Goals for 2016

Driving over to South Australia the other day gave me plenty of time to think about my goals and where I want to go in 2016.

I had to accept that 2016 was the year I did not tick off as many goals as expected. Yet, upon reflection I realise there were good reasons for this.

I did not have as much free time as in the past. My role at work changed and it took me much longer to prepare lessons. I tried hard to do more exercise throughout the year and that meant less time for other goals.  There were times when I just did not have the energy and I simply had to put “life” on hold. 

So this year I’ve aimed to be more practical and more realistic about setting my goals.

I see my goals falling into four areas:

1.       Organisation: I’m not a natural organiser. I can be quite absent-minded at times. I need to plan so that I can manage what comes up each week. I need to ensure I stay on top of things, as far as possible.

2.       Health: I want to be healthy now in order to be healthy in the future. I need to be healthy now in order to have a fulfilling life. Ultimately, being healthy means feeling good.

3.       House: I want a comfortable, welcoming home. The tendency is to put house maintenance on the backburner while I focus on a myriad of other things. I don’t want my house to fall apart and I don’t want the mess to pile up so that my weekends are spent  tidying up.

4.       Me: I strongly believe in “me” time, possibly because I’m an introvert and I know that I function well when I get “me” time. Organisation helps me manage what comes up each week, but at another level, reflection and ‘time out’ are what help me manage my emotions and my inner life.

GOALS

Organisation

• Use Friday night to pay bills, menu plan and organise weekend and week ahead.
• Wake up early. Do small jobs before and after work.
• Make lunch three times a week.
• Reduce screen time. Make screen time more intentional.

Health

• Drink lots of water daily.
• Eat food made from scratch.
• Exercise three times a week.  (Must include yoga as a way to maintain back care. Run twice a week.  Ride once a week.)

House

• Do one cleaning job a week. (Usually does not happen. Think about how it could happen!)
• Get broken window handles fixed.
• Finish setting up front room.
• Hang up pictures.

Me

• Take time regularly to indulge, relax, enjoy: read a book, create/paint, work on my family tree, visit the countryside/beach
• Learn something new: possibly sewing or making soap
• Find a regular time each week to reflect.
• Go to a talk or a play (x2).
• Invite friends over or out once a month:  Keep practising those social skills which are too easy for me to overlook.

I have not included goals which are an established part of my routine.

I have included goals from 2015 which were not accomplished  or still need to be worked on.

I actually feel very good about my list for 2016. Being an idealist, I'm not usually so practical.  I've got to say that it feels achievable and it allows plenty of room to add goals should the opportunities arise. I do have a wish list of things I would love to do. It includes things like buying a new couch and rug for the living room, buying a decorative name plaque to put at the front door and having a weekend away. My practical mind can see that if I achieve what's on the goal list, life will be pretty good, even if the wish list does not materialise!

Half-hour Posting

Half-hour posting is what I do when I don't have loads of time but I still want to stop by and say hello.
Half-hour blogging is also what I do when I haven't blogged for quite a while and I want to get back into it but I'm not sure where to start.
Half-hour blogging also means there's no pressure. It can just be a few quick words. It doesn't have to be an unforgettable script.

So here I am. It's been a couple of months since I last posted. Health has challenged me. Work has been demanding. 

Mr S tried out for a new full-time job. There was hope. A little bit of hope. Determination. Nine hours a day. Two ten-minute breaks. Same repetitive task. Hands swollen. Fingers infected. Nails coming off. 

Now, at last, life is not so busy. I can breathe. And think. 

Here we're getting ready for Christmas. Mr S and I would both like a quiet Christmas with time to enjoy the simple everyday rhythms of life... but family and friends beckon. It's Christmas time, they say. I'm happy to join them but I'm yearning for  simplicity. And lots of rest. And sunshine. 

Perhaps contrary to what I've just said, Mr S and I are preparing for a Christmas gathering with friends next week. My goal is to keep it simple and cheerful. I won't be buying presents. I like to think that the gift of being together is gift enough. They are good friends and time with them is richness. It's a chance for me to decorate and I do so enjoy a little exercise in creativity. 

For me, it's always been Christmas at Mum's. She has always insisted it's at her house. Her way. So I really cherish the opportunity to create some Christmas in my home.

Stay tuned  and I'll let you know how it  goes. It's a gorgeous, sunny day outside so there's much to do. But I welcome such demands. Work around home and garden. Making this house a home. And a haven.

Happy Sunday!

Mr S has learnt how to make mince pies. Guess what's on the menu next week!

I'm getting back to walking each day. And eventually back to running. I love holidays because everything is that much more possible. 

We have a lovely neighbourhood and I'm so glad I get time now to enjoy it.

The week that was

It's been a lovely holiday. There was time to relax and lots of sun to enjoy. For the first time in what seems forever, I had time to do some of those hard-to-get-to jobs around the house. I always enjoy working around the home when there's no rush and no pressure to get  school work and other outside tasks done. It's been wonderful to be able to stop and pause a while as the mood takes me. 

Mr S has been working on building up the vegie garden. He saw a wheelbarrow lying on the street for a few days and grabbed it one morning and brought it home. 

We've been able to sit outside and make the most of the sunshine. I would love to start every day with a cuppa and a seat outside looking out at the garden.

Spring is here and, even though I feel I've neglected the garden, there have still been many colourful delights popping up here and there.

I had a couple of lovely days on the Bellarine Peninsula. I spent some time with family and then caught up with a friend browsing in bric-a-brac shops and eating out. I really appreciated the good, long chats. 

I seem to have small piles of clutter tucked away here and there. These holidays I managed to declutter several of those piles. It's like having a detox from the outside in!!  It's quite an achievement to shake off some of those stubborn piles. I did a lot of cooking. Some dishes were more successful than others. I made a carrot cake - the cake tasted great- and am now in the process of  learning how to make icing with cream cheese - I'm not there yet!

There's more sunshine today. It always makes me feel so good. I even feel positive about tackling some of my school work. Daylight savings started today. I won't appreciate it in the morning but I'm looking forward to having extra time in the evening for gardening and running.

I hope there's some sunshine shining in your lives today. Happy Sunday and have a good week.

A Simple Celebration

I haven’t blogged for a while. In the last few weeks we’ve had 5.30am starts, holiday sleep-ins and now we’re looking at a possible 3.30am start each day if all goes well on the job front this week for Mr S.

My duties at school have changed again and I find myself working with a different group of young people. This also means a new timetable. Last term my schedule was “light” on Thursday mornings so I treated myself to a chai latte before work each week. At the moment I’m still trying to see where I can squeeze it into my timetable.

On top of all that I was busy preparing for a milestone birthday.  

Originally I had really wanted to mark the occasion by going away for the weekend. Parties are not my thing so I didn’t see why that would change now. But then a friend commented that parties can provide what are often rare opportunities for people to come together. I thought about this and decided that it would be lovely to have friends and family gathering together here in our home.

I wanted to keep things fairly simple. If you read about the invitations you’ll know that I was also looking forward to the chance to get creative. I had a loose theme of tea party vintage and hoped to bring about a warm, cosy atmosphere.

My list of guests was around 50 and my SA mind imagined unrealistically how grand it all might be – even though I wanted it all to be simple!  As the day grew closer, the guestlist dwindled to 30ish. For a brief moment I was disappointed and I found I had to remind myself why I was doing the party and what I hoped to achieve.

How I kept it simple:

·        I invited my nieces over for lunch and then we set about making some bunting. I had envisaged nicely sewn triangular bunting but then I returned to reality. It was not easy to hang our paper hearts but keeping calm meant I still worked out a way to display it.

·        We made most of the food. We made finger-sized foods such as sandwiches, sausage rolls, scones and pizza slices. We had peanut butter balls and Mum made a sponge cake for the birthday cake.

·        We had material napkins. I used what I already had and borrowed the rest from Mum.

·        The “fancy” tablecloths were from Mum. The cloth on the main table was the one my mum got from her own mum for her engagement. It was really lovely to be able to put out family heirloom pieces.

·        I was so fortunate to have daphne and camellias in bloom. A friend cut the flowers and decorated the rooms. The rooms tend to be dull brown but the pop of colour from the flowers transformed the feel of the whole area.

·        Mr S knew I liked flowers. In the morning when I got up there was a lovely arrangement in the teapot made up of flowers from our garden.

·        Even though it was a tea party I had on offer coffee and hot chocolate as well as soft drinks.

·        I did spend a little extra on paper plates that were made from recycled pulp (?). I had the wonderful idea of keeping the plates and using them in the garden to block out weeds or as compost. In any case, I was preoccupied that evening and all plates ended up in the bin.

I had fun preparing the party. The best part was the buzz throughout the night. Our life here is sweet but very quiet. Mr S said he couldn’t believe that our home could be like that. I must say my mind was going in a hundred directions as everyone arrived and I realised that I hadn’t whipped the cream and the sausage rolls were not ready. I also had my mind on a few people who didn’t know anyone and were a bit shy. Some good friends kept reminding me that it was OK and I didn’t have to worry about them…. And gradually I accepted this. It truly was a lovely evening and it delighted my heart to see our home filled with laughter and chatter.

Lately

It's a Labor Day holiday here and a great opportunity to catch up on one or two things. I think it's fairly obvious that my blogging routine is all out of whack so today I thought I would simply share with you a little of what's been happening lately.

Last week life was busy with getting Mr S organised in his new job. Things are off to a good start so let's hope it continues. 

Meanwhile, my daily and weekly routines are taking a little longer since I take the bus everywhere. It certainly makes me appreciate the convenience of a car. I've made a number of allowances because of this.

I've been trying to get back on track with goals and the like. Last week Mr S, some family members and I went in the March Against Melanoma around Melbourne's Botanical Gardens.It had been my hope to enter and run the race in memory of my father. I knew I wasn't ready for that so we walked instead. It was a lovely morning, having been stormy the night before. Mr S said that next year we would run and it is my hope that I will be able to do that.

Our garden is neither here nor there at the moment. When we get some wheels we will try to get some good soil and build it up for the coming seasons. There are some end-of-summer delights: we've got 7 apples, one zucchini and a basket of prickly pears from the plant hanging over the fence. 

Ever resourceful, Mr S  is keen to make the most of this good food. Back home for the weekend he is in his element, pottering around the garden and kitchen, doing little experiments  with what's on hand. He tried making juice from the prickly pears this morning. I'm not sure whether I'm gain to try it.

I'm finally getting to a point where I'm comfortable tackling some of the more demanding jobs around the house. For the last couple of months the house and garden have been so neglected. I'm still cautious and I make sure I go about the work slowly. This is where I find teaching a troublesome job. I do love the job immensely but I really cherish my time at home and want it to be for family, home and friends and - an introvert at heart- for me, so that I can reboot!! It's easy for me to fall under the spell of "domestic bliss" but the call of work preparation and corrections always beckons.

Last week was a week of bought lunches! My energy levels were low and resources (transport, time) limited so I decided to buy lunch at school. In the end it was a good decision. We have freshly-made hot lunches available at school so I ate well and I had a light meal in the evenings. 

On a positive note I bought a new drink bottle and it works!! So I've just started to drink more water and I've stocked up on bread and fillings for the coming week. This is my year to be healthy and happy so I welcome the chance to take any step I can in that direction.

Now I really should drink some water and attend to school work , even though I would love to potter around the house and enjoy the sunshine. I might try a compromise of school work and some time in the sunshine later this afternoon.

Have a good week.

Simple Living Sunday: My Weekend

I've had a lovely weekend but with not enough time to do everything.

Last night I joined old school friends for a weekend in country Macedon to celebrate a 50th birthday. I really enjoyed it. I felt very comfortable in myself for which I was truly grateful. I don't stay up late these days so I did struggle to party on after ten o'clock!! It was a fun night and it was lovely to breathe in some fresh mountain air.

I got a lot of gardening done yesterday. I harvested one bunch of celery but it didn't seem right and I'm not sure why. I tidied up some other areas and did some weeding. There's been no rain and this weekend has been quite warm so I watered the newer plants and those undercover.

My neighbours have an amazing show of  these red flowers so I took photos yesterday. The whole bed looks like a sea of brilliant red velvet.

This morning I made it to the Flemington Craft Market. It's on again for the spring/summer season. A few years ago I bought a lovely little table made from recycled wood by a local craftsperson. After saving last year and after pinning my ideas this year I finally got to put in my request for a matching hall bench - only to be told he is  not well enough to do it. Nevertheless, at the same stall I bought a revamped magazine holder. A nice find! I also came across a stall for dollhouse furniture and found some pieces which I think will look lovely in my fairy garden-to-be.

It's now time for a run and then back home to do the washing, cook some dinner and get some schoolwork done.

Have a good week.

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.

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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.