Page 151 - Most of us have past events in our life that have hurt us. Whether we learn from these is up to us! I am lucky as I have never had anything really bad happen to me, though some of the minor events may have seemed that way at the time! Now I have said that, some may think that being diagnosed with breast cancer and having a mastectomy is really bad, but I have learnt so much from that and appreciate my life so much more! If I had run from the diagnosis maybe the outcome would have been worse? Now I live each day as it comes and make the most of it!

Surely no one escapes being hurt to some degree in life, but it can be a positive thing if we learn from it!

Page 150 - Bloom in adversity, at the time it may not feel like it, but when we look back, we may see it clearly! We never think we are beautiful, but the real person we are is seen as beautiful by others! Heroes definitely bloom in adversity, but aren't we all heroes in our own little way, maybe not hitting headlines in the papers. Our small actions may be heroic to some one! Sometimes just getting through difficult times can make us bloom, and I believe we all bloom in our own way! The only rarity is that we are all unique!

Page 149 - reach for the sky, meaning that you should aim high for what you want? If you don't try you don't succeed, and seemingly impossible may be obtained! In career, personal life and life in general! Sad day today as my aunt's funeral, but she was 96 so had a good life! Up side to it all, met up again with cousins I hadn't seen for years! So maybe I should "reach for the sky" by making the effort to stay in touch!

Page 148 - never been one for looking in mirrors, does that mean I am not vain? Of course, I like to look nice, neat and tidy, but never been a slave to the latest fashions etc! I know what I am comfortable wearing and what suits me. Have never dyed my hair, a bit difficult as I am a natural auburn colour, now it is white and am quite happy with that! Maybe I should be more adventurous! Today society seems obsessed with "looks", not just the ladies! I think at times it goes too far! Bit like a competition! Is one dress really worth over £500? Are people afraid to be themselves, so have to hide behind "fashion"?But my pet hate is the way young children are dressed as mini adults and so many have to be seen in the latest designer gear! Is this for their sake or the parents? Girls and boys having their hair dyed, girls tottering around on high heels at a very young age, the damage this can do to their growing bodies! I really think children should be allowed to be just that children! Are we encouraging vanity? They will face the pressures of society soon enough so let them enjoy childhood!

Look in the mirror, see yourself and love yourself for who you are, warts and all!

Page 147 - A long quote today! The sound of being alone might be lovely, but I really need someone to share with or life doesn't really have much purpose! Yes, alone time is good for me, and I enjoy it, but not too much! I can appreciate both small and large events much more when I share them together with a loved one. Life has grown in all ways with my dh, being able to do things together, discover things, experience life's ups and downs. And learn how to live in harmony, or at least try to! What fun is it really laughing alone, or looking at beauty alone, much better to share the fun!

But not just with loved ones, but all people we meet in the course of daily life. We are social beings and need interaction with others to learn, to challenge and to grow. To fulfill ourselves.

Page 146 - Rights and feelings, do we really understand the meaning of these words? Rights is a very political word nowadays, we all have them, surely we shouldn't need the law to assert them? It is our right! It may be our right but do we think of how it may affect others, and their feelings? Not always unfortunately. Feelings can be so easily hurt, maybe not intentionally, just because we have a right to something.I feel this quote is telling us to stop and think before we act not just in relationships but in all the things we do.

Page 145 - Space, we all need our own space! Time alone to think, to recover and grow! But we need to remember to reciprocate this to other people, especially a partner in a close relationship! I love my dh but do not feel the need to be with him 24/7, I feel we benefit from time apart and can then enjoy a greater closeness when together. It gives me time to reflect and think what we do. We do not grow if we are stifled by another person and have no mind of our own. For each person this space will be different, some need more, some less, but we all need it!

Page 144 - Strive to be first, so hard sometimes to acknowledge people if you are shy, to start a conversation with strangers, but a smile will break the ice! We all like a compliment, so makes sense to be the first to pay one to another person! Be first to forgive, sounds easy but takes courage. Worthwhile though to end any animosity, and to keep friendship. So being first isn't about winning in the race sense, but about winning in other ways!

Page 143 - Opening our hearts can be very hard as we are naturally afraid of being hurt! I consider myself so lucky that when I opened my heart to love I found the right person all those years ago. But we need to open our hearts not just to love but many other people and experiences or we miss so much in life! One of the easiest times to open our hearts is at the birth of our children. In times of trouble we can find help by opening our heart, often from an unlikely person. Maybe Maria was referring to God when she said these words. I won't be half hearted about opening my heart wide again.

I have altered the photo by wrapping in clingfilm to show how wrapped up we can be! Sometimes in ourselves so we don't open our hearts to others!

Page 142 - the capacity to care! I hope I am a caring person, having been a nurse for many years, I cared for my patients and their needs, and also their relatives. Also for the staff who worked with me. We also care for our family and friends, this comes naturally to most people, but we also need to care about so many other things. The world, the environment, global warming, decline of nature and animals, and of course, the plight of some people in this world. If we cannot care I don't think we can help or feel other's pain and suffering. I know some people do not care about others as long as they are alright and find this hard to understand. Caring gives some meaning to our lives. And maybe one of the greatest meanings is knowing that we are also cared for.

Page 141 - today's quote is by Christopher Reeve, better known as Superman. After his accident, he never gave up hope even though he was paralysed from the neck down and needed a respirator. He hoped he would walk again and lead a normal life, or as near normal as possible. He chose to hope for the impossible in the hope it would become possible. Do we give up just because things seem impossible, or should we choose hope? I believe we should choose hope, and strive to make the impossibe become possible. Some people just never do and despair may take over. I would rather choose hope.

I hope for many things, some may happen, others may not but I will continue to hope!

Page 140 - Dream. I don't think I am a dreamer to excess. I have all the dreams that other people probably do, but am too practical to dream of the unobtainable. Maybe when I was younger I had big dreams, some of which came true, but now I am older I dream of the time Michael retires and we have time together to do as we please. Maybe travel, there is so much in this country we haven't yet seen let alone foreign travel. Maybe just to enjoy our time together, spur of the moment days out, time with family, and pursuing hobbies, maybe learning new things! I will pursue my dreams!

LO for week 18 using the quote
"Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you" by Frank Lloyd Wright. I did manage to merge two photos for this, some beautiful bluebells and a self portrait.















LO for week 19, using song lyrics by Snow Patrol. My interpretation, that as we grow older, our garden will flower and burst into life as we have more leisure time to do as we want.

This is the cover of my fourth album for this challenge, each contains 6x6 page protectors to hold my daily lo's. By the end of the year I will have a mini library!

Page 139 - One, well what did I make of that! A photo of me and dh, can two become as one! To a certain extent, yes. You need to work together to make a relationship succeed, when children come along, you need to be in unison about their upbringing. You get to know what the other is thinking, how they are feeling, how they will react to something! You know their likes and dislikes. But, you must retain your own identity, your own self to be truly a happy person! To keep the relationship healthy you each need your own interests, hobbies etc, but need to take an interest in each others. So although people tend to treat a couple as one person, never forget they are one plus one!

Page 138 - He[art], a very different prompt today! First thoughts were art from the heart, and why are nearly all the well known artists men? Then we went for a walk in an area we hadn't been for a while, and found this graffitti under a bridge by a river. There were about 8 different panels of various styles of art, but the one of pirates was fantastic. This is a pic of a skull and crossbones, just a small part of the whole piece! Whoever did this is truly a talened artist.

Some graffitti is just random paint spraying but occassionally there is a work of art, is it HE [ART]? We do tend to assume most graffitti artists are young lads!

Page 137 - Create, I did this page before I ventured into the kitchen to do some baking and put away the shopping that had just been delivered or I would have done it on creating a mess! I managed to knock a bowl of brown sugar all over the place and then dropped a yoghourt on the floor so spent ages cleaning up!

But today I had written about creating memories with my camera, recording not only the major events of our lives, but also the little moments! These photos are scrapped and put in albums, but goodness knows what will happen to them when I am no longer here! I hope one of the children will want them! Still, I am happy creating them! I also love to create other things, I love my knitting machine, my sewing/embroidery machine, to crochet, to cook and garden. So many things to do and not enough time!

Page 136 - Not a very inspiring day so far, pouring with rain after all the lovely sun we have had! But, my latest inspiration is my camera, having decided to do an on line photo course I find my pictures are improving and I am no longer satisfied with those I would once have been. Though today's pic is not brilliant! I am happy to walk around snapping away, inspired by all I see around me! Looking at life from a different angle can be very inspiring!

Sometimes I wonder if I have ever inspired anyone else to do anything. Maybe when I was working! I hope I have inspired my children! Not just about their lifestyle, but about what they want to achieve. Maybe just being me can be inspiring to someone!

Page 135 - Discover! Life is a journey of discovery, from the moment we are born we discover how to survive! We discover through play and our own natural curiosity! Every day if I think about it I have discovered something new, be it only a small piece of knowledge. I discover I can do things that I thought impossible! This 365 challenge has certainly been a voyage of discovery!

Page 134 - Play, we all like to play! Children learn through play, not just practical things but also about life! Playing with children reminds us to see the world in a more simple way, and sometimes more honest! As adults we don't play enough, even just doing hobbies! I used to love playing with my children when they were young, and now I have the pleasure of playing with grandchildren! What fun it is blowing bubbles, or chasing around the garden! Playing keeps us young!

Page 133 - Perfect day, well mine would be to have all my family around me. Apart from special occassions this doesn't happen too often as they all lead busy lives, but that is what I hoped for them so not complaining! I would hope for good weather so we could all be outside, maybe with a bbq, the grandchildren could play and we could enjoy a glass of wine and chat! All very relaxed! Everyone enjoying themselves. When this does happen I am very happy, but if I just have to see them on different days, then I am still happy. I am lucky I get to see them so often!

Page 132 - All you need is love, may be idealistic, sometimes you may need a little more, but with love, most things are possible! Learn how to play the game, all through life we are learning, but this is made so much easier with someone you love! We have learnt how to live together in harmony, most of the time singing the same song, and how to raise our family, we may have made some mistakes but the end results aren't that bad! Yes everything is so much easier if you have love!

Page 131 - Throw off the constraints, try new things before you get too old! As we get older maybe we have more time to try new things, and become like a garden that is bursting into life! In later years I have had more time to learn new things, but this has been easier with DH at my side to help, not just with the practicalities but with support too! Forge what we're told, well, I do believe in breaking some rules when the occassion demands.

Only one person I want, or need to lie with me, and we can forget the world and make our own little world!

Page 130 - Summertime, well the weather over the last few days has certainly been glorious! In summer our lifestyle changes, more outdoor time, gardening, walking, barbecues, trips out and just generally enjoying it while it lasts! I love warm mornings so I can eat breakfast outside, lisening and watching the birds. I love the relaxed feel of eating outdoors. Sitting in the garden in the evening with a glass of wine, just enjoying company and chatting, or even on my own with a good book!

When the weather is fine, activities are more spontaneous, I get up and just take off somewhere, no planning! I think most people are happier in the summertime!

But I am not a sun worshipper, I burn easily so have to be careful, and I do feel the heat! After spending two years in the middle of nowhere in Australia, I did find blue skies and sunshine every day rather boring! Some would say that is a terrible thing to say! It is like a lot of things, sounds perfect but in reality is different!

Page 129 - even on the darkest days, a smile can make all the difference. Sometimes it may seem hard to smile, but if someone else smiles at you it is hard not to smile back! Smiling helps you through many situations, hopefully always on the way up! I hope it is my style to smile often!

Page 128 - wake up, well I'm usually up quite early, no lie ins for years here! Yes, I often take time out to rest my mind, think this is needed to regroup and keep on top of things! Today my early start saw me off to London to meet my sister, we had a lovely day!

Page 127 - the sunshine of my life? Has to be DH, without him I wouldn't have my children, grandchildren or my life as it is! I love being together even after all these years, we are never bored with each other. OK, we have our ups and downs, but I think that is normal, it is our love that sees us through! I just wish everyone could be as lucky as me and have found their "sunshine"!

Page 126 - That old adage, laughter is the best medicine! I can usually find humour in most situations, some may not think this appropriate, but it does help me to cope! When I'm rushing around trying to get things done, and some silly little thing happens, or someone says something, and the laughter starts, such a good feeling! Some people never seem to see the funny side of things! They miss the joy of laughing!Also laughter is infectious, one starts to laugh and we all do! We can't force laughter, it just sort of happens, and sometimes other people do not see what we find so funny! If laughter could be bottled and handed out on the NHS, we would all be a lot healthier and happier!

Page 125 - As I don't like chaos I suppose I am quite good at the dance of balance! Have certainly had enough practise at it, having brought up four children, with all the running around, being in different places at different times, and coping with all their activities! Maybe my Dad influenced me as he was in the Army, and everything was very organised at home! Maybe it was my nursing training, where I did have to be balanced to get all the work done! Now, it is easier to be balanced as I please myself most of the time! I think we learn how to do the "dance of balance" as we get older and have more responsibilities.

Page 124 - How appropriate today I can include a photo of dh with me, taken specially! This moment and the energy from it have to last me for the week, as he is away from home! I really miss having a kiss at odd times of the day, or a hug when I need one, or just the company of my soul mate, a phone conversation just isn't the same! So yes the energy of these moments does spread beyond all boundaries! But I still realise I am luckier than some to have him come home to me at weekends! Today I have stuck with my selfish thoughts!

Page 123 - A good play on words today! We all remember the pleasant times rather than the bad, but do we enjoy them at the time? Most people do not dwell on the past or the bad times, but memories are usually of pleasant times! These do not have to be major events, but all the little things that happen from day to day! Just looking at flowers, hearing the birds, seeing the sun or rain, visiting family or friends, an unexpected phone call, all pleasant! Maybe "pleasant" depends on how we view the world?

Page 122 - the old cliche springs to mind, "home is where the heart is" Yes, a house is just bricks and mortar and could be anywhere, but home is built with love and dreams! Without people and family there would be nothing! Our house has been extended over the years to accomodate a growing family, the children have all dreamt of their futures while growing up here, been prepared to fly the nest and make their mark on the world. Now they have homes of their own, but still like to return here, not for the building, but for the love. Parents, siblings and friends have all stayed here, making it more of a home! Michael and I still love and dream here, it is our home! Our dreams! Just bricks and mortar, but they protect us! I am lucky to own my own home, so many people do not, and in some places they do not even have a roof over their heads.