Tag: happiness

friends · gratitude · happiness

Farewell, 2011.

Joanne6 Comments

“Year’s end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instil in us.”  ~ Hal Borland

“We spend January 1 walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched.  Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives… not looking for flaws, but for potential.”  ~ Ellen Goodman

Three hundred and sixty-five days have passed us by since we waved a cheery good-bye to the old year. We promised ourselves that we would do better next year; improve our diet, exercise more, save more money, show kindness to one and all, learn to play that musical instrument, write that novel, clean out the wardrobes….etc., etc., etc….

How did you go with last year’s New Year’s Resolutions? Hmm…

If you’re anything like me, and probably the majority of the world’s population, the plans you made on New Year’s Day last year went right out the window on January 2nd!

I’ve realised the reason for my plans, or New Year’s Resolutions, all going pear-shaped so quickly ~ I make too many plans, to do too many things! (Message to Self: There are only so many hours in a day, you know!)

A few days ago I came across a quote, which for me says it all. I’d like to share it here, as it may also have the same profound impact on another person as it had on me. This New Year, this quote is my New Year’s Resolution ~

“Learn from the past, set vivid, detailed goals for the future, and live in the only moment of time over which you have any control: now.” ~ Denis Waitley.

Tomorrow is just another day on the calendar, yet a day of new beginnings.

As you begin the New Year of 2012, my friends, I wish you well in everything you wish to achieve in your life, good health, wonderful friends and the love of family.

 

gratitude · happiness · inspiration · son · Tweed Valley

As the Day Winds Down…

Joanne8 Comments
The day is ending

I’ve been parousing my photos this afternoon, looking for a particular series taken in May of this year, to add to Facebook.

Feathers or leaves?

However…I’m easily distracted!

Instead, I have come across another series of photos, taken not so long ago, which I think are really good. Not that I’m any kind of photographic expert, but I do believe that if you see something special in a photo, chances are, someone else out there may also appreciate it.

Norfolk Pine

So, why not share?

Down the lane

My husband and son were still hard at it, killing weeds and mowing the lawn; my contribution to their efforts was to take their photo!

Silhouettes

Don’t the leaves of the trees looks beautiful against the sky? One of my favourite photos to take is at the time of day when the sun decides to peer through the branches and leaves of the trees foliage, so sparkly and pretty.

Back now to the original task…Facebook awaits. 🙂

 

Australia · gratitude · happiness

Weekly Photo Challenge ~ Mountains

Joanne2 Comments

The theme for the WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge for this week is irresistible to me, being “mountains” and it’s the easiest photo ever to come up with, considering my recent trip to the Blue Mountains, where I visited the world-famous “Three Sisters”.

Mountains have the power to move me; to make my soul sing; to bring an overwhelming feeling within my heart that everything is, and always will be, right with the world.

Mountains bring a smile to my face. I lose track of time when I look at a mountain, any mountain, even if it is just a photo of mountains I am looking at.

However, whenever I have the rare and fortunate opportunity to visit “The Three Sisters” all of the above feelings are magnified, one thousand times over.

These massive rocks, the surrounding mountains and the valley below simply take my breath away! 🙂

daughter · gratitude · happiness · Mum · son · traditions

Mother’s Day 2011

Joanne4 Comments
A recent photo of me with my two beautiful daughters, Hayley and Emma.

Mother’s Day comes and goes on one day of every year, year in and year out.

In a perfect world, we would show appreciation to our mothers every single day of the year. I for one didn’t realise the extent of my own mother’s feelings toward me and my sisters until I actually became a mother myself.

When I finally “got it”, (better late than never!) I constantly tried to show my mother the total appreciation, love and gratitude I felt towards her.

The “job” of being a mother isn’t an easy one. If you do not have children yet, and do hope to be a mother one day, if anyone ever tells you it’s easy being a mother ~ they’re lying!

When your new, precious little bundle is placed into your arms for the first time, with the flood of love and emotion you feel for your precious newborn baby, you may be fooled into believing that that’s as good as it gets.

Wrong!

Being a mother of four myself, I have learned that the first love you feel for your baby is only the beginning. The love just grows.

It can sometimes be an overwhelming love, distorting your usual calm and sensible demeanor, reducing you to tears. Other times, your love for your child can rage out of control, as you feel total panick for the well-being of your child, who doesn’t always make decisions for their life which you would regard as well advised decisions!

When your child finally reaches the ripe old age of eighteen years, a time when they are “mature” enough to head out into the world all alone, making their own decisions for themselves, you may be tricked into thinking you can stop worrying about them, finally.

Wrong, again!

Three of my four children have passed their eighteenth birthdays now. Take it from me, you still care, you still worry, you still wish for your child the most wonderful life, filled with amazing people.

To all of the mothers out there, who one day took the giant leap of the ultimate responsibility on earth by becoming a mum, I wish you the happiest of days on this Mother’s Day, 2011.

We all deserve a day to put our feet up and relax, don’t you think?

birthdays · friends · gratitude

Enough Love for Every Day

Joanne1 Comment

“A birthday is just the first day of another 365 day journey around the sun. Enjoy the trip”. ~ Author Unknown.

It was my birthday a couple of day ago. I don’t like to think of how old I am these days. A wise person once said, “You are only as old as you feel”. If I keep on reminding myself how old I really am, I may start to feel old! It’s better to forget your age, I have decided.

Having said that, I quite like having a birthday. It’s a day for me, just me, when I indulge myself by doing whatever I feel like doing. If I don’t feel like cleaning the kitchen I have a great excuse, “It’s my birthday”! If I want to watch a particular programme on TV, the same applies, if one of the kids wants to watch their shows. I remind them, it’s my birthday.

I guess it could be called emotional blackmail, or even a guilt trip. So what? I only get one day a year when I can do this, which is totally out of character for me. Funnily enough, I get my way.

“Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional”. ~ Chili Davis.

After an incredibly delicious meal on the night (which I had organised but the family cooked) it was too late to clean up the kitchen. We stacked the dishwasher and went to bed, leaving the unwashed pans and the “not suitable for the dishwasher” crockery sitting dirty on the kitchen bench.

Did the cleaning fairies appear overnight and clean up the mess? Ha…ha…ha…as if they would!

So, before leaving for work the next morning I cleaned up the kitchen. Isn’t their always a price to pay? That’s what I get for using emotional blackmail on my family ‘coz it was my birthday!

On a brighter note, I had a great long list of “Happy Birthday” messages left on my Facebook page. Now, that was really, really nice! Some messages came from family and friends, but many of them were from my blogger friends. After I have been given so much by these people, in their sharing of their thoughts, ideas, photographs and wisdom, I am further rewarded by their kind words on my birthday. It doesn’t get much better than that!

“Friendship isn’t a big thing, it’s a million little things”. ~ Author Unknown.

I really must check the birthday announcements on Facebook more often. I just, well, forget to look! The birthdays column really isn’t in the most eye-catching position. Perhaps those in Facebook Land should look at making the birthday notices more prominent.

After the warmth I received from my friends wishes, I really must make an extra effort to check those birthday announcements.

Or, even better still, wouldn’t it be wonderful if we all remembered to send our friends and family warm wishes every time we have contact with them? Why wait until it’s their birthday? 🙂

“Three things of life that are most valuable – Love, self-confidence and friends”. ~ Author Unknown.