Today I’m grateful for… distraction

With all this sh#t happening lately, with people dying far too young, and my accidental new home Queensland being washed over with a flood that would be worth mentioning in the Bible (if they ever bring out a sequel), 2011 doesn’t really start too great, and my woe to face life with more serenity is already being bitterly tested. (An email from overseas last night only added to that with potential for more family dramarama. Argh.).

But we will have to make do with it, I guess, now that we have already opened the package… So while it’s good to roll up our sleeves and get into it, sometimes, in times of crisis, of drama, of heart break, you just can’t take it anymore and want to change your mind a little, to refreshen your battery and get your spirit up, well, then there is always : distraction. (If feeling down becomes a more serious and ongoing state of mind, please also read my post about depression. Or just talk about it. To anyone. It’s ok to be NOT Ok. Ok?) 

Here are some things that work for me :

1. Thinking of the simple joys of life

There are similar blogs around, this one is probably the most successful right now. They also have a book.
Check it out, feel better. Or write down your own little list of things that ALWAYS make you smile..

http://1000awesomethings.com/

2. Playing addictive little games on the computer

Nothing better than a totally free, totally pointless timewaster desktop application.
This one stands out for it’s sheer multitude of screen toys. They make noises, they interact, and some are totally cute! Souptoys brings you a toy box of dozens of little objects like robots, balloons or pirate ships, that you can pull onto your desktop and manipulate. It’s also great if you have a little geek sitting on your lap yearning to make their first moves with the mouse – but who would ever be too old to play ? You can make your desktop disappear with a checker background and built your own little messy or playground or, with a bit of practice, built elaborate constructions.

See their site HERE

or

Download safely on Cnet.com here

3. Reading a book

If you are a (real) reader, you will know what I mean with the sweet escapism that only a book can procure. When I read a good book, I will not be tired and go to sleep after 3 pages, I will pretend or really not hear my husband or my boy asking me questions or looking for things, and I will not check when the dogthing chews on something that might or might not be of value. (Although I had some regrets there) I will also not do any laundry.

But most of all, a good book will not only let you neglect your duty as a caring housewife/mother/slave but it can really take your mind of things that even vigorous shower scrubbing will not make go away.
Wether you are into chick lit or historical novels (like me) or wether you need some gory thriller to take you away for a while, definitively, pick up a book!

I’ve been reading too little lately but I’ll be reading this :

I got a parcel that took two months to get to me and was happy to discover a very belated birthday present for me: a book from my book auntie Owl.
Who loves thrillers too.
This one is set in Berlin in the 1930s/40s and was a huge success in Germany some years ago, but not as well received abroad. Well, we shall see.
(The image link goes to Goodreads.com, for those who wonder about the German title, look here. It’s a metro station.)

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Linky with Maxabella’s Saturday meme ‘Today I’m grateful for.. ” on her blog