Frustration

I have spent a lot of this week dealing with frustration.

Firstly, I had to get a new screen for my phone. Id smashed it when I fell over on a pebble beach last week and it was in my back pocket. On Tuesday my new screen arrived however I managed to drop the broken phone in the toilet at work before I had a chance to replace the screen. Due to the problem with the screen the insides haven’t been able to dry out as quickly as I would have liked.

I still don’t know if I will ever get back all the photos, memories, cherished videos, blog post ideas, story ideas and half completed chapters of books I am currently writing.

When this happened on Tuesday at work we had already had to deal with a work car breaking down, being snowed off after driving almost 2 hours to get to our archaeological site. Because there was so much snow around a lot of other people were in the office when we got back and it was jam packed. I often don’t deal well with tight spaces and lots of people. Tuesday was no exception. I was so emotionally and mentally drained that night I had early dinner and shower and was in bed by 8.30pm.

Wednesday was almost the most frustrating day of my life. We got to site and for the first hour it was okay because there was frozen puddles to crack and sheets of ice to throw and smash through to continue with the work. However, by the time morning tea came around, the whole place had started to defrost. Which you would think would be a great thing, except because it was clay it became sticky and miserable. Usually when a job is this annoying I put on some cheerful music or an inspirational podcast and get to work. But having broken my phone the day before it was just me and my thoughts. Me and my frustration.


It was so frustrating when every step I took meant I was either stuck to the ground so I couldn’t walk easily, or had enough clay stick to my feet it was like wearing weighted platform shoes that could have rivaled the height of the kind my sister wore in the 90s. #SpiceGirlsForeva. I even fell into the mud on more than on occasion. Pushing a wheelbarrow in that clay will now haunt my dreams… forever.

The whole day of work continued to be like this for me. Jobs that would normally took 30mins to do took 4 hours.

It was the first time I have ever been so frustrated I have wanted to weep. (Or at least it is the most recent so it sticks in my mind to the exclusion of all else). I still feel myself getting frustrated now just thinking about it. It was also completely physically exhausting. I came home absolutely knackered.

When I finally got home I managed to message my boyfriend from my tablet. My family back home in Australia would have been well and truly asleep by the time I got in from work, so I couldn’t call my mum. It actually made me more upset because I couldn’t call anyone as my phone was dead. No phone calls at all.

I have my tablet but it wasn’t then set up with anything and every app wanted me to use my phone to verify it. Talk about frustrating!

I had to figure out what to do that evening to get me out of the funk. I used a few little tips and tricks to help. This wont work for everyone. I think taking some time to get to know what helps you when you are emotionally and physically exhausted will help you.

Firstly, I cried. A good solid sob-fest. Everything I had been holding in for the last 36-48 hours came tumbling out. I must admit I was not very positive. My boyfriend G got really worried about me because I don’t usually sound so defeated or so distraught. What he did was remind me that this is not normal and therefore temporary.

When I had dried my eyes and felt a little lighter I decided I needed to change the way things were going for me. I needed to laugh, too feel clean (get rid of the mud and clay), I needed a win and I needed some comfort food.

I decided to make myself some pizza. Hangry is a new word for a reason. Dealing with the most important part first was going to help me immensely. For someone like me, who is on the Auto-Immune Protocol, making pizza is a lot more time intensive and complicated than nipping to the local Pizza place. Thankfully I had the ingredients on hands. I didn’t even feel guilty when I ate a whole pizza to myself. So, yummy comfort food. Check.

I needed to wash of the mud of the day. So I had a nice hot shower. I washed my hair and braided it when it was almost dry so that I would feel better in the morning as I wouldn’t have to do anything with it. Feeling Clean. Check.

I did some jobs I had been putting off. Like putting away the clothes drying in my room. This feels like a constant job because in winter everything takes so long to dry. I also changed my sheets and did another load of washing (yes, ruining my empty drying rack – but yay! Clean clothes). Having a win. Check.

Lastly I needed a laugh. One thing I find I watch to do this is QI. A British show hosted primarily by Stephen Fry but also by Sandi Thompson. For those not familiar with it, it is a great game show that you can watch one or two episodes of and learn something but usually laugh at too. It often hosts a great range of comedians including some great Aussie comedic icons. It has a habit of making me laugh a lot, whilst learning a heap too. Change my mood. Check.

By that time, It was bed time. So I did what I usually do, I wrote 10 things I was grateful for. This is a nightly ritual for me that helps me reframe my day. You might wonder how I could be grateful for a range of things as my day had been so…. Yes… frustrating. But it is amazing what you can be grateful for when you think about the good. Here is what I wrote in my journal…

WEDNESDAY 30TH JANUARY 2019:

1. I am truly grateful that I had my tablet alarm to wake me up this morning because I was able to get up, dressed and to work on time.
2. I am truly blessed that KC & I got to play with the frozen puddles because we laughed a lot.
3. I am happy and blessed I finally got my Section Photo taken because It took me all day to clean up my ditch slot and get it ready for photographing.
4. With all my heart thank you that I was helped my the Polish crew from the other office because their small acts of kindness made my day so much more bearable.
5. Thank you that we stopped at the services on the way home because I hot a hot cup of tea and that was enough to warm my frozen fingers.
6. I am truly happy that I was able to help the office staff by printing off some extra paperwork for the file when I got back to the office, because it meant they had more time for more important things.
7. I am truly blessed that I got prawns on discount at the supermarket because It meant could add them to my pizza tonight.
8. I am happy and blessed G and I could message on my tablet because I feel so disconnected from my family and friends right now.
9. With all my heart thank you for QI, Pizza and hot showers because they really help me improve my mood.
10. Thank you that I got lots of jobs done because I feel like a successful adult.

I always add a reason why I am grateful for a certain thing. Just saying ‘I am grateful for life’ is nice, but what about it makes you feel it in your bones? Or at least in your heart? Actually feeling the gratitude helps me get out of my funk.

As you can see there were good things about my day too. It wasn’t all frustration. It was also… ice cracking, hot tea, pizza, kindness from colleagues, hot showers, having a win, discount prawns, having a back up alarm clock, laughter, getting the job done, connectedness and bringing kindness to others. Does that mean I wont experience frustration again?? I wish.

Thursday could have been just as frustrating, but this time I was more prepared. Pizza for lunch( (leftovers for the win). A messenger phone call with G from my tablet. Having small wins. Making someone else’s day by bringing them a gift.

I also had several people be really kind to me which was really beautiful and unexpected. Some simply shared in my frustration, whilst others offered me use of old phones. I also got hugs from a few friends and colleagues.

Plus, I finally got a cuddle from G when I finally made it to Wales that evening under the threat of snow. And snow it did! But thankfully I got there safe!

Sometimes knowing how to get yourself out of a funk is the best skill there is. I think I am still learning to deal with frustration but at least now I have some strategies to deal with it myself.

Be kind to one another.

Love Daena

Sustainable September 2018 Day 20

When I first planned this Sustainable September idea I had no idea I would be using this idea again so soon!

Day 20. Repair what you already have.

This has already saved me a bit of cash in the UK recently when my favourite pair of PJ pants split at the crotch seam. That’s right ladies and gently man I had a hole in my pants/trousers.

Back in Australia I had my very own sewing machine that I could whip out and fix little mistakes with, but I don’t have one here. I simply had to make do. So I hand-sewed up the hole. It saved my about £10 ($18 AUD) because I didn’t have to buy a new pair of cotton flannel Pyjama pants. Plus who can resist these pink penguin PJ pants???

(The hole I had to fix. Before and after! And the two cute cats that watched it all). 

Certainly not me. It would have made me very sad to say good bye to them, as they have been some of my favourites for years.

I even had to repair my favourite pink bird jumper. It had a loose threat that made it look terribly scruffy, so I managed to almost completely get the threat back in place, but the last tiny loop wasn’t having a bar of going back into its little home. Instead I got a very fine crochet hook and pulled it through to the inside of the jumper. 
(Me having fun at Cardiff Castle a few months ago in my favourite jumper!!!) 

Now you can’t tell that there is a loose threat loop, which means I can go back to wearing that jumper again and again. I don’t have to buy a new jumper/sweater. Plus for me that jumper is irreplaceable as I’ve never seen one like it before or since owning it. I really do love it.

And this week... well i dropped my phone and smashed the screen. 

 his is something I have never had to get fixed before as I havn't broken one until now. I would have expected to smash my phone screen out in the field but I actually did it as I was leaving work. It fell out of my back pocket and landed on a rock. I am so lucky to have never had to deal wtih this before. So now it's time... and I am getting it replaced! Today in fact! Winning!

Repairing broken things instead of replacing things is a sure way to save money. A new phone screen for an apple phone is about £80 ($150 AUD) however the cost of a new phone is so much more, well into the hundreds of pounds.

In Australia they are creating Repair Sheds, where you can go and get anything repaired or you can go and LEARN how to repair your broken items.

I am yet to find a Repair shop/shed equivalent here in the UK but i havn't had a really good look.

What was the thing you want to repair?
What would was the best thing you ever had repaired or managed to repair yourself?

I hope this finds you all well.

In the words of Ellen Degenerous "Be kind to one another"!
Love Daena x

Sustainable September Day Twenty Five kindness idea

Hello!

How are you? Are you enjoying Sustainable September? I am! :D

So today's kindness was to use your old paper shreddings in either your garden or give them to someone to use for their pets and animals! 

My shreddings make it to my sisters house for her hens to use in their laying boxes...

 

 

The shreddings make nice nesting for the hens. Then I also get to share in the awesome delicious home grown eggs ;) I'm not silly at all! lol

 The Sustainable September Kindness Idea is

Thursday – 25 September – Look into Solar Power. 

If you don't already have it on your house/workplace, research and plan to get solar panels on your roof. SolarGain is a company that works in Australia (this is the link for Perth residents). 

To be honest I don't know too much about solar panels for housing, as I can't use is on my own house. But I imagine each solar company has specialties and price differences. I have shared this link before, to the Synergy website for Solar power, if you want to check it out too, for another perspective.

If you live, like I do, in rented accommodation look at other forms of solar power. I have recently discovered Solar Power phone chargers! You could leave the chargers in your car or on a sunny window and come back & charge your phone from them later. They are very reasonably priced.  This is a link to an iPhone Solar powered Charger and I also found a Solar charger/torch/usb/radio/basically everything which would be awesome in emergency situations. 

There are also Solar Panels that come in portable sizes (Briefcase size & slightly bigger), that are marketed for camping. I have seen some on different camping sites I have visited. They power caravans and other things like camping fridges during the night and day. You can check out this one (of many), link to portable solar panels. 

NOTE: These are not the only websites or products available on the markets but its an idea of what is available. And I do not benefit from sharing these sites over others... they just happen to be the ones I have come across in my travels and have been looking at for my own personal use! :) Hope that makes sense. 

If you get any of the above, let me know what you think. If you have a great brand of solar panel, I would love you to share. I'm still a "newby" when it comes to this whole thing, and any advice would be appreciated.

Much Love to you all, 

luv Daena x

You are so spoilt... Kindnesses for March 2012!

Hey everyone,
I guess you may be surprised by the fact that I am writing again so soon! I am! :) But i figured that if I was on a role, I should pursue that! :)

Before I go on, I just wanted to say thank you for your support over the last few years. In the last couple of weeks we have had an awesome increase with the Facebook page too. And I am just so happy that I can share my daily practices with you all. If you havent "Liked" the facebook page then you can do so here http://www.facebook.com/365daysOfKindness so you can get updated when there are new posts and photos/statuses from me.


 Anyway, so here are the Kindnesses for...

MARCH:

March 1^st, 2012: I did a couple of loads of washing with out having to be asked.

March 2^nd, 2012: I sent messages to a friend on her birthday, who was also having a really hard time.

March 3^rd, 2012: I did 6 hours of gardening in the communal garden.

March 4^th, 2012: I did 8 hours of gardening in the back yard (mum can't do it, so that leaves me... and it is one of those jobs that has been put to the bottom of the list a lot).

March 5^th, 2012: I made several phone calls to a fast food chain, on behalf of another family member, as they had lost half of our order. I always approach these as accidental problems that crop up every now and then, and am always as polite as possible.

March 6^th, 2012: Made mum lunch and a cup of tea

March 7^th, 2012: Invited some neighbors over for a cup of tea.

March 8^th, 2012: I baked several batches of low GI cookies so mum had some “healthy” options for snacks and also baked a cake.

March 9^th, 2012: I took books to a family friend to give ideas of what cakes we could make for her 40^th Birthday Party. I also took my niece and nephew for a walk and played I-Spy to keep the kids out of the room whilst their mum was having a doctors appointment.

March 10^th, 2012: Invited the neighbours over for a piece of home-make cake and coffee.

March 11^th, 2012: Sent a message offering support to a friend who needed some TLC.

March 12^th, 2012: Went to a store to get fabric for sleeplessness & ended up helping a stranger by picking up a role of fabric they had dropped to the ground.

March 13^th, 2012: Acted as a chauffeur for mum and also suggested mum buy a Starwars Lego book for a friends birthday.

March 14^th, 2012: Took mum to a mid-week church service, also a much shorter service, and helped her when she couldn’t sit down any more.

March 15^th 2012: Sent a message of love and encouragement to a friend having a hard time and offered to help out. (Wrote Blog Post available here)

March 16^th, 2012: Went and picked up cake decorating supplies for mum and I, so at we could make a cake.

March 17^th, 2012: Poured mum a drink for mum, for the anniversary of my Grandfathers death.

March 18^th, 2012: Volunteered to water plants for a friend going on holiday for several weeks.

March 19^th, 2012: Went and visited dad because he had had a fall at his nursing home. We calmed him down and supported the nursing home staff.

March 20^th, 2012: Took my mum to her bible-study and craft. Visited dad to make sure he was okay after his fall. Also made mum and the other craft ladies cups of tea.

March 21st, 2012: Took mum to church, made cups of tea (for morning tea) then helped with the washing up afterwards.

March 22nd, 2012: Visited dad and took him some of my home-made cookies. Pushed one of dads fellow house-mates (in a wheelchair) to the dining room for lunch. 

March 23rd, 2012: Drove mum to a doctors appointment. Made cake for a friends 40^th Birthday, AND also supported a friends 1^st full length play (that she wrote and directed) by going to see it with some of my friends.

March 24th, 2012: Dropped the cake off at a friends house, dropped mum off to my sister, and then drove for an hour and a half for an engagement party and acted as skipper.

March 25^th, 2012: Preached at Floreat Salvation Army – Promoting kindness. Sang in the youth band and set up the service. (Wrote Blog Post available here)

March 26^th, 2012: In a difficult situation acted positively and responsibly by acting with integrity against the perpetrator. (Wrote Blog Post available here)

March 27^th, 2012: Cooked dinner for my sister, brother-in-law, niece, nephew, friend and mum. (Wrote Blog Posts available here & here )

March 28^th, 2012: Babysat my sisters kids for a few hours after school. Made them snack and played with them.

March 29^th, 2012: Took my niece to school, drove to the children's hospital, acted as a chauffeur for my nephew and sister, and then drove them home after my nephews appointment to have the metal rods in his arm removed in surgery.

March 30^th, 2012: Made a cup of tea for mum to enjoy in bed.

March 31^st, 2012: Went to the Salvation Army fete and helped by cooking sausages and cleaning up afterwards.

*Please remember that there was also probably other stuff done on these days, but these were the kindnesses we were able to piece together after loosing all my kindnesses due to a technological glitch with my iPhone, TWICE! Needless to say, I have now gone back to using Paper and pen to record these kindnesses.

Well, I hope you enjoyed March 2012s Kindnesses. Thank you for your support on both the Facebook page and this blog (and in person/email), without your love and support I wouldn't be able to do what I do everyday. So thanks, you rock! :) 

Love and hugs, Daena x

Happy Birthday to me! :)

Hey Everyone,
Today is my 27th birthday! Hooray!

But not only does it mark another year of my life starting, it marks an anniversary of sorts for this very project!

3 Years ago I started what I called Project 25 - Random Acts of kindness! What it was all about was that instead of people giving me gifts for my next birthday I wanted them to do something far cooler, I wanted them to do something meaningful in their communities & tell me about it! This was to be their present to me on my 25th birthday!

So on my 25th birthday I had people all over, those that knew me, & some that didn't doing kind deeds in their communities because I had asked them too!

I got over 30 awesome birthday presents that year! That was also when I decided that as much as I wanted people to do acts of kindness in their communities, i began asking how can you encourage & inspire people when you are not living what you want others to do?!

That was how 365days-of-kindness was born!

And I love looking back and seeing what others have done & what I have done through this amazing project that I happened to be blessed to write & share!

So what I am asking of you today is that you do a "Daena's Birthday Madness" & go into your community & do a kind deed & share it here or on the 365days-of-kindness Facebook page & give me the best presents in the world!

I hope you have a lot of fun as I have in the last few days!

Much love,
Daena-the-birthday-girl-Guest!

Ps. If there is attrocious spelling I must appologize as I am using my iPhone to write this post as opposed to my computer! There are first times for everything! :)

The technology curse...

Hey everyone,
Just wanted to let you all know that I was just about to keep going and adding my Kindnesses to my album. this last year i have been recording my Kindnesses on the Calendar on my iPhone thinking that I would then be able to just post my calendar to here so you could see it as I do! But Somehow, with the terrible curse of technology (or maybe its just that I don't know how to sort stuff out ... ) but I have somehow magically lost all of the Kindnesses I had recorded on my iPhone up until the end of last month.
Thankfully I had already transferred from January to February 5th to my handwritten album (like what i had done last year). But that means I am still missing from February to the end of April! So apart from being completely devastated that I have lost it, I am also pretty sad that i can't share what I was hoping to inspire you all with again this year. I may be able to track down the kindnesses with my mums help! Or with the help of an Apple iPhone technician... but i just wanted you to know. So that if anyone knows how to find the back up of the Calendar from an iPhone they can tell me... Consider it a MAJOR kindness!
I am really happy that i have had such a supportive group to support me... and I will keep going! Just because of a little road bump doesn't mean that i will give up my mission of kindness.

Thanks again to all those who have supported me during my "missing" months! :)
Cheers,
Daena x

"Meh-ish-ness"... NOT an actual word!

Hey Everyone,
well this has been a very busy couple of weeks for me! I feel like a I have become a little bit of a recluse (apart from shopping for food and driving to doctors appointments), with looking after mum, having migraines, terrible bouts of insomnia, gastro (or food poisoning... not sure which), and just general "meh-ish-ness". And yes... I know  "meh-ish-ness" is not an ACTUAL word... but its about how I felt this last few weeks. So I decided I needed to get back into writing on here again! Just to keep you updated and so I feel more connected to the world!


As you can tell I am still behind on last years RAKs! Over the last year and a bit I have been laboriously completing the entries in my Scrapbook, then scanning them in, then uploading. This takes ages! Some times I also have problems at one or more stages and it prevents me from getting them uploaded on this Blog. So I have been a bit of a slacker when a problem crops up! However, if you were to come to my house I could show you my beautiful scrapbook with all the pretty pictures and all my RAKs!


One thing... I need a little help! Does anyone know how to transfer the calendar on an iPhone to the computer? I have been storing all my latest RAKs & kindnesses on my iPhone and have been trying to figure out a way to easily transfer things digitally! So that I will get them up faster on here! So you can read it and see what I have been doing and some of the funny stories or little wins I have had in the world! If you have any ideas of how to do this please contact me!


Anyway, I just wanted to let you know I am still alive! Mum is too, which i know is a good thing! :) AND i have every intention of putting more RAKs up!

Just to prove that I can do it I will let you have the last few that I scanned in when I was last able too! So here they are...

Still a bit behind! if only it were a "bit"! lol!

Also, one of my family has pointed out that these ideas are great but that more information or stories would be great! So this year I am trying to include a little more information when I can! however, if I have been using photos and names I have been asking for permission from them. I think its nicer when they know their identity is shared, just in case they don't want it known to the world! wow... I sound like some of my friends are spy's! oh, if that were only true! lol!Then again, if they were... would I actually get to know about it? hmmm? Enough of my random musings!

I am off to finish a book and get some sleep... HOPEFULLY!

I hope all is going well with you in the world! :)
Luv Daena x