Reasons To Be Cheerful in June
I'm joining with Lady Ella in her monthly review of Reasons To Be Cheerful. June has been a rather strange month for me but despite feeling unwell and taking a break from most of the decluttering tasks I set for myself, I have plenty of reasons to be cheerful about all the other things I got up to in June.
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It seems that I didn't kill the peace lily after all. Even though the edges of all the leaves are yellowing and turning brown, it's produced its first flower in months.
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I decluttered 190 books during June thanks to Bless' book decluttering challenge. Most of them have left the house already and the remainder will go to the charity shop this week. I'm now in control of the book mountain and what's left is much more manageable; I'm sure some more will go fairly soon but all remaining books are put away, either in the bookcase or in the music room, so there are no longer piles of dusty books lurking in corners ... this makes me happy!
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Finding the details of a dream holiday. I want to go to China but couldn't find an escorted holiday that covered all of the places I want to see until I clicked on a link in Facebook and discovered One Traveller, a company offering holidays for the mature single traveller. They have details of a trip to China that seems to have been developed with me in mind ... I've sent off for the brochure and need to start saving.
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I won't win any awards but I'm continuing to make steady, but slow, progress on the piano. I haven't managed to practice every day but I can hear that I have improved during the month.
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An unexpected gift of flowers from the young girl who received a stack of recorder and clarinet books I'd decluttered. Her excitement was a pleasure to see and the flowers were a cheerful addition to my home.
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Plenty of fun times with friends ... book groups, quizzing, cinema, meals, Girls' Night In, chatting. The thing I remember most about every meeting with friends is the laughter.
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Being discharged from the Retina Clinic at the Royal United Hospital and returned to the care of my optician. This was such a relief and I hadn't realised just how anxious I was about my eye problems until I received the letter confirming the discharge. There were happy tears that day!
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Being lucky enough to find some bargains ... a set of calligraphy magazines, Harry Potter audio books, yellow sticker meat (which has saved me so much money), and a couple of cardigans in the sale for less than £5 each.
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The recent progress on my family tree research and the discovery of a new 1st/2nd cousin. Also the fact that my closest family is at long last taking an interest in the information I have discovered.
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Appreciation of the fact that I can afford to pay for someone else to clean my home. I absolutely detest house work so the fact that it stays clean and tidy with very little effort on my part is definitely a reason to be cheerful!
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The enjoyment I get from the teaching I do on a Monday afternoon. Four out of the five children I teach have worked hard and are making significant progress, but the best bit is that they really enjoy it ... it's always a pleasure to teach children to play an instrument when they want to learn for themselves and not because Mum or Dad have decided they have to learn. The fifth child? He's keen in the lesson but never practices so isn't making much progress. I think he'll most likely quit and not return after the summer break.
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Following on from that, band practices on Saturday morning are always a reason to be cheerful. Three and a half hours of brass band music ... what more can I say!
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Excellent news about your eyes :)
ReplyDeleteI won't blog it, but it might do me good to look back at June in the way you have done, thank you.
Thanks Jayne. I think it will be beneficial to look back at all that you've done in June - it certainly helped me.
DeleteA wonderful recap of your June. A trip to China, now that sounds very interesting. I think those tears of joy for being discharged is some of the most Cheerful Reasons ...
ReplyDeleteGoing to China has always been a dream ... but the cost is something else!
DeleteMy you have been busy. I don't think I've ever owned 190 books and by the sounds of it this just a fraction of the one's that you've had and already found a good home for. A trip to China sounds very exciting but I'm not sure I would be brave enough to do such a trip on my own and I always admire those that do. Look forward to seeing photographs.
ReplyDeleteMitzi
If I do ever go to China it will be an escorted tour. I'll go to English speaking countries on my own and also France, although I'd need to brush up on my rusty French, but I'm not brace enough to visit China alone.
DeleteMost of the books were music tutor books acquired during the years spent teaching.
that should say 'brave enough'!
DeleteI love this post! It's always good to look back over the past month and see the blessings! I'm glad you were able to see so many reasons, both big and small, to be cheerful in June. I hope that July will be equally cheerful if not more!
ReplyDeleteIt's Lady Ella's idea ... a very effective way of looking positively at my life and looking for the good things
DeleteGlad you found this beneficial. I am wrestling with it (again) but have found that the cumulative effect is significant, and that taking note of the good things helps me to focus on and appreciate them while they are happening. You are better than I am at writing them up, though!
ReplyDeleteI just created the post at the start of June and added to it throughout the month!
DeleteLooking at life in this way is as you say beneficial, especially for my emotional well-being. I was totally focused on it being a wasted month because I'd failed to complete the decluttering and the garden work but thinking it through and remembering these things has turned my thinking around.