14 Small Wins Since We Last Spoke
I love blog posts like these, little life updates since the last time (May 7th if you were wondering). Not only is it a cheap and easy way to get back into blogging but it’s also a nice nosey into my life for you, and a nice reminder of memories made for me.
So yet again, here we go, 14 small wins since the last one of these…..
1 . A N N I V E R S A R Y
The last one of these I posted, as stated above, was May 7th and that was actually mine and my husband’s 11 year anniversary. Married for one (and a bit by now) but together for 11 long year since we were kids, we managed to celebrate by heading for a walk down the beach with the dog as stay local restrictions had lifted and topped it off with a McDonalds and live streamed Labour win the Welsh Assembly elections. We know how to live.
2 . N E X T L E V E L Z O O M
Whilst the majority of the world is sick of zooms, muttering the words ‘you’re on mute’ and glitchy tech, me and my family spent a lot of the last few months upping our game. Earlier in the year when visits were limited to outdoors only, we celebrated a number of family birthdays with zoom quizzes and they just got better and better. I think we peaked with Eurovision earlier in the year which was complete with fancy dress (I was Greece) but ask me again when we’ve done a festive one….
3 . D O U B L E J A B B E D B A B Y
As of July 2nd 2021 my husband and I received our second covid vaccination which means we are double jabbed and free to go about as we please*. Truly, the vaccine rollout was one of the biggest successes of our time and I have never been more thankful for the NHS and my local government.
4 . G A R D E N E R S W O R L D
We let our garden get severely neglected over the autumn winter and it’s taken a few weekends to get it right again but oh what a difference it makes. My Mum potted up the planters outside the house with tulips and daffodils and strawberries and we weeded the beds, cut down the brambles and swept and washed the patio and it makes the world of difference to look outside and see it tidy and full of colour.
5 . M O R E M O R N I N G S
My husband changed jobs back in July and it’s meant a whole new routine and way of life for us. His early starts and early finishes mean a 6am wake up and whilst my evenings have somewhat vanished, my mornings are longer than ever. Long gone are the nights of planning ahead for the next day, now there’s hours laid out in front of me before I log into my emails and whilst the summer mornings in the daylight have been lovely, I am not overly excited for the darker days.
6 . Q U A L I T Y T I M E
Back in June my in laws had some work done to their home office which happens to be adjacent to mine so rather than disrupt my work and have the backdrop of drilling to every Teams call, I moved to my parents house for a few days. I set up shop in their box room with a put up table as makeshift desk and slept on their single bed. It was cramped, I forgot my Mum wakes early and my Dad sleeps late but I had all my meals made for me, got to walk with my Mum in person and my nieces left me cute post it notes when they were playing downstairs.
7 . S T U P I D D A I L Y W A L K S
I made this joke last time but that meme is still my fav. My Mum and I started walking for an hour each morning in lockdown one and we’re still at it, 3-4 days a week. I step out of the front door at my end, she steps out of the back door at hers and off we jaunt in separate villages on the phone to one another - and seemingly never run out of anything to talk about ever.
8 . M I N I M E
These sunny little figures are my shining light and we’ve enjoyed many an adventure in the last few months. The highlight though was finally getting to have them back in my house, where the oldest hadn’t been since February 2020 and the youngest December 2019. I took the afternoon off work back in August when childcare arrangements were sought after and they breezed in like they’d never been away. We went for a big long lake walk, had ice creams for tea and a truly wonderful time.
9 . A T H A N K Y O U
Sometimes, often I find, the smallest of gestures go the longest mile. I have mentioned a few times the regular freelance job I have and last summer and this, I had to produce a virtual event in place of a usual face to face one and it requires a big effort. This time it took days and thankfully a very flexible furlough scheme and the committee of the organisation gave me these beauties as a little thank you which was very much appreciated.
10 . I N D I A N S U M M E R
Whilst August was a wash out, September gave us the summer we were meant to have. I had to stamp the temperature on this selfie snapped in work one day but in reality I think it went up to 30 for the odd few days and it was a blissful last hurrah. Back out were the sandals, the fake tan returned and the sticky skin of suncream and oh it feels a long time ago already.
11 . D A Y T R I P S
As I alluded to in my last blog post, I have managed to get out and about in tiny amounts, always outdoors but none the less glorious to be somewhere new. In the summer I treated my Mum to a day in the National Botanic Gardens of Wales and the following week she took me to a National Trust Property the other side of Newport. We also went out to two country parks with my brother’s family and I even hopped an hour down the motorway to Dewstone Gardens to meet one of my besties.
12 . E A S Y L I K E S U N D A Y M O R N I N G
Sunday’s are the day of the week where everything feels normal again and it’s been like that for some months now. Sunday’s have been a tradition in my family since my youngest niece was small and we all congregate at my parents house for a roast and lots of playing time and it’s a bit hot mess of bodies and babies and loud noises. We’ve been able to all be together to do that now since June and it’s continued for most of the summer with few interruptions and I am praying it continues into the winter as this time last year we were all split up again with lockdowns.
13 . L A S T O F T H E L U N C H B R E A K S
With the heatwave came a lunch time carved for myself which I managed about 3 weeks before the weather turned and wondered why hadn’t I done it for the entire three years I’ve worked in an office. I am desperately trying to carve some sort of boundaries with work at the moment and one I loved was taking myself out of the office and the inevitable temptation to answer the phones or check that email. I took a fresh baguette and some fruit and sat in the park up the road, sandals off and sunglasses on and it was a joy.
14 . C H A N G I N G O F T H E S E A S O N S
And now, we find ourselves in October and the seasons are definitely changing. This week has been wet, windy and grey but the mornings have been fresh, had that crisp cold air lingering and has felt like bobble hat weather is fast approaching. My morning walks have moved from shorts and trainers to boots and a gilet and as much as I am a summer lover, I’m not hating the cosying up and the way the autumn morning light hits.
Until next time besties…..