it’s the ability to deal with them.” – Steve Maraboli
What makes a perfect day? Getting up before the alarm, pulling on clean clothes, arriving in plenty of time, no hurry or hustle, everything flowing smoothly from one thing to the next, with plenty of time to do whats necessary as the day flows on through?
Even when we’re ready, fully prepared for our day, there’s a bazillion things that are out of our control.
No one promised that life would be perfect, that everything would go the way we wanted it to.
When things go awry, the secret is in how we deal with them that makes our day.
Our response is the difference to happy v unhappy.
Wishing you a fabulous day, full of much happiness as you flow from one thing to the next.
Writing – For me Sunday is a day of rest. You don’t need to be a Christian to have a day of rest.
When we work for ourselves, its important to take time off. One day of the week for R&R. One day to relax in the best way to match our relaxation style.
The background photo is some of the beautiful daffodils sprinkled around the Garden City.
“Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.” – Mother Teresa
PM Jacinda Adern of NZ, frequently asks the team of five million to be kind to each other.
The kindness of a teacher, coach, or scout leader cheered us up, encouraged us when we were young.
Let’s send out endless echoes today, being kind to everyone we meet.
In writing today, its complicated, with twists and turns. Oh what fun. Thank goodness I took time to plot this – not a detailed plot just points to write to. I know where I’m going and how to get there.
The Swans are building a nest where I sometimes take Benji for a walk.
As I stopped to observe their progress, another lady joined me (keeping her distance). She was all smiles. “And there are ducklings around here, too”, she said.
We were joined by a couple (keeping their distance).
All of us strangers, enjoying company and birdlife in the river.
“Peace comes with a Smile” – Mother Teresa. We all felt at peace as we watched the business on the water.
In writing there was everything but peace for my MC, Lauri. She feels betrayed by her best friend and her own mother.
May your day be filled with peace and many smiles.
Actually, I love a good storm. It clears the air and paints the world clean.
But I hate the storms with high winds and destruction knocking out power, and damaging property.
I didn’t make it all the way home last night because the wind gusts were too strong against my high sided RV.
After being pushed across into oncoming traffic with the strong wind gusts, it was time to reassess the situation. How fortunate to be able to pull over and park up safe, away from trees, nose into the wind.
Around 2am I was woken by Benji trying to burrow under my pillow. He’s never been afraid of thunder and lightning before! I wasn’t too impressed with the early wake up call at 2am.
Yet how can I judge my faithful little companion who comes and presses into me when I’m sad.
This isn’t on the grand scale of Mother Teresa’s love, but a good reminder not to judge, instead to fill our hearts with compassion, comfort and understanding for scared little dogs and frightened or sad people.
“If you judge people, you have no time to love them.” – Mother Teresa
Have a truly awesome day, especially if you have work to do repairing damage or waiting for power to be restored – just breath and count your blessings.
Wisdom is thinking through the warnings, taking everything into consideration and then making a decision.
There are trees across state highway 1, powerlines are down, causing fires, roofs and sheds have been blown away. Don’t go!
A front came through rocking the campervan around, the rain heavy. Dont go.
Check in with what is actually happening. The sun is shining. Its cold. The odd sciff of rain is coming through. Maybe I can go?
Decisions, decisions.
Other girls have got through. Maybe?
The Motorhome Babes are meeting in the village of Glenavy, near the mouth of the Waitaki River. Its been months in the planning. We’re at level Delta2. People can gather, inside up to 50 if the space is a certain size, 100 if its outdoor.
We’re all in our own shelter – some of us even live in our RV fulltime.
The front went through. The wind died down. The sun came out. I went.
The tree blocking the road at 3am was long since cleared. No flooding. Some of the babes left homes with no power, shed blown away. Nothing more they could do.
Forty brave girls put on their big girls panties and drove their RVs with courage. Getting more familiar with driving, backing, parking, hooking up (the power) emptying the waste, with every trip.
Last night’s gathering was fun. One babe had been chatted up, invited out for a beer. Did I mention the average age of the babes is around sixty? Although this babe is much younger, a true babe.
Sometimes wisdom isn’t looking at what the masses are doing, but thinking for yourself.
Sometimes the photo of the sunrise is its reflection and not the sunrise itself.
Watching the sunrise at the Twelve Apostles, everyone was facing east. Except me. I was facing west, watching the sunrise on the (no longer) Twelve Apostles, Victoria, Australia. Wisdom isn’t always following the masses.
Writing was brief – I needed to pack up, before taking the boys to school.
My MC meets a stranger she’s never met before, yet he seems familiar. He lingers after her Mom’s memorial service. He knew her Mum. But who is he? A murderer? No, he’s an old man with a shuffle more than a walk.
Today’s photo is The Southern Alps of New Zealand, looking up the mighty Waitaki River.
I’ve just completed reading Two Steps Forward by Sharon Garlough Brown. In it, the characters are challenged to answer the question Where have you been? And where are you going?
“If you don’t know where you’re going any old road will take you there.” – Lewis Caroll
Or, as Dolly Parton said, “If you don’t like the road you are walking on, start paving another one.”
We need to know where we’ve been in order to know where we’re going.
Grief can take us along a dark and shadowing road, with dread around every corner. But there comes a time to see ourselves walking out into the sunshine and take a new and better fork in the road.
Choose the light and leave the shadows behind.
After a week of careful plotting and making notes on the characters as they revealed themselves, finally, the first chapter is written. Wahoo! Love it when a new book is underway.
“If you see someone without a smile today, give ’em yours.” – Dolly Parton
The same thing has been said in different ways by many people. Its a bit cheesy but there’s a truth behind it.
If someone isn’t happy, you might be able to brighten their day with your smile. It costs nothing, but can mean a lot.
I nearly didn’t use this last quote from Dolly, but masks are mandatory in New Zealand at the moment. Today the children returned to school, I lined up in a store, and yesterday shopping for masks, sanitizers etc. it struck me that very few people were looking me in the eye.
So when the smile isn’t reaching their eyes – the features we can see, give someone a genuine depth-of-the-soul crinkle-at-the-corners-of-the-eye smile, when they’re brave enough to look us in the eye.
In writing sprint’s today, a stranger turned up to the memorial service for my MC’s mother who died during lockdown. Who is this old man who knew her mother? (This was in the plan, and no surprises today for this hapless writer).
See if you can count how many smiles you give away and let me know how got on in the comments.
The book I’m reading at the moment is a historical romance written by my friend Eva Shepherd for Mills & Boon “Stranded With The Reclusive Earl” about a girl with a sunny disposition – the reclusive earl in need of more than a smile.
A few nights ago one of my grandson called out “Gran, Gran, come and see.”
We all hurried out to watch a beautiful sunset sky. My job is done. I’ve been calling them to watch some of our more spectacular sunsets for awhile.
Now they’re noticing the sky for themselves.
Its the same with rainbows. They only happen with moisture, in the sky, in the bubbles.
For there to be a rainbow, there must be rain. We have to keep looking for the sun.
Taking joy in the beauty of creation. The stars at night while taking Benji for his last walk before bed…
And always looking for the promise of the rainbow – the sun will shine again.
New Zealand moves to alert level Delta 2 midnight tonight, with the exception of the Auckland area where the outbreak happened and cases are still popping up.
Thank you to the people in this area for staying in place and staying safe to stop the spread of the disease. We hope the numbers move down and your lives will return to normal, too. We’ll mask up and keep our distance too.
Tracking down a killer today. Did he kill in anger? Or defense? Will Mrs Brown be safe? Is Lucas walking into a trap? Even the writer doesn’t know the answer yet…
Carron Stevenson Author 