Artist

Alexander Averin

Monday 3 January 2011

Ripples



Dear Diary,


Fear less, hope more;

Eat less, chew more;

Whine less, breathe more;

Talk less, say more;

Love more, and all good things will be yours


Swedish Proverb



It’s over, come closer and you might hear me whispering thank God for small mercies.  Tomorrow life will be back to normal. For the first time ever I have taken down the few  decorations I have about the place, even the new fairy lights which I found too bright  - before the Twelfth Night.  I fear there is no hope for me. I know I am Mrs Scrooge but part of Christmas was taken up with worry about others’ health, including one of the dogs and I seemed to have suffered much tiredness from too many broken nights.

I have been thinking about those New Year resolutions though, I think most people do secretly but not everyone will admit it.  I plan to economise, correction, I HAVE to economise.  I am dreading our leccy bill  because of te extreme weather we have been having and everything  has already gone up or is going up in price very soon.  Petrol, electricity, VAT, council tax, rail fares etc.  And all these rises will make everything  else cost more.  It’s not just the weather - my salary is frozen and my job is under threat so I must restrict my expenditure to what is absolutely necessary.

Our elderly dog has just gone on to heart medication and has three week’s worth of pills to take before we take him back for a review. I would pay whatever it takes to extend his life as long we can keep him well and pain free and to be honest (as they love to say in these parts) the effect of these tablets has been instant and amazing.  We had to pay £80 for the pills and the consultation so we wonder what we will pay in three weeks time.

I am going to cut back on everything, not just economically but rather on things that are a complete waste of my time but I am hoping to walk more, do more yoga, get more sleep, read more books and get more writing done.  Blog a little more often and  find more time to read others.  But in most things in life less is definitely more and I aim to pursue simplicity as much as possible.

I did have a lovely walk this morning, just me and the younger dog Kitty, the border collie.  We followed the river downstream and walked along the way of a  Roman Road which passes through our field.  I didn’t see a soul and there were no sheep in the fields which is most unusual.  There are more sheep than people in these parts.

Most of all in 2011 I am going to try to remember to think positive thoughts, turn every negative over (I think the phrase is flip it), count my (many) blessings and concentrate only on what is really important to me.  I shall resolve to live in the moment and enjoy it.  There is so much gloom and doom around but if we all tried harder to be optimistic then I am sure the ripple effect would be felt around the world.  I wonder if the Eclipse will help it along?

Bye for now,
Go mbeannai Dia duit,
I wish you All a Very Happy New Year,
Cait

16 comments:

Vee said...

Have you ever read "You Can't Afford the Luxury of a Negative Thought"? I just found it in the library and remembered reading it and getting much from it.

Oh, I am sorry about your dog needing such expensive medication. (My grandpuggy was in the Animal ER Christmas Day and these things are so expensive. I just laughed that my gift of money had gone to subsidize the visit.) As you say, the dogs are so much a part of the family that anything would be done to make them right.

We are economizing here as well. The bills are out of sight and the income is pretty fixed. I'll be thinking of you and praying that the weather there gets back to normal. That would be a big help.

I adore the saying and am snagging it. My Swedish beloved will love it.

Pamela Terry and Edward said...

Wise words, Cait.
And I'm so sorry about your dog. A sick dog is a difficult thing, and I hope these pills, although expensive, will make things better for a good long while. Thinking about you!

Peggy Montano & Paintings said...

good afternoon, Cait.

I really appreciate this post. Good words to live by.

Anonymous said...

Just dropping by to say happy new year - and all the best for 2011. A. (Maybe this an inappropriate message; I must catch up on your recent posts; life has been a bit 'difficult' here, too, and I am trying to bury my head in the sand.) Hugs to you meanwhile.

Marion said...

Happy new year to you, Cait. You seem to have laid the groundwork for a really good year. I hope it is a good one for all of us.

ds said...

Oh, the things we are willing to do for our beloved four-legged family members! I hope your dog improves with the medication.
Simplicity. Yes. I think that's the key. I like the Swedish quote, as well. Thanks, Cait, and Happy New Year.

Ruth said...

I agree with you utterly. The Swedish proverb is wonderful.

It never hurts to take a look at oneself and assess the situation. Why not do it at the onset of a new year? Psychologically, it just feels right to do so, but I also feel we should do it regularly too.

Happy New Year! So sorry about the higher expenses as a result of the wintry weather. Stay warm.

Marion Williams-Bennett said...

The proverb is beautiful and I've hung it on my office wall.

I think you are in a very wise, but not an easy, place. Your post holds hope among all of the challenges you are facing and that will lead you forward.

Peace to you and to your sweet dog. Know that you can only do what you can do.

Fire Byrd said...

There doesn't seem any words to say here you seem to have covered all bases, with a good proverb, a selection of worries about money (just don't go there it's too frightening!) and some heartache about an old friend, ending with a really good plan of action for coping with it all!

Kath said...

Hello Cait, I have a 13 yr old dog with a heart murmur, so I understand your anxiety.
You and I are both in the same boat regarding the economising, I just got a bill for £478 at the dentist!
Anyway, I hope 2011 brings you all good things. Best wishes from Somerset.

The bike shed said...

And a happy and positive New Year to you too.
It is easy to be glib about money, for the security it brings helps to improve our lives - but it is also true that the best things in life are not things at all.

Good luck with your resolutions

Friko said...

O dear, Cait, all those resolutions just when they found out that a) we don't keep them and b) some of yours in particular (and I am sure of many others too) are actually counter productive.

According to the latest findings, scrimping on small things makes us unhappy and being unhappy brings problems. The diets never work, exercise we drop very soon and failure makes us unhappy, which brings problems.

Just being sensible, being kind to ourselves, treating ourselves to small pleasures and changing major nasty habits (which I'm you don't have anyway) makes us happy, which brings . . . . . a sense of wellbeing.

etc. etc.

CAMILLA said...

Hello Cait,

Wishing you a very Happy New Year to you and your family.

So sorry to hear that your dog Finn and family have been poorly, it is so worrying too when our pets are ill. Hope they are now in better recovery.

Best of luck with your New Year Resolutions Cait, I have yet to make mine.!

xx

Aqeela said...

Your intentions seem very good cait, I'm hoping that this year and every year there after gets better for you and your loved ones ( including the dogs),
Aqeela xx

Unknown said...

CAN I USE YOUR RIPPLES IMAGE
I'd liketo use your ripples image to illustrate a blog I'm writing on Community Currency Schemes, on Wordpress, in exchange for a link to your blog. Is this OK?

Cait O'Connor said...

Please feel free to use it, I am not sure where it came from; it is not one of my own photos though I wish it was as it is so evocative.
Good luck with your blog post (I would like to read it when you have written it, it sounds interesting).