Day 70... Another 10 days down!

WEDNESDAY 12.11.14 - I am thankful for... Office supplies

I have been feeling lately that my desk at work is rather lacklustre. Although I don't really spend too much time in my office, I just think when I do it'd been nice to have a space to work in that inspires me a little. So I decided to go to Officeworks for a little shopping spree! I got several things in a lovely bluey green colour (as pictured). I have always been a fan of stationary, one of my favourite stores is Typo (though they don't have much in the way of desk supplies at the moment, but soooo many other cool things). I can't really tell you why, but as long as I can remember I have. At the start of every school year, mostly high school, I'd enjoy putting contact over all my books, make sure my pencil case was full of new and exciting writing utensils and that my diary was neat and ready for the year. I know a lot of girls/women who are the same, so maybe it's just a girl thing. There's just something about having funky books and stationary and desk storage that is satisfying to the eye. So I'm thankful for a my little shopping spree that will make my work desk a little more modern and inspiring!

Day 69...

TUESDAY 11.11.14 - I am thankful for... Remembrance Day

On the 11th of November 1918, the Allies and Germany signed a treaty to mark to end of fighting in western Europe that was The First World War. On November 11th, at 11am every year, we here in Australia pause to remember, and reflect, the great sacrifice those who have fought in conflicts since and including WWI gave, so many with their lives. I was working in the cath lab today, and for the first time ever since I started working here, there was an announcement over the PA system marking the 11th hour. The voice told us that it was on this day in 1918 that the armistice (the treaty) was signed to end the fighting. Then the last post was played, followed by silence, followed by a section of The Ode of Remembrance and then finally, the Reveille. Every person in the lab stood silent and still. The only ones who continued their jobs were the nurses tending the patients, even then they did not speak a word. I was really touched that the hospital administration did that for us, because honestly when you're working its easy to let time slip by but I always like to stop for the moment's silence. I have a strong family history of war veterans. 7 Boveys I know of in total, 3 who lost their lives and whose names are on the Wall of Remembrance at the Australian War Memorial. Most recently my grandfather, who is a Vietnam veteran who has never seen himself as anything more than a man doing his job. Though I absolutely despise the very concept of war, it is unfortunately a reality in our history and continues into today. I am grateful and forever thankful for those who risked their lives for our country's freedom, so that I and everyone else here can live the lives they choose for themselves. We can never repay that debt.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We will remember them.

Lest we forget...

Day 68...

MONDAY 10.11.14 - I am thankful for... Failures

Making my dinner and lunch for tomorrow I decided to make couscous, but do it the 'lazy man's' way; putting hot water and couscous in a bowl and cover it to soak it up. However, I didn't measure anything and was busy doing something else, forgot about it for a while and when I returned, the end result is what you see in the picture. Mush. Gooey, sloppy mush. To top it off I ran out of couscous so I couldn't even save it by adding more to soak up the excess water. Big. Fat. Couscous. FAIL. Oh well. I was a little annoyed because I was looking forward to what I was making too. But what was done was done. It got me thinking too, how many little failures do we encounter in life, and what do they say to us. This particular instance has taught me not to do it that way again, but stick to the way I usually cook it! You might think that I'm ridiculous, that being thankful for failure is stupid, perhaps impossible. But when you think about it, every failure teaches us something; what we might need to change, how to improve, how to become stronger whether it be mentally or physically, what works and what doesn't. When you have failed and you feel miserable or maybe even worthless, it's hard to find perspective to see that it isn't the end of the world, that you just have to try something else. If I've learned anything in my lifetime, especially from my wonderfully wise mother who tried to teach me this numerous times, it's that you can't dwell on your failures. Even the best and brightest in this world fail from time to time, it's what makes us human. You just have to pick yourself up and move on and find a way. Failure also helps us to appreciate the good times, the things we do right. And just maybe success is made all the more sweeter through failure, because you get to see the person you were beforehand and what you have achieved in the process to where you are now. Incredibly rewarding.

Day 67...

SUNDAY 9.11.14 - I am thankful for... Scrapbooking!

A friend of mine introduced me to scrapbooking when we were in high school. I always thought it was a fun and interesting way to display your memories in your photos, but never thought I could do it myself. She showed me that its not that hard, providing you have a little imagination. Since then I have done several scrapbooks, mainly for other people's birthdays (with very positive feedback too) and have started one for myself, chronicling my adventures overseas. Now, I would most definitely not say that I am an expert, or even really that good at it, but I really enjoy the process of creating something unique, something that I can look back on that evokes the memories I'm trying to preserve. I have always been much better at physically designing things, like craft type activities, than digitally (hopeless!) so this is the best way I know how. This is the year of getting back to doing things I love. And hopefully (providing it lasts long enough) when I have children they will get some enjoyment when looking through it.

Day 66...

SATURDAY 8.11.14 - I am thankful for... being on call

*The cath lab at work where we do life saving angiograms for heart attacks

For my job I participate in an on call roster, and this is my weekend on. The on call team is called in whenever a patient presents with a life threatening heart attack. It means we pretty much have to drop whatever we are doing and get to the hospital as soon as we can. Being on call can be sometimes tedious, boring or get called in at awful hours of the late night/early morning. I was called in around 7pm tonight and got home around 10pm, so pretty convenient hours for me at least. Even though I've been doing it a few years, I feel a little nervous every time we get called in, mainly for the patient and that we as a team can do everything as best we can to help save the patient. It's very rare to lose a patient, but it does happen, it's in the nature of what we do. But on the most often occasions where everything goes well and we stabilize the patient, you come away feel really good and satisfied with the job you've done. I have a great bond with all the people I do on call with and we all work really well as a team, which is so important. Though it's not an easy job, though it can be stressful and go very badly very quickly, I am thankful I get the opportunity to be part of a team that is there for someone at possibly one of the worse moments in their lives to date, to be hope for that person and help them. It's incredibly rewarding.

Day 65... Only 300 days to go! Oh boy...

FRIDAY 7.11.14 - I am thankful for... Choices

*Which colour would you chose?

At youth group tonight we started by playing the 'Chalk Chase'. For those who don't know, a team head off to design a trail using arrows for the other team to follow, whilst trying to throw off the other team by drawing false arrows that lead away from their track. The second team follow the first team after a given time and try to catch them. Of course, you might come to a point where there are 2 arrows pointing in 2 different directions and you have to chose which one to follow. If you're correct, the arrows continue, if not you'll find a cross and have to turn back the other way. It got me thinking how much of life is made up by the choices we make. There's everyday choices like what to eat for breakfast, what to wear for the day etc. And then there's the big life choices like what university degree to choose, what house to buy, what to name your child etc... There are good choices that continue you on your path and not so good choices where you might have to back track a little. Then there are times when you don't have a choice. When life deals you a hand whether you like it or not. All of us experience that from time to time, and you feel powerless because you have no say it what has happened, but you do have a choice on how to deal with it. The little choices we take for granted, such as what to eat or wear, may be just like that for people who have little to no food or no possessions to their name due to poverty or circumstance. So therefore I value choice in my life, because if I have choices then I have more than enough to live. I have freedom.

Day 64...

THURSDAY 6.11.14 - I am thankful for... Movies based on real events

 

 

*Theatrical poster for Oranges and Sunshine

 

Spending the day at home sick, feeling sorry for myself, there wasn't much else to do between sleeping than watch TV. Day time television isn't the most exciting to watch but I happened across a midday movie I decided to watch called 'Oranges and Sunshine'.  It's based on the life of a British woman named Margaret Humphreys, a social worker, who uncovered the scandal of the "home children" where children from poor families were forcibly removed from homes and relocated to either Australia or Canada. The movie follows the process of her discovering what happened and reuniting families whilst bringing worldwide attention to what happened. She listens as most of these children were not put in foster care or adopted but placed in institutions of hard labour and horrific lifestyles. I was completely drawn in from the beginning. After watching it I did what I usually do after something sparks my interest, I researched it. Why had I not heard about this? Why had this terrible lapse in judgement by the British and Australian governments not been made known, that resulted I the awful upbringing for these young children? Then I read that it was only as recently as 2010 that the governments recognised this atrocity. There are so many great movies that recount real events, especially war, natural disaster and famous crimes movies. Obviously I am aware that in some cases the movies can "Hollywood-ise" such events and they may not be exactly truthful, but I appreciate knowing significant events and people in history, so I enjoy these movies and am very thankful they are being made and continue to be made.