This Week's Happy

I'm all about full disclosure on my blog and to be quite honest I've had moments where I've struggled emotionally and physically in the last few weeks. Running has been improving gradually but it's all too slow for my liking. And with every run I have to think and overthink - am I running too fast (seriously, I can't run much slower), is my heart rate too high, should I still be taking lots of walk breaks, will I go down in a great big heap once again if I do too much? I really miss the days when running was just about putting on your shoes and trashing yourself and feeling great afterwards.

But I know if I trashed myself I'd be paying the price for days or weeks afterwards so discipline has to be my middle name. But I have to learn to deal with the frustration that my limitations have created. So I've had to make a conscious effort again to look for the positives. And these are just a few of my positives in the last week.

My gorgeous puppies pretending that they are the best behaved dogs in the world who would never have accidents in the house.

A text from one of my best clients - if you read it carefully you might see that she's made an error which has taken fabric to mean frantic. When you've been working 45 hour weeks for well over a month, frantic is probably the more appropriate word. Gotta love subliminal auto-correct mistakes.

A multiple delivery from my parcel man. And all for me. Unfortunately one was the above-mentioned parcel of frantic and another some screen-printing for work. The box of flea tablets for the dogs was pretty exciting for them. But the last box had my new running shoes and singlet - yay!

Finding accessories for my wedding dress - well, not my wedding dress (been there, done that got the kids and stretch marks to prove it. And finding this bling made it easy to decide what I'd be wearing.

                                           

Baking on Sunday morning. Straight out of bed. Hadn't showered or brushed my hair. Still in my pyjamas. 

And a new recipe tried and tested and given the Donaldson family seal of approval. Pumpkin cupcakes with a cream cheese frosting. I got the recipe off the internet so I don't feel too like a thief putting it up here.

125g butter

1 C firmly packed brown sugar

1/3 cup white sugar

2 cups plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/8 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

2 large eggs

1/2 cup buttermilk mixed with 1 tsp vanilla

1 1/4 cups mashed pumpkin.

Mix the butter and sugars with an electric mixer until fluffy. Sift the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl. Add the eggs, one at a time to the butter/sugar mix. Then alternately add the flour and milk mix. Finally beat in the pumpkin till smooth.

Spoon into lined cupcake pan. It'll make about 18 cupcakes. And bake at 350F/175C for 20-25 mins. 

They are seriously yummy - and Luke's girlfriend Becky will attest that non-pumpkin eaters will even enjoy them.

Our life is what we make it and a lot of how we feel depends on perspective. Sometimes it takes a concerted effort to change your perspective when your just not feeling it - but there is always something good to see when you do.