Sunday Citar

Tabitha @ Fresh Mommy hosts the Sunday Citar meme - Lucy @ Diminishing Lucy regularly joins as well - so this week I thought I would follow the wonderful Lucy's lead and join in as well.

Dost thou love life?

Then do not squander time,

for that is the stuff life is made of.

Benjamin Franklin

Wise words Benjamin. So often we spend time on unimportant things, or imagined hurts or even real ones. This week I am going to attempt to focus only on the positive things in my life, I will work wiser and love and play harder - for this is the time in my life for me to do this.

Things That Make Me Smile

Yesterday while I was driving down to pick up my eldest daughter to take her to visit her Nanna who is very close to leaving this earth, my heart was heavy. Along the journey I happened to spy something that always makes me smile and leaves me with a happy heart.

That things was about 30 odd pelicans soaring on the thermals. I love pelicans. Large ungainly birds on land, they are so light and beautiful when airborne. They float on the air, soaring higher and higher in larger and larger circles. So graceful, so majestic, so beautiful. I love pelicans, on land, but especially in the air. I knew that the day would be okay.

That night when driving home I got to experience another thing that makes me feel good - a full moon rising yellow and round. By the time I was nearly home I got to see the start of the partial lunar eclipse. The moon is always soothing to my soul, a full moon even more so.

Simple things, but things that make me smile. I hope you have simple things in your life that sometimes just appear to remind you that it is not always the big things you need to have in your life.

Heaven Sent Indeed

Last night I was privileged to watch Australian Story on ABC 1. I don't always remember to watch the 30 min show, but when I do remember I have never been disappointed. Last night was no exception. If you missed it last night, I urge you to watch the repeat on Saturday at 12.30 pm, or go to the link to download. Hope this link works for you.

Peter is the "harp specialist" - the nickname his daughters used - he plays the harp for terminally ill patients in the hospice and to babies in the Special Care Nursery. He is Australia's only thanatologist.

Peter wanted more from his life than being a successful business owner, he wanted to give back and wasn't sure how, until one day he saw an ad for a course in America. His beautiful wife and daughters helped Peter make it happen.

This is a family of beautiful and generous souls, they inspire me with their love and support for each other.

Watching Peter talk of the journey he is on, made my breath catch in my throat. Here is a man that is so sensitive, so caring, so giving - how wonderful that he is there for many as they pass from this life. I will be honest and tell you I shed a tear while watching him talk.

Whenever a baby is born in the hospital he works in they now play a few notes of Brahms Lullaby - in the future they may also do a similar thing when a person dies. It is a reminder for all the staff and other who know that birth and death are all part of our journey.

Random Acts of Kindness Challenge - Deep Fried Fruit

Like many of us Leanne from Deep Fried Fruit sees RAK as an event that should happen without prompting and without talking (or blogging) about it, as it just is something you do. Love you Leanne - how I wish that was true for all mankind. So pop on over and read this post, you'll be glad you did.

I love that Leanne regularly tops up expired parking meters - while I have only done that on occasion I have whenever possible given my parking ticket (you know the one you leave on your dashboard to show you have paid to park there) to someone else if it has lots of time left on it. I love seeing the surprise on other driver's faces when I offer it to them.

I hope that you feel as inspired by Leanne's post as I do.

Random Acts of Kindness Challenge - PPMJ

The wonderful PPMJ from Pink Patent Mary Janes is the first blogger to take up my challenge and post about a Random Act of Kindness on her blog. Like most of us, PPMJ doesn't normally post about them - she just does them. How I wish I had a friend that lived closed by just like her.

Have you taken up the challenge and not let me know - I would love to share your Act here. If each one of us did one Random Act per week imagine the change we could make in other people's lives.

Join in before the end of May for your chance to win just check out the original challenge post.

If I Were ...

If I was a month, I would be July

If I was a day of the week, I would be Saturday

If I were a time of day, I would be sunset

If I were a planet, I would be Earth

If I were an animal, I would be a lioness

If I were a direction, I would be West

If I were a piece of furniture, I would be a bed

If I were a liquid, I would be milk

If I were a gemstone, I would be an opal

If I were a tree, I would be a frangipani

If I were a tool, I would be a clamp

If I were a flower, I would be a rose

If I were a kind of weather, I would be a breeze

If I was a musical instrument, I would be a piano

If I were a colour, I would be aqua

If I were an emotion, I would be love

If I were a fruit, I would a pear

If I were a sound, I would be the tinkling of temple bells

If I were an element, I would be fire

If I were a car, I would be a V8 turbo

If I were a food, I would be chocolate

If I were a place, I would be the ocean

If I were a material, I would be silk

If I were a taste, I would be hot chocolate

If I were a scent, I would be cinnamon

If I were an object, I would be a book

If I were a body part, I would the eyes

If I were a facial expression, I would be a smile

If I were a pair of shoes, I would be slippers

I have seen this on a number of blogs, the latest being Nicole's at the Life of Use

Why don't you join in too?

Random Acts of Kindness Giveaway - Will You Enter?

A few weeks ago I issued this challenge. Thank you to the lovely people who said they would take up the challenge of bestowing a random act of kindness. (For some reason a few of my comments ended up not appearing and I have no idea why as I got the emailed version).

So I am asking, have you made it happen, have you shared your smile with a stranger? Have you shared a random act of kindness with someone?

No? Well here is some incentive to all of my cyberfriends - if you do, and if you share your story with me and let me post it here then you go into the draw to win a Jurlique Love Balm. A delightfully moisturising lip balm with a hint of tangerine, just to keep your smile beautiful.

Will you take up the Challenge? You have the whole month of May to enter and share. The winner will be chosen randomly by the Random thingy. Email me your post to thehalffullglass@amnet.net.au

Julique have not sponsored this giveaway, I have just found their Love Balm and love it so much on my lips that I decided I would buy another one and share.