It's in the bag. Christmas Traditions.

Long time readers will know I'm a big fan of Share the Dignity's #Itsinthebag Christmas appeal. I write about it each year. So rather than repeat myself, I'll just say that today (until the 27th Nov) you can drop your bags at Bunnings - and so I am off to do that today. I do a bag for women, Teens, Mum's & bubs, Transmen and Nonbinary people. (My theory is, if you menstrate and are experiencing poverty, you get one. It is uncharitable - and I would say unchristian - to judge who is deserving of help. You need it or you don't.I will delete unkind comments so don't bother writing them). I get a great deal of joy finding the items to go into the bags - some little treats as well as the utalitarian itelms at a good price). If you don't have time to get a bag together, feel free to donate money here.

I also do an assisted living present drive. I take 4 teenagers off the list, as I figure most people like to buy for the little kids as their stuff is more 'fun'. This year I got some extra 'stocking stuffers' for little kids as Officeworks had these easals for $15 so it was too good a bargin to miss. These are also being delivered today to the drop off, so I'll get that corner of the lounge room back!

I've begun on my reverse advent calendar - collecting 1 or 2 items each shop to donate once I hit 25. I took them to Addison Road food pantry, and will do so again, because it's helping my local area.

So for me, it's the sign that Christmas is coming. It's the season I'm most charitable (more effort on my part than just sending money).  That, and my pre-ordered Christmas gin arrived! It's expensive but oh, so good! It's my Christmas present to me!

Getting my posse together and our tickets to this gig is the other annual tradition that signifies Christmas is coming for me. 

November is full of Christmas Traditions for me, which I enjoy more than most of the December ones, truth be told! November now has a very strong seasonal flavour, where it used to just be 'begining to feel like Christmas'. 

(And you may've seen my call out on twitter for the NSW Flood charities. The Eugowra situation has been quite devastating to watch, so feel free to add any relelvant aid to those flood affected towns in the comments).

All Seasons is open from Friday through Wednesday 5pm, Sydney Time. 

1. Please link one  'seasonal' post a week. 

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

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

4. I will delete posts if you don't comment.

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What's on your bookshelf - November

I've struggled a bit with focus this month. For bookclub I'm listening to Shrines of Gaiety. It had been recommended by a few people so I was excited to read it but it's failed to grab me. I'm 13 hours in and it still feels like exposition. As a result, it's taking me a long time to wade through as I keep listening to podcasts instead. To be fair, it could be my brain that's the problem, less than the book's fault.

I read this gem of a book - it appears to be out of print (I went to buy copies to give to people) but it's Atwood at her best. Funny and clever little stories, playing with characters from fairy stories. I can't recommend this enough. Other than Handmaids, I'm not her hugest fan, but this is delightful.

And that, I'm sad to say, is about it! 

What are you reading at the moment?

Linking with #Whatsonyourbookshelf. #TrafficJamWeekend #Weekendcoffeeshare #WonderfulWednesday

"Happiness is not a goal...it's a by-product of a life well-lived." Eleanor Roosevelt

And I am living well this week.

It's been busy with work during the day but I was at Allen Stone on Tuesday (one of the best things about where I live, is that I can have dinner with the kids and then run up the road to see the gig....so going out but also still being at home...)

Tonight I have dinner and the Wharf review friends tonight. Now that my NYE and Field Day plans are cancelled (in order to not get COVID before flying OS), I have my celebration this Friday, so to speak. The party posse are having dinner then heading off to Hot Dub, and then I pull up the next day at Harbourlife for Claptone...I'm so excited. The only cloud on the horizon is actual clouds. Both are outdoors so fingers crossed it's sunny and the rain (or freezing hail of yesterday!) stays away.

So I'm all smiles.

What's the #OneSmallThing making you happy this week?

Linking with #SundayBest #TheRandom  #HappyTuesday #WordlessWednesday #KeithsRambling #OneSmallThing

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Thankful

 I have spoken often about how friendship works in a pay it forward manner, rather than a tit for tat mode. The people who step up for you when you need it may not be the people you stepped up for when they needed it. Not because they don't care, but because we're all going through hard times from time to time, and we can only offer up help when we aren't at capacity.

I have helped people I barely knew and become friends in the process, and people have become more important to me because the way they've swept in during my time of need.

It's great if you can be there for the people that helped you, but just remember what that support meant to you, and pass it one whenever you can.

Don't wait for it to be close friends or family. Do it wherever you can.

Let's make the world a little easier for more people when we can.

Short and sweet for #ThankfulThursday

Flowers on Lord Howe Island

I have no idea what any of these are, nor if they are specific to Lord How Island but a brief collection of some of the wild flowers I saw around the island.

The bird shot is just cos I like it.

Linking with #DND  #NaturesNotes  #GardenAffair #FloralFridayFoto #WildbirdWednesday

Sunshine and friends - the best things in life!

So many good things this week - we had a spectacular weekend away with friends, pub choir and a wreath making evening at Archie Rose. 

I got the numbers for the World Cup Sweep and did the draw last night with some friends adjudicating.

I got all my charity stuff organised so I can get it out of the house next week.

I hope to get back up to date on my work which was building up with the holidays and tax time focus.

But my happy celebration is while my friends were going to Hot Dub on the Harbour, I couldn't go because I was at Harbourlife the next night and felt I had to be home to spend time with my family at least one night on the weekend . However, Claptone and J.Worra set times are weirdly between 2-4.30 so I'll be home Saturday night....So I booked my ticket and can join them! In my head, this is now my NYE/Field Day celebrations early (as I'm not going to the real one). Now we just have to keep our fingers crossed on the weather!! Sunshine please!!

In a funny coincidence (and confirming my theory I'm Even Stevens), a concert that got postponed in April emailed me that it was now just cancelled and I'd get a refund....for the exact same amount my Hot Dub ticket cost!  

What's the #OneSmallThing that made you happy this week?

Linking with #TforTuesday   #WordlessWednesday 

Artistic Rejects

 

For some reason I like these, the reject shots of the lunar eclipse. There's a warmth in the colour. Or something that appeals, if you think of them as abstract paintings.

Or maybe I'd just been staring at the moon for too long. 

Anyway, maybe we sometimes need to remember, that even if it isn't what we wanted, or isn't how it was meant to be, it doesn't mean we can't like it. 

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