat - such a joy.
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| Sophia, me, my mum, Luke & Erin (SIL & daughter), Hannah & Jared (DIL & son) and Georgia's little ponytail at the front. And thanks to my lovely husband for taking the pic. |
Along with the lunch there were presents and cards - I just had to share the one Sophia made me - it's a picture of me going for a walk with her (she's wearing a rainbow dress and I'm in purple) - it makes me smile.
BLOGGING
Today marks the 6th blogaversary of Cresting the Hill - I wrote my first (brief) introductory post on November 30th, 2014 and thought that I might blog for a few months to get whatever was floating around in my head into an alternative space to my journal. I never expected anyone to read it.....and I am so immensely grateful that I was wrong! I've made sooooo many wonderful friendships here, and blogging has opened my world and given me so much more than I've ever given in return.
I looked back and found that I'd had 26,000 comments over the years - that's a lot of conversation and it's where I've come to know so many of you over time. For each and every one of you who has stopped by and read a post or two (or more) all I can say is Thank You and please keep coming back because my life would be so much less without you. xx
It's also been an interesting month - I published two great collaborative posts that you can read HERE and HERE if you missed them, and I'd love you to click through on any of the links that sound interesting. AND I was featured in an article of Must Read Lifestyle Blogs By and For Women - you might want to pop over and check out some of the other bloggers she mentions and also read some of Kathy's interesting posts (she's a callcentre worker and that was a role I had for eight years - I love these little blogging co-incidences!) And finally, thanks to Christie for the shout out in her post on sharing the real (messy) parts of life.
LOLLIPOPS/MAKING ME SMILE
And of course I had to include a few memes from the month that gave me a smile.... These ones all relate to turning 59 (who'd have thought the internet had so many?!)
RAINBOWS/GRATITUDE
I had to pause (seeing it's a birthday month) and look at my life for a moment - and I'm incredibly grateful for how calm and peaceful it is. I've spent time with my family (with an extra visit from our daughter and SIL thrown in) and I'm so grateful for how much we all enjoy spending time together. We may only see them once a month, but that time is so precious and the joy that our little grandgirls bring with them is priceless.
I'm also very thankful for how few COVID cases we've had and how normal life in Western Australia is. My heart breaks for all those who live in places where the community spread continues to increase and those who've had family members impacted by the virus. I'm very aware that we're only "one idiot away from another wave" and I hope that people remain vigilant and remember to think of others before they take any selfish risks.
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 NOVEMBER POSTS
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Happy Blogaversary Leanne! It's amazing how quickly time goes by isn't it? I love that card your granddaughter made you. It'd make me smile too. Love the family photograph too. We're so lucky in Australia that all things Covid are AOK at the moment (touch wood). I'm not sure what day your birthday is but HAPPY BIRTHDAY for whenever that day is in case I miss it. Have a fabulous week! xo
ReplyDeleteHi Min - my birthday was at the beginning of the month - so hard to believe it was the last in my 50's - so I have to make the most of this year so I'm ready to leap into my 60's with all guns blazing! The birthday card from Sophia was added to my collection - I'll show it to her when she's a teenager for a laugh :)
DeleteSo many anniversaries Leanne. I love your positivity. I'm struggling a little to think about my highlights this month but I know I must have many! xx
ReplyDeleteHi Deb - I think there's always a highlight or two if you dig deep enough. Just being free to go about our daily business is a highlight for me - I think of all those poor people in lockdown all over the world still and I feel so grateful for what I have here in Oz!
DeleteCongratulations, Leanne! It's wonderful how you write so consistently and meaningfully and network so brilliantly! Keeping being you - you are inspirational!
ReplyDeletePS: Pinned and tweeted.
Oh Corinne what a lovely compliment - thank you so much - and I feel the same way about you - aren't blogging connections such a joy? x
DeleteHappy Blogiversary Leanne. So many comments show how amazing your blog is. Sophias drawing is or joys. Looks like you had a beautiful day
ReplyDeleteHi Jennifer - I didn't realize when I started, but blogging is definitely all about the interactions and the comments are where that happens. Look at all the wonderful people I've met and made friends with over the last six years - such an unexpected bonus!
DeleteHappy belated birthday and blogaversary, Leanne! How I love, love, love your family picture (and adorable card from Sophia!). Not only is it just so sweet, it also gives me hope that, eventually, things will be better here in the USA. We just celebrated a very quiet Thanksgiving at home last week (such a contrast to the boisterous family gathering we usually host), focusing on all we have to be thankful for despite these troubling times, and are now readying our hearts for the coming Season. I hope to see posts from you about Christmas, Australia-style!
ReplyDeleteHi Laura - I feel so sorry for all those who are separated from family during these difficult times and wonder how on earth things are going to be resolved. I know how much I missed my kids and grandgirls when we were cut off for a few months - to have it still continuing would be a nightmare. I feel for you and your subdued Thanksgiving and really hope that Christmas will bring some joy with it.
ReplyDeleteI'll definitely be posting a December round-up post early in January that hopefully will include a few family pics of our time together. xxx
Happy Blogaversary and Birthday. Hope that you are doing well. Very nice pics. Thanks for sharing them.
ReplyDeleteHi Patrick - lovely to hear from you and thanks so much for the good wishes. Always lovely to catch up :)
DeleteA birthday and blog anniversary Leanne, congratulations! Sophie obviously knows you well dressing you in purple :) Your turning 59 memes made me smile as I reflect closing in on my big 6-0 this month! Enjoy your last year in your 50s, as I know you will! that family photo is the best, you all look so happy and together - lucky you! I have pinned this for you #lifethisweek
ReplyDeleteHi Deb - yes the birthday card colours gave me a smile - no beige in our family! I can't believe 60 is just around the corner for both of us....it does make me wonder where the time has gone. Wasn't I heading towards 40 a few minutes ago??? Still, with all my blogging buddies inspiring me, 60 is looking a lot more appealing than it would have been otherwise!
DeleteHappy belated birthday and congrats on you blog anniversary, Leanne! Your birthday celebration with family looks wonderful. Have a great week!
ReplyDeleteThanks Natalie - it was a lovely time with the family - next one together will be some time around Christmas - and I'm looking forward to it already!
DeleteCongratulations on your birthday and your blogaversary...MY 65th birthday! It was the last one I spent with our family in Sydney. Bittersweet but lovely. I am amazed at what I could find via etsy for our Golden Wedding Anniversary. I have a few print outs from very clever women in US and Canada. I will be posting more after the event. Lovely family shot and I hope your holiday is going well. Thank you so much for linking up this week for #lifethisweek. We are nearly at the end of 2020 and only a few optional prompts left! Next week is 49/51 Lucky 7.12.2020. Hope to see you there. Denyse.
ReplyDeleteHi Denyse - yes the holiday has been going beautifully - so much chillaxing and appreciating the natural beauty that we're so fortunate to be able to access. Looking forward to reading more about you big anniversary and seeing the print outs x
DeleteAwww...Happy birthday, Leanne! And happy blogiversary too. You are so lucky to have such low Coronavirus numbers. They are going crazy where we live. your family gathering photo is beautiful! Love the 59 memes. I think you definitely should buy the T-shirt. :)
ReplyDeleteHi Laurie - I feel so lucky to be in a country where they clamped down hard on the borders and have kept virus numbers to an absolute minimum. I feel so terrible for those who face community spread in the 1,000's every week - it must be a nightmare. I'm wondering what the future holds in regard to all this - we can't stay closed forever, so are we just delaying the inevitable....
DeleteWow, 31+ million minutes!! That is impressive. And I have 3 years on you!!
ReplyDeleteHappy belated birthday. Love seeing all the smiles around your birthday table. Just a bit envious that you can celebrate with family. Western Australia is doing things right. We are optimistically cautious about our numbers plateauing but then my husband was exposed and we are off for tests tomorrow.
Love the art your granddaughter created. Would be lovely framed!!
Oh Leslie! I hope your poor husband is okay and tests negative - what a nightmare! We have virtually no cases here - a few return travellers in quarantine and that's about it. There are many people who are annoyed at the borders being locked down and international travel being almost non-existant, but I'm happy if it means my family is safe and we can see each other. Fingers crossed your numbers keep going down xx
DeleteHappy birthday and blogaversary Leanne! As soon as I finish writing this, I'm going to go check out your first post. I always enjoy reading how bloggers got started. I'm happy for you that you could spend Thanksgiving with your family. We kept it small, because COVID is still very high here, but I have hope that the vaccine will be effective and there is light at the end of the tunnel. We've made it this far; we can make it a little further. Right now, I'm just grateful that to date, our family is healthy and not too financially impacted. My heart goes out to all of those who have been more seriously challenged. Here's to a happy December and a strong finish to 2020!
ReplyDeleteHi Christie - I think we've all been so fortunate to not be hugely impacted by the covid situation - with all the news of huge numbers and so many deaths, to be tucked away down here in Australia makes me very grateful indeed. I'm also really pleased to have been able to spend my special day with my family and to be able to look forward to seeing them again at Christmas when I know many won't have that privilege. Here's to a bigger and brighter 2021!
DeleteHappy Birthday and blogaversary to you.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Patrick - it was lovely to celebrate both :)
DeleteLove the family photo and Sophia's picture. In fact, I may actually like Sophia's depiction more!
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas
Hi Leanne - I thought she did an excellent job of capturing our likeness - and it was lovely that she took the time to make it for me.
Delete