A MIXED BAG

 

I have found that most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.

Abraham Lincoln

I certainly believe this to a point. I can really feel miserable if I'm not careful. But I work at being happy. I work at trying to make the best of things. I try not to worry about the future and live one day at a time. I think my Christian faith makes this a lot easier for me than many people.

Clinical depression makes it very difficult to feel happy, even if one chooses to. But that is the nature of depression. It isn't just a matter of feeling down - it is a whole other way of feeling. It is a very lonely, very isolated way of feeling.
I try to make the best of the good and bad times, but sometimes happiness is conditional upon other things and people - it is not just a state of mind.

Iris lower fairy.  Vintage edition.

The weekend has been reasonably relaxing. On Saturday  it was P:-)'s youngest daughter's birthday. B was 24. We went to a family brunch which was  very pleasant. P:-) has 5 children . Four have partners and all children and partners were there plus the two little grand daughters.

On Saturday afternoon we went to visit P:-)'s nephew who has a new baby. He and his wife were over from Adelaide for a few days and P:-)'s sister had invited us to visit. There were quite a few people there and it was a good chance to put the names to faces of some of P:-)'s, sister's family.

On Friday I bought a saw on an extension handle.

Saw

It is quite a lethal looking thing and a lot stronger than it looked for cutting branches. P:-) cut some of the branches away that were hanging over my roof.

Cutting branches.

P:-) cutting more branches.

The possums are going to be shocked. I hope they notice the branches have been cut. I am used to hearing them thud along the roof and up onto the branches. I hope they don't just run off the edge of the roof and not notice their little bridges are gone.

P:-) finished clearing the gutter and a blocked down pipe. I managed to pick up one leech on my arm, as did P:-) although his was on his leg. I am quite used to leeches but P:-) was shocked he could pick one up in such a short time.

One of the things I notice at this time of year is the colors of the fallen leaves. Although we have very few deciduous trees nearby, the fallen leaves seem to take on a pinkish tinge, which I find very pretty.

Fallen leaves

These tend to be largely eucalyptus leaves.

P:-) thought I was a bit mad, photographing leaves in the gutter, but I really do like their colors and subtle shades.

Perhaps the other interesting thing we saw worth mentioning was a huge group of motorbike riders stopped at traffic lights on the way to P:-)'s place.

Motorbike riders. 

I don't think I have ever seen so many motorbike riders together at one time.

Interesting sites

 1.

Photo credit

 This is a beautiful house in Capetown. Click here to see more.


2.

Photo credit

Click here to see some stunning origami forms made with one sheet of paper.

3. 

Photo credit

This is interesting. A giant bulge of fresh water in the Arctic threatens Europe's weather patterns. Click here to read more.