LIVING LIGHTLY OVER THE LAST FEW WEEKS
If you read my blog regularly (thank you if you do!) you'll know I chose "Live Lightly" as my Word(s) Of The Year for 2023. I've made a pledge to myself to chill out a little this year and to take things as they come, rather than trying to push too hard or trying to control everything. I hope my year will reflect taking life at a gentler pace and stepping lightly and slowly.
So, on that note, to wrap up November, I'm sharing a few little highlights that contributed towards an interesting month....
BIRTHDAY HIGHLIGHTS
November 4th is my birthday - and a wonderful reason to drive up to the city for lunch with my family. My husband, both my kids and their spouses, and our two grandgirls got together to make my day special. We went to a lovely garden venue for our meal, followed by a walk through the roses (they're so prolific this year) and there was a koi pond and some fish feeding to finish off the outing.The only thing missing on the day was a birthday cake, so we enjoyed that the following day - chocolate caramel - just the right size and it was delicious!
FAMILY HIGHLIGHTS
It's been quite an interesting month in our family. My husband officially retires from his counselling work at the end of this week - I think he's been seeing how much retirement suits me and has decided to join the party! As well as that, my 92 year old mother-in-law gave up her driver's licence and car (finally!!) and I'm now taking her shopping once a fortnight to ease some of her sadness at the loss of her independence. And to finish that trifecta, my mum suddenly decided it was time to sell her house in the city and move down here permanently. Her house sold within a couple of days and she'll be down for Christmas (a very fast turnaround!)
And to cap it all off, our daughter and son-in-law are living on a 5 acre property with his brother for 12 months. That was all lovely until bushfire season started early, and last week she sent me this photo of a huge fire directly over the road from them. The horses on their property were evacuated and they were ready to leave if necessary. Fortunately the wind dropped and the water bombing helicopters and planes saved the day - it was a very scary time for them (and for us).
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| the bushfire from their backyard |
BLOGGING HIGHLIGHTS
It's been a big month on the blog with the amazing milestone of passing 2 million page views. That's such a HUGE number and I'm just blown away every time I think about it. Thank you to every single person who stops by regularly or occasionally to check in with what I'm writing about - it just makes my day to be a part of something that feels like the gift that keeps on giving.
It's also 9 years since I started blogging - way back in November 2014. There's been a lot of water under the bridge in that time....a few job changes, two grandgirls added to the family, retirement, two operations, and lots of thoughts and discoveries. I feel like things are winding down, but I do hope I keep puttering along and I'm back here next year celebrating a decade of blogging. Below are this month's blog posts if you missed any and want to catch up....
BOTANICAL HIGHLIGHTS
CREATING HIGHLIGHTS
I've skipped collaging this month and have been colouring my new Johanna Basford colouring book that our son bought me for my birthday. I'm loving the pictures and having fun with my pencils and gel pens. It's so relaxing to spend an hour choosing colours while I listen to a podcast or some music - one of the many joys of dabbling in retirement.
NOVEMBER'S LIVING LIGHTLY QUOTE
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Hi Leanne, I enjoy your blog, I hope you keep going. Do you do the Maiden hair fern trick, if is dying, cut it back, I cut mine quite low, keep it moist and it comes back, well it has worked for me. I do love those ferns. Have a great day. Wendy - Bribie Is
ReplyDeleteHi Wendy - I'm keeping the maiden hair fern trick in the back of my head now. My brother has an amazing one and I REALLY want to keep one alive. We'll see how it looks in January.... and I'm so glad you enjoy my blog - it's people like you who keep me motivated and wanting to share my thoughts. x
DeleteHi Leanne, that's quite a lot happening during the month! Lots of moving around and I hope your mum's move goes well for you all. Will she be living near you? The bushfire season isn't a fun time at all is it? That photos looks scary! Hope December is a good month for you and congrats to Ross for retiring this week, all the best to him as he eases into retirement with you.
ReplyDeleteHi Deb - Mum's moving very close by (too close by?? still to be determined....) It will certainly change the family dynamics having her here full-time, but it's good to know that we're nearby as she begins to slow down a little (that being said, she's moved all her red hats down already and has contacted the local red hat society for membership - she's much more social butterfly-ish than I am!)
DeleteAnd yes, bushfire season is looking like a big one this year - and the temps here have already hit high 30's and up to 40 ° already, so there'll be more to come. It's so out of our control when it starts, and I'm very grateful for our firefighters and their skills.
Thanks for the congrats for Ross - we're counting down these last four days and then heading out on Friday to celebrate - he's been sliding slowly towards retirement for the last year or so, so this is the final moments - and he's happy about it (which is a good thing).
It sounds as if you are having an eventful month with many more changes about to happen. Bush fire season from thusands of miles away looks very scary. As you say thank goodness for the skills of firefighters.
ReplyDeleteBushfire season anywhere in the world is scary Noilin - or floods, or whatever other disasters nature likes to throw at us to remind us how small we really are. I'm very grateful that our daughter's home was saved - and no lives were lost (although 18 homes were destroyed - a very sad outcome for some).
DeleteI hope your husband enjoys his retirement as well! It sounds like you had a wonderful birthday. So glad your daughter and her family were okay during the bushfire. That is so scary!
ReplyDeleteHi Joanne - I hope he enjoys it too. I think he's ready and he's been getting better at "being" instead of "doing" all the time - he still has a way to go before he learns to chill out, but he'll fill his time well I'm sure. And yes, I was so relieved when they got the fires under control - especially when they came so close to their property.
DeleteLeanne, it seems as though you chose the perfect word for the year, given your current month of changes and stressors. I am sure you will manage it all with ease, or at least without falling apart! Happy Birthday and congratulations to Ross on his Retirement. Let the good times roll...
ReplyDeleteHi Suzanne - I've definitely become better at letting go of things I can't control. I even managed to not over-stress about the fires and our daughter and S-I-L... just kept in touch and knew they had an evacuation plan in place and a safe route out. There comes the time when we have to allow our kids to be adults - and trust that they handle things better than we would in the same situation! Apparently they washed in the horse water supply because their water was cut off - hiding behind the stables so the firies weren't given an eyeful :)
DeleteAnd thanks for the good wishes for Ross - I'm just happy that we're both happy - it's so nice to be at the same stage of life - I think I'd be very jealous if I was still working and he was retiring!
Leanne - Your posts always give me pause for thought. But first of all, these changes in your family dynamics will be interesting in the months ahead. I hope you find that having your mother close and helping out your MIL will be rewarding and enriching, if even sometimes a little trying. It comes with the territory. I laughed out loud at your response to a comment about your Mother moving her red hats and contacting the local branch. Good for her; socializing is incredibly important for both us and her. It's taken me awhile to adjust to this retirement life, but I am starting to pay closer attention to the small moments in my life that bring joy and gratitude. I am serving as President of the women's group I belong to, and while I will fulfill all the duties and goals required, I am so ready for it to be over. It's rewarding but sometimes draining. So when I read your posts about living lightly, it gives me a perspective helps balance me out. Happy Birthday !!
ReplyDeleteHi Kristine - yes, the family dynamics are changing rapidly atm and I'm not sure that I've fully grasped the extent of it all yet. I've also realized that I'm a rescuer and spend so much time trying to figure out (in advance) how to make everyone happy and for everything to run smoothly, that in the process I lose myself a little. It's going to be a reminder to myself to not get too caught up in it all - to let my mum do her red hatting and her other social pastimes, and not feel the need to be on call, and the same with my MIL - she needs to be cared for - but not always by me!
DeleteI also know what you mean about being ready to let a draining volunteer position go, I pulled out of my most recent one when my hip failed last year, and it's been good to not be committed to anything....but I'm just beginning to feel the call to do something small again - so maybe next year.... Living lightly and not over-committing is still a challenge, but it really does suit me when I get it right. I hope you find your balance too - it's surprising how tricky it is to get it right (and to keep it that way!) x
The post above is from me...I forgot to add my name!!
ReplyDeleteHi Leanne, what a lovely birthday and the Koi pond looks a great place to visit. I hope your mum's move goes smoothly and congratulations to your husband on his retirement. The bushfire looks very frightening - I am really pleased your daughter and SIL were OK. I do like gardening but I struggle to keep house plants alive which is a mystery to me - good luck with the fern.
ReplyDeleteHi Elizabeth - I am no friend to plants I'm afraid. I try really hard (maybe too hard?) and the poor things always give up on me. I have hopes for this one, and even if I only get a few months out of it, I'll be happy with how pretty it was during that time. Thanks for all your good wishes and yes, we were very relieved when the fire was contained before jumping across the road to their place - it was a huge firefront, so they're feeling very blessed as they try to wash the smoke smell out of all their bedding etc.
DeleteLeanne, A lovely catch up post! The fire picture is quite scary. I understand the need for an evacuation plan - I created one right after we moved here. Ours is for water, not fire! Belated Happy Birthday to you, too! Love the small cake.
ReplyDeleteHi Pat - we used to live on a 2 acre bush block and had an evacuation plan and a roof sprinkler system to wet things down if fire ever came too close. It's so frightening when you see what fire (and floods) can do to our homes. Thanks for the birthday wishes, and yes, the cake was the perfect size for the two of us. x
DeleteHi, Leanne- Your birthday month sounds like its been a great one.
ReplyDeleteYour new fern looks lush and healthy. I believe in you completely and think this one is going to be a winner. But, if not, I highly recommend spider plants. They are seriously impossible to kill (seriously, I have tried). <3
Hi Donna - thanks for your vote of confidence (and Plan B for 'just in case') I really love maidenhair ferns and want this one to live - but yes, I have thought about spider plants and I believe you can grow them in water too...
DeleteReally enjoy every post you do. Happy Birthday 🎈
ReplyDeleteThank you so very much - that makes me happy to think that you're with me on the journey - and thanks too for the birthday wishes. x
DeleteWhat a lot of events in this post...so much for living lightly but I know that's your intent! Happy Birthday fellow November girl. I wonder how it will be with your Mum moving closer. I admit whilst we have done similar we see little of the family unless organised and respect that their time is precious. Dad on the other hand is another thing...and I am trying to get over to see him each 2 weeks. Big congratulations to Ross. Retirement his way as was yours. Now to find the balance at home, hey. What a time its been for fires in WA and we saw how close they came to property. Our son rents within a bushfire zone and has had to evacuate in hot summers. So far this summer, we have had more rain than expected. The colouring book looks great too. Denyse x
ReplyDeleteHi Denyse - I know you're a Johanna Basford fan and I think this is my favourite of all her books so far - it's such a lovely mix of complex and more simple. And yes, mum's move will be an interesting one - finding the balance between close and too close can be tricky. We'll play it by ear and I just need to remember that I don't have to be the oldest child all the time (it's a hard hat to take off though). Ross and I are really pleased he gets to retire early too - and that we have enough in place to live comfortably but not excessively. Happy late Nov birthday to you xx
ReplyDelete2 million! Congratulations! As you say, that's quite a number!! Well done~
ReplyDeleteThanks Lydia - it was quite a milestone and one I was very proud to see tick over on my sidebar counter :)
DeleteOther than the fire, it sounds like you had a lovely November, Leanne. I'm glad to hear your family is safe. Congratulations on your milestones for the month and good luck to your husband in his retirement!
ReplyDeleteHi Christie - thanks for your good wishes, and yes it's been a lovely month - made lovelier by knowing our kids and their home are safe, and that my husband now gets to join me in this lovely phase of retired life. x
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