What I’ve Been Up To Today.
For many years I have attempted to start a regular journal/diary of what I have been up to.
Notice I used the word ‘attempted’? Because all these attempts fizzled out after a few weeks, and I found a new shiny thing to take up my interest.
Well I am determined to not let that happen this time. Even if this becomes a weekly chat/update/journal of life for a retired teacher enjoying life in a small community on the Tasman Peninsula.
So, what have I been up to today?
An early morning cold water swim, with hot drink/muffins/chat following.
Home for a warm shower, a spot of housecleaning – not too much because I need something to fill in time tomorrow.
Coffee and New York Times puzzles, chat with hubby to plan bathroom renovations.
Meet at my local pharmacy for a Heart Foundation walk along the foreshore. And of course lots more chat.
I’m exploring neurographica art and took the next step of committing Sharpies ( not the gold ones the Tangerine Turd has) to canvas. I might even share some pics here.
Now waiting for our grocery delivery. Life here is as full and wonderful as you want to make it. Joining is key to fitting into a small community. Try it. Come on down to Tassie.
May 22nd. A much needed sleep in today after a few sleepless nights with restless legs syndrome. This is a silent disease that robs sufferers of sleep and all the benefits it has. A good night’s sleep is when the body repairs/updates and keeps us all going. Without a restful,replenishing sleep a person cannot function in the real world. Multiple nights of no rest, with legs wanting to run the London Marathon each night, leaves me feeling like a zombie…..so this morning’s sleep in was much needed.
Despite the late start to the day I still managed to get another area of the garden dug up,weeded and mulched ready for native plants to go in come spring time.
Inside for a late lunch and the rest of the day spent focusing on crocheting another beanie for hubby and practising some neurographic art.
May 23rd started with a morning swim in the cooling waters. Crystal clear and invigorating, just the thing to set me up for a great day ahead. Home for coffee and a late breakfast.
It’s gloomy and only 11c degrees outside so an inside day finishing off the new beanie, blogging and watching the #Bondi Treasure Hunter on You Tube.
Well what happened to May 24th and 25th? If you can find those days posts please let me know…..hmmm
Anyways on to May 26th – Tuesday. Finally feeling like the real Peninsula winter weather has arrived this week. Cold and wet. Our morning swim was short and quick. Looking like an inside day with short bursts of cleaning/tidying and chill out time, probably You Tube rabbit holes.
May 27th, Wednesday – I used Chatgpt AI to write today’s blog post. what do you think?
There’s something oddly satisfying about a day that feels both productive and quietly comforting at the same time. Today unfolded in that exact rhythm — a mix of routine, travel, appointments, and small pleasures that made the long hours feel grounded.
The morning began slowly with a late breakfast, the kind that blurs the line between breakfast and lunch and somehow makes the day feel less rushed from the outset. It was a gentle start before heading to knitting group, where conversation and creativity filled the room in equal measure. There’s always something calming about the steady rhythm of knitting needles and the easy flow of chatter that comes with familiar company.
From there, the day shifted gears with travel to Hobart for nerve conduction tests. Medical appointments have a way of making time feel suspended — waiting rooms, clinical conversations, and the quiet mental preparation beforehand all carry their own atmosphere. Still, there was relief in simply getting it done and moving on with the day.
By evening, comfort became the priority. On the way home, takeaway Vietnamese food seemed like exactly the right choice: warm, fragrant, and requiring absolutely no effort beyond opening the containers. After a long day, that kind of dinner feels like a small luxury.
The night wound down in the best possible low-energy way — watching YouTube content and working through puzzles on the New York Times app. A little entertainment, a little mental exercise, and the familiar satisfaction of slowly solving clues while the day settled into quietness.
Not every day needs to be extraordinary to feel complete. Sometimes a good day is simply one that moves steadily from one moment to the next, ending with full stomachs, tired minds, and the comforting sense that everything important was handled.
May 29th Almost the end of another month and heading towards half way through 2026. I reckon the years get shorter as we age…..much like our height…we shrink.Today began with a walk and the weather looked gloomy, low clouds, quiet. The only sounds were birds on the water and the occasional vehicle. I met a friend who was also out walking, taking in the wonders of where we live and the peacefulness of it all. We both are retired teachers, and discussed the joys of no longer having to work, and how this lovely place we call home feeds our souls.
At home I finished a slow breakfast, followed by coffee and planned the rest of the day. Not much on the radar so a load of washing went in the machine, then I looked around the dining room fireplace and mantle. What a cluttered dust and spider web collecting area this is. Hubby and I have always planned, or rather talked about planning, a routine to declutter our house. It is what we describe as a tiny house….before tiny houses were a thing. But seriously it is a bit bigger than what most people know as a tiny house. So now I have a very clean and tidy area….small beginnings but not overwhelmed and with a renewed energy to push on and declutter 1 area or space a day.
A Weekend I Wasn’t Ready For
This weekend felt like standing on the edge of goodbye.
Our beautiful dog Charli has been struggling badly with arthritis, and by Friday night I honestly thought we were approaching the decision every pet owner dreads. The kind of decision you know comes from love, but still feels impossible to carry.
On Saturday morning I went for a swim, trying to clear my head and calm the heaviness sitting in my chest. The water gave me a brief sense of quiet, but my thoughts kept returning to Charli and the reality we might be facing. Later that afternoon I swam again, more for emotional survival than exercise. Sometimes movement is the only thing that softens fear for a little while.
All weekend my mind swung between acceptance and denial. One moment I was preparing myself to let her go peacefully, and the next I was searching for signs that maybe she still had more life left in her.
On Sunday the vet came to our home. I was bracing for the worst. Instead, after examining Charli, we decided to try new pain medication first.
And then something unexpected happened.
Charli looked better.
Not magically healed. Not suddenly young again. But more comfortable. More settled. More present. She moved easier. Her eyes looked softer. The house itself seemed to exhale.
Of course, I know the medication is covering the pain, not curing the arthritis. I understand that. But maybe that’s not the point right now. Maybe comfort matters more than fixing what can’t be fixed.
This weekend reminded me how complicated love can be when animals grow old. There’s no clear line telling you when it’s time. There’s only watching, hoping, questioning, grieving before grief officially arrives.
For now, Charli is still here. Still with us.
And for now, that is enough.
An emotional week and happy ending.
Wow, what an emotional roller coaster of a week we have been on with our dog Charli.
She is a Johnson’s American Bulldog and a very much loved member of our family. We adopted her in 2019 from the Dog’s Home in Hobart. She was picked up as a stray on the streets of Launceston, then brought down to Hobart. Staff assessed her as being 2 years old, but we will never know and can only guess at the horrid treatment she has received in those early years. Charli was terrified of the broom, mop, vacuum cleaner, the hose….and would cower whenever these were near her. She is a lot better now, after 7 years with us lovingly reassure her. A few years ago Charli had torn both ACL’s and needed serious surgery. She now has metal plates in each of her hind legs, with the ACLs bypassed. She came through those surgeries and recoveries like a little trouper.
And so this past week presented us with so much emotional turmoil, thinking we would have to let Charli go over that ‘rainbow bridge’. She has hip dysplasia and arthritis in her spine as well as the mankiest toe your could ever wish not to see. By Sunday we called our vet for a home visit where Charli was given more antibiotics and a follow up appointment for Wednesday. That day came, hubby and I had decided we would go ahead with the previously recommended amputation of the toe. Come midday Wednesday Charli was in surgery and home that evening to go on the recovery road.
And just like that we have our lovely girl and her personality back. Who would have thought that a manky toe removal was the solution. We still to wait for pathology to come back and see if there was cancer or just a benign tumour. I’ll post some photos soon showing the before/after surgery toe and the healed area. For now we celebrate having our girl still with us, treat the arthritis and pain then take time to reflect on how a week from hell.
So here it is almost the shortest day of the year….the Winter Solstice. I’ve had a relatively sleepless night and decided that I’d get up early for a walk rather than try to get some sleep and feel like a slug the remainder of the day. As you can see by the out door thermometer it was dead on 4C at a little after 7:30am. But the sun was shining and I had made the mental commitment to do this, now my body had to fulfil that. Glorious. I had an audiobook for listening and ducklings on the water to watch. Senses are alive.
At one point in my walk I was startled by another walker behind, he apologized and kept going. We chatted later on in the Judd Park car park, where I was heading back home and he had finished his walk. Perhaps I will get up early again tomorrow and see him again…..no I won’t, I’ll be swimming tomorrow. Brrrr.
Anyways it was a lovely start to the day, I feel awakened by the cold and the exercise. Thankfull for the piece of paradise where we live. I’ve included a photo looking up Barilla Bay at Nubeena, where it becomes Parson’s Bay and heads up to my place. Enjoy, leave me a comment please. Cheers
The Mundane Parts of Life
Sometimes it is not the interesting, exciting or one-off parts of life that make it all worth while. Most of the time it is those seemingly mundane tasks and parts of life that act as the glue holding everything together. I’ve been sick this week – only a common head cold- but while feeling generally miserable my wonderful hubby was on hand to make cups of tea, plan and cook meals, take care of the dog ( if you have been following my posts you will know she had a toe amputated and is recovering really well, but require a cocktail of daily meds now for arthritis) and be on hand for anything.
My friends (who are my Tassie family) from swimming, CWA and knitting are also the glue in my life. Friendship cannot be taken for granted and I value these wonderful people in my life. From social connections to emotional support, they are all there for me ( and vice versa).
Teaching each other plant propagation skills, showing someone how to crochet, assisting with gardening/pet minding/ hospital transport – we involve ourselves and each other. This is the glue we all share. Together we share breakfast after morning swims, dinners, trivia nights, scrabble days and jigsaw puzzles. Gifts between us are meaningful and from the heart, showing a deep understanding of the recipients personality. We have grown to love each other while respecting privacy.
So, while milestone events within our respective families, celebrations, Winter Solistice Nude Swims are exciting at the time, it is the everyday stuff that holds us firm in this crazy thing called life that we are all living through.
Maybe we are just in a giant’s snowdome.