Counting My Blessings - Help!

I saw this heading (without the 'Help')  at Freda's of What's the story in Dalamory, who in turn found it on Dianne's of Schmiddleyscribblins;  as my ideas for blogging seem to have dried up completely, I'll make use of it here. If anybody else finds themselves in the same shoes, feel free to do likewise.

Now then,  counting my blessings is anathema to me. I've always railed against it as an occupation I wouldn't even indulge in if I found myself at the bottom of the darkest hole I've ever not looked up out of. It's not that I'm against gratitude, I consider that a definite virtue; but, I ask you, doesn't the mere fact of COUNTING blessings make the counter sound totally pathetic?

Yet here I am, not even in a hole, except blog-idea-wise, counting today's blessings. Seven is the number of blessings I'm meant to come up with.:

1.   I found myself waking up in my own cosy, warm bed this morning, listening to the filthiest,

nastiest morning weather outside;  gusts of rain lashing the windows, gale force winds rattling the gutters, while  climbers, in extremis,  scratched the walls and clung on for dear life.
And why was this a blessing? Because I didn't have to go out in it!

2.   At 9.30, my wonderful cleaning lady, Kelly, arrived. I hadn't seen her since I came out of hospital last week. She is a caring, warm-hearted women, who listened to my tale of woe with lots of "Ah, poor you. Bless. Ah, Bless". She is rather given to lots of Ahs, and 'Bless' is one of her favourite expressions.

It has been known to grate on me in the past, when I've come across people whose empathy finds no other verbal outlet.

Today, it was a blessing to find a simple, kind soul, who sounded as if she meant every Ah and every Bless. 

3.   Kelly cleaned my house, quickly, efficiently and with a minimum of fuss.

If that's not a blessing, I don't know what is.

4.   While Kelly was working, I had a whole morning to clear my desk. It's been weeks since I tidied up paperwork, bills, receipts; at least two months since I last reconciled bank statements and filed other financial letters. That allowed me to rediscover various pieces of information, previously hidden, from societies in which I have an interest. I was beginning to think I'd been taken off their Christmas lists this year.

5.   Lunch was pasta, my favourite. Quick and easy to cook.

6.   Beloved offered to take Benno out for me in the afternoon. It was still tipping it down, with hail blown about by the wind fit to poke holes in the back of your neck. I gratefully took him up on the offer. I was doubly grateful when they came back drenched.

Bless him.

7.   Instead, I managed to write a long letter to a friend in Germany, whom I  have neglected since the summer, when we met by courtesy of Skype. I wrote the last long letter to her at the same time last year; the fact that she hasn't complained  in spite of my cavalier behaviour towards her tells you what a good friend she is. Or is it possible that neither of us is quite as bothered about the other as we were a few years ago? The thing is, I finally wrote, which makes me feel good about myself and gets rid of the niggling guilt feeling I've had for months.

8.   Can TV be a blessing? Maybe not, unless it's your favourite cop show transmitted to your own TV, in your own room, via digital, satellite TV, all the way from Germany to the UK. Sitting with my feet up, watching the box this evening I would even call bliss, rather than a blessing.


It seems that my blessings are all to do with idleness; others might find that quite embarrassing. But you'll never get me to admit guilt for being idle. I like it. Besides, not only did I come up with eight good things happening today, but I wouldn't even call them blessings as such. So, there's even more reason to feel good about myself. Counting blessings? Pah, who needs it!


PS: The picture above is nothing to do with this post. I took it on a foggy day in November in the garden.  What? You didn't really expect me to go out in this weather just to find a suitable picture to head up this post? You did? Dear me.