Today I am grateful for...

Good friends.

I remember once hearing Oprah talk about how a gratitude journal changed her life because each day she was consciously looking for reasons to be thankful.  This deliberate act of focussing on the present and being aware of the things which bring her joy had a transformative affect on her, and I can see why.

Since signing up to Lisa's 30 days of gratitude, it has been at the forefront of my mind, and I find myself paying a lot more attention to the details of my life.  For example, today I am grateful for good friends.  I could leave it at that, and it's no less significant or valid.  But the reason I chose to acknowledge the blessing of friendships today is because Cam and I had the most delightful evening with a couple of our dear friends last night.   One of those nights where you leave with your heart as full as your belly (Michelle seriously cooks the most delicious roast...) In fact, sometimes its only after being in the company of people who you feel totally comfortable with, do you realise how rare and precious that gift actually is. 

Then today, one of my oldest and dearest friends called me to tell me she has just been offered this amazing job.  After two years of literal hell, suddenly something good and wonderful was happening for her, and I felt my eyes well up with happiness for her.  I was grateful in that moment for having a friendship so deep and so full of love in my life.  I truly am blessed.

Most of the time, I try not to take the good things in my life for granted, and I like to think that I practice gratitude on a daily level (I genuinely feel thankful every time I look at Cam), but it's only Day 3 and I can already see how much deeper this practice can go.  So thank you Lisa, for making me sit up and pay attention to the reasons why I am grateful.

Happy Birthday, Nat

One of the best times in my life BC (Before Cam) was when I lived in this tiny bedsit just off Baker Street.
And I mean tiny.  No more than 9ft x 5ft I would say; with just enough room for a single bed alongside one wall, and a hand basin/sink area and bar fridge along the opposite wall. 
Inbetween was a gap just wide and long enough to fit a Nat. 
Made-to-measure.

Those were the days when Nat and I really became friends.  When we made the organic transformation from "let's get together for a drink", to "fancy staying over tonight and watching a DVD?"  My favourite evenings were those when Nat and I would meet up for Italian food in the local ristorant, joke and flirt with the waiters, and then return to the house where you have to pay 50p for a timed shower in the morning (seriously!) but could have been the MGM Grand for all we cared. 

We would play the Practical Magic soundtrack, singing out loud to Faith Hill.  We would order from Urban Fetch (just to have the complimentary cookies!) and then lie there watching DVDs, giggling, and dreaming about our futures.   Nat became not just part of my life then, but part of my future.

It's been well over a decade now, and Nat is still very much part of my life.
When Cam and I moved to Australia and I was desperately homesick, Nat used to text and call me frequently, and even came out to visit us.  In some of my hardest times over the years, Nat was always there and ready to help. 

Today she celebrates her 39th birthday, and I just wanted to celebrate her out loud.
At the beginning of the year, everything she believed in, including herself, crumbled to the ground.
But over the last 12 months Nat has found strength to reconstruct her future.
Bigger.  Better.  Brighter.

She has shown tenacity picking herself up.  Again.  And again.  And again, until she found firm foundations. 
As I've tried to be there for her, I have been in awe of her grace and courage as she follows her truth. 
I've watched her grapple and question her faith, her judgement, and been inspired by her raw honesty.

Today she stands on the precipice of a new future.  Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, Nat has emerged from this experience wiser, stronger, and more beautiful for it.   I have been humbled by her journey, and I am so proud to call this woman a friend.

Happy birthday, Nat
xo

Eton Mess

Ingredients:
Strawberries.
Sugar.
Port.
Vanilla Extract.
Meringue.
Cream.
Blueberries.

Recipe:
Mash up a punnet of ripe English strawberries with a little Canadian sugar and a dash of California port.

Fold the finest kiwi extract into softly whipped New Zealand cream and mix with essential pieces of meringue.

Finish with a sprinkling of blueberries and serve.

And there you have the Brit Bloggers Collective.
A true decadent delight.