Today I have two weeks’ worth of good things because last Friday was a …
Public Holiday
Australia Day was last Friday which meant we had a long weekend, so we drove down to my parents at Point Lonsdale. One of my sisters and her family were also there. The weather was not hot, but it was very pleasant. We did lots of just hanging round. I did a hilly long run, up the Bellarine Rail Trail, and we had lunch outside before heading home on Sunday. Oh, and my mum and nephew bought home the golf trophy from their competition on Sunday.
My worm farm
My nifty worm farm arrived Thursday afternoon and I just had time between showers to set it up before dinner and our drive to Point Lonsdale. Once it’s running at capacity the worms should be able to process about 2 kg of food scraps, garden cuttings, shredded paper, etc each day. They got fed last Thursday and I will start feeding them small amounts more regularly today.
Sermon on the Mount Podcast
The team at the bible podcast are exploring the Sermon on the Mount this year. I did a subject on this for my Masters and I delivered a guest message on the Beatitudes during the pandemic, but I’m enjoying the chance to nerd out some more on these teachings of Jesus that have influenced diverse thinkers over the centuries.
Deutschland 86 and 89
Switching gears a little. We’ve been watching the Deutschland series on Netflix. We’ve finished 86 and have moved on to 89. Yes, our obsession with German language television continues.
Holiday Planning
It shouldn’t be any secret that I love holiday planning. We have had our Three Capes Hike booked since late 2022 and we hardly have any time to go now so I’ve been working out our pre-hike activities. We decided to spend the first weekend we are in Tasmania on the Tasman Peninsula which means with the hike, we will have pretty much done everything we want to in that area of the state. Since a lot of the accommodation is two-bedroom houses or apartments, we booked a house and invited our friends from Launceston to stay with us. They used to live around the corner from us when we lived in Canterbury and we did small group, ministry and running club with them so I’m really looking forward to catching up with them.
We also had to make a decision on what to do regarding our cancelled flights to Tel Aviv. our options were: a) get them re-routed to a European destination without incurring any extra charges or b) get a credit and lose $400. We’ve decided to fly to Paris and do a 15-day Camino Frances highlight walk. We walk the first three days from the France border over the Pyrenees to Pamplona, then the last six days from Sarria into Santiago de Compostella. We catch the train between Pamplona and Sarria stopping at Burgos and Leon on the way. So exciting! Before the walk, G will be working so I will be travelling independently in France.
And the even more amazing news … the couple that we are doing the hike in Tasmania with also happen to be flying into Paris the same day we are. That was not planned but we will probably take the opportunity to at least have dinner together that weekend before G flies to the UK for work.
Finishing up some Admin
I got an email from the accountant before Christmas requesting our tax stuff so they could do our returns. I had a few things to get together for my parents’ tax (I look after their accounts for them) and then the plan was to get ours done. It took me an hour or so to track down the last couple of bits and pieces I needed for my parents while I was down at their house. Once we were back home I started work on ours and it only took me a few hours to get it done. I thought it would take longer than that. I’m so glad to get both of those off my to-do list. I also got my budget categories sorted so they match the ones our bank uses on the forms we have to fill in each year for my husband’s company overdraft, and our budget up to date. That took longer than a few hours.
Mulching the Garden
Our neighbour ordered some mulch for their garden last weekend and realised when it arrived that they’d over-ordered. We willingly took it off their hands. This made for a decent morning’s work on a fairly warm Monday morning, but now the garden is all weeded and the mulch should keep the weeds down for a while.
Bonus Good Things
- Our dog Riley. So good and easy to look after. He sleeps away most of the day.
- Sitting outside at the Albert Park Hotel eating very good Chinese food with friends. Crab omelette, Balmain bug noodles … so many good dishes.
- Our son is in Barcelona for work this week! Hopefully, he is being sensible over there, we haven’t heard from him yet (edit: between writing that sentence and hitting the publish button he sent us a video of a bartender setting drinks alight)
- I’m on a cutback week for running this week. I always enjoy these.
- Having a good long conversation with my friend who now lives in Launceston (the one we will be seeing when we are down in Tassie)
- Riding to the new-to-me, bulk food store in Elwood. So easy and so quick, but not as many places to chain my bike up as they have in Church St and Hampton.
- We’ve been watching the Netflix television series Boy Swallows Universe, based on the book by Trent Dalton and it’s great.
How has your week been? Any highs, lows or in betweens?
Comments
9 responses to “Good Things Friday”
Oh wow reading the last sentences I realized you are talking just about last week. How do you find the energy for all of the things? Anyways, it sounds you are living life to the fullest. I am a bit envious of your travel plans. I would love to do things like that but I could not get the husband to join. We have very different vacation styles and needs and it is always a compromise (and I feel I compromise a bit more). I guess that is just what it is. Anyways I will live through your travels for now.
And it also reminded me that i need to figure out our travel plans for the summer and next years anniversary in order not to be too late for everything again. I wll be doing that when we get back from our anniversary trip.
Oh and would you liek to talk more about your worm farm please? I’ve seen them pop up more and more but was too lazy to check out how they work.
Haha, no it was actually two weeks. I am lucky that my husband is happy to have me make most of the decisions regarding our travel, although I know what he likes now so try to cater it got that as much as possible.
Oh, and I think I’ll do a post about the worm farm.
Your travel plans sound great! I am hoping to get some traveling in soon, but I have not planned anything yet! You are so on the ball and you make it sound so easy! I love France and have always been interested in the Camino so can’t wait to hear how you like it. Have you booked anything or will you book anything in advance, or will you just walk as much as you feel like and then rock up and try to get a spot for the night?
I always like to have all my travel drtails sorted before I go. For the Camino we are using an Australian company that specialises in walking holidays, so they book all the accomodation for us and on the walking days they’ll transfer our luggage for us. Hubby is not that keen on hiking where we have to carry full packs, although he will do it if there’s a hike I want to do and there is no other option. I’m still mulling over what to do when I’m on my own in France. I want to do some things that my husband wouldn’t be that interested in.
You are doing camino francés, that’s amaizing! I will be waiting for the pcitures and updates. That picture of your run is beautiful- looks and feels so warm. It’s winter now in NJ so I am jealous of people with warmer weather in January.
WE don’t go until October but I will certainly post plenty of photos when I do.
Oh goodness, France and Spain! LOVELY. I’ve not been to Spain yet, but France is my very favorite ever. Will you stay in Paris, do you think? My friend did some time there alone and had an amazing time doing the things her husband and sons wouldn’t care about – flea market shopping, ballet, opera, etc. I would love to be able to spend time in Paris without having to consider what anyone else wants to do. Have you been before? It’s a great city for walking!
My niece did a walk from France into Spain, I wonder if it was the same one you are doing?
I used to have a neighbor with worm bins, she loved the compost for her plants. I’m not sure why she eventually got rid of them.
WE will have at least one night in Paris together and then I think I will stay at least another one or two nights there. We’ve stayed in Paris with my middle child for 7 days but I just looked at my list of things to do and ther are still things on there I didn’t get to. It could be. We cross over the Pyranees and into Spain on our first day.