365/365: A year's worth of happy moments

Wow. A whole year! It's been an interesting and enjoyable process, documenting the small good things on a (mostly) daily basis. Occassionally I read back through the happy moments, my mood invariably lifting as I scroll through all the good stuff laid out here - one moment after another, a cavalcade of reminders of why life doesn't always suck (just some of the time).

It's nice to have a ruthlessly edited record of my year that only presents the good things and omits the bad, like an Australian History schoolbook from the 50's.

What stands out about this exercise? Well, it's amazing how many of these posts are cycling related. I really think cycling has contributed to my mental wellbeing greatly over the last few years; not so much for the fitness benefits as much as the experience of being outdoors in all weather; travelling at a gentle pace; having strangers fuss over my beautiful bike; and most of all, engaging with the environment as you travel through it.

I can't recommend it enough. Choosing a bike over a car has literally been life changing for me.

Overwhelmingly, being near my family once again has provided me with so many happy moments since I've come home; we spend a lot of time laughing together. I feel so lucky to have my two wonderful brothers and their beautiful partners in my life. I feel lucky to have two lovely parents who I adore and whose visits brighten my day. I feel lucky to have wonderful friends who include me in their lives, let me play with their kids, and listen to me whinge about my love life. I feel lucky to have a beautiful, bright flat to live in, surrounded by all my favourite things.

(I'm beginning to feel like Hugh Laurie in this scene from Blackadder III).

I feel lucky blessed. I am so fortunate, and this blog has made me more aware of that.

Thanks for joining me!

364/365

Working from home in my pyjama's. I really should get dressed...

363/365

A new client: one I really like on a personal and a professional level.

362/365

Buying a new dress, by accident, on my way home from the Department of Immigration.

Dealing with Immigration in Oz? Only about a BILLION times better than in the UK. No exaggeration, I was in and out in 15 minutes, I only had to fill in a few basic details, and the lady was super nice and helpful.

361/365

Being told my bike bell was "awesome" by a MAMIL (middle-aged man in lycra) this morning.

Ding dong!

360/365

Sharing a secret giggle with middle bro as we were ushered around the super plush Eden display suite.

We may go back next weekend for another free coffee, perhaps in disguise this time. As rich people who could afford a riverside apartment in Richmond rather than a couple of bedraggled local bums.

359/365

Saying goodbye to the gorgeous little Lauren after an afternoon of playing mermaids and reading Charlie and Lola. She launched herself at me for a monster squeeze.

358/365

Melbourne International Animation Festival time! Y'all know what that means: mind-bendingly trippy sh*t on at ACMI.

357/365

One  of many Amazon binges. Feast your ears on this bundle of goodness:

 Fink  Okkerville River  Friendly Fires  Panda Bear Noah and the Whale Biblio Lisa Mitchell PJ Harvey Wild Beasts Radiohead  Fink The Temper Trap

356/365

Receiving a text with an x on the end of it, from someone I actually want to kiss. Simple pleasures.

355/365

Unscheduled day off. Got to have lunch with a mate and give him the low-down on my dating stories/disasters.

354/365

Meeting a lovely new client who I'm already looking forward to working with. And she introduced me to the loveliest little coffee shop/milk bar/café in North Melbourne town (they supply blankets instead of those horribly wasteful outdoor gas heaters).

353/365

Brunch date!

352/365

Spending a very pleasant day cycling with a friend, coming across the Winter Solstice festival at Fed Square on the way back.

351/365

Receiving the Best News Ever. To be revealed at a later date.

350/365

The colours of the Yarra at night: midnight blue and champagne gold.

349/365

FOX MULDER'S BEARD! Sorry, it called for ALL CAPS.

Scared the crap out of myself watching "The X Files: I Want To Believe" by myself in the flat late at night.

348/365

My friend's sweet little 3 year old searching my flat, then coming to me, putting his hands on my knees and asking earnestly: Where do you keep all your toys? Aw.

347/365

Watching my mum wobble away on my bike, my Dad and I yelling instructions after her (she hasn't ridden for many years).

346/365

Baking pumpkin and ginger tea-bread for friends. I haven't been doing enough baking lately.

345/365

Reading Barry Humphries "My Life as Me", in which he waxes lyrical about the first flat he ever lived in by himself – describing it as "serene and aloof" – and smiling in recognition.

344/365

Melbourne: the kind of town where you can leave your bike lights on your bike (and your panniers full of books) and they will still be there when you get back.

343/365

Melbourne: the kind of town where you can accidentally forget to take your $70 from the cash drawer of the self checkout machine, and someone will hand it in. 

342/365

Appropriating lemons from neighbourhood trees.

341/365

Patting all the beautiful dogs left outside Coles while their owners shop inside.

340/365

"Sim sala bim!" I have no idea which exotic childhood story this is from, but doesn't it sound cool? I imagine it's in the same category as "Open Sesame!" and "Bippity Boppity Boo".

339/365

Tucking into a delicious lunch of Tasmanian Heritage camembert smeared on  Yarra Valley crackers with feta-stuffed olives from the market yesterday, finishing with a delicious juicy pear. Serious yumness.

338/365

Introducing one Ms Broadfoot to the guilty pleasures of an iconic South Melbourne Market Dim Sim.

337/365

F*ck yeah, Jewish men.

336/365

Happy Thursday! Here's your present: