And the winner is football....

Apologies to all I owe comments to - I will try to get there soon. I have been having too much fun watching too much soccer in the mornings (and in full xmas party swing at night!).

I was glad I watched the Aussies last game in a crowd - it did help to share those dashed hopes....I am right on the Moroccan bandwagon now. 

This made me really want to go to a World Cup (I do say that every year but I might actually put some effort into making it happen) 

 

 So if you asked what's making me happy, I guess I'd have to say being in the World Cup bubble - it's all I want to talk about and think about - it isn't, of course as I have some real life problems going on that are taking a lot of time, and a lot of Christmas parties, which are great fun and a lot of laughs and good times with friends. So there is stress but there is plenty of de-stress too.

And I guess, as we'll never get away with all good things in life at any one time, the goal is to try and make the good outweigh the bad...even if it's found on the tv!

What's the #OneSmallThing that made you happy this week?

This too will be a 2 week linky, and then there will be a final one before Christmas before shuting down for the holidays. Sorry I'm being such an irregular flip.

What's the #OneSmallThing that's made you happy this week?

Linking with #BlueMonday

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Pause.

I've been having lots of fun. Too much fun. Everything has been a festive frolic with friends, and when it hasn't, I've needed to be there for the kids and focus on them. So with the World Cup 6am games on the agenda, my writing time from 6-7am is gone. 

#OneSmallThing will be open for the next two weeks while I decide what to do. I will eventually get to your posts but commenting will be slower than usual.

Great music and dancing in the most stunning location in the world, with perfect weather put me on a high for days (even when my old body broke down on the Monday with some weird niggling pain). Still worth it! So if you need a lift, dance. If you want the science, this is a quick read. Even post lockdown with the chair dancing it still felt good (OS people, we were allowed to see bands but had to sit in our chairs - it was weird).

With so many small joys this week, my #OneSmallThing is appreciating them and the feelings they gave me. Not just happy but I felt really lucky to be able to do them and go with (or without) friends and still have a great time.

“Music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do without.” – Confucius 

Now a challenge - play this song and clap along and tell me it doesn't make you feel better!

Linking with #MondayMusicMovesMe cos I love this song!

"Happiness is not a goal...it's a by-product of a life well-lived." Eleanor Roosevelt

And I am living well this week.

It's been busy with work during the day but I was at Allen Stone on Tuesday (one of the best things about where I live, is that I can have dinner with the kids and then run up the road to see the gig....so going out but also still being at home...)

Tonight I have dinner and the Wharf review friends tonight. Now that my NYE and Field Day plans are cancelled (in order to not get COVID before flying OS), I have my celebration this Friday, so to speak. The party posse are having dinner then heading off to Hot Dub, and then I pull up the next day at Harbourlife for Claptone...I'm so excited. The only cloud on the horizon is actual clouds. Both are outdoors so fingers crossed it's sunny and the rain (or freezing hail of yesterday!) stays away.

So I'm all smiles.

What's the #OneSmallThing making you happy this week?

Linking with #SundayBest #TheRandom  #HappyTuesday #WordlessWednesday #KeithsRambling #OneSmallThing

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Sunshine and friends - the best things in life!

So many good things this week - we had a spectacular weekend away with friends, pub choir and a wreath making evening at Archie Rose. 

I got the numbers for the World Cup Sweep and did the draw last night with some friends adjudicating.

I got all my charity stuff organised so I can get it out of the house next week.

I hope to get back up to date on my work which was building up with the holidays and tax time focus.

But my happy celebration is while my friends were going to Hot Dub on the Harbour, I couldn't go because I was at Harbourlife the next night and felt I had to be home to spend time with my family at least one night on the weekend . However, Claptone and J.Worra set times are weirdly between 2-4.30 so I'll be home Saturday night....So I booked my ticket and can join them! In my head, this is now my NYE/Field Day celebrations early (as I'm not going to the real one). Now we just have to keep our fingers crossed on the weather!! Sunshine please!!

In a funny coincidence (and confirming my theory I'm Even Stevens), a concert that got postponed in April emailed me that it was now just cancelled and I'd get a refund....for the exact same amount my Hot Dub ticket cost!  

What's the #OneSmallThing that made you happy this week?

Linking with #WWandP    #WordlessWednesday 

Halloween - a love story....

My youngest, who had two Halloweens impacted by COVID celebrated (dragging her friends little sister along with them as cover) and had a very happy Halloween this year, so that made me very happy.

One kid remembered my Squid Game costume from last year (reused in part as Nairobi from Money Heist but that wasn't as popular or recognisable) and that made me very happy.

One kid informed me "This is the best house! You are the winner!" referring to my small cans of soft drink that my family had mercilessly mocked me for, and my youngest even complained about how stupid it was in her sleep (sleep talking) so I feel redeemed for what I thought was a good idea...along with bags of chips. Just for something different.

So as always, Halloween made me VERY happy!

Now the love story. These two met on the weekend, and over time, with a bit of falling over, moved a little closer together.

By Tuesday morning, the wind had pushed them into each other and I felt a pang of guilt at having to separate them. 

Perhaps a love bite?

My neighbour made me some Madeleines hot off the press. They were amazing as only fresh Madeleines can be.  I lent him my copy of Swann's Way.  Like Proust, the simple madeleine makes me very happy!

What's the #OneSmallThing that made you happy this week?

Linking this old post with #AwwMondays because the kiss does make me go awww, with a chuckle....

Happy Halloween

A quiet week, but I got my tax done. saw the accountant and so feel like I can focus on other things. I also got the Japan trip booked-  that was proving tricky as one of the adult kids might come, but might not. So if they cancel, I need to also have a room that fits our youngest, as I don't want her in a room by herself on a  different floor. So I feel like I ticked off a few things that were hanging over me...

Some times just getting through your 'to do' list is enough to make you happy!

And with no relevance at all the Broadway shops has done it's Halloween decorating to welcome back Wicked (the musical) to Sydney. Nicely played...

Also not relevant, but this is a Lush face mask, and the triangles are separate and are eye masks. I didn't buy it but is was very tempting! So cute!

What's the #OneSmallThing that made you happy this week?

Linking with #HappyTuesday #WordlessWednesday #ItsaSnap #WWOT #WeekendReflection #MySundayBest #YourMoment #WonderfulWednesday 

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"With a good friend, the hours are short." — Basque Proverb

 A friend is out from Greece. We saw her and her husband just before Covid hit. In fact, they got Covid on the plane home. It is so lovely to see her again. Sydney put on a sunny day and we had a long lunch by the water. I tried to catch up again but the weather was not in our favour, so I will try again next week. 

As they say, a day spent with friends is always a day well spent!

As an aside, for those looking for xmas presents (and I'm not sure if she posts internationally) but my friend got me this gorgeous picture of my family in stone. It's so gorgeous.

What's the #OneSmallThing that made you happy this week?

Linking with #WWOT #BlueMonday and #RubyTuesdayToo (top photo) #YourMoment #WonderfulWednesday  #WWandP

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Captive in Paradise

 In the last hour before departure, I posted this from the hot tub as I lamented having to return home after a very relaxing 5 days on Lord Howe island. It was a paradise both in beauty and in the abundance of marine life and birds to encounter up close and with ease. However, as they say in Iceland (well, in Fire Saga), sometimes the Elves go too far....

 

A problem with the plane left us waiting at the airport for four hours until they announced we would be staying another night. It was very well organised and easy (not like a chaotic time we were off loaded in a big foreign city we were meant to transit through) so I really can't complain. By the time we hit the airport the next day, I was keen to get home to see my adult kids and the dog, and get on with all the work that was beginning to pile up. 

That night we had dinner in town (a first as both resorts we stayed in provided meals) and I managed to see a sunset, which had hidden in the clouds all week. We also stopped at the cute little bar I'd been eyeing off all week for a post dinner Negroni so there really was nothing to complain about!

They fixed the plane but the weather was a problem, as it's a visuals only airstrip. One plane was turned away for landing, so there was already a plane load that would be housed. We waited another few hours but then a small window appeared and we were hurried onto the plane. Loading and take off were completed within about 20 mins and it was an amazingly smooth flight, given the cloud cover.

So the #OneSmallThing I am happy for is to be home and back in my 'real life' and I guess that has to be a good thing!

What's the #OneSmallThing that made you happy this week?

Linking with #ScenicSunday #YourMoment