First day back at work

I think some people would think there is seriously something wrong with me. I love my job. Really love it. Most days are long, some days are tough, but there's not a day that I don't get up happy and excited to go to work. What's the day going to bring me? Who is going to delight me? Surprise me? Disappoint me even?


Today I started back at work after 6 weeks of beautifully relaxing and lazy holidays. I've done lots of things I enjoy, and some of the jobs on my To Do list (not many but still enough not to make me feel completely hopeless) but today I returned to work and as I drove there this morning, I realised how light and happy I felt. Am I grateful for having a great job or am I grateful for having a great attitude toward my job?


I have always felt this way about my work. I think it's the people I interact with every day. 


PS just so I don't sound totally pathetic - I do have one major problem associated with work.  Once I'm there I'm inclined to forget I have a personal life - bills to pay, mail to post, phone calls to make etc - not a very efficient way of managing my grown up life. Suggestions anyone?


And another post script Its stinking hot today - not a breath of air even though its 10:48pm. Ill be glad Ive got a fan pretty soon :)

What's Noise Got To Do With It?

Have you ever noticed the noise we live with every day? There's the good stuff like birds tweeting and rain on the roof, there's the not so close traffic noises and then right around us there's the constant sound of living - for me it's mostly talking and sounds associated with technology - TV, XBox, music and keyboard tapping. Plus often the annoying yapping of the two small dogs who live next door. And finally there's the sounds in my own head - me talking to myself I suppose or like now me saying the words in my head as I type them (tell me someone else does this?)


Today I had the joy of silence. Home alone with just the sleepy Maggie, tired after our morning walk. Sunday morning and no traffic sounds, strangely no little dog noises and most special, my head was quiet. I swear there wasn't a single solitary thought going around in there. What a gift!


Don't get me wrong - I love people and I love this modern world, but silence, real silence is such a rare thing, for me it is to be savoured and treasured.


I wonder when I will experiece it next ?

“We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.” — Thornton Wilder

Saturday wonderful Saturday

What a fantastic day I've had.
For a start I finally found some energy! Yay! I've cleaned the house, been to the Farmers Market, cleaned out my fridge, washed a couple of loads and done a stack of ironing. About time - I was starting to worry that the holiday slothful me was going to stick around for ever.


Then my oldest girlfriend phoned to tell me that she and her daughter are flying from London to meet me and my daughter in May in Milan for my birthday. I'm so excited. To be having my first overseas trip at my age is a bit of an embarrassment but there's no stopping me now. I'm already starting to consider other holiday destinations - maybe not all so far from home and therefore not so expensive but we'll see.


And to cap off my day a friend took my to my first ever live basketball game. It was so exciting and so fast. I can't believe some of the size of these girls and for a non-contact sport, well let's just say there's plenty of pushing, pulling and shoving! I think I'm a convert.


So let's see...

• energy and good health
• the opportunity to travel or is it having something to look forward to
• and friends - always friends

Enjoy your day people and may someone smile on you!

Hairdresser Delights

I go to the hairdresser every 6 weeks. In fact I have booked ahead for the entire of the 2011 year so I don't miss out at all. When I left my town of 25 years to make a move across the country where I didn't have a job and didn't know a soul, one of my most major concerns was whether I would find a good hairdresser. I have very straight and very thick hair which is difficult to cut well and I learned a long ago that my general feelings of wellbeing start with having a decent hair cut. Vain? Probably. Do I care? No.


And so my appointment today...


Having found the best hairdresser in the city, I know how lucky I am to be able to afford her ministrations. But do I take this good fortune for granted? Not for one minute!


We discuss what colour and style I might like to have at this moment, I'm offered a decent cup of coffee or a glass of champagne or wine on the house (well I'm sure it's hidden in hairdresser costs but it feels like it's on the house) and then she gets to work while we chat idly or if I'm left alone I catch up on some magazine reading. Then comes the best bit, the most sublime experience...I get a long and deep head massage! Pure bliss. The stresses of the day literally gurgle down the sink and when I leave the establishment I'm almost gliding on air.


My whole day's gratitudes all tied up in one trip to the hairdresser.

Happy Australia Day

Today is Australia Day - the day we celebrate white settlement. Of course there were indigenous people living here for thousands of years before that but they were not recognised...but let's not go into that here.


Australia Day is typically hot and we Aussies traditionally like to do the sorts of things that the rest of the world seem to imagine us doing...sitting around watching sport (the Australian Open and cricket), having a barbeque and downing a tinny or two.


Well I did exactly that...it was scorching hot and I spent the day with good friends enjoying beautiful food, some lovely wine and languidly chatting while watching the tennis. And they have air conditioning which I do not so it was especially pleasurable to be inside! It was a truly great day. 


The cool change swept through at about 8:30pm and I opened wide all the windows to flush out the hot stale air. Went to bed pretty early to read and then sleep.


So my summary...I have great friends, live in a country of freedoms and traditions, and fresh air. Bliss

Family

I have a wonderful family. 
Playing Trivial Pursuit until late and being teased by my children for not having any pie pieces for a very long is a special feeling.


Having a brother in law who can call me late in the afternoon and ask if I have a spare bed for even later that night reminds me that people can count on me when they need to.


And having my 82 year old father Skype me in the morning to 'see if he can' when mum was in the shower tells me that I have taught him something new which is useful to him.


I often reflect on how lucky I am to have such wonderful people in my life. Over the last few years when I've been consciously acknowledging the positives in each day, I've done a rough estimate to calculate that people make up about 80% of what I have to be thankful for (bad grammar to end in a preposition but there you have it). I've been in the midst of a pretty quiet holiday at the moment and many days I've hardly seen a soul but once I'm back at work I often consider how special people are to me.


I have a small family - parents still, one sister, her husband and my two nieces, and my own two children. Thats pretty much it. No aunties or uncles, no cousins and now no husband. A great father in law but really that's it. So they really are IMPORTANT and SPECIAL.


I know that when the shit has really hit the fan for me, these are the people on whom I can rely every time. I hope they know how treasured they are.

Mmm

So much for writing every day. I haven't even returned to work yet and I've missed some days...now that's sad. I haven't been forgetting to count my blessings each night - just not making time to write them here!


The most curious thing - the longer I've been on holidays the more lackadaisical I feel and the less I am actually achieving. What's that all about? Is it because I'm home that I feel guilty? I mean after all there's plenty to do. But if I were in some foreign land or even getting some sun and surf at the coast I wouldn't be doing jobs...
I did have to go to work today to interview potential employees - the effort of concentrating for some hours wore me out! The rest of the week is mostly mine and then its back to it, so I'd better fire up for some inspiration soon.


Over the last few days I've luxuriated in clean sheets (how much better can life be?), shared a meal and a movie with a friend who gets more special every time I'm with her, debated vigorously but not heatedly with my son while enjoying delicious prawns together, enjoyed a walk with the dog in the crisp morning air and made an interesting rosewater syrup to accompany fresh strawberries. Hey do you notice that food is figuring strongly? And I've spoken via Skype a couple of times to my aged parents who live in another state. They are getting the hang of it and their faces light up to see me or the kids.


And I have another Blog follower...Thank you.

All in all I'd say my life's been pretty darn fine - what's been happening in your life thats made you feel good?