Day 4 - Today I am grateful for....Road Trips

Today I am grateful for....Road Trips.

This weekend, I took myself for a little drive and was fortunate enough to spend some time one of my oldest and dearest friends, Juanita & her Husband-To-Be, Stephen at the Gold Coast.

It was some time away from my daily life that I desperately needed.

It's funny how we kind of plod along in daily life, or I do at least, and forget that there is a world outside of mine. A life outside of Toowoomba. It was only a night away, and it's only 2 hours away but I may as well have boarded a rocket and flown to the moon. It's light years away from my life. And I really needed it.

Spending time with a girlfriend, getting to know the man she loves, in their beautiful home on the water....amazing.

I love Road Trips. I love the fact that I can step out of my life for a couple of days and I can step right back in after some rest and relaxation. The world does not go into lockdown if I'm not there. A fairly sobering thought but a good one nonetheless.

I was also fortunate enough to catch up with my friend Dave, whom I miss terribly since he moved away. That's the other thing I love about Road Trips. There is always someone on the other end, who is really really happy to see me.

I don't need an excuse. Any reason will do. I'm known to trek out to Theodore to see my Sister, to Armidale to visit Laurie and now as far South to Juanita & Dave. The pull of the heart, when you miss a friend or loved one has even seen me fly to the UK. It's friendship, it's love.

I'm one of those fortunate people who enjoy driving. I'm the designated driver in most cases but I also enjoy driving long distances. I'm in control of my vehicle and my life - I can go wherever I want to. So....I do.

So today, I'm grateful for Road Trips and the Happy Faces of the people at the other end of them :-)

Day 3 - Today I am grateful for....Mortein

Today I am grateful for....Mortein.

That's right. I'm grateful for bug killer because I killed the biggest spider in the history of the world this morning! And I'm not kidding.

I've never been a fan of spiders. In fact, you might say that I am mortally afraid of spiders and have always been. Arachnaphobia...I have that. Big, small, fat, hairy. I don't care. I hate them. There is nothing in the world more pleasing to me than a dead spider.

So this morning, I was outside pottering around and I spotted my two dogs, George & Lily playing with something. Much to my horror, upon investigation, they were playing with said "world's biggest spider".

I'm sure that I screamed. Or yelped a little bit. But prior to engaging the services of my friend, Mr Mortein, I took a photo to prove that this "thing" could in fact, eat me.

Spiders and I will never ever ever be friends. Not now. Not ever. I proceeded to spray the living daylights out of said spider. Yes, that's right. I'm going to hell for killing another living creature. I don't care. It needed to die.

And so it did. But not before I woke up my little housemate, Kathy to show her how brave I was. She's 18. I'm 30. She wasn't proud. I was. That spider was D.E.D.....DEAD!

So today, I am very grateful to the little man who invented Mortein. You are my hero.

Day 2 - Today I am grateful for....Coffee

Today I am grateful for Coffee.

I did have another grateful planned for today but I aborted that mission because I feel it very necessary to explain my need for coffee today.

It took 30 years for me to discover coffee. Yes, that's right. 30 years.

I'd always loved the smell. That beautiful smell of brewing coffee in the morning. It always brings back happy memories of my childhood....Mum & Dad standing around the coffee machine, brewing coffee on a Sunday morning, laughing, happy and in love. Coffee is love and to this day it is one of my favourite smells in the world.

However, whilst I loved the smell, I'd always hated the taste. And I believed that the only way to make it taste any better was to add 15 sugars...never a good start.

It was just prior to my 30th Birthday though, when one of my oldest girlfriends, Vicki, accidentally bought me a Latte instead of my usual Chai Latte. And so it began....

Why did no one actually ever sit me down and tell me I was mad? How the hell did I go 30 years without coffee in my veins?? I hadn't lived!

I'm not what you would call a Caffeine Addict though. I have about 2-3 per day....depending on the day.

Today....was not a good day. I had trouble sleeping last night and was feeling pretty average and so when I trundled into work this morning, before even turning on my computer, I dumped my bag in a huff, turned around and went straight to the kitchen and I whipped myself up some magic!

Ahhhhh.....Liquid bliss.

Now I hear some of you saying - YUCK. And until this year, I was a tea girl through and through. But that was until I discovered Nescafe Vanilla Latte. Bugger spending $6 on a cup of coffee. Mine costs me around 50c and today, as is the way most days....it got me through a really rough day.

So today....I am soooooooooooooooooooooooo grateful for Coffee :-)

Day 1 - Today I am grateful for....Second Chances

And so it begins....

Day 1: Today I am grateful for....Second Chances.

You know, sometimes in life, God throws a curveball our way. A marriage ends. A friendship ends. There is an ending of some description. You wish wholeheartedly that that person would just give you...a second chance. And they won't. For whatever reason, that ship has sailed. Perhaps one woman was not enough. Perhaps you were not a good friend.

Whatever the reason may be, forgiveness is not an option and something has come to an end.

It's devastating. It's gut wrenching. It's hideous. It's an awful feeling to realise that you are not enough for someone. In whatever capacity that may be. And that absolutely nothing you can do, can ever make it right again.

Many times this year, my Mother's voice has echoed in my head "Leah, God doesn't give us anything we cannot handle" and many times, I've replied (often out loud to myself - which is another story again...ha ha) with "Yes, but I think he thinks I'm much stronger than I actually am". But the Sun always comes up the next morning. There is always a brand new day. And I'm still here.

I've been given a second chance at life. It may not have been the second chance I wanted, but it's a second chance none the less.

When my Husband left me for another woman, a part of me died that day. And I will never ever be the same again. I obsessed that if he would "just give me another chance" I could make it right. When I was not a good friend, and a choice was made, I again obsessed that if she would "just give me another chance", I could make it right. But I couldn't. And some realisations in life are hard to live with.

I, this year, have been a bad wife and a bad friend. Two things that I will never forgive myself for. I admit it and take responsibility for it. Not all of it. Lay blame where blame is due but whilst those special people in my life wouldn't give me a second chance to make right the parts I got wrong, I still got one anyway! Who'd have thought it?

I've been given a second chance to live my life the way I want to. I have a second chance at LIFE itself. I can enjoy my wonderful family and friends. I can enjoy my job. I can enjoy my pets. I can enjoy my home. I can enjoy being me again.

I have been blessed with a second chance to eventually love someone else, and have them realise I'm worth loving. To know what it is like to have someone love me...just as I am.

I have been blessed with a second chance to prove to my friends that I am a good friend and I'm worth knowing. To be able to show them that I care about them and love them more than all the stars.

I have been blessed with a second chance to never ever make the same mistakes again.

So, when a door closes, remember somewhere, God always opens a window....

So, here's to second chances!

Boy, am I grateful for you....

1 Day to go....

A year ago today....

You were my North, my South, my East & West. My Working Week and my Sunday Rest. My Noon, my Midnight. My Talk, My Song. I thought Love would last forever....I was wrong.

People are expecting big things from me tomorrow. Hope I can deliver.....

1 Day to go....

2 Days to go....

Life can only be understood backwards but must be lived forwards....

2 Days to go....

3 Days to go....

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me....

3 Days to go....