SOMETHING TO BE THANKFUL FOR

There is always, always, always something to be thankful for. 

Joshua Becker

I agree with this sentiment. In my life there is always something to be thankful for.

I struggle with chronic clinical depression. One of the worst effects is that it makes me sluggish, especially at the beginning of the day. As well as taking medication I have a number of strategies I employ in order to make my day as bright and productive as possible.

Each day when I drive down the street for the first time in my car I think of five things I am thankful for. As a Christian I thank God for these things but if you are not a Christian I think the exercise of recognizing there are things to be thankful for can be important in keeping  positive.

What am I thankful for today?

1.  I am thankful that I have a whole day stretched before me without anything pressing so I have a chance to catch up on things.
2. I am thankful that my daughter R has been enjoying her trip, caravanning around Australia and  that she is safe.
3. I am thankful for the relationships I have with both my daughters and their partners.
4. I am thankful that Jasper the grand-dog has stayed well over the past 10 weeks while I have been looking after him and we have not had a trip to the vet as we usually do.
5. I am thankful for P:-). I'm not quite sure what I would have done without him the past few years.

Sometimes I don't feel very thankful for anything. I just want to go back to bed and pull the covers over my head. But the exercise of thankfulness always makes me more positive. It is  a discipline I have acquired over the years. I find that I need discipline and routine in my day, both physically and mentally.

So today I decided to do something physical and took Jasper the grand-dog for a walk.

There is a bit of a hill to negotiate and I have been pleased to find I wasn't quite as unfit as I thought I would be. (It's a few months since I did a walk around the block. I shall have to try and make it a more regular thing even when I don't have Jasper.) Of course we walked quite slowly, stopping to have plenty of sniffs and mark territory along the way.

On my walk I pass this wonderful letterbox covered in lichen.

My letterbox is sturdy but rather plain metal and cedar.

The rocks nearby are covered in beautiful lichen, so perhaps I could get some to grow on the wooden sides of my letter box. I have found a way to encourage the growth of lichen on wood. It doesn't look too difficult so perhaps I will give it a go.

The moon has been bright the last few nights.  Here are some pictures of the the moon through my mango tree taken last night.

I took this photograph from the top of my street when I took Jasper, the grand-dog for a short walk.

Jasper is till with me for another 3 weeks.

I shall miss him when he goes but he is a very needy dog - and I am such a pushover when it comes to little dogs.


 Interesting sites



1.

  Contemporary version of the traditional wagon dwelling. 

Photo source

I love this little house. Maringotka is a contemporary version of the traditional wagon dwelling. Created by Prague studio Miramari Design, Maringotka can be used as a vacation home, for housing workers, as a hotel/resort unit or as a full-time residence. Click here  to see more.

2.

Train in Hanoi, Vietnam

Photo source

 The trick to living a long, happy and accident free life in the old residential district in Vietnam's Hanoi is to have the train schedule well and truly imprinted on your DNA. Click here to view more pictures.  


3.

 Rogue iceberg threatens shipping lanes in the Southern Ocean

Photo source

 A few months ago Inhabitat reported that an iceberg 10 times the size of Manhattan broke away from the Antarctic into Pine Island Bay. Now that iceberg is drifting out of the bay and into the currents of the Southern Ocean. Click here to read more .