Gratitude

Today marks the end of Sunday's Post Every Day in May challenge and I made it! I did miss a couple of days but I am really happy with what I have achieved. I have some new followers and I have some new blogs to follow and my writing is becoming much easier to me.  For all of this I am grateful to Sunday.


I am grateful for -


my husband
my babies
my fur babies
our life together
our extended family
our friends
our health
that we have a roof over our heads and food on the table





What are you grateful for?


Debbie  xx

Advice

Advice is something we either get when we don't need it or don't get when we do need it.


One piece of advice that I gave my children and their friends is to take every opportunity that comes there way and to live every square inch of their lives, but to be safe whilst doing so.


Interestingly, I haven't really followed this advice myself. 


When I lost my job before Christmas, I was devastated. I allowed my feelings to rule my life again. the common theme was - who would employ me? I have no skills. I am too old.  I fell apart.


Fast forward to March. Len was told he was being made redundant. Did I fall apart again? No. I stayed strong and positive.  I kept saying to him "that wasn't your job anymore, its time to see what opportunity comes along" and guess what? Len had exactly one week off before he started a new and better position.


The alarm bells started going off, if I could remain strong and positive for everyone else, what about me? Didn't I deserve the same? So I started telling myself this was our year and how exciting to face new opportunities that come our way.  I said it so many times that I was almost saying it in my sleep. 


I am happy to say that taking my own advice has worked, I enrolled to study at Tafe and I have organised my own prac work at a pre school and I have had a stall at a craft market.  These are huge things for me as I am an introvert and really have to push myself to talk to strangers. But I did it!  I am so proud of myself for following my own advice.





Debbie xx

Yes!!!!!!

 

In September, Len and I will be celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary and after lots of discussions we have said a great big YES to a 4 day holiday in Melbourne at The Grand Chancellor Hotel! I am so excited that I am already planning my wardrobe.

 

Do you have any special occasions coming up this year?

 

Debbie xx

Post Every Day In May - Day 29 - Family

I love these selfies of us, we really don't have a whole lot of photos of us as a family unit. They also make me think about genetics and how different we all are. Megan is blonde and so pale, whereas Andy has brown hair and darker skin. We all share blue eyes and that's about it, I think.

Debbie xx

Post Every Day in May - Day 28

Last week I decided to make an infinity scarf for myself. Len and I were heading out for the day on Sunday and I wanted to have something new to wear. So off to Spotlight I went and bought some yarn and headed home to find a pattern. I started on Friday night and finished on Saturday night as it was nice and easy. Guess what? Yep it was too warm to wear it. Oh well, next time.

 

Debbie xx

Post Every Day in May - Day 26

I have been on a journey of self discovery this last 18 months or so and one major thing I have discovered about myself is that I start a project full of enthusiasm and struggle to keep that enthusiasm going to the end.

At the start of the year I signed up for Ali Edwards course, One Little Word, and whilst I still have my word in my thoughts every day, I have not kept up with the prompts.

Fat Mum Slim puts up photo prompts every month and I have stopped even reading the prompts because I never get to the end of the month.

When I read about this Post Every Day in May being run by Sunday at Love Happy Daily, I was so enthusiastic, but I am finding it hard to keep the momentum going.

I am happy to know this about myself but I would love to be able to change it. I am not sure if it is indifference, lack of enthusiasm, laziness or what?  Does anyone have any tried and true methods for keeping focused?

Debbie x

A List For The Week

I have a reasonably quiet week coming up, which is lovely as I have a lot of things I want to do here at home.  My to-do list looks something like this -

• Take Andy to physio appointment
• housework
• food shopping
• keep washing up to date
• study every day for 1 hour
• work on One Little Word prompt

I think that is enough and I just might get through it all.  I forgot one thing though - something for me to refresh my batteries.  Maybe a coffee with a friend is on the cards this week.

What does your list look like?



Debbie

Dinner

Well, I really fell off the wagon this week. My anxiety levels have been high and I just did the necessities until it settled again.  So I decided rather than try to catch up I would just start where I am.

Todays prompt is "if you could invite 3 people for dinner, who would they be and why"

This is interesting because I would like to meet Maggie Beer, but imagine the pressure of cooking for someone of her calibre.

As for Oprah or Ellen, would I be able to continue a conversation with these ladies and not feel inferior.

JK Rowling and Diana Gabaldon are two of my most loved authors, would I use words big enough?

If I am truly honest I already share dinner with the 3 people I most love to eat with. We talk, we laugh and we love.

What about you? Do you have a dream dinner guest list?

Debbie x

Post Every day In May - Catch Up - Day 19

Dream Job  is the prompt for today and it wasn't too hard for me to come up with this one.

I have been "working" at my dream job for years.

I love being a parent and whilst there have been times where I thought I was a terrible parent, I can honestly now say otherwise.

Hubby has worked hard, and I worked at whatever I could do in school hours to ensure one of us was home when the kids were. Its been hard financially, but the rewards far outweigh that.

I look at the adults our two are becoming with so much pride.

However, now that they are older I am having to rethink my job.  Which has lead me back to study and hopefully into a new dream job. Caring for other peoples little ones.

Whats your dream job?

Debbie x

Post Every Day in May - Catch Up - Day 18

Today's prompt is to share ten things that make you happy.  I have really been thinking about this and how I tend to think happiness does not come from things but how you are feeling, and then I thought I was over thinking the whole thing. So I have stopped thinking and I am just going to list and hit the button!

My husband  - this year we celebrate 25 years of marriage (31 years of living together) and it makes me happy that we are still together.

My girl - there is a bond between us that I hope never breaks, this girls smile makes me happy.

My boy - this child only has to enter a room to make me happy.

Family.

Lucifer, my cat, curls up with me every night to sleep.

Diesel, our dog, lays his head on my lap when he wants a pat.

After leaving school 33 years ago, I am studying again.

Creating.

Sharing meal times together as a family and always laughing at something our boy does.

Having the time to spend with my family.

Funny, that for all the thinking I did, my list came together quite quickly and its all about the people I love and doing things for me.

I wonder what your list would look like?

Debbie x

Post Every Day In May - Catch Up - Day 16

"Blogging is about sharing the love. Tell us about 5 blogs that you love reading regularly"

Every morning whilst I drink my first cup of tea I can be found reading blogs.  In fact I probably need to cull a few as they no longer resonate with me.

I love reading Lily's posts over at Block A Day, her writing is amusing and full of her adventures as a wife, mum, student and thrifter.

Jenny of Jenny of Elefantz is a beautiful writer who loves to embroider, and look after her family.

I have been a long time reader of the lovely Janelle at Janelle Wind.  I have had the pleasure of meeting Janelle in real life and I really enjoy reading about her stitching and family life.

Tammy from Girls Wear Blue Too is another real life friend. Tammy and I share a few common interests including a love of crochet and I fond her gentle ways remind me to slow down.

And lastly Anna, from One Big Sunshine Spritzer. I have become friends with Anna over the last few years and thoroughly enjoy her outlook on life and I get quite a few chuckles at the antics of her beautiful girls.

What about you? Do you have any favourite blogs you would like to share?

Debbie xx

Post Every Day In May - Catch Up - Day 15

Today's prompt is to share or create a poster, card or piece of artwork with message that inspires you.  This is very hard to narrow down. I am going through some challenges both personally and on the home front and spend time most days reading quotes on Pinterest.

My mantra has become - Let It Go.

As an introvert I can live in head quite easily, so I chant this phrase in my head, when I am getting too anxious.

It seems to work. Maybe a new tattoo idea.

Do you have a phrase or word that helps you through tough times?

Debbie x

Makes Me Laugh

Today is my boys 17th birthday, and I have to admit he makes me laugh all of the time.  Sometimes I laugh when I shouldn't.

When Andy was little he couldn't say "alpaca" instead saying "old pecker". I laughed every single time he said it.

On his 9th birthday, Andy told me he would be having his 18th birthday at a pub and when I asked why, he told me he was going to be a drinker not a gambler.

Every day Andy makes it his mission to make me laugh. He also likes to bring a smile to other peoples faces. Today his friends took him to Tex Mex for his birthday lunch and they all completed the 1kg burrito challenge and their prize was a wrestling face mask.  On the way home, they went through the Macdonalds drive thru for ice cream and yep Andy wore his mask.

I love this about my boy.  Happy birthday Andy!






Deb xx

Photo Walk

Yesterday was the sort of day where I stayed in my pyjamas until lunchtime and ate nothing but rubbish and then felt awful. So, I gave myself a mental kick in the tush, got dressed and headed out for a walk, camera in hand.  There is a lovely garden not far from home that I love so I headed there to look at the changes Autumn has wrought. I love Autumn in the Blue Mountains, so many colours.

Do you have anywhere you like to head for photo walks?

Debbie x

Blog Name

As a family living with depression and anxiety, menopause and 2 teenagers things can get pretty crazy around here and so thats where the name came from.

Debbie x

Beauty/Fashion Tip

Okay this is something I have drummed into my almost 19 year old daughter for years.

Always wear the correct underwear.

There is most certainly a time and place for g-strings and the like, but there are times when you need decent underwear. For example, when wearing black tights. Have you ever been behind someone at the gym wearing black tights and a g-string? Not pretty.

So that's my advice.  Do you have any wisdom to impart?

Happy Saturday!
Debbie

Fridays Favourite Five

Today was a lovely home day for me, not a normal Friday by any means.

My five favourite things about today are -

1 - waking up to an empty house

2 - learning new crochet stitches

3 - handing in my first Tafe assessment

4 - lighting the fire (it's a bit chilly tonight)

5 - having a child free night (I must stop saying that as they are not children anymore)

I had forgotten how lovely it is to wake up and not have to talk. I made a cup of tea and sat outside in the sun and enjoyed the silence.

Next weekend I have a craft market so I am making some new things to sell.  I have to say my creative juices are really flowing lately.

I have enrolled to do my Diploma of a Early Childhood Education and Care, after 30 years of not studying I am rather excited and nervous at the same time.

We are finding as the kids get older we actually get less alone time as they are up longer and watching the same program's as us, so it's rather wonderful to get a night home alone.  It's nice to talk uninterrupted and not have arguments over TV shows.

How has your Friday been?

Debbie

My Reading List

Books play a huge role in my life. I don't remember a time when I didn't read, except for the first weeks of my babies lives maybe.  I own so many books that we cant fit anymore into our house.

Two years ago I purchased a kindle and I still love it. I like to read in bed and the Kindle allows me to comfortably lay under the covers and read the night way.

So currently I am rereading (for the 5th time) Diana Gabaldon's Voyager series, and I have Eyrie by Tim Winton, and The Dressmaker by Rosalie Ham waiting to be read for my book club.

I must say that belonging to a book club has really broadened my reading horizons. I have read books I probably wouldn't have looked at.

Do you read alot? Do you belong to a book club, either in person or online?

See you later!
Debbie

Where I sit

I had visions of sitting on my back patio with my iPad, a cup of tea and the dog at my feet and blog away, but it hasn't worked out that way.  I find it too hard to add photos using the iPad. So I sit at our old desk and use the PC.

Happy Thursday!
Debbie

Fave photo of me

Mmm, favourite photo of me. Well, anyone who knows me will tell you they rarely see photos of me as I hate getting my photo taken.

After a bit of searching I found this selfie that I really like. I don't look fat at all.

Do you struggle to get in front of the camera?

See you later,
Debbie

How To

This prompt I have struggled with as I keep thinking what do I know how to do that I can share. I thought so much that 3 days have passed and I haven't written one blog post.

I have been doing an online workshop with Ali Edwards called One Little Word and the idea is that you choose a word that resonates with you and you live your word for the year.  I chose the word COURAGE as I need to be brave and make changes to live the life I want.

So, my "How To" is the steps I am following to catch up on my blog posts.

1 - make a cup of tea
2 - put on my big girl panties
3 - sit at the computer
4 - just start

See you later today!
Debbie

Blog Every Day in May - Day 4

The prompt for today was to write about a compliment you received that resonated with you.

I have thought long and hard about this all day, and finally I have settled on this -

A couple of years ago I paid a visit to my older cousin, who is also my godmother, and she had not really seen me with my children. Towards the end of the visit she told me that I was a much better mother than she ever thought I would be. At first I was a bit shocked, but she went on to explain that I really knew my children. The good, the bad and the ugly. As a teenager I could be very gullible, and if I am honest even now I can still have the wool pulled over my eyes. But not with my kids. We are close enough that I know when they are lying, or exaggerating.

This compliment stayed with me and I have worked hard to keep up the close relationships with my children as they head into adulthood. We talk about almost anything, even when it's not a comfortable conversation.

So I have to say thank you to my cousin for ensuring I became an even better mother.

Happy Sunday evening!
Debbie

Less/more

Today's blog prompt is less/more.  This is something I have been trying to incorporate into my life for a little while now.  I have been de cluttering and re arranging our house to make everything work more for us and less about what other people might think.

As a family we have been making sure we spend more time together and less time alone.

Personally, I am making sure i drink more water and less soft drink.

I could make a huge list of things that I want to do less/more of, but I think for me the big one is worrying less about what people think and more about what I think.

Do you have anything you want to do less/more of?

Happy Saturday

Debbie

What's In My Cup?

Today's blog prompt is - whats in your cup?

Well for me it is nearly always white tea with one sugar. Nerada tea is my poison and lite milk.  For years I always drank out of thick mugs, but over the last few years I have gotten a wee bit fussy and like to drink out of bone china mugs.

Some of my earliest memories are sitting at my Nana's table with a cup of tea in one hand and a book in the other.  Nana was very fussy, always a pot of tea, a bone china mug and extremely weak black tea. I remember always thinking what difference could a cup make? Now I know.

Since moving to the mountains I have joined a craft group and we always include afternoon tea with our crafting and it is served in beautiful tea sets which were wedding gifts or passed down from family members. Now, I have nothing like that so I have started my own collection.

I like my large pink mug in the morning because it is a big cup of tea. Then I use medium sized mugs for the rest of the day. When I host craft group, out comes the cups and saucers.

Did I mention I am fussy? Lol!

When I am out and about I drink either a latte or chai latte.

So, thats whats in my cup, whats in yours?

Debbie