The Blessings

 This week we get to count our blessings ...

This photo taken in Canberra this week around the edges of Floriade

According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary, "counting your blessings" is to make a special effort to appreciate the good things in life.  The Lovin Life Linky is a testament to that philosophy of gratitude.  There's always something to love about life, sometimes you just have to dig a little deeper and try a little harder to find it. 

The Courage

 Denyse Whelan's Women of Courage Series 

I have been following Denyse's Women of Courage (WOC) weekly for two years and I am sad to hear this week is her final WOC interview.

The Art Class

 You don't have to be creative to get creative

The beauty of the Sip and Create art class is that much of the creativity is done for you.  All you need to do is turn up, have a few drinks, watch, learn and replicate.

The selfies

 What was I thinking?

What was I thinking:

Is this lipstick too pink?

How cold is it out there?

Did I bring enough clothes for the soccer?

Shit, I hope my big coat is in the boot of the car

The "Oh my God" lines on my forehead are getting deeper. Then stop being so overtly surprised all the time! 

I have been writing all week. ALL week.  Not for my blog unfortunately, nor for my children book series, but for both my day job and volunteer role. Which means I've kind of run out of words and (more importantly) writer's mojo.  Which means for this Lovin' Life Thursday, I've turned to my camera roll to see what inspiration I can find.

Instead I found a bunch of selfies which had me wondering "what was I thinking?" 

The Google Search

 Let's Google it! 

Googling has become second nature.  So much so that referring to google as a verb has surpassed its usage as a noun.  

According to urban legend Google, the first time the word "google" was used as a verb was in July 1998 by Google co-founder Larry Page where he signed off "have fun and keep googling" in a pre-launch mailout.  It gained traction in around 2002 when the American Dialect Society named Google "the most useful" word of the year.  The Oxford English Dictionary added it as a verb between their covers in June 2006.

The Deep Fried Update

 Where are we at in this Deep Fried world?

On my customised phone case I included the words "... where this leads is up to you ..." to remind me that every day we make choices that ultimately define who we are and what direction our life can take.  A reminder that we can create the world we'd like for ourselves, or simply sit back and let life happen to us.   

You know me well enough by now to know that I choose to create.

The Mid-life crisis?

Every 50 year old needs a sports car right?

A short story (to be read in a very posh queen-like British accent.)

Once upon a time there was a girl who'd always wanted a sports car.  Needless to say she was far too practical to waste money on such silly things. But then she turned 50 and she had a mid-life awakening and threw all practicality out the window.  So she bought the sports car.  The end. 

The stuff that comforts me

Welcome to the 2nd Edition of "Pieces of Me" 

The wind in my hair
The glasses I wear

A few weeks ago I launched "Pieces of Me", a pictorial view of my world to give you random snips inside my life.  Welcome to the 2nd edition where I show you the view through my ridiculously Dame Edna-esque glasses. 

The health update

The Chronic Disease Management Plan

As you know I have a few health challenges. Nothing too major or earth shattering.  Nothing life threatening.  Just a bit of chronic pain that brings with it exhaustion and a cloudy film over my rose coloured glasses.

The Day Spa

Jindii Eco Spa

This is the chubby face of someone who is beyond relaxed
Deep Fried Leanne after a cocoon body wrap at Jindii EcoSpa

Last year while I was sailing the Caribbean on a yacht (that sounds so posh! ...  Sorry ... distracted by my poshness. Let's start again ...)

Last year as I was sailing the Caribbean on a yacht, my son's soccer team had their presentation night.  Of course we missed it, but I was delighted to have been given a pretty hefty gift voucher for a day spa by the parents to thank me for my work as team manager.