What to say about July? It began with another head cold preceding another two weeks of coughing. My mojo, it seemed had gone missing in action. Logically I knew it was all related to the loss of Kali back in June, but even so …
As July comes to a close, however, I’m feeling back to normal—well, normal-ish. The coughing has (mostly) gone, I’m writing again, and I’ve noticed my curiosity is beginning to return. I’m also walking most days and, for the first time in months, have averaged 10,000 steps a day over the last couple of weeks.
I’ve also loved these cool nights and mild sunny days, although we’re still finishing our morning beach walk long before sunrise.
Peopling
This month I began volunteering at the Neighbour’s Aid (charity) store in Mooloolaba one morning a week. I’m sorting through the collectables that have been donated for sale and resisting the temptation to bring home yet more vintage china. The peopling is doing me the world of good.
With a colleague from Writing Friday, I also spent a day attending the University of Sunshine Coast’s Creativity Unleashed program put on by the creative writing team.
Despite the uni being literally up the road from us, and Sarah having attended it for four years, I hadn’t spent any time on campus and enjoyed sharing my morning coffee with the uni’s resident kangaroos and my lunch with a curious butcher bird.
Travelling
None this month, but Grant and I did scoot out for a day trip to Moffatdale in the South Burnett region.
I made scones for our morning tea stop at Kilkivan,
… and we had a picnic lunch, which we ate at at Bjlke-Peterson Dam.
In between we had a mooch around the pantry and did a wine tasting at Dusty Hill winery.
Watching
Fake (Paramount+)
OMG, this was good. Based on journalist Stephanie Wood’s book, this mini-series chronicles her relationship (names changed and some parts fictionalised) with “Joe”, a serial fantasist. You can read the original article – the one the book is based on – here.
My Lady Jane (Prime)
A historical-fantasy reimagining of Lady Jane Grey’s short reign as queen? What could be possibly wrong with that? Throw in an omnipresent narrator, a banging soundtrack, and quite a bit of feistiness (Jane) and shape-shifting (other characters) and this is really good fun.
Clarkson’s Farm 3
I began watching this when it first came out but had been warned episode 4, titled “Harrowing”, was indeed harrowing and involved the demise of way too many porky characters. So I left it until I thought I could watch without crying. Spoiler alert, I cried through much of that episode. After that, though, the remainder of the season was plain sailing.
Writing
I’m a couple of weeks behind on Philly 3 now, but am hopeful of catching up and anxious to begin the next Clementine Carter.
In case you missed it, on this blog I’ve posted:
- Something about our road trip to Tumba
- A Melbourne foodie post
- And the July Book Post
I’ve also posted weekly life and writing updates on my substack – which you’ll find here.
A Temperature Blanket Update
Okay, the picture isn’t great and it’s hard to see the differences in some colours, but the blanket is coming along well. It’s based on the temperature for where I am on the day, which is why there are some cooler squares in the middle of the warmer February squares (when I was in NZ) and some bright blues in June when we were in Tumbarumba and Canberra and the minimum temperature was either approaching or below zero. The inner circle is the minimum, and the outer circle is the daily maximum. All temperatures are in Celsius. When it’s finished, it will have crochet around the outside as well so will look much neater than it does now.
The key:
- 35+ purple
- 30-34 red
- 25-29 yellow
- 20-24 light blue
- 15-19 grey
- 10-14 pale aqua
- 5-9 slate blue
- below 5 dark blue
Over to you …
Alrighty, that’s enough from me … what’s been on your calendar this month? Perhaps you’d like to update us on your word of the year or intentions? We’d love to hear about what you’ve been up to…
The linky is below …
My co-hosts are:
Deb at Deb’s World
Sue at Women Living Well Over 50
Donna at Retirement Reflections
And Anyways... 
Hi Jo, I’m glad you are on the mend and look at you go with your 10,000 daily steps. The creative writing course would be right up your alley and I could see you teaching one of these courses. Your day trip with Grant looks lovely and after our Cairns trip, I’m hoping to bring back the weekly driving adventure for Mike and I. Who knows a day trip to the Sunshine Coast for lunch with a writing friend and her husband should be organised???? Lately it has just been a weekly lunch at the Leagues Club or Golf Club – at least we are getting out. I’ve volunteered for Share the Dignity which I’m looking forward to. Enjoy your August xx
Luynch on the Sunny Coast? Now, there’s an idea!
I am very impressed with your blanket.
I’m quietly chuffed too. It’s coming along well.
I am glad your health, physical and mental, are ending the month in a better spot. Great job on the steps and your evening temp blanket.
Thanks Bernie.
Hi, Jo – I’m glad that you are beginning to feel better and get your mojo back. I absolutely love your temperature blanket. I have no skill to make one, but it would be fun to compare what each of ours would look like. You don’t seem to have your fair share of dark blue. According to the National Weather Service of Canada, our part of central Vancouver Island would have a minimum of 28 dark blue entries. 😦
The lowest overnight temp we’ve had here this year has been 7 – thank goodness for Tumba and Canberra to deliver the goods.
I’ve seen one that a local Saskatoon woman knit – every colour on the chart had its turn!!
That would be gorgeous.
7? Without a minus in front of it? In December, 2022, Parksville had a record low temperature of -15.6 C. And apparently, in December 1968, Parksville’s temperature went down to -20C. Brrrr!
My temperature chart doesn’t have enough colours for those variations!
-20…. that’s a perfectly decent winters day here where-40 isn’t unusual. I will try to find a picture of her blanket.
That campus is lovely! I like how your blanket records both the low and high temps of each day. It’s going to be so fabulous when it’s finished.
The uni is certainly in a lovely setting and the students all love the roos.
I’m sorry to hear that you’ve been sick again, but glad you are on the mend and, as you said, feeling curious again. Take care of yourself!
Thanks Christie…
A great wrap up and I am pleased that the cough is (mostly) going. And yay for writing mojo return. So pleased that your morning a week at the op shop is going well.
A tough but good month overall…and the Uni pics are “OH so Australian”.
Thanks for the link up too.
Denyse x
There’s not much more Australian than kangaroos lying in the sun is there?
Hi Jo. I love your temperature blanket. I’m looking forward to watching Fake. My friend’s house was featured in, I think, episode 7. It’s getting great reviews. I love you out and about photos. They look so warm. Pleased to hear that you’re mojo is returning.
Thanks Jennifer, I’m definitely getting there!
You do such picturesque travelling. Looks lovely. I want to wach Fake but I refuse to pay Prime more money when I already pay them money. Hope you are better now! (By the time you read my late comments…getting back to #WHimmsy shortly.) #WBOYC
I switch in and out of Paramount – depending on if there’s something I want to see or not. I do the same with Stan.
I’m so glad to hear you feel your mojo and curiosity are slowly returning. Getting out and walking when you don’t feel yourself can be very hard but it sounds like you have pushed your way through and have the steps to show for it. I’m looking forward to reading you next two books in due course. Onwards and upwards!
What a great update Jo! All your lovely photos of being out and about (and in Tumba) are fabulous. That campus is very Australian 🙂
I’ve just showed mum your blanket and she thinks it’s a great idea, she crochets too! By the way she’s just finished the first Philly Barker and is onto the second, plus she’s read some of your other books, and found them really enjoyable.
Glad to hear you’re starting to feel better and have started at your new op shop gig 🙂
Sorry to hear you’ve not been well. Hope you continue a fast recovery. You still got a lot done !
The temperature blanket is pretty impressive Jo – is there anything you can’t do???? Glad to hear that the volunteering and uni-ing are gladdening your heart and that you’re back out walking again (even in the pre-dawn dark…..that’s true dedication!)
Sounds like you are on the right track back to normal. Bless your heart. All the walking is good therapy. We are back at it today after being gone for a week of vacation. Feels good to move again.
I took a writing class through our university’s senior program this summer and so enjoyed it. Oh, the writing my classmates did!! Just tremendous. They were an inspiration. I am glad you are back to writing. I volunteered at a church clothing closet for a very short time but really struggled with the way they conducted business. Homeless folks would come for clothing but the store was only open a few hours a week. If someone needed clothes when the store wasn’t officially open, they were turned away, even though people were in the store sorting things every day of the week.
Hope as spring arrives, you feel stronger again.