Finding joy in the everyday

I hate to confess, but I have been watching " House Rules " on Channel 7 TV (Monday nights only once the homes have been renovated).  I rarely watch reality TV but this one has been interesting and I have become slightly sucked in, sadly!! The rules are simple: There are 6 couples in total, all own homes in need of urgent renovations. Each week 5 couples renovated one of these homes whilst the 6th couple enjoys a relaxing holiday whilst their home is being renovated.  Each couple is given one, two or three room to complete in one week. By Monday night all rooms have been renovated and ready for inspection and then scored. The homeowners give 5 "house rules" that they want followed when their home is being renovated such as  "glamour", "mirrors", "wall paper", "resort-feel" etc.. Simple - haven't lost you with these rules!! Anyway, to the point of this story - it got me thinking, what would my 5 house r...

She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.   (Prov 31:26-27) My mother is turning 82 this year. She is a nursing home as she needs 24 hour care. Whilst I can no longer have long conversations with her and our relationship has change considerably since I was a child, she is still 100% my mother and that will never change. I don't think of her as a part-time mother, or less of a mother due to her age, disability or the fact she is in a nursing home. She is still my mother no matter what and I love her just as much as when I was a little girl.  My sons are adults and have left home. Even though they are all grown up, they know I am contactable 24/7 and always available for them. I am still their mother 100% and still a full-time mother even though they are not living at home.  I am full-time because I am available to meet their needs no...

Psalm 30 I will extol You, O Lord, for You have lifted me up, And have not let my foes rejoice over me. O Lord my God, I cried out to You, And You healed me. O Lord, You brought my soul up from the grave; You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit. Sing praise to the Lord, you saints of His, And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name . For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning. Now in my prosperity I said, “I shall never be moved.” Lord, by Your favor You have made my mountain stand strong; You hid Your face, and I was troubled. I cried out to You, O Lord; And to the Lord I made supplication: “What profit is there in my blood, When I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise You? Will it declare Your truth? Hear, O Lord, and have mercy on me; Lord, be my helper!” You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You ...

Artist: Vladimir Volegov *****

As I approach 50 (not quite yet, but very soon) I have started to think about ageing. It happens to all of us and not much we can do about it. However, I know what I don't want to be. I don't want to have the mind of an "old lady" sitting quietly at home getting older. Because if you start to act old (and give up on living), before long you will be old in both mind and body.  Unless my health fails me, I want to: dance in bare feet to loud music go on exciting adventures  be silly and irresponsible go on picnics and fall asleep in the sunshine stay up late reading  laugh until I cry watch romantic movies lie on the grass and watch the clouds pass dream and dream some more be a little crazy  eat unhealthy cake with friends spoil my grandchildren smile lots fly a kite grow flowers instead of vegetables breakfast in bed go for long walks go on the internet when I shouldn't be the mad Aunt in the family help others olde...

No, not my house - but I do really like the shelving in the background.  How do you and your husband buy furniture? My husband does not like shopping and avoids large stores if he can, especially if they have a sale on.  So we have come up with a novel way to purchase furniture  (which makes DH happy which is what I like to achieve).  I go to the furniture store (as I did yesterday) and I take a heap photos (for example of arm chairs and rugs) and send them to my husband.  Aren't smart phones so handy! Then I give him a call and we discuss the options.  I try to provide a diverse range and different prices and based on these we make a decision.  Then I go off and decide on colour (of the fabric) and make the purchase.  Yesterday we bought an arm chair, coffee table and 2 rugs this way. It worked very well!! Now I just have to wait 6 weeks for the chair and coffee table but at least I can enjoy the new rug...

"I may not have gone where I intended to go,  but I think I've ended up where I needed to be." Douglas Adams. I have just finished reading Nelson Mandela’s autobiography "The long walk to freedom". It was a great read and Mandela was a remarkable man. But there was one paragraph in his  very long book that really summed up the man and something that is important to us all. Whilst we aren’t in prison, Mandela's advice is still very relevant to us all. To survive in prison, one must develop ways to take satisfaction in one’s daily life. One can feel fulfilled by washing one’s clothes so that they are particularly clean, by sweeping a corridor so that it is free of dust, by organising one’s cell to conserve as much space as possible. The same pride one takes in more consequential tasks outside prison one can find in doing small things inside prison.  (page 475) No matter what we do in life, we need to do it to the best of our ability, with a ...