#2085 Smudging it out

The doors were open, it was sunny, it was still, and it was the perfect weather for some smudging.

I got into this practice a while ago after speaking to a feng shui expert. I have a bunch of sage, and the thing is to light the bottom wider part of the bunch and let it burn for a couple of seconds before blowing it out, and then walking around the house and allowing the smoke and scent to seep into as many areas and dead corners as you can.

What does it do? Well I’m not going to google this, so forgive me if my memory fails… basically it’s for good energy and good vibes. I set myself a little intention as I begin, then I repeat it like a mantra as I move from room to room, allowing the smoke to waft everywhere, focusing particularly around corners of rooms and around doors, places where energy can become stuck or stagnant.

You can even wave it over your own body, focusing on areas that you feel need a little love and attention, areas that may not be working as you like. I wave it over myself generally, then if I feel a certain area needs help I wave it around a little more there. 😉

Doors or windows have to be open, that’s a must. And I finish the smudging with an acknowledgement to this practice, to the people who did it before me, their customs and traditions.

I also have a Palo Santo stick.

I have them both in a cute little bowl I got last year which I think is very yin and yang what with its two colours, blue and a peachy pink. It’s filled with sand from my favourite local beach which brings me such joy, knowing I have a piece of one of my favourite places in my home. Together I light them when I feel like it, or just stick incense sticks into it, either way lovely scents enter the air.

I really had felt it necessary to cleanse myself of any negativity today, to remove what was unnecessary, unhelpful, focused on the past and revolving around fear, and when I get this intense wave of emotion I know what it is I have to do.

I followed this detoxing practice by sitting up on the balcony for a bit and taking the sun in. The day before going back to work, it felt super necessary to charge myself for the week.

I happened to look back inside through the mesh door, and saw my reflection in my bedroom dresser mirror on the other side of the room looking back at me, and I loved what I saw behind me…

That brilliant blue. The water, so clear, refreshing, still.

Now that, is cleansing. 💖

#2084 When it rains ’til 2am

You know those sayings, when it rains it pours?

Or you know, analogies likening a dam bursting suddenly and all the water rushing forward? (Both water sayings, I realise).

Well we kinda did that tonight with our visitors post-lockdown.

Because we didn’t just have visitors over…

We had visitors over, singing, shouting and carrying on, ’til 2 in the morning!

And when you have these bad boys assisting, you can be sure the night will be long and with high-energy!

#2083 Happy hours begin

We went out to dinner tonight, but we’d debated it for a good few hours beforehand.

After initially feeling fine from the second vaccine dose yesterday, I had chills and aches overnight that ended with me taking two panadols, and that trend continued to lunchtime today.

But I wanted to be better! I wanted to make the most of it, we were on holiday!

Hubbie wanted to be good too… but it was starting to hit him, the vaccine after-effects of sleepiness, drowsiness.

But, eventually, we went F*&k it.

We were gonna go partake in some happiness.

It was happy hour time.

But really, it is the time of happy hours. ALL the hours are happy, because we can choose to go out or not, to do as we please when it pleases us, and this I think is what is most exciting of all.

Not so much that we sat in the restaurant and entered the shops…

But that we could. We CAN. 🙏💖

#2082 I’ve been waiting… for a meal like you

What could be better than getting your second vaccination dose done and dusted, and having all that stress and worry behind you?

Why, being able to now go out to eat at a restaurant because you have a digital passport!

😁😁

We were feeling mildly okay this afternoon after our second vaccine, so decided to book dinner at our fave local, The Royal Hotel, PRONTO.

Luckily we got in, and though I used my right arm predominantly all night, I don’t care, everything was as it always was. 💖

It’s sooo nice to be back. And to have the freedom to be able to eat out at a cafe or restaurant if we so wish.

Which let’s face it, we really do wish, it’s been freaking 3 months!

Now, I really hope that tomorrow my arm is less tender, because…

I am now keen for bacon and eggs somewhere else. 😋😂🥓🍳

#2081 Looking West

I like looking West.

Whether it’s during the day looking out across the bay…

Or at night when I’m out on the balcony and the sun is setting…

I think the views are both as beautiful as each other. 😍😍

#2080 A memory of birthdays

Today it was a very special birthday for Hubbie.

He has officially been on this earth for four decades now. And I can say that I’ve known him for over half that time now.

Wow.

He’s been ordering little bits and pieces online, but because we haven’t been able to go shopping in person, we’ve saved any official type of present for when we can head out. I did however get him some merchandise of his car of choice, and he was RAPT with that, even though it honestly didn’t cost so much.

The biggest present today though, cost very minimal money, and a lot of toil.

They were the photo boards I created for him.

I stuck photos from the last 40 years of his life on large cardboard pieces of paper, full of happy memories, special people, and amazing events. I dedicated one decade per page (a really hard thing to do, to condense ones life into one large cardboard piece) and then there was a 5th one that I stuck on random bits and bobs of him being funny and partaking in some, ahem, passions?

🍻🍻😁🤭😬🤣

It’s been a gift of the heart, and he knows that, and can feel it, and therefore he was going back to the photo boards all day, just looking at them and remembering all the good times.

Speaking of photo boards, I took more photos today, because they really do capture the important memories.

And the biggest gift for me on this day? Well apart from his presence in my life, it was knowing he was so happy with the day.

We did good. 💖💪

#2079 Surprise cookies

After all the excitement over getting our own stuff delivered these last few weeks, well it was even more of a pleasure to get a package that hadn’t been organised by us.

One of my besties very kindly sent some gorgeous Halloween cookies to baby girl.

She was beyond rapt and kind of didn’t know what to say… except for some words.

“Oh-em-gee!”

Ok, so a few letters. 🤣

It’s so beautiful to have friends that look out for you and think of you in these hard and difficult times, but when that extends to your kids, it’s something super special. 😘😘💖💖

#2078 ‘Yes’ Hubbie

You know that movie I mentioned a while ago, called ‘Yes Day’? Baby girl was obsessed with it and watched it like a gazillion times… it would end, and she would press play immediately and again it would loop around…

The premise of the movie is basically a couple of parents decide to say yes to their 3 kids for a whole day, in order to show them they can loosen the reigns a bit, and prove that they too were once fun people before the kids sucked the joy out of them!

This morning we woke a bit tired, worn out from a pretty big night last night at my parents, having spent it with them and my sister and bro-in-law. I came downstairs and found Hubbie on the couch. He too, looked worn out, tired, a bit seedy, as he had just woken like me.

“Do you wanna walk to the nearby cafe and get some brekkie?” I asked, while fully expecting a “no I can’t.”

PAUSE.

“Yeah, alright.”

“Wait, what? Really?”

He confirmed he was really truly ok with it. I ran to baby girl’s room and told her the news.

“Guess what baby girl, I think we have a case of ‘Yes Dad’ because this is holiday week. Go and ask him something.”

So she ran over and started asking for more toys. 🤦‍♀️

I love ‘Yes Hubbie.’ He always comes to town when we have holidays. Nothing is too hard, everything is easy and chilled… we go with the flow, routine goes out the window and basically life is good.

So we headed down to get our cafe brekkie, and it was GOOD.

In fact, the whole day has been super awesome. All because we are on holiday time, and we have ‘Yes Hubbie/Dad’ with us. 💖🥰

#2077 Around the table again

I was so happy to be looking at this coffee cup tonight.

Because it meant that the table I was on was surrounded by the most important people in my life.

I, and the rest of Melbourne, was filling up my weekend by catching up with loved ones. Which is what we did tonight when we went over to my parents place to catch up with them, and my sister and her family.

I realised as we drove home tonight, a path we have taken late at night so often, and yet not for a really long time, that I haven’t actually left my suburb for about 3 months.

Like, not even a cheeky trip into the next suburb when we were in hard lockdown. Not even venturing 15kms away when that was most recently allowed.

Nada.

But I saved the best for today. When we could sit around the table, eat, drink, be happy and talk about our pets.

It’s all about the pets!

So much love all around. 💖💖

(And tonight was only the entrée, as someone very clever told me tonight) 😉🤭

#2076 Freedom begins

More excitement, because it is freedom day today!

But not much has changed for me today, only because it was a work day, and a school day.

But driving down the Esplanade overlooking the beach as I drove baby girl home, I saw two main restaurants that have been silent and quiet and still for so long…

And they were bustling! They were bursting!

People were outside, sitting, drinking, eating, mingling, being happy. Cars were banked up trying to get a park as close to the restaurants as possible, and I drove by, almost a tear in my eye.

This is how it’s meant to be! People out, having fun, celebrating life.

It didn’t even bother me that I wasn’t a part of it. I was so genuinely happy to see such a wonderful sight, knowing that very soon I too would be part of that picture…

(Because my second vaccine dose is next week, AND Hubbie and I have a week off together).

Woo hoo!