If you've been reading here for a while you may know my feelings about holidays. Last April we went away for a week and I pretty much cried or felt like crying every day. But we've just come back from another week away and I was actually able to say, honestly, to all the lovely church people this morning who asked me how the holiday was, "It was great."

What made the difference. I suppose you could argue that it was because we went to our usual haunt, my pop's holiday house on the coast, right opposite the beach. We know it, we love it, and we're very at home there. (Thanks Pop, by the way!)

However, the same things still went 'wrong'. I still had to cook, wash and negotiate mess. Our grumpy son still decided to Refuse To Go To The Beach, loudly, often and for no apparent reason whatsoever. My sleep was broken and on the second day I woke up with one of those twisted shoulder pains that appear randomly while you sleep, make it impossible to get out of bed and disable you for the rest of the week. 

The difference was in my attitude. Following my decision to be thankful for the many, many moments and small things, I felt happier and wasn't overcome by the roadblocks. On the first two days I took a walk in the evening and spoke aloud (not too loudly - I'm didn't want people to think I'm a crackpot crazy woman) the things I saw and was thankful for. It physically changed my mood and made for a much better outcome on the holiday.

 

Here's a list of some of the gorgeous gifts I saw and appreciated. (The numbering starts from 11 because I'm continuing on the list of 1000 gifts I started in my last post.)

11. Long grasses flickering in the wind

12. Proud, perky seagulls high-stepping across the sand

13. Fences. There are so many different types and styles! Geometric patterns rock.

14. A sofa hoisted up onto the roof of someone's back pergola - to get a better view of the ocean.

15. Two of my children riding ahead together on bikes. The older one looks after the younger one. They both smile.

16. An old man in a red shirt, weeding.

17. The multiplicity of colour in rocks.

18. Tasting salt in the air.

19. Waves that punch you hard in the belly and make you gasp.

20. The colour green. It wants to be noticed.

 

Something else I'm enjoying: the fact that my daughter is getting into photography. She took all of these while we were away.