DAY 15

Today I am grateful for: a first date

Because occasionally first dates turn into second dates and the third, fourth and fifth.

Forgive my flyaway hair (not sure why it is trying to escape from my head!) and silly smile above - my date was a photographer who commandeered my camera. I did get a partial pic of him but decided not to embarrass him in the blog just yet.

I've had a few first dates recently and had forgotten that they can be anything but awkward and reminiscent of a job interview.

Great company. Great food. Great setting. A grate-full afternoon.

DAY 14

Today I am grateful for: free James Morrison tickets

James Morrison +

Queensland Symphony Orchestra

QPAC

Tonight

Free tickets

AMAZING

Grateful

Very

PS: Sorry the picture is boring - no cameras allowed :(

DAY 13

Today I am grateful for: soup that is good for me

I'm on a health kick at the moment (trying to look good for my trip to America in 4 weeks!) and with that comes giving up the things I really love (like hot chips and ice-cream) and embracing all that is nutritional.

I'm extremely grateful for my chicken vege soup for lunch - it is nutritious, colourful, hearty, filling and relatively cost-efficient to make. My body loves it... but sadly my brain does not. My brain wishes it could have a chicken burger or spaghetti bolognese or a foccacia from The Deli. My brain want's anything that is the opposite of soup.

Can you be grateful and thankless at the same time? Because I think I am - every lunch. The great thing for my body is that I have 13 more soups to go before I run out. Not so good for my brain though. Maybe it's time to find a new lunch option.

DAY 12

Today I am grateful for: my new hallway designs

Just a quick one tonight as I am completely exhausted. My hallway was really boring until I found these great stickers online - I think they brighten it up nicely. It's like walking through a garden every time I come in the front door + they are the only plants I can actually keep alive around here!

PS: Forgive the quality of the photos today - just couldn't get the colours right!

DAY 11

Today I am grateful for: Molly

aka Molly Molly Moo Moo

This is my little friend Molly. She came to live with me about a year ago after she was found wandering the streets like a little urchin and ended up at the RSPCA. As far as cats go, she is one of the good ones. She is extremely affectionate but sadly doesn't believe that a cat's job is to warm the lap of it's owner (sad sad sad).

Molly is pretty smart (for a cat!), doesn't shed a lot of hair and is the house welcoming committee - as soon as she hears the front door she races down the hallway to say hello to whoever it is (and luckily she doesn't discriminate with her love).

You can also see Molly's best friend in the pictures too - that is Lulu and I'll save her for another grateful day :) but I can say that Molly and Lulu are a great example of 'loving the one your with'!

I tell people that I'm not the crazy cat lady, and I'm working really hard not to become her either! I have always had cats my whole life - we are a cat family. I would get really lonely without the girls to come home too. Who else would run to the door to say hello, sit on my bed in the mornings, curl up on my lap at night or purr with delight when I give them a cuddle.

I'm a cat person. Deal with it.

DAY 10

Today I am grateful for: the book depository

A fellow book aficionado (Mr Matthew Kelly) put me on to the best website of my year - its The Book Depository

The amazing people at The Book Depository are located in the UK but will happily ship me books for free and let me pay in Aussie $$'s.

Today I got two books that I ordered 10 days ago - they would have cost me $65 locally but I only paid $28 - AMAZING. This makes for a very happy book loving Linda.

The world is a very small place sometimes. It's cheaper to get books from the UK than it is 2k's down the road. Gloabalisation at work.

PS: I can get new customers 10% off their first purchase so let me know your email address if you want to join The Book Depository family and I'll hook you up!!

DAY 9

Today I am grateful for: Asher Xave Moes

I am so grateful for the newest addition to the Moes family - little Asher is 6 weeks old and was oh so cute when he arrived yesterday in his bear suit.

There is something about family that just can't be replicated anywhere else. For me, family is the place where I can be who I really am, where I can love, laugh and be real around people who don't judge. Asher will grow up loved by his Aunty Linda. I will call him 'Asher Smasher' until he turns 3 and politely tells me 'Aunty, my name is Asher, not Asher Smasher' like his two older sisters did around the same age (not that I called them Smasher as well, but you get the idea).

I will be there for his birthdays, and christmas, and random days in summer, winter, autumn and spring. Although I'm having trouble imagining my nieces and nephews in high school, or uni, getting married and having their own children I am sure those days will sneak up on me.

I guess that's what life is all about - sharing days with those you love, and who love you.

Welcome to the family Asher - we've been waiting for you.

DAY 8

Today I am grateful for: my big brother

My big brother and his family came to visit this weekend - which is always a highlight BUT the bonus this time was that Brian dropped in to my place and FIXED MY CUPBOARD DOOR THAT HAS BEEN BROKEN FOR WEEKS!!!

Amazing! It's not like I get a lot of guys dropping round, actually thinking about it - I don't get any, so when one does I grab him and put him to work. Luckily I had my handy pink tool kit nearby to assist with the job.

I am so grateful to have such an amazing big brother. Brian always looks for the best in me, he is a fantastic Dad to his 3 three little munchkins, an all round great guy and he can fix things - what more could I ask for in a big brother.

DAY 7

Today I am grateful for: dinner with friends

For the last 5 years I have been spending most Friday nights with some very good friends - we all bring something for dinner and we sit and chat like a great big family - with three conversations going at once, the girls trying to talk over the guys and the occasional instance of food stealing from a neighbours plate.

Tonight was no different to any other, apart from the fact that I think our dinner's have come to end - we have moved on to the more refined and easy to prepare 'supper'. I'm going to miss them greatly - as a single person it's nice to feel part of a little family comprising of more than oneself, to eat dinner with something other than the TV for company.

Anyway, things change. Nothing stays the same. I'm embracing the new plan with cupcakes and chocolate

DAY 6

Today I am grateful for: my favourite lunch spot

So, I'm letting you in on a little secret - I have been introduced the best lunch spot in Toowoomba (thanks Heather Woodcraft!). It's 'The Deli' on the corner of Herries and Hume Streets - but it is the one on the Herries Street side.

The cafe does the most amazing gourmet food you have ever tasted with rolls, wraps and panini's of Wagu beef, Ham, and my favourite Turkey & brie with cranberry sauce + if I am being extremely naughty I get a tub of natural yoghurt with macadamias for dessert - heaven!

I do have to limit myself to just one visit a week though - otherwise I'd be spending a lot more time a the gym to counter the adverse 'yummy lunch' effects!

Lately I've been disappearing from the office for an hour with my book, tossing a quick "I'll be back later" over my shoulder before the boys can say anything to the contrary. I sit up on a stool at the long wooden tables, surrounded by shelves and shelves of every gourmet food or ingredient you could imagine, and I smile.

It's my little hideaway. Shhh.....

PS: The Deli has an online store as well - amazing stuff!

DAY 5

Today I am grateful for: the great 'free book' collection

AKA the Library

So, if I could have a cup of tea with any person in history I think I might head to the 17th century to track down the man (or woman) who started the first library - and along with that cup of tea I would also give them a hug!

Think about it - there is no other place that lets your borrow something that you should really be paying for. You can't borrow clothes from Just Jeans, or CD's from Sanity, or a set of dinner plates from Target - but you can go to the library and borrow a whole stack of books - as long as you promise to bring them back in a months time.

I'm grateful for the library and it's shelves and shelves full of things I love - books. Books that make me love and hate, laugh and cry, imagine and understand, believe and distrust + much much more.

DAY 4

Today I am grateful for: an incredible sky

Driving home from work this afternoon, I already had something else planned to be grateful for today (I AM an organised person remember!) but as I turned the corner near my house I was stunned by this gorgeous sunset. I pulled over and grabbed my camera (now conveniently located in my bag), and snapped off a couple shots before it completely disappeared. I decided to change todays blog to this sunset - it's so stunning how could I not?

I've always hoped to one day live somewhere with a great view so I could capture the sunset every day. As it is, I miss it most days as I am either still at work, driving home from work or already on to whatever I have planned for after work.

So today, I am grateful that I caught this one. There will be thousands of sunsets in my lifetime but I will probably only witness a few of them. If nothing else, this project has helped me to stop and be grateful for just this one.

DAY 3

Today I am grateful for: sparkly diamonds

I LOVE my diamond rings. My first was the one on the bottom. I was 25 and tired of being the only girl I knew who didn't have any diamonds. I felt incredibly empowered when buying myself something usually reserved for nervous guys with big plans and credit cards. It became my status symbol to the world - I was single but not destitute. I had bling.

The second was my 30th present from some amazingly generous friends and family. Instead of presents I asked for donations for a new diamond ring. I spotted this one and it captured my heart.

I'll admit that I'm a girl who likes shiny things. Every morning I put these rings on and they make me happy. I sometimes even get distracted at work and find myself admiring how sparkly they are. I think deep down they prove to myself that I can make it on my own. If I can buy my own diamonds there might just be nothing out there that I can't achieve. Who knew transparent rocks could be life affirming.....

Day 2

Today I am grateful for: my mum coming home

Mum's been in America visiting my sister and co for the last 3 weeks. This morning my alarm went off while it was still dark - pulling me out of bed to head to the airport for a 7am pickup.

I hadn't realised how much I missed her until she was in the car with me on the way home. I'd missed the easy way we talk about life and family, books and movies, friends, colleagues, pets, food and pretty much anything else that pops into our heads.

I am incredibly grateful to have such an amazing mother. Someone who understands, listens, laughs and loves regardless. Mum knows what it's like to live with disappointment. She understands that not all problems can be solved, and that some sadnesses just need to be acknowledged and not placated.

I baked some 'welcome home' chocolate mud cupcakes with ganache icing - which were quite delicious with a cup of tea in mum's sunny kitchen when we got home.

PS: Mum's cat, Finn, was seemingly ambivalent to mum's return. Must be a cat thing.

The '100 days of grateful' project begins

I've been a little melancholy lately. A little overwhelmed with the 'not so ideal' things in my life. A little saddened by circumstances. I realised (with a little prodding from some friends) that by dwelling on these things I only make it worse. The light at the end of the tunnel is difficult to see when you've got your eyes closed.

The solution: '100 days of grateful'

Combining my love of photography and words I'm planning to capture one thing I am grateful for every day - for 100 days. If I am feeling particularly grateful I might even write a couple of words as well.

I'm hoping that by identifying the things that make me happy, I can lighten my spirit. Maybe even remind myself that things are even better than I expect.

I'm setting out to find joy in the little things that make up a day.

DAY 1

Today I am grateful for: Sally

Sally is one of my closest friends. We have been friends for 16 years - since we were in high-school together.

Sally has seen me at my worst and at my best, and still loves me anyway.

Sally turned 30 yesterday so we celebrated with an amazing high-tea at Gips restaurant this afternoon. I am so grateful for a true friend. It doesn't matter if we don't talk to each other every week, or see each other regularly (no matter how hard we try), because things don't change between us - we always pick up the conversation right where we left off.