7-Day Project Gratitude

20th September 2014.

I was hoping I wouldn't get tagged but haha, trust an ol' buddy to tag me on Facebook!

Instead of boring everyone with a daily status update, I thought I'd chuck it here, somewhere private, where only those who accidentally stumble across this blog have the misfortune to read my mundane ramblings. :)

I'm not sure how it works - do I come up with something new to be grateful for on a daily basis or can they be the same thing over and over? Do I need to elaborate or shall I just leave them in point form?

Hmmm.

Day 1 - 21st September 2014.

1. To be alive and well!

2. For a loving family, both immediate and extended. 

No wars or rifts at the moment! Well, not that I know of ... but anyway, I miss being a kid all over again so that I can be at home with the family. That's just my indirect way of saying that I really miss my family. And to be able to watch my munchkin of a niece grow up! :)

3. To still be able to walk and run. 

Why not? I'm always thankful that my legs are still holding up pretty well. Having said that, the DOMS I suffered from Saturday's hill reps are torture! I thought by running our usual undulating 11k route on Monday would eliminate the DOMS but hahaha, they returned as a result of Monday's run. How ironic!

Day 2 - 22nd September 2014.

1. To be able to devour my chick lit novels. 

I love that the library is just within walking distance! I really enjoy spending time with novels. Seriously. It's a childhood pastime, just reading and reading and not having a care about the rest of the world. A shame that I have terrible memory and a week later I won't remember what I actually read!

2. To be able to hug my husband on a daily basis.

3. For good friends whom I know I will be able to count on when I need them. 

There are friends who would hesitate and mull over whether to assist you or not, before giving you an answer. There are others who'd agree to help without any hesitation at all. :)

Knew of the movie before I spotted the book at the library. A good read.

Day 3 - 23rd September 2014.

1. I still have hair! 

Despite the grey roots, I still have hair.

2. I still have teeth! 

I had a nightmare back in high school once about my teeth going all flappy like flap doors for pets to enter the house. It was horrible. I couldn't speak properly in my dream and my teeth would just flap!

3. Bargain $1 bags. 

Bought a bag of loose longan and another bag of french beans - what a steal! I love a great bargain!

Day 4 - 24th September 2014.

1. A smartphone. 

Although the screen has cracked and I've taped it, it still works. Whatsapp chats with friends are awesome.

2. For Skype! 

Otherwise I won't be able to watch my niece's antics and my parents won't see how fat I am. Haha! It's the only way to have decent chat with everyone, although the niece is always demanding for attention. Argh, she's growing up too fast for me!

3. For ol' friends. 

So happy that Marie will be helping me buy and bring some stuff for me - she'll be here next month to visit her adorable chubby niece who is turning 1! (Whoever plans to do their shopping in Australia when they're here, think again. Nothing here is cheap, NOTHING. Except for McDonald's soft cone ice-cream...)

I'm waiting until it sells for $6
before I buy and try them!

Day 5 - 25th September 2014.

1. For not being *that* fat. 

I put on my work pants today (the last time I wore them was 1.5 years ago) and they fit! Phewwww.

2. For McDonald's soft cone ice-cream which cost only 30 cents (RM1 in Malaysia). 

Had my ice-cream fix!

3. For blood relations (and family) who remind me that I have some good stuff going on. 

Sometimes I forget to count the positives that I have. Sometimes I need a kick in the butt. Despite hurdles and obstacles, I really must remember that there are ways to go around them or overcome them. Thank you.

Day 6 - 26th September 2014.

1. For friends who don't give up on me. 

I was telling someone the other day that I was feeling rather lonely due to lack of communication from friends and ex-colleagues back home. Then comes along a few chats and emails from faraway friends who remind me, "Hellooooo, it's a big world out there! We're still here and we're your friends!" Thank you. :)

2. For my oven. 

Even if it's not a branded one, it still works like a dream. There were hesitations about purchasing an oven but I'm glad we did! (Mmm, sriracha honey chicken ...)

3. For Glenfiddich's 15 year old single malt whiskey. 

On the rocks. Yums! It's been a while ...

Sriracha chicken. Adapted from a recipe seen on Eat, Live, Run.

Day 7 - 27th September 2014.

1. For the people who eat my not very successful creations. 

My father-in-law is always a fan of my non-sweet baking products and not-salty cooking. He and the hubs enjoyed the steamed red bean buns I made yesterday.

2. For having enough money to store snacks in our paltry pantry. 

We skipped lunch and by 2pm, I was hungry. Thank goodness for some biscuits I bought the other day. (My gratitude seem to be mostly food-related.)

3. For a bed to sleep in. 

Loving our new quilt and my U-shaped pillow! It's weird but its firmness is one I have been looking for in a pillow. The pillows here are always too soft. (The U-shaped pillow looks weird and it takes up space, but it works well when I sit up in bed to read.) 

Bertie sits on top of a mountain.

Who should I tag to do this? Hmm ... I'm not sure if anybody wants to do this haha!

Have a great weekend everyone. And like what Ellen DeGeneres always say at the end of her show, "Be kind to one another."