Taking Stock – December 2020

It’s time for my quarterly Taking Stock – December 2020 post, the final Taking Stock post for the year and the final post for 2020.  Here’s where you can see the other three – March 2020, June 2020, and September 2020, and if you’re so inclined – ALL of my Taking Stock posts over several years.

Here we are at the tail end of 2020. Let’s hope it’s the tail end of all the drama and trauma that was 2020. Here’s cheers to a more peaceful and carefree 2021!

Making:  lots of lists to help me prepare and get organised for Christmas.
Cooking:  lots of new recipes to try lately – at least one new one per week.

Sipping:  water as much as I can manage cos I know I don’t drink enough of it!
Reading:  is still hard for me to concentrate on but I’ll not give up and keep trying.
Waiting:  for parcels to arrive is a fun thing!
Looking:  forward to another getaway or holiday. Nothing planned yet but hopefully after school holidays.
Listening:  to the rain & wind was a nice change. We’ve had a bit of a weather event here in Brisbane. Photo’s below show a little of the clean up. No real damage except my newly planted Agapanthus flowers along the front fence all got stripped bare. See this Facebook post for before and after clean up footage that shows more.

Here’s a few video’s of my dog & cats watching the weather event through the back window. These videos don’t show the weather at its worst. The worst was around lunchtime on Monday 14 December – cyclonic!

Wishing:  for life to feel a bit more normal next year and of course for an end to the pandemic.
Enjoying:  the rain we’ve had. I love it for the lawns and gardens and water tanks and I love the atmosphere of it – getting cosy & warm indoors with a hot drink and book – heaven!  I even wrote about this love of mine here – Rainy Days, White Noise & Hygge.
Appreciating:  Home and family and health and all the basic but most important things.
Eating:  a good balanced diet is the aim of the game and why I do a weekly meal plan when I do the weekly shopping list. Doesn’t mean I’m perfect though. Far from it!
Liking:  a break from the hot and humid weather, even though it was short lived.
Loving:  on a superficial level – my new phone [I’m the proud new owner of an iPhone 12 Pro (Gold)], my new sandals, and my new dress, and on a less superficial level – catching up with friends over coffee, breakfast or lunch, spending time with my pets, and pottering around the house and garden.

Buying:  Christmas gifts and a couple of sneaky things for myself in the Black Friday sales (see above).
Managing:  some pretty crappy peri/menopausal symptoms much better since seeing a Naturopath.
Watching:  the rain is therapeutic!
Hoping:  that everyone stays safe in this rain event which is still ongoing south of here and that 2021 is a better year than 2020.
Wearing:  short pj pants and then back to long pj pants and then short pj’s again – the weather is nuts here at the moment!
Following:  the news too closely and regularly is bad for your state of mind!
Noticing:  that extreme weather events elevate my anxiety levels.
Sorting:  through the Christmas decorations deciding which ones to put up. Some are looking  bit worse for wear!
Getting:  organised for Christmas has involved a lot of online shopping!
Bookmarking:  Netflix Christmas themed movies to watch. I love them!
Coveting:  a getaway or holiday. We’ve been nowhere since the few nights at Ballandean in July. I feel the pull to go somewhere new to explore and discover.
Feeling:  sentimental and reflective. On Monday 14 December, it was my niece Isabelle’s 18th birthday. How did she become 18 so quickly? 

Hearing:  Ava’s snores as usual and it’s a comfort to me – so familiar and a very common background noise here at home! Ava is my dog – for anyone new to the blog.

Well that’s my last post for 2020. The next post will be in January 2021 sometime – whenever the whim takes me! The next Taking Stock post will be towards the end of March 2021.

Merry Christmas and best wishes for a  much less dramatic 2021!  Please stay safe on the roads, and remember that though the pandemic may be under control at the moment here in Australia we still need to be cautious and socially distance and practice good hand hygiene.  Off my soapbox now.  Have a wonderful Christmas and remember to take time out to relax!

I don’t want much for Christmas. I just want the person reading this to be healthy, happy and loved! 

Ciao for now,