Five Things

Okay, so I'm crashing this party. And this one. While I'm at it, I may as well crash this one too. I'm hopping on your bandwagons ladies, look out!

First, let me explain why I think both of these challenges are a great exercise for me right now. I am in a funk man, and how! I think anything that helps me to recognize some of the positives in my day to day is up there with sliced bread and the Hoff.

Challenge numero uno: The five favorite photographs and why section. How can you choose just five? All of these on today's post came from a folder I have where I keep all the pics I've taken that I think just might the bee's knees. So, it's kind of like cheating really. I can't wait till I take the time to go through all of my old photos and see them with a fresh pair of eyes.
I think I'll leave the why part for a later post and let you think of your own reasons why these pics might mean something to me. I wonder, what do they mean to you?
The second part of this challenge is to list five things about today that were really good. I challenge you to do the same. Go on, I dare you.


The five really good things about Tuesday the 20th of November:

1) There's this 17th century windmill that I drive by on my way to work every morning. When I stop to think about it, I actually have a beautiful commute. Through hilly Warwickshire countryside along an ancient Roman road, so it's built up a little bit higher than your average English country lane and all the more straighter. Kudos Romans. Weatherwise, it turned out to be a miserable blow out of a day. Gusty wind, driving rain, you know the score. But it started out this morning just a little bit fragile. Morning light peaking through low clouds and a bit of fog rising up off the wet fields, this windmill at the top of the hill taking the full force of the sun's first meager amber effort to pierce through the grey. Beautiful.2) Rubbing Bisbee down with his towel when I got home from work after his being caught out in the rain all day. It's this sort of intimate routine we have, where he pretends he hates the rub down but comes back immediately after each 'escape.' His fur is always especially fluffy and clean after he stretches out in front of the fireplace to dry off.

3) My husband's patience. I'm really struggling to cope with my anxiety right now, insomia, inappetence, irritability.... you name it I've got it at the moment. He came home after day one of his three day Big Exams today (the one where he gets the letters after his name and everything) to find me in the midst of a full on panic attack.

I couldn't sleep last night for thinking I might have deleted this file of photos by accident. I backed up onto the external hard drive a couple of weeks ago, and at 3 this morning I woke with a fright at the thought that I made this mistake. Stupid, right? These are the ones from the 2 months I spent with family back in the States last year. Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, my nieces and nephews, all the preparations for our wedding. Some pretty important pics. So of course, because I'm acting obsessive and strange these days, I couldn't stop thinking about it all day and as soon as I get home I checked to see if they were there. They're gone of course. I checked all the computers and all the extra storage devices, gone. (If anyone knows any good data recovery software, please let me know!)

At any rate, good thing number three was how my husband is a champion. Pulled me out of my ridiculous state, helped me make dinner, gave me some extra time when I know he's freaking out himself because of the exams. Good thing number three is love.


4) Running into an old friend in an unexpected place.

5) Lists. Top five lists. And lists of the things that I'm going to do this winter so that it doesn't beat me. Including learn to make samosas, read the Painted Veil by Somerset Maugham, use my sewing machine more often, eat more fiber, continue taking belly dance classes, knit with beads, read The Tin Drum by Gunter Grass, watch Into the Wild, and to learn more about balance.