MY JUNE DELIGHTS
As I mentioned at the beginning of January when I chose "Delight" as my Word of the Year, I thought I'd round off each month with three delights. June brings with it the start of Winter here in Australia - but it's been a slow start full of days of sunshine mixed with days of rain and cooler temperatures. Today I'm sharing for June a blogging delight, a Winter weather delight, and a quote about living delightfully.So, without further ado here are my three delights from June...
A few weeks ago I wrote a post about whether I wanted to keep blogging. I'd had a bit of a hiccup along the way that had resulted in me spending many (many!) hours going over all my old blog posts (1,000 of them!) to curate them or delete what wasn't worth keeping. The post I wrote was my way of sorting out my thoughts to try to make sense of what I was feeling and whether it was worth continuing on with my blog.
The delightful part came in the Comments section and in my email inbox. So many lovely, lovely people took a moment to tell me that they like what I write, that they are on similar journeys, that my thoughts echo their thoughts, or that what I write gives them something to think about. It was so reassuring and refreshing to hear that I wasn't just writing into the ether, that it all comes back to connection and sharing this journey of Midlife and all it brings with it. So thank you so much for the encouragement - it gave me some sunshine in a grey moment of my day.
DELIGHTFUL WEATHER
Here in Western Australia we have hot, dry Summers that feel like they'll last forever. When Winter finally arrives it's usually cold and wet - no snow, no freezing temperatures, just frosty mornings and often some rain during the day. I thought I'd share a couple of photos taken over the road from our house on a frosty June morning - I love the sunlight in the first one, and the kangaroos chilling out in the second one - there's always something delightful to focus on - even when Winter descends.
A QUOTE ABOUT LIVING DELIGHTFULLY
How lovely is this quote? I love the idea of a swirl of curiosity, awe, and delight - don't you?
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Delightful indeed. Winter is the best time of the year here, I think.
ReplyDeleteI love it when I'm not trying to find a window between rain showers so I can go for a walk. It is lovely not to be hot and sweaty all the time!
DeleteI love your 'June Delights,' Leanne.I am definitely jealous of your weather. Here in Canada we have cold, wet winters that actually do last forever (at least it feels that way). And I write this knowing that I live in one of the warmest winter spots Canada has to offer. :D Wishing you a wonderful July ahead!
ReplyDeleteHi Donna - I always think of your snow pictures when I feel a bit over it all in our winter. The fact that it's so mild here really comes home to me and I know it's a lot easier to be out on a cool, crispy morning than it is to be out shovelling snow. :) x
DeleteTo retirementreflections, you must be in British Columbia. I live in the Eastern part.
DeleteHi Leanne. I'm glad you could take comfort from hearing about how much you and your beautiful posts mean to your readers. We are all with you, as you have been for us. ♥️
ReplyDeleteHi Christina - those comments and the warmth behind them just made my heart happy. Sometimes I wonder why I keep writing, then I get a lovely comment (like yours) or an email conversation, or a FB message and I'm reminded of the connections and the encouragement - and that spurs me on to keep putting myself out there. I do love this community I'm part of. x
DeleteThanks for sharing your delights for June. It is always good recognize those things that delight no how small.
ReplyDeleteThanks for taking the time to leave me a little snippet of encouragement - it's so appreciated. And yes, the small joys all add up into a very happy and contented life. :)
DeleteLeanne, I can't imagine a better way to look at the world than with a 'swirl of curiosity, awe, and delight. Your early morning photos mirror that sentiment perfectly. Kangaroos, seriously! How cute is that?
ReplyDeleteI feel like such an Australian meme when I see kangaroos over the road - but it's still really cool when they show up. And I loved the idea of a swirl of delight - just a little ray of sunshine here and there during each day. :) x
DeleteLeanne, it's a delight to read your post. Thanks for the pictures and for sharing your delights. Here, it's Summer and the hot weather has already started. Absolutely not a fan of hot, humid weather. Love a cool crisp day any day. Always wanted to see a live kangaroo. Maybe one day!
ReplyDeleteHi Yvonne - I realized when I saw a picture of some deer grazing that they look like kangaroos with different legs :) I hope your weather fluctuates into including a cool day here and there to break up the heat. I'm loving it when we get a sunny day to break up the rain - it keeps me sane. :) x
DeleteWhen I see folks posting pictures of their delightful moments, it always reminds me I really do want to take more pictures! At least I want a few to pick from for my weekly (usually) blog post. And then I forget to take out my phone to document anything! Lovely photos - lovely view.
ReplyDeleteIt's summer here and we've started getting our summer thunderstorms... a couple of days ago we had huge hail - crazy with the heat - and a tornado touched down 1.5 miles from our apartment. I do not need any more of these weather experiences! They are NOT delightful. :-)
Hi Pat - you do seem to be attracting more than your fair share of weird weather. I saw some giant hail stones on FB the other day that had fallen somewhere in the US - crazy stuff! I forget to take photos too - I don't carry my phone with me when I'm walking and I rarely remember to take it out of my handbag when I'm out and about. I had to scrape through the very few June photos I'd taken to find a few to share - but I'm also very appreciative of just living my little, quiet, photo-free life. It's a blessing to have it. x
DeleteI love those photos! It's so interesting to me to hear what your winters are like since ours are filled with snow and ice... and never any kangaroos!
ReplyDeleteHi Jo - I'm always fascinated by the snow pics I see on Facebook or in other blogs. I've never seen "real" snow - a tiny scattering in Europe many years ago, but nothing like the gorgeous piles of it I see in those online photos. I'm also very aware that it means we have no sludge or ice to deal with either. It's more about hot summers and mild, wet winters here.
DeleteHi Leanne - Here too it's monsoon season. This is the South West Monsoon now. There is one later in the year called the North East Monsoon. That's sometime September-October.
ReplyDeleteHi Pradeep - I always think of flooding when I read the word "monsoon" - especially in India and its surrounds. I hope it's not too wet where you are - and not too hot and steamy either. Our lovely cool days have been a delight indeed.
DeleteI am glad all of the comments and words of support brought you 'delight' and a sense that your blog is indeed important to so many. I loved your idea of cleaning up old blog posts and have begun doing that myself. Thank you for sharing!!
ReplyDeleteYour winter sounds much like ours. We have little precipitation and not terribly cold temperatures. But autumn is my favorite season. That's when we enjoy crisp morning walks without being too hot or too cold!!
Your photos are lovely. I felt a little shiver looking at the frostiness of your mornings. I am not quite ready for winter yet. But enjoy!!
Hi Leslie - I took the frosty morning photos because we don't have that many of them. Usually it's just cold and/or wet in winter. I do love those occasional days when the grass is crunchy and the sun streams through the mist (we're close to a river and the mist seems to rise from there).
DeleteThe blog clean-up was tedious but necessary - I just deleted everything that wasn't relevant or necessary. It was needed and it feels better going forward knowing it's all mine and no lingering issues. Good luck with yours.
I'm glad the comments on your last post gave you encouragement about blogging. Your blog is one of the most delightful on the internet with almost always something inspiring and joyful, and we need places like that online! After your response to my comment I meant to send you an e-mail about my blog but I saw you found it and subscribed so I guess all is good!
ReplyDeleteI always chuckle when people in Australia talk about their winters, knowing that in many cases your winter is warmer than our summer, although I know this is probably a bit exaggerated since you mentioned frosty mornings. But then I see people on photos going out in t-shirts and calling it winter!
Hi Susanne - thank you so much for being another person to say something encouraging about my blog - it makes such a world of difference when we feel we're not alone doesn't it? And yes, I was subscribed to your blog and then lost it somewhere and then re-subscribed. I always love your photos.
DeleteAnd you're right about our winters - I was out walking in a t-shirt yesterday because the sun was out and the day was beautiful - you can't do that in many northern winters! :)
I'm so glad you chose to continue blogging, Leanne. It may sometimes feel like you're "writing into the ether", but you never know who you're reaching and who needs to hear exactly what you're saying. Thanks for sharing your frosty winter pictures, too. Texas is right on cue with the heat and humidity, but the fall decor is already out at my favorite craft store, so that keeps me going lol!
ReplyDeleteHi Laura - I love how Americans decorate for their seasons - we don't do that here in Australia. And I also really appreciate the encouragement that came through in my 'to blog or not to blog' post - it warmed my heart and reminded me why I write. I love having somewhere to share my random thoughts, and to connect with others on the same path is such a privilege. :)
DeleteIt's heart-warming isn't it to note the comments...the whole reason I ever began to blog was about connections!! This way of meeting (not always IRL) others and getting to know more about their lives speaks of the need for us humans to socialise and connect. And blogging is ideal if you are not near others or indeed if you prefer to be less engaged socially. My words shared via my blog, and now on Substack keep me connected. I just realised it's been way more than ten years too.
ReplyDeleteThanks Leanne for reminding us about the WHY of blogging.
Your comments on my substack page are so welcomed and often give me another perspective.
I welcome that.
Take care
Denyse x
Hi Denyse - I never knew about comments and connection when I started blogging. I thought of it as a kind of online diary - when the comments started happening, and the connections grew it was such a joy. I've loved "meeting" so many inspiring women (and a few men) who are doing their best to live the second half of life so well. It's been a godsend for me to have so many positive interactions without having to seek them out socially IRL - I think there's a bit of hermit in my makeup, but I still love those deep conversations and interactions - just not the shallow stuff so much anymore. :)
DeleteYou live in a delightful part of the world Leanne and winter isn't always that cold which is a bonus! Your WOTY is going well with lots of delights for you, keep on going!!
ReplyDeleteDelightful indeed, Leanne. I just love that whimsical quote.
ReplyDeleteI loved it too Christie - it just made me happy reading it. I like reminding myself to be more joyful and curious - it definitely inspires delight. :)
DeleteHi Leanne, Love these delights! I’m so glad you received such well-deserved encouragement and appreciation for your beautiful writing. The things that you share are so relatable (and helpful). We are lucky in terms of weather in WA (and in terms of lots of other things too, there are so many good things about living here). (I have a particular appreciation for the weather—after living my first thirty or so years in Canada!). Great photos.
ReplyDeleteHi Sue - I didn't realize you were a Canadian - some of my favourite blogging friends come from that neck of the woods. I think there's definitely a syncope between Canadians and Aussies - same people, just different sides of the world. And thank you for your kind comment about my blog - it helps me keep tapping away on my keyboard. :)
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