The Last Post

Well, I did it!  I actually did manage a post for every day of 2014.  Maybe I had to do a bit of catching up once or twice, but there are 365 posts here so I think I can congratulate myself.  It has made me think that I will continue with my blogging again, not here as this was a stand alone project but back on Just Jotting Along which I started way back in August 2009!  I might even re-read some of it.  So, today's blessing is that I made it through the year and that I shall be starting 2015 with not a little enthusiasm.  Oh, and by the way, since I started putting my links on FB and Twitter to the specific post and not just to the blog, I have found that more people have been reading this than I realised.  It would be lovely to know who you are, so just this once, please leave a comment, I need the encouragement !
And a Happy New Year to all my readers xxx

I have been having a look at my other blogs today.  I used to join in with some things where you put a picture or compiled a mosaic or something, along a theme, I'm not explaining this very well, but anyway, this was one of the photos I took for something called Weekend Reflections.  I have added "trying to take some nice photos" to my growing list of New Year Resolutions.  I'm feeling quite positive about the New Year and have lots of plans, mostly just small things, but one of my blessings has been to learn not to expect too much of myself now.

I am typing this one a day late because I was in the middle of this picture yesterday. It's called a fibro flare.  I am blessed because I know that God always provides the ladder to get me out of the depths. I slept for 12 hours and this morning I am just crossing back into the blue.

I joined a group called "Cloud Lovers" on Facebook.  Basically people just post photos of clouds. Some are stunning, taken in some exotic places or with a really good camera that allows for huge depth of field, but all are interesting and I have been inspired to look more closely at what I see around me here and am thinking that one of my NYRs will be to start taking the proper camera out with me again

Sometimes it is a great thing just to be very silly.  Are you looking at the picture?  Oh yes, I have!

I hope you all had the opportunity for a little peaceful reflection at some point yesterday. I had a half hour walk along the prom in tropical Felixstowe

The greatest blessing of them all

I went for a walk today and tried to walk really hard and get out of breath.  Well, why not start the NYRs early. And what a blessing clean fresh air is. So many people in this world live in places where the air is polluted

Little moments that make me smile.  In the supermarket yesterday, a young lady (turned out she was home from uni) was blocking a large section of shelves with two brimming trollies.  She asked me if she could reach anything for me as she couldn't move because her mother had told her to stay put while she went to find something.  We had a little chat, then mum returned, with fabulous bright red, and I do mean scarlet, hair.  We also had a chat and complimented each other of our respective colours.

Today was one of those rare and blessed days when I did not have to set the alarm.

Today has been another great day. Up at 6.30 to get to church for 8.15 to help prepare breakfast for what turned out to be more than 80 people (we reckon) and clear up after them too. A great crafty activity to make a Nativity picture, and I was helped by a little girl who was an absolute sweetie. The Nativity play itself, with the children and young adults and the big kids (the dads who were dressed as angels!) and lots of carol singing and merriness.  Home for lunch and then later in the afternoon two of Santa's little helpers called round with shiny packages!  I am blessed.

Laughter is a blessing, especially good old deep down belly laughter that stops you from speaking for a moment. I did quite a lot of that today

I'm not sure if blessing or privilege is the right word but being asked to pray for someone, seriously, and knowing that it helps is something that makes me feel useful when I can't be in any other way

There has been a lot of fuss about that like in "Do they know it's Christmas"   It is something like "thank God that it's them instead of you"  You can thank God that you have food and water and safe homes, that you don't live somewhere that you are in danger of indiscriminate slaughter every day and that you haven't been caught up in a random act of violence.  That is a blessing.  But the line implies thanking God it is happening to someone else.  I don't for a minute think that was the intention, but when we thank God for our blessings it wouldn't hurt to pray that everyone might share the same one day

Today I shall be a lady who lunches. Good friends and good food will lift my spirits.  And I'm doing it again tomorrow!

It was a blessing to feel God's hand holding mine today, when OH said he wanted to go to the GP and we got an appointment late enough for him to sort himself out but not so late so as to disrupt the whole day.... and then mum rang and said she wasn't feeling very well and for a moment I wanted to go and bury myself in the duvet.  But I coped.

I got almost all of the Christmas cards done and posted to day. Almost!

A lovely straight forward grown up church service.  Just for a change.

Actually, with reference to yesterday's post, I don't really have to work for my living at all!

I do not have to earn my living as an ice-road trucker

Music is a terrific blessing, for me anyway. I know I talked about singing in choirs before, but the last couple of weeks I have been listening to some old classical favourites while crocheting as tho' my life depended upon it!  It has been so relaxing.

A positive attitude is a blessing. I talk fairly regularly to two Big Issue sellers, in two different towns.  One is always bemoaning her lack of money, being unable to buy the children presents, pay the rent, have enough food.  The other is always smiling and asking how people are and wishing them happy Christmas. But I have asked and she too has the same problems but she is blessed with a more positive attitude. I pray for both of them.

The 9th day of the picture, I promise it is changing everyday, just more some days than others!  Today's blessing was finding myself staying calm despite my plans being thwarted!

Bit of a trivial one today but having shopping done for you and just going to collect it is a wonderful thing in my opinion.  In the very old days there was a shop in Beccles called Buckenhams.  A lady I knew would go there and sit on a chair and direct the assistant and then they would deliver for her later in the day.  The online version of that old fashioned service is a blessing in my book.

Sometimes problems, sadness, difficulties can be a blessing because that's when you discover your strengths, and who really loves you and feel God closer.

Oh well, just, you know, a good day.

I can't remember if I have mentioned the sense of smell.  It is a blessing in all sorts of ways.  There are certain smells that trigger memories, take you back for a moment to a time in your past, hopefully a happy time.  One of mine is the smell of the horse's hoof singeing as the farrier fits the shoe.
It can be a warning, smelling gas has saved a lot of lives.  Or in my case, the smell of the apple welding itself to the bottom of the saucepan because I've forgotten to turn it off again!

Being able to take the opportunity to relax.  This damp, cold, grey weather we are having doesn't exactly fill me with energy so I have decided to start my Christmas reading early, put my feet up in the afternoon and draw the curtains at tea time.

Day 3 of the emerging Advent picture.  Contentment is a blessing, much more so than happiness, although I suppose we could end up having a long conversation about what those words me.  I am content with my lot, more or less, and that's a great deal to be grateful for.

Good friends, what a blessing they are.  Thanks guys for being there when I need you, and for needing me some times xx

So, today is the 1st of December and I have devised a kind of advent calendar for you. Each day the picture will be added to.  Today's blessing is getting older.  There's a lot of things you think you might do, achieve, places you might visit etc and there comes a time when you realise that you probably aren't ever going to, and then it stops mattering.  That's quite a burden off your shoulders in a funny sort of way!

Laughter is a blessing. Hope this gives you a giggle!

Another random picture, one of my few attempts at using masking fluid.  I think one of my blessings is that I never quite got to be a grown up.  I can wander round the garden looking at things in the same way as I did when I was little. I might know the names of things now but the wonder, as I wander, is still there.

One of the reasons I have been struggling with posting recently is that now I have an iPad, I don't always turn the PC on and that limits me when it comes to incorporating a picture. So, I am going to make the effort and do something a bit different when we get into Advent. Watch this space!  A blessing for today is that my mum seems to be responding well to her new meds, she was 90 last week and still taking about when she feels better!

I know, I know, but I have to say, being a bit disappointed in the lack of response to my efforts, apart from a few stalwarts who would like it even if I was posting the roll of the Huntingdonshire Cabmen (well done if you get the reference!)  So I knd of lost the incentive.  But I would still like to get in my 365 posts so I have caught up by posting a few of my favourites from the beginning.

My hubby has been having a few short term memory problems lately, but it's difficult to know whether they are due to old age, deafness, or just not paying attention (LOL)  But when I woke up yesterday morning I had some insight into the problem and was able to have a very good natured discussion with him  about it and between us we have come up with some strategies and an understanding that neither of us will get cross about it.  Two things to be thankful for - one, that I was given the insight and, two, that he is such a nice chap and prepared to talk about it without getting irritated 

Sometimes I have a long list of things I want to do and suddenly I am just too tired to finish them. I'm not being lazy, it's just one of those things connected with an irritating but non-life threatening condition.  So, I have learnt to give myself permission to stop and leave things unfinished, tomorrow is another day

Do you ever think about all those people that work in the "back office"?  The people who type the letters, answer the phone, schedule the appointments, deal with the complaints, get the post out on time etc etc etc.  Often from some dingy basement that never gets decorated because the public never see it.  Don't forget them as life would be very difficult without them

Several people were nice to me today even tho' I probably didn't deserve it

Sunshine and showers, a metaphor for good days and bad.  The good days are a blessing of course, but the bad days tend to be when we learn and they make us appreciate the good days all the more

Those lazy days when nothing much happens but it doesn't matter

The NHS.  
Just think for a moment what life would be like without it

The walk through the woods, which is only yards from my front door, is very special to me.  When we moved house we needed to be nearer the town and thought we would have to move onto an estate.  We were truly blessed in finding this house and it lifts my spirits every time I walk through the woods, even when it's going to the dentist!  It is quite dark in there in the winter but there is always a light at the end of the "tunnel of green gloom"

I have the freedom to choose what I eat and when to eat it.  I can even fast if I want to, knowing that I shall have plenty the next day.  Google has given me some conflicting statistics but it seems likely that more than 900 million people do not have enough to eat in a day.  That's every day, without let up.  

I spoke about Twitter yesterday.  I found it well nigh impossible to make new friends when I moved to Suffolk, I met people through work. I joined things, of course, but no one ever seemed to want to meet up outside of the group involved. They all had their friends already. I do have a couple of very good friends from my school days. They are very special to me and will no doubt be getting a mention on another day but they don't live close by.  But then I met someone on Twitter.  She knows who she is.  She is a blessing. (Oh, and we know each other in real life now too!)

I was blessed with the lack of any wish to have children.  I know many people struggle to understand this, because most woman (I guess) have such a strong desire to be a mother that they can't imagine what it is like to be without that.  For me, it was a blessing because I never had the opportunity, and I know people who have experienced real distress, wanting a child and not having one.  I love other people's babies, they are fun and make me laugh when they are happy.  But a baby is a blessing, not a right.

Having the courage not to conform.  Within reason of course.  I think, as I get older, I worry less about what people think of me and do sometimes speak up about things when I feel strongly about them, even if I am not going along with the general attitude, view or belief.  I hope that is a blessing but maybe I am on my own there!  The picture is one I doodled a few years ago for a thing called Illustration Friday. I must look at that again.

Good colour vision has always felt like a blessing to me.  I knew someone years ago who saw everything in greyscale and he could never grasp the joy of art or nature, even the trivial things like clothes and wool shops.

Long story, but today (actually writing this on the 17th, will catch up soon, I promise) it was a blessing I didn't get angry with anyone because if I had it would have been with the wrong person. I was angry but I kept it to  myself and I am so glad I did

It's a blessing, for me anyway, when things go wrong. Yes, it really is, because that's when I have to rely on God and I feel Him closer.

I had the opportunity to start playing badminton. I played and did quite well, considering I haven't done it for 20 years. Back was a bit dodgy after the first time, but have played again and it was OK. Really enjoying it. All came about through a chance conversation in church and I feel blessed with the chance to join a very lovely group of ladies.