Hi Ho Hi Ho - it is off to work I go!

Back to Work

I have been unemployed or semi-retired for 4 weeks, it has been good but I wanted to do more.

Week One

• I had a friend pass and had the funeral. That week was emotional and spent the latter half curled up on the sofa watching movies. I was technically still working as I was taking it as a holiday.

Week Two

• I started with the lists of lists of lists ..... this was all I seemed to do, did not get many things done on the lists. 

Week Three

• I was asked if I would cover for someone in another department for the full week - that was working more than I normally did. 

Week Four

• I have spent the first half of the week looking after a friend who was in a car accident. Also preparing to go back to work as I was offered a job today.

I guess you can imagine that not a lot of things have been done on all those lists that I made in week two.

Things not done:

• Run away to the beach and read books
• Work on my book, that I have been trying to write for years
• Go through all my photos from my holiday (approximately 7000) and get them printed to hang in the hallway
• Swimming in the morning, this is a great way to start the day but I do find it takes it out of me a bit
• Volunteer at the local radio expanding my skills and learning more about my local community. 
• Do lots of yoga to find inner peace
• Find myself... I am not sure I was lost - just misplaced.

Well, none of that has been done but I can still work on them and try not t lose myself in my work...

I have been doing a photo challenge for the month of October, to take a photo every day and post to Instagram and FB. This has kept my creativity side of me very busy and I have really enjoyed the distraction. I have also started a new # for me which made me very excited #scottishgirlintas - got to love random #'s.

Some of my favourite pictures so far:

Chicken Foot - "The Horror!"

Leo - my dog "Sniff"

"The Wood Pile"

There are some that are not so good but it has been great fun.

Follow-up: I did not eat great the other day, too much Pizza - got to love pizza. 

Spring! Flowers in the Garden.

Spring is in the air!

What can I say but Spring has Sprung! I spent a bit of time today wondering around the garden just taking pictures of all the blossom that is out.

Since we have a few ducks that always seem to be hungry they spent the time following me around as waiting for me to give them more food. That has only happened that one time when I thought they had not been fed so I fed them. They ended up with two feeds that day... and let me just say, they do not need it.

 I am not good at recognising the flowers or plants in the garden but I do know which ones I like because they look pretty.

Little Purple Flowers - that has a lovely smell

Just starting to blossom

Open for the world to see

Blossom

 During the photographing section, I was concentrating on the getting some good shots. I had not noticed the massive slippery poo at my feet. I managed to slip and slide my way through the poo with the ducks looking at demanding that I feed them.

Duck - The Poo Machine

Follow-up: Been busy around the house, cleaned out Narnia and I can now see the floor. I have also sorted out some clothes to sell at the local second-hand clothes market. 

Not Working!

Not Working or Semi-Retired.

I have finished the contract that I was working on and I am now sitting at home working out what do to with my career.

I have been applying for jobs that I find that might interest me or keep me out of trouble. There has not been very many.

The other things I have been doing is writing lots lists. Lists of things that I am not doing. 

• Put up new curtain rails
• Clean out the spare room - Narnia - things that go in there get lost
• Clean out wardrobe 
• Tidy the deck ready for the summer
• Clean all the cobwebs from our entrance way
• Write my book - work on chapters 1- 4 
• Do spring cleaning around the house 
• Register to volunteer at local radio

Succulent Heaven!

Things I have done:

• Filled in form to register as volunteer - not handed it in
• Added more crap to Narnia 
• Pulled all my scarfs out my wardrobe and put them in a pile
• Opened book to read - decided to read the new Dan Brown book instead
• Started a photo challenge - posting a photo a day on FB and Instagram 
• Made more mess on the deck by spray painting glass jars to put wee succulents in
• Spent loads of hours looking up ways to clean and organise things on Pinterest 

The lists are getting longer instead of my usual which is ticking off everything on my list. This break is good for me it is showing me even if I do not get everything done, some things will get done.

Follow-up: I have not had a hot chocolate - I think it might have broken my addiction it was so horrible. Although I do have a new addiction online shopping.... make me stop. I order stuff then forget I have ordered.... not good.