Saying "goodbye"

Goodbye's are weird. Well, I  find goodbye's to be weird. I become weird, and awkward, and at times sad, or awkwardly sad when it's not really sad, and then there's the times when I should be sad but I can't muster any emotion, or the times when I'm even happy to say goodbye, which becomes weird and awkward again because it's not the happy kind of goodbye. You get it, right? 

In short, I'm not good at the "goodbye". 

On Sunday, we had a sad/awkward/happy/sad again/relieved-that-it's-finally-over kind of goodbye.

It was hard, but it was always going to happen. 

We said goodbye to the kittens. 

These rumbley-tumbley, soft and cuddly, blue-eyed, little kittens that have been a part of our lives for the past 11 weeks. From two tiny kittens, completely dependant upon their mama (Appa) to these boisterous, meowing, stalking and pouncing, getting in/on/under everything creatures that never ceased to make our day incredibly entertaining/frustrating/expensive/exhausting, but most of all, loved.

They became such a part of our household, that it was hard to remember how things were before...and we always knew this day would come, we'd just hoped it wouldn't come so fast. 

It was a rough day. It started with an argument and finished with Pancake Manor.

Neither of us had talked much about how we were feeling about giving the kittens away, rather busying ourselves with buying toys, blankets and food for them, and planing the long trip up the coast to their new home. We were snippy at each other all morning, until it all erupted in an emotion filled yelling match, which led to me storming off in a huff and Sam finding me bare-bummed and crying on the toilet. We couldn't help but laugh at ourselves. We finally chatted about our sadness of the impending goodbye, then dressed, packed the car, plugged in the iPod and set off. 

The trip was filled with sing alongs, kitten cries and beautiful scenery. When we finally reached the coast, the salty air was welcoming and the sunshine made my heart happy. It made our parting a little easier. We played a little and said our goodbyes. We were happy. They were in a loving home. 

On the way up the mountain to home, we stopped at the Pancake Manor in Ipswich. 

Dessert for dinner :)

 *all photos by Sam

We were exhausted, emotionally and physically, as we pulled into the drive at 10pm. We were greeted at the door by a very happy dog and two meowing cats, and we realised that this is our family, in our home. 

 //"Man's feelings are always purest and most glowing in the hour of meeting and of farewell."// Jean Paul Richter//

PS. I have to apologise for breaking my promise to write on Monday...it's now 1am on Thursday :( Note to self: Must be more present!

PPS. The routine is going okay. We've been walking Tig regularly (she even sits at the back door at 5pm, patiently waiting.) I haven't been getting up much earlier than usual (maybe because I'm still awake at 1am?) or drinking much tea, but being more active is a step in the right direction. 

I've just got to change my routine a little at a time.

AND! If you happen to stumble across here this month, head over here to enter the Sole Society/The Beetle Shack giveaway! Good Luck! x

Inspired: to change

I love when I am inspired. Inspired to create/explore/tell/imagine/learn & much more! 
Today I was inspired, by this lovely lady, and her post on the 'morning routine'. 

Now that I'm back at uni (and can't sleep in until midday) I'm craving some sort of routine in my everyday life. My mornings are usually a mixture of lazily watching the news and checking emails, and then rushing to get dressed and packed before running out the door to get on with the day. No breakfast, no stretching, no meditation...and I hate it being this way. 

Time for a change!

I'd much rather enjoy the morning, and prepare myself for the day ahead. My hope is that by creating a routine I'll become more productive in my daily activities, and begin to create a healthier way of living for myself, and Sam...and our animals. 

At the moment my current day is*:

7.30     wake up, turn on tv, watch some morning news

8.30     feed the animals, followed by turning on laptop, checking emails/blogs/social networks

9.00     get dressed, let Tig out in the yard, run out the door to uni/work/errands

12.00   lunch (usually at a cafe or take out), followed by more uni/work/errands

16.00   come home, relax in front of tv whilst checking emails/blogs/social networks

18.00   feed the animals, followed by Sam and I tossing up whether to cook or get take out (unfortunately, it's usually take out...healthy take out...if that counts)**

19.00   study intermingled with checking social networks

21.00   shower, put on comfy clothes, snuggle up in bed with Sam and watch our favourite show/s (the IQ and record function on the Foxtel has been worth every penny!)

I usually fall asleep anywhere between 9pm and midnight.

*with the exception of days that I work early, which means I'm up at 6am and home at 4pm...so everything else gets crammed in later!
**house work is usually left until about now, depending on whether or not there's clean dishes for dinner, or how much of a mess the animals have made inside...sometime I refer to them as our children, considering I feel like I'm constantly picking up all their toys and cleaning up after them!

Can you see why this needs to change? I really have no stability in my current routine.
I'm hoping that if I begin my morning with a stable routine, then the rest of my day would be more productive. I'm thinking that the best way to make this change is to have a plan of when I want to wake and what I want to get done in the morning before I start my regular day. 
Writing it here and having people keep me accountable (and hopefully support me) is what will keep me on track. I'm not going to change my whole day, but if I can make these small changes, rather than just going through the motions, I'm sure my mind and body will thank me for it in the long run.

This is what I'm aiming for in the morning:

6.00     wake up, watch news (only the news update part and not the rest of the drivel that comes after it)

6.30     make fresh tea with our herbs 
7.00     head outside for some meditation/gardening/enjoying sunshine
8.30     feed the animals  
8.35     tidy up the house, let Tig out in the yard
9.00     get dressed, run out the door (let's be honest!) to uni/work/errands

Sam and I have also decided that we're going to walk Tig at dusk each day. It'll give us a chance to step away from the tv/laptop/phone for a half hour and spend time together, out in the fresh air, and Tig will get her exercise/be so exhausted afterwards that she'll sleep soundly during the night ;)

So, that's my goal for the next 21 days! (you know the saying; 'takes 21 days to create a habit'!)

I know I'll still check my phone for emails when I get up, and might struggle to stick to having a cup of tea for breakfast, but if I can begin to make a change to my lifestyle then I'll be happy. 

As my father once told me; 
Dad: "how do you eat an elephant?"
Me: "I don't know...how?"
Dad: "one bite at a time! *insert typical father-like belly-laugh here*
(sorry, I couldn't help it. I love dad jokes!)

~This is where I'm hoping to spend some of my mornings, soaking up the sunshine...as soon as it's warm again.