When a new arrival comes into your family, blessing you with happiness and love, often it leads to more arrivals.
It’s called abundance. 💞
And today, whether it was in the form of nipple balm being delivered by a caring friend, flowers being sent from another one, or close family coming to visit our special man, one thing is certain…
Like attracts like. 🙏
I try to do one of these days every school holiday season, and so it was today. I timed a visit to my parents/sisters house when I had to be on that side of town, so that it all aligned perfectly.
Then we spent the rest of the day having a great time.
Sis and I laughed as we watched baby girl and her cousin testing out my Dad’s new bed, all the special new massage features on it, and totally agreeing that a normal bed just wasn’t gonna cut it anymore, as they laughed and giggled about.
We had a beautiful lunch courtesy of Mum, and I have to say the homeland Sarma really agreed with me. Sarma is basically cabbage rolls stuffed with meat, and when you haven’t had something so agreeable in a while, let’s just say you make the most of it, right? 😁
I had a lovely catch up with my parents, just talking about nothing in particular at all, but having one of those catch-ups where you feel all warm and fuzzy and happy afterwards, as if all is right in the world… even if sometimes, it feels like it isn’t.
And then sis surprised me when she presented me with a kind of scrapbook album that included the headband I wore for her wedding, when I was her flowergirl, a whole 28 years ago! We both can’t believe the flower headband is intact, and sure the flowers have gone brown, but they haven’t disintegrated! Incredible. It was such a super sweet token, so full of love, and I know I will cherish the wedding token as I will the memories, forever. 😍🥰
It was such a beautiful day, I already can’t wait for more. Knowing us, the day will probably come sooner rather than later. I already can’t wait. 😉💖
A beautiful bouquet today, for a truly beautiful person.
The best. ❤❤
And a sunset, from the other side.
Getting to the other side of it all, little by little, every, single, day. 🙏
So, when I made chicken soup for Hubbie days ago, little did I know that I would be the one needing it today.
I came down with something today, and I’m pretty sure what the ‘something’ is… not covid, as I’m sure I’ve had this before. Nonetheless, it knocked me out and had me finishing work hours earlier, crying on the couch and lying on my bed.
Why crying? I’m an emotional person. Throw in sickness, which makes me more sad, and then when I get sympathy from people, which let’s face it you don’t get anymore as an adult… and I’m a complete sook. As children we’re babied and nursed to back to health by our parents, and when we grow up that just doesn’t happen anymore…
But we are simply big babies! We all need comfort, love and tender loving care. 💖
So when I hear some sweet words of ‘take care’ directed my way, I just 😭😭
AND, all of that coupled with the knowledge that I am actually starting my summer annual leave, like tonight, and I was more 😭😭
Why? I don’t wanna waste a DAY. We had to cancel plans for tomorrow night, and knowing that we are going to be ‘laying low’ (ugh) just makes me so sad.
Anyway. We move on. If I’m correct, this is a 24 hour thing, this ‘thing’ I have, and I should be better by tomorrow afternoon.
So I was doing this ‘down time’ I’m meant to do, sitting outside this afternoon, and observed this big succulent-like plant we have on our porch… It had like, barely a leaf or two when we got it, and when I say ‘got it,’ I mean Hubbie saw it growing in a restaurant car park and decided we too could have a plant like that. 😉
So this thing has grown from like two small leaves (illustrated perfectly by me below) to the huge plant that it is now! Just look at it!
And it’s also started growing these flowers in the last few weeks… the mind boggles! We didn’t even realise it was a flowering plant, but alas, the right conditions, and things can BLOOM.
See? Just two leaves, and give it the right light, love, food, and it produces beautiful flowers.
Let’s hope we get to bloom these holidays too. 🙏💖
It was still sunny when I finished work today, so baby girl and I went for a walk around the block.
Observing flowers, picking an extra one here, there… adjusting the free lemons sign from a neighbour that had blown down the street.
Looking at dogs. Commenting on a young girl’s skateboarding skills.
Squinting into the sun. Watching the black crow cross our path.
And at the end of our trip, it came out of her so naturally. I had picked up pace as we neared home, and she said –
“Samo polako.”
A phrase we’ve repeated heaps, not just because of my Croatian background, but because my Mum says it all the time. And I guess we repeat the words of those we love, we think of them, of what we would be doing if we could see them, and what we could say, because at the moment, we just can’t.
It means “just, slowly.” It was worded so perfectly, coined at just the right time.
I had to laugh.
Kind of a good motto for life too, don’t you think?
Ahhh.
About an hour ago we stepped outside to take our cat Mister F to bed… 💖😻
And the scent of springtime just HIT ME.
It came from our neighbours’ trees, overlooking the side of our house and almost hanging over the fence. Branches mostly bare, but oh my, the tips were bursting with white and pink buds, just sparkling in the night sky.
So, so beautiful.
I felt truly blessed today.
Another lockdown birthday, and yet the surprises, presents, messages, phone calls, serenades and dedications kept me warm and fuzzy from all winter colds and extended lockdown news, keeping me so busy I could barely keep up all day.
But it was even better, because I celebrated it all, times two.
Baby girl and I share our birthdays on the same day. We did what we could, walked the almost empty streets, ate lunch by the water in our cars, and got some takeaway cake, ice cream and coffee.
It was a super splendid day, and you know what?
At a time when things have felt really super shit, I’ve questioned a lot, felt withdrawn and upset by lots in life… this is what I needed. A day where I really truly, felt the love.
I felt it all, and it was so warm, so caring, so welcoming. I was truly humbled to tears.
I know, no matter what life throws at me, there are people out there who care about me.
And that matters more than anything.
Reach out to those around you, let them know how you feel. You don’t even have to wait for their birthday… you may not know how much they need to hear your beautiful words. 💖💖🙏🙏
Lockdowns in both birthday seasons.
You know what I said today?
STUFF IT.
We took a whole lot of doughnuts to the park today. Baby girl bumped into some school friends. The wind was breezy, but that sun was adamant.
I like when it’s adamant. So was I today.
She was a very lucky girl. We spoiled her as much as we could, and it’s not even her birthday yet…
So often in life you gotta make the most of what you’ve got, and so far we’re trying, man we’re trying.
So much pink, LOVE it. 💖💖
We need to surround ourselves with feminine energy.
As a woman, it is intrinsic to our wellbeing. To our survival. To be able to motivate ourselves, go on and go on, reach higher and further than we ever thought possible… we need to surround ourselves with yin.
But… it has to be the right yin.
Find it in your mothers, your sisters and your daughters.
Find it in your cousins, colleagues, those you meet on the street that you connect with instantly.
Those that you see and go “YES!” I feel you.
Find it in your friends. In the friends that you’ve known for so long, the ones that there is no pause for breath, the friends that can support you and help you, leaving you feeling full to the brim with love, laughter and constant memories.
Today I felt supremely lucky that amidst all this recent lockdown business, we were still able to go out and celebrate a dear friend’s baby shower.
I think we were all super excited, you know, being out of the house and socialising. 🤣
But mostly, seeing the love growing from the depths of our friend’s belly. 💖💖
See these flowers? They look fragile, pretty and at the mercy of the lightest breeze.
Yet look deeper, and you find an inner, unshakeable strength, so strong that the harshest rains, winds and heat cannot shake it.
That is yin. That is feminine energy. Going with the flow, but standing strong and proud from within.
And I know how to tell if you’re with the right yin energy, the right people.
At the end if the day, you’re asking yourself –
“When can we do this again?”
And so we did.
“When will we do this again?”
🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰
These made my day when I was feeling down, so you can imagine my happiness now that the worst is over…
Well kind of. But, doing better, incrementally.
Hubbie asked only last week. “Do you want me to chop them?” It’s our neighbours plant and it’s grown over to our side of the fence, hanging invitingly low, branches outreached like a handshake.
How can you deny such a greeting?
“No! Keep it! Look how bright those colours are. It makes me happy.”
And what makes me happy, stays. 😁
carcrashgratitude 