Neil Finn livestream

I had a very beautiful and tranquil start to today. Neil Finn was doing a musical livestream from his home in New Zealand and it was just such a heartwarming, peaceful and serene start to my day. It was available to those fans who a members of the Private Universe website. It was just Neil with an acoustic guitar and a microphone.  He was softly spoken, polite and played requests from fans online the 🌎 world over. At one stage when he was singing Fall At Your Feet, a beautiful love song I put the phone close to Lily’s ear and it was so obvious that Lily loved it. Lily has very definite likes and dislikes when it comes to music, but I think she loved how quiet and serene it was.

I would recommend that if you love all things Finn related from Crowded House to Split Enz,  Fleetwood Mac and beyond it is well worth joining Private Universe for the community and benefits given to the members.  I now no longer need to leave my own home to go to a concert.  Neil brings the concert from his surroundings to yours. I will be avidly tuning in for more in the future.

Seeking serenity and peace

Are you seeking security or adventure?

I’m not seeking adventure or security.  I know when the adventure of moving to The Haven happens it will be more secure.

What I crave most in life is to be surrounded by serenity and the peace of living close to a natural parkland will bring.  It will be a smaller space I move into and I hope with some wise thrifting I can turn it into a cosy, peaceful calm environment for both myself and Lily. I want the theme of the unit to be angels, and I want to have soft pastel tones of pink, mauve and green to add to the serenity of the place.

Sam Neill, Scott Aplin,  Russell,  Adrian  Lani and Liz

If you could host a dinner and anyone you invite was sure to come, who would you invite?

If I could host a dinner party and people were sure to come I would invite Sam Neill for the interesting conversation and the good wine 🍷 he would bring.  I would invite Scott Aplin because he is lovely 😍 and he would play the piano 🎹 to keep us entertained.

I would also invite my friends Russell  Adrian,  Lani and Liz because they are wonderful company and would enjoy the company of Sam and Scott as much as I would.

Bedtime and wake time.

What time do you go to bed and wake up currently?

I must say that my bedtime and the time I wake up is slightly out of kilter at the moment because I have a cold 🥶.

Normally bedtime 🌙 is about 9.00 pm.  I usually wake once in the early morning 🌄 around 1.00 am to 2.00 am. I then drift back off to sleep and wake up around 5.30 am. I get out of bed sometime between 6.00 am and 7.00 am and take Lily for a walk around 7:30 am in the warmer months. This winter I have been walking Lily around 9.00 am when it is slightly warmer. I put my phone on charge in the bathroom around 7.00 pm,  so I am not disturbed or distracted by it in the night. It is my nightly digital detox and helps me to sleep well.

What I am most excited about.

What are you most excited about for the future?

My writing ✍️ is always the main thing in my life that brings me the most excitement and joy, both this blog and my other writings ✍️.

The other thing that most excites me is the hope that I will be moving home in the not-too-distant future.  I am hoping to move to The Haven which is under construction at present and when it is finished it will be stable long-term social housing for people with mental health issues.  This is my dream home 🏡 in many ways as I will have my own unit to live independently with Lily,  and also have support 24/7 from social workers etc as needed.  It means my family won’t need to worry about my future as I will have stability in my housing.  Fingers crossed that this all works out.

A Beautiful Winter’s Day.

Today in Melbourne is a beautiful winter’s day.  I spent the weekend dealing with a sore throat, so . indoors.  Today in the morning 🌄 I got Lily out for a good walk 🚶‍♀️  and although it was chilly,  it was delightful and I filled my lungs with wonderful fresh air. Lily especially loves her walk. At least Today there is a peaceful stillness and the world 🌎 seems fresh and new.   Melbourne is famous for having four seasons in one day but today the weather is cooperating and the day is so pleasant.  Later in the week colder weather and rain are predicted,  so I am enjoying it whilst it lasts. I guess this day is one to cherish and feel grateful for.   I wish I could capture today like a ship in a bottle. God’s creation certainly is magnificent and we should appreciate what each season brings.  A time for renewal and contemplation.  Oh, what a wonderful world,.

Becoming more disabled

What are you most worried about for the future?

There are things I worry about for the future, and definitely top of my list is becoming more disabled as I age because of the side effects of the medications I am on.  Being on psych meds for the past 30 years has had a definite impact on my body,  including  less muscle strength and stiffness,  weight gain, deterioration of balance, movement, etc.  To this end, I am hopefully moving soon to a more accessible place without steps and better access, etc. I also do physiotherapy regularly to work on my balance and muscle strength, but there has been a noticeable decline in this that my friends seem to be more aware of than my family.  It’s a tricky situation as I need my psych meds for my mental well-being, but the long-term side effects do have an impact on your day to day quality of life.  It’s a juggling act. I juggle better at some times or others, and it is something I have learned to live with to the best of my abilities.  Certainly, having Lily is the absolute best thing in my life, keeping me both active and fulfilled.  I am hopeful that I will be moving in the not too distant future and am planning for the day I won’t be so imparted by stairs,  balance, etc.

How do I practice self-care?

How do you practice self-care?

I know that I have answered this question previously and focused on mindfulness . Yes, I still practice mindfulness on a daily basis.

I am also a good patient and know to keep taking my meds.  I also have a great relationship with both my psychiatrist and gp and let them know everything I need them to know.

I also  everyday do a digital detox every day.  I put my phone 📱 on charge for the night around  6.00pm and don’t look at my phone after this time.  It helps me get a good night’s sleep 😴.

I also have developed a playlist of music I listen to when I need music 🎶 as therapy.  The music therapist in the hospital encourages all her clients to come up with their own personal playlist, and mine is of the music 🎶 🎵 that resonates the most with me. Everything from Crowded House to The Beatles,  1927, Cold Chisel, Real Life, Hunters and Collectors, Moving Pictures, etc.  Using this playlist calms me and can help me feel at peace and get a good night’s sleep.

A  Sunday Roast with Golden Syrup Dumplings

Which food, when you eat it, instantly transports you to childhood?

The food that instantly takes me back to my childhood is having a roast dinner with Golden Syrup Dumplings for dessert 🍨.   The roast meats that take me back are roast lamb with mint sauce and gravy or  roast pork with crackling.   These would be served with roast vegetables, and Mym would always make Golden Syrup Dumplings for dessert 🍨.