My husband has noticed my increased irritability and tells me that the only peace he gets is while I’m sleeping! As much as I hate to admit it, he’s probably right. An attitude adjustment is in order.
Several years ago, when Sarah Ban Breathnach's books were all the rage, I made a half hearted attempt to keep a gratitude journal. The timing was all wrong and I only lasted about a week. But the exercise has merit. The act of focusing on simple, everyday blessings is a healthy practice. I’ve recommended it to others who suffer from depression. Now, it’s time for a dose of my own medicine.
I've got my gratitude journal ready. It was made by Wanda Hanson of Exuberant Color. The last time Wanda visited me, I cleared out her stock of journals by buying one for myself and several for friends. They make great gifts. Wanda has written a tutorial for making journal covers, if you'd like to give it a try yourself.
I promise not to gripe and grumble too much through the dreary months ahead. As far as blogging goes, “no news” from me is probably news you wouldn’t want to hear anyway. Wishing you sunshine!
I think we have already had more sunny days in Nov. than we did the whole month of Oct.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad William came home for the weekend.
Love the quilt in your header!
ReplyDeleteSaw Barb at the quilt show today.
It was a great show.
The guild has quite a few wonderful quilters in it now.
maybe you need to keep a few really good quilt books next to you to glance thru that always changes my mood, looking at antique quilts.
Kathie
Wishing you sunshine as well.
ReplyDeletei so understand~!~ i'm constantly telling myself to "keep your head up" . . . feeling like the Little Engine that Could storybook character. i think i can i think i can i think i can . . . it's just so frigging much work~!!~ but i too am tackling it with a daily focus on the gratitudes and it does help. recently heard a story on one of the morning news stations about a women with MS who has recently released a book . . . i think it was called 29 Gifts (but i could be wrong). anyway, she was counceled to try and give something away every day to others as an active way to fight depression and pain. she realized great relief while doing this and the book is about her experience with this tactic. i thought that it sounded like a good idea and need to give the book a search on Amazon. wish i could remember her name . . . at any rate it sounded like a positive approach.
ReplyDelete:)
libbyQ
This year will be my first experience with the l-o-n-g dark days of winter. I'm ready to combat with being sure to open window coverings daily (despite my natural inclination to protect my carpet and furniture, like Grandma and Mom taught me *s*) If that turns out to not be enough . . . . well the only therapy I can think of is time spent hand quilting with my Ott light *s*
ReplyDeleteSADD is truly sad, I know I have it but so far, even with a cold summer and bleak fall, I have managed to keep it at bay. How do I do it? I keep busy doing whatever I can find to do each day and don't let myself get all wrapped up in what is going on outside.
ReplyDeleteWelcome to counting your blessings with us!
Diane,
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you decided to jump in and join the rest of us this month for the Giving Thanks challenge. I hope and pray you are blessed! Sunshine, family and friends is a great start. Keep it up, and I'll be back to see if your list grows! =)
~ Leah
It's so so lovely to hear your voice again Dianne! I must admit, I was fretting that your health had taken a turn for the horrible and you were unable to share your thoughts with us. Glad to hear it was just a power cord. That is SO similar to what happens here in Bootville. Just like the plumber who's bathroom is never finished, I have the IT consultant whose printer networking only works for him and leaves the rest of us without printing. Trivial I know, but golly does it drive me nuts when it happens! It sounds like you have had such ghastly weather this year. I wish I could magic some of your rain away - we'd love it :-) I'm sorry to say, I don't have any remedies for your SAD. Depression is so insidious and debilitating and I do so appreciate that many of the usual "home remedies" - going for a walk, keeping busy, taking up a new hobby, meeting friends regularly - are just not going to work for you. If I was there, I would happily visit with you each week. You could keep me in awe with your stories and samples of quilting and embroidery and I'm sure I could keep you laughing with tales of that wretched dog we PAID for early this year. Eating millet, shredding wooden rug needles, devouring underwear, eating her way out of her hut - bit of a theme here huh! We think she's probably a goat. But as I am a long way away, all I can do is send my love and let you know I am thinking of you each day. Hmmmm .... thinking of something that might add a little brightness to your day. Take care my friend, keep warm, and let me know if you need more milo!
ReplyDeleteI could not get through the fall/winter months without my daylight light bulbs (additional light on top of additional light). I also add Vitamin D and increase my fish oil from November-April... wishing you the best (I so totally understand).
ReplyDeleteis that a strip of sunshine on your stairs? how awesome! you could sit in it until it moves on across the room. here's to more chocolate!
ReplyDeletei started a gratitude journal a year ago about this time, did it for about a month. it was fun. i need to get back into it. i picked three things a day and also did some artwork. you can check it out on my blog if you want, just type 'gratitude journal' into the search string of my blog.
anyway i hope you feel better. maybe go on some walks and take a small notebook and pen in your pocket and jot inspiring ideas that come to you.
and drink lots of water! and buy a piece of fabric and hang it on the wall.