A special note of thanks to life

And before we know it, October 2019 has ended! I was surprised to find that it was time to write my note of thanks for the Gratitude Circle blog hop!

This month has been a little disoriented for me. Sure I’ve been doing all the things I am supposed to do…but I can’t say things went the way I expected. Still, I am opting to see the brighter side, listing all the things I did manage to accomplish. For the moment, I will ignore what I did not.

Let me get started on that note of thanks already!

Son’s visit

The highlight of the month was my son’s visit home. Too fleeting for my liking, but I treasured every moment. It was a super-busy week for him, with two exams–one the day after he arrived and the next, the day before he left. I secretly felt guilty that I could not cook all his favorite stuff but well–I am grateful that we got to see him. Did manage some pizza though!

It was time for him to leave before we knew it and I pacified myself with the thought that he’ll be back in December for another short visit filled with exams. Yep, it is that time in his life.

A lovely project

I had the opportunity to work on a lovely short-term project that kept me super-busy for a few days and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I am so grateful for this experience.

Art exhibition by friend’s son

The son of one of our friends held an art exhibition. The 16-year-old is very talented and it was such a pleasure to see his works of art. There were more than 30 watercolor paintings on display and we were excited to buy one. A very pleasant morning spent at one of my favorite places in our city–an art campus that has craft and art exhibitions throughout the year.

The campus itself is a delight to walk around with unusual sculptures and art by the students. A big note of thanks for the unexpected break from routine.

DIY dreams

With a long-pending to-do on my list taken care of suddenly one day last month, namely, getting my sewing machine repaired, I am very excited about getting started on some DIY projects I have been wanting to try. All triggered by some urgent repair work that needed to be done. Always believed that good things come out of the not-so-good and well, proof again!

And now, I am looking at some grand makeover plans–new cushion covers, curtains, pillow covers, altering some clothes, and on and on.

My tiny garden

Earlier this month, I went on an outing with my friend and she bought a few plants. So I was tempted to buy one too and decided to go with the basil. She of course, was wise and got all her pots and soil ready before she shopped. Me, nope. Not the greenest of thumbs but i do try to take care of things.

I am grateful that the basil plant is still happy and alive. Still have to get a bigger pot and soil…and I will! And of course I want to add more plants now!

A newspaper feature

Ah, this month I was also featured in a major newspaper’s article about influencers. It was a nice feeling, mainly because many friends saw it and called—some of whom hadn’t been in touch for a while. Funny thing is, I woke up that morning to lots of messages on WhatsApp in my school group. I wondered what the “congratulations” were all about when I saw multiple screenshots of my face. Cute, eh?

My sister

A very special note of thanks with gratitude to Vanita Cyril. I know I mention her in almost all my gratitude posts and with excellent reason. She has been around for me every single day since the moment we met. We’ve gradually blended into each other’s lives. We check in with each other every day, we rant, we whine, we laugh, we kick each other’s asses, we push each other and move on with the day.

We have each other’s backs. We’re non-judgmental of each other and do what we can to raise each other up. Simply put, I love her unconditionally. October was her birthday and I bless her with all my heart. So grateful to have her in my life.

My lady bloggers community

In my note of thanks, I have to include my exclusive community of women bloggers for keeping me motivated and cheerful. We engage with one another actively and on a daily basis, and believe in supporting one another.

My to-do list has been growing stale–and I hope to get to at least some of it in November. Even to me, that sounds like famous last words!

So how has October treated you?

Happy Halloween for those going trick or treatin’!

Welcome to the October 2019 Gratitude Circle!

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Please note:

Just to remind you – to join the Gratitude Circle blog hop, you can write about anything that made you feel good. It is not mandatory to write about your personal life. Or list personal things you are grateful for. You have the freedom to share anything that made you feel good. A happy event. Something you saw. An experience. A place. Something that brought you happiness. A lovely book you read that filled you with joy. Anything. I repeat, it need not be personal at all.