New Year Small Changes….

All things,

The end of January has arrived. ……Australia Day has been and gone
Rain and flood have never been far away, fire has been making its presence known
There has been cricket and tennis as well as road cycling to watch
Many surprise wins, early disappointments plus shock eliminations.

Here in Victoria lots of little kids will begin the school year today
I wonder how many sets of twins will feature on the news this evening?

Sunrise and sunset times are changing.
Very slowly the days are becoming shorter – nightfall is arriving slightly earlier

Various community commitments, clubs and classes are returning
After the long summer break life in general is beginning again

So much happening which means just one thing – the year proper has now begun.
~ ~ ~ ~

I decided to take me out of the blog name and it’s back to being called ‘Still Waters’.
Not a big change, still about a life that appears to be
All smooth on the surface but really has lots going on underneath.

Trouble is I feel it’s getting a bit stale and what to write about is becoming a problem
I’m getting short on ideas – visitors & comments are down – so am open to suggestions.
~ ~ ~ .

Looking back to December 2021 I spent a bit of time mulling over this
****.
Well, the votes at both clubs were taken in early 2022, the amalgamation went ahead. There was a very mixed reception to the move….on both sides.
I was all for it and gave it a go – but as the old saying goes ‘be careful what you wish for’ it turned out to be not quite what I’d envisioned. Some members love it – others haven’t been back.
Too many people – cramped seating – enclosed room, no windows, no natural daylight, mixed membership that included many ‘know it all old men’ who stifled discussions. One more meeting after returning from Bowen sealed it – I’d had enough.

About that time the news came that the choir I sang with would possibly fold in 2023.
Two of my pleasures out the window just like that.
~ ~ ~ ~

New Year Small Changes

Just by chance late last year I found (and joined) another smaller Probus branch. A Ladies Club who meet on a different day
Which has allowed me in 2023 to change the day of another social engagement.
Another choir meets not too far away. You might say a ‘slightly better one’.
Each choir has a sort of repertoire they’re known for.
My ‘old’ one was show tunes singalong oriented- this new one (under the U3A banner) sing more involved numbers, much in parts as well as acapella. Which I have missed since leaving the local Sing Australia group – driving to night time rehearsals was becoming a problem.
Big smiles when I gained a hotly sought after place on enrolment day so all is not lost

Not a change of day but a small change of volunteer responsibilities. A move to a different area in the aged care facility where I’m now assisting those who are at a different level of care, more in line with the qualifications I gained many years ago. A little less ‘meaningful’ chat than was over the tea trolley but definitely an understanding – many smiles and much laughter.

~ ~ ~~.
One thing that hasn’t changed over the years – my enjoyment of an early cup of tea
We’ve arrived at the last Monday in January so while I’m supping I’m going through folders and enjoying the recent colours of Summer.
Officially we have just one more month – I’m hoping it will hang around a lot longer just the same as Winter did 😎😊

#enjoyeverymoment

27 thoughts on “New Year Small Changes….”

  1. You are right. the year proper does start next month.
    I am ready to let summer go, but that is a personal preference thing.
    And yes, I hear you wondering what to write and thinking/knowing that my blog has descended to same old/same old.
    I hope your new groups are wonderful – and enjoy those cups of tea.

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  2. Hari OM
    Well, it seems to me that you are likely to have some fresh inspiration for posts arising from the altered social schedule you mention above… and ultimate, blogging is a journal of one’s day, week, or hobby… or just a plain old chinwag. Maybe pick a subject of particular interest that you would like to improve your own understanding and learning about – and one or two days a week, share those findings and insights with us! Don’t fret about comment numbers; they will always fluctuate. The blog must, first and foremost, be for your own reflection. Those who tag along are a bonus! YAM xx

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    1. Thanks for your suggestions Yam, you’re right, new routines, new people to meet should provide some material. And of course there’s always the weather 😊

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  3. I too in a way have newer activities and once the “Chistmas closures” were gone, life is coming on stream.

    Some only meet once a month but rumikub is every Wednesday afternoon. I’m slowly getting together with names and players styles. Plus I’m getting better at the game.

    But what hasn’t been reset since lockdowns is getting out and catching up with friends, much. Got 2 more lined up for “soon” but not sure on “when soon”.

    I try to blog more, so that I don’t end up with a 20,000 word novel. Right now it’s about the State of Emergency in my region. I’m all safe due to position of this small block of flats on a slight slope, and the mini lake that formed at bottom of concrete driveway, didn’t affect any of the living spaces as they are all on the same level, well off the ground. The garages got slightly flooded, mostly because the drain didn’t cope.

    But other parts of the region not so lucky, i wrote a post about it.

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    1. You certainly are taking advantage of all the new opportunities being put your way Catherine. And as for that recent weather event in your city and surrounds – you never can tell what’s going to happen from one day to the next. Good to hear you weren’t too badly affected although (like many over here when deluges like that happen) it wasn’t fun for those who were.

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  4. Our twin great nieces will start school today. Maybe they will be on tv. I am enjoying our cooler than average summer. It sounds like you have been proactive in changing things to work better for you.

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    1. Did you end up with tv stars in the family? I believe there were quite a few of them this year….I’m going on what a friend told me because unfortunately I didn’t get to see the local news

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  5. The end of summer? Your summers don’t hold on into April? Ours here in California run on into October and sometimes even November before we notice a serious chill in the air? It is still cold here and warm spring days MAY show up in late March. I sure hope so. I’m done with the cold.

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    1. Officially summer ends on March 1 – some years the hot hot weather stays around until April but not normally. Average high temp for Feb/March in Melbourne is usually around 27c/80f – low 15c/59f then once the solstice has been/gone it cools off. Melburnians are known to whinge about the cold temps – most of enjoy the warm and we can often get 4 seasons in one day which doesn’t make us happy at all.
      Victoria is in the south of Australia…..next stop further south is Antarctica and depending on winds and seasonal sea currents the cold comes up from there. So when we hear there are southerly winds coming we know it’s going to be cool/cold😊

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    1. I’m depending on your long range forecast skills Caro and will come knocking on your door looking for answers Caro if this doesn’t happen 😊😊

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  7. It’s always nice to read about “far away” Australia. Any stories about your traditions in your region would be fun. Maybe a geography lesson on the different provinces (?) and areas of land on your continent would be a nice topic. From the exciting Land of Oz in flat Kansas, it seems that Australia has huge sections of dusty areas, then funny scrub brush forests, and many beaches with large cans of Foster beer. So do wallabys run wild in some areas like deer in woodsy parts of the U.S.? Linda in Kansas

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  8. Out with the old and in with even better it sounds to me. You’ve got a variety of activities to keep your life interesting. I hope you find interesting topics to write for us.
    I love hearing about your different life
    But I know what you mean about finding exciting to blog about. I have a lot of the dead, even half written pieces but I need time to think and write and edit. There’s always something, someone that interrupts, it seems

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    1. Thanks Linda I’m definitely hoping this year will be a bit more interesting than last year was. Covid was rife before we went up north so lots of events were curtailed- Qld was quiet and peaceful- then back here again to more disappointments.
      And I’ll be digging into my drafts as well, there are things loitering in there several years old that need to either be published or tossed

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  9. Ordinary people living ordinary lives and being honest about it are way more interesting (and varied it turns out) than the carefully curated collected experiences and ‘instagrammable’ photo ops that get posted on so much of social media. Choir – fantastic (I have just rejoined my workplace choir, and am looking forward to a warble). Your garden is colourful and a blog post a week on its own. (Love the agapanthus – possibly my favourite flower). Old men and meetings – well least said…. old men hold meetings at the shallow end of our local swimming pool and clog up progress for the swimmers. And Volunteering at the hospital (or anywhere in fact.) My Nan used to do ‘Friends of the Hospital’ nearly 60 years ago and I joined her in school holidays . It helped develop in me a mindset that those of us who can should help the lives of those who can’t….
    You know you have about 6 blog posts in this one alone. (and you haven’t mentioned knitting!)

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    1. Thanks for your comment F….I know all the ingredients are there, just have to mix them up in the right order to make sense. Hopefully I’ll come up with something of interest for everyone reading- and of course looking at ‘what I’ve knit now’

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  10. I just enjoy reading whatever you write about. I feel I have gotten to know you a little and look forward to each post. I wish I could carry a tune, but the talent skipped right over me and produced a wonderful voice in my daughter.

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    1. The thing with community choirs Elizabeth is that for the great majority there is no audition process. Singing for the masses is a fabulous concept and you’d be surprised at how well it turns out.

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    1. Twins on afternoon/evening tv news……it’s hard to explain. First day back after the long summer break – about the only day camera crews aren’t chased away from the school gates. It’s a good news story, human interest, some primary schools have several sets (plus other multiple birth sets) starting their first year, how on earth will the teachers (and other staff know who is who)

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  13. I enjoy reading about life, seasons, and traditions in your part of the world. Your summer photos in this post are wonderful to see as we are in the midst of a dry brown cold winter. I hope your new choir turns out to be a joyful experience. There is something so nice about group singing.

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    1. Here’s to a warmish green spring for you – blue sunny skies and not too much rain (unless you need it) I really enjoy all forms of singing and am definitely looking forward to joining this new group Jane. I’m sure you’ll all hear about my new ventures.

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  14. I have noticed it’s now darker when I head off to the pool first thing in the morning. And the traffic today coming home was horrendous.
    Definitely school has started.
    Another year. I wonder how fast this one will fly by. They seem to be going faster and faster these days

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