Day 231...

WEDNESDAY 22.4.15 - I am thankful for... Windscreen wipers

*Picture from www.wonderfulengineering.com

This morning's drive was possibly the CRAZIEST and SCARIEST drive to work I have ever done! Sydney has been lashed with some violent storms over the past few days, with little sign it is finished. I took a different route to work due to road closures on the way I usually go. The rain hit my car so hard and the wind was so ferocious that I could barely see a few metres in front of me! I felt like a nanna driven down a highway at only 50-60 km per hour but honestly it was the safest way to do so. I kept thinking to myself "thank goodness for windscreen wipers" because I don't know how I, or anyone else for that matter, would have been able to drive through this wild weather just to get to work. Thankfully, though it was still raining, the trip home this afternoon was much easier to make. So today it is easy enough to be thankful for windscreen wipers, the small invention that was imperative for getting me to work today.

Day 230...

TUESDAY 21.4.14 - I am thankful for... My doona

*Picture from www.camelotlavendar.com.au

Short and sweet one today. It's getting colder as we head towards winter and tonight I am so very thankful for my doona. Seriously, how great is it to have a doona on the bed in the cold weather? I can hop into bed, snuggle in and be toasty, comfortable and warm all night long. It really is one of the best things about Winter in my opinion, being able to rug up in bed. The only problem is trying to get out of bed the following morning...

Day 229

MONDAY 20.4.15 - I am thankful for... My mum texting me when I'm sick

*Picture from www.theculinarycook.com

Unfortunately I had to stay home today as I'm still sick. It really was unfortunate because I was home all weekend, bored, and wasn't looking forward to another day stuck in my apartment. I was also a little lonely, though I usually try and stay away from people when I'm sick. Don't want to pass on my germs! The highlight of my day was my mum texting me, saying she wishes she was here to look after me and make me "a hearty soup for the body and soul". Awwww. I don't think you're ever too old to have your parents care so much as to look after you, even if it is only in thought. I'm so blessed to have amazing and caring parents, and was so thankful for her little text today. It meant the world.

Day 228...

SUNDAY 19.4.15 - I am thankful for... YouTube

Oh man. Sick yet again. To top it off we have had some crazy weather today so my TV's digital channels are even not clear or non-existent. So I spent most of today watching YouTube videos on my laptop. It's amazing the sort of things you find on there. For me, I enjoy the funny videos, animal videos, medical videos and ghost hunting shows (yes I love them). YouTube has been a great invention, and many people have become famous from it, not something I intend to do. So I'm thankful there is such a thing as YouTube because it as helped past the time for me today whilst at home, sick and without TV. First world problems aye?

Day 227...

SATURDAY 18.4.15 - I am thankful for... Tributes

*Picture from www.coolchaser.com

A group of us went to see Fast and Furious 7 tonight. I'd say I'm a fan of the series so was really looking forward to seeing this movie. At the end of the movie there was a tribute to actor Paul Walker, who died during the filming of the movie. In my opinion, it was done beautifully. It made me think how important it is, sometimes for our healing process, to celebrate the lives of loved ones we lose. It was obvious that it was really important for the cast and crew to do this, for themselves as well as for the fans of the franchise. Of course, tributes are not just important for celebrities, but for anyone we love and care about. When I as 16, a friend of mine lost her life in a brutal and sudden way. At the end of our senior year at high school, her best friends decided to, during our school dance concert, to perform a dance to a song she loved. It was fun and laid back, just like she was, and really important for us to do as a loving tribute to her. I am thankful that such tributes exist as a way to celebrate someone's life, no matter who they are.

Day 226...

FRIDAY 17.4.15 - I am thankful for... Training days

 



 

*Picture from www.bizlaunchblog.com

My colleague and I travelled to Newcastle today to do some training on a new system we will be using at work. It was such a good yet full on day. From the moment we arrived we were ushered into the cardiac catheter lab to see this equipment in action, then a short lunch over reading material and back into the lab for the rest of the afternoon. Needless to say my feet are SORE tonight from wearing protective leads and being on my feet all day. I'm so blessed to be in an industry that's always changing and evolving, meaning there will always be a need to learn new things as they develop. Keeps work interesting that's for sure! I'm also very thankful I have the opportunities to participate in these training days and hope to do so in the future.

Day 225...

THURSDAY 16.4.15 - I am thankful for... The Shed

*Picture from their Twitter account.

At the beginning of the year a new coffee shop and cafe opened across the road from work in the park. The Shed, as it's aptly named, is very different to what you would usually see here in Western Sydney. Aside from it's somewhat 'Bohemian' style offering great Campos coffee and delicious, organic foods and friendly staff, there are deck chairs (pictured) and picnic rugs provided so you can enjoy your meal outside if you wish too. As much as I appreciate the coffee shop in the hospital, it's good to have a little more variety and somewhere to go that's outside the hospital. I'm thankful for this alternative and hope to utilise it when I can.

Day 224...

WEDNESDAY 16.4.15 - I am thankful for... Facebook chat

This morning I had a wonderful chat to a friend of mine. This particular friend lives in London and I was able to chat to her via Facebook chat as I got ready for work. She is also the friend who is getting married in July in Ireland and is the excuse for my European trip. As I obviously don't see her often, it was really nice to just catch up quickly, exchange news and talk (excitedly) about her upcoming wedding. I don't use Facebook chat very often at all, but when I do it's usually to communicate with people I don't see very often and who usually live away from me. It's such a great tool for this and I'm thankful that it exists for this reason. Love being able to keep in touch with friends around the world so easily!

Day 223...

TUESDAY 14.4.15 - I am thankful for... My car radio

*Picture from www.mashable.com

A pretty simple one today. I listen to the radio every morning on my way to work. When I'm not listening to the radio, it's usually my Ipod that's connected to the same system. Obviously my love for music helps me wake up and prepare for the day and the morning show I listen to is quite entertaining. Honestly I don't now what I'd do without a radio in my car, probably e very bored! So I'm very thankful I have one that works properly. Fingers crossed it always stays that way.

Day 222...

MONDAY 13.4.15 - I am thankful for... Shoes that support your feet properly.

*Picture from www.centreworks.com

I have started to notice lately that my feet have been particularly sore by the end on the day. So much so that when I went to the gym this afternoon I found that I could not do much at all , even though my runners are fairly new and very supportive. I looked at the soles of my work shoes and found they were the culprit. The soles were completely worn out, unevenly, and all the cushioning on the inside was basically gone. Discussing this with my colleagues one of them said, "you know out of all the shoes I own my work shoes are the ones I walk around in most and are usually the fastest to wear out". It's true, we are on our feet most of the day at work - a good thing and a positive to our working environment. I usually only have 1 pair of work shoes at a time, maybe 2 at most. I also tend to wear out shoes quite quickly which was a problem growing up, just ask my mother! In my line of work it's important to have really comfortable, supportive shoes to walk around in all day not only for my feet, but for my hips and back too which tend to be sensitive to slight changes in posture. I will need to get new shoes this week sometime, good thing it's pay week! This makes me thankful that I am able to have shoes that are supportive and good for my feet and appreciate the fact I can get some new ones.

Day 221...

SUNDAY 12.4.15 - I am thankful for... Having both parents in the same city

*Picture from www.law.harvard.edu

Last year, my dad, his partner and my half brother moved from Perth to Brisbane. This is the first time my parents have been in the same city since I was about 6 years old. This is not because they can't stand to be in the same city as each other, on the contrary, they are actually still friends, which has been wonderful for my sister and I growing up. We moved to Brisbane initially for mum's work and dad's jobs saw him move around with his family. This past Christmas was the first time I was able to spend it with both parents, dad's family in the morning and mum's in the afternoon. Today  was able to spend a few hours at dad's place on my way to the airport, after spending yesterday with mum and her family for my cousin's wedding. The best of both world's, for the first time in 20 years. I'm so thankful that dad decided to move, that I have my family all in the same city so I can see them all more often.

Day 220... Flying through these!

SATURDAY 11.4.15 - I am thankful for... Selfies

I honestly never, EVER thought that selfies would be one of my thankfulness topics, especially considering I don't take them with just myself in them. One of my cousins got married today. Unfortunately he was busy and not in this photo, which shows myself, my sister and three other cousins. There are also a few other cousins missing from this one which is a shame. As we always do, we had an absolutely wonderful day and I believe the bride and groom did too. I am so incredibly blessed to have a family that I'm really closed to and there was definitely a lot of photo and selfie taking. I think, and especially the ones from today, selfies show the people in them a little bit more naturally. Maybe you don't agree, but I really felt that the ones taken today did. It could also have been because we were having such a great day. Who knows. I am just thankful we had such a great day today and have some selfies to remember it by.

Day 219...

FRIDAY 10.4.15 - I am thankful for... Queensland's Sunshine Coast

My mum took me to see a good friend of mine whose over from Paris on holidays. She is staying with her family at the Sunshine Coast with her family - our mothers are close friends too which is really cool. It was such a great day. We went out for lunch had a great time - so much so the lady had to ask us to leave because we were talking so much and she had to close to break before dinner. She was so lovely and felt terrible for asking because she could see we were "really enjoying ourselves". The weather was so beautiful and the view from their apartment balcony was spectacular (pictured above). My friend and I spent hours out there catching up, I couldn't have asked for more really. I'm thankful that we got to see each other, that we had a wonderful day and that the sunshine coast was the place to do it all in.

Day 218...

THURSDAY 9.4.15 - I am thankful for... A 3 day working week!

Though this was taken a few years ago, it's how I'm feeling today :)

Not a hard one today. Having Monday off for Easter Monday and tomorrow off as an ADO means I have worked only 3 days this week. A nice, short working week for me! Don't get me wrong, I've said numerous times that I love my job and that's still true. But I'm not going to reject a shorter week when they come along. One of the best things about working for the government are ADOs which are an allocated day off once a month. I'm taking mine tomorrow to fly to Brisbane a day earlier, so I can make as much out of the weekend as I can. So I'm thankful for my short working week which gives way for a 3 day weekend with my family in Brisbane.

Day 217...

WEDNESDAY 8.4.15 - I am thankful for... Variation in my job

I can't remember if I've mentioned it before, but I am a Cardiac Technologist, which basically means a heart scientist. I am able to perform a multitude of tests on patients including ECG's, holter monitors, Exercise stress tests, check pacemakers and defibrillators as well as electrophysiology studies, where we test to see if people have abnormal heart rhythms. It is varied and highly specific. I love it! I get to do something different everyday and see different patients everyday, some I have built a rapport with as they have been attending our clinics for a number of years. This type of career is something you may or may not have heard of before. It's not your typical job you go to uni to study for like a doctor or lawyer or teacher, and it's not a trade you'd do an apprenticeship for like a labourer. In fact, most people I have spoken to about it have entered into this field by word of mouth, that's how it happened for me anyway! A friend of mine from uni became a cardiac scientist (in QLD we are scientists, in NSW we are technologists - same thing). I was struggling to find what I wanted to do with my life and, knowing I'd had heart issues of my own, she suggested I look into this because she thought Id be interested. She was right and the rest is history! I am extremely thankful to be in a job that I like to wake up in the morning for. I am thankful I have a good team to work with and that I am able to communicate with the patients. I am thankful that everyday is different and very rarely boring. I know not everyone has a job they love, or even like, so I'm very fortunate from that perspective. I think if I ever lose interest in my job it'll be time to change, though I hope that doesn't happen. Not too soon anyway.

Day 216...

TUESDAY 7.4.15 - I am thankful for... Parks

*Picture from www.weekendnotes.com

Where I park my car daily is about a 10 minute walk from work. On my way too and from work I walk past a park and playground. It's school holidays here at the moment and this afternoon I walked past a park brimming with people. There were teenagers playing on the half basketball court, small children being pushed on the swings by their parents, adults working hard on the exercise equipment, more children on the playground, a group of older people conversing on the park benches and the spare grass being used as a soccer field. In this part of Sydney there are very few houses, the suburb made predominantly out of apartment blocks. So this park space is really important for the residents in this area, especially the children, to have a space to be outside and enjoy it. I couldn't help but smile to myself to see the park being used exactly as it was meant to be. I am thankful for parks, for spaces where people can enjoy the outdoors.

Day 215...

MONDAY 6.4.15 - I am thankful for... The Easter Show!

*Picture from www.puppytails.com.au

Though I have been to the EKKA a number of times in Brisbane, today was the first time I'd been to the Sydney Royal Easter Show. I'm such a big kid at heart, I love carnivals and theme parks! Especially scary rides! I mean, what's not to love? We saw all the animals, and I must say my favourite was probably the Alpaca pavillion. During lunch we watched a great few items including stunt utes, freestyle motorcross and a random American man blow up in a box full of dynamite with him inside! Crazy Americans! Just as it started to rain we hit the showbag pavillion. It was a whole other experience, so full of people you had to shuffle your way around and unfortunately push through people when you needed to move to the side, but we all got what we wanted, except my friend who wanted the AFL Swans bag and it was sold out :( Then we played (and lost) some carnival games before heading home. Was a great day with great people, I'm very thankful we went.

Day 214...

SUNDAY 5.4.15 - I am thankful for... Easter Sunday

What does Easter Sunday mean to you? Maybe it signifies a day off work. Maybe it's a chance to have a family get together. Maybe it means working at double time and half wages. Maybe it means nothing to you. 

It is easy for me today to be thankful for Easter Sunday because, out of the entire Easter period, it is the most joyous day. It is the day we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. Where Christians around the world recognise that Jesus, the son of God defied death - except Orthodox Christians whose Easter is next Sunday, but it's all the same. I was blessed enough today to wake up very early and watch the sunrise during our dawn service. Then we all headed to church where we shared a wonderful breakfast together, followed by our church service at our usual time. The weather today was nothing short of glorious, with the sunrise completely worth getting up at 5am for. That's why I had to include two pictures in this post today :) Today I felt completely grateful that I have God in my life, and honestly I could imagine not knowing him. I am even more thankful that he sent his son as a sacrifice for the sins of the world, even when his son didn't deserve it. Now, I realise that some of you reading this may not have faith in God like I do, and I thank you for continuing to read this up to this point. I am hopeful that you are still able to find some joy and thankfulness from today, no matter your beliefs or circumstance. Today is a great day to be thankful :)

 

He is risen!

Day 213...

SATURDAY 4.4.15 - I am thankful for... Long weekends

I don't know anyone on this planet who isn't thankful for long weekends! And the Easter long weekend is just that little better with 4 days off instead of 3. I have spent the last 2 days in our church youth room watching movies, playing board games and eaten junk food (actually not really that much) with good friends. The weather has been pretty miserable and cold, making movie days more inviting. I was also able to sleep in today which was sooooo good considering work has been busy lately. So even though I'm not doing too much, I'm thankful I can enjoy a long, relaxing and restful weekend.

Day 212...

FRIDAY 3.4.15 - I am thankful for... Good Friday

Today is Good Friday in the Christian calendar, the Friday immediately preceding Easter Sunday. It was not hard to think of something to be thankful for as today signifies the day Jesus, the Son of God, was crucified to save mankind. Whether you also think of Good Friday in this way or just enjoy the public holiday, I believe everyone has something to be thankful for today. For me, it's a time where I can reflect on this sacrifice and what it means for me. I was also able to enjoy a day off work and watch movies with a bunch of friends. All in all a good day and good start to the weekend. It's not exactly a day for joy, but more for solemn reflection. Today I am thankful that God sent his son to die for the sins of the world, that we are able to remember this year after year and can do so free from persecution.

Day 211...

THURSDAY 2.4.15 - I am thankful for... Marian Keyes books

Marian Keyes would have to be one of my favourite authors. I have my best friend, Dani, to thank for introducing her books to me. If your unfamiliar with her work, she is an Irish novelist whose stories involve battling social issues, such as drugs, alcohol, mental illness, domestic violence and so on. Though she has written a few nonfiction books, most of her characters are fictional but her style of writing will make you empathise with each of them as they go through very real and personal struggles. However, the stories are also quite comedic, which will have you laughing one minute and crying the next. Wikipedia states that "She is regarded as a pioneer of the 'chick-lit' genre; her stories usually revolve around a strong female character who overcomes numerous obstacles to achieve lasting happiness." I would definitely agree with that! As someone who considers herself and independent woman, I find her stories easy to relate to. One that I am reading at the moment is The Mystery of Mercy Close, and am enjoying it as much as the rest. I am thankful that I am able to enjoy Keyes books and hope she continues to write more books!

Day 210...

WEDNESDAY 1.4.15 - I am thankful for... Security

*Picture from www.pharos.co.nz

Well. This morning started off quite interesting. We were called in just after six and none of our team's access cards were working, meaning we had no access to the carpark or into the lab itself! After an hour or so of the working day, we were informed there was a hospital wide issue with our access cards but it was easily remedied. It got me thinking though how important it is that we have security within the hospital. Not just for staff of course, but for the patients as well. 99% of the time it works well and honestly this is the first time I can think of that I have personally had an issue with them. So today I was reminded of how important our security is within the hospital, and very thankful for it.

Day 209...

TUESDAY 31.03.15 - I am thankful for... Antibacterial hand gel

*Picture from www.kandodental.com.au

One of the things that's drummed into you when you start working in a hospital is the importance of hand hygiene. In fact, I remember listening to a 30min lecture on the technique of hand washing during my orientation. I thought it was a little excessive at the time. However, having clean hands is incredibly important when working with ill and immunosuppressed patients. Luckily, to make life easier for us all, antibacterial hand gel is pretty much available everywhere for us, attached to almost every wall. I constantly find myself using the gel as I walk past them, a good habit I think. So I am thankful that this hand gel exists and is readily available for us to use at work, and in smaller bottles to use everywhere else.

Day 208...

MONDAY 30.03.15 - I am thankful for... Cheese

*Picture from www.cherishyourhealth.com.au

A bit of a random one today. Can't even remember what made me think of it, but today I am thankful for cheese. A strange thing for someone who is lactose intolerant to be thankful for right? I have always loved cheese. Ever since I was a little girl, my mum can vouch for that! I'd eat the Bega Stringers as a snack at school, the plastic cheese at home, then as I got older my tastes matured to Swiss and Camembert, together with a glass of wine. I was a little upset when I found out I was lactose intolerant, until my mum found lactose free milk and cheese! Hooray for me! I'm especially thankful for that. So here is to many, many more years of eating delicious cheeses. Nom nom nom nom....

Day 207...

SUNDAY 29.03.15 - I am thankful for... My new fridge

Don't you just love it when you've worked some extra hours, expecting a larger pay which you could put towards, say, a holiday... then your fridge dies? Well that happened to me this week. After days of trying to get a fridge mechanic to come and look at it, and one just not turning up after he made an appointment with me, and half a week without a fridge, I decided to just buy a new one. I managed to find one for a small fortune on a factory seconds website and (after a bit of a drama) I had it delivered yesterday to much excitement, as my snapchat above shows. However, I woke up this morning and realised how fortunate I am to have a fridge, and that all my fridge woes were really first world problems. Nevertheless I am very grateful and thankful for my new fridge and that I had the ability to buy a new one.

Day 206...

SATURDAY 28.03.15 - I am thankful for... the right to vote

*Picture from www.coffscoastadvocate.com.au

I don't follow politics. It's just not my thing, no offence to anyone reading this with a passion for it. And I dislike having to vote. Although in saying that, it usually doesn't take long and isn't a real inconvenience. We had to vote in a state election today and to emphasise my lack of interest I even put an alarm on my phone so I wouldn't forget to vote! When I arrived at the polling booth I only recognised one name on the ballot paper, not because I knew of him or his policies, but he was the only one in my area that had signs with his face on them placed everywhere for the last few weeks. After I finished the whole voting process and was thankful it was over, I was reminded of how blessed I am to live in a country when I CAN vote. How lucky are we here in Australia where, to some extent, our views and opinions can be heard? And not only that, I'm lucky that as a woman I can vote, which wasn't always the case. There are many places in this world where people don't get a say in how their country is run, and women are oppressed and not given the same rights as men. That's not here. That's not Australia. So after this election I thought to myself how thankful I was that I could vote and that my vote counted (no, I didn't donkey vote!), whatever the outcome. I will, from now on, pay more attention to what's happening in future elections, so I can make an informed choice when I vote next time.

Day 205...

FRIDAY 27.03.15 - I am thankful for... Worship

*Picture from www.experiencinghope.net

Tonight for youth group we lead a praise and worship night. I was really looking forward to it as I hadn't done anything like it since becoming a leader. We did a variety of things; sang worship songs with a few of us adults leading the worship band, had a number of prayer stations some of which were a little interactive, played games together, read from the bible and lastly shared a meal together - Pizza! I'll admit, I was a bit apprehensive as to how the kids would engage with the different types of worship but to my surprise I needn't have worried. They all participated and really got into it, even the younger ones. It was incredibly special to show these kids that no matter how you worship, it all matters. We each have our own likes and dislikes, our own talents and misgivings. All God cares about it the purpose of our worship and why we do it, not how. I hope this group was able to appreciate that, I know I certainly was. I am thankful we were able to conduct this worship night and hope we can do it again sometime.

Day 204...

THURSDAY 26.03.15 - I am thankful for... Paper

*Picture from www.edjelley.com

 Listening to my phone messages this afternoon I automatically reached for my sticky notes to jot down the name and contact number of the person calling. It makes it easy for if I can't call the person back straight away, I can just stick it to my computer so I don't forget later. I was also doing some printing and needed to load the printer with printer paper, luckily the was some sitting right there next to it for me to use. These two simple everyday things I probably wouldn't have taken much notice of, much less remembered if I wasn't sitting here thinking of something I'm thankful for today. Paper in various forms has been around for centuries. It's so simple yet powerful and versatile. You can write stories, poems or assignments on it, or letters to loved ones near and far. You can use your imagination and create a drawing or painting. You can read wonderful stories from books, newspapers and magazines from it. Nations first established theirs laws by writing or printing them on paper. Contacts are forged on paper. And of course, there's paper aeroplanes! Just think of all the instances you use paper of a daily basis, and now try and think what you would do without it. Not so easy it is? I am thankful today that paper exists. From the simplest things to the most important, paper  will always be needed.