It’s time for my last quarterly Taking Stock post for 2022. Here’s where you can catch up on any previous Taking Stock posts if you’re interested.
For the very first time I’ve decided to use the A-Z prompts for Taking Stock which is Denyse’s variation of the original concept and word prompts of Pip’s.
So, let’s go!
Admiring: confidence and business nous. I’ve discovered I’m a creative and not at all business minded!
Becoming: more introspective and spiritually minded as I get older. I see the joy and magic in simple things and I’m aware of the non essential things that clutter our lives more clearly now.
Curious: about life and its purpose. Following on from ‘becoming’, I am learning that we are all here for a reason, be it big or small, and that life is a journey of learnings and lessons and that most importantly, we are so much more than the bodies that we are in.
Delighted: to have recently done another art mentoring module with Natalie of Studio Yellow & signed up to another in the new year. Then I’ve done all eight modules!
Excited: is sadly not something I feel enough of these days but if and when I get the holiday booked to New Zealand for next year I will be excited once I step on to the plane and am on my way!
Feeling: the Christmas Spirit start to come on board now that I’ve put some decorations up. I am determined to soak up and enjoy this Christmas despite the busyness that surrounds it.
Going: out to dinner at Manly Boathouse restaurant for my twin’s 30th birthdays on 19 November was a fun night! How can I possibly be a mother to 30 year olds??
Helping: my mother at this phase of her life is a no brainer and a privilege. I’ll do anything I can to keep her as safe, happy and as well as possible.
Imploring: my dog Ava to pahleeese stop barking and going crazy when visitors arrive and when they leave! Seriously, I think I need a dog behaviour expert to help me out with this problem that has developed as she’s gotten older. She is only happy when guests are seated as then she’s not worried that they will leave!
Joking: around and being a bit silly can help us cope with difficult times and is a great tonic to lift our spirits. There was lots of that at my one and only Christmas party – my art social club Christmas lunch and Secret Santa outing which was very much enjoyed.
Knowing: that this Christmas is going to be very hard for people I know and love and many others pulls at my heart. I have some insight. It was 5 years since my Dad passed away on 2 December. This will be our 6th Christmas without him.
Loving: my outing with my friend Jo to see the musical ‘Mary Poppins’. What a fabulous production – loved it! We had lunch first and then the musical and always enjoy each other’s company very much.
Making: lots of healthy salads and wraps and delicious dinners. I needed to change up my eating habits a bit to shift a few kg’s and feel a bit less sluggish. Here’s a really yummy carrot salad recipe I shared to my social media recently after receiving a few Instagram DM’s requesting it (I had shared the making of the salad in my Insta stories).
Carrot Salad recipe
Next: year I hope to get back into my art a lot more. Maybe I’ll do another challenge to get me on my way again?
Observing: the horrible comments I see on social media (not my social media) these days, especially news articles, is a sad reflection of society today, which is why I rarely look anymore!
Posting: here on the blog regularly once every week for a while now so well done me, especially cos it’s been a difficult year and I’m not always at home.
Questioning: myself, my purpose, my talents, my goals, my direction … and more, always. This kinda links in with what I said under ‘becoming’ and ‘curious’.
Reading: recipes for glazing a ham and making White Christmas is in my near future as I’ll be doing both for the first time very soon! If you’re wondering why it’s a first time, you can find out in my ‘Christmas Spirit‘ post.
Staying: home for Christmas this year will be a joy! I am hosting Christmas this year so will not be on the roads at all on the day which is a first. Back when the kids were little we used to have breakfast at home, open Santa gifts etc, then off to ‘the tennis players’ side of the family for lunch, then home for a shower and a rest if we had time, then over to my parents house (other side of town) for Christmas dinner. Then when dinner being a main event became too much for my parents, we alternated having Christmas lunch between families each year. Then it reached the stage where I needed to be with my parents for Christmas day, then Mum for Christmas day, so we began celebrating Christmas early with the The Tennis Player’s family so basically we have 2 x Christmas days!
Trying: to understand why bad things can happen to such good people.
Understanding: that life is short really does help get priorities in order.
Viewing: a lot of daggy Christmas movies on Netflix lately. Easy viewing providing some great down time.
Welcoming: the delights of ducted aircon during recent ‘heatwave’ days. I’ve yet to have my first swim in the pool for the season but I don’t think it is far away!
eXtreme: sports will not be on the agenda for our New Zealand trip even though NZ is famous for them!
Yes: to surviving a very difficult 2022 and yes to thriving during 2023!
Zzz: I wish I could sleep a full 8 hours and until a bit later in the mornings!
Well that was a bit of fun and something a bit different. Thanks Denyse for the A-Z word prompts!
If you’ve read this far, I’d like to wish you a very Merry Christmas and all my very best wishes for good health and a happy and fulfilling 2023. I hope you have a wonderful Christmas with your family and get some days to rest and relax too. My thoughts and heart and with those of you who will find this Christmas hard for whatever reason. I see you. You’re in my heart and thoughts and I am confident that you are strong and will make it through the day the best you can.
This is my last post for 2022. I’ll be back sometime in January. I’m not going to give a date. I’ll be back when I feel rested and ready. Ahhh this being my own boss thing is cool! Merry Christmas to you and cheers to a fabulous 2023 ahead for us all.
Ciao for now,
Linking up with Denyse Whelan’s ‘Wednesday’s Words and Pics‘
14 Comments
This was great Min, isn’t it fun mixing up the Taking Stock prompts? I enjoyed all your answers and can relate to many. Well done on regular blogging and your artwork you’ve achieved a lot during a not so easy year and here’s to a better 2023! Merry Christmas from me 🙂
Hi Debbie, thank you! Yes it was fun to do Denyse’s A-Z version for a change. Merry Christmas from me to you too!
Great catch-up. I hear you on the zz’s & noticed a pic of melatonin…does that work? I’m also watching (way too many) Christmas movies on Netflix. Now, get that holiday to NZ booked already!
Thanks Jo! The Melatonin does have an effect for me but I can still have bad nights when I’ve taken it. I think maybe it depends on what is on my mind?? I’m complicated! I haven’t taken it for a while. I think sometimes these things have a better effect when you haven’t taken them for a while. If you have them too often your body adjusts. My thoughts anyway. Yes I need to get NZ booked! I’ve just been so busy and there is some debate between the tennis player and myself over whether we do both islands within the 3 weeks or just the south island for 3 weeks which has held things up! Sigh!
I love a Taking Stock post Min, and really enjoyed reading yours. Well done on completing your art modules and signing up for another. I can tell that they have contributed to your happiness this year. I share your thoughts on missing loved ones at Christmas. It does make Christmas difficult for many, including myself. I’d also love to get a full nights sleep. I’ve tried just about every natural remedy but nothing has worked. I try not to stress about it now, and just spend the early hours reading. Makes it difficult when there’s an early start at work though.
Thanks Jennifer! I really haven’t done enough art this year. Last year was much more fruitful in that dept but it’s been great to fit in one module of art mentoring to help inspire me to get back into it and I look forward to another module early next year. That’ll be the last one then. I’ve tried just about everything to help my sleep too. Lately I get some good solid sleep – just not enough of it. 6 hours is the maximum I ever get and if I get that I am happy. It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to sleep 8+ hours. I’m always awake anywhere from 4-5am usually. Hope you can enjoy your Christmas this year xo
Hi Min – your post was quite deep and introspective for one of these more superficially themed ones. I can see that you’re drilling down on who you are and what you want out of life – I think as we begin to have more time to look inwards we start shedding the clutter and focusing in on what truly matters to us. I find I’m doing it even more now I’m in my 60’s and I hear it increases as we age further – I think I might have to write a blog post about that next year! Merry Christmas x
Hi Leanne, yes I’ve been quite introspective and deep for some time! As you know, as we get older and there’s less years ahead of us then behind us, we want to make the most of them and live them in a way that makes us the happiest and most fulfilled … so we look within to really examine what is important to us and what is not and what we enjoy etc etc It’s interesting to hear you say that this increases even more as we age further! I look forward to the blog post you write on the subject. Merry Christmas to you too! xo
Thanks for the shout out and using the A-Z prompts. I know I used to enjoy ‘going for it’ with a taking stock and then looking back to what I wrote before. Interestingly for some years, some of the prompts (when I used Pip’s ) I wrote the same things, then after a while, I had moved on. There is something about drawing out your thoughts along with emotion to do a Taking Stock.
I hope your Christmas Day goes well.
I look forward to seeing you when and if you are ready to link up again. The link up is back Wed 4 January.
Thank you for your loving support of my blog too!
Denyse.
Hi Denyse, I too find it interesting to look back on previous years Taking Stock posts. I’ve been doing it for several years now so there’s plenty to look back on! It was fun to do your A-Z version for a change. Merry Christmas to you! I hope you have a wonderful day with your family. Not sure when I’ll be back with my next blog post but it’ll be in January sometime. I can never stay away for long! xo 🎄🎅
I hope I can follow your good lead a become more of my own boss in the coming year. That would translate into more scrapbooking, crafting, writing, and a cleaner house!!
In a strange way, I have been more at peace this Christmas despite missing my mom very much on this first Christmas without her. Mom really, really disliked the holidays and had 2 suicide attempts at this time of year. So knowing that she is finally at peace has allowed me to relax a little and be more at peace myself.
Enjoy your time away. But hope to see you back at blogging in the not so distant future.
Merry Christmas!!
Hi Leslie, oh that is so sad for you all about your Mum and her suicide attempts, and of course the fact that this is your first Christmas without her. This was my 6th Christmas without Dad and I seem to miss him more and more with every year that passes! I hope your peaceful feeling going into Christmas continued and that you had a wonderful day. Let’s hope that 2023 will be a good year for us all! xo
Your post makes me want to write again. Lovely words of introspection.
Hi Caz – your comment absolutely made my day … and encourages me to keep blogging! Thank you so much! It’s very hard to be open and vulnerable on the internet but truth and honesty is the only thing people can relate to and connect with and so that is what I do (within reason). Please do write again – it’s so good for the soul – and I’m sure what you write will help others. xo