List posts are very popular in the blogging and magazine worlds at the moment, aren’t they?

Wherever you look it’s “Twenty Best….” this, and “Top Ten…” that.

I even spotted recently that some people are doing a “100 happy days” challenge on Instagram. I have to admit, it caused me to wonder what would happen if something sad occurred on one – or more – of the 100 days?

But then, after some pondering on the matter, I rationalised that happiness has a lot to do with the way you choose to look at life.

So, as a challenge to myself to not see my glass as half-empty, I decided to write a list of ten good things about my sister’s imminent departure back home to Australia.

I will leave it to you to decide how successful I have been.

I will now have no excuses not to get on with my sewing. Such as chatting, companionable watching of Antiques Road Trip in the afternoons, or sitting around drinking tea for hours when I get up in the morning. (Oh, well, maybe the last one will still apply actually.)

I will not need to make a giant pot of tea each time I brew up, which will likely cut our teabag consumption by  approximately 75%. A welcome saving in these straightened post-festive times.

I will be able to get in the bathroom again, at any time of day or night, and may even find dry towels in there. Maybe.

I will have no excuse to go shopping for clothes that are suitable for teenagers but way too young for me, and if by any chance I am tempted, there will be nobody urging me on to buy anything (except myself, of course).

I will be able to spend plenty of time on introspection and getting back in touch with my inner critic.

I will have insufficient people around at mealtimes to warrant buying cake to share for dessert, and therefore no excuse to buy any, thus helping me to lose weight.

I will be able to return to my usual slothful level of housework, spreading my own mess far and wide about the house without it having to compete for space.

I will no longer have any encouragement to stay up way too late watching chick flicks or comedy shows, and my brain will therefore be safeguarded from being turned to mush by such entertainments.

I will have a good reason to get up early at weekends (to speak to my family before they, being ten hours ahead, head off to bed).

Last, but not least, I will have lots of time to myself. I will be using at least some of this newly-available time to think about how lucky I am to have such a lovely sister, and nephew and nieces, and that they were willing and able to come all the way across the globe to see us and spend time here, and what we all might get up to when next we meet.

And I will be grateful. ♥