March 2026 Life Updates

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Welcome back to another monthly life update! What have Ashy, Benji, and Luke been up to this month? As much as I'd love to say that everything was perfect this month, we do have to give a massive acknowledgement to the passing of Bella back home in New Zealand. Bella the kitty cat crossed the rainbow bridge on the 17th of March, just less than a month before her 17th birthday. So if you're reading this, please leave a comment for my mum and send her well wishes. You can read my "In Memory of Bella" post here. Rest in peace, Bella Ella.

Also, if you're new here, every month I make a life updates blog post, kinda like a diary entry of everything that went on for us that month. I love making these blogs. They're also helpful if we need to go back and remember something from a certain time.

Hope you enjoy!!

Previous 2026 Life Updates:

• January 2026 Life Updates (8 min read)

• February 2026 Life Updates (8 min read)

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March 2026 Life Updates

• Luke had his cricket reverse raffle and didn't win anything this year, but he also had his cricket presentation awards night and won two trophies at that (one was a captain's award and a bowling one). Go Luke!

• For health updates for me, it's still the same consensus - suspected POTS/OI, unsure of what's going on with my blood markers, maybe some sort of blood disorder. I still feel a bit weird going to the POTS physio, but there are only 3 more sessions left. She kinda acts like she knows everything and thinks I shouldn't be worried about my blood markers (weird, anyway). For more of an in-depth health update, you can read my blog post "here". At least I have finally been given an exercise programme. I am learning to take the good with the bad. And, I love using resistance bands and dumbbells for weight training. I miss when I had a free gym at uni and went 3x a week.

• Luke's parents had their wedding anniversary, and we went to lunch with them at the Keilor Hotel.

• For Labour Day weekend, we had a picnic in Queens Park, went for a walk at the Maribyrnong River, and went to Altona Dog Beach. Altona Dog Beach was SO busy on Labour Day - and it's never ever busy there. There were so many doggos, and Benji got a swim and even met two other corgis - I've forgotten their names already. We know to go early on a Public Holiday next time.

• We went for a wander through the Woodlands Historic Park, and we haven't been there for ages. Saw a few birds, but there aren't as many as there used to be. We're going to either go super early or at dusk next time because there will likely be more animals.

• Brunch spots that we went to this month were Saint Lloyd Stratmore and Convoy, Moonee Ponds (two of our favourite little spots).

• I had an emergency dentist appointment to get a filling fixed, omg. I was eating some Pringles on Thursday night, and I heard a crunch and was like "oh no," and a filling had fallen out. They got me in to see the dentist the next day, and she accidentally stabbed my lip and tongue, so it was a bit of extra recovery for me. I'm all good now and hopefully no more broken fillings. Gah, I hate the dentist so much. I have a hygiene appointment every 6 months with the dentist near me. The first dentist I saw in Melbourne was so scary - he gave me nerve damage on the roof of my mouth (and burning mouth syndrome). The ones I see now are much better, but I definitely had a panic attack in the chair because I was shaking so much from the little cuts. Luke also had a dentist check up - all good with his teeth. I don't even think he has one filling. Growing up with flouride in the water probably helps, haha.

• I was supposed to do a photoshoot for a client with my Canon gear, but it's been postponed. Hopefully, I can get a few more clients to help pay all my medical bills and have more spending money for Canada in August. I am thinking of adding a separate page on my blog here for photography services - I just obviously can't do it full-time due to my health. Would people like me to do some photo shoots for them? Let me know in the comments. You can also buy digital prints of mine "here". They are great for desktop wallpapers!!!

• Speaking of photography, we did a little impromptu photoshoot at Williamstown Beach and St Kilda Botanical Gardens - we had lots of fun at those places. I think Williamstown is probably the place I most want to live in Melbourne - I just need to be by the beach. I am trying to teach Luke photography so he can take nice pics of me, haha.

• I got my hair coloured again, and it looks much lighter - my hairdresser Shaun just does whatever and he was bored so he coloured it for winter coming up ahah. He also tried to sell me two of his rabbits but I don't know where we would put them. Would Benji eat them?

• We had some friends over for pizza and I made a cute little fruit plate. I think I definitely need to invite people over more for extra socialisation.

• We also tried another pizza shop in Pascoe Vale called Ciccio - it's SO nice, just really expensive so probably not a regular, but it was delicious.

• Step Counter Updates: As ya'll know, I made a goal of mine to get at least 5-10K steps per day and I think I'm going okay so far. Here's my March step counter updates. Some days weren't good but other days I got past 5k, woo!!!! The ones with the astriks are for today and tomorrow so I'll update them later this week - fingers crossed I remember.

STEPS	MONDAY	TUESDAY	WEDNESDAY	THURSDAY	FRIDAY	SATURDAY	SUNDAY
WEEK 1							3533
WEEK 2	5133	5593	2626	5585	7551	5282	5079
WEEK 3	5024	5089	2909	5137	5475	2514	5263
WEEK 4	6052	5155	2672	5067	5184	5148	6307
WEEK 5	5581	5551	7620	10,164	5555	5858	5653
WEEK 6	*	*

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• Benji's leg is still not 100%. Another vet checked him out again when he got his yearly vaccines & said his leg was inflamed, so he got some different pain killers. He's walking okay at the moment; he's just not allowed to run or jump, and he likes doing jumpies.

• Obviously, you read the news about Bella at the start of this blog, and we love you, Bella. I hope you've got unlimited temptations at the rainbow bridge.

• We spotted a Tawny Frogmouth at Westbreen Creek one night. There seems to be a few around here.

• The YouTube videos I have put out are as follows: Labour Day Weekend Vlog // Yes, just one this month - I am very behind on content for YouTube.

• The Freaky Friday Files I have put out are as follows: Revisiting the Mandela Effect // Strange Events of 2026, so far... // UFO Sightings in New Zealand //

• TV Shows that Luke and I have been watching are: we finished 30 Rock and The Paper (and yay Luke loved the Paper), we're still watching The X Files, Last Week Tonight, SNL, and the new shows we've added are ABC's Tonight At The Musuem (my new fave Aussie panel show), Last One Laughing UK (S2), and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. I also want to start watching Sunny Nights.

• TV Shows that I have been enjoying are: Parks and Rec for some comfort, and the reboot of Scrubs. I don't think I've watched much else by myself this month. Oh, I have been watching more of the Good Hang Podcast.

• There are no Book Reviews this month, as I haven't had much time to get through my books, but I'm going to collate a March and April 2026 Book Reviews post and get that out for you next month. I am really enjoying the Reacher series, though, and what a stupid idiot that guy was trying to get a payout from TMZ with an out-of-context video of Alan Ritchson.

• I attempted to make something called "Irish Fifteens" - it looked VERY similar to New Zealand's Lolly Cake, but I don't think I got the ratios right. It still tasted nice, but it didn't have that satisfying malt flavour that lollycake has.

• Luke went to a friend's 30th, and one of the guests there ended up dislocating his knee, so Luke drove him home. I believe he went to the doctor the next day (thank god lol).

• I got some compression gloves (I feel like I just gotta keep buying compression wear, cos it does help) for the cramp and nerve pain I get in my wrists/hands from carpal tunnel and tendonitis. They kinda make my hands feel a bit numb, but they do help when typing for a long period. Compression socks help with standing for a long time and next I want to get some compression shorts - although I am a bit worried about those.

• I paid my student loan repayments - living overseas with a giant student loan sucks a$$. I wish they didn't add so much interest to it LOL.

• One night, I went to brush my teeth, and in the mirror of the bathroom, I noticed a giant spider - I think it was a huntsman, and I got so scared I ran out and told Luke, and he got rid of it. I feel bad, but like it was SO big. I've only ever seen them outside before, and that's fine because that's their habitat - not our upstairs bathroom with NO windows. Did he crawl up the drain or come out of the fan?? Hopefully, no more giant spiders. And, it's not like the house we live in is old. I always expected spiders to come in from the garage, cos there's a gap there, not through the bloody drain LOL.

• Benji made another corgi friend called Laddie down at the Moonee Ponds Creek trail - he was 1 and was so hyper, he ran around like a bunny hehe. Oh, and I think he also met a corgi called Taffy with Luke one day, too.

• Tomorrow night, Luke is going to the comedy festival with his brother to see Emma Holland. I think they'll like her. I haven't got any tickets yet, but I definitely love stand-up comedy a lot. It's like a comfort to me.

Things I am looking forward to in April are:

• On Wednesday, our street is having a power outage for like 8 hours, so Luke took the day off, and we're going to go to Healesville Sanctuary for the day. Benji will get looked after by Luke's dad and hang out with his bestie Frankie. They'll probably have to be separate, though.

• Eating some chocolate hot cross buns for Easter.

• Daylight savings time, because it means the weather is getting even cooler, and I'm hoping that will help my POTS symptoms.

• Luke has a workshop with Dr. Karl as part of his work, which sounds really fun.

• I'd like to go somewhere to see the Autumn Leaves - not sure if we'd have time for somewhere like Bright, but even going to Forest Glade Gardens or that dog-friendly flower event near Dandenong/Alfred Nicholas Memorial Gardens. Ooooh, I'd also love to go to that Fairy Park in Anakie, it looks cute.

Thank you for reading!!

What is something you are looking forward to in April?

Much love,

Ash xx

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