Taking Stock – December 2020

December 17, 2020

A batch of Banana Bread for the troops – using up some overripe bananas

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.

Slow Cooked Beef in red wine with pappardelle

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,

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10 Comments

  • Reply Natalie December 17, 2020 at 9:15 am

    Hi Min, I enjoyed reading your Taking Stock post and beautiful photos. I hope the severe weather has passed. Your food and banana loaves make me hungry 🙂 Wishing you and your family a beautiful Christmas and a happy New Year! #lovin’lifelinky

    • Reply Min December 17, 2020 at 5:56 pm

      Thanks Natalie, no more severe weather here but we’ve had more rain. There’s lots of flooding about but we’ve been lucky and are not directly affected. Have a wonderful Christmas! xo

  • Reply Leanne | www.crestingthehill.com.au December 17, 2020 at 10:08 am

    Hi Min – always great to catch up on your news and to see all your photos. Loved the animals looking out the window at the storm (I bet they were very happy to be inside!) I hope you have a wonderful Christmas with your family and that 2021 brings you a bucket load of joy and positivity xx

    • Reply Min December 17, 2020 at 5:57 pm

      Hi Leanne and thank you! I take waaayyy too many videos of my lovely pets. I love them all. Each with their own unique personality. I hope you have a wonderful Christmas with your family and I look forward to reading your thoughts and adventures during 2021! xo

  • Reply Sanch @ Sanch Writes December 17, 2020 at 3:03 pm

    Lovely to catch up on your news Min! That slow-cooked beef looks divine! I hear about extreme weather. Love your cats and I’m so glad they were foster fails! I hope you have a wonderful festive season and look forward to more posts in 2021!

    • Reply Min December 17, 2020 at 5:59 pm

      Hi Sanch, thank you! I am such a softie when it comes to animals. I’m not surprised I foster failed. Sigh! I would like to save them all! I hope you get a break from work over the Christmas/New Year period and have a fabulous time. Cheers to an awesome 2021! xo

  • Reply Laurie December 18, 2020 at 1:34 am

    I enjoyed reading your taking stock post, Min. The videos of your cats and dog watching the rain were wonderful – almost meditative. I am wishing for life to feel somewhat normal again too and longing to travel (maybe to Australia from the US?). Happy Holidays and hope to see you sometime in the New Year!

    • Reply Min December 19, 2020 at 7:44 pm

      Hi Laurie – I’m so pleased you enjoyed the video’s of my pets. I was worried I was going to be boring people with them! Like you, I find them so relaxing to watch. I’m longing to travel too! I do hope you get to visit Australia one day soon. If you do, I’m sure there are many of us bloggers that would love to meet up with you! Have a wonderful Christmas and I look forward to catching up with your adventures in the new year! xo

  • Reply Pradeep December 22, 2020 at 5:59 pm

    What a year this has been. Though there has been so much distress around the world, for all of us it’s has also been a time to introspect, get organised, find avenues to spend our time more usefully and more importantly to stay healthy. I hope and pray that 2021 will only get better in every way for all of us.

    My lastest post
    The unsung hero of 2020

    • Reply Min January 11, 2021 at 2:22 pm

      Happy New Year Pradeep! Apologies for taking so long to reply to your comment. I took a much needed break from the blog. I hope and pray that 2021 will see an improvement in the state of the world and things will soon be better too!

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