Day 203...

WEDNESDAY 25.03.15 - I am thankful for.., Getting my hair cut

*Picture from www.huffingtonpost.com

Another day, another ADO. Been looking forward to having a day off for a while now. Work has been so busy and after Sunday just past, I think I needed it! It turned out to be a really good day too. Met my friend in the city for lunch during her lunch hour, and dinner with my boyfriend out where he is working this week. Firstly though, I went to my hairdressers for a much needed hair cut. I enjoy going, especially the head massage you get when they wash your hair!  I'm not usually there very long either which is always a good thing and the people who work at the hairdressers are friendly and chatty without being gossips. And, thankfully and probably most important, I always feel a little better and a little lighter when they are finished. So today I am thankful I got to start my day with a fresh hair cut.

Day 202...

TUESDAY 24.03.15 - I am thankful for... Life

*Picture from www.news.discovery.com

There are days in my job where I am reminded on how precious life really is. Today was one of those days. I received a call from a doctor about a patient in end stage heart disease. This particular patient had a defibrillator implanted and needed to be turned off so when the time comes, he can pass peacefully without the device trying to keep him alive. I arrived to where the patient was to see their adult daughter and partner in the room with them. I made sure they were very aware of why I was there and what that meant, from a device point of view (I'm not a doctor so I can't comment on much else). They were understandably upset, but were incredibly polite and gracious towards me, even cracking a joke or two with me in their time of suffering. The patient was... let's say not completely there anymore so not sure they knew what was happening. Probably not a bad thing necessarily. It is definitely one of the hardest parts of my job and thankfully we don't do it very often at all. At the end of the day, none of us are here forever. We have no idea how long we have, or when our time is up. I was reminded today that I am thankful for life. That I am here, on this earth and I get to live my life. That I have choices I can make and people I love. It's important to appreciate what you have when you have it. I'll endeavour to continue to live the best life I can, without regrets.

Day 201...

MONDAY 23.03.15 - I am thankful for... Understanding colleagues!

*Picture from www.madeyoulaugh.com - what I felt like at 1am this morning!

Oh. My. Goodness. Yesterday was the biggest and busiest oncall I have ever done! It started at 1am Sunday and finished at 1am this morning. After being called in from 1-3am, 9:30 - 12pm, 3-530pm I got a call at 9pm to come back in for 2 cases, finishing just after 1am. Needless to say I and the rest of the cath lab team oncall were absolutely shattered! It was 2am before I got to bed. I had messaged my boss and colleague explaining to them how the day had panned out and how exhausted I was, asking if they minded if I took a sick day today to recover. I honestly thought If I had to get back up a 6am to be at work, I would be too tired worn out to drive and to work efficiently, could even be a little dangerous really being that sleep deprived. Of course, both my boss and colleague said they completely understood and it was OK by them. I cannot tell you how grateful I was. In all reality, they could have both said no as I do get paid well when we get called in, and I had already had 8hrs away from the hospital Saturday, and 8hrs on Sunday would mean I should be at work by 9-10am Monday morning. I was able to stay in bed until midday to get some sleep - even if my neighbours decided to whipper snipper their yard at 7am this morning. Obviously this is a very very rare occurrence and just pure bad luck for the team, but of course even worse for the patients experiencing the heart attacks. I am grateful that I was not only able to continue to do the work until 1am this morning, but that my colleagues were totally understanding enough for me to take a sick day to sleep.

Day 200... DOUBLE CENTURY!!!

SUNDAY 22.03.15 - I am thankful for... All day breakfast

*Picture from www.subway.com 

It was 1am and my phone rang. There was a STEMI (heart attack) and the team was being called in. So I went of to work and was home again and in bed by about 3:30am. Not so bad because being a weekend, I can just continue to sleep as long as I want to the next morning. Right? Wrong! At about 9am my phone went off again and I was back to work. I hadn't even got out of bed yet as I was still tired from the first call back. That case didn't finish until 12 midday and I was STARVING. I hadn't eaten since dinner the night before, and had done 2 cases already. Luckily we have Subway in the hospital. I was really craving an egg and cheese breakfast roll, but wasn't sure if they had stopped serving it because of the time. I went up to the counter and asked and the gentleman serving me said "we have all day breakfast for staff". WINNING! I was able to get my egg and cheese breakfast roll afterall. Good thing too because I was called again just before 3pm to come back in again, so luckily I was more awake and fed and ready to go. Got home about 6pm. Busy day! I'm thankful Subway has all day breakfast for staff. It made my day!

Day 199...

SATURDAY 21.03.15 - I am thankful for... Living on a budget

*Picture from www.keepingupwithmrsjones.com

I'm oncall again this weekend, so no Saturday Zumba for me. As I went to the shops to do my grocery shopping, I decided to walk around for a bit to get out of the house and do some form of exercise. I had a good look at things in all the stores, wishing for this or wanting that, or thinking 'ooh that's nice!'. As money is a little tight due to saving for my holiday, I didn't purchase anything besides my groceries. Then I thought, I'm glad I don't have the money to just buy things when I want. A crazy thought, you might think. We live in a world that values materialism. I myself would like to think I don't so much, but I still like nice things just like everyone else. Not having the money to purchase something is a great deterrent, well it is for me anyway. I think it's kind of nice to dream about nice things, without having them. Because at the end of the day, how much of it to we actually NEED? Besides, I would find the world a boring an unfulfilled place if I was able to have everything I wanted, because you'd always want more. So yes, I am thankful I live on a budget. I am thankful I can think about what I spend my money on, and make sure I make purchases on things that matter.

Day 198...

FRIDAY 20.03.15 - I am thankful for... Being organised

*Picture from www.startups.co.uk

It was my turn to prepare and present the youth group talk tonight. I don't have to do it often, which usually gives me time between talks to write them. I have been writing and perfecting this particular topic over a few weeks, and felt I was quite ready and knew the ins and outs of what I was talking about. Because of this, I think the talk went really well tonight. I felt calm and relaxed and ready to answer any questions thrown my way, and because I was relaxed I felt the kids were too and more receptive to what I had to say. I very rarely leave things until the last minute unless it's unavoidable. I believe I am an organised person and I'm quite thankful for that generally. Organisation makes things run smoother, takes a lot of stress away. So whilst it might sound boring, I'm thankful I am an organised person. I can't imagine being otherwise!

Day 197...

THURSDAY 19.03.15 - I am thankful for... The Sun

*Picture from www.smithsonianmag.com

It's definitely dark when I wake up nowadays, with the sun not rising until I arrive at work. Winter is definitely coming, although we should get a reprieve for a few weeks once daylight savings finishes. It has had me thinking how I miss waking up to the sun shining. Yes, the sun has been there for as long as the world has been around and will continue to be there long after we're gone. The sun wakes us up in the morning to show us a new day is here and sets to allow us to rest for the night. It provides warmth and light for all beings on the planet. It provides a food source for plants through photosynthesis, which in turn provides a food source for humans and animals alike. Without it, life on earth would completely cease to exist. An incredibly thought really. As summer is my favourite season, I am particularly thankful for the sun and the sunshine during summer so I can enjoy the outdoors. Though I don't enjoy the sunburn (my skin is quite susceptible to it) we only have ourselves to blame for ruining the ozone which was there to protect us. All in all today made me think how wonderful and important the sun is in my life, and the life of this earth.

Day 196...

WEDNESDAY 18.03.15 - I am thankful for... My hair straightener

Another materialistic and fairly short one today I'm afraid. My current hairstyle requires me to straighten it most days to style it properly. While my hair is thin, it definitely has a mind of it's own. I'm sure most of you reading this can empathise with me! My current hair straightener, a Vidal Sassoon, does the job perfectly. Because my hair is thinner it does make it easier to style, though I'm still thankful to have one none the less. The only recommendation I strongly advise is if, like me, you use one regularly, make sure you put hair moisturiser in to keep your hair healthy. Nothing worse than a frizzy hair do!

Day 195...

TUESDAY 17.03.15 - I am thankful for... Granola

I have recently discovered a new breakfast favourite of mine. Whilst watching TV an ad came up for a type of granola, with almonds and vanilla. It sounded delicious so I'd thought I'd give it a go. It was love at first mouthful! I guess advertising does work on occasion. I add just a little bit of vanilla Vaalia youghurt (seeing as I'm lactose intolerant) and it makes it just a little better. I'm not a he fan of cereal, especially of the soft or soggy variety, so having something that is nice and crunchy is a lot more satisfying for me. And the bonus it that it's healthy! So I am thankful that my curiosity was intrigued by a television ad so now I can enjoy a new and filling breakfast of granola

Day 194...

MONDAY 16.03.15 - I am thankful for... Sunrise

My alarm went off this morning and I did not want to get up. It was a little cold and very dark. I contemplated texting my boss and saying, "I can't come to work today. My sheet have accepted me as one of their own and If I leave now I'll betray their trust" - actually I did end up texting that to her for a laugh. But like a good worker I forced myself out of bed and got ready for the day. The sun was just starting to rise when I was driving to work and as I parked my car, I saw the sunrise. The orange rays piercing through the clouds. It was still a little dark, as you can tell by the photo, but the sky was just beginning to illuminate. It was quite beautiful. I thought, if I had stayed in bed, even just a little longer, I might have missed this. Sunrise for me signals the start of a new day, where anything is possible. You don't know exactly what the day is going to hold but aren't we lucky we get to live it? I am thankful that the sunrise reminded me of how wonderful and precious life is.

Day 193...

SUNDAY 15.03.15 - I am thankful for... Ebay

Since deciding to cull material things in my life, I thought I'd try and sell some stuff on Ebay to get some money back for them, only if they are in good condition. Main motivation is to see if I can raise more money for my trip. So far I have been able to sell 2 items in the last month or so. I'm pretty happy with that! Especially considering they are used or pre purchased items. I figure whatever I can get for them is more than what I had before. There is a small fee each time you sell something, which is different to sites like Gumtree which is completely free (and also very good!), but I still made a bit of extra cash. I am thankful I have had some success on Ebay and hope it continues.

Day 192

SATURDAY 14.03.15 - I am thankful for... Walking dogs

*Picture from www.thedogtrainingsecret.com

There's something a little special about taking dogs for a walk. Though I don't have any of my own, my boyfriend and I took his two dogs for a walk this afternoon. They don't know me very well yet, but they were nevertheless excited for walkies! Both were very well behaved, with only a little too much excitement when coming across other dogs. It was such a lovely afternoon so I think I enjoyed it as much as they did. Walking your dog is not only great for their health and wellbeing, but a way to spend quality time together. When I lived at home I enjoyed taking my mum's dog for a walk, though as a puppy he got so excited and used to pull so hard on the lead he'd almost choke himself. I miss having pets of my own and hope one day (preferably soon) I will be able to live in a house where I can keep pets of my own. Until then, I will just have to visit my boyfriends place more often to spend time with his dogs, something I am thankful for.

Day 191...

FRIDAY 13.03.15 - I am thankful for... Podcasts

For months now my colleague has been trying to get me to listen to podcasts. It wan't that I wasn't interested in doing so, I just kept forgetting to download any. Until now. I downloaded a podcast series called Serial. Some of you might have heard about it. Maybe you've listened to it. If you haven't the 12 episode series takes you on a reporter's journey as she uncovers facts and details about a crime that happened about 15 years ago. A true crime. I found it incredibly interesting and addictive. As much as I like listening to the radio, sometimes I feel the discussions they have just... really aren't my thing. If you catch my drift. I hope to download and listen to more podcasts, especially in the car on my way to work. So today I am thankful for podcasts, a different and educational form of entertainment, and thankful for my colleague to introduced me to them.

Day 190... Have almost made the double century

THURSDAY 12.03.15 - I am thankful for... My laptop

Yet another unremarkable day. I sat here staring at my screen, thinking of all the things I've been thankful for today and all I have mentioned before. Then it dawned on me! Staring me right in the face... literally! Not having a home computer, my laptop services my everything computing need at home. And it's what I use to write my blog posts, so that's got to be a bonus! So, though it might be a little materialistic again today, I am thankful I am blessed enough to have a good laptop that has everything I need.

Day 189...

WEDNESDAY 11.03.15 - I am thankful for... Mindfulness exercises

*Picture from www.citycolleges.ie

Today was a really tough day for me. Physically and emotionally. I can't decipher if it was from reducing my medication again, or if I was actually unwell, or just so frustrated with myself I made myself sick. Either way, I found today to be quite a struggle. Quite the contrast to yesterday that's for sure! When you're in that state of feeling down, whether you know why or not, it can be very difficult to snap out of it. During my therapy sessions my therapist introduced me to mindfulness exercises. It's a form of meditation where you block out all your thoughts and focus on where you are at that moment. What you can see, what you can hear, what you can smell, what you can feel. Can you taste anything. It takes a while to master how to block out those other thoughts and feelings, but it's amazing the difference in your  state of mind when you do use it. Your mind becomes more clear and you think more rationally. Which is fantastic when you know that your feeling irrational! It took me a few times today but I got there and felt a lot better. I am thankful I have this tool to use on days like today, which I'm sure won't be the last.

Day 188...

TUESDAY 10.03.15 - I am thankful for... My increasing energy levels

*Picture from www.bodyandsoul.com.au

Over the past couple of weeks I have started to notice that my energy levels are starting to increase. I have had more energy now than I can remember. As I have mentioned in previous blog posts, I have suffered with fatigue for many years, sometimes to a debilitating state, possibly due to many illnesses over many years. I can't even put my finger on exactly why it's changing now. Maybe  it's due to the fact I'm coming off my medication. Maybe the quality of sleep I am getting is better. Maybe since being extremely conscious of what I eat and cutting out things like coffee and chocolate is having an effect. Maybe it's a combination of all of these things. What I am sure of is I am extremely happy with this development and hope it continues to improve! I am too young and have too much life to live to spend it yawning and struggling to stay awake all the time. I am so very thankful for this change in my body and hopefully if I continue to treat it well I will keep on improving.

Day 187...

MONDAY 09.03.15 - I am thankful for... Physiotherapy

*Picture from www.physiotherapyandmore.com.au

Surprise surprise, I have managed to injure myself. A sprained trapezius muscle. Apparently it is possible to do that, though I have no idea how! My shoulder was so painful that I bit the bullet today and went to my physiotherapist where he told me what I'd done. Good thing is it's mainly muscular so with a few sessions of muscle release and some exercises I should be good to go. Since I was a young teenager my family have been to physiotherapy for many different injuries. It's a relief to have someone tell you exactly what's going on so you can start the process to fix it. I am thankful that I had a great physio in Brisbane and have been able to find a great and affordable physio in Sydney too. Though my plan is to not visit them if I can help it, I'm thankful they are there if I do need treatment.

Day 186...

SUNDAY 08.03.15 - I am thankful for... Time

Today was my boyfriend's and my 6 month anniversary. The time has absolutely flown by! It has been a little hard finding time to spend with each other these last 6 months. We are both very independent, have our own interests, work and need our space for down time. Not to say we don't enjoy spending time with each other, it is just a little less than we would both like. Today was nice though. We drove around to a place near the water (where we planned to have lunch but was too packed out!), then visited a beach I'd never been to, before getting lunch and doing a bit of shopping. I don't think it would have mattered what we did as long as we did it together. Time is the most precious commodity we have. We can't control it. We can't stop it. We can never get it back. All we can do is embrace it and take as much out of it as we can. In the grand scheme of things, we as humans are not here on earth for very long, therefore must make the most of what we have when we have it. I try to never take time for granted. The time I have with friends and family is the most precious thing in this world for me, I am thankful today I remembered that.

Day 185...

SATURDAY 07.03,15 - I am thankful for... My Heat Pack

Oh man. I don't know what I've done but my shoulder is not good. I've had an enormous knot in it all week. I've tried everything from massage to stretching, Voltaren gel, ibuprofen and even getting my boyfriend to try and get it out! I'm praying it's just a muscle spasm and not an injury. I am glad I have a heat pack to put on my shoulder and back. It does give some relief, and allows my to stretch a warm muscle. I've been using heat packs for a long time for all sorts of reasons in different areas. I highly recommend them for temporary relief from muscle pain. They even feel great for those of us women who suffer from terrible period pain! So I'm thankful that I have my heat pack and that it has been useful recently.

Day 184...

FRIDAY 06.03.15 - I am thankful for...My legs

*Picture from www.totelifestyle.com - No these are NOT my legs!

What a CRAZY morning. With one of our staff members away, we are just a little busier than usual. I was doing ECGs for one of the doctor's clinics this morning, and by 12pm I looked at my vivofit and I had done nearly 11,000 steps! In half a day! No wonder I was feeling a little tired already. It's amazing the impact of being constantly on your feet for hours can have. I was thanking God that I had two, fully functioning legs, allowing me to do my job most efficiently. Many of our patients come in using some sort of aid to help them walk, or even in wheelchairs. Whether it's due to illness, injury, post surgery or just plain old age, we see many people come in who find it difficult to walk. I won't be taking my legs for granted again, that's for sure!

Day 183... I'M HALFWAY!!!!!!!!

THURSDAY 05.03.15 - I am thankful for... Downsizing my belongings

*Picture from www.skimbacolifestyle.com

Day 183 and I'm officially halfway through my 365 Days of Thanksgiving! Thank you to all of you who have read, are still reading and left me messages of encouragement. I really appreciate it and it certainly helps me to keep this going!

Though I can't put my finger on exactly why, I have been feeling lately that I have too much 'stuff'. Stuff that isn't useful anymore, stuff I don't use anymore, stuff that doesn't fit anymore. So I'm in the process of going through everything and selling the those things I can and giving away those I can't. I'm trying to really not value 'things' in my life but rather people and experiences. I am fortunate that my mother is the same. She was always cleaning out places within the house and getting rid of things we didn't need, as well as making sure we did all the dance classes, music and sport lessons and tutoring we wanted and needed. I think I can safely say I don't have hoarding in my genes! If you don't use it, there may be someone out there less fortunate who can. Today's society places a lot of emphasis on having certain things so it's quite an empowering experience getting rid of stuff that not necessary in your life anymore. I am thankful for that frame of mind and hope someone else will be blesses by my things like I have been.

Day 182...

WEDNESDAY 04.03.15 - I am thankful for... Chai lattes

*Picture from www.soy.com.au

There is a new, really cool/hipster coffee place across the road from work that opened earlier this year. It has a really good vibe, great food and even better coffee. However, seeing as I'm on my coffee ban at the moment, I decided to try their soy chai latte. There is a fine line between getting a chai latte to taste like a sweet and spice taste explosion to a drink that tastes like dirty water. Fortunately for me, it was the best chai latte I've ever had! Mmmmmmm, yum! I was so very thankful for this delicious drink to compensate for my lack of coffee. May have a few more before Lent is over.

Day 181...

TUESDAY 03.03.15 - I am thankful for... Sign Language

*Picture from www.kbc.co.ke

I was walking back to work from the shops during my lunch break today when I noticed an older couple signing to each other. They were both wearing hearing aides so I concluded they both had some degree of hearing impairment. I paused and watched them for a moment as they engaged in a conversation not unlike two people with perfect hearing. I couldn't help but think how amazing sign language is. What's even more amazing is that people have used forms of sign language for so long, with earliest records dating bat to fifth century BC! For someone like me who has all senses working, I can't even begin to imagine what it would be like to be deaf or even hearing impaired. So I have the utmost respect for those who use it. I am therefore thankful for people's ability to use sign language to communicate and wish I could do it myself!

Day 180... Almost half way through

MONDAY 02.03.15 - I am thankful for... Kind patients

*Picture from www.moustachemagazine.com

We are so blessed to have such wonderful patients come through our clinics at work. Due to the geographical area, there are many patients who do not have private health insurance. Most of the time I feel they are just grateful for the service we provide as opposed to nothing at all. An elderly gentleman came to clinic today to get his device checked. He was lively and jovial. All of a sudden he jumped out of his chair and came straight towards me, reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of lollies and placed them into my hands. How incredibly sweet! My other two colleagues also received some sweets before he went on his way. I think some patients like to give little gifts like that as a token of their appreciation. Obviously we don't really condone this, just a smile and thankful is all we need to know we have done our job well, and I'd say that happens 99% of the time. I'm so thankful we have such wonderful, kind and appreciative patients. Of course, we service everyone regardless of who they are and how 'nice' they are, but a kind patient does make it worthwhile.

Day 179...

SUNDAY 01.03.15 - I am thankful for... Downton Abbey :)

*Official cast photo from Season 5 from www.downtonabbey.wikia.com

YES! IT'S BACK ON! One of my best friend's and I absolutely adore this show. The sets, the costumes, the language, the masculine and feminine roles of early 1900's society are beautiful and interesting. I also quite like the British drama for it's subtlety within the drama itself, nothing seems overdone or over the top. The juxtaposition of the portrayal of the working class people along with aristocratic society also fascinates me. And of course the actors are very good in their roles. I'd say it's one of my favourite shows easily. When I'm in London I hope to do a day tour of Highcleare Castle (the main set of Downton Abbey). It would be amazing! So I'm thankful for good quality shows like this. Of course this is completely my opinion only and I'm sorry if you don't feel the same way. If you haven't seen it, I'd highly recommend it.

Day 178...

SATURDAY 28.02.15 - I am thankful for... Random art work

This is what happens when you park your car in the wrong spot... Only joking! This artwork is situated in the middle of a roundabout in Walsh Bay, Sydney or the back of The Rocks near Sydney Dance Company where I do my Saturday Zumba class. I walk past it every week I go and I still think it's great. The piece is called 'Still Life with Stone and Car' and was created by American-born sculptor Jimmie Durham. It's quite striking and a little bit funny at the same time. Most people who see it for the first time can't help but let out a little giggle. I know I did. Especially as the face gives the rock more character. I do love seeing random pieces of artwork like this around the place. Depending on where they are, each piece can be open for interpretation; can mean anything you want it to. I guess that is the purpose of art. I am truly thankful it exists because life would be so boring without it.

On a solemn note, today is the last day of summer *sigh. Autumn is still a great season in itself, leading us towards Easter. I just hope it doesn't get too cold too quickly!

Day 177...

FRIDAY 27.02.15 - I am thankful for...Busy work days

*Picture from www.lifehacker.com

What a day! I think I worked 9hrs straight! Well... sort of. I was up in the lab today and our first case went well, no dramas and was over and done with in a reasonable time. Our second case, however started off on the wrong foot when a computer we use to create a 3D map of the heart just wouldn't turn on. Turns out the power was tripped somehow and we had both biomedical and electrical engineers working together to sort it out for us. Which of course pushed our procedure time back and to top it off the procedure itself was a complex and difficult one. Oh boy! Needless to say by the end of the day we were a bit pooped. As crazy as the day turned out to be, I'm really thankful that I do have busy days at work. I am thankful I have a job in the first place and that my job requires helping people. And keeping busy does make the day go faster so the weekend can get here quicker! Just got to get in and DO IT!

Day 176...

THURSDAY 26.02.15 - I am thankful for... Organic Sparkling Apple Juice

Mmmmm... Delicious! The newsagent at work sells this sparkling apple juice. And yes I have discovered it. Not sure if it's a good or bad thing yet, but I do know that I LOVE it. It's even better considering I can't have soft drink at the moment. Don't worry, I'm well aware it's only a 'sometimes' drink due to the high sugar content (from the fruit juice) but today I am thankful I had this. Made my day just that little bit sweeter ;)

Day 175...

WEDNESDAY 25.02.15 - I am thankful for Shopping Centres

*Picture from Wikipedia

Yeah I know. It's a little bit of a superficial one today I'm afraid. There is a large shopping centre just down the road from work, about a 5 minute leisurely walk. I go there most days during my lunch break, if not to run some errands just to get out and stretch my legs. I'll admit, it's really convenient having it so close. I get a lot done during my lunch break that might need doing, which is hard at other times as the shops shut when I finish work. I was even able to do all my Christmas shopping that wasn't on-line during my lunch breaks, to avoid the crazy Christmas parking saga on the weekends. Winning! Shopping centres are a luxury and convenience for us here, and something I'm grateful for.

Day 174...

TUESDAY 24.02.15 - I am thankful for... Clean drinking water

This morning, like every morning, I was filling up my water bottle from the tap at work ready to start the day. I got to thinking how lucky we are to have safe and clean drinking water. A lot of houses and work places have filtered water. I myself have a filtered water bottle. And even if you don't have either of these our drinking water here is Australia is a lot safer to drink than many other countries. I have heard so many stories of people only using bottled water when travelling, not getting ice in the drinks because the water may contain contaminants that you can't see. There are people living in poverty where their drinking water is actually poisonous to them because of the chemicals and parasites that live in the water. Now, I realise that I have been thankful for 'water' generically before in a previous blog, but I really think it's important to realise just how blessed we are to have safe, clean drinking water, a necessity to human preservation. So I am grateful I have clean water readily available for myself and those around me. I hope one day, everyone will have access to the same quality of drinking water we have here in Australia. It is a human right everybody deserves.

Day 173...

MONDAY 23.02.15 - I am thankful for... Berocca

*Picture from Wikipedia

Every work day I start the morning with a coffee. Seeing as I have given up coffee for Lent, I needed something to help me ween off it. And that's where the Berocca comes in! I actually quite like the taste and I'm hoping that it gives me the little pick me up I need in the morning. So I guess it's another short one today, but I'm thankful for the invention of Berocca, a natural pick me up instead of coffee for the morning. I hope it works!

Day 172...

SUNDAY 22.02.15 - I am thankful for... Sudafed (sinus medication)

*Picture from www.towers.net.au

Ugh. That is how I feel today. or another good word is 'blah'. If you've ever suffered from sinusitis, you know how debilitating it can be. One whole side of my head is completely blocked and my ear is quite painful. It will subside eventually but it meant I was not able to sing at church tonight. Bummer. But I am thankful that my sinus medication Sudafed seems to have taken the edge off the pain, it may not seem like much to be thankful for but I'm so grateful for it! Hopefully tomorrow I will be feeling a lot better than today!

Day 171...

SATURDAY 21.02.15 - I am thankful for...Reducing medications

*Picture from www.thesite.org

I have been feeling so good lately, so much better than this time last year that's for sure! So I made an appointment with my GP, with some trepidation, to discuss the possibility of starting the process to come off of my antidepressant medication. She was very supportive of my decision and gave my instructions on how to do it, very slowly. It's a process that may take a few months to complete but I'm determined to do it properly the first time round. I am aware there could be some side affects but hopefully reducing the dosage in small amounts will minimize that. she even told me to come see her, if all I need is some support. how sweet is that? All in all I'm just so thankful that this is no longer a long term thing for me, that I am well enough and of sound mind to stop relying on medication. It's incredibly uplifting. Fingers crossed that in a few months it will all be over and done with.

Day 170... And still going :)

FRIDAY 20.02.15 - I am thankful for... Lawn bowls

Tonight I played barefoot lawn bowls for the first time in a LONG time. I'd forgotten how much fun it was. Our church held a lawn bowls and dinner night at the local bowls club. A lot of people turned out too. It was really nice to just catch up with everyone, have a few games, be a little silly (though there was a serious lawn bowler or two) and just have good old fashioned fun. The first ball I bowled happened to end up in the next game, turns out I had it the wrong way round. Oops! But fortunately I got better from there. I am thankful I had a chance to play barefoot bowls tonight and catch up with great people.

Day 169...

THURSDAY 19.02.15 - I am thankful for...
Stars

*Picture from www.dreamatico.com

Another unremarkable day. Nothing bad happened. Nothing extraordinary happened. I went through the day trying to find something new to be thankful for. I'll admit I found it difficult today. It wasn't until I laid down in my bed and looked out my window I figured it out. Stars. The ones in the sky, not the famous people. Bright and glistening in the clear night sky, peering through my bedroom window as if to look in on me. I can't help but smile when I see them. It doesn't happen very often, at least not here in the city due to the light pollution. And there has been some rain lately with the clouds still hanging around at night. So it was with great pleasure I could look out and see them tonight. We might take them for granted, they have always been there and always will, but I'm thankful for the natural little balls of gas that light up the night sky. A beautiful, mysterious wonder I hope to see more often.