Friends Rock!

I just posted this as my Facebook status - and am sitting here thinking about a number of my good friends and how much they encourage me. I am very blessed.

Thanks for
J to have lunch with today - and some laughs.
D who gave me a cup of coffee (well 2 actually) and we were able to have a good talk.
C who shared a cup of tea with me yesterday morning.
J and J at the community shop for their care and encouragement when I go there for a cuppa or lunch.
J for being such a gifted and skilled counsellor.

And yes I did survive the visit to the psychiatrist earlier in the week - and as I think about it - have some ideas of things I can take to our next session in October - that may help us to work together better - or at least for him to understand me better.

I am also thankful that the sun is coming out after a week of cold and wet - and we are going to have a 'heat wave' in the next 3 days - predicted to even hit 19 degrees C. Might even get my sheets washed and dried ... outside.

I am thankful for the washing machine - J (at lunch) was telling me about a project she did at school called 'The Life of a Drop'! Lots of drops are being used in the machine today.

And I like candles, hot water bottles, blankies, soft socks, music - and looking at my picture of the kangaroo.

Not a windy wednesday

I wanted it to be a windy Wednesday today as I put 3 loads of washing on the line this morning before going out to drawing class. Flannelette sheets, towels, and my own washing! And it is due to rain this afternoon... late. I got home in time to get the washing off the line - and it is mostly dry so I now have it draped around various clothes horses and chairs to air and finish drying.

I had drawing class today - we had to take off a shoe and put it on the table and study it closely for 5 minutes, then put it away and draw it from memory with charcoal. I made up a fair bit of mine!!! Then we put the shoe there again and drew it from sight - I enjoyed doing that - I was wearing runners - so it was quite complicated - but did look like a runner in the end. Then we played around with some brushes and ink - using a still life as inspiration. We will do more ink next week.

I am thankful that most of the washing got dry (ish).
For drawing class and the encouraging ladies there (and one bloke).
For a delicious lunch out with a friend.
For making a couple of new friends over the internet - who 'get' the mental health stuff.
For my heat pack, warm socks that a friend gave me, and my blankie.

I am thankful for all my friends! I need you all so much ----

What about Saturday?

Am I thankful for things tonight - as the day draws to an end???

I am thankful for the energy to interact with people this morning at breakfast.
I am thankful for soup and a visit with a good friend at lunch.
I am thankful for the computer, internet and 'social networking' - even though it often doesn't bring me much comfort.
I am thankful that even though it has felt like Sunday all day... having started off at church ... it is actually only Saturday - so I don't have to get up and go to the gym in the morning.
I am thankful that I found my 'right' 'go to sleep' word find puzzle book yesterday so that I can start it tonight. I finished one yesterday.

Comfort or Hardship??

I am sitting here in relative warmth with a rug over my knees and another around my shoulders. I have 3 heaters in the house I could put on if I needed to. I have a wardrobe full of clothes (many that don't fit!!), and more than one pair of shoes. There is enough food in the fridge and pantry to feed me for a week. I even have a room to myself to sleep in.

I am thinking today of my friends in Madagascar - some have rarely slept in a bed by themselves, let alone had a whole room of their own, with a door. They live from day to day just buying enough food for that day. After all, there is no fridge and many only get their money each day as well. They can't save for anything even if they do have work, because the needs of any family crisis, illness, accident, or birth or death, take precedent over whatever they were saving for. They have two or 3 sets of clothes if they are lucky, and no heating in the house - even though it gets cold in winter.

Does God love them any less than he loves me??? Why can't we share more? Why do we spend more on our military budgets than the whole GDP of a nation like Madagascar? I don't get it. But I am thankful for the things I have and hope that I can be generous with those things.

Why write a blog??

Blogging seems to be an 'in thing'. Can't imagine quite why we want to read about other people's lives. I guess it is part of how we feel connected to each other in the 21st Century.

I have enjoyed writing for many years, but never gone beyond sharing a few stories with close friends. This might give me an opportunity. And I need connection!

I have had a full day today - interacting with people and doing some work as well - just an hour of work - I am so thankful for my church's community shop - because it gives me a place to hang out. They have a cafe there too.

I am thankful for:
My friends
Good professional help
A car that works
A computer and the internet
A really nice lunch