30 Complaint-Free Days 

Day 30

My last blog on being complaint-free.

It has been a relatively easy month to do this because I haven't been at work. That being said, life always has its challenges.

August has certainly zoomed by and I think I have appreciated most of it! Obviously there are always times when things aren't as I would have liked - remember Liskeard?! But there are always lessons in these events. I guess what I have learnt is

• Do things that make me happy
• Consider whether in a year it will still matter - if not then let it go
• Get fit, eat well and get enough rest - in common with most people, I am always in a much better, more positive frame of mind when I am not tired, hungry and feeling less than my best
• Remember that 'it too shall pass' whether it  is the good times or the bad. Change is a given, how I deal with it is up to me. Nothing is permanent. So fully appreciate the good times and savour them.
• Lighten up and see the funny side more

So thank you for reading my blogs/ramblings. I have had fun writing them.

Any ideas for my next blogs? I thought maybe the joys/trials of being a gluten-free vegetarian or progress on my daily steps with my Fitbit and the effect this is having on my health, wellbeing and weight - or should I just stop?!

Happy September - may you have noting to complain about!

30 Complaint-Free Days 

Day 29

Today was the day of the walk which turned out to be 8 miles long. Considering it was local it was a very pleasant walk taking in fields, roads, a village, the sea, country lanes, a coffee shop and a pub! What's not to like?

By the end of the day I had clocked up 23,000 steps which gets the week off to a very good start.

I do like to walk and used to walk far more than I do now.

I watched the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo on tv for the first time in the evening and really enjoyed it - especially the Jordanian wave(!). The best bit was seeing bits of Edinburgh. I so enjoyed my stay there in March. It was a birthday pressie from my daughter and son-in-law. I really love the city, which was a surprise to me. I am looking forward to going back later in the year.

I am approaching the end of my complaint-free month of August. I have enjoyed writing about it. I haven't managed to be completely complaint-free - not finding a small bottle of water in a supermarket got the better of me, and I do remember a few complaints earlier in the month, though I can't remember what I complained about. I suppose that is the point - if I can't remember what I was complaining about only a few weeks later then it clearly wasn't worth having a moan in the first place! 

They say that before complaining you should ask whether it will still be important in a year and if not, then let it go. Wise words, I think.

I will miss writing a short blog each day. Maybe I should find another topic to write about?!

30 Complaint-Free Days 

Day 28

A wonderfully blustery day.

Only in this country could the weather change so much overnight! From gloriously warm, balmy and still to quite chilly, windy and wet. So a fairly lazy day was called for. However, I still need to get my steps in so a walk on was needed. 5 days before it was 30degrees, still and sticky. This time it was considerably less than 30 degrees (closer to 17), blowing a small gale and quite damp and drizzly. I got very blustered - and it was wonderful!

Strangely though, the walk didn't yield many steps. I was struck by the fact that on some days steps are easy to achieve and on others doing seemingly the same distance results in only half the steps. That being the case I had an evening walk to top up.

I enjoyed a relatively relaxing day. I finished my book and am now wondering which of the 5 I have waiting will be my next. I really must try not to buy any more books for a few months!

Longer walk being planned for tomorrow.

How is your bank holiday going?

30 Complaint-Free Days 

Day 26

20,225 steps!

I did this in 1 walk to Waitrose and back, plus walking round the house. Will I still be able to walk tomorrow?

I chose a very hot day to walk and drank over a litre of water. It brought home to me how fortunate I am to have easy access to clean drinking water. Many people have to walk far farther than I did just to collect dirty water to drink. 

At lunchtime the latest newsletter arrived from WaterAid - a charity I support. It made me realise how lucky I am.

Being Friday it was also bed change and house clean day. As I changed my bed I pondered how blessed I am to have such a comfortable bed and a selection of clean sheets to change. I would think that the majority of people in the world don't have this. Cleaning the house made me aware how fortunate I am to have a roof over my head and a house to clean, so many don't enjoy that privilege.

Then there was ironing! Now I do like ironing - I find it a very creative activity. But I also realised that I am so lucky to have a change of clothes (well, several actually!) and so I enjoyed the ironing even more - with a glass of Pimms to celebrate achieving so many steps.

We really are very blessed in this country and I finished the day with a greater sense of this.

I wonder what tomorrow will bring - and how many steps?

30 Complaint-Free Days 

Day 24

Woohoo! I managed 11,000 steps today. That is the most I have done since I was in Falmouth last Wednesday. It isn't as many as I would like but it shows what I will have to do to get 15,000 to 20,000 steps when I am not on holiday.

I had a great walk along the beach this afternoon where there was almost no breeze - how often does that happen in this country? It was lovely to have the roof of the car down too, I love to feel the breeze in my hair. 

In the evening I went for another walk and I didn't need a cardi. I can't remember that last time I was able to walk in the evening in this country without needing a top to keep warm. Awesome.

This type of heat happens so rarely that it would be churlish to complain. There are ways to cool down, even if it means staying indoors. I remember summer days when my children were small. We used to fill up the paddling pool and while they played in it I just sat on a chair beside it, dangling my feet in to stay cool. Happy days.

I also chatted to both my children this evening which is always a blessing. So a great day. 

30 Complaint-Free Days 

Day 22 & 23

Oh dear, another combined day.

Not able to blog yesterday as I was in bed with awful headache and associated ailments.

Happily I am recovered today.

However, in the spirit of not complaining I was grateful that I had got all the washing and ironing cleared and coking done before feeling unwell.

I was also grateful that I was home and not in Cornwall and that I had the time to devote to feeling ill without any guilt about letting anyone down as I had no major plans for the day.

It does feel wonderful to be up and about and eating again today.

I have rather a lot of steps to make up - so it's off for  walk along the beach soon, and maybe even a local evening walk if the rain holds off. So happy that I can think of walking today.

What do you appreciate today?

30 Complaint-Free Days 

Day 11

It was quite easy to be complaint free on day 11.

• had a breakfast picnic on the beach at Kynance Cove.
• had a picnic pastie in the churchyard in The Lizard village
• read a lot
• went to investigate the Thursday whippet racing 
• walked 20,000 steps

Managed to arrive at Kynance Cove before it got too packed with tourists. It was high tide so there wasn't much beach space. Ate breakfast then adjourned to the cafe for pudding before setting off back along the coast route. The strong winds certainly blew away the cobwebs!

Picnic lunch in the churchyard was dry this time! 2 years ago it rained - from nowhere. The sky was blue with only a few white, fluffy clouds to be seen but it managed to rain so hard I had to seek refuge inside the church. This time it stayed dry. They had cut the grass since I was last here in June. I think it looked better with long grass - more atmospheric. I believe that pasties always taste better when eaten outdoors from paper. 

I am now getting into reading my latest book and enjoying it. I sat on the reclining chair and may have nodded off for a little while - oops!

Whippet racing - what can one say? I was surprised to see so many locals there. I stayed to watch 1 race and decided that was enough excitement for 1 day! It really isn't my thing, but the locals were enjoying it. It seemed to be an opportunity for them to see friends and have a chat. Fair enough. I am glad I have experienced it.

However, the highlight of the day was that I walked more than 20,000 steps! Woohoo! That equated to more than 8 miles. I am pleased with that. I wonder how many times I will be able to achieve that again? Will I ever achieve 25,000 steps?

I am pleased with my progress - only a week ago I was struggling to make 10,000 steps. I have doubled that in a week with little effort.

I am wondering whether commenting unfavourably on a bright pink house on the coastal walk counts as complaining? It may well do, and if so I  am guilty. But really it has to be seen to be believed. I suspect it is only allowed to stay because it can be seen by ships at sea and warns them away from the rocks!

30 Complaint-Free Days 

Day 7

Horrah! A whole week and I have learn't a lot.

It is really difficult to complain in Cornwall.

I am taking the time to enjoy each moment and find the joy in it.

Yesterday the weather went from cold and very foggy to  sunny but cool, to really quite hot and back to cool and cloudy. 

But it was still fun.

I walked more than 15,000 steps - equivalent to more than 6 miles and it was all effortless.

OK, nearly effortless. I did ask why no Stannah stair lifts had been installed on the South West Coastal Path for the bits where the steps are really rather high for one with short legs! Joking really.

So this morning I am looking out onto the fields and on to the sea. It is sunny and will doubtless be warm by the time I venture to the village for supplies.

I am very blessed.

Plan to take a picnic to a nearby town to wander the shops and enjoy a picnic on the beach. I always find something to buy when I am there - either original jewellery or t-shirts and tops. Whether I buy something or not I will enjoy browsing and stopping every so often for a coffee, wine or ice cream (or all 3). Oh the joy of having no particular plans. (Although tomorrow I may have an early  walk to Kynance Cove before the tourists arrive. I will take breakfast with me and wander back as they start to fill the beach. That will stop me complaining about them!)

Feeling happy and blessed.