Hello Monday

 or, there's only 11 Mondays to 2025

Hello October. 

Next to the colourful leaves of June in Melbourne, October is my favourite season in Queensland. (Because, let's face it, in our climate, the month is a whole season all of it's own) The jacaranda in my backyard tells the world it's here, the October Lily gets out her finest dress, and the cold of winter (such as it is for us acclimatised northerners) is slowly creeping away.

How to be a good friend as an adult

or how to feel you've reached the pinnacle of friendship

I had a conversation with a new friend today about what we expected out of a friendship. It was quite an eye-opening experience, to be asked those questions up front about our place in each other's world, and it's something that is a good basis to build a solid friendship on.

But it got me to wondering (and asking my friends) what makes a good friend? (And, ultimately, am I being the friend those people need?)

finding meaning in the mundane

 or, Am I just living the same day over and over again?

There's a part of me that just wants to quit right now.

It would be much easier if I did - I could go and wash the dishes that have been waiting all day, or finally start that event setup I was supposed to have finished 3 days ago.

the second day is the hardest

or, now you know what's going to happen, you have to choose to come back.

The first day I stepped into the gym, I was overwhelmed.

At 5am, the noise was intense - instructors yelling, people shouting over music, other people turning up for the next class and calling out greetings to people they knew.

 

It was still pandemic times, so masks and social distancing were the norm while people weren't in class.

A return to personal blogging again again

 or, what is this thing called Blogtober, and what am I doing?

Many years ago, the internet was littered with blogging challenges - NaNoBloMo, 31 Days, Blog Every Day in May - and then social media killed the internet and everyone stopped writing.

 

But recently, there's been rumblings.

People still read blog posts, especially if the recipe includes beautiful photos.

Writers are still writing, mostly on Medium or Substack.

Things are changing.

And something inside my head tells me it's ok for me to change too.

 

So I'm attempting this thing called Blogtober.

Blame Rachel, she's very convincing when she starts talking about how she's finally worked out the rhythm of her ecosystem.

I want more of that - the feeling of inspiration that strikes while washing dishes and knowing that I have things that are worth saying.

Because that's the biggest reason I dropped off the face of the earth - I stopped believing in myself and let the mean-girl-voice in my head overtake everything.

 You might like this post - 5 tips for actually using your planner

But there's something about being 50.

My hair is a lot greyer.

My patience is a lot thinner.

And I can finally see that it's ok to put me out there and be seen by the world.

(I wish finding a paying job was as easy 😉)

So I've pulled out my bullet journal, reminded myself how to create header images, realised that this space needs updating and planned over 20 posts (and already considered changing some of those plans)

And here we are on day one, with almost a whole, cohesive post, ready to publish.

Yay me!

Are you writing this month? Or are you cheering from the sidelines?

hello monday, the first post of 2024

 

hello sunset view from the plane.

Last Friday, I flew to Sydney for an overnight workshop with Lions Australia, as part of my new (volunteer) role for our district - Marketing & Communications Chair. I met with other chairs from around Australia (including one who is a former member of my club), and reinforced that social media marketing hasn't changed that much in the five years I've been busy doing other things. Now I need to figure out what my next steps are.

hello newsletters.

The delightful Louisa popped into my inbox recently. She remembers what it was like to blog way back when, and now we're all figuring out what happens next. And her Sunday newsletter shares all the ruminations that we're all thinking but not quite articulating (I have done so much reading on how to make friends lately, I have thoughts to share another day) Carly Jacobs from Very Excellent Habits is my other weekly must-read.

hello goodbye c-id.

It finally happened, and I got the lurgy last week. Considering how sick I was, I'm grateful I didn't get it earlier. Now I'm almost 100% better (although I still sound sick), it's time to catch up on all the life I missed (eternally grateful for the vaccines and lessons from others over the last five years)

hello baking.

Since I discovered over a year ago that I'm now intolerant to eggs (I can eat them, but they give me an awful upset stomach), my baking has changed. I've had to learn how to bake, crumb, cook without eggs (I also can't eat banana and avocado, so those substitutes are out) Scones are my newest favourite way to have a sweet snack (especially these chocolate scones), and I always shove a few in the freezer, because the teenagers inhale them!

hello teen driver.

I'm all kinds of blown away to be writing this here, but Natalie passed her drivers test over the weekend. Little Natalie, who was not-quite-one when I started writing in this space, is about to graduate high school. I'm too busy to feel old, but man I feel old.

hello Monday, a fresh start to every week.

What are you saying hello to this Monday?

Dear Family, Cooking is more than just cooking

When helping is really adding more to Mum's load

* not the actual meal in question

In recent times, Steve has decided that he can cook dinner.

Last Firsts and all that jazz

When you're the last baby, especially when you're the last of 5 babies, there's not much celebration of you (especially from extended family)

We've always tried hard to celebrate Sophie in any way we can, because noone else is walking beside her cheering her on.

5 lessons I learnt from exercise

It was a perfect storm of synchronicity.

My doctor had been on at me for ages to lose some of the fat around my middle (to reduce fat on my liver)

 An advert popped up on Facebook

And 3 days later I was joining a gym.

Let me choose to say no

While I'm rediscovering a writing routine, I'm cleaning up my backend, and updating or publishing posts that have sat in drafts for too many years... here's a gem from 2017 that still holds true today.

 

 

A few years ago, I had a friend who was about to turn 40. It was a big deal to her, as it is for most women, and she was throwing herself a party. Every time I saw her, she shared details of the party - the fabulous dress she'd bought, the mutual friends who were going, the amazing venue's food. And then a week before the party, she sent me a text message

I know you won't come, but I thought I'd better send you an invite.

I made some excuse about already having plans to go out with Steve that evening, because my mum was visiting.

But it still hurts today.

(Our friendship moved on a few months later, for various other reasons.) 

I kind of understand the reason she did it. When you know someone is struggling with money, you don't want to add to their burden by inviting them to a party where they might feel obligated to spend money they can't really afford.

I mean, I'm always saying no to things, because my budget doesn't stretch far enough.

But sometimes, I choose to say yes.

Because no can be so very wearying.

I can see it creeping in again, people not asking us to join in things, kids not being invited to things, family not celebrating events with us. Because they know the pressure we carry with a tight budget and a big family.

But I wish they would let me choose.

Yes, taking a big family to the movies is expensive, so lets go to a slightly cheaper cinema and all enjoy it together.

Yes, going out for a meal together is a rowdy experience (and expensive now 2 kids eat off the adult menu) so let's go to the pub with a playground again.

I know it's a two way street, spending time with other people, that I should reach out to others more. But eventually, when people say no often enough, you stop asking if they want to come for coffee, go out for dinner, need a hand cleaning up that mess. And that works in reverse, if you say no often enough to others they stop asking.

But don't not ask because you think I might say no, allow me the space to say this week doesn't work, can we do it next week? Or sure, we'd love to come. 

Because you might be missing out on the best experience of your week by not asking. And you might just change someone's day in the process.

 

A Return To Personal Blogging

 As the Covid years recede, will personal blogging see a resurgence? This blogger hopes so.

 

I've been telling myself for 2 hours now to just start typing.

From the lounge, I can hear Steve talk himself through finding a lost airline receipt as he does his monthly receipt reconciliation.

I need a cup of tea. But I've had 3 already this morning. The last one was cold, I should get up and make another.

But what if no one reads?

But what if I sound whiney crazy?

But

But

But.

So the thought process behind writing blog posts hasn't changed in a few years.

I wish I could go back to the easy days, when I had no idea that 400 page views a day was actually awesome numbers for a little old blog that shared scrapbook pages.

Now my brain churns.

It's been so long since I've written.

In 2019, life was busy, wrapping my head around a small part time job and the juggle of kids and work and volunteering and life.

Then 2020 hit, and I pretty much spent the next two years in flight mode while putting out raging bushfires in my volunteer roles (and unceremoniously losing my job at the end of 2020)

2023 feels like something new.

I've been able to hand some of my volunteer responsibilities to an awesome team who are paid to do that work, allowing me the space to focus on the being rather than the doing.

I'm finally making time to prioritise the important things to me, while ensuring the balls bounce instead of break (and that the balls I'm juggling are still the important ones to keep aloft)

And that leads me to today.

When 2023's chosen One Little Word® is SELF, actually doing the thing is an important part of the making time process.

As an Obliger, I'd like to say that it will stick this time, but external accountability in the form of social media sharing doesn't seem to be what makes me show up. But, committing to a meeting at 10am on Thursday, or hosting a zoom meeting on Monday, or publishing a blog post at a specific time is something I can and do show up for.

So, that's what I'm going to do this year.

Consider it an experiment at remembering to do the thing, to become the thing.

For now, I'm just going to focus on getting the words out.

Later, I can get caught up in themes, and being an expert, and taking photos, and all the other stuff that was fun sometimes but not really.

Who knows, I might be good at this stuff?!

Further reading

The Verge - Bring Back Personal Blogging

Suger Coat It - Why I think 2020 will see the return of the personal blog

One Little Word® 2022

I've been choosing a word to guide my year since I first discovered Ali Edwards' blog the week after Christmas 2007.

 

Most of the early years with a word guide weren't terribly successful.

Hello Monday October 4

Hello Monday is a semi-regular series where I share my goals and thoughts for the week ahead and embrace the goodness of a new week.

So Colourful - a bullet journal update

To get back into the habit of photo taking and writing, I'm challenging myself this month to use the Fat Mum Slim January 2021 prompts to inspire me.

 

A new year means a crisp new notebook to write in.

When I looked back on this post, I realised that my bullet journal setup has changed over time, so today I'm sharing my current journal.

A Car

To get back into the habit of photo taking and writing, I'm challenging myself this month to use the Fat Mum Slim January 2021 prompts to inspire me.

I met my husband because of a car.

He had one, and I didn't.

There's more to the story than that, but that's where it started.

He had a Bruce Springsteen CD playing, and the back seat was full of crumbs and kid-paraphernalia.

Sounds like my car now, water bottles and crumbs in the back seat, and that shopping bag with a tablecloth tucked inside for spur of the moment park adventures falling out every time I open the boot.

Maybe I'll use this quiet time to clean it out?!

What sort of car do you drive?

Paper

To get back into the habit of photo taking and writing, I'm challenging myself this month to use the Fat Mum Slim January 2021 prompts to inspire me.

I started scrapbooking 15 years ago, when I went to an evening crop after attending a card making class.

This Is Me

To get back into the habit of photo taking and writing, I'm challenging myself this month to use the Fat Mum Slim January 2021 prompts to inspire me.

 I am 46 years old.

One Little Word® - Choosing SLOW

One Little Word® is a memory keeping/personal development project and class led by Ali Edwards each year since 2006.

I first chose a word to guide my year in the dying days of 2007.

Since then, I've had moderate success with words as intentions for guidance, with the best years coming when I have worked hard to embrace the word every day.

In 2021, I decided I needed to embrace SLOW.

Mostly, because I need to slow down and focus to ensure I don't make mistakes, but also because I need to remind myself that I don't have to fill every moment of the day with stuff for other people or busy work.

That it's ok to have white space in my days.

That I can be SLOW and still achieve.

I'm excited to see where it leads.

Do you choose a word each year?

20 lessons from 2020

2020 has become a cliche.

In a year of global pandemic, “unprecedented” was the word on everyone’s lips.

But a little closer to home, nothing much changed for me.

Steve was away at work (stuck in Western Australia from March 29 to May ??)

I continued to attend work when kids moved to Learning@Home as all school staff were still required to attend (bringing forth it’s own set of logistical issues - kids at home, me at work, Steve away, who was supervising school work?)

A New Lease on the Backyard

When you've lived in one place as long as we have, sometimes it's easy to become complacent about the space you utilise.