Welcome to Life Images by Jill

Welcome to Life Images by Jill.........Stepping into the light and bringing together the images and stories of our world. I am a photographer, writer and multi-media artist.
Focussing mainly on Western Australia and Australia, I am seeking to preserve images and memories of the beautiful world in which we live and the people in it.

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Sunday 21 June 2015

Is life running too fast?

Do you find sometimes that life seems to be running a little too fast? This is what seems to be happening to me at the moment. It has only been two months since I took redundancy (early retirement) from my day job (wow that went by quick!), and I wonder how I ever had time to work. I distinctly remember that first day of my "retirement", as I watched all the workday people in their cars going to work while I was taking a lovely morning walk along the river. I couldn't help smiling to myself - the feeling of freedom from work was so sweet. But then at times the days seemed to loom empty before me. I even said to my lunch-girl-friends that not going to work was a little isolating... But now it seems other things have come into my life to fill the space. I have so many thoughts of things I want to do, new things to try, and lists of things to do, sometimes I feel pulled in many directions at once. And I still haven't decluttered my house! How easily that has moved down the list! 


 So I have decided to give myself a little blogging break this week, and just bring to you a short post, a snapshot of my world this past month. 



Morning walks along the river and estuary, biscuits (cookies) to bake, flowers in my garden to enjoy, coffee lunch and a good chat to share with girlfriends, food photography to play with (I wish I knew if I could make a career out of this, at least in a small way), volunteering in my local school library and helping a little special-needs boy in kindy (so much more rewarding than office work!), my grandsons' Saturday junior sport (don't forget the thick coat or raincoat), rainy days to enjoy by the fire with a good book (ha! well there's been rainy days but I don't have time to sit and read during the day!), and my creative side to explore.  
And no, my list of possibilities and pathways to explore doesn't stop here. But I hope that the right pathway will soon become clear. My mind is open.


 I'm loving this time I have been given to fly free, to explore new things, to find out who I really am.
 To step outside the square of retirement and to be open to the possibilities. To be true to myself. 


To finish my post for today -  my orange and lemon tree in my backyard are producing a bountiful crop. There is nothing like oranges freshly picked and eaten straight from the tree.  Hmm...add to list...make marmalade....



Have you recently retired or been made redundant? Are you filling your days with new experiences? My friend Jo Castro over at Lifestyle Fifty wrote a fabulous blog post in May about Retirement Ideas-The Art of Protirement. She was much more eloquant than my blog rambling, so pop over and have a read by clicking here - Lifestyle Fifty - the Art of Protirement. You'll even see me and some lovely, generous and creative ladies I know over there. Thanks Jo!


So while life seems to be in a rush these days, I need to take time to sit on the verandah (porch).... and give myself time to reflect..... meet you there?


Thank you so much for stopping by. I value your comments and look forward to hearing from you. I will try to visit your blogs in return. Have a wonderful week.

I am linking up to the link-ups below. Please click on the links to see fabulous contributions from around the world - virtual touring at its best!

Mosaic Monday
Our World Tuesday

Image-in-ing
Wednesday Around the World at Communal Global
Agent Mystery Case
What's It Wednesday


You might also like -
And that's a wrap - 2014 & my 365 project
A forest of sunflowers

21 comments:

  1. I keep telling folks that I am very busy! At first everyone was wondering what I would do without my students. Well, my students are still there, only online and only in one class. The benefit of having open time is that I get to choose out of the myriad of things to do, what I want to do. So here is my quote for you:

    "Luck is being prepared when the opportunity presents itself."

    Now when the opportunity arises, I'm ready and I have time to take on the project.

    Lucy

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  2. I AM NOT SURE I WILL EVER GET TO RETIRE, BUT DO LOOK FORWARD TO IT ONE DAY.

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  3. I can completely identify with all you are saying. I retired from work 18 months ago and initially wondered if I had done the right thing. It was difficult at first not to get up each day and get dressed to go to work and I missed the social interaction terribly. However after 6 months doing the loop around Australia and returning home to obtain part-time writing work I am busier than ever. Like you - there aren't enough hours in the day!

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  4. We also took 'early retirement' as I have written about - we quit our jobs because we had decided the time was right to do so. I missed the regular paychecks and it took awhile to get into the routine of not having a routine, but it has now been more than 15 years and I still look back on wonder how I did what I did when I was working! (In our case it wasn't luck that presented us the opportunity, it was a plan we'd developed on our honeymoon and stuck with it). Happy retirement - sorry I missed the news and am just catching up!

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  5. Retirement ... isn't that something I might get to do at 70 or maybe I'll be dead by then. I better start looking after my health so I'm not. I can imagine how full your days might get but the difference is that they are filled with what you really enjoy in life.

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  6. These are wonderful photos!
    Thank you for sharing at http://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2015/06/the-other-worldly-insect-world.html

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  7. I've been retired a while and still get that cheshire cat grin on my face every so often when others are in the rush of going to work and I'm sitting with a coffee watching them.
    However, one gets caught up in catching up around the house and volunteer activities and before long you wonder when you even had the time to work.
    Yes, meet you on the verandah for tea and bread...
    Thanks for linking to Mosaic Monday Jill.

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  8. Enjoy your break!

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  9. Oh I so know what you mean, it is really daunting how quickly a day can change when you are retired, as everyone knows and so the invites, the added chores of doing for others because you are now free to do them, then the things that happen to not only this old relic (me;) but the home and the yard all need attending to, add in my ventures to photograph, edit and share, the grands and taking them to interesting places and luncheons with my friends followed by hours of catching up chats, well yes, I do so understand and then there is also blogging and I so adore it, but trying to stay caught up, sometimes I meet here on Thursday, today is a slow day, so far. Oh and btw, beautiful post! Hugs to you Jill~

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  10. Hi Jill, I retired back at the end of December and I love it. I am able to do whatever I want whenever I want. No time restraints. Hubby and I are trying to downsize, just in case we decide to move to a smaller place. I love your images from the past month and I think you are a fabulous photographer. I hope you will be happy with whatever you end up doing, enjoy your free time. Have a happy new week!

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  11. Love the first image. Can't tell if it's black and white or just a very low light image. Either way it's wonderful. - Margy

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  12. Time flies so quick we need to pause and take a deep breath and enjoy. Happy Tuesday!

    Kim,USA

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  13. Congrats on the retirement!

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  14. I really want to find a pause button right about now. Life certainly is busy. I put myself in blogging time out last week and it was just what I needed. Enjoy your break.

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  15. Ohhh tea and jam!

    Mollyxxx

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  16. Yes life is running away too fast! I've only just had time to come and read your post. I would like to meet you on the porch for tea and toast and watch the world running away! Thank you so much for linking to my post on Protirement. I do so appreciate it. Loving your pics on Facebook ... foodie ones with Peppermint Lane Lodge. You two make an awesome team :)

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  17. The lime photo iscool. Have a great week!

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  18. Beautiful series Jill, enjoy doing things your heart desires!

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  19. Oh, what a lovely post! I envy you! I am still working and probably will for a long time. I'm 56 and need to work at least 10 more years. I just work part-time though and hope to always do that! I adore the photos, especially the daisy flowers. Wow, I can't even imagine having fresh oranges!

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  20. Congratulations on your retirement, Jill! It's amazing how quickly my priorities changed when I took VERY early retirement - things like home improvements, catching up with the housework and travelling into the city to meet people took a back seat to travelling, blogging and photography! I actually started my blog to find a new identity after having a 'work' identity for so long - I've never looked back and I bet it's the same for you!

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