Getting Ready For 2026…

Ollie loves the front garden.

We are having the first big day that is above 20 degrees C (68 F) and it feels so good. I think people here are really over the cold winds and rain that have been around for months. 

I’m hoping the mood lifts now we have a bit of sun and heat. I have been trying to catch up on various things around the house and sort out what I want to look forward to next year.  A new year is so much a clean slate and I am ready for this bedraggled 2025 to come to a close.

I’m looking forward to a more adventurous Penguin in my posts. I am looking forward to reading some different books. I do love my travel writing books and that won’t change but I feel I need some more energy in my book selections.  No doubt when our 2026 book group begins I’ll perk up. 

We are having an end of year book group wrap up tomorrow and that should give some inspiration with the first couple of books chosen for the new year.

The photographer uses a macro lens, a light and a diffuser to take photos of insects and other tiny objects.

I want to do some different types of photography. One of the projects is more black and white photography. More minimalistic photos and begin in earnest with some macro photography. I have a flash coming for my camera and a diffuser.

I want to photograph insects. My dream photo would be a close up photo of a very tiny, colourful jumping spider. Such as the one pictured below. The quest would be first and foremost to dig around in leaf litter and find one. Then to get it to pose. One must attach a diffuser onto their camera with the light so that it is lit up without much glare. I might start with tiny flowers or ants and then see if I can get moving insects. Bees are fun but you need to be quick.

Stock photos below, not mine.

These spiders are teeny, tiny and hard to find.

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As far as reading goes I try to get one good book read a week. Compared to a lot of bloggers that isn’t much but that doesn’t matter. I read a lot of magazines, especially about photography as well as watching instructional you tube videos on the same topic. I am happy with one decent book. Of course if it is a short book I can fit more in but that is an achievable goal.

Another priority is to get out more, walking with the dogs. I have two dogs who are a bit over weight. You know what they say about owners looking like their dogs or vice versa. Well we definitely have that going on here. My poor body seizes up if I don’t walk a lot so I need to seriously look at that side of life. I will remain committed to the gym. Hopefully three times a week but a commitment of two times is good as long as I exercise doing something else on other days.

I also want to be more consistent with my journal writing and my creative journaling. I enjoy all of the above mentioned events but I find a lethargy that slips in and a lack of motivation at times. 

I guess the main priority is working through the haze and get motivated. Sometimes it just so easy to plop down in front of the tv with a big bowl of ice cream, a cat on the lap and watch a good British crime series. 

I’m hoping to get through 2026 without a bunch of medical appointments and feeling good both physically and mentally. 

On that note I’m wiping the slate clean early and getting started on my plans. I am usually impatient in December to get through the long holidays and get started on things other than the crazy Christmas season. 

So for today I am just going to attend a medical appointment. Getting wired up for a sleep study happening tonight. I think my poor sleep contributes greatly to my fatigue levels so we must do something about that. Waking up feeling refreshed would be a good start. But I’m at the age where I won’t mention body parts in my conversation so moving on again. 

MISCELLANEOUS

I finished The Mushroom Tapes by Helen Garner, Chloe Hooper and Sarah Krasnostein. More on that later.

Also Pickles had her 3rd birthday yesterday. We are so lucky to have inherited her. We just love her.

I’ll be back soon with more information about activities, local travel, reading information and other Hobartian activities.

It is good to get these goals written down so I can look at it all and begin to get organised for another year. You just have to shake your head, laugh a lot and keep moving. I hope everyone has a good weekend coming up.

So much to look forward to…