I am lucky, I get to work doing what I love, gardening. But this weekend, I got to spend time in my own garden, and I was in my happy place.

It’s been hard to find my happy place lately because of my mental health decline. Being outside is always good, and I was able to get into my vegetable garden and plant tomatoes, basil, sunflowers, beans, peas, corn, pumpkins and squash. It is really nice to have some things to eat in my garden. I even harvested some beetroot and potatoes.

My partner even tidied up around the manuka’s and I planted my new kakabeak (aka Ngutukaka, which just won plant of the year in NZ). I love the kakabeak, it’s always been a favourite of mine, with its bright red flowers. Can’t wait for it to start flowering.

As we come to the end of another year, I’ve been reflecting on things. I’m happy with where I am at with my writing, I got two books written, two edited and one of them undergoing its second edit before I find an editor for it. I hope to set up a pre-order for it in the New Year.

My home life is good, I’m happy where I live, with my partner Mr H and my son. We have a great dynamic going on, with all of us working full time, and contributing to the household with either cooking or cleaning.

I’m also working through my dental treatments; I have one more appointment to go for fillings before I get a scan for my plate. It’s just incredible how much pain I was suffering before I had my teeth removed. I was whipping through the painkillers like they were going out of fashion. I looked in the drawer the other day, and I have full packets of ibuprofen and paracetamol. Even though I have bigger gaps in my smile, I am less conscious of them as I was with broken teeth.

We are busy as we work our way up to Christmas, it is going to be chaotic, as we are mowing one of the rest homes now, which makes it one less day to garden, and with the temperatues we have in NZ at the moment (high 20s C), it’s a matter of keeping hydrated.

So, what are your plans heading up to Christmas? Hope your week is less busy and more chill.

Kia Kaha

Catherine