3 things that kinda made me smile on the inside | week 35/2021

Attitude of Gratitude

My musings this week...

Somehow each week seems to pass me by faster and faster and faster............

I've listened to vets tell me how hard it is - especially those in Auckland where they're constantly checking the latest locations of interest to make sure they weren't there then... about fur-baby euths taking place in public carparks where the vets are unable to show any compassion to their clients because they're fully PPEd-up and hidden behind masks miles away ...

I've found it hard listening to these stories...

Then there are those vets in the South Island for whom I can't find locums in their regions who desperately need cover.

Looking back this week for things that kinda made me smile on the inside required a bit of a deeper introspective digging.

I'm not sure whether you've realised or not (hahaha - because I know the whole world waits each week for this blog, right? not!) that each week has a theme.

This week's theme is creativity.

Because it's been awhile since I've expressed the creative inside ...

Attitude of Gratitude #1 - I turned on my sewing machine

The last time I fired up my sewing machine was back at Queen's Birthday weekend - I made myself some clothes to wear at the NZVA/VNA conference in Christchurch. That was the week we had a Covid scare in Wellington and all the Wellingtonians were asked to return home. The AC was turned on oh-so-cold I ended up keeping my puffer jacket on the entire conference ... hahaha - I never got to show off any of my creativity at all!

I quilt. Quilting is the art of cutting up perfectly beautiful pieces of fabric into smaller pieces and then stitching them all back together again.

I've no idea what this quilt will look like when it's finished as I'm making it up as I go. I had fun going through my fabric stash looking for all my batik fabrics (quite a few metres of odds'n'sods).

Sitting at my sewing machine again very definitely kinda made me smile on the inside!

Attitude of Gratitude #2 - creativity in the kitchen

As well as it being awhile since I sat at my sewing machine, it's also been awhile since I got a bit creative in the kitchen.

We have special friends in Taupo whom we were going to be with before AL4 was announced. When we visit I usually take a few meals with us. I have a few signature dishes - quiche is one of them.

Even though we didn't get to eat it with our Taupo friends, I still kinda got to smile on the inside baking.

Attitude of Gratitude #3 - enjoying the tui that visits like clockwork outside my window

My husband and are enjoying our growing tui population. When we moved into our house we rarely had any tuis visit. This year we've counted eight in one tree.

There's one young fella who kinda gives the impression he's a happy chappie. I know I'm attributing human characteristics onto a bird butttt.............. I'm sure there are times when he even surprises himself with some of his singing!

He visits early - part of each morning's dawn chorus. Then he returns about 9am, again about 11am, then about 1pm, 3pm and 5pm.

Maybe he's off visiting other households bringing joy and smiles on the inside for them too, in each two hour block that he's not getting me kinda smiling on the inside.

The black "tui" box above is the recording I took last night (Friday 27 Aug) on my smartphone - it opens in another window at takes you to the Descript platform.

I hope he kinda gets you smiling on the inside when you listen to him too.

May those you love and cherish stay safe and well.

Kia kaha, ka kite, manaaki te Atua.