Well, since my last blog we’ve started the journey into the easing of restrictions, and so far, so good.
It’s been joyful this week…. shops opening, people in pub gardens, being able to have a meal outside, exercise classes on the village green and my hair appointment booked, yay bring on that cut and colour. And a shopping trip planned... yippee!
And At Last.....
The girls have finally got to see the house… whoo hoo. Wrapped in blankets, we had a prosecco and pizza lunch. Does it surprise you to learn more prosecco than pizza was consumed? And I’m banning photos being taken after a bottle or two….as the beautiful Pam said, having blankets draped over us makes us look more residential home than fabulous at… a certain age!
So, after the disappointment of having to put the glamping on hold, I’ve picked myself up, dusted myself down and started to really think about what I can do with the resources to hand, without having to break the bank and without (hopefully) having to go through the whole planning process.
But whatever I do is going to take some investment in the garden and field, and so in a few days I return to the world of full time employment…..I’m going back to my roots as an IT project manager for 6 months. Not what I would choose or what I want, but sometimes needs must. I was so torn about doing this, was it a backward step after working so hard to change my career? Could I still do the role? How am I gonna feel on a daily basis doing a job where my heart just isn’t in it? But then I realised all of this is just in my head and I needed to get a grip, be thankful I have a skillset I can fall back on and look at the bigger picture. This as a minor career detour to create the future I want and dream of.
I’m already planning how I can use this much needed income to start investing in the garden and field. Top of my list is a greenhouse, a must have if you’re gonna grow your own. I started experimenting this year with growing from seed, with mixed results so far, but it’s all a learning curve isn’t it. That aside I cannot have seed trays all over my dining table and window sills….it’s just not practical, as Mr R has told me many times! So, a greenhouse is a must! And then maybe I’ll stop scrolling through Pinterest getting serious greenhouse envy.
As well as going back to full time employment, I’m also doing some freelance work helping to put an international virtual event together… speakers, sponsors, power ups and a link up to Vegas, there’s quite a bit to do. And some voluntary work for a local festival, that will, fingers crossed take place in September. Yep, I've got quite a bit going on!
So to say things have ramped up a notch for me, is a bit of an understatement. Of course, like most of us, I’m use to juggling loads with family, friends, home, work etc but it’s taken on a whole new meaning now with having land to manage as well. Gone are the days of having dinner and then just plonking in front of the telly…. with the lighter evenings we’re often on the go until the light starts to fade. And even then, I’m trying to catch up on emails, social media, household admin, blogging (which is why I’m so late putting this one up) or trying to squeeze in a little me time with my beloved Grazia and Red magazines, I’m behind with both which I never thought would happen!
But we put these unrealistic pressures on ourselves, don’t we? Trying to do it all, trying to keep on top on everything, never saying no…. and that’s without trying to fit in the latest programmes that are a must watch. Thank goodness for Sky Q and the amount of storage you now get, ours is chocker! Although I’m not compromising on Line of Duty….OMG we have to watch that one live.
You adapt quickly though don't you? Adapting to juggling all the different elements, adapting to managing and prioritising your time and adapting to giving things a go and getting stuck in. Over the Easter weekend, Mr R and I built covers for our veg beds. We’ve never done anything like this before but Mr R worked out the design after watching numerous videos on YouTube, and I took on the role of director, overseeing it all…. well someone had to! Seriously though I did get stuck in, I was chief measurer (although I’m not sure Mr R would have me in this role again…. I confused myself with it DOH!) and I learnt how to use a drill. It was a long day, a little tense in places but I’m really proud of us both…. let’s just hope the design does its job and keeps those pesky insects out. I'm edging ever closer to starting to grow my own!
So after a year of having quite a bit of time on my hands, trying to keep myself busy, it’s all change.... and just as start to get back to some sort of normality as well.
Although what’s that? What is normal? Before lockdown Mr R and I were busy almost every weekend and I now realise I don’t want to go back to that. I do not want a full diary every weekend and I don’t constantly want to be on the go. That’s partly down to our new lifestyle and the amount we have to do and what to do here, but it’s also down to having time to reflect and realising there’s more to life than a busy social diary. I wanna explore more. I want to take time browsing local shops. Sometimes I just want to be and of course top of the list…. I want to spend more time in my little slice of heaven. Planning it, growing it, cultivating it and enjoying it.
And do you know what else I’ve discovered in lockdown…..meditation. I’ve had the pleasure of joining Haney’s Holistic Wellbeing meditation sessions (via zoom before anyone starts thinking any rules were broken) and it’s taught me how important it is to sometimes just be. To be still, to be quiet, to let you mind wander, to really relax.... I now appreciate the time and the stillness it brings me.
So after a strange and challenging year, which has turned our worlds upside down, for me it's also been a chance to really reflect, to take a long hard look my myself, and truly realise what’s important and what really matters. It can be a complicated old path this life at times can't it?
And one final note before I go.... the circle of life. I'm going back to work for the company I started working for when I left school, all those years ago! Who'd have thought it??!!
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