Tis the season...

 

Walking the streets is becoming a festive affair.

But surely it's too early?

This is more like it...for now.

Linking with #FloralFridayFoto

“You’ll never find a rainbow if you’re looking down.” ― Charlie Chaplin

GRATITUDE: I am struggling a bit to find inspiration to write. Both fiction and for the blog. I have a break coming up sfor a writing competition o I'm trying to wait a few more weeks before hitting pause. So I am grateful to Denyse for putting out this structure for a post a few weeks back, and I am falling into it's formal structure for the second month. Some times it's the tiniest of things that we are grateful for.

LOVE: My eldest is coming on a small weekend holiday with us in January - just three nights but it will be so lovely to have my family of five all together again. Our middle child was out for dinner with friends this week and I realised the sad little trio at the table was soon to be the new family dynamic. It's normal, and a good sign but sad ofr those left behind. And I've been aware for years that our youngest would become an only child but it's still sad to see that it's here, ust on the horizon.

HEALTH: I got a covid test in order to visit a centenarian safely last week, and I've been aware of 'symptoms' ever since, so I know it's all in my head When my eldest moved out, I've been clearing out all the stuff that was left behind, and that has lead the other two to follow suit with the toys and books they've outgrown. This has lead to me cleaning years with of dust at the back of bookshelves and draweres and often discovering I have a 'stuffy' nose. I then wonder if I need another test...or how long do I wait to get another test. I would love to stop being so hyper aware & question every little 'symptom'. I suspect this is my 'new normal' for awhile.

CONNECTION: Since we came out of lockdown, I have seen all the elderly in my orbit - Grandmother and mother in law, my mother twice, my 98 year old former neighbour (who I rang as soon as the test results came in and announced I was coming over for a visit 'right now' as I'm as germ-free as I'll be because once the schools go back, I'll be high risk.  I've seen both book clubs in person, mah jong and a couple of nights out with friends. It's weird to see people, in the sense it feels as if nothing has happened and we haven't been shut off from the world for 4 months. 

APPRECIATION: All the eased restrictions and what it means we can do. I am booking tickets to plays and concerts, music bingo (for 'you have to stay in your chair' dancing) and even a boat day being planned. I am making the most of what I can, while I can. Even if we don't go into lockdown again, we will have rolling '6 day isolations' from the schools,  but until we do, I'm not wanting to waste a minute!

CARE: I am a little worried about seeing the elderly- my mum in our weekly visits in particular, now both kids are back at school. They are mixing with large groups of kids from all over Sydney (and beyond) each day and as we're all vaxxed, what if we have it asymptomatically? When those home tests come in, I'll just by a stack of those to do before visiting but for now, it does make me uneasy. How are people managing it overseas?

MEMORIES:  All our holidays keep popping up on my facebook,giving me itchy feet to start planning. All the toys and books we are discarding in the clean up are flooding me with memories of time spent reading favourite stories of playing with much loved toys.  They are making their way to the fence for others to love and enjoy.  It's a sad process for me, in a way. Those days are over, just memories.

The images are not related, but are many colours of the rainbow.

Linking with #SkyWatch #FriendshipFriday #FridayBliss

Share Four Somethings - October

Something Loved: I've just ordered the Halloween candy (as I'm still avoiding the supermarkets) so I hope it gets here on time. My youngest wants me to decorate the house, even if we can't do any of the other stuff. So I will next week. I love that she is making the best of it, and not really complaining about this strange twilight universe we've been living in for the last four months that saw her miss birthday celebrations and two school holidays worth of activities. 

Also in the something loved, I finally got back into the city after the 5kms restriction eased. Even in the rain I was filled with joy!

Something Read (or Said): We just read Station Eleven for book club. I can't beleive it was written back in 2014. She nails how the pandemic unfolds - how quickly it spreads and changes life. Down to the panic buying and how we miss the funny little things, like having our last cappuccino. I really enjoyed it and can't wait to watch the series. 

Something Treasured: I have missed the city so much. Last night I went with some friends to the Opera Bar. The weather was not on our side but it didn't matter. It was lovely to battle the seagulls and sip our cocktails over dinner as the sun went down. Even the train shennanigans seemed fun (they cancelled our stop literally a minute after the train left the station and half the train had to get out at Redfern to wait for another train). It was an easy and fun night, and so good to catch up in real life. 

Something Ahead We've come out of lockdown and I'm thrilled to be booking tickets and even a week away! Musicals, comedy, theatre and bands. Dinner in restaurants. Meeting friends at a bar. My diary is getting busy but it's all still tentative. I'm presuming it's all about to collapse again, but for now I will book and do what I can. I'm happy to mask up, space and sanitise. A small price to pay if I can get out and about!

My big excitement, due to restrictions, I've not seen my daughter for three weeks! She moved out and we are finally having lunch together.   I am so very excited about that!

Linking with #ShareFourSomethings #TrafficJamWeekend #TravelTuesday  #MCoW #TheRandom #HappyTuesday and #WeekendCoffeeShare

 

If you truly love nature, you will find beauty everywhere. –Vincent van Gogh

One thing lockdown has done is highlighted detail. Looking intently to spark interest. If the scenery doesn't change, you begin to examine it close up.

Linking with #RubyTuesdayToo

Albert Einstein once said "Look deep into nature, and you will understand everything better." I don't know if you understand everything better but you do take some moments for introspection.

And nature is everywhere. On the dog walks, on the bike rides and on the urban walks.

I am very keen to get some actual walks in nature soon. Bush walks on scenic routes - bliss! 

Linking with #BlueMonday

 
 Linking with #DND #WWOT #NaturesNotes #Allseasons #GardenAffair and #FridayFloralFoto #InspiremeMondays #PicturePerfectLinky

Smoke on the water

 

Just to remind us Summer is coming, there was a hideous smokey start to Sunday morning. It grew worse on our walk the further we went.

It did however, make for some interesting photos.

Linking with #KeithsRamblings  #WordlessWednesday #WWOAT  #WonderfulWednesday #Sundaybest #DND #WeekendReflection #Shelbeeontheedge

&  #TrafficJamWeekend

Cycling around Sydney

One of the new habits of lockdown was that we went cycling as a family. Due to our 5kms, we headed to Pirrama Park and the surrounds.

Now that our 5kms is lifted, I look forward to heading into the city, if only this rain would stop!

Did you form any new habits in lockdown you'd like to continue?

Linking with #FridayBliss and #LinkUpPotpourri

Linking with #WednesdayAroundtheWorld #FridayBliss #OurWorldTuesday #ThruMyLens

1. All Seasons is open from Sunday through Wednesday 5pm, Sydney Time. 
2. Please link one  'seasonal' post a week. 

3. Make sure you link back to this  #AllSeasons post.

4. Please comment on the post before yours. Don't dump and run!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Mental Health Month and World Coming Out Day

We are in the throws of Mental Health Month and someone posted these great calendars that might be of use. The website also has ones specifically aimed at young adults, famillies, older Australians and workplaces.

On another blog I read that the topic for 2021 is Mental Health in an Unequal World to highlight the struggle to access mental health services within class, race and disability.  WHO has the slogan 'Mental health care for all: let’s make it a reality' I will admit this is beyond my capability to write something useful and articulately encompassing the breadth of the issues there, especially in Australia at the moment. I do believe, however, that it's worth remembering if we strip the money out of Medicare on depression & other mental health issues then we can't help the majority of the people until their risk stressors become a full blown problem. It is better to help in preventative measures than come in after it has escalated. We can not afford to price mental health assistance out of the reach of the masses in this country. We have a crisis that needs to be addressed, and COVID issues has exacerbated that.

The lockdown has seen an increase in distress for all ages but also an increase in those seeking help and a decrease in suicide. So hopefully the stigma is being erased and the population is becoming better versed in recognising the signs and being able to provide adequate support. Black Dog has a series of webinars this month on Teen Mental Health, Mental Fitness and Breaking Down Depression. Timetable and Registration here.

October the 11th is International Coming Out Day. I know I've shared on this before but it's worth repeating, if someone has the courage to come out to you, the response should always be acceptance. Deal with your own issues about it privately. Follow the wise words of the magnificent Dolly Parton. Let's do our bit to reduce minority stress on those that are incomprehensibly still vulnerable in the 21st century. 

If someone does come out to you, according to an episode of Sex Education I've yet to watch, you don't say 'Congratulations' but my question, is what do you say that is appropriate? A quick google found this article and I think it is a good reminder of what not to say. I'm not 100% sure about the second last point. If someone told me my career choice was going to make life hard for me, I'd react pretty badly so I think it would be fair if this was the same. It seems to be in the same vibe of 'she was asking for it because she was wearing a mini skirt' (or as a judge recently in a ruled in a Sydney assault case, 'her clothes were provoking the attacker' to punch her & another guy in the back of the head. The judge didn't say whether the man attacked from behind also had provocative clothes or if it was the woman's clothes still the cause of the second assault. I digress).

While I don't have the words, here are some celebratory ideas to let the person know you have their back. If a child, you can go out for rainbow cakes and celebration shakes or better yet, make a rainbow cake together, to show the child you love them just as much as before and nothing has changed in your relationship.

If an adult, Mr Consistent has a LBGT label, as part of it's census inclusion campaign & history month. Those that follow my Insta know I'm a huge fan of these mixers, so in my opinion with this you can't go wrong. Can also be used as a mocktail, or so I'm told.

Conscious Step has some great socks that give back to the community.

If someone comes out trans or non-binary, then  the teen series Pocket Change Collective has a few titles that might be of interest. This series also covers art, poetry, the environment and cooking. Worth checking out. 

So even if you don't have the right words, you can still let the person know that you support them.

Lastly, I think this song nails it.

Hope you are having a great week, and if you aren't then let someone know.  Everyone else, check in with your friends. It's tough out there.

Further Links:

These came in on an email from the Body Shop. Shout out to them for an excellent email. I don't know anything about these organisastions but at a glace, look good.

Responding to COVID (if struggling with lockdown)

Open Up (online weekly support groups for young people by yopung people - I think they mean young adults)

Linking with #Lifethisweek