Rocking your World...

...Friday is here again (is it really a whole week since it was here last).
Over at Virginia's blog a little band of folk gather each week to reflect on the positive things that have taken place in their lives during the course of the previous 7 days. At a time when it is so easy to get bogged down with the negative things in life it can be very up-lifting to focus on the positives.
I work in Stratford East London and this is where the 2012 Olympics will be taking place. It is certainly something to be here and feel the atmosphere build as we get closer to the Games - I even have my very own banners (well sort of) just outside the window by my desk. Everywhere is taking on such a celebratory image...I really don't want to think about how dull things will look when it's all over.
Although I was sad that my camera decided to give up the ghost this week I am so happy with the new little point & shoot that I have. This image covers the side of the office block above the Westfield centre and a week ago I would have only been able to dream of capturing this on my camera...
...I can even get a complete view of the images adorning the front of the station.
Even those grotty 'trees' look better...
...and this is the Aquatic centre. Previous attempts to capture this have only resulted in a blury smudge in the distance so all in all (despite the cost) I am very happy with my new camera.

Also connected with work, my previous boss paid us a visit and we all went out for a very pleasant lunch at the local Chinese buffet restaurant. It was really great being able to chat with someone who has a really good common sense approach to things and it was very encouraging to hear him express the same views that I have held about a number of proposed changes at work - I have been feeling very isolated since the re-organisation and change of managemnt structure. It made me feel that my views weren't so daft afterall and very much justified in the circumstances.

The winner of my "Follower candy" sent me the most wonderful email when she received her goodies - it was such a lovely feeling to think that I had been able to share something nice with someone.

My latest visit to the lovely
Paula and her blog sparked a bit of thought. She had been looking at things that have been a constant in her life since an early age and how she saw that fitting in with who she is as a person. It was very interesting and got me thinking about constants in my own life. This is what I came up with...

CRAFTING/CREATING - I really don't remember a time when I didn't make things. When I was small my early attempts at knitting were put to use dressing my dolls. Cardmaking/papercrafts/sewing/art, have all been part of my life in some form or another whether it has been for pleasure or necessity (homemade soft furnishings have often been the only practical answer when moving into a new home).
PHOTOGRAPHY - not something that I have ever been particularly brilliant at but I love having pictures to remind me of things. My very first camera was a a Kodac Instamatic (the sort that had a film cartridge that you just slotted in) which I won at Junior school as one of the first prize winners in the Annual Road Safety Colouring competition. I think I still have it tucked away somewhere as it holds too many memories to throw away.
SOUVENIRS/COLLECTIONS - I think I have always loved having collections of things...colouring pencils, sewing threads, china thimbles, teddy bears, alcohol pens (now there's a surprise LOL). Postcards and/or books about places I have visited. I can remember spending hours as a child sorting my Venus colouring pencils into the correct order - I probably spent more time doing this than actually colouring with them.
MUSIC/MUSICALS - there was always music in our house whether it be Classical/Swing/Jazz/Easy Listening or Pop. I don't think I have ever favoured just one type - it doesn't really matter what the style; if I like it - I like it. Music was something I could lose myself in and led to me learning to play a few different instruments when I was at school (not something I kept up but enjoyed at the time). Music and Musicals were probably the reason that I took up dancing - Ballet/Tap/Modern/Jazz/Classical - I would have loved to have pursued this as a career but unfortunately, after an initial spurt of growth most of my peers caught me up and passed me by and I found that there really wasn't much call for folk of 5ft4ins...most dance troops at the time wanted tall (close to 6ft) willowy beings. I have to say, even now my favourite films are musicals and the likes of Fred & Ginger, Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor, Danny Kaye and Bing Crosby (Christmas isn't Christmas without a showing of "White Christmas") still keep me entertained and my feet itching to join in.

Looking over these things that have been constants in my life they all seem to have an element of creativity about them. They are also things that have been encouraged by my Mum and in a lot of instances have been things that I could share with her. Creativity means positivity to me so this was something really productive to stop and think about - thank you Paula for the prompt.

So overall, this has been a pretty positive week...most of the 'downs' have led to improvements or 'ups'.

It is so easy to be grumpy and look at the negative things but if you stop to think for a moment or two it can be pretty amazing what comes to mind..................