Mighty Monsoon

 

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It been quite the summer – let me just say – and I’m not sorry that Autumn is working its way slowly into the pores of my skin.

It’s at this time of the year that you can see and feel the shift of the sun as it peeks through the trees in the early mornings.

It no longer comes blaring in the bathroom window and immediately heats up the house, but instead creeps in at an angle through the trees, and slowly makes its way around to the kitchen window by about 9am, giving an ethereal feel to the morning with its golden light.

We have had three months of mammoth monsoonal rains – around 1400mm / 50 inches – which has turned our little piece of paradise into an absolute quagmire for most of that time.

The garden has been neglected because it has been so wet, but also because I needed to have major surgery in early February, which not only required some weeks of pre-op preparation, but has then also needed some significant recovery time.

I am not quite six weeks post-op, and am still having difficulty with the nutrition and hydration side of things.
For the most part I think I am finally out the other side as far as the pain is concerned, but I am still finding that whilst I have found that I have amazing boosts of unusual energy, I also tend to suddenly hit a wall and can tire unexpectedly.

Due to my having to step back from the garden – and the Farm in general – we recently decided to hire a garden-helper, and within only about a half hour of putting an ad up online, the wife of the person it turns out that I needed, found the ad and contacted me.

Within a few days he came over for a look around and to meet & greet, and the following Tuesday he worked his first day.
He’s been three or four times now, and it seems to be working really well for all of us.

I know that it has certainly removed a very big ball of stress from my shoulders, as I was becoming quite overwhelmed with the amount of work that was steadily piling up with each successive week of me not being out there doing the things.

My Love is also been encouragingly supportive of having him help around the Farm.
I guess she too can already see the huge amount of help he has been is whipping the place back into some semblance of tidiness and productivity.

Sure makes it easier to take the time I need to recover – in mind, body and spirit…

 


Rain, rain and more rain means we temporarily have wooden walkways everywhere.


Allll the Chillies – they’re hot, hot, HOT!


Trees waiting to be planted out.


Ice-cream beans ripening on the tree.

 

 

backstory breakthrough

 

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Back in June last year I’d been hammering on for probably 2 years about leaving work, but still couldn’t see a finish line particularly due to the fact that I had $13 less than $14,000 in credit card debt. 😐

However, back in June last year – and still in gainful employment; with my utter disgust at this debt, I told myself I was going to do everything I could to get out from under it by Continue reading “backstory breakthrough”

mega update

 

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So here I am – officially over 3 months unemployed!!

Its time for a bit more of an in-depth run-down of what Life has been like for me for the last three months – so I’m going to break it down into sections to help me arrange my thoughts a little better…
You better grab a cuppa Continue reading “mega update”

huuuge changes

 

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Its six weeks since I last posted.

Six weeks since the event that changed my dear friends Life forever – in ways that I can barely begin to imagine.
Its also 6 weeks in which my Life has changed – because of the hideous heartbreak my friend has had to endure…

Only an hour into my first day back at work Continue reading “huuuge changes”

negative headspace

 

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I feel so at odds of late.

In the quiet times when I am by myself, and I am able to spend time being introspective – I can see that I am in a season of a very negative headspace – and have been unable to shift it…

I teeter between feelings of anger, disappointment, hurt, overwhelm, being used, sadness, irritation, being taken for granted, feeling unappreciated, cranky and just plain ole miserable!

The only times I don’t have tears welling in my eyes, Continue reading “negative headspace”

i did it again!

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It was a bit of a shit ending to 2017 for me…

I somehow managed to put my back out again – whilst getting up from the toilet.
How does that even happen!?!?

I spent that day being pretty damn teary and miserable – I didn’t feel like I could go through another few months of being bed bound and rehabbing all over again – but then of course, if this isn’t just a short term flare-up, I don’t have any damn choice in the matter, other than to start back at square one!

Theres also the issue of finances…
My Love has just changed jobs, and needs to re-build her contacts, and get some Sales back under her belt so that the income is back to ‘incoming’, and of course the old employer hasn’t been at all forthcoming with information to her customers when they ring up to get a hold of her – which whilst i know is definitely well within their right, and is totally expected – but it still feels kinda shitty (& petty)…

At the same time – even though the income isn’t what it usually is – the out-goings remain as they were prior to the move, and my part of the income is definitely needed right now, just so that we can eat – so a period of enforced time away from my work and the associated pay-cheque – scares the living daylights outta me!!

Its now almost a month since that happened, and I have been back at physio, had a fortnight of half-days again, at work, and am slowly on the improve.

Its a mentally difficult thing having it in the back of your mind every.single.moment of every.single.day – that at any moment, I could be laid up indefinitely…!

I don’t want to live every aspect of my life being super-careful, but i also know I cant just jump right on in and do everything that i either want to do, or have always done.

Its all a matter of learning and respecting my own limitations.

Not an easy thing – and something I know i will slip up with from time to time – but I’m trying to be sensible!!
One day at a time…
Sarah

the murky depths [2]

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In Part 2 we’re ready to talk more about those other things on the list in my previous post, namely: clothing, takeaways (food/coffee), cigarettes/alcohol, car expenses, meals, hairdresser / hair products / mani-pedis, social events and growing-your-own.

So – lets get into it!! Continue reading “the murky depths [2]”

today…

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Today is different.

Today I got out of bed quite well rested.
I had a really decent sleep last night, because it rained through the night, and i always sleep soooo much better when it rains.

I have also taken a fortnight off work – which actually winds up being 18 days – so that is a big load of stress gone off my back for the time being!!

And to top it off, I also slept well because My Love & I came to a very important decision last night, Continue reading “today…”

anxiety

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I only work three days a week – Tues, Wed, Thurs – so I am lucky in that I get a four-day weekend.
In theory…

But these days – my work environment ramps up my anxiety like almost nothing else – so after those three days, I spend Friday pretty much uncoiling from thorough mental, physical and emotion exhaustion.
At least ½ of the day is over, before I start to feel even vaguely like ME!

Come Monday, although I try to schedule my day so that I am relatively busy and not giving myself too much time to think – I can still feel that no-so-subtle tightening in my chest and belly, as the anxiety begins to percolate deep inside of me – with the knowledge that tomorrow I have to go back to work…

Anxiety is such a futile, debilitating waste of time – and I gotta tell you – it SHITS ME OFF!!
[ohhhh for a magic wand…]

We’ve had some storms over the last few days, with good torrential downpours, so today while the ground is still nice and soft and the sun is shining, I am going to plant out some of the potted stuff from our nursery, rather than having to put them into bigger pots.

That will calm my soul!
At least for a little while…

How do YOU handle your anxiety?
Sarah

 

 

A great article about anxiety can be found at “The Mighty“.

 

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