MY FABULOUS APRIL
I can't believe April has come and gone already! Easter flashed past and Autumn has settled in with its cooler days and evenings (so much better for my sleeping than those hot, muggy nights). Quite a bit has happened over the last few weeks, including our first family covid experiences - which we all knew had to happen because we couldn't stay locked away from the world forever. But there have also been some lovely times as well, so on that note....here's what's been Fabulous throughout the very pleasant month of April....FAMILY-ING
Our granddaughter is in Year 1 at school this year and (along with
thousands of other small children) she brought covid home from
school with her a few weeks ago. It was shared around the immediate
family with both girls having very minor symptoms, our
daughter-in-law was laid low with severe headaches, and our son
played nurse to everyone before getting a mild dose of it himself at
the end. We're very grateful that they weathered the storm fairly
uneventfully and that we live far enough away that we didn't have to
worry about catching it from them!
Once they were recovered, it was time for their post-Easter visit
and we had the pleasure of their company for a few days - including
the opening of birthday presents (it was our oldest granddaughter's
6th birthday this month), birthday cupcakes, a first lost tooth, and
the general joy of spending time together as a family. We love their
visits and the memories they create.
BLOGGING
I have a little view counter in the side column of my blog. It's
been there for years and has slowly ticked over. I had the best
surprise a couple of weeks ago when it hit 1.5 million views! I
can't believe my little Midlife blog has been looked at that many
times. So a big thank you if you're one of those views - and an even
bigger thank you if you're a regular here, and especially to those
who are also brave enough to leave a comment.
If you missed any of them, here are my 4 April posts (including
some news about a new job I've just embarked on in the "Careful
What You Wish For" post).
CREATING
I started a new book of collages at the beginning of the month. I found a lot of images from an artist named Amy Sol that I just loved - very whimsical and ethereal and inspiring. I've been collaging around different ones and creating something I'm hoping the grandgirls will enjoy flipping through. I shared the first ten images on my Facebook page a few weeks ago and thought I'd share the next ten here.LOVING
In honour of my six "F" words for my 60's, this is what I've been loving lately....
Family - It was an amazing month for me as far as family time went
- not only did I get to see our son, DIL and grandgirls,
but we had a spontaneous visit from our daughter and SIL a
few days later. So, we indulged in some mother and
daughter shopping and cafe-ing and chatting and my heart
feels very full indeed. I even scored a photo of the two
of us! And to finish off the month, my mum's down for a
week's visit - so a different kind of mother/daughter
time.
Friends - You can't beat good friends can you? I needed a referee for the
job I applied for, and I was reluctant to ask anyone from my
previous job from hell. So I checked with my friend Desma (from
the days I worked for an orthodontist) if she'd mind stepping
in. That conversation morphed into an hour long chat, and she
was so encouraging and affirming. Even if I hadn't been
successful with the job application, it was worth it all just
for the catch up and cheer leading. Thanks for that old
friend!
Fresh start - If you read my "Be Careful What You Wish For" post, you'll know that I jumped out of my comfort zone and
applied for a little part-time job. I was surprised, delighted,
and scared to find out that I was successful and leapt into a
new chapter starting a couple weeks ago. Some of it has been
easy (like riding a bike) and some of it has been a learning
curve - but not insurmountable. My new boss seems lovely and the
work feels do-able and is challenging enough to be interesting
without being so challenging that it's overwhelming. I'm meeting
new people and re-igniting some of my brain cells - so...... so
far, so good.
Freedom & Flexibility - I really appeciate that with my new job I still have six
days a week to do whatever I choose. I've cut back on a few
commitments, but there is still plenty to keep me occupied. I just
love this stage of life and being able to live it exactly how I
like.
Fabulosity - Well, my plan to
buy myself a little treat each month to combat my stinginess kind of got a bit out of hand for
April. I've owned and loved my Michael Kors watch for about 8
years, and it was starting to look a bit dingy and stopped a
couple of times. I found another one exactly the same online and
splurged on it because nothing else really appealed and I think
I'll love my new replacement one for the next 8+ years. It's big,
it's pink, it's gold - what's not to love?!
A FABULOUS QUOTE TO FINISH WITH
JUST A FINAL NOTE:
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me at
leanne.crestingthehill@gmail.com - I'd love to hear from you.
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go.
Hi, Leanne - That definitely was a fabulous month of April for you -- minus the family attack of covid. I'm glad that your son, DIL and grandchildren recovered relatively quickly as well as completely.
ReplyDeleteI'm delighted to hear that your new pt job is going well. That is awesome! I look forward to catching up again soon.
BTW - Great new watch!
Hi Donna - I do love my watch - it makes me smile every time I check the time! And yes we were very relieved that the family covid encounter was a mild one. We've had friends with much worse outcomes, so I'm very grateful.
DeleteI agree. Life is for living and loving and nothing is more important than family.
ReplyDeleteFamily really is everything and having time together is always a joy. :)
DeleteI loved reading this update...so much love and family and fun...and fabulousity! As for your gift of that watch....enjoy!!
ReplyDeleteHi Denyse - life is definitely what you make it and what you choose to focus on. There will always be down days and little stresses to deal with, but on the whole things are really good for us and I'm making sure I appreciate it - especially having so much family time in the last few weeks!
DeleteThis is such a wonderful update to read! The family time sounds like so much fun and I am so glad to hear that the new job is going well.
ReplyDeleteHi Joanne - the family time is so special when we get it. One of the down sides of living a couple of hours away is that we don't get to see them weekly, but having a visit that lasts for a few days always makes up for the time we missed in between. The g/girls are an absolute delight and bring us a lot of joy.
DeleteHello Leanne - Such a pleasure to read your post. Glad to hear that you're doing well at your new job and that you were able to spend time with your family. I don't have family and I feel very lonesome when I read about other people's family but I am happy for them. Have a beautiful and peaceful week!
ReplyDeleteHi Yvonne - thank you so much for stopping by and leaving a comment. If you have a blog of your own I'd love you to leave me a link so I can pop over for a visit. I'm sorry to hear that you don't have a family - they bring so much joy (but also heartache at times too!) I hope you'll be back to read more of my posts x
DeleteForgot to say that I love your watch and that your daughter and grandchildren are beautiful.
ReplyDeleteOh thank you so much Yvonne - I think I'm soul mates with my watch :D! and thank you for your kind words about my girls xx
DeleteHi Leanne, another great post on how your are being fabulous this year! Love your new watch and the job sounds like it will be a great fit for your lifestyle. It is a wonderful stage of life to be in and I'm so pleased for you. A visit from family is always a gift (!) and I'm glad they didn't share their Covid germs with you. Love the family photos - so many great memories being created!
ReplyDeleteHi Deb - it was just a really well rounded month. I rarely get one on one time with my daughter, so that was the icing on the cake. And yes, avoiding covid was a huge relief - there was enough time for them to well and truly get over it before visiting - and they'd been isolated so they didn't even have a runny nose in the family...Yay!!
DeleteThat is quite the watch! Love your mini-splurge. (P.S. If you calculate the cost per day, it'll not feel like a splurge at all for that daily jolt of joy!). Your collages always inspire me - I love the quote "bloom where you are planted" and might need to think on how to use it in something!
ReplyDeleteHi Pat - the stingy person inside me actually did the math on the watch the other day and it worked out to less than 5c a day - so I figure I'm worth it :D And I'm so glad you enjoy my collages - they still bring me joy (and may even qualify as glimmers!)
DeleteLife is fabulous especially when family are around, Leanne. Looks like you had a lovely April and Easter. I look forward to reading what you get up to in May xx
ReplyDeleteHi Sue - family does make everything 100% more fabulous - I live quite happily without our kids, but when they come it's such a joy!
DeleteHi Leanne. It was so enjoyable reading your April catch-up. I also love whimsical type of art, and I enjoyed looking at the video of your collages.I sculpt fairies. I now have a home, where I feel like I can sculpt, and not have to leave my finished products behind. I do need to get a magnifying glass, with a light. In the meantime, I'm sculpting 2 trees, from paper mache, they are going to go in my foyer/sunroom. I want to put fairy lights on them, of course. It was so nice that you enjoyed so much family time, in april. How nice for you! We'll be going to the States, this November, to see my son, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren. I'm so excited! We talk on the phone, but it will be so nice to see them all, in person. Thank you for sharing this lovely post. xxx Christina Daggett
ReplyDeleteHi Christina - how fantastic that you're going to see your son, DIL and g/kids - I can totally understand why you'd be so excited about it. And I hope you're going to blog about those trees you're sculpting and the fairies when you do those - I'm dying to see your creations!
DeleteHi Leanne, That was definitely a fabulous April for you. I'm glad to hear you had a lovely Easter with your family, your son and his family all recovered quickly from covid, and your job is going well. The collage looks beautiful and that's a fun pink-faced watch! Thank you for linking up with #weekendcoffeeshare.
ReplyDeleteHi Natalie - it was a really good month - May is going to be a lot quieter, but that's okay because it can't be full-on all the time can it? My next task is to survive a full month of work days and to find something to buy myself to keep my vow of non-stinginess on track!
Delete1.5 million views--wow! That's wonderful--and testimony to the fact that you're producing content people value. Way to go!
ReplyDeleteSounds like you and your family had a great month (minus the COVID of course). That pink watch is adorable!
Hi Janet - I was amazed at the view count (it's taken nearly 8 years to get here!) I'm just glad it continues to go up because blogging seems to have become a bit of a thing of the past these days. I still love it, and it's nice to know that there's others out there who do too. :)
DeleteHi Leanne - It's always good and energizing to be with one's near and dear. Lovely pics. :-)
ReplyDeleteHi Pradeep - family really is the best reward of getting older - and spending enjoyable time together in each other's company is definitely a delight.
Delete