What I have learned along the way...

Thankyou Altona, for on the unexpected stopover leading to our new life by the sea,
You have taught me many things during our time together so far. 

You have taught me to slow down, listen to my inner soul and find the me
which has been hidden away for 22 years bringing up my family...

Along the way...

I have learned that I now love the sea - 

something I have spent the last 20 years ignoring its beauty

I have learned that uncluttering your life makes room for more peace

I have learned to say 'No' more often

I have learned that if I dont look after myself, then my future may not come

I have learned that I can only do so much for my children, 

its time now for them to begin their own journeys

I have learned to watch what makes my husband smile, 

and his soul sing

I have learned what I wish to be doing for the next chapter in our lives

I have learned the love of cats is a beautiful thing 

and that all you cat lovers were right 

and I was wrong...

I have learned not to waste time worrying

I have  learned that your plans may change along the way. 

The important thing to remember is to always follow your instincts or inner feelings for it is here where your true path lies

But mainly, 

I have learned that its ok for us to now be on our own journey, 

with our own agenda 

and  to not feel guilty 

We are blessed that we still have our health and each other 

to be sharing this dream and  experiencing it together...

Now the fun begins, shopping for my new home...

Ok, so to say I have been spending a bit of money on 'New House' items may be a little understated.  In fact its time to close the wallet for a few months as we have just purchased our very first new car.

When I envisaged us living at the beach retreat, I could see very clearly in my mind, the beautiful house we have purchased but also an SUV type of vehicle sitting in the driveway. I guess the driving along the highway has given my nerves a good go in my smaller cars and I thought if we were going to live down in Geelong forever then I would need a 'bigger SUV type of car for the drives to ensure our safety and keep my nerves at bay.

Bill and I searched for months for the right vehicle which we both liked but the choices were always a bit big for my liking until one day, Bill spotted a Nissan Dualis. So, guess what is now sitting in my driveway right at this moment, you guessed it, a beautiful mineral grey Nissan Dualis which we both are able to drive.  It hasnt hit the driveway of the new house yet, and I can still imagine it sitting there in my mind but I really am beginning to see that our 'thoughts become things' and know that it is going to fit just perfectly into our new carport (see below) and compliment our new lifestyle.

One thing I need to get clear in my head over the next 5 months before we permanently move down there is how to decorate the new house.  My favourite style is French Provincial and I LOVE all things french.  I have had in my mind to decorate the house in a French provincial style, however I also wish to maintain the freshness of a coastal retreat. So.... as you can see right now I am confused and torn between my two favourite styles as I keep buying items which are on the French side of the decorating board, but then think I really need to be concentrating on the hues of blues and whites which I also LOVE...mmm, its not an easy decision.  Perhaps I can blend them both in together somehow...

I did start with a new charcoal couch and bought some lovely cushions to throw on it.  The idea was to decorate the rest of the lounge room around this colour scheme. Our new loungeroom has high ceilings (see below) which are currently a not so nice orange, but we plan to paint them all white to keep with the coastal look of the place. If you can imagine these ceilings a beautiful 'antique white' shade...I am sure it will give the place a whole new feel, coastal like...

With our beautiful new charcoal couch bought at Freedom and black and white framed photos of Bill's best work on the walls, I think our new lounge room is off to a good start...take a look below, its lovely and comfy too!

We are getting lots of ideas from Sarah Richardson a Canadian designer we love watching on Foxtel, and absolutely love her style. She has a fresh crisp look to all of the rooms which she decorates and I am going to try to replicate it at our beach retreat.  Bill has always had an eye for interior designing (I think he may have missed his calling), so it will be put to the test in our new house with a brand new style...once I work out exactly what that is!

Watch this space....

Is it February already?

My, how quickly is life whizzing by?  If we are not careful it soon becomes one big blur. Which is exactly why my husband and I are planning our pre-retirment life.  We have decided that we do not wish for it to just happen to us, and be forced to take whatever the deal may be when we arrive at 60 or 65 years of age.  No, that doesnt suit me one bit, in fact I couldnt think of anything worse as to wake up one day and there I was at 60 years of age with no input into my life at all, and look back with regrets that I couldnt have been bothered to plan a little, save a little or relax a little to be finally enjoying the time left after all of the hard work of getting there...

I guess you wouldnt call me a 'fly by the night' kind of gal, not that there is anything wrong with this, it can be exhilarating, exciting, fun & unburdensome, but in the end, you are relying on sheer luck to give you the life you really crave.

Which brings me to this story.  I have learned, this month that life will show you what you need to know, if you are not paying attention, which is what happened to me recently;

A strange thing happened to me on the way to work last week, when I was coasting along thinking I was not stressed, that I had everything under control, I collapsed in what I now think was an anxiety attack.  The ambulance as well as the doctor the night before when the pain began, checked me over completely for heart issues and I succumbed to the routine ECG's, blood tests etc to rule out the heart, seeing I am 49 this year, it was an obvious albeit scary road to go down. Because there is heart history in my family (Michael died at 40, and Dad died of a stroke), its always a bit worrying for me as I get older....but with all tests indicating my heart is healthy and the fact that my new life is bringing me closer and closer to organic, fresh eating habits, the other conclusion of possible gall stones just didnt seem to fit.  Anxiety, however does and I'm not ashamed to admit I can get over zealous in the nerve department, particularly on a highway or entering an elevator, but hey, with all the wonderful things I have been able to achieve so far in my life, I figure a few short comings makes me 'human' after all.

What this little scare did do is teach me again that where we are heading is exactly the right direction and I feel blessed to be able to create this for Bill and myself.  Having said that, did I think I would be right here 2 years ago, hell no, it has only been from the wonderful books on the Law of Attraction which I read that has led me down this path and realising that we too can have what we deserve and want in this lifetime.  My favourite read of all time which I am reading it a second time right now on my new Kindle is A Happy pocket full of money. If you are looking for something to inspire you and get you moving towards your goals, I could not recommend a better read, but be warned it makes you think about your life, how we create it and what you can do to improve it !

February has already been good to me, it has taught me to slow down, and reassess my priorities and is a reminder for me to keep my eye on where I am going but most of all remind myself why I am going.  Dont wait for an emergency to do that to you.  Its so easy to get caught up in the hussle and bussle of life and sometimes, its just too late to go back, to be that healthy person you should have been, or perhaps gone to bed a bit earlier than midnight, or left a job which was stressing you to the point of illness. We are not meant to be here to suffer, dont let your days go by if they are not meaningful for you.

Enjoy the rest of your February...and remember to rest in the sunshine for a bit or walk along a beach or simply stop and smell the roses...