Simple Living Sunday: On Holidays

Last week I didn’t do too much. I drove over to South Australia to visit some close friends.  I tried to keep things simple by  packing my lunch in a mini-sized esky rather than spending on pricey, greasy hot food along the way. I brought some broccoli over from my garden but I had to print out a government form declaring that it was not from an area around which green snails have been sighted.

I’ve been resting to make sure that my voice is strong enough when I get back to work. I hope to get out this week and do a few more things.

 

Fields of gold - canola, western Victoria

 




Wetlands, Mt Barker

 

 Yesterday, while I was taking it easy, one of my friends got busy baking  cheesymite rolls and pizza, topped with spinach from his garden.

 

Enjoy your Sunday. Have a good week.

What are we really saying no to ?

A colleague shared his dream with me the other day. He would do this dream in a few years when he had time and was free from his current stresses. He couldn’t tell people about his dream for fear they would belittle him.

I don’t know how many years of my life have passed by with me keeping everything and anything hush-hush. I once told a man on a date that I liked Abba music. He turned his nose up. Mental note to self: Don’t mention that to people. What a fool I am to throw that into the conversation!

In fear of what others would think, there was so much I wouldn’t do, so much I wouldn’t say. It meant that by protecting myself I was keeping myself neutralised, moderated.  Not genuine. In fact, not me.

In revealing his dream to me, this is what I discovered about my colleague:

·         He was a man with passion. He had dreams.

·         He had a richness to him that I had never really seen. At work, and even when we went out for coffee, it was work obligations, work obligations, housework obligations.

·         He inspired me. I had been dreaming about blogging the very day he shared his dream with me. The excitement of that conversation spurred me on to pursue my own dream.

Think about this. Imagine what might happen if you dared to mention your dream, in simple terms, to someone else.

·         It might cheer you up talking about something you like.

·         You could have fun pursuing your dream. You might enjoy planning and executing your dream.

·         You might be affirmed by some of the people you share with. Someone might ask questions when they catch up with you.  How’s the painting going?

·         You could meet another person who shares a similar interest.

·         The joy you get from following this dream could alleviate some of the other stresses in your life.

·         Someone might scoff at your idea. Someone might laugh at you.

 

In fairness to him and others there are, of course, many reasons why we don’t reveal our true selves to others. However, by not revealing a little of our true selves what are we really saying no to? Are we simply saying no to fear of someone’s scorn or are we saying no to a chance to grow and enjoy this life we’ve been made for?

 

MY GOALS: A RUN OF BAD HEALTH

My Goal:     Exercise three times a week.

Update:       Coming out of winter, struggling to exercise once a week.

A little while ago a unique opportunity came my way. Some of our staff members were preparing for the October marathon. They were excited and buzzing with plans for fund-raising. I was impressed and wished I could do something like that. So when a colleague asked if I was interested I made sure I said “Yes!”

Now, I haven’t run ever, except back in secondary school P.E. lessons, and even then I was always the one who lagged behind.

I went home, looked up the 9-week From Couch to 5k website and the very next day I began.

Here’s a rundown of how my efforts have gone so far. Keep in mind, it’s three runs per week.

Week 1   Day 1    Began. Did the 5-minute walk as part of the 20 walk-run cycle… only to find out that the walk takes place before and after the 20 minute cycle … only managed 4 out of 8 cycles… and came home too exhausted to cook dinner.

Week 1   Day 2    Similar to Day 1. I counted to myself and found that kept me focussed. Still too exhausted to do anything after the run.

Week 1   Day 3    Headache. Can’t run.

Week 2   Hurt my back. Or a muscle.

Week 3    Feel that my back is still not quite right.

Week 4   Rainy days. 

Week 4   Day 3   I’m back on track. This time I’ve got my podcast to guide me and I almost complete the first day program. It feels good, I’m excited and I’m determined.

Week 5    Day 1   Going well. The last stretch is tough.

Week 5    Day 2   Hooray! I’ve finished Week One of the program.

Week 6     Not feeling well. Take the week off from work with laryngitis.

Week 7    Got to face the fact that I won’t make it for the October marathon.

Week 7    Um..er…ah… I’ve got a cold. A bad cold. I feel terrible.

 By now I’ve realised there’s no way I’ll make it for the October marathon. I can’t believe I’ve had such a run of bad health. Running is one of those things I thought I could never do. I’m still not sure that I can physically accomplish it but I really want to have a go.

Stay tuned. One day I will tell you about my first mini-marathon but it certainly won’t be this October!

Simple Living Sunday: In the garden

The weather’s been getting a little warmer and a little sunnier these last few days. It’s heartening after the long, grey, bleak winter.

I’m getting over a bout of laryngitis. All my good habits fly out the window when I’m sick so I’m enjoying being able to get back to a normal routine this weekend.

I’m about to harvest my first vegies for 2014 – not counting the spring onions. There are two short rows of broccoli. Last year my harvest was three broccoli and a handful of onion plants in total! I come across lots of blogs and articles about food swaps, preserving and canning, and farmers’ markets and now, for the second time, I can harvest vegies from my own vegetable garden. It's exciting to think about using my own produce  for meals and possibly having to give some of it away.

One of my simple living goals is to eat fresh, healthy food. Another reason I support simple living is because I think it's kinder on the environment. I put some of the food scraps and plant debris in the compost which then gets reused in the garden. So it's most satisfying to see some of my goals 'bearing fruit'.

I’m growing carrots and celery but I’m not too sure when they’ll be ready. Soon. I think. There aren't a lot of sun-rich areas around my garden so it will only ever be a small patch which suits me fine. I’m very grateful to a dear friend who helped me upgrade the vegie patch from my meagre efforts last year.  

Happy Sunday.

 

 Vegie Patch 2013

 Vegie Patch 2014

     Grape vine pruning



 

 

Admire...Don't compare

Last year  I started displaying key words on my desk calendar to remind me what my focus was for the month, particularly in relation to my SAd goals.

Something I really wanted to work on back then was my need to compare myself to the world.

        Well, everyone else is married and happy. I should be. No one  wants to marry me.

        Mary over there dresses so nicely. I don't look as good as that. Down the ranks I go!

And  on and on and on.

Stop comparing was what I needed to do.

March arrived and I knew it was  time to focus on that very idea. At that same time I came across a wonderful message at Bodyheart , featured by The Wellness Warrior. At first, I wondered what the presenter was talking about. By the end I realised the message was just what I needed to hear.  And it was very simple.

Whenever I find my inner chatterbox going into COMPARE mode that's my signal to change over to ADMIRE mode. So I tried changing gears every time I realised I was comparing myself with others. ADMIRE mode certainly felt better  than the drained feeling I had after some of my inner chatterbox comparison rants.  That one positive word was a simple solution for what was really a lot of unhelpful negativity. 

Guess what my key word ended up being for  that month!   Yep! ADMIRE.  During this past week I caught myself falling into COMPARE mode and feeling negative about myself and others as a result. Once I realised what I was doing, the word  COMPARE triggered the solution ADMIRE and I was able to quickly and effectively rectify my attitude. Have a look:


 COMPARE MODE            Look at Jenny. Her outfit is so trendy. I bet everyone looks at her. I don't look like that.  Why don't I look like that? Noone looks at me

                      >>>>>> CHANGE>>>>

  ADMIRE MODE             Wow! Jenny looks great in that outfit. Those jeans really suit her.


(I went looking for the video again but haven't been able to locate it. It was such a powerful message for me at the time I am able to recall the website.)

Redefining My Goals

I love goals, in the same way that I love lists.
Over the last couple of decades I've taken delight in setting goals and seeing them come to fruition, even if it does take a couple of years longer than originally anticipated.
This last year I've found it hard to find time for my big goals. This month alone I've had plans compromised by a sore back, changes to the routine at work and now I'm getting over days off work with laryngitis.

Nevertheless, I've come to realise there are some things I do that account for why my goals haven't been happening these last few months.

• I plot the big goal each week. I never get to it. I never pinpoint a time or action.
• I spend  waste a lot of time on the computer when I could be doing something more productive and, most likely, more enjoyable.
• I do have a large number of goals in addition to my regular work commitments and everything else that needs attention in the week.

Well, the time spent reading blogs hasn't been all wasted.  I found a lot of useful ideas after reading comments about routines and goal-setting on the  Down-to-Earth Forum  and  I found some great advice on  http://organisingqueen.com/ .

I know I should probably have crossed out a goal or two and shortened the list,  but I just couldn't.  So, based on what I learnt from the sites above, I have refined my planning.

• I allocated two blocks of time where I could be pretty sure it wouldn't get swallowed up by other  weekly happenings.
• I identified  a smaller, achievable action for the bigger goals for that week alone.
• I moved housework down the priority list (except for the main jobs)

Voila!  It worked.

Take a look.   

Goals:  FAMILY TREE,  FAIRY GARDEN, BLOGGING, HOME
Time:   Tuesday night   I hour,    Saturday 1 hour
Task :  FT - Start collating all the details I have on great, great, grandfather MB
            FG - Go op shopping and see whether they have any little knick-knacks that could be used in
                    the fairy garden.
Result: FT- Done. Had time to go onto trove.nla.gov.au and find more old newspaper articles.
            FG - Nothing special for the fairies but I did find a basket which I'm going to upcycle and use
                    for some spring flowers.

The best result is feeling motivated to go about my week's routine. I feel like I'm achieving and, most of all, I experience the joy that comes with working on my goals.  I've noticed, too,  the positive vibe lifts my spirit and spills over into other areas of  life. I thought about what wasn't working and what I wanted to work. I'm glad to say that the readjustment has actually worked!

My Simple Life

This is a post I prepared a while ago when I moved into my new home. I don't seem to find the space these days to think about life as I did back then ...which is why I want to get back to blogging. Spring is upon us and it is my hope to once again be inspired by the beauty and richness which surround me, and through my blogging, to find the time to savour this.

                                                ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I've just moved into my new home. It's charming, sweet, comfortable and cosy. It's better than I had imagined. I decided to move for practical reasons. I desperately needed more space and I wanted a garage. The charm and character of this cottage-styled home, as well as the lovely setting, were extras I had never counted on. It's still hard to believe it's mine.

This house has solar panels and a wood heater. It's relatively small and sits on a small piece of land. It's situated in a prefabricated suburb, one which I had previously refused to look at, but as such it comes with lovely lakes and gardens. I ride my bike regularly and enjoy getting out  and about.

Simple living?

Well, not totally. However I feel like I've landed the perfect place for me and, at the same time, I can look forward to taking all my experience and knowledge of simple living and see how it might work in with my new life here.

OK, I'm not committed to green living the way some enthusiasts are, but I do want it to be a part of my lifestyle and my intention of living well along the pot-holed road to happiness; a life where people are more important than things, where there is respect for the natural environment, where quality is more important than quantity...

So far there have been many opportunities where I've been able to uphold my ideals:

• eating home-cooked meals
• riding my bike around for exercise and enjoyment
• saying hello to the neighbours
• in the big clean-up, sending useful pieces and clothing to Vinnies, recycling all that used paper which was kept in boxes over the years and never referred to
• de-cluttering, de-cluttering and de-cluttering
• using cardboard boxes wherever possible- we went to the supermarket and waited as they unpacked goods onto the shelves then  reused the boxes again in the sorting process
• I haven't needed to buy anything new for this house which has been a blessing, all of my old furniture has fitted in well here
• I now subscribe to solar energy

It's encouraging to see that habits learnt in my previous life carry over into my new life almost automatically.

With immense gratitude I sit back and appreciate all that I have and all that my life offers me. The sun shines through the window as I write. I am warm and comfortable on this icy, cold day. I have a lovely home and an opportunity to live life well. Amongst the clutter, the empty boxes, the filled-to-the-brim boxes and the emerging tranquility, I am rich today.

Back to blogging

I’m back.

Back to blogging.

I like writing. My life feels as if it has greater purpose when I reflect and write.

I like keeping track of my pot-holed journey along the road to happiness, living simply and making the most of what each day brings.

 

But most of all, I want to be a voice for those who know SAd. Or perhaps, more to the point, I want to be a voice for those who don’t know SAd. I think the most difficult thing facing those with SAd is not knowing they have it and all the while trying desperately to advance their life to little or no avail.

Come and join me as I share a little more of my simple, happy, SAd life.



Enjoying the local neighbourhood.




My tiny apple tree.

Along the garden path.