This morning I woke up at 6 am with a heavy feeling but nothing to compare with how the people of Beirut must have woken up feeling. When all around is doom and gloom it is hard to lift oneself up, but I do this by looking at just how fortunate I am. So, I ignore the rantings of the lunatic Trump, the pandemic threatening an Armageddon and the rise of the R1 numbers and instead walk around my garden, take some deep breaths and listen to the cacophony of the morning chorus. It’s the little things that make life work at the moment. Those things that I might have dismissed before but am now much more appreciative of. I know it is a bit corny but COVID has made me realise that what makes life great are the little things that we often take for granted.
So, my little things this week are:
We came top in Bridge – yay. Finally, after 3 months at the bottom of the league.
Made 12 jars of blackberry jam from the blackberries growing in my lovely woods. And despite an aching back from too much bending and stretching and hands torn to shreds by protective thorns, I am enjoying jam making. Today it is the turn of the elderberries.
Re-groomed the dog so I no longer have clumps of white hair strewn all over the carpets. There are however clumps of white hair on our street and in the park much to the dismay of my neighbours and fellow park comrades.
I won £25 on the premium bonds. I wasn’t one of the two jackpot prizes from Surrey and Tyne and Wear, and the seven other winners who received £100,000. But hey £25 pays for my newspaper bill. I could complain that I have invested in premium bonds since I was born and never won more than £25 but I am grateful for the little things. That said I am considering stopping my £8 lottery ticket as it has been there since the beginning and I have NEVER won anything.
The boys and partners came for a social distance garden dinner last night and there were no arguments. A rarity when the three boys get together. My chicken was delicious.
Mo deposited just 1 mouse last night which was better than the previous day when we had 2 birds and two mice. The scratches on her nose is evidence that at least they put up a bit of a fight.
Sat on Tod’s bench in the park which has become the local art centre for kids. The path surrounding the bench is adorned with chalk drawings of rainbows. Reminds me of Brian and one of his many campaigns – Chalk for Peace
John Lewis sent me £30 gift voucher which I earned from Mastercard spending. I am considering ditching my British Airways card because although I have about 35,000 points and a voucher for £850 from my cancelled Costa Rica March flight, I am not sure if I will ever get the opportunity to use them.
Anyway, you get my gist – not always easy to focus on the little things but after 5 months of lock down and probably another 5 months ahead, I am trying. Of course, probably in a few days this brief respite of positivity will have left me. My mother always used to say, “In the long run, the pessimist may be proved right, but the optimist has a better time on the trip.” Well mum this is certainly some trip.
Talking of trips I wonder what this man was on back in 1959. George King claimed he communicated with other beings in Venus and he had an important message for us earthlings
https://www.bbc.co.uk/archive/man-communicates-live-on-air-with-extra-terrestrial-life/z4x792p
“Let’s be careful out there”
Serendipity Me 