20 March 2017

24 hours here

My daily life is so familiar to me and it makes so much sense that I think it must be normal for everyone to live as we do. It's only when I go out, or read about how others live that I know that living like this is far from what is normal now. I'm not saying our way of life is better because I see many people living lives of productivity and purpose. It is the best way for us though and that's all I need to know. I believe the workings of anyone's life are determined primarily by mindset, the stage of life you're at, by personal circumstances and responsibilities. My life used to be harder but we're in a different season now, we have different priorities and, most importantly, we have a different mindset. Now that we have worked enough to buy a house and what we need to fill it, we use hard work, creativity, thrift, organisation, management, responsibility and a sense of purpose to maintain and conserve what we've worked for.

The shade structure came down, salvias and old herbs removed and the first new plants went in.

Gone are the days when I went out and worked for a living. Now I'm happy to stay here and work to maintain the life we have built. This was yesterday:

3.30am - 10am: 
I was up and dressed, checked the weather radar, emails and comments. 
Read a few pages of The Guardian and some Mary Oliver poems. 
Talked to Gracie, rubbed her tummy and organised some yarn and knitting needles. 
Fed Gracie outside and let the chickens out.  Looked around the garden, took some cuttings from my blue salvia and potted them up.
Jamie arrived at 6.45. I talked to him, cooked breakfast and tidied the kitchen.
Made the bed.
Sat on the back verandah, listened to Macca on the radio and talked to Hanno about the new garden.
Hanno started planting out the parsley seedlings from the bush house as well as thyme, basil and oregano bought at the local co-op yesterday. These are the first of our new season plantings.
Organised the spices and nuts that I bought at the co-op on Friday.
Made a rye bread starter that I'll probably use tomorrow.
Made a banana cake.
When the cake was baked, we had morning tea.

Very moist banana cake with flaked almond topping.
Rye starter sitting on the kitchen bench collecting airborne yeasts.
From the co-op - black mustard seeds, Madras curry powder, flaked almonds and celery seeds.

Before noon:
Watched the rain fall from the back verandah.
Blanched cabbage leaves for the cabbage rolls we were having for lunch. Left them to drain and cool.
Made pork filling for cabbage rolls.
Started writing this blog post.
Helped Jamie with his spelling - he was working through the Spelling Eggs program on the computer.
Made and cooked lunch.






Afternoon:
Cleaned the kitchen.
Iced a piece of banana cake for Jamie to take home for school lunches.
Packed a serving of cabbage rolls, herb and onion mashed potato and gravy for Sunny to have for her dinner at home.
Spoke to a friend on the phone.
Knitted in front of the TV watching recorded programs. I usually watched recorded TV because I can fast forward and ignore the advertising.
Jamie went home.
Checked laundry supplies to see if anything is running low.

Checked if there was anything needed in the laundry. This stick is a spurtle I bought from an antique shop a few years ago in Glen Innes, a country town which hosts a popular Scottish Festival. It's probably stirred a lot of porridge over the years, but here it's always been my soaking stick.

Evening:
Made tea and toast and watched the TV news.
End of day.  Went to sleep around 7pm, was up again at 10ish, messaged with a friend on the computer while I read the papers.
Added recipes to my Paprika app. Looked at some webcams. Back to bed just after midnight.

Up at 4am.
Today I'll clean both bathrooms but this morning will be devoted to ironing which I allowed to build up over the past few hot weeks. I hope to get through it all and put it away today. Lunch is leftovers, I hope to knit and prune plants this afternoon.
And now I'll publish this post so you know I'm still here, still working, still smiling and still feeling grateful for all we have.

I hope you have a wonderful week ahead.  💝

SHARE:

45 comments

  1. Your biphasic sleep pattern is interesting Rhonda. Do you often do this? It was quite a normal sleep rhythm before the advent of electricity into homes. Both Shakespeare and the bible speak about this multi-phase sleep pattern (along with many other older texts. tThe period between first and second sleep was often know as 'the night season'.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Every night. I've read about it too, there is some research being done now into this type of sleeping. I think my pattern is connected to my age because I know a lot of women my age do the same. When you don't have to go out to work you can go with the flow. I put up a link in weekend reading in the past year about this.

      Not long now. 🚂

      Delete
    2. Yes, all of the women in my family including myself have struggled with early waking syndrome, waking some time between 1 and 4, but back to sleep after 2-3 hours. Its hell if you work 9-5ish and seems to be no cure.

      Delete
    3. Not that i was trying to imply you have a sleep disorder! More than it is difficult to manage for me and mine :)

      Delete
    4. Broken sleep patterns are not unusual. I put mine down to years of shift work. I was fortunate to have retired last April at the age of 55 (not many nurses will be on this program now). It has taken quite a while to restore my sleep to something near normal. We go to bed at 9pm and are up at 5am (Nick has an hour and a half train journey to work!). But I've usually woken at 3am and sometimes can't sleep again. It doesn't matter though because I can have a full active day and feel great.

      Delete
  2. We have very similar lifestyles, Rhonda Jean. I always struggle with the question "What did you do today?", it never sounds interesting or exciting. But I enjoyed reading about your day, so maybe it's not as ho-hum as I think. Hope all your days are filled with contentment!

    HUgs
    Jane

    ReplyDelete
  3. That sounds like a wonderful day. A little bit of this, a little bit of that and time with the family and Gracie. I do the same with the TV as I can't stand the advertising either. Have a wonderful week yourself.

    ReplyDelete
  4. From one early riser to another - 'good morning Rhonda.'

    I agree we are all at different stages and I also think that for me anyway, mindset is the key.

    Have thoroughly enjoyed sitting here with my breakfast and reading your post. I have soaked in each word as if I was right there with you.

    Here's to another a great day.

    ReplyDelete
  5. You achieve such a lot in your day and no wonder. You seem to have very little time resting. Is this how you want it or do you suffer from insomnia? I am in awe of all you manage to pack in.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have 7 hours sleep and often have a nap after lunch when Jamie's not here.

      Delete
    2. Good, I was worried for you.

      Delete
  6. Your cabbage rolls look delicious! Do you cook them in a sauce and how long? I really enjoy hearing about your day and I am a long-time follower. ~ Elaine

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Elaine. I brown them in the pan, remove the rolls, make a thin gravy and place the rolls back in the pan. Lid on, cook them in the oven on 170C for an hour. The sauce will thicken as it cooks. :- )

      Delete
  7. Your sleep pattern sounds similar to mine. I usually fall asleep for 3 or 4 hours early in the evening, wake up for a while, and then go back to bed a bit later than you do, and sleep another 3 hours or so. My husband worked night shift for more than 30 years and I adjusted my schedule to that. Even though we are retired now, we are still night owls. He is able to go to bed near dawn and sleep 8 or 9 hours straight. I sleep 3 or 4 hours wake up for a while and then go back to sleep for a while. I do well on that schedule, unless I get worried about it and then I miss my second sleep time from worrying about not getting enough sleep. I suspect in my case it is either thyroid disease related or the medicine I take for that affecting me. I have another friend near my age that has a similar sleep schedule.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Your cabbage rolls look so good Ronda.....just as well I was eating brekkie when I read your post or I would be hungry:) I have read about the two sleep patterns as well but I go to sleep about 10.30 and wake up st 6.00am. Works for me.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Love your article. I am really looking forward to my time just like yours very soon. We too have our own home, the garden is an excellent work in progress. I really need to get onto those herbs asap. My husband's family live on the Sunshine Coast and they too wake soooo early. Living in Victoria, I am perplexed. Hahaha.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Sounds like a lovely way to spend your day Rhonda. Regards Kathy A, Brisbane

    ReplyDelete
  11. A lovely insight into your day Rhonda

    ReplyDelete
  12. Busy as a bee but with such a gentle rhythm. I hope my later years are filled like this!
    And those cabbage rolls look absolutely scrumptious!

    ReplyDelete
  13. I love my spurtle. My chef son and I fight over it because it is one of the few things I will not share.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Hi Rhonda
    I have never heard of the 2 sleep patterns. I thought that you had to get all your sleep all at once or it was not a good thing. I always learn things, Thank you.

    Rhondamargarita

    ReplyDelete
  15. I had to smile when I read 'watched the rain fall', it's good to know people are still appreciating the happiness that comes for free :-)

    Madeleine.x

    ReplyDelete
  16. This post was a delightful read. Your way of expressing even the simplest of things and activities makes them seem more interesting. Taking time to sit and chat with your husband, to watch the rain fall, to rub the belly of precious Gracie...all of these little pleasures are rewards of living at a slower pace. And, look at all you still managed to accomplish! Too often, we excuse ourselves from the little pleasures of life, claiming busy-ness, and we miss out. Thank you for this peek into your day.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, it was a delightful read, indeed! Lovely rhythm to your day, Rhonda, which was beautifully described!

      Delete
  17. I very much enjoy reading about your home-oriented day. I am also happy when I can be home all day - and more productive than when I have to come and go, because every transition seems to require some time to "change gears" and re-focus. If my day is chopped up into parts I often feel that none of the parts gives me enough time to start a project. Neither do I feel the leisure to sit and watch the rain.

    ReplyDelete
  18. I really enjoyed this post. Thanks so much for sharing your day!
    ~Sue

    ReplyDelete
  19. I've had a hectic, if productive, weekend. I volunteered to judge National History competitions for a friend who organizes them for this region (school-children present different kinds of projects based on historical research- two middle-school boys built a working, non-lethal guillotine and staged a reenactment of the executions of Louis XVI and Robespierre- it was hysterically funny!), cantored for a friend who was ordained at my church today, and finished up one term at work while preparing for another- I teach from home at an online university, and our terms run four weeks; my new classes begin at midnight. Well, THEY begin at midnight. I am going to bed! It is nice after such a busy weekend, to relax and remember what I completed. First-week lectures tomorrow, with grocery shopping and time at the health club are on the docket for tomorrow. I can't wait.

    ReplyDelete
  20. I love the gentleness of home based days where you have no deadlines. no pressure to meet targets. Just enjoying my home and all I achieve in it fills me with happiness. I hope to be listening to the fall of rain on the roof before this night is out, we really need some rain here it is very dry. Have a good week Rhonda , God bless from Judi.

    ReplyDelete
  21. That meal looks fantastic. I've commented on here before, but I'll say it again. I would love if you did just one more book...a recipe book. The above meal looks delicious. Your salmon patties have become a favourite in our house, my kids eat them with no complaints at all :)

    ReplyDelete
  22. Thank you for sharing your day!
    It's nice to know there are no expectations to rush around and hurry to do everything.
    I am newly retired and I still feel like I have to "hurry" all the time. I haven't settled in yet, I guess. All in God's time.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Laurie, I am newly retired as well, 9 months, and I know that feeling of needing to rush, but I am just now calming down. I am working at purging and organizing my home, a bit at a time. I also joined a few social groups, as well as a reading club, which I really enjoy.
      We are on a tight budget, so I spend a fair amount of time planning meals and lessening waste, I like the challenge.
      Enjoy your retirement, it will all fall into place!

      Delete
  23. Enjoyed hearing about your day. It reminded me a little of books written by Miss Read describing her days as a teacher post WWII in a small English village. Nothing monumental happened, just the daily rhythm of life. Wish there were more books like that as they leave me very contented.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Hi Rhonda I have been a reader of yours since 2007. I was being treated for cancer and found you when I couldn't sleep. Your blog was and still is so interesting and although we live on the opposite side of the world we have similar experiences and share the changing seasons of life.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Sounds like a productive comfortable day. Working to structure my new retirement so I can achieve the same. Love hearing from you.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Smiling back across the wide ocean. :)

    ReplyDelete
  27. Still two plus decades from retirement, but finding the mental need to slow down my time outside of my paid job. Some eves and weekends I still find myself rushing but then I stop myself and take a deep breath and begin again.
    I remember the days of packed eves and weekends and much prefer a slower steady pace with plenty of open space to just be.

    ReplyDelete
  28. a wonderfully informative post Rhonda, enjoyed immensely
    i am insomniac & reading about your two phase sleep pattern i think, "well, why don't i do that?" i might just have better sleep for it, as i get extremely restless around the wee hours of the morning & up & down to the loo several times during the night doesn't help either!
    i'm not one who like cabbage very much (main staple of step mums meals) but those cabbage rolls of yours look very delicious & looks like you haven't used regular cabbage leaves, errr think it's called a drum-head cabbage the one i'm thinking of, the common cabbage?
    mmm, a recipe book of all YOUR favourite (& your mothers) foods sounds like a great idea but i'll settle for a recipe page in here as i know you have written your final book. i loved your pea & ham soup from your 1st book.
    your days sound busy but content & relaxing, one day i'll achieve that level of contentment too; it's still a work in progress.
    thanx for sharing
    selina from kilkivan qld

    ReplyDelete
  29. Oh, what a lovely post, Rhonda Jean! Enjoyed this peek into your day so much. Sending big hugs ♥

    ReplyDelete
  30. I feel very peaceful reading about your day! Mine is perhaps even quieter. I need to cook some cabbage now. My son loves it. He's vegetarian but stuffed cabbage and stuffed peppers are easy to make vegetarian.....Be well! Enjoy your life! I'm sure you do!

    ReplyDelete
  31. I so enjoyed reading about your day. I love how content you are in your home. I too love being home and am so content doing all the duties that need to be done. Today I worked out in the yard for several hours. It felt so good on the second day of spring here in Indiana.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Inspirational and so wonderfully ordinary, I thoroughly enjoyed the insight into your day. As a parent of two little ones, in a new city, it makes me so happy to hear about Jamie and the support you give Sunny. We have our parents visiting over May, both mine and my husband's at different times, and I am so looking forward to our 'village' coming back together - if only for a few weeks! Much love, Ayesha

    ReplyDelete
  33. This post inspired me. Inspired me to get off my behind and produce something. Even if it's only dinner. Loved it.

    ReplyDelete
  34. QLD is very light early, and gets dark very quickly. so most people go to bed early and get up early in QLD - very different to Southern Australia where we don't get night until much later and daylight at the moment isn't until 7.30am.

    ReplyDelete
  35. The stick in the laundry brought back so many memories for me. My dear grandma used such a stick when she did laundry every other day. She had a washer and dryer in her home, but she had to clean the laundry first as she was sure the machine could not do a 'good' job. Bless her sweet heart, she used to have a big steel pot on her stove that had water in it boiling...into that she put all under ware and anything white. I can not count how many of my things she would shrink when I would visit. Then she always thought I was growing and would take me to the store to buy more under ware. I have that stick, a piece of cut off broom handle, and it is one of my dearest treasures. I think of her when I see it. Thank you for a sweet memory. I love how you live such a meaningful life. God bless.

    ReplyDelete
  36. Wonderful post. The comments are always such a great read, too. I love hearing about the rhythm of your day. It ebbs and flows so peacefully.

    ReplyDelete

Blogger Template by pipdig