Simple Self Improvement

  Plenty of trees to look at and not a shop for kilometres               Image:Marie Vonow I recently went on holiday and stayed with a cousin and her husband on Kangaroo Island. I had booked my travel arrangements early in the year and was looking forward to the catch up. Then COVID 19 hit and it looked like the trip wouldn't happen. When social distancing restrictions were eased the trip was once again possible. I spent five days away from home and had a wonderful break from my usual routine. Occasionally I am away from home for one or two nights but for me, five nights away is quite a long break. Some people often go on holidays of this length and much longer. When I returned home I was refreshed and found myself thinking about a variety of things in a different way. I think one of the great benefits of going on a holiday is that you break your usual routine, see different things and think some new thoughts . It is not necess...

Father Christmas display at Gawler South Australia                Image:Marie Vonow Over the years the way one feels about the Christmas season may change. Perhaps as a child it was a time of great excitement and lots of fun but as an adult one may feel under a lot of pressure. People speak of Christmas as a time to celebrate with family and friends but for some it is just exhausting, expensive and stressful. Sometimes there are things we can do to take more control of the Christmas season.

  Time with a true friend is good for you     Image:Pixabay There are numerous benefits to spending time with those family members and friends you really get on well with. You may hold different opinions and have varying interests but that's okay because a bit of difference can enrich your life. It makes you feel good to spend time with people you like and it is a way of caring for yourself.

                                                                                                   Adapted from Pixabay One Saturday before Christmas I discovered an acronym I hadn't encountered previously, NETTEL. I was having a cuppa in a cafe in the main street and looking through the newspaper. I came across a topical article, the tendency of many time poor parents to buy extravagant Christmas presents to compensate for spending little time with their children. These parents are examples of NE...