#1249 Hubbie, the arborist

Let’s get one thing straight… Hubbie LOVES trees.

The arborist definition from the online dictionary explains it as a ‘tree surgeon.’

Yes. And Yes.

That is exactly what he had to perform today… much needed and long overdue surgery. Surgery that removed most of the twigs, leaves, and all heavy and thick branches from this annoying berry-producing type tree we have that is just making a mess EVERYWHERE.

Sorry… we had.

All that is left now is the stump, and some high poky leafless branches.

Tee hee hee.

Before you start crying out “MURDER!” let me tell you this…

This tree was very annoying. It produced some weird kind of berry that stuck on you and your shoes (and Mister F’s feet) which in turn brought it inside often.

It didn’t produce any kind of lovely flower. Nothing pleasing AT ALL.

It had grown so tall and wide it was encroaching over and impacting the growth of another tree we have which actually produces a lovely pink flower in warmer months, and that tree doesn’t create annoying berry-like things that fall on the ground.

Lastly, we have plans to plant and grow like, A LOT of small and big trees, shrubs, flowers, vegetables and herbs, so much so, that IF any impact is felt short-term by our local birdlife or insects, I SWEAR, it will be reversed positively and go in an even better flora and fauna direction in the months to come.

But for now… Hubbie 1. Annoying tree… NIL.

Hubbie, the arborist. Performing much needed tree surgery. Available soon, in a town near you… 😉

 

#1248 Easy Tuesday

We have a new weekly plan… read the above.

It involves little to no prep dinner – otherwise known as takeaway.

On the menu tonight – Massaman curry and rice. Perfect for a cold night.

And to top off a night of almost no dishes, came my other plan…

‘Tuesday bath time bliss.’

A glass of Red. By candlelight. A dim room. Meditation.

Deep breathing.

In times of hardship, make things all about YOU. And when you start catering to you, you find things become a lot easier, and manageable, because you are filling up your internal reserves. ♥

#1247 When Hubbie comes home

You know when you have one of those ‘days?’

I feel like I have been having one of those ‘days’ for about 108 hours straight now.

Yes I slept in. But it was only because baby girl is still sick, and therefore had to miss out on her first day back at school.

Now I have a headache. I am getting sick.

And these endlessly rainy, windy and dreary days are getting me down soooo badly.

I need some genuine, bona fide, sunlight. ☀

And then this evening, Hubbie came home from work. 🙏🙌😀

And you know how they say a change is as good as a holiday?

Well he coming home… same difference.

You just need someone to help lift the mood.

A group, family hug.

You need to feel love. 💟

 

#1246 The things we cannot say

This post is for all the unsaid appreciations.

I am grateful that I have moments that are so huge to me, I just can’t put them down in words.

They are so dear.

So meaningful.

So touching.

So sensitive.

So intimate.

That they must remain mine, and only mine.

This post represents my recent moment, and all those other things.

Those things that make us grin like goofy.

Smile like a Cheshire cat.

Laugh wildly like a hyena.

Sigh in contentment like a collapsed hot air balloon.

And clap our hands with joy like we have won the life lottery.

Those moments remain close to me, and there is no fear of them leaving my mind… they are imprinted forever, on my heart. ♥

 

#1245 A reason for the ddrraaaagggggg

This end-of-work transition is taking FFOOORRREEEEVVVVEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRR.

I ttthhiinnkk I nneeeeddddd ttttooooo ssstttaaarrrrtttt wwwrrriiittiiinngg lliikkee tthhiiss ttoo ffullllyyyyyy eexxppllaaiiinnn ttttooo yyyooouuu jjuusssstttt hhhhoooowwww mmuuucccchhh oofff aaaaa dddrrrrraaaaggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg iitttt fffeeeellllsss lliiikkkkeeee.

Is that annoying? Frustrating maybe?

My sentiments EXACTLY.

You know I stopped collecting coffee cards from my Saturday café a good 2 months ago. I did it because I was sure (ha!) that we would be finishing about June ‘time,’ as initially indicated… that is of course, after the first few dates were ‘indicated,’ and then delayed, to the June date.

It is now July.

🤨

If I had kept collecting cards and stamps for my Saturday work shifts, I would have gotten a free coffee by now.

I tell myself, there must be a reason for this. This long, dddrrraaaawwwwnnnnn out process.

So often in life we look back at an event that made NO SENSE WHATSOEVER at the time, and yet in retrospect we gain an enormous amount of clarity, insight, growth, and a bigger look at how all the little and intricate (and sometimes annoying) pieces have fit together perfectly.

I am still at that stage where I am gathering the outer edges of my 10,000 piece puzzle, and in the middle is just this whole smudge of red colour and I have no idea out of the hundreds of the same pieces, where to start.

Something like that. 😏

But, there is an end… or is there?

Mid-August now they say.

Let’s see what happens.

This morning I exited the café with my new coffee loyalty card in wallet, now stamped for one. The warmth of the cup in my hand was little consolation for the cold that abruptly smacked my face as I exited the protection of the shop. Like little pebbles of ice pelting upon my face, nose, exposed hands, the lower parts of my ears peeking out from under my beanie…

A bit longer. Keep on going.

There is a reason, isn’t it? The reason isn’t just delayed relief and release, right?

For now I can just say…

‘Onwards.’ 😉

From 4 weeks away, to maybe indefinitely.

#1244 10am slow start

The grass is always greener.

We are always looking for that which we don’t have, looking behind us to what has happened, or looking too far in front of us to even appreciaite what is happening… TO US.

I was waking up in bed post 9:40am this morning. Unlike other mornings, there was no peep from baby girl in her room. She has been sick, and having been so tired from it all, has not been coming up to my bed in the mornings.

I tossed. I turned. I tried to wake up.

Come on wake up!

It was hard. I had grown accustomed to 1am bedtimes. The house goes to sleep, and I stay awake, doing stuff, writing, catching up on things that fill me with purpose and enrich my soul.

And then I wake late the next day.

Wake up! You need to get used to term 3 starting next week.

Ahh, the dreaded back-to-school start. I pondered. I thought. I wondered if the cat was meowing in the laundry yet. And then I moved my mind back to my place in bed.

It occurred to me… isn’t this what I dream of when baby girl IS at school? These sleep-ins, from late nights, leading to slow mornings and cruisy days? Wasn’t this what I longed for for weeks on end, and now I was feeling guilty, almost rushed because of it?

So what if the kids went back to school next week! This was my last Friday, alone in bed,, with the winds raging outside and the temps at an all-time low…

If there was any day I was allowed to stay in bed, it was then. NOW.

On a cold and wintery July’s day on the school holidays.

5-10 minutes passed, and I still got up. I made the bed and wandered on down to put on the heater.

But my perspective had changed. I wasn’t worried anymore. I wasn’t getting guilt what I should be doing.

Because I was just doing ME, and making myself happy.

Take it in.

Enjoy.

Things change.

 

 

 

#1243 Comfort banana bread

I’m really struggling with this lack of sunshine.

The days are long. Cold and dark. Winter has sprung strongly, again.

Being confined to the house with a sick baby girl makes it all the more harder.

I look at the weather forecast, and all I see is rain, and clouds.

The weekend forecast shows me work days, and getting ready back-to-school vibes.

Sigh.

So I had to do something. I had to make banana bread. I have made it before and showcased it here before, and I’ll be damned if I don’t do it again, and showcase it again, if only to lift me up and make me all warm and fuzzy inside.

Proper, home-made banana bread. With bananas. Well what do you know. It’s a Jamie Oliver recipe and it’s a keeper… more than that, it’s simple. 

What? A professional celebrity chef recipe that DOESN’T require you to go out and buy the whole supermarket shelf?

I didn’t even have to buy anything extra than what I had in my fridge and pantry.

I made it, and we enjoyed it… and even for a girl who has lost her appetite as she has gained red eyes, she had a small slice of it and gave me the thumbs up.

On days like these… little things. Baby steps. Anything to get through.