Coughs, Chills & Counting Your Blessings...

Hi honeys
I'm so sorry I've been gone so long.  I'm currently battling a chest infection and have spent the past week or so mostly on the sofa in our living room all bundled up in blankets. For days, I couldn't seem to get warm.  I swear my bones were frozen honeys.  Hubby spent the weekend looking after me, bless him. Fetching me hot water bottles, making my hot lemon drinks & putting up with the constant un-relenting cough cough cough noise from the sofa (thank you sweetheart x) and I'm feeling horribly guilty because I wasn't able to go into work this past couple of days.  I never miss work!

So, anyway, it got me to thinking.... Well to be fair, stuck, as I was on the sofa resembling a human blanket mountain, I wasn't able to do much else :/ I've said before on this blog that I'm not a fan of pity parties, and I'm really not, but I have to admit to having had certain "it's not fair!" feelings over the past week. 

You know the ones, "it's not fair! I have a home to organize!" or "it's not fair! I don't have time to be sick! I have that pile of boxes to sort through!"  I'm just really NOT good at being ill, dear ones. I have no patience for any of it and most of all I hate that by removing my ability to do anything else, it forces me to stay still and I don't do staying still. 

When I stay still, as fellow spoonies know all too well, body bits begin to stiffen and "seize up."  It's not long until moving at all makes things hurt, really hurt, not the normal pains we're all used to and barely notice anymore and it takes a while to get moving again.... wow! I might not do pity parties but that turned into quite a moan-a-thon real fast :)

So, unable to sleep because of my almost constant barking like some kind of demented seal, and stuck shivering under a heap of blankets, I started thinking.... well this sucks! And as I always do when I feel a bit down, I turned my thoughts instead to happier places.

I have a morning ritual honeys.  It all started with my beloved Gramma who told me many, many years ago that every day when I open my eyes, before I get out of bed and start my day, I should take a wee minute to count my blessings. To appreciate how lucky I am. She said that if I had a roof over my head, a bed to sleep in, and food in the house, I had to remember that not everyone is so lucky and to take a minute to say thank you to the angel who was watching over me because there surely was one.  She absolutely believed in angels honeys, and I do too.

I decided to go ahead and mentally take a wander through the blessings in my life in order to "turn that frown upside down" as the old saying goes. 

Top of any list I ever make of blessings in my life will always be my dear sweet Hubby. We've been together a lifetime now and every day is still better than the day before.  He really is the sweetest, kindest man. We laugh a lot together but we're equally happy sitting quietly, reading for example, without a single word being said.  Hubby is a wonderful, calming, caring constant in my life. I love him with all of my heart and bless him, he never leaves me any doubt that the feeling is mutual.

Our furbaby Jade :) Our dear wee angel had a bad start to her life but we're trying to make sure she doesn't know anything but smiles & love & hugs.  She is the centre of our home and the most precious part of our family.  Everything from how we plan our days to our work schedules is planned around making sure she feels safe and loved.  Our sweet baby brightens every single day. They say you can't buy love,  well they're wrong dear ones.  You'll find a limitless supply is only as far away as your nearest shelter.  Why not save a life, because believe me, those babies will give you more love back than you can handle.

Our Home. I love our home. It's not in the least bit fancy, it's nothing like any of those fabulous homes we see on Pinterest, but I adore it.  I feel so safe here. Every room makes me happy and I swear when I've been outside, the house hugs me when I get home :)

Last, but certainly not least of my blessings is friends.  You know who you are my wee honeys :)  Years ago we used to go out so much more, we were film buffs for example and adored going to the cinema  a few times a month but for years now we just wait for the dvd release instead.

I wrote before how living with a long term chronic illness can be terribly isolating, and it so is.  I'm so lucky to have Hubby & my little part time job (and our furbaby of course) but many people don't have anyone.  Do you have a neighbour who lives alone honeys? Even saying hello whenever you see them would make such a difference, and you might make a new friend too. 

What are your favourite blessings?  What makes you smile every day?  I hope you have too many blessings to count and wish you even more.

Well dear ones, I have to go lie down for a while. I had less than two hours (broken) sleep last night with this horrid cough and sitting up writing this has knocked me through a loop again I'm afraid.   Till next time honeys, please stay safe & warm and have a fabulous day, hugs always xx