One good thing

[uni]

Eating to stay warm, well of course! Got a ride today to a little social event where I made sure to put doughnut and pie fuel into my body

[uni]

I live in a multiple dwelling with a bit of yard space. I've been disappointed in my landlord lately. He's started a couple of sideline businesses and I think he's almost too busy for his own good. Well, for mine anyway. He used to keep the sidewalks clear of snow. Not sure what's up, but this year he has done nothing.

I have to shovel my own parking space, but that's always been the case. Sometimes I used to shovel the sidewalks too, but I have a minor injury that's keeping me doing any more shoveling than necessary right now. Clearing my parking space takes a few tries; I'm careful but I get there.

Anyway, last night I heard the sound of shoveling. So I poked my head out see if it was the landlord, as we'd been texting about something that needs fixing. Turns out the shoveler was a fellow who's temporarily staying next door. He was waiting for a pizza to be delivered and decided to clear the walk while he was waiting. Yay! A snow angel So that's a good thing that happened in the last 24 hours

[AJ]

That is a nice snow angel story.

I can relate to tackling such jobs in small bits.

Sometimes things aren’t what they seem.
One of my neighbours in my last neighbourhood suddenly stopped shovelling his sidewalk. It turns out that he took a bad spill and injured his arm. Three months later he was shovelling again.

[uni]

You're right, things aren't always what they seem, and you do wonder. I was getting concerned about my landlord's health until I texted him about another issue. Turns out he just had too much to do and completely forgot. I'm glad your neighbour's arm healed alright. It's so easy to slip and fall, even when you're careful it seems. A friend of mine tripped on a little heave in the sidewalk in the summertime and broke her wrist. Anyway, all we can do is be careful I guess.

In the realm of good things today, I have successfully transferred some photos from my laptop to a USB stick! For me, this is an accomplishment

[AJ]

I just bought a new computer and have been busy transferring files etc from the old one to the new one. I mostly know what I’m doing.

Good for you for tackling the project and succeeding.. Many people struggle with that photo operation.

[uni]

A good thing: yesterday I took myself out to the most expensive coffee place in town and spent some time writing. Some days it's just worth it.

I try to get out for a coffee somewhere most days. Sometimes I go alone and write, other times I get together with a friend or two (or more people once in a while, often family) and just enjoy the conversation. $4 for coffee every day would be a bit much, but small indulgences like this help me stay (relatively) sane Plus, they have real honey to put in the coffee, nice surroundings, including art work and photography, and the whole experience was superb! Bonus, it's a locally owned place and I continue to be amazed that they're still afloat, so I'm grateful.

[sandy11]

How lovely, uni! Couldn't imagine a more marvellous way to spend the day

This sure inspired me to check out the local cafes in my area!

[uni]

Glad to hear it, Sandy11

AJ I meant to congratulate you on not only getting a new computer, but transferring the files etc! Sounds like it would take a while.

I've hit a bit of low mood here and there the last couple of weeks. I have to look harder to find the good things when that happens. The latest good thing is I did myself a favour and got a few photographs printed. Also I received a belated Christmas gift yesterday when an out of town relative came to town. Much appreciated!

[sandy11]

Sending virtual cheers to you AJ! File transfers can be tricky!

I can definitely relate to feeling low at times, uni. I get very excited about checking the mail, so going for a walk to the mailbox tends to do the trick. That being said, I am very thrilled to hear about the pleasant holiday surprise you received- guess that goes to show that good things can surely come unexpectedly at times!

[AJ]

Sandy11 thanks for the virtual cheers. I'm still working on a couple of minor glitches on the new system, but I'm going to blame Microsoft for those!

Uni I'm glad you got that nice surprise. I also find it helps to think about the good things that happen, in times of a low mood. I know you have a toolbox. What tool(s) have you found most helpful in the last while?

[uni]

AJ , thanks for asking about the tools, you are a wise person! I've definitely been dusting off a few tools that have fallen by the wayside.

A helpful one is "pick up the phone and call somebody who understands". Why it should be so hard to reach out sometimes is beyond me. One day I got off my "but" and called no fewer than 3 friends, all of whom answered! One of them I'm very close to, the second one I'm pretty close to but not geographically, and the third one is more of an acquaintance but we've had the odd personal chat and I know she struggles with depression sometimes. I felt better just sharing some of my feelings with them.

I've been journaling. And extending time with my SAD light. I've been paying more attention to the little post-it note reminders stuck on my bedroom wall. A word or two like "today counts" or "kindness" makes a surprising difference. And I've been checking out the forum here, and posting. And, dang it, sometimes just pushing myself a bit more to do a thing that I know is good for me, like a walk, even if it's short. And I've also allowed myself to escape.... to a historical fiction novel that's a complete indulgence... loving it

My mood seems better the last couple of days, and I hope that continues.

[uni]

Today's good thing is that I had a chance to catch up on my sleep after a couple of nights where I simply wasn't sleeping well. Zzzzzz.....

[AJ]

Uni those are awesome tools you have in your toolbox! I'm adding the sticky note one back into mine. I'm off to Zzzzz.... hoping for a restful night.

[uni]

The past 24 hours brought a good thing: I went poking around in a local thrift shop and came home with four articles of clothing and an airline carry on bag, All of which I intend to happily use. Turns out it was their winter half-price sale, so bonus!

[uni]

A good thing is that we had advance warning (is there any other kind? ) of today's weather conditions.

Now that the snow and wind are happening I can indulge myself at home with library books and snack food - yay! (assuming the power doesn't go out!). I even went for a walk with a friend before the blizzardy conditions picked up. Now it's time for tea and coziness while the wind howls and snow falls outside my windows