I was speaking to my husband on the phone one night recently and at the sound of his supportive and sympathetic voice I managed to offload all of the stressful moments from my day into one conversation. The endless chores, the school routine, the heat, the mess, the dinner time/shower time/evening arguments and so the list goes on and on and on.
When I got off the phone I felt rather disappointed in my own attitude. I have so many good things in my world yet in that conversation I managed to pick out every annoying detail from my day and relive it in monotonous chunks. Early the next morning I hurriedly tapped out a text message, listing all of the good things that could potentially happen in
my day and I felt instantly better and more positive.
If I decided to write a retrospective list from the last few weeks it would look something like this:
Fresh rockemelons in the morning light.
Baking, there is always baking.
A recent weekend of horse riding, learning and of course, smoko with friends.
Endless, albeit sometimes harsh beauty and photo opportunities all around me.
Sometimes it feels so much easier to pick out the bad bits. I need to send the good things text more often.
Blogging friends, I haven’t managed to visit your blogs in recent times. I love your words and photos and smile when I see your posts pop up. I will get back to you, I promise.
Are you making a list of the good things? I hope so.
How will you be spending the Easter days?
acoastalplot
I love your blog Jane and it always cheers me to see your gorgeous photos and hear about your world. Looking after a house, family, animals – the chores and daily grind can get you down, especially if you're doing it single-handedly and we all need to offload sometimes (I certainly get fed up and have a good moan – it helps me to recalibrate). The fact that you see all the great stuff in your life, too, and share some of it with us is brilliant. Have a wonderful Easter. Sam x
Jane S
Thank you Sam, your encouraging words mean a lot! I hope you had a lovely Easter x
Kate @ Kate Writes
Well done Jane. It's not always easy to embrace the good when you know all those annoying little things are going to happen again! Those beautiful rockmelons in the morning light would cheer me too.
Have a lovely and relaxing weekend. Happy Easter xxx
Jane S
Thanks Kate x
Jan
My Easter break will be spent de-cluttering my home and getting the vegetable garden ready for planting. I hope yours brings many more good things to text.
Jane S
Oh perhaps you might like to de-clutter my house too Jan! Thanks for calling in.
Say Little Hen
Oh Jane we all go through patches where it is hard to find the positive. I hope you have a restful Easter. As usual your photos are beautiful.
Take care of yourself,
Sarah xx
Jane S
Thank you Sarah, you are a kind blogging friend x
Joolz
I totally get what you mean.
I'm thinking there will be lots of good things this weekend as we spend Easter with our grown up girls in Adelaide. Lots of good food planned, some baking, some knitting, some shopping, some going out to lunch in the Adelaide Hills at a winery, some wine tasting, some lounging around doing not much.
Happy Easter to you! xx
Jane S
Thanks for understanding Joolz! Your Easter sounds perfect, I hope you had fun!
Cheryl
We all feel like that at different times, it's just how it is.
Part of the ebb and flow.
Venting helps not hinders.
Have a wonderful Easter break
Jane S
Oh yes the ebb and flow…thank you Cheryl.
Marijke
Challah, I've been planning to do one for ages, perfect timing. Thanks for reminding me! You feel overwhelmed, offload and feel strong enough to see the pleasures and beauty of life. Nothing wrong with that I say. You can't be strong all the time and are lucky with a loving husband to share the load. Happy long weekend!
Jane S
Thank you for your kind comment Marijke.
Anne
You've shattered the illusion that your life is a perfect round of baking, gardening and horses 🙂 Don't we all get a little ground down every so often with the monotony of life? That's what makes the pleasurable things so much sweeter.
Over Easter I'm planning to do little more than walk, eat and spend time with the family. Though if I don't do some shopping, we won't be eating too much. Hope you have a restful Easter too.
Jane S
The illusion is a funny thing isn't it Anne? I hope you had a lovely Easter!
Bizzy Lizzy's Good Things
Hello darling Jane… apologies that I have not called in for a while… I've been working on the memoir based on my dad's life… reading this I just wanted to send virtual hugs… we are all blessed in different ways, but sometimes we are drowning in all that we have to do. Happy Easter xxx
Jane S
Please don't apologise Lizzy, I have not managed to visit many of my favourite blogs lately. Life just seems to have other things that need attending to. Your memoir of your dad's life sounds fascinating. I hope you had a lovely Easter x
look see. by naomi fenton
It's so easy to get caught up in the negatives – I found myself doing exactly that recently. I think the upcoming break has helped a lot – maybe when our minds are too focused on the negatives it's a way of it telling us to take a break of some kind? There's not always a long weekend available to us but finding some way to switch off in everyday life can be good too? *shrugs*
Jane S
Thank you Naomi, hooray for the little breaks along the way x
katiecrackernuts
I hope you did undergo the baking challenge and that life lightened up a little over the Easter break. I always feel those symbols of spring – bunnies, chickens, eggs – a little sad on our side of the world and think more of knitting and soups and nesting. I hope a little comfort comes your way soon.
Jane S
Thank you Katie and thank you for your kind email also.
cityhippyfarmgirl
I think it's wonderful to list all the good stuff happening in our day. Those tiny things add up to a gorgeous list. I think it's also needed to off load sometimes with all the seemingly endless crap. I know I'd be lost without those supportive partner conversations some time.
Hope your tea is hot and your sunrise/sunset is beautiful today Jane. xx
Jane S
Oh the endless crap Brydie…we all have some of it don't we. Wishing you hot tea and pretty light too! x
Uouo Uo
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e / dig in hobart
I hope you had a lovely easter jane, and it was a good opportunity to refresh! and I never think of you as a negative person – your blog is full of wonder and joy; it's even lovelier that we get to share it with you!
Jane S
You are very kind, thank you e!
Jodie
Beautiful photos Jane. I often reflect on the good things too, it's a must to get you through those days that are a little on the hard side… And yes you're right, there's always baking! xx
Jane S
Hooray for baking, thank you Jodie xx
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