Bad - Good
It has been so hot this month. It was the hottest start to Summer since 1958. The good thing is that one month of summer is officially over and there are only two more to go :)

Ugly - Beautiful
We have a bush growing up in front of our bedroom window. From inside the house, it is a twisted mass of twigs and branches. But when you go outside and look at it, it is a mass of green leaves and red and white flowers. Ugly on the inside, yet beautiful on the outside.

Bad - Good
We have spent many hours planting gardens and making paths. We are tired and our bodies are sore. But today I came across this... 'To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow'. I like that :)

Bad - Good
Last year we went out with friends to our favourite fish & chips place about 4 times. This year has gone by and neither of us made the effort to call the other and say 'hey, what about fish & chips?' Until tonight... why did we leave it so long? We had a wonderful time.

Bad - Good
It's two days after Christmas and my house is a mess. Paper, toys, 'things' everywhere. I don't know where to start... But it was a good Christmas and I don't regret having everyone here and I'm thankful for the gifts given to me.

Bad - Good
Did something we've never done before - braved the Boxing Day Sales! People everywhere, cars everywhere. Found what we were looking for at a fraction of the cost. That's good

Bad - Good
Christmas day. A good day. But why does it have to be so hot? I think some snow would be nice. But that won't happen, so I'm grateful for the cool afternoon breeze.

Bad - Good
Christmas eve and we have all our children and grandchildren here. It's the first time all the grandchildren have ever been all together. That's good - very good. Bad thing is it will probably be a number of years before it will happen again. That's what happens when there is so many miles separating everyone.

Bad - Good

The weather man says it is going to be a bit hotter then previously forecast for Christmas. Good thing is it won't be as hot as it was last year.

Ugly - Beautiful
Our poor farmers still haven't got their crop off and we've seen first hand the destruction of their crops. The devastation is so sad, yet there is undeniable beauty in a storm. It's a shame it causes such damage.

Bad - Good
Time has escaped me. Family members start arriving in the next few days and I haven't put up any Christmas decorations other than the Christmas tree. Even though I wanted to do it, decorations aren't what matters. It's spending time with family that is more important.

Bad - Good
Was a tough day today. While driving in my car, I heard the words of a song...
'...life makes love work...'. And I realised that yes, when you love - family, friends - sometimes it is hard work. Hard but worth it.

Bad - Good
Our pet food bill has gone up thanks to a jump in numbers in our avery. We now have 4 baby finches flying around. I didn't know such small birds could eat so much. But they are so cute and we spend many hours a week watching them and the parent birds care for them.

Ugly - Beautiful
We have a rambling pumpkin vine that has taken over my garden. I dislike it very much. But tucked away from the sun is 3 round almost ripe pumpkins. And I can't wait to pick them.

Bad - Good
Doing the weekly washing of clothing, sheets, towels etc is not something I particularly enjoyed - until now... Now I find myself eagerly looking for things to wash, because my garden needs a drink. All of my washing water is now put to good use in my garden. I really enjoying going around with a bucket and watering each plant and watching them grow.

Bad - Good
We have a cat and a dog that are allowed in the house. Needless to say, we have pet hair on our clothing and in various corners of the house. I don't like having pet hair on my clothes, but I do enjoy the companionship the pets provide. Life is full of choices, and I am happy to use a clothes brush and allow my pets inside.

Bad - Good
Cleaning, cleaning, cleaning. Hard work and little evidence of the hours it takes. Is the result worth the effort? Sure is!

Ugly - Beautiful
The first stage of my new garden is complete. The weeds are gone and two new plants are out of their pots and in the ground.

Bad - Good
It is the first month of summer and we have had 3 times the average rain fall for December. I feel so sad for our farming community who still have crops to harvest. There is nothing good about the destruction of their crops and loss of income. But it is good that their dams will be full for the rest of summer. Plenty of water for their livestock.

Bad - Good
My bench is covered with dirty carrots, freshly picked broad beans, capsicums and tomatoes. It's hot and I don't want to be in the kitchen cutting up and blanching vegies. Two hours later, my kitchen is clean again and I feel very happy that I will have homegrown carrots to eat through the winter.

Bad - Good
The mulberry tree has just started fruiting and my dog has eaten more mulberries than I have. She picks them directly off the tree and eats the ones that fall. Good thing is, there are plenty more growing out of her reach. Plenty for me soon.

Ugly - Beautiful
Our overgrown hedge, bushes and lawns were dealt with today. What was shaggy in appearance before, now has straight trimmed lines. Hard work produces something rewarding. Remember the words to that song ... 'Nothing comes from nothing, nothing ever could ... '

Bad - Good
The baby Zebra Finches are chirping in their nest when the parent birds go in to feed them. Can't wait till they come out and learn to fly.
Bad thing is, we are running out of their favourite weeds. Good thing is there are less weeds in my garden.

Bad - Good
Such a big discouragement today. For a moment I felt defeated and told myself lots of negative things. Did it make me feel better? No I felt worse! I made a choice ... Keep telling myself things that would make me feel even worse, or start telling myself things that would make me feel better. Have I tried as hard as I could? Could I try harder to achieve my goal? What can I do differently to achieve my goal?

Bad - Good
This week has not gone to my plan. I wanted to do ... and ... and ...
Plans are just that - plans. If we didn't make plans, there would be no hope for the future. Do I have hope for the future? Yes. So I will make a new plan for today, tomorrow, next week, next month and even next year.

Bad - Good
There is local flooding. But the good thing is that for the first week of summer, today is unusually cold, wet and windy. There was thunder from 7am through to about 6pm. Most unusual, but I love this kind of weather. It makes me feel enthused and alive.

Bad - Good
Had a busy morning running around for my daughter. We talked and messaged each other a few times, then silence for the rest of the day. I left voice messages, text messages, tried calling every two hours. Nothing. I was convinced that something bad had happened to her because of the silence. As the hours dragged on, I was getting more worried. It turns out her phone battery died. I presumed that the silence was bad. I had no evidence that something bad had happened, but that didn't stop my mind for telling me otherwise. In future I will try not to jump to conclusions.

Ugly - Beautiful
Our Christmas tree is up. A Christmas tree in a box, a bag of red and gold tinsel, a box of baubles, bows and gold stars... On their own they are nothing. Just individual rather pretty items. But added together they create something quite beautiful. Kind of like people. On our own we can do some really good things, but working with other people we can create something quite spectacular.

Ugly - Beautiful
We have baby Finches! They are all head and body and so, so ugly! But I'm sure it won't be long before they are beautiful Zebra Finches just like their mum and dad.

Bad - Good
It is the hottest start to summer here since 1958. I struggle to find anything good about summer - other than the fact that it does eventually come to an end.And that's good!

Sad - Happy
Today I am adding Sad and Happy to my focal points.
Today is the anniversary of my mother's death. She died 22 years ago. While I feel sad at the thought of not having her in my life, I am happy that I had her for as long as I did. I know she would be so proud of the things I've done and the person that I've become.

Bad - Good
Went from place to place trying to get someone to engrave some names on some pens for Christmas. Was almost ready to give up when I finally found someone who would do it ... and they look simply beautiful! Black Schafer pens and when the black is scratched off (engraved) the engraving comes through gold. Simply stunning.

Ugly - Beautiful
Spent the afternoon cutting dead buds from the bushes. They don't look very good now, but there was a time when the bushes were covered in beautiful flowers. And they will be covered again and the bushes will look beautiful again.

Ugly - Beautiful
Just turned 9 crumpled shirts into 9 crisp creaseless shirts. It takes time and is not the most enjoyable job. But ironing would have to be one of the most rewarding chores. And now someone is going to look good at work for the next week :)

Bad - Good
So often we see/hear about the brutal side of human nature. It is wonderful to see/hear about so many people coming forward with donations of food, household items etc to support the fire victims.

Bad - Good
We've had huge wild-fires burning in our state the last few days. Over 30 homes lost and lots of damage to wildlife and bushland. So sad. Thankfully, there have been no human lives lost.

Bad - Good
For months I have been searching for a solution to a problem. This week a solution appeared and I thought 'No way. I don't want it solved like that!' After thinking about it for a few days, I realise that it is a solution, and there can be positive outcomes to this. When options are limited and a solution presents itself, see if you can work with it even though it may not be what you had in mind.

Bad - Good
Today is one of those days where I sit down and look at myself, my life, my 'thing's, my family. Nothing seems so bad when I remember the things I am thankful for. Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

Ugly - Beautiful
All the dead and dying stalks in the Gladiola patch are a reminder of the beauty that I enjoyed all winter. I picked flowers constantly for 3 months.

Bad - Good
What a horrible day! Nothing went right. Nothing worked out as I planned. I felt so depressed. Was it really so bad? Things may not have gone as planned, but that is not the end of the world. Was there anything that went right? Sure... and the more I listed, the better I felt.

Bad - Good
A job that I thought was going to take only 15 minutes at the most turned out to be two and a half hours long. I was getting so frustrated and angry that I was making even more errors. I knew it was my attitude that was making it worse and I fed my frustration. I walked away for a few minutes then started over with the task. It was much easier when I didn't allow my unhelpful thoughts to dominate.

Bad - Good
There is smoke around, which means there are fires in the hills. In a way, it's good that they are burning now while it is a bit cool and no wind. It means the summer fires won't burn so fiercely.

Bad - Good
Visiting last night... There was a little dog with his ball. He ran for hours and hours as first one person then another threw the ball. When no one was paying attention to him, he patiently sat with the ball just waiting to be noticed. He was focused and he knew what he wanted without being a pest. I realised that I could apply his actions to my life. Be quietly persistent and focus on the task at hand.

Bad - Good
Our little granddaughter came to visit - she has just learned to crawl. We were constantly moving things and her in order to keep her safe. Next time she comes I will be better prepared.

Ugly - Beautiful
Today the weather was dull and dreary and it drizzled most of the day. I heard someone say 'what a miserable day'. I don't think it was miserable - I loved it. It's a matter of perspective.

Bad - Good
Discovered on of my orchids in a pot has died. It was tucked away in the side garden, out of sight and didn't get enough water through the winter. The other one is alive, but not looking very happy but at least it is alive. I've moved it to where I can see it. Who knows - it might reward me with a flower :)

Bad - Good
At the post office I discovered that my envelope of calendars was 50 grams over and would cost me an extra $9 to send. So I brought it home and opened it to make two envelopes and discovered that there was an extra calendar in it. I had accidentally left the one I picked out for myself in the batch. Now I have my calendar and tomorrow when I post the others, they will be within the required weight.

Ugly - Beautiful
I think that trees with no leaves look sad. Now that summer is coming, the mulberry tree is covered in thick green foliage and looks beautiful. It will soon be loaded with plump juicy fruit.

Bad - Good
Threw out my favourite jeans - good thing is that I will buy a size smaller when I replace them.

Bad - Good
Several months ago, I planted half a dozen Corn Flower plants. The dog took a liking to them and chewed them down to the ground. I replaced them and the chickens scratched several up, the rabbit dug up a couple, and the dog ate them again. I refused to buy more. Weeks later, I discovered that one lonely Corn Flower plant survived. Now it is almost thigh high and covered in flowers.

Ugly - Beautiful
Weeds - I once saw them as ugly and annoying. Now I find myself tenderly watering some of them and encouraging them to grow. They have a purpose at the moment - to feed the little finches and give them nest building material. So grow, little weeds, grow!

Ugly - Beautiful
There's a plant in my garden that looks like a weed, smells like a weed, grows like a weed - yet it's not a weed. How can something so ugly produce such a beautiful flower? I was going to pull them out, but now I think I'll leave them.

Bad - Good
Had to move the nesting finches. They got frightened and never returned to the nest the next day I had to take away the eggs and dismantle the next. It was so sad, as there were fertile eggs. Good thing is that the new avery was almost complete. A little more work and we moved them into the new avery. Now they will have a secure place to nest. Don't know what my daughter is going to think about that :)

Bad - Good
We added a new fish to our collection of pets. Now I can't find it. Something has eaten it! Plenty more where that one came from, but do I replace it and risk it being eaten again? Yeah, it's a cute little fish.

Ugly - Beautiful
We have a rose that is very special. It is brilliant red and year after year a tiny white flaw appears down one side of the roses. This flaw is visible from the centre of the rose to the outside petals. It makes the rose imperfect, but it is quite unique and beautiful. We love it.

Bad - Good

Tried again to make my cookies - didn't happen. So frustrating ... then I laughed. Maybe the desire for cookies will be gone before I get around to making them and I'll be glad I didn't eat any.

Bad - Good
Out of the blue I decided to make a batch of cookies because I felt like eating hot cookies. But I didn't have enough butter. Probably a good thing because I really don't need to eat hot cookies.

Bad - Good
Left my window open and now my carpet is a bit damp. Because of the good rainfall, it will be another week at least before we have to turn on the reticulation.

Bad - Good
Really disappointed that I had to cancel a special meeting because I'm still unwell. It was either cancel the meeting or take a bucket with me. Ended up sitting outside on the patio watching the storm pass over. Simply spectacular! Glad I was home :)

Bad - Good
Not feeling well today. I am reminded how blessed I am to enjoy such good health from year to year.

Ugly - Beautiful
We are 'Finch sitting' for our daughter. We gave them some fresh weed/seeds and they built the ugliest nest I have ever seen. But inside the nest are two of the most beautiful round white eggs.

Bad - Good
Old lesson relearned - Today, I thought something was too hard and I was temped to give up. Then I remembered the wise words once said to me 'If something is too hard, it is impossible to achieve. But if it is simply very very hard, there is at least the possibility that it can be achieved'.

Bad - Good
After two hours of frustrating interruptions I finally finished the lunch dishes, only to realise that two hours is such a small chunk out of the day. Soooo much more happened throughout the afternoon.

Bad - Good
I always feel sad when saying goodbye. I guess if you never say goodbye, then you never get to say 'welcome back'. I'm already looking forward to the day they come back :)

Bad - Good
Pulled weeds in a different section of the garden. Surprise....! Found a small blueberry bush with blueberries on it. That's soooo good.

Bad - Good
Sore back, sore arms, sore legs. Good thing is that there are less weeds in the garden.

Bad - Good
Talking about 'sad' things with a friend. Good thing is, we are friends and can talk :)

Bad - Good
Went online to buy something that I wanted. They were sold out - bad. My money is still in my bank account and now that I think about it, I really didn't need 'it' in the first place. Good.

Ugly - Beautiful
I was looking at a picture of a famous model - from the top of her head to tip of her .... toes ? Oh dear! They were the most unfortunate looking toes I've ever seen. I looked down at mine - I will never complain about the look of my toes again!

ugly-beautiful

Part of our garden bed is covered in beautiful crushed white rock. The odd weed coming through looked quite ugly and out of place. I reached down to pull out a weed and for the first time looked at the wonderful root system. Long straight tap root with little hairs - not ugly... quite beautiful in its own right. It's a matter of perspective.