Something I loved My travels! I had the best time - and while predominately alone for it (I did spend 4 days with a friend in the 2 weeks), it was such a luxury to travel at my own pace (which is more intense than my family can deal with) and cramming so much sight seeing in - I was still roaming around sites at 10pm some nights - there was not a wasted minute!
Seeing Alle Farben at Parookaville, neither of which disappointed. He was so great with a choir, brass section and violinist at times, as well as live singers. It was such a joyous set and my heart was full!
Something that sustained me My travels! I saw so much beautiful art and interesting history and culture. I was filling my mind every day with things to think about and learn. It was so invigorating!
Something I'm carrying forward from this month to next I read three books in the two weeks I was away. I really hope to keep that pace up, making time to physically read. There's a real joy in that, plus relaxation of getting lost in another world.
Something I'm making space for I think I say this every month but exercise. While I was away I was walking around so much, lugging heavy bags and really just getting a work out daily. I need to keep this up as I think I felt better for it....
School holidays and a trip to Melbourne and suddenly it's all back to spreadsheets and talks with the accountant. Argh.
Something we loved: Hard to narrow it down, been to four plays, a number of comedians and Ultra, which is my annual fabulous jaunt to Melbourne for a fun 24 hours of eating, art and dancing! But I will say I loved touring the University campuses with my youngest. It was great to see two of the regional Universities in detail and see what my daughter liked about them. It was a right of passage I didn't get with my others as they were going locally and just went off to look with their friends.
Something that sustained us: Ultra. That manically happy 24 hours of feeling free (in the sense of no one to be responsible for except myself - though my friend was recovering from covid so I was slightly worried she was pushing her self for my sake). I had to walk that fine line of being concerned but not being annoying...as the mother mode can occasionaly be overbearing. Anyway, it just made me pumped for the next occasion to dance!
Something we're carrying forward from this month to the next: With the Comedy Festival in full swing, I've a number of nights out, all a good walk to and from the venues. Ditto I had two nights at the Belvoir, a theatre that takes me about 45 mins to walk to at a fast pace. So I've been managing to get my steps up and average 70-80 kms a week. One of my doctors, maybe the foot one - who knows, said 'it's counter intuative but you need to keep finding ways to keep moving and using it, even mindful of discomfort. Once you stop, it gets worse' and that has really stuck with me. I can't get less flexible, mobile, energetic than I am now. I look at my mum who does less and less and I don't want to become that. So finding ways to keep the exercise and movement up is something I'm working on. Another doctor said we (humans) rarely reach backwards so that becomes inflexible. I've been working on that too. A comedian, Jimmy O'Yang I think, but could be Ronny Chieng or Aaron Chen, made fun of his father and pointed out you never see elderly Chinese standing still. If they are waiting for a bus, they'll start doing exercises. That's what I've started doing. If waiting for the kettle to boil, in an elevator, whatever - I start doing ankle lifts or arm twists - whatever I can get a quick 10 or 20 done....
Something we're making space for: Writing. I really need to get my story submitted for Grief. I've written the bones but need to finish it this weekend. And submit it. I also have a number of blog posts to write and reviews. Just seem time poor constantly at the moment.
I've included two songs from Nimino who I saw this month and was fabulous. They've been on high rotation since....
I have no idea how we are here again already, and yet, here we are. It is almost April.
something we loved: It was our wedding anniversary and we splashed out at the Chefs Table (Omakase) at Ora. We have spent many of my birthdays or our anniveraries at Sushi e and later Ora with the chef Nobuyuki Ura. The food is sensational every single time and it is my favourite restuarant in Sydney. For a cheaper option, look at the fixed lunch offering from time to time. It's so delicous and so beautifully presented. We had never done the chef's table so it was a very special occasion for us. However, I felt even though we were the oldest, the other 8 guests seemed more blaze about it. Not sure if that's to do with some young people having more wealth, so it wasn't a big deal for them, or if Sydney dining scene has changed and people don't dress up like they used to and merrily look at their phones during dinner.
I have not been loving the weather of late but I have loved the spectacular light and reflections it's given us.
Pink clouds, rainbows, firey skies all come out along with the rain and the humidity. It may not be a silver lining per se, but it's something pretty spectacular.
obi UraNobuyuki Ura
Something that sustained us: Twice this month my husband and I popped out on a Wednesday to see Clayton Doley play at small venues. Once at Butcher's Brew and once at Bar Torino. It was great to have these easy, laid back date nights. It was great to see live music, and such a talented musician. Both nights we were home by 9.30 so it was equally great not to be tired on a weeknight, nor the next day. I hope to carry it forward....but nothing planned as yet. However, how it sustained us, in the demise of Bluesfest that has hit us quite hard. We loved it, and it was a great way for us to enjoy music together and find new bands we both like as our taste in music is very different. All our sideshows cancelled, which as I feared is an indicatior that without the festival to help their costs, they just won't tour here anymore. Australia is very expensive to tour in, and a lot of smaller bands or independant musicians can't make the costs work for them. So seeing Clayton Doley, who we discovered at Bluesfest many years ago, was at least a reminder that were were still artists we could see and enjoy. So last Wednesday, while lamenting the loss that Bluesfest will prove to be, there was still a little joy to be found.
something we're carrying forward from this month to the next: See above. I wrote 2 stories this month. They were short and not great but they were written. I have 2 more lined up to write so I'm hoping I can get that creativity back up and running, and begin to execute it a little better....the COVID years really stopped me in my tracks in a lot of different ways.
I also read you need to hand write for 20 minutes a day to help with brain function and avoid dementia (more complicated than that, obviously but it helps). So I am back to hand writing my short stories. I'm nowhere close to 20 minutes daily but it's still more than what I was doing. So I want to continue and increase that practice.
something we're making space for: Exercise. I really need to keep movement up. Whether it's walking distances or weights and stretches, plus dancing, a lot of dancing, my body seems to stiffen up without it so I really need to make the time every day.
Seeing Alle Farben at Parookaville, neither of which disappointed. He was so great with a choir, brass section and violinist at times, as well as live singers. It was such a joyous set and my heart was full! 
Something that sustained me My travels! I saw so much beautiful art and interesting history and culture. I was filling my mind every day with things to think about and learn. It was so invigorating!
