The Eve of Christmas

You know what it's like when you set your alarm and you know you have to wake up early?

It's impossible to sleep soundly. I tossed and turned and the dogs got me up once during the night (what sort of a stupid habit are they developing?), and I was wide awake, long before my alarm sounded.

We were on the other side of The Bay before the clock even reached 6.30am.

We found a little fresh seafood place around the corner from Urangan Fisheries, but they only took cash, so we drove around the corner to our original destination, but the queue was a mile long (already!), so we drove to the marina, found an ATM and returned to our first stop.

By the time we pulled away from the curb, our esky was chock-a-block full of seafood - for just the two of us!

The pier markets were our next stop. We found coffee and I spent money on stuff that I did not need (as you do at markets). A couple of crystals for the frangipani trees in our front yard. A lucky golden cat with a waving arm. A little leather purse for club nights. A bag of tomatoes. A big bouquet of flowers.

We returned to the car and still, it was not even 8am.

I needed to replenish my supply of peppermint chocolate chip coconut ice cream, but Go Natural didn't open until 8.30am.

The decision was made to go eat breakfast at Aquavue, but as we rounded the corner to the eating area, there were about 50 bicycles lined up along the fence and the 50 riders were all seated in the cafe. We took an immediate U-turn and decided instead to go for a walk along the beach.

It was a stunningly beautiful morning ...

We didn't get very far along the beach before my body decided that it needed to rid itself of some coffee, so once again, we took a U-turn and walked back to the public amenities.

They were disgustingly filthy and I had to do some heavy duty cleaning before using the loo. Ew. Gross!!

Finally, we could get my ice cream!

From there, Dan Murphy's was our next stop. Another 30 minute wait for 9am to arrive. There was a very long queue of people waiting in both directions, including impatient children and teenagers. When the doors opened, we were in and out very quickly.

We arrived home at 9.30am and unpacked the car.

Once again I attempted to do some website work, but the brain couldn't focus, so instead I worked on my vision board and did some artwork to add to it. I wrote my story of what I want for 'me' in 2017 and recruited a young lady to create a logo for Romance Your Life.

I joined Adoring Husband in the lounge room but he was watching a Dr Who Christmas Special marathon on the Syfy channel on Foxtel. Not my cup of tea at all. So I had a whinge and waited until 4.30pm for my 'Love Actually' date with Vegan Chickie and Chicklet (who insisted that she is a "G" girl and should be included in this tradition).

One large packet of potato chips and half a tub of peppermint choc chip ice cream later, the movie was over for another year, but thoroughly enjoyable, as always!

Now, I am going to wrap Adoring Husband's Christmas presents before I head to bed.

Adoring Husband is like a small child on Christmas morning and always wakes me up at stupid o'clock to open what's under the tree.

It's already 10.45pm and will be much later when I've wrapped the presents. So this is your warning my darling!!! Stupid o'clock is not an option!!

From Adoring Husband and I ...

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.

Nite all.

Merry Service

Last night, I enjoyed an unusually early night. I was in bed before 8pm reading, and asleep by 9.15pm, only to be woken by two of the psychotic dogs at 12.15am and again at 2.30am for a trip outside for toileting requirements. Just a little bit annoying!

At 3.30am, Adoring Husband got out of bed to calm the other psychotic dog who was carrying on like a pork chop. She has PTSD since the tornado, so every time it rains, she panics and cries and howls if left alone. I know how she feels!! So the rain disturbed her during the night and she disturbed AH.

AH served my coffee bedside at about 6am and I sat up in bed reading until it was time to get ready for a trip to the Bay.

We headed into town at 9am to have some photos developed and from there, Adoring Husband dropped me off at Stocklands Shopping Mall while he went shopping at my least favourite place in town, Bunnings.

I desperately needed some retail therapy, and there were heaps of 50% off sales, so I bought myself number of tops at a couple of different shops and a lovely mint coloured bath mat.

The girls serving in the shops were all very happy and friendly. Considering how busy the centre was, it was nice to receive such friendly service. Well done to them!

We bought a couple of large take away coffees before braving the supermarket, where we needed to buy dog food. It was crazy busy in there!

We ran into Lady Lynn also bustling her way through the throngs of crazy trolly pushers.

Luckily, by the time we reached the checkouts, there were a couple of self serve spots free, so we quickly scanned our groceries and made a hasty escape to the car park. From there it took us ten to fifteen minutes to get through ridiculous traffic to the street.

AH was clever enough to take the back road, so we avoided the traffic lights and long queues and rather quickly found ourselves on the road home.

It was good to be home before lunch and after unpacking the groceries, I attempted to get some work done at my desk but it was still difficult to focus, so I gave up and decided to watch a movie instead. "Finding Dory" was my movie of choice and I really enjoyed it.

AH accompanied me to the club tonight, which was nice, and for the first time in a while, I drank wine with the girls. There were only three of the usuals there tonight and we were not the slightest bit lucky. It was a pleasant evening.

We need to be up bright and early to drive into Urangan to buy our fresh seafood for Christmas Day and the pier markets are on tomorrow, so we'll stop there for a quick look. The last time I bought fresh flowers from the markets, they lasted about two weeks, so I hope that stall is open again tomorrow.

I need to replace the Peppermint and Choc Chip coconut ice cream that I've eaten over the last two days. I think I like it even more than the salted caramel!

So on that note, I should head to bed. Much sleep is required!

Nite all.

Done for the Day

I am off to bed for an early, early night.



Tomorrow is going to be a better day.

I won't have it any other way.

Nite all.

Topsy Turvy

"Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're going to get." Forest Gump

The twists and turns in life sure keeps us on our toes! What a year it's been for the family. More on that another time.

Our appointment with the financial advisor was long and overwhelming with so much information to take in and lots of paperwork to read at our leisure over the Christmas break. It was an interesting 80 minutes that we were pleased to be finished with!

We met Best Cousin in the World and Marco Polo at Aquavue and enjoyed a relaxing early lunch talking and laughing about family quirks (for want of a better word). We met her friend, The Peaceful Warrior, who was also a lot of fun and who willingly joined in our conversation.

From there, we were originally going to the movies to see "Rogue One" but Adoring Husband decided that he wasn't in the mood to sit down for another two hours, so we went on a shopping spree instead.

Go Natural was our first stop where I bought three tubs of coconut ice cream to keep me satisfied over the Christmas/NewYear break. I plan on eating at least an entire 500ml tub while watching "Love Actually" on Christmas Eve with Vegan Chickie.

JB Hifi was next where I considered buying the latest Bridget Jones move, but AH, much to his frustration, told me that I didn't need it (I guess it's one of the gifts under our tree!). I got 'Finding Dory' and 'The Secret Life of Pets' - for ME, not Chicklet lol.

I also paid for a Star Trek dvd that AH was going to buy himself - but now he's not allowed to watch it til Christmas Day. Haha.

We considered buying a portable air conditioner to keep us covered until our new unit is installed in February, but decided that $700-$800 was a bit too much to spend on something that we would only use for two months.

Instead, we opted for a good quality pedestal fan and now we each have one to blow a cool breeze directly on us in the lounge room.

Grocery shopping and lotto tickets. I'm either going to win $25million tomorrow night, or $31million on New Years Eve. That will be a nice way to start 2017 and of course, I'll share with my favourite people!

I also bought myself two more journals. I've lost count now!

We had an amazing sunset tonight - right on dinner time - so I only got a quick pic with my phone.

I am looking at tomorrow optimistically with the expectation of having a satisfying and productive day at my desk. It's now 9pm so it's even possible that I'll get an early night!

May Thursday be kind to you!

Nite all.
  

Energised

Can you feel the energy in the air?

For various reasons, 2016 has not been a good year for a lot of people. It has been so bad, in fact, that the positive energy building for people's expectations for 2017 is palpable!

I have lost count of how many locals are having huge family gatherings for Christmas. The last few years have been different, with many people "having a quiet one".

Adoring Husband and I are having a "quiet one" this year.

The energy in our town is charged with vibrant, positive happiness. It's lovely!

So I was thinking of things that we can do to start 2017 in a way that brings you happiness and self love. Changing the way that we care for ourselves proactively.

Make a list of all the small things that do, or could, bring you pleasure.

• Eating lunch outside
• Taking 15 minutes during the morning for coffee and a good book
• Sliding in between crisp clean sheets
• A long relaxing bubble bath
• Spend 15 minutes playing your favourite music and dancing around the room
• Baking your favourite muffins
• Writing a letter or receiving a hand written letter
• Singing REALLY loud when you're alone in your car
• Watching your favourite movie on dvd or Netflix
• Buying yourself fresh flowers to display in your favourite vase
• Enjoying an afternoon nap
• Phoning a friend for a leisurely catch up
• Watching a sunset or sunrise
• Bringing a smile to somebody's face
• Walking along the beach with bare feet and splashing in the shallows
• Picnic at the park
• Talking to the dog (or cat)
• Creating art with the grandkids
• Relaxing in bed after you wake up and planning your happy day
• Meditate
• Stretch
• Start a 'gratitude' journal
• Plan a trip with friends
• Stroll around your garden 
• Go through your old photo albums
• Visit a friend or neighbour
• Browse your recipe books and find something easy and delicious to make
• Go for a swim
• Take yourself on a solo date
• Tell somebody you care about, what makes them special to you
• Be kind to yourself - look in the mirror and tell yourself what makes YOU special
• Doodling
• Have a 'no housework' day
• Give yourself a manicure or pedicure (or shout yourself a professional one)
• Go to the markets
• Walk around the block
• Make a jug of water infused with your favourite fruit and drink it during the day
• Eat your favourite dessert (any time of the day)
• Diffuse your favourite essential oil
• Spend time on your favourite craft or hobby

Those are 40 things that I could come up with off the top of my head. You may only come up with 20, or you might have 50 or even more!

For the next 100 days, do ONE thing off your list every day. It might be the same thing three days in a row - it doesn't matter - as long as you do something that makes YOU happy.

It might only be for ten minutes of the day.

It might be an entire day for just you.

Be mindful. Be in the moment. Feel your happiness. No ... I mean REALLY FEEL it!

It's easy to take those happy, self indulgent moments for granted and they pass by without even being acknowledged. They are much more enjoyable and much more therapeutic when you soak it up.

I enjoyed a relaxed and happy coffee morning with the girls today, was productive at my desk and this afternoon Adoring Husband and I soaked up some sunshine, felt the sand between our toes and the wind in our hair as we walked along the beach hand in hand.

It was a glorious afternoon with lots of people swimming in the warm water and we were greeted by plenty of friendly dogs and puppies along the way.

I was grateful for some more time at my desk before preparing an easy dinner of leftover lamb shanks for Adoring Husband, while I enjoyed a toasted ham and salad sandwich. We opened and sliced our Christmas ham at lunch today. Yum!

A nice early night for me tonight. We have a BIG day planned for tomorrow, including an appointment with the financial advisor, lunch with the Best Cousin in the World and a movie date with AH to see 'Rogue One', among other things.

Have a lovely Wednesday!

Nite all.

Compassion and Individuality

The first card that I drew from my affirmation box:

"Compassion"

When you show greater compassion towards yourself, the universe automatically responds by showering you with greater blessings.

The second card I drew was from my Oracle Cards:

"Individuality"

We may all look superficially the same at first glance, but we each carry a unique genetic blueprint. You need to combat your fear and insecurities and acknowledge your personal gifts and power. Engage fully in your journey and integrate the lessons that you've experienced along the way. Don't embark on the journey if you plan on following the same way as everybody else. Add your own flavour to it and make it yours. Stop pretending that you're happy being just one of the crowd and begin seeing yourself as worthy of being heard. You have something to offer. You can, and will make a difference because you hold within your heart sacred knowledge that no-one else has, and now is the time to remember it, unveil it and share it with the world.

Kind of weird and appropriate don't you think?

Before I drew these cards, I had spent a frantic hour at the Post Office trying to figure out the cheapest and fastest way to send parcels to four different people in four very different locations.

It's not that I was poorly organised.

I had ordered some extra goodies online about a month ago and was waiting for them to arrive so that I could add them to the gifts that I'd already bought. Two weeks ago, I received an email to say that they've been shipped, BUT they are sill in transit as we speak and I just couldn't wait any longer! I should have known better than to order anything from overseas.

So today was as far as I could stretch the wait and I sent everything by Express Post. Now I have all my body parts crossed, hoping that they arrive at their destinations before Christmas!

I really worked up a sweat at the PO, so I figured I deserved another coffee haha.  From there, I stopped at The Motivator's house to get the address of one of the ladies who attended the Le Reve party. I wished her a Happy Christmas with her family, gave her partner, The Fisher King, some advice about being happy while surrounded by noisy family and headed home.

I threw some lamb shanks in the slow cooker with lamb and chicken stock from the freezer. 

There was little time to spend at my desk before the air conditioning guy came to measure up for a quote for the new AC system. He was here for about 45 minutes, climbing in the roof to quote for the ducted AC and then measuring walls, both inside and out, to quote for split system ACs.

The insurance company called and will send somebody else out to quote. We will get a couple of other quotes too. Whatever happens, it will be, at the very earliest, the beginning of February before anything gets done. We are preparing for a long hot Summer. 

I filled out more of my workbook and completed my list of 100 things to do in 2017. It was much easier to fill out this year, than it was last year. I don't think I even came up with 100 things last year! I must have a look at that list and see how many of them I actually completed.

Ok, I just checked the list ... I only thought of 78 things to put on the list last year and I completed 46 of them. Funnily enough, I have already listed the things that I didn't do last year, on this year's list!

We were supposed to attend a Christmas party at Cheelii lagoon this afternoon. It was organised by the people who live in that section of town, but the rain came down twice in the hour that the party was supposed to start and we decided that we didn't want to contend with the rain AND the sandflies. We must be getting old.

Well, our Christmas lights have gone to bed, so that's my cue to do the same.

Nite all. 

Stinker

Ugh! It was a stinker of a day today. Very hot and humid with not much of a breeze to cool things down.

After eating grilled fish and chips for lunch today, I felt like crap (why do I do this to myself?). After my body converted all those carbs to sugar and overloaded my liver and pancreas, I felt an overwhelming desire to nap.

I fell asleep at around 2pm and woke in a sweaty sauna at around 3pm. Even the fan directly on me and switched to 'high' had little effect.

I dragged myself out of bed and took my iPad out to the alfresco area, where it was shady and a lovely cool breeze was blowing through to make life much more pleasant. It took about fifteen minutes for my body temperature to reach a comfortable level and I kind of wished I had a hammock in which I could gently swing and doze!

I had a reasonably productive day at my desk and feel happy with my progress on the website. It's frustrating how the more I cross off my 'to do' list, the more I add to it! I'm wondering if I should start thinking along the lines of "less is more" and stop making it so complex.

Late this afternoon, we excitedly showered and dressed in preparation for meeting everybody at the pub to share a meal with Rebel Mardi and the Lifesaver, who were back in town to celebrate a friend's 70th birthday today.

There were about 22 of us filling two tables in the restaurant and there was lots of laughter and lots of catching up. We have such a nice group of friends and always have a good time when we get together for occasions like this.

It was especially lovely to chat with Rebel Mardi, who is looking happy and healthy. Her new life is obviously agreeing with her. The Lifesaver was his usual cheeky self and he too looks good!

Adoring Husband and I were the first to leave and AH is now (and has been since ten minutes after we arrived home) reclined in his chair, sound asleep and snoring loudly.

We've had a little rain tonight and there looks to be some more weather heading in this direction. It has certainly cooled things down outside.

It's 9.30pm and I'm going to attempt to have an early night.

Tomorrow is going to be a busy day, with Christmas parcels to be mailed, more Le Reve deliveries, the air conditioner guy coming to give us a quote and plenty more work on the website.

Nite all.