I’m late! I’m late! For a very important date!
It’s Taking Stock time again – the June edition – and here we are already powering our way through July! I had a bit of surgery so that kinda put a little spanner in the works for a while but I’ll get back on track.
My last Taking Stock post was in March 2022. Regular readers would know that I do them quarterly, so four times a year – March, June, September and December. So let’s get started on my second quarterly Taking Stock post for 2022.
Making: Progress with my eyes post surgery. Eye drops applied for two weeks out of the prescribed four so far!
Getting: Reacquainted with the Federal Government’s ‘My Aged Care‘ system, which is so complicated and convoluted, because we’ve received a letter advising that funding will be through in 3 months following Mum’s ACAT assessment approval for a Level 2 Home Care Package earlier this year (there’s only one higher level). We’ve been advised that we must have a provider ready within a certain number of days of that funding coming through or we lose it. I’ve got a provider coming over to talk to us next time I’m over at Mum’s. They’ve told me that the Level 2 funding will most likely only cover about 4 hours a week. To say that is disappointing is quite the understatement!!
Cooking: Lots of winter warming meals like soups and curries and risotto’s and chicken and pasta bakes and I even baked some scones and cookies. Oh dear – I’m making myself hungry!
Sipping: On a coffee as I type this.
Reading: Just recently finished ‘Queen Menopause‘ by Alison Daddo and really enjoyed it. Finished in within 2 days which says a lot! Found myself relating to SO MUCH of what she wrote and nodding along knowingly. I might do a blog post on this book one day soon.
Thinking: about my Dad a lot today (even had a cry). I miss him so much and sometimes it hits hard – like a knife to my heart.
Remembering: ♥EVA LEWIS♥ In the blogging world she is known as The Multitasking Woman (blog is here). I’ve known Eva since way back in 2012 or 2013 when I first started blogging. I didn’t know her closely but we crossed paths often especially in those earlier blogging years. She’s a happily married Mum of two young children. She was recently diagnosed with bowel cancer. It was early stages so she was very positive and hopeful about it all. She had surgery and all went well. There was a bit of time to heal and then commenced chemotherapy. She had an adverse reaction to her first chemo treatment and tragically lost her life. She had just turned 40 and was due to go away the next weekend with some girlfriends to celebrate. It’s a devastating loss and the news just broke my heart. Rest in peace dear Eva.
Looking: Forward to five nights away up at Mount Tamborine in August. It’s not far away and I’ve been up there a million times but we left booking anywhere way too late and lots of places were booked out. I love it up there anyway so five nights up there and away from my usual four walls will be heaven.
Listening: to the rain on the roof of our pergola as I type this. It’s 11.7° celcius here in Brisbane today and a grey rainy day.
Wishing: All I ever want is everyone I love to be safe, healthy and happy – so that is what I wish.
Enjoying: A lunch date at my childhood friend‘s parents house with Mum and my friend. They are like my ‘other’ parents as I grew up with them living down the back from us and I was at their house a lot! It was a lovely outing that both Mum and I enjoyed very much.
Appreciating: The skill of surgeons like my Ophthalmologist. I don’t like to think of a scalpel to my eyes but wow – they are clever.
Wanting: to get back into the mood for art – it seems to have gone awol!
Eating: too many snacks probably and I’ve gone off the tracks with my intermittent fasting.
Finishing: a crochet project is on my mind. In typical Gemini style I have many things on the go and can put one down and not pick it up again in years as another interest will consume my time! Here’s an Instagram post that shows the project I refer to.
View this post on Instagram
Liking: the fact that my eye surgery is done and dusted and all went much better than I was expecting!
Loving: the cold weather! I love it! It’s great to actually get to wear winter clothes and I love how snug and comfy sleep is at night under the doona. And basically, the break from dripping with sweat is very much enjoyed and appreciated!
Buying: Some clothes recently with some birthday money I was given.
Watching: Lots of Netflix lately! I watched all seasons of Somebody Feed Phil, and sometimes I get in the mood for a bit of ‘supernatural’ which I understand isn’t for everybody but I enjoyed watching the first season of Warrior Nun and am looking forward to Season 2 coming out as Season 1 finished on a cliffhanger (as they often do)! I’m currently on Season 3 of Stranger Things which I promised my nephew I’d watch – he’s a huge fan. It’s a bit gruesome at times I gotta say and not something I’d normally watch but I’ve persevered this far! On the topic of supernatural – a while ago I watched all three seasons of Manifest and really enjoyed it! It’s not all supernatural that I watch on Netflix though – I’ve watched plenty of movies and makeover shows and more! Two recent movies were Interceptor starring Elsa Pataky and Spiderhead starring her husband Chris Hemsworth. Loved them both despite the fact that I often had to cover my eyes in parts!!
Hoping: and praying that my elderly aunt who is in hospital with arthritic pain and contracted Covid from a nurse whilst in there will be OK and also hoping and praying that my cousin’s son who is undergoing treatment for Leukaemia and has had a really rough time of it will gain some weight and strength and soon be well and on the other side of all of this.
Wearing: daggy trackies and ugg boots! I’m not going anywhere and no-one will see me so comfort wins on a day like this!
Walking: nowhere today in this weather! However, a walk that will remain a special memory to me is the first walk I did post surgery with my dog Ava at the waterfront on a beautiful sunny winters day. It felt so good!
Following: my usually healthy routine has fallen by the wayside. It can be hard to keep it up when you live half your life at home and the other half over with your mother. Also – winter and also eye surgery and the order of no exercise for 2 weeks. Must get myself back on track asap!
Noticing: I’ve put on some winter weight and I’m not liking it at all. I need to start walking again and get back to my intermittent fasting. Along with my yoga and pilates, these things keep things ok for me but go off track and things soon begin to unravel.
Saving: my energy for activities and people that add value to my life – something I have to do as an ‘empath‘ because my energy drains so easily. One day I’ll write about this.
Waiting: for two weeks to be up (post surgery) so I can resume my yoga and pilates practice (at the time of typing this I will be resuming it tomorrow – yippee)!
Bookmarking: Quotes in the book ‘Queen Menopause‘ by Alison Daddo with sticky notes. She’s a girl after my own heart who can appreciate a really good quote!
Coveting: A holiday to New Zealand. I’ve never been and I would really love to go. The scenery over there is outstanding. The nature lover, photographer and artist within me must go there! Next year maybe.
Feeling: So lucky to be safe and warm at home. Lucky to have a home. Lucky to not be living in a war zone. Lucky to feel safe. Lucky to no longer have to commute to work every day. Lucky. Grateful.
Hearing: so much on the news about new Omicron strains and numbers of Covid deaths and numbers of those in hospital with either Covid and/or flu or both is getting to me – so less news I think.
Well there you go – a little glimpse of where things are at right now. There’s always so much more but this is a great snapshot and I find these posts so very helpful to look back on and remember what was happening for me at that time.
If you’d like to Take Stock also, just pop over to the creator of the Taking Stock concept, Pip’s blog – Meet Me At Mikes, and grab the list of word prompts from her last Taking Stock post which you’ll find HERE. As I do my Taking Stock posts quarterly the next one will be towards the end of September.
Ciao for now,
7 Comments
Hi Min, Glad to hear your eye surgery went better than expected. I hope you continue to enjoy a mild winter and your creative pursuits. Have a wonderful July!
Hi Natalie, thank you! Our winter has actually been colder than usual lately which I’ve loving but it’d be mild in comparison to your winters that’s for sure! Hope you have a great July too!
Hi Min – it sounds like it’s been a pretty good month for you – or at least it’s had some good outcomes with getting some extra care for your mum (even if it’s only 4hrs!) and getting your eyes operated on successfully. I know that sad feeling of weight creeping back on when you worked so hard to keep it under control. Since my daily walks came to an abrupt end I’ve noticed the gradual increase on the scales – I’m going to have to figure out a way around it, or learn to accept it until I’m back on track again….the mind is willing but the body isn’t co-operating!
Hi Leanne, I guess there is nothing to complain about for my June this year! As you said – there has been some good outcomes! Ugh the weight creep. Loosen the reins just a little and it starts creeping back – it’s the menopause thing! I have been planning on getting back into walking but first it was too hot, then it just wouldn’t stop raining, then it’s hard to get into a routine when I’m not always at home. I just need to get the mindset right and commit! Hope you’re keeping well. I need to catch up on your news – I’m a bit out of touch of late!
Lovely to catch up with your recent times. Very glad the eye surgery went so well. Aged care is so challenging in all the requirements! Dad has a package but not really needing to use it ..hope you get your Mum’s sorted ok . Pretty understandable that tears continue to flow for your dad- such an important and loved person in your life. Eva’s death was a big shock to me as well. Early death never seems to make sense. Hope you art mojo returns soon.
Denyse
Hi Denyse and thank you! I’m very pleased the eye surgery is over with and went well too! We’ve been kind of hoping the Home Care Package would provide some care hours so that my sister and I could reduce the time we’re over at Mum’s a little more to help get better life balance etc. Maybe it will help with that but it might need to be supplemented with privately financed care from us as well to bulk up the hours a but more. Not sure yet as it depends on $$’s. The talk with the provider I’m meeting with next week will be interesting. As for Dad – I think I will have tearful moments missing him for the rest of my life. I think of him every single day but some days or moments still get me bad like yesterday. I hope my art mojo returns soon too. I think I’ve just felt a bit overwhelmed with so much on my plate and haven’t felt ‘free’ to indulge in some art lately. Also – my post surgery healing eyes of course! xo
lots of news there! I have a cataract which has to come off in the not too distant future. not looking forward to that. I love manly boat harbour, and i really want to try the boathouse restaurant out there. Aged care is such a minefield isn’t it? I remember going thru it with hubby’s mum. I must have been lucky with menopause; i had no symptoms except insomnia but i’ve had that for a long time anyway. no hot flushes or other things. I lost 10 kg over the last year but winter fat is piling on a bit. I’ve told hubby that come the SPring weather, it’s back to corn thins and no dairy, and no carbs 🙂 Have a great July, well august as july is nearly dead in the water….