I can hear my fridge humming!
No, I’m not going mad. I am nearing the end of my time of Long Service Leave and I’m marvelling at the slower pace my life has settled into. I have moved so slow and experienced so much peace and quiet that I can literally hear my fridge hum almost all the time… and it ISN’T annoying me!
I’m really happy with what I have and haven’t done. Somehow I feel that, despite doing not much at all during the past seven weeks, I have achieved more than I could have possibly hoped! I am not one to sit around watching TV too often, although I’m addicted to my Thursday night ritual of Masterchef, Glee, Law and Order: SVU followed lastly by Medium, and maybe the odd Midday movie on Channel Seven! In “taking stock” of what I have done, it would look something like this…
- I completed a couple of writing courses (the meditation and writing course is tomorrow).
- I developed my personal blog and started a work-based blog.
- Did a complete makeover on my garden with my mum.
- Had a massage from Sr Tess at the Bethany Healing Centre… always a wonderfully unique experience that I will no doubt share with you in a later post.
- Cooked a number of mains and desserts, including a Oreo Cheesecake which used 450g of Oreo biscuits… yuuuuummmmm!
- Caught up with many friends, some of which I haven’t seen for many years… and cooked some more.
- Went to the Easter Show for the first time at Homebush.
- Walked with my mum on many days in my favourite park.
- Read Leo Babauta’s ‘The Power of Less’ and started my first habit!
- Started Covey’s ‘Seven Habits’ Book.
- Went away down south for a week.
- Watched a sunset.
- Did heaps of wedding planning and spent quality time with my man.
- Gurneyed a fifth of my backyard… don’t ask!
- Got my bathroom partially renovated.
- and how could I forget… waking up at 2am to make a cup of tea for Michael because I dreamt he had asked for one. Man was I mad when I realised I was sleep walking!
This list is pretty amazing to look back at… I can say in all honesty that I have no regrets… there is nothing I would have liked to do and didn’t, and I did nothing that I thought was a waste of time!
In summary… time well spent!!!
Ahh... Serenity 
How wonderful your time off sounds … are you happy to be returning to work? I hope so ….
Beachblogger… all refreshed and ready!
Hi Louise,
It is amazing how much were are ‘sold’ today as we chase what is believed to be the answer to ‘happiness’. But, if we look inside of ourselves, the answers are all there.
I can understand where you are coming from as you listen to the humming of the fridge. I, too, value the sound of silence, the rising or setting of the sun – there is transformational magic in just looking at the transition of colours. I value my own company over the pretentiousness of having to bond with people, you wouldn’t ordinarily choose as friends, liberally plied with alcohol to help along the warm and fuzzy feelings of comradship. I value the warmth of the sun on my skin, the earthiness of tending to plants and turning soil in the garden, at feeling peace and quiet inside when there is so much noise going on outside.
It sounds like your long service leave was a turning point in your life for you. It will be interesting to follow your journey post LSL.
Best regards,
Carolyn (Social Graces)
Thanks so much for your feedback and for continuing the discussion on what I, and obviously you, think is important to attempt to capture in our busy lives!
That is quite a list! You should be proud.
And your bathroom is looking quite bare 🙂 Good luck with it!
It is looking better each day… tiles in and grouted, waiting for shower screen and installation of vanity, toilet etc.