It has been a week of healing for my son. A week of cooking lots of different soups for him to help him recover. Each day gets stronger and stronger. His surgery site is healing well, so we are happy about that. This has meant life has been very quiet couple of weeks mostly spending time at home, resting, catching up on sleep, watching movies, reading and doctor’s appointments.When life seems a little tough it seems extra important to be grateful for all the good things in life.

1. I am so blessed to find out my son loves soup, all different types of soup. He has been such a fussy eater when it comes to eating vegetables. Know I have found the answer, soup.
2. I am so blessed to go for a walk out along the lake in the rain to find I had the lake all too myself, and a bonus was the sun came out for a while and made me feel so good. It was such a beautiful pick me up
3. I am so blessed that my son’s doctor appointment went well and his surgery appears to have gone well.
4. I am so blessed to find out my other son is going well at school, getting reasonable marks, and trying really hard. He got good remarks from his teachers so that is a good thing.
5. I am so blessed to enjoy some beautiful guided meditations and classes on mindfulness which I found on the internet.
6. I am so blessed that my Mum rings up to see how we are going, and is always willing to help out if we need her.
7. I am so blessed to be able to spend a morning having a coffee with my son who was enjoying a chocolate milk shake, it was nice to get out of the house for a while.
8. I am so blessed to be able to have time to sit and read with my son and watch movies with him, he has such an infectious laugh.
9. I am so blessed to have lovely warm pyjamas, it has been so cold lately
10. I am so blessed to have a lovely warming candle that brings warmth to my table at dinner time when I light it, and also to have a beautiful bunch of flowers that my Dad gave me from his garden.

There is always so many things to be grateful each day, however these are the things that stand out for my week.   

It has been some time since I last blogged, because I have been busy being Mum to my son who has just recently been to hospital for surgery. My poor little Mighty Mouse has been requiring lots of extra loving tender care from his family as he recovers at home. As Mum I have been required to just drop everything and be there for him.

So I wrote a Poem called :My Darling Boy Lays In His Bed.

Bruised and battered is his face.

Quiet and limp his body has become.

Unable to laugh.

Unable to cry.

My darling boy lay in his bed.

His medicine he takes.

Blood pressure, pulse,temperature he allows chirpy nurses to take.

The uncomfortable blood stain tape on his face he allows to remain.

The doctors prodding inside his tender sore swollen mouth he allows,

without a single complaint.

My darling boy lay in his bed.

He dose not complain.

He dose not cry.

The pain and discomfort he takes in his stride.

He has proven to be a strong little man.

My darling boy lay in his bed.

I am no good at poetry, however that was just the easiest way to explain it. Now he is at home recovering. Eating lots of soup and custard, and playing with his beloved Devil teddy.

Wishing you all a wonderful day!

• I am so blessed for my parents who are supportive, good friends and always there for those special celebrations in life, like family birthdays.
• I am so blessed for my green juice in the mornings that keeps me healthy, especially adding moisture and shine to my skin.
• I am so blessed  that I have so many books to read, just finished reading the War of Art.
• I am so blessed to have a wonderful interesting, challenging hobby in Toastmasters, where I can learn valuable communication skills.
• I am so blessed to meet new people and get new insights into life.
• I am so blessed to have a new plant for the house, so green and smells of freshness.
• I am so blessed to have lots of fresh fruit ( mandarins, apples and bananas) to eat.
• I am so blessed for the amazing sunny day I had to catch up with a friend in a beautiful cafe overlooking a lake.
• I am so blessed to be able to smile about life and know everything is going to turn out ok.

I find a tiny bit of gratitude helps me to realise I have so much abundance in my life. It really is a beautiful Autumn Day, a day perfect to be outside and enjoy.

What were your ten blessings for your week or even day?

Wishing you all a wonderful day!

It is wonderful Wishcasting Wednesday! Every week Jamie Ridler from   Jamie Ridler Studios at http://jamieridlerstudios.ca, asks a question. This weeks question is: Where do you wish for healing?

This question I found to be difficult and I guess today made me think I wish for healing in the world. War and conflict come at so a high human cost, and cause so much pain and suffering. I honour and remember all those defence service people who have served my country and sacrificed so much. I wish for healing for loss and injury. I wish for healing of the world, and peace.

A short  post of today.

1. I am so blessed to have a permanent part-time job that I get paid for.
2. I am so blessed to have a job that also pays my retirement superannuation, sick leave and holiday pay.
3. I am so blessed that my employer pays for some of my education courses and the time   I take to attend them.
4. I am so blessed that my work hours fit in with my family and my husband is able to care for our children, and pick them up from school.
5. I am so blessed that I am always learning something new, and that I have interesting, challenging work.
6. I am so blessed that I have at least seventy-five percent of my time at home being a full-time Mum.
7. I am so blessed to work with so many professional people who strive for excellence and put so much time and effort into their work. I am so blessed to work in a positive environment.
8. I am so blessed that I have a lovely house, with all the necessary features gas, water, electricity, furniture and much more.
9. I am so blessed for the freedom I have to do the many things that I love doing like going to the gym, going on long walking adventures, being Mum, reading, blogging and so much more.
10. I am so blessed to have a supportive husband who goes out to work full-time, and works hard to provide for our families needs.

I really do get an amazing deal, a career, an opportunity to spend most of my time with my children as they are growing up, and a very abundant life. Some times I feel it is so easy to want more and feel like others have more. I find that I am looking at what other people have and do, and thinking that is what I want. However what I wanted I already had , it is just that it showed up in my life a different way. The  Ten Blessings of the Week have helped me to see that.

What were your ten blessings for your week or even day?

Wishing you all a wonderful day!

Related articles

• Blessings (heartfeltemotions.wordpress.com)
• Take Every Blessing into Consideration (sadiedaily.wordpress.com)

This is not a smart look!

It is so frustrating trying to educate a thirteen year old boy, that appearance matters, particularly in the area of presentation. When it comes to wearing his tie it sits around his neck like a noose. Whilst the concept of tucking in a shirt just doesn’t register. So as parents it becomes our morning nagging ritual to tell him to, “fix up your tie, fix your collar, and tuck your shirt in.” The child is driving me crazy, he just does not care how he presents himself. He majors in scruffiness! Tracky pants and t-shirts that is all he wants to wear. He even grumbles when we tell him to put on jeans and a collar shirt. His attitude is, ” no one cares how I dress.” The problem is they do, and people will judge him on his presentation. I suppose that is a difficult concept for a thirteen year old boy to comprehend. I wonder if it is a boy thing? Or is it just my boy’s thing? I wonder how I can change his attitude?

That is my mummy gripe for the week.

Wishing you all a wonderful day!

Me being silly on photo booth.

I started Wreck this Journal, this year to help me lighten up! It has got lots of great activities in them and I love doing them. My son tells me I am not in primary school and shakes his head with disgust. I just smile and laugh and keep doing it.

Wreck this Journal.

I really need to lighten up in the mornings. I can be described as Mrs Grumpy in the morning. I am seriously not a morning person, and everyone tries really hard to annoy me. They eat too slow, don’t get dressed properly, have to be told to eat, clean teeth and even put their shoes on. After a whole hour of nagging I am wrecked. I should really lighten up and just take them to school in their pyjamas.

So I wish to lighten up by :

• being less serious and having more fun with the boys all day long
• Having more fun everyday, and making an effort to be really silly at times.
• Learning to be a good joke teller. I am getting better at this.
• Being able to find the funny side of the things that go wrong in my life.
• Not taking other people’s opinions to heart, and getting upset or offended.
• Allowing my inner clown out to play more often.

Wishing you all a wonderful day?

Life is so busy, and often the busy work of home life can be mundane and dreary. I have to admit I find it hard to get excited about making beds, washing and ironing, cleaning, cooking, getting children organised for school, activities, and bed. Then the fact I have to get up the next day and do it all again. If that all their was to life it would be so boring.

I am fortunate I do work a little bit out side of the home in a job that has lots of variety and challenge. I am also fortunate in that I seek out ways to add joy into my daily life. It doesn’t matter if you are a stay at home Mum/Dad, or if you have a mundane job, it should be a priority to find the simple things that add joy to your life. It could be that special pen, or even lunch in the park. For me the simple things that add joy to my life are the sound of relaxing music, and the aroma’s of burning candles and oils. Walks in the park or around the lake where I live, which can often become walking adventures. Simply taking time out to sit on the couch, sip tea, and read a book. In the morning I receive much joy from simply journalling. In the evenings I may take some time to sit down with my son and watch a favourite Television show, at the moment we are enjoying watching the voice.

Life can be full of drudgery and monotony  if you let it be. However joy can be found in the ordinary. It can be found in the feeling of fresh sheets, the aroma’s of cooking or simply siting on the couch, sipping tea and staring out a window. Joy can be found in the thing we  add to our life, like music, reading, conversations, and hobbies.These simple things that bring joy into our lives make life more interesting and enticing. I don’t look forward to the washing, however I always look forward to my cup of tea or a walk in the Park.  I encourage you to seek out simple ways to add joy to your life.

What ways can you bring more joy to your everyday life?

Wishing you all a great day!

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Sleep in Sunday, more reading and drinking coffee, followed by a quite breakfast outside overlooking the magnificent view. So quiet and tranquil with only the music of the birds to be heard. Just beautiful living, even if only for a weekend.

The Garden Party

Then it was off to the final event of the Yarra Valley Wine and Food Festival, the Garden Party at Healseville Racecourse. We enjoyed the local music. We tasted the wines,ciders and ales. I am not fond of the sparkling pear however I really enjoyed the sparkling shiraz.We enjoyed the cooking demonstrations on how to make chilli salt squid and salad, and also the Greek cooking class. I learnt so much, I should be much better at cooking now. The racecourse with it’s lovely big shady trees, grass areas and seating provided a lovely relaxed setting. Whilst the weather provided a perfect Autumn’s Day. It was a great day out.

The Local Music Bands Played and Entertained the Crowd

It made me think about what events are happening in my own area, and as I flicked through the local paper I saw a heritage day and a fun festival on. It is a pity I am working that weekend. However when I look there is something always on. I found that since starting this blog and becoming aware of what is on around me, I have become so much more able to find interesting things to do and go. I encourage you to check out your own local newspapers,and local radio and find out what interesting place to go and things to do are happening in your area.

The view from the back great place to sit have coffee and contemplate.

Relaxing in bed, drinking coffee and reading a book. Eventually we got up around late morning, and sat out on the pergola admiring the view and simply sitting quietly listening to the birds making their music. We then headed into town for bunch. Which was cooked breakfast at lunch time. Yummy. Oh we were super lazy!

Yarra Valley Dairy.

Then we went for a drive into the surrounding hills to the Yarra Valley Dairy. We sat and watch a cooking demonstration. I learnt something about making pasta. Finally we finished with taste testing. The food was so yummy.

Yarra Valley Dairy

With our tummies full, we went for a scenic drive to Mt. Donna Buang. This is the tallest mountain that is closet to Melbourne. On a clear day you are meant to see panoramic views over Melbourne,  the Yarra Valley, and the  Dandenongs. It was not a clear day the sun and blue skies had turned to clouds and rain.

The 21 meter hight tower at the summit.

I faced my fear of heights and climbed the observation tower. It was still a great view. It was so windy and wet, I did not want to let go of the bar. Did I mention I am afraid of heights, yes scardy cat Francine when it comes to anything involving heights, it required lots of deep breathing and some encouragement from my husband to climb the tower. It was totally worth doing, there is something special about being up so high and just looking into the distance.

At the top. No way was I letting go of that handle bar.

The evening saw us venture out to one of the local restaurants The Basement for a light and tasty Tapas meal. This place had a lovely open space, full of contemporary art, chandeliers and lots and lots of delightful candles. The restaurant was a little hard to find, so glad we kept looking until we discovered where it was hiding. It definitely was a gem of a place to dine.

Evening time was spent siting in front of the wood fire, sipping wine, listening to music and having conversations. It was followed by a bubble spa bathe by candlelight. So romantic!

Lazy Saturday ends and yes it was a totally scrumptious day!