Absence (noun)...
Absence (noun) - the state of being away from a place or person, or a period in which you are not somewhere.
This sums me up completely!
Saying this I know that I am not alone.....
Every single one of us have been affected by the last couple of years so differently and which ever way you are processing life at the moment is totally and perfectly acceptable .... In fact we are all doing the best we can with what we have whether it be physically, emotionally and even spiritually.
To be honest I cannot believe that I have neglected my website for so long - in fact when I realised it's been well over a whole year I just about burst into tears but then I sat back and looked at what else has been challenging me, and consuming most of my time, energy and focus for all that time.
What more can I say than 2022 brought a lot of change to not only me but to the whole House of Murray. And to be fair 2023 hasn't been any different than the previous year. Some changes have been welcomed, some good, some bad and some have tested us but we are all still standing and that's the main thing.... right?
For me - I had a change of job and role. I left my comfort zone as on Operations Manager, a role I had held for 5 years, and took on the role of Safety Risk and Compliance Manager at a brand new sand quarry. Being a part of a team starting a quarry from scratch is a unique opportunity and an offer like this doesn't come around very often. Needless to say I jumped at the chance. - besides all the groundwork and the long hours so far it's been a fantastic learning curve and experience.
Healthwise for me besides some ongoing issues I am feeling a lot better as we move forward to the end of another year travelling around the sun. I lost some weight (no milestones as yet),, my diabetes is more under control, I hurt my back (doing water aerobics of all things), I am slowly recovering from a fall I had which left me sporting a Haematoma in my right knee however still battling some demons and working other things out otherwise I guess I am feeling ok. LOL!
Our kids are moving forward with their careers and we couldn't be more prouder of all three of them. Alex is forging ahead with her role in another quarry and completing some OH&S studies, Kirraly is enjoying her work and role at a legal firm while continuing to study and Oliver is currently doing FIFO travelling to Olympic Dam, South Australia, working as a Boilermaker. Happy Days!
Both Noel and I have been busy with so many different activities. Most people know we are involved with the Tooradin Tractor Pull & Truck Show, which was finally held earlier this year after a few years of Covid related cancellations. We have done a couple of cooking classes, one was Thai Master Class and the other was Cooking with Australian Ingredients Master Class, both held at Otao Kitchen. We have plans to also try a Mexican and an Indian Class in the near future also.
Saying all of this we haven't stopped cooking, entertaining or enjoying food especially with our family and friends. Crossing fingers I can be more involved with my passion of sharing our food and our excitement of cooking more frequently with you all moving forward..... starting today.
Sending love to each and everyone of you.....