Day 276 in a Year of my Life

The boys went go-karting ...

The boys went fishing ... no fish ... no photos lol.

Luckily I had dinner in the oven .. back up plan.

I think I need to get a good night's sleep because I am feeling very worn out tonight.  I reckon when you hit 50, somebody switches the 'tired' button on because my energy levels haven't been the same since that magic number!

Had a nice phone call from Best Cousin in the World today, all the way from drought-ridden Julia Creek, and she might be visiting later in the year.  Lucky girl will be having her own private little photography road trip.

We have changed the cockatiel's name to SEB, which stands for 'someone else's bird' :D  We are also trying to find a partner for it, for company.

Today I'm grateful for the chance to get into bed an hour earlier than usual.

Nite all.

Day 275 in a Year of my Life

Yesterday, Adoring Husband rescued a pure white cockatiel from the road at the front of our house.

He made it comfortable in one of our back bedrooms, with a portable clothes horse to sit on and food and water in bowls on one of the beds.  Towels everywhere to protect the furniture and carpet from birdie doodoo.

Number One Son and I put a card on the notice board at the local shopping centre, with our contact details,  just in case the bird's owner was searching for it.

It obviously has been hand reared and even though it was terrified, it was happy to sit on Adoring Husband's shoulder, but attempted to savagely rip his finger off when he got too close!

So, by this morning, this is what we were doing ...

Adoring Husband had already named the bird.  Meet Snowy.

Snowy has a new cage, a hanging toy, a special ladder to keep his claws healthy and special cockatiel food which he/she has been eating non-stop for about 6 hours now.

It's possible that our cockatiel could be the size of a sulphur-crested cockatoo by morning!

It's also possible that after spending all of this money, the owners will phone tomorrow and come claim their lost pet.

Se la vie.

I had to move our hat rack away from the bird cage, because one of the psychotic dogs was literally climbing the rungs of the stand and swinging on the scarves, attempting to get onto/into/at the the bird!  Crazy dog!  Thinks it's a cat!

We travelled into The Bay, not just to get the bird cage, but to take Number One Son go-carting.  Unfortunately, the track, we discovered,  is only open Thursday through to Sunday.  *rolls eyes*  So let's try that again tomorrow!

Adoring Husband and Number One Son spent the afternoon playing pool at the pub while I (by choice) stayed at home and cooked dinner.

Lamb shanks and mash for main.  Lemon Meringue Pie (gluten free) for dessert.

Today I am grateful that we could save Snowy and provide a safe place for him to live, whether it be temporarily or permanently.

Nite all.

Day 274 in a Year of my Life

Adoring Husband, Number One Son and I decided to go to the movies today.

We, along with four other patrons, chose to watch the animated movie "Despicable Me 2".

We all agreed that it wasn't as good at the first movie, but we still enjoyed it.

We had lunch on the water at Aquavue, which was nice.

We saw dolphins swimming as we drove along the Esplanade and I hoped they would swim in the same direction as we drove, but alas they did not.

After we got home, Number One Son and I gathered our camera gear and made our way down to the river, hoping to capture a good sunset.

Well, the sky teased and toyed with us, but it turned into a bit of a fizzer.

We might go fishing tomorrow - I think the weather forecast is for a fine day.

Today, I am grateful for movie dates with my boys.

Nite all.

Day 273 in a Year of my Life

WAHOO!!

It's my favourite time of year on television.  I am a huge 'reality tv' fan and right now, is when Big Brother, X-Factor Australia, and Australia's Got Talent, starts.

7pm Monday ... how the hell do you choose??  Big Brother on one channel, X-Factor Australia on another channel and football on another!  Ugh!

Check this out ...

That nasty one on the right, held the other's head under the water for about 20 seconds!  The one on the left eventually escaped unharmed ... although I imagine, emotionally drained!

I recently began following the facebook page of the Dr who specialises in females with Aspergers.  Her name is Tania Marshall.

She posts LOTS of interesting stuff about the syndrome and provides links to blogs being written by women and girls with Aspergers, FAQs just to name a few things that she offers.

Today she posted a link to one of her blog write ups ... "Adult Women with Aspergers" ... a very interesting read.

I could identify with a hell of a lot of the traits listed and I wonder just how many of those traits would indicate the likelihood of Aspergers in me.

I thought I may have been kidding myself, so I began to write down the traits that I identified with, thinking that I was imagining the high number.  By the time I got halfway down my 2nd foolscap page, I gave up because I wasn't even a third of the way through HER list and MY list was already long.

I figured it would probably be easier to write down the traits that I COULD NOT relate to.

So I thought I would share the link on here.  It's so interesting to read and I'm pretty sure that everybody possesses a few of these traits to some degree.

So much to learn!

http://taniaannmarshall.wordpress.com/2013/03/26/moving-towards-a-female-profile-the-unique-characteristics-abilities-and-talents-of-asperwomen-adult-women-with-asperger-syndrome/

Today I'm grateful to have Number One Son here for about 6 days ... even though he is NOT a fan of reality tv :D

Nite all.

Day 272 in a Year of my Life

2013 has been a year of 'processing' for us.

Adoring Husband was diagnosed in January with Parkinson's Disease.  A week later the tornado hit our town and caused extensive damage to our home and contents, not to mention the destruction to the town.  In June, we lost one friend to cancer and another was diagnosed with it.  This month, my little Chicklet was diagnosed on the Autism spectrum.

That's a lot to process in the space of six months.

If we don't keep a close eye on ourselves, the internal confusion and turmoil can slowly begin to overwhelm us, so I've been looking at ways of reminding myself to let life lift me, instead of the other way round.

I found this list of gems.

21 Habits of Happy People 

1. Appreciate Life
Be thankful that you woke up alive each morning. Develop a childlike sense of wonder towards life. Focus on the beauty of every living thing. Make the most of each day. Don’t take anything for granted. Don’t sweat the small stuff.

2. Choose Friends Wisely
Surround yourself with happy, positive people who share your values and goals. Friends that have the same ethics as you will encourage you to achieve your dreams. They help you to feel good about yourself. They are there to lend a helping hand when needed.

3. Be Considerate
Accept others for who they are as well as where they are in life. Respect them for who they are. Touch them with a kind and generous spirit. Help when you are able, without trying to change the other person. Try to brighten the day of everyone you come into contact with.

4. Learn Continuously
Keep up to date with the latest news regarding your career and hobbies. Try new and daring things that has sparked your interest – such as dancing, skiing, surfing or sky-diving.

5. Creative Problem Solving
Don’t wallow in self-pity. As soon as you face a challenge get busy finding a solution. Don’t let the set backs affect your mood, instead see each new obstacle you face as an opportunity to make a positive change. Learn to trust your gut instincts – it’s almost always right.

6. Do What They Love
Some statistics show that 80% of people dislike their jobs! No wonder there’s so many unhappy people running around. We spend a great deal of our life working. Choose a career that you enjoy – the extra money of a job you detest isn’t worth it. Make time to enjoy your hobbies and pursue special interests.

7. Enjoy Life
Take the time to see the beauty around you. There’s more to life than work. Take time to smell the roses, watch a sunset or sunrise with a loved one, take a walk along the seashore, hike in the woods etc. Learn to live in the present moment and cherish it. Don’t live in the past or the future.

8. Laugh
Don’t take yourself – or life to seriously. You can find humor in just about any situation. Laugh at yourself – no one’s perfect. When appropriate laugh and make light of the circumstances. (Naturally there are times that you should be serious as it would be improper to laugh.)

9. Forgive
Holding a grudge will hurt no one but you. Forgive others for your own peace of mind. When you make a mistake – own up to it – learn from it – and FORGIVE yourself.

10. Gratitude
Develop an attitude of gratitude. Count your blessings; All of them – even the things that seem trivial. Be grateful for your home, your work and most importantly your family and friends. Take the time to tell them that you are happy they are in your life.

11. Invest in Relationships
Always make sure your loved ones know you love them even in times of conflict. Nurture and grow your relationships with your family and friends by making the time to spend with them. Don’t break your promises to them. Be supportive.

12. Keep Their Word
Honesty is the best policy. Every action and decision you make should be based on honesty. Be honest with yourself and with your loved ones.

13. Meditate
Meditation gives your very active brain a rest. When it’s rested you will have more energy and function at a higher level. Types of meditation include yoga, hypnosis, relaxation tapes, affirmations, visualisation or just sitting in complete silence. Find something you enjoy and make the time to practice daily.

14. Mind Their Own Business
Concentrate on creating your life the way you want it. Take care of you and your family. Don’t get overly concerned with what other people are doing or saying. Don’t get caught up with gossip or name calling. Don’t judge. Everyone has a right to live their own life the way they want to – including you.

15. Optimism  

See the glass as half full. Find the positive side of any given situation. It’s there – even though it may be hard to find. Know that everything happens for a reason, even though you may never know what the reason is. Steer clear of negative thoughts. If a negative thought creeps in – replace it with a positive thought.

16. Love Unconditionally
Accept others for who they are. You don’t put limitations on your love. Even though you may not always like the actions of your loved ones – you continue to love them.

17. Persistence
Never give up. Face each new challenge with the attitude that it will bring you one step closer to your goal. You will never fail, as long as you never give up. Focus on what you want, learn the required skills, make a plan to succeed and take action. We are always happiest while pursuing something of value to us.

18. Be Proactive
Accept what can not be changed. Happy people don’t waste energy on circumstances beyond their control. Accept your limitations as a human being. Determine how you can take control by creating the outcome you desire – rather than waiting to respond.

19. Self Care
Take care of your mind, body and health. Get regular medical check ups. Eat healthy and work out. Get plenty of rest. Drink lots of water. Exercise your mind by continually energizing it with interesting and exciting challenges.

20. Self Confidence
Don’t try to be someone that you’re not. After all no one likes a phony. Determine who you are in the inside – your own personal likes and dislikes. Be confident in who you are. Do the best you can and don’t second guess yourself.

21. Take Responsibility
Happy people know and understand that they are 100% responsible for their life. They take responsibility for their moods, attitude, thoughts, feelings, actions and words. They are the first to admit when they’ve made a mistake.

Begin today by taking responsibility for your happiness. Work on developing these habits as your own. The more you incorporate the above habits into your daily lifestyle – the happier you will be.

Most of all: BE TRUE TO YOURSELF.

Some days, we just need a nudge to remind ourselves.  Today I am grateful for the reminder.

Nite all.

http://www.altering-perspectives.com/2013/06/21-habits-of-happy-people.html