Tag: covid

#2522 Seeing work peeps

Tonight I funnily got to spend time with people that I see and chat to on a regular basis, but that I haven’t seen in person for years… some of them, NEVER.

Clearly this concept is not so novel to anyone, because we’ve all been working from home or in the dreaded lockdown at some point over these past couple of years.

Tonight was the first time I was amongst real-life work people at a real-life work function since March 2020 when covid hit… it was the work Christmas party!

Considering I’ll be going on leave very soon, I really wanted to make the effort to go and see these people in person, these people that I spend so much of my time with, but which I haven’t seen for a long time, or others, at all.

I have to say, I probably sound really boring, but I do love working from home. It’s super flexible for me around dropping off and picking up baby girl from school, and the commute in would be horrendous for me… also, during pregnancy it’s been a Godsend.

But I can’t lie. I miss the social aspects. Bumping into someone in the kitchen, having a chat, doing a coffee walk… man I miss the coffee walk.

So tonight was wonderful. Getting out on a mild Summer’s night. Yes, the weather actually matched the season this evening! Realising how tall some people were, seeing their choice of drink, talking about stuff NOT work related… it was super refreshing, and I realised that I am enjoying myself there a fair bit, and I really do like these people.

Both good things to contemplate as you reflect on the year that was.

Merry Christmas Parties folks. 🧑‍🎄🎅🎄🎄

#2472 Back to (creamy) black

It’s been approximately… 3 months since I stopped drinking coffee.

It had become more than just a habit, it was like a routine I was scared to break because of those ill-fated caffeine headaches if I dared missed a cup.

Yes, I enjoyed it. But there were days I could go without, but never used to, just because, routine.

But I was pregnant too. I was getting increasingly ‘off’ so many things, food, drinks… yes, even coffee.

The almond milk I was used to drinking, subtituting for regular milk, was actually disgusting me.

So I moved to just black. Straight blacks.

But that’s when I caught covid, in week 10 of pregnancy. And one day while lying on the couch, ravaged by weakness, I decided I wanted to stop it all.

I haven’t had a sip since. ‘Til today!

Honestly, I have been enjoying the scent of coffee as it wafts over to me from whoever is drinking it, for a week or two now. Realising I was out of those horrible nauseous months, I decided I wanted to try it again.

But also, realising that I didn’t have to have something just because it was 3pm, realising I didn’t have to get my body dependent as it once was on it… I have the control now.

I had a day off today. I made myself some brunch, a coffee, and proceeded to write and edit my novel on this very rainy Melbourne day.

Guess what? I didn’t get affected by the coffee, even in the 3 month absence of it.

In fact, it was like I never stopped drinking it at all.

That’s unsettling. 😬🤣

#2449 Baby parcel

Hubbie messaged me early this morning, alerting me that something we had ordered for the car was arriving today.

He was excited.

So some time after it had arrived, when baby told me there was a parcel at the door, I had to ask her twice.

Sure enough, there was.

Gone are the days of covid and lockdown where we were going trigger-parcel-happy, and I was losing track of what I had ordered, what had arrived, and what was still to come.

Sure Hubbie’s car part was here… what was this package?

And it was addressed to me.

It occurred to me then… ahh yes. That belly cream. It’s arrived. That’s it.

But when I looked at the sender’s address and saw where it came from, my confusion only grew again!

What had I ordered from a popular baby clothes brand? Hold on, I hadn’t, which meant…

Now, I was excited. 😁

Work, schmork. Baby girl and I eagerly opened the parcel, and I was beaming from start to end.

It was a beautiful parcel sent to me by one of my besties. OMG.

Baby clothes to get me through the first few months. All neutral of course, but so gorgeous and cuddly and warm, OMG! I was so excited and grateful, sending her an ecstatic thank you, and then just beaming at them all, so, so happy.

Surprise parcels are the best. I feel blessed. 🥰🥰🙏🙏

#2438 End-of-week ice cream

Baby girl and I did something today that we haven’t done in a LONG time.

We went and grabbed some ice cream. 🍦

This used to be a regular occurrence. Hell, during covid, we went out to grab takeaway ice cream and coffee more than we do now, out of lockdown.

It’s been a long cold Winter. So with the sun shining gloriously today, I picked her up from school, and she asked me “Muu-uuum. (You know when they drag out your name so much it becomes two syllables?)

Can we go to the Main Street and get ice cream?”

I was already half-prepared, half-expecting it.

“Ok!”

We weren’t the only ones with this after-school, end-of-week idea. We saw heaps of students, young and older, and a lot from her school too, including a boy from her class.

Despite this, the vibe on the Main Street was super calm. We got our ice creams, just small serves in cups, and sat down under some part-shade, part-sun.

And I discovered something… I really needed it. Just some down time, quiet time, time doing nothing, enjoying some ice cream (which I made sure was made with pasteurised milk! 😂🤰)

And I discovered something else… a really yum ice cream! Rock salt caramel, mmm hmmm! 😋

#2414 A long-awaited birthday

Today was mine and baby girl’s birthdays.

First great thing – Hubbie got up instead of me to make her lunch for school.

Simple things = GODSEND.

Instead of me waking her up, he did, and so of course she charged up the stairs once awake, jumping into bed with me. 🥰

We only wished each other a happy birthday, like a million times today.

Referred to each other as birthday girls constantly.

I love sharing my special day with my special girl. 💖💖

Of course it wasn’t only roses and sunshine, it never is with kids… the late evening brought yelling and tears, you know, just to liven up the day. 🤣🙄

But it WAS mostly roses and sunshine.

Hubbie and I went to enjoy some coffee time, shopping, and then Gold Class to watch Elvis (again for me!) and yet amazingly I enjoyed it more, the tears just spilling down my cheeks uncontrollably in the last 5 minutes (emotional much? 🤔😉😆)

And we had dinner out tonight too, after all that prior-mentioned yelling and crying.

And there were lots of special wishes, which made it all the more beautiful.

Although we tried our best to make the last two years special despite covid-life and lockdowns, those birthdays honestly pale in comparison to this year.

This year we are back, this year is special, this year there is a fluttering in the air, a quickening of events…

Things are happening, and those things are good. 💖💖

Stay tuned for a possible reveal tomorrow, where a lot of my suggestive comments may be unveiled!

#2409 Gaining momentum

With baby girl finally at school for the first time this week, we actually managed to get some shit done.

A LOT of shit done. 🤣

I’m feeling really good. Tomorrow’s list is looking super achievable and I just couldn’t be happier, but there is a full moon out there that is wreaking havoc, so stay aware, vigilant, and be careful people!

I also want to publicly mention that coughs are ok. In the sense of non-covid, post-cold coughs. Baby girl has a post-cold cough, other friends and family member’s kids have post-cold coughs, and hell I might even have one on the day!

If it isn’t a contagious flu or cold, (or covid, clearly) then I am all for people coming, because I get it… coughs can last forever. In the first year of covid I had a 3-month non-covid cough that just would not go away. That same year when kids were finally allowed back at school after lockdown, baby girl wasn’t, because she too had a post-cold cough that just wouldn’t go away, and she ended up missing an additional 2 weeks of school because of it, this non-contagious cough, where she was even given approval to go back to school by the GP… but nuh uh. The school said no.

I would hate for someone to miss out on baby girl’s special birthday because of a stupid non-contagious cough.

I have said my bit. Let’s be strong, let’s be safe, let’s fight this crazy super full moon’s influence over the next few days and make some FUN happen!

#2394 Birthday planning

Sometimes, time creeps up on you.

Sometimes, shit happens, and delays everything.

Sometimes, the two COMBINE.

That’s what it’s been like this past month. A month or so ago baby girl’s birthday felt so far away. We had our shit together. We still had a long way to go.

All of a sudden, we are less than 3 weeks away. Covid happened, then again, and again, for what it feels like almost every member of my family. Stress, trauma, sickness. Weeks have been lost.

And now we’re here. Shit happened, and time flew.

But today was a good day. Hubbie and I got down to business. We had important ‘birthday planning’ chats. Wrote lists, planned food, researched stuff. Decided on times, games.

It felt good! Invigorating! Finally, planning something fun, thinking of something great that involves family, friends, happiness, great times.

Finally! We just need to get there first. 🙏🤞🎂💖

#2389 Feeling the Rain

When you’re sick you don’t really have the desire to do the things that usually make you happy, because you lack all motivation for it. So when I put on a favourite CD tonight as I prepared dinner, I knew I was on the up again.

Madonna, Something to Remember. I love these slow, melodic, romantic and woeful songs, especially when times are slow and dark and cold such as this. They really allow me to be present with my thoughts, feel the songs properly, and appreciate them for the beautiful melodies and lyrics within.

I paused the album as we ate dinner, then hit play again as I went to wash up. A very familiar song started up, and I like, froze. I had to listen to it properly, no interruptions, and I said as such to Hubbie as he moved around the kitchen, telling him I was trying to appreciate the song.

It’s one I’ve shared here before in depth, and I will do it again for the strength of emotion it brought forth in me tonight. It’s not only one of my favourite Madonna songs, but one of my favourite songs of all time.

Rain.

There’s just something about rain for me. I can’t explain it. There is great symbology present for me, and it isn’t just that it’s connected to my novel in a big way. It’s been my fascination, a sense of curiosity, wonder, for as long as I can remember. I wrote about it before, and I feel the same, if not so much more about this ethereal element of Mother Nature.

I listened to this song, and I was feeling it. Every single word. I was quiet, my face distorting because seriously I was going to cry. Call it this past week, my body having gone through a wide range of physical and mental things, but I was seriously emotional.

The song finished, and I couldn’t help it, I had a cry. The last time I had listened to it I was different. The last time I had written about it I was different. Today, again different. I thought about life, the unexpected beautiful and difficult things that hit us in the face, throwing us off balance, I guess, a bit like unexpected rain.

But rain is beautiful. The song is beautiful. And I think if we learn to embrace all of life’s changes, good and bad, just like a well-known quote, we will be able to dance, no matter what.

“Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass… it’s about learning to dance in the rain.”

I’ll share the video again, just because it makes me so happy. 🥲🌧️💖🎶

#2388 July sunshine and sunsets

It’s been really nice to have sunshine streaming through the windows lately.

It reminds me of nicer things that are to come.

And then the skies in the evening… look I have nothing else to post, so bear with me. This is the only highlight of my day:

Ahh. That pretty sky. Sunshine during the day, then the glow at night. At least things are still shining. 🤩