My Daybook: 22nd August, 2021

Outside my window…

it’s another lovely, warm day. Winter officially ends in ten days, reality is Spring weather arrived weeks ago

I am thankful…

to live on our property in the Australian bush. I’m extremely cognisant that life with Covid restrictions is extremely tough for many of our fellow Australians, including many family members.  Life for us, particularly our children, hasn’t been impacted as severely as our City dwellers

I am thinking…

about my two morning runs this week, 5km each. I’ve finally managed to run 5km without stopping again, mental breakthrough! It’s actually rather surprising how quickly I’ve regained lost ground

Learning all the time…

This Term, Term 3, has been our best term this year thus far! Whilst the children are desperately missing their friends, thanks to Covid restrictions, having no outside distractions has enabled us to ‘knuckle down’ and get our work done. We’re just ‘smashing it’

Celebrating the liturgical year……

with lockdown for all of Regional NSW this means we are back to ‘attending Mass’ online. Whilst it’s obviously not the ideal situation, there is still beauty in the rhythm of gathering together on a Sunday morning, our online Mass of choice is Fr Rob Galea, we just love his homilies and how the children, even the youngest, listen and discuss what he said throughout the day

From the kitchen…

whilst the Mandarin tree was giving forth an abundance of fruit we ate and ate. I even made mandarin jam for the first time. Now the Lemon tree is overflowing and I’m trialing new recipes, some have been well received and some were flops. I’ve made lemon butter, lemon self saucing pudding, lemon slice and lemon custard slice. I’m open to more suggestions. And now the orange trees are bearing fruit

I am creating…

‘to do’ lists. A friend put me onto breaking down my continual running lists into weekly bites. Laying them out onto one page divided into quarter page sections, for each list. I’ve just upped it a notch and designated days, using colour highlighters

I am working on…

those ‘to do’ lists, they’re designed to help me get my mojo back. Mojo for blogging and the database plans. Also to help in juggling everyday life ‘to do’s,’ it’s amazing just how long that list is. As soon as it’s completed it grows again, rapidly

I am going…

nowhere, lockdown here in Regional NSW has just been extended until the end of August. Mostly though I’m worried about family and friends and all fellow Australians in Western Sydney and Victoria who have been in lockdown for many, many weeks and months. So concerned over the mental health of all

I am hoping…

that one morning we’ll wake up and discover we’re no longer in the middle of a pandemic

I am praying…

• for friends and family who have been in lockdown for so long
• for our Nation during this pandemic, so many needs on so many fronts
• for all those effected worldwide by Covid 19
• for Afghanistan, oh my heart breaks
• for our Australian Defense Force members who fought in Afghanistan
• for a family friend’s parents in Sri Lanka who have Covid
• my sister who is in the last trimester of her first babe. We’ve missed her Wedding, and now her baby shower due to State Border closures
• for our son and his fiancée as they prepare for their Wedding in these uncertain times
• for a dear friend and her whole family as they begin their journey towards entering the Catholic Church
• for Peace, that we rest in Him

I am pondering….

about the recent release of Moto Proprio. Living in a Country diocese we haven’t had a lot of opportunities to attend Latin Mass, though on the rare occasions we have I have sensed a beauty just beyond my grasp.  My concern is this Apostolic Letter will further the feeling that Church leaders simply do not value what the Catholic Faithful want, whether you simply want to Worship in a way that the Church has sanctioned for Centuries, or any Catholic Faithful

I am reading…

PC has been reading the Hobbit each night to our two youngest, (10 & 7) they are loving it. I just love listening to him read to them. I’m just about to start reading All the Green Year to our three teens, perfect for the boys in particular. It’s a coming of age, Australian novel, set in the Depression

I am listening to……

Masters 22 and 15 talk to each other as they play a computer game together, brother time

I am hearing…

the drill as PC and Jelly Bean (17) work on a building project outside. The other children as they work and play throughout the house

I am struggling…

on the home front we’re all good here. Though I’m struggling with concern for our adult children in Western Sydney, and all our friends and family members in lockdown in Western Sydney and Victoria

Clicking around…

being mindful to click away from the News regularly, it’s important to take mental health breaks. To rest in Him

Around the house…

home making and building. Spring cleaning is in earnest here. I’m sourcing furniture to deal with visual clutter, re-organising and throwing out ‘stuff’. Such a fantastic feeling.

We have also undertaken and completed a couple of major building/demolition projects over the last couple of weeks, I’ll share soon

One of my favorite things…

our home, so blessed for this Sanctuary. Having our home threatened by the fires of 2019/2020 and now the challenge of Covid lockdowns, I’m deeply appreciating what a Sanctuary our home, our land is. We are so blessed

A few plans for this week…

whilst lockdown continues until the end of the month, life will mostly roll along as normal for us.  All four adults in this home are essential workers so their regular rhythm stays the same. For our learning children, other than not seeing their friends, their learning at home continues as normal. Our only change is we can’t attend Mass. Really we are so much fortunate than others

A little peek at my day…

a lazy start to the morning, feeling sore from yesterday’s demolition project, then online Mass with Fr Rob surrounded by our children. Slightly assisted PC and Jelly Bean with a building project and worked on blog posts. Folded baskets of washing in the younger children’s bedroom, what a mess!