#100HappyDays - Six weeks done already...

Six weeks!

That sounds longer than a daily count somehow...

I'm learning a lot of new things about myself, and remembering things I hadn't thought of for years, I'm looking for things to laugh at, and I'm laughing easier...





Day 37:

Two things that make me happy... My go fast shoes, and colour! I always get things done when these are on my feet.

Being a chronically disorganised person, and a terrible housekeeper, I used to subscribe to a daily newsletter from a lady in the US called 'The Flylady' who has dedicated herself to helping hopeless cases like me gain some measure of control over our surroundings.

She has a list of tasks to do every day, and one of them is to 'get dressed  to lace up shoes' every single day, regardless of whether or not you intend going out that day.  The key part of that rule is the lace up shoes, not any other sort, just lace ups.  Her theory is that if you are wearing lace up shoes then you tend to get more things done in your day.

You know what?  In my case, she's right!  It works.  On the days that I wear slip on shoes, or go barefoot, not that much gets done.  But on the days I put on my runners  which are the only lace up shoes I own  I can't seem to sit still for more than 5 minutes.  Then if I team the shoes with workout gear - look out!

My first doona cover...

One thing that I've never ever been afraid of is colour.  I've loved it for as long as I can remember, the brighter the better.  The first doona cover I ever bought myself was a Ken Done design, remember him?  It was the '80's and he was huge at the time. My first ever favourite colour that I can remember was red.  Beautiful bright red - the colour of apples, fire engines, crayons, texta's, and pyjamas - I just loved it.  Now my favourite colour is purple - the colour of a deep dark amethyst, of lavender,, hydrngeas, eggplant, it's just so rich and luscious... I also love a beautiful rich teal... blues are nice too... and green, I really like green.

OH!  OH!  Don't forget pink!  I love pink!

Day38:

Never having been any sort of sports orientated person, suddenly being able to do things like walk 5km's and more has had a huge impact on my life.  So some time ago, when I realised that fun runs were going to become a 'thing' for me, I thought about finding some way of keeping the memories,  I was going to frame the race bib & medal from the first one, but never got around to it, and then I started getting a small collection of them.  It's also another journal of my 12WBT journey as at each event, I am significantly smaller than the one before it, and the distances will eventually get longer, and one day there may even be running involved...

Time to do something about it!

So I went to BigW and got myself a large photo album that can have pages added as required.

Now I just have to make a start.


Day 39:
One of my many addictions is for candles.  Not just any candles, but scented candles.  PartyLite brand for preference.  The fragrance is blended by perfumeries around the world, and lasts until the very last drop of wax is burned away, plus it doesn't evaporate if you don't burn the candle, just polish it up to reactivate the fragrance!  You can't do that with the cheapies.

My favourite smell at the moment is Black Raspberry, it smells kind of like port wine jelly, and is absolutely delicious.  I'm also quite partial to Kiwi Kiss, Mulberry, anything with strawberries in it... basically fruit smells.  

I don't save them for special occasions, I think candles make any occasion special, and whenever I feel a little low, I light them and enjoy the glow with a cup of tea.  Love it when I can sit by candlelight, especially when the candles are scented, the house smells like a fruit basket!


One tip though - keep an eye on them, because even the best quality candles can go a little feral at times and you can end up with something like this...  It's what happens when the side of your pillar candle collapses, and it's behind you... and you don't see it... for a couple of hours...

No books, furniture, or floors were harmed in the creation of this truly awesome piece of modern sculpture.

DD was kind enough to point it out to me, we just looked at each other and laughed!







Day 40:
Of the many delicious recipes on the 12WBT program, the Penang Chicken would have to be my favourite.

Now, when it comes to food it seems that I may  have a tendency to overdo things - when I find a food that I like, or that my family likes, I tend to cook that dish a lot.  And by a lot  I mean a few times a month.  And by a few times a month I mean 3 or 4 times a week...

This habit eventually has the effect of my family turning green and suddenly needing to rush off to a 'meeting' or going to 'hang out with friends', all of which seem to take place at the local McDonald's store.

On this particular day, we hadn't had it for a few months, so I figured it was safe to trot it out again.  I was right.  They wolfed it down like they hadn't been fed for a month!

As the sauce is always my favourite part of any dish, I had a little bit extra.

And by a little bit extra, I mean - well, you get the idea.


Day 41:
The absolute best part of 12WBT is the people you meet.  Hands down the best part.

One of the most amazing people I've had the pleasure to meet through 12WBT is Amy McKim.  She is a young mother of 2 little cuties, and has shed literally half her body weight in a single year!  She is beyond awesome, and her dedication and support of other members is becoming legendary in the 12WBT community.  Her story is even in Michelle Bridges new book.

Over the year that we've known each other, we've developed a close bond, and we love to chat up a storm on FB Messenger.  We can talk about just about anything for ages.  Our latest conversation, which took place in spits and spurts over the course of a day, was focused on our homes, and what decor styles we like.

It turns out that we have the same taste, and our homes are decorated in much the same style, we were sending pictures back and forth, sharing bargains and ideas...

Chatting with this little lovely about anything makes for heaps of happy.


Day 42:

After two weeks away getting fixed, my baby is back in my driveway!

A couple of months ago, my lovely Territory was written off, as you know, and was replaced with a really nice sleek black Hyundai ix35.

After driving it around for a couple of weeks, we had found a few things that needed to be fixed, the most urgent one being that it wouldn't start every single time.  The worst time being when BM, who had been sent to hospital for a minor procedure, was stuck in it with me, in peak hour traffic trying to get it to start.

The car was at the dealership for just over 2 weeks having all the 'niggles' fixed, along with getting a brand new key fob to ensure that it would start first time every time.

There was a couple of days when all was right with the world, and then the same problem started again.  To say I was frustrated would be the mother of all understatements!  I even told BM that I felt that I was being punished by Karma for standing my ground, and wanting my  car to be one that I  wanted.  He didn't seem to believe me that it was still happening, and he said I should take it back.

Again.

I didn't really want to, because I felt like I was becoming 'that'  customer - you know the one, too stupid to figure out the most basic thing and so they insist  that the product is faulty, when it's really not...

Anyway, when it happened to him a couple of days ago, he changed his tune.  He made them send a technician up to our place to check it out.  Luckily the car played the game, and didn't start.  Mr Fixit seems to think it's a brake switch relay thingy that tells the computer to start the car.  New parts ordered.

Again.

Stay tuned for the further adventures of

Mrs Cranky Pants and The Car That Won't Go.