The location was excellent – staying in an apartment overlooking the beach, and handy to many sight-seeing areas. It was great to walk along the beachside walkways, and to wander onto the beach – the water was a perfect temperature too.

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Dinner out on a couple of evenings, some shopping – finding a couple of great bargains, also a wander through markets, and exploring little tourist areas in the mountains. A good balance of holiday outings and relaxation.

Afternoon tea in the mountains was a pleasant experience. The restaurant has a panoramic view of the mountains, over 180 degrees, and the local rainbow lorrikeets come in to visit the patrons on the verandah area, trying to swipe some food!

A sense of humour is also something to be grateful for. A car parked at the restaurant was bringing some chuckles from passers-by. Check out the photo to see why:

With Gratitude Today,

Julie

Although it is sad to sell this property which is a great rural setting, close to town and in a coastal area, and although the sale price was less than hoped for, it is still a positive to have completed the sale and therefore be ready to move forward to the next venture.

As a bonus, the sale includes the continued occupancy of the property for almost a year, so I express gratitude for being able to continue to enjoy the property, and also being able to have a leisurely process in moving to the next home.

Two pages of photos of the property are currently posted at http://www.realestateforlifestyle.com   (although if visiting this site at a later date, the postings on the site will have been changed)

In Gratitude,

Julie

I have often joked “What’s the use of a cat?!” Because they seem to spend most of the day sleeping.

Cats seem to be able to sleep anywhere. Cats, pups, other young animals and young children and babies all look so peaceful when sleeping. It can be very calming to watch them sleeping. And perhaps we can learn something from their worry-free, sound sleeping.

A good night’s sleep is important for health, physically, and also mentally and emotionally. If people are deprived of sleep, they firstly become drawn and haggard in appearance, and if sleep deprivation is continued, cognitive function deteriorates further and can even cause psychotic episodes and erratic, irrational behaviour.

It is great to awake refreshed from a good night’s peaceful sleep.

In Gratitude,

Julie

Several people were interviewed about their sudden change in circumstances.  They had suddenly found themselves in the situation of being homeless and sleeping in their cars.  Safe night-parking bays have apparently been set up in some areas of the States, to help provide some safety for the influx of people now homeless and having to spend the night in cars.

One lady had previously been living in a very comfortable home but had been foreclosed by the bank, after they would not accept a purchaser she had ready to buy her property.  She was suddenly homeless and feeling like a non-identity, and had lost most of her possessions.  She was also trying to keep her circumstances secret and trying to continue with her work.

Another lady had lost her rental accommodation when she could no longer pay her rent after her job had disappeared due to the current economic impact on her area of occupation.  She was sleeping with her two dogs, which provided some warmth for her in the car.  And a family with young children were parked in a van for accommodation after losing their house.

In another program this week, a family in Australia were interviewed about their circumstances, being foreclosed by their bank, after the husband suffered a spinal accident some months back and had been unable to work during that time.  The payments on their home and two rental properties got behind and the bank was not prepared to negotiate.

And another family, who lost their home and all their belongings in a fire, and had been uninsured, because the husband was already under hospital care for severe injuries from a tractor accident.

The interviews were also a reminder of how close things can be to a drastic change in circumstances.

Gratitude today is for the comfort of a safe, warm bed to sleep in at night.

In Gratitude,

Julie

The distress and terror these people were experiencing, reminded me to be grateful for the peace and security that my home, my town and my country experience and expect.  I am fortunate to live in a peaceful area, free from war, military insurgence, and general unlawful, gang-type activities, and where I don’t have to be in fear for my life on an ongoing, daily basis as is experienced by many in other areas of the world.

I have the freedom to go about my daily activiities with a feeling of security and safety.

In Gratitude,

Julie