seek gratitude

testing

2009-06-25T11:04:00.000-07:00

this is a test to see how this new width looks in this blog template. i am filling in the space with a paragraph here so let's discuss how jon and millie and i are all in the guest room as i work on my mac on the guest bed which has become my new creative nest. i can imagine writing the book from this very spot. it will be wonderful with the cool breeze blowing through the windows....

do not stop seeking

2007-04-16T13:16:00.000-07:00

i have been in a bit of a hole today...working and other things. i just saw the news. young people killed. the sense-less-ness of it all. the whys. all the whys.

today, take a moment to sit in the quiet and think of the gratitudes in your life.

in this moment this afternoon, i am grateful for:

the kindness of my husband
the moments when millie puts her head on my knee
the health of my friends and family
the hope that lives in my heart

day 71

2007-03-12T23:43:00.000-07:00

monday, march 12, 11:20 p.m.
water with lemon

i breathe. tonight i remember. i breathe.
again. again. again.

grateful for:
friendship
silliness
laughter
deep sighs
fresh veggies

updating

2007-03-12T23:41:00.006-07:00

just a note to say i am updating the site. slowly but surely.

i am going to start posting today's post and then will fill in the posts from previous weeks. i will probably start with uploading the polaroids and will then type in the notes from my gratitude journal...

thanks for stopping by to see what i am up to over here with my daily polaroid gratitude project...

day 70

2007-03-12T23:41:00.005-07:00

day 69

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day 68

2007-03-12T23:41:00.001-07:00

day 46

2007-03-12T23:36:00.009-07:00

day 45

2007-03-12T23:36:00.007-07:00

day 44

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day 43

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day 42

2007-03-12T23:36:00.001-07:00

day 41

2007-03-12T23:35:00.008-07:00

day 40

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day 39

2007-03-12T23:35:00.005-07:00

day 38

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day 37

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day 36

2007-03-12T23:34:00.000-07:00

day 35

2007-03-12T23:18:00.002-07:00

day 34

2007-03-12T23:18:00.001-07:00

just a note to say...

2007-02-12T23:23:00.000-08:00

i am still taking a polaroid every single day. and writing a few words about the moment and a list of things i am grateful for. i am just behind in scanning them and sharing them. stay tuned...stay tuned...

day 33

2007-02-03T08:41:00.000-08:00

it’s February 2 around 10:00 p.m. and i am sleepy. body needs water and sleep…

i am grateful for: a good day with barb, blue sky, my husband’s kind heart, the promise of sleep.

day 32

2007-02-03T08:38:00.000-08:00

it’s february 1 around 8:30 and I am drinking peppermint tea enjoying the companionship of my husband and his mother who is visiting for a few days. after another intense day, it is nice to be able to just settle in for a deep breath surrounded by love and to know you are not alone.

i am grateful for opportunities, hope, slippers, flannel pj’s, and cheese.

day 31

2007-01-31T23:10:00.000-08:00

it’s january 31 at 9:35 p.m. it has been a long day. a hard day. i am tired. as i drink decaf genmai-cha, i just can’t help but think about how old and tired i feel. tomorrow is another day, as they say…

i am grateful for my favorite yoga pants, m&ms, breathing, moving forward.

day 30

2007-01-30T22:44:00.000-08:00

taking a break to breathe in the scents of a spiced chai latte…to breathe, to breathe, to breathe.

i am grateful for words, truth, silliness, hugs, hope.

day 29

2007-01-29T23:38:00.000-08:00

it’s january 29 at 4:05 p.m. on a break I ran some errands and picked up a vanilla soy latte at starbucks, but it was only lukewarm, so i heated it up at home and am drinking it in my new favorite mug. a present from one of jon’s students. the colors make me so happy. i love pink and red together and my current muse is green. i am simply in love with green. it is kind of odd. even though the trees are christmasy, i am going to use this mug all year. I have been working all day and feeling stressed so this deep breath seems to be right on schedule.

tonight, i am grateful for:
the quiet
my little room
my little room
purple walls
freedom

day 28

2007-01-29T23:35:00.000-08:00

it’s 8:30 p.m. on january 28 and i am sleepy, sleepy as i drink my spiced chai latte. i am ready for bed and chilly but work must get done before i can “hit the hay.”

i am grateful for blue sky and seeing the mountain today.

day 27

2007-01-29T23:33:00.000-08:00

it’s 11:30 p.m. on january 27. i sip decaf ganmai-cha and think about my day. a good day. friendship, creativity, brainstorming, color, laughter, sharing, all the good stuff. then an evening with millie and jonny. watching a movie, then all three of us settle into the little room. millie slept while jonny graded and i created stuff. a really good day. even though i sometimes wonder why the heck i am taking these pictures and I think about how they aren’t that great and how expensive the film is and how i hate how i look and how i don’t know how to take “artistic” polaroids and all that, i am grateful for the “forced” deep breath so that i can remember the good stuff.

i am grateful for home, beads, blue, a new moleskine daily planner, 27 days of ritual

day 26

2007-01-29T23:31:00.000-08:00

it is january 26 around 10:20 p.m. a delicious cabernet. good companionship. a poetry slumber party. what more could you need on a friday night?

i am grateful for:
conveyer belt sushi
peace in the midst of grief
giggles
good talks

day 25

2007-01-25T22:37:00.000-08:00

date: january 25
time: 10:10 p.m.
drinking...scratch that...eating: chocolate and chocolate chip mint ice cream
taking a (super brief) break: from editing, editing, and more editing
getting ready: to get back to editing
listening: to the dialogue on Men in Trees
grateful: for friendship, my mom, a wonderful lunch with a friend, bottles of buttons that adorn my little room, my husband’s kindness, the hope of spring

(note to self: step away from the camera by just a few more inches.)

day 24

2007-01-24T22:37:00.000-08:00

it’s around 10:10 p.m. on january 27 and i am sipping tazo chai tea from the comfort of my new not-so-little chair in my little room. i am so happy to have finally created a space just for me. i had to reorganize again though because the chair didn’t fit in the corner i had planned but it is in here all the same. i will be done with the major organization stuff soon i hope. i might just take all the rest of my photos from this chair…

i am grateful for:
a place of my own
william stafford
my green fingerless gloves from kristen
sushi
remembering to bring in the silly (dancing with jonny in the kitchen)
the grief
the wonderful conversation i had with my mother yesterday

day 23

2007-01-24T22:35:00.000-08:00

it’s january 23 and almost midnight. i am grumpy, tired, weary, and steps away from depressed. i didn’t capture my mug in this picture but i am drinking genmai-cha from my purple moose mug.

i am struggling to find gratitude but am finding gratitude for:
tea
warmth
slippers
quiet

day 22

2007-01-22T23:51:00.000-08:00

it’s january 22, just shy of 9 p.m. and i am listening to paul simon sing “wartime prayers.” “because you cannot walk with the holy if you’re just a halfway decent man.” thinking about: letting go of judgment even when people hurt you. “i want to rid my heart of envy, cleanse my soul of rage before i’m through.” thinking about: a moment when i tapped into rage last month. it was the first time i have ever truly allowed myself to feel rage. it was scary, but letting it out of me, instead of letting it fester, has changed me. a pivotal moment in my life. “i’m tryin’ to tap into some wisdom. even a little drop will do.” i pause, breathe, take another sip of this honeybush caramel tea, and say a prayer for some of this wisdom.

tonight, I am grateful for:
packages filled with goodies
new fabric
taco del mar for dinner
a day warm enough to go outside in just a sweatshirt

day 21

2007-01-21T22:22:00.001-08:00

it’s sunday, january 21, around 9:55 p.m., and as i sip decaf genmai-cha and wish the weekend wasn’t almost over. i am thinking about how happy i am to be creating, sewing, playing. i am so lucky. but i am also just a little tired…and wishing i didn’t feel pulled in many directions at once.

today, i am grateful:
for time spent singing and sewing
that the cut from the rotary cutter wasn’t as bad as it could have been
finishing a project (a new bed for millie)
feeling content
brightly colored tulips

day 20

2007-01-21T22:22:00.000-08:00

it’s 7:45 p.m. on saturday night, january 20, and after a day of running around and trying to do a bit too much, i take a break for dinner at doc watson’s with my husband and enjoy a pint of hammerhead. i am feeling content to be in the city with my husband but am feeling old as we get ready to go and hear my brother’s band play…will we be the oldest people there? i am also quite excited as i anticipate consuming doc watson’s mini-burgers.

i am grateful for:
how happy my brother seems
a day with blue sky
brainstorming ideas in the car together
buttons

day 19

2007-01-21T22:21:00.000-08:00

just shy of midnight on january 19, i hear myself singing paul simon’s song, “once upon a time there was an ocean,” and as i watch this picture develop, i realize i have captured millie in this one. totally not intentional, however, i still never know what this camera is going to capture…other than me and my darn shadow. even though it is late, as i take another sip of decaf genmai-cha, i think about how taking this time to just breathe and think feels like such a gift to myself.

tonight, i am grateful for:
my friendship with dana
laughter
ideas flowing (i can’t seem to stop them)
taking time to create
a really nice evening with my husband

day 18

2007-01-21T22:20:00.000-08:00

it’s january 18 at 4:10 p.m. and i am pausing in the midst of writing a poem to let my brain recharge a bit as i drink genmai-cha. i can hear the sounds of the kitchen as the fridge groans and whirs. i am balancing the camera in the cupboard on a plate, and i am laughing inside at all the places i have balanced this little camera to take these pictures. laughter is a nice way to pause in my day.

i am grateful for:
pink
fabric
tears
hope
truth

day 17

2007-01-17T23:57:00.000-08:00

it is january 17 around 3:55 p.m. settling in for more work with a cup of ginger tea, i take a moment to just breathe in the ginger scent and look at the window. jonatha brooke sings and as the song ends, i hear a robin sing out there in all that snow.

Today, I am grateful for:

emails from dear friends
the melting of the ice of our streets (not gone but getting there)
the opportunity to teach yoga
chili
glasses of cold water
the night of sleep to come

day 16

2007-01-16T22:41:00.000-08:00

it is just shy of 10:00 p.m. on january 16. i am in my little room; it just makes me so happy to be in here. “i am taking a breath full of peace and compassion and sending it to my dear friends who need it tonight.” i was actually thinking this as i looked into the camera…i guess because this exercise does feel a but like i am pausing to have tea with a friend when i take these polaroids. of course, this is a break with the friend who is me. but also a friend, like maureen, who is out there and might see this photo and know i am especially thinking of her tonight. on a much more shallow note, i am going to drink the rest of the chai latte with denny crane and the rest of the wacky folks on boston legal.

i am grateful for:

laughter
another snow day (jon has been off from school since thursday)
being snug at home
moments when i feel pretty
words

day 15

2007-01-15T22:50:00.000-08:00

it is 10:40 p.m. on january 15, and i am once again enjoying a cup of tazo chai. this may be my new favorite late night dessert. i am quickly snapping this picture in the kitchen as the camera balances on the blender because i am taking a break from work to watch the last few minutes of the golden globes and i don't want to miss anything. the look on my face reflects my “shrugging of the shoulders” thoughts on sacha baron cohen’s words during his speech. goodness. i am too young for this.

I am grateful for:
ikea
sushi
my husband and his willingness to go get sushi for me
millie’s sleeping body (her ear is hurting and i am so glad she was finally able to go to sleep)
getting it again and again and again

day 14

2007-01-14T23:40:00.000-08:00

it is january 14 around 11 p.m. and i am enjoying a tazo spiced chai with vanilla soy milk. my first time liking soy milk (i usually just drink it in coffee lattes). i am feeling very content because I am here in my little room sitting on the floor. this means that i have cleaned it up enough that there is room on the floor. oh it is delightful. i am laughing because as the timer was blinking, i was singing, “i like to take my time i mean for when i want to do a thing i like to take my time to get it right. i mean i just might make a mistake if i should have to hurry up, and so i like to take my time.” the words go something like this. a song from my childhood that was sung by Mr. Rogers. As the timer was going, i realized i was going to capture myself with my mouth wide open so I started laughing and paused with this grin.

i am grateful:
that i suddenly hear the vacuum running today (thanks to my husband).
that we were able to get to the store.
that we did not get into a car accident in our neighborhood as we slipped and slid all over the place.
for a fantastically good starbucks vanilla latte.
for several great phone conversations today. i feel loved.

day 13

2007-01-14T23:32:00.000-08:00

it is january 13 around 9:30 p.m. and i am in my little room drinking chinese flowers tea, taking a break from a day filled with work, organizing, a nice chat on the phone a really good meal, and some blogging. i hear myself sigh because i am finally making some progress with this little room.

i am grateful for:

the hope for fewer excuses
warm hands
my husband’s help
truth
sticking with something
encouragement

day 12

2007-01-12T19:51:00.000-08:00

it is january 12 about 5:30 p.m. i'm taking a breath and warming up in the living room after walking outside trying to catch a glimpse of the comet. it is freezing and very slippery out and even though we walked for about 1/3 of a mile, we had no luck. i am drinking hot cocoa, and as i took this picture i felt refreshed from a walk outside and a break from editing chemistry (of all things). but i just burned my tongue (is that chemistry?), so i am annoyed and in pain. (i think tea invites more waiting and less quick consumption).

i am grateful for:

my green scarf
polka dot knee socks
my brother
another snow day
memories
hope for peace

day 11

2007-01-12T19:47:00.000-08:00

it's january 11 around 4:50 p.m. i steal a moment to myself, pausing to soak in the joy of a snow day. i only hear the heater blowing but in my mind i am singing, "snow, snow, snow, snow, snow" from the movie white christmas. i miss my brother as i drink hot cocoa and remember sledding. and i am laughing because i see how many marshmallows i have in my mug. can you have too many?

i am grateful for:

a snow day (so my husband is home)
william stafford
a conversation with michelle
the gift of words

day 10

2007-01-10T23:51:00.000-08:00

it’s 2:10 p.m. on january 10. as usual, i find myself sitting on the couch in the family room taking a break from work. it is so cold today; a snowy day, i wear my hood as a cocoon as i have wrapped myself in my grandmother’s fleece vest that my mother just sent me. i am warming up. i hear the whirring of the washing machine and breathe in the scent of the china green tips tea sent to my by a friend. i am warming up.

tonight, i am grateful for:
my kind husband
a moment that found me lying in the street making a snow angel (not enough snow in the front yard yet…it all melted today…though it is now a few inches deep again)
my belief that healing can be sent out into the world
laughter
friendship

day 9

2007-01-10T23:47:00.000-08:00

it’s 12:30 p.m. on january 9 and i am sitting at the dining room table, drinking genmai-cha tea, taking a break from editing. the house is still clean. this invites such a sense of calm in my heart. i can hear the ticking of the clock, millie’s breathing, cars on the highway, and a siren. the soundtracks of a moment, a breath.

it’s 9:00 p.m. on january 9 and i decide to take another photo to pause and take in the feelings of another moment in my day. taking a moment to make a cup of hot cocoa with marshmallows. feeling light and simply happy from a conversation with a friend. two different conversations this afternoon/evening have reminded me that i am on my path. i sit on the couch in the family room and snuggle in to watch “house.” a good evening awaits.

i am grateful for:
attempts at acceptance of photos of myself that i do not like
compassion
fresh air
tulips

day 8

2007-01-09T22:54:00.000-08:00

it's january 8, around 5:30 p.m., and i am enjoying a mug of earl gray before jonny gets home. i hear the hum of cars as they drive by; neighbors returning home from work. in the distance, i hear the honk of a canadian goose. my heart feels light after a wondrous "chat" with a blogger. as though we have known each other for a long time, picking up a conversation from where it left off two life times ago.

i am grateful for:
stopping everything to sit in the quiet
people who invite me to simply speak my truth (and they aren't afraid)
my warm blue sweater i have been wearing all day long
the promise of what lies ahead
izze sparkling apple juice

********

(i tried to post today's post (january 9th's) too. but my computer is being difficult. and now i can't get into flickr. so more tomorrow)

day 7

2007-01-07T23:38:00.000-08:00

it is 9:20 on january 7. i am sitting in the living room at our dining room table, taking a break from work, feeling my chest lift as i take a deep breath, and listening to the whirring of the dishwasher. i feel a little sleepy but good and as i take a drink of genmai-cha, i think about how lucky i am.

tonight, i am grateful for:
chocolate
my friend heather
letting go
digital cameras
a clean house
cuddles on the couch

day 6

2007-01-07T23:30:00.000-08:00

it is 11:15ish on january 6, and i am pausing for a (quick) break from playing a boardgame with friends to make a cup of decaf genmai-cha tea and take this picture. i can hear them laughing in the other room as my husband tells a story. my heart feels lighter and my mind is energized by our time together tonight. seeing jon so relaxed with friends is blissful really.

tonight, i am grateful for:
laughter
a pretty clean house
friendship
time
mango margaritas

day 5

2007-01-07T23:11:00.000-08:00

it’s january 5 around 10:30 p.m. and i am taking a break from cleaning to drink some peppermint tea and eat a bowl of ice cream, then i am going to curl up on the couch to watch an episode of “house” with jon. i am feeling content with a side of melancholy (but not in a bad way). the soundtrack to this moment is the rain falling, always falling, on the roof.

today, i am grateful for:
blood drawn on the first try
cargo pants
the moment when you know it is time for bed (and you can just go to sleep)
magnets
moments spent playing with millie

day 4

2007-01-04T23:59:00.000-08:00

it’s january 4 around 10:15 p.m. i am tired and feeling a bit, the word that is coming to me is downtrodden. earlier I felt strong as I shared some of the moments of my day with a friend…but now, i felt a bit helpless. the mood of another shaping my mood. so i will drink this genmai-cha and watch some television (with jeero and moxy) and work a little longer and then go to bed.

today i am grateful for:
a meal eaten at the table
the words of poetry thursday participants
how i feel when the house is a bit cleaner
ideas that brainstorm with one another in my mind
talking on the phone with a dear friend earlier this evening…
and then crying tears of validation as i read her blog later, an hour after i wrote the words above, and i see myself rise up from my helplessness. i am not alone. (silly me)
remembering to breathe
peanut butter and chocolate ice cream from baskin robbins

Day 3

2007-01-03T21:29:00.000-08:00

it is january 3. i am thinking about the school shooting, where a young teenager was killed, just a few blocks away from where i sit in our little home.
i stare into the mug of genmai-cha tea and think about my husband, unexpectedly home because of a migraine, and am hopeful he is fine. that his health…that he is fine. the way the migraine manifests as stroke symptoms terrifies me.
i close my eyes and listen to the weepies sing, “rocks and water,” and i think about the line that i often sing at the top of my lungs, “the devil he wore such a fine, fine shirt, and it stayed so clean while he dragged me through the dirt.”
it is on these days that gratitude must be uncovered, even when it sits right in front of me.

today, I am grateful for:
the kindness of jon’s boss
warm socks
poetry thursday
the first twenty minutes of “the view”
leading my students through a compassion meditation
the promise of the sunrise

day 2

2007-01-02T20:04:00.000-08:00

it’s january 2 around 2:30 p.m. i am drinking genmai-cha tea on the couch at home, listening to “living yantra” from the album sound yoga, thinking about the phone conversation I just had with my cousin jeremy, and getting ready to enjoy a late lunch of edamame, goat cheese and sun dried tomatoes on crackers, and an apple. this month i am focusing on bringing more ritual into my life. hopefully, one way will be through eating during the day. remembering to eat is the first step. then, pausing to think about what my body wants me to eat for breakfast and lunch and not just sitting with my laptop on my lap munching on something mindlessly as I work. this little meal is one step in the right direction.

today I am grateful for:

millie’s watchful face
family
positive moments
pizza and beer
laughing out loud
candles
quiet

day 1

2007-01-01T20:30:00.000-08:00

it’s january 1 around 8:00 p.m. i am drinking decaf genmai-cha tea, sitting on the couch at home, and enjoying the light from our little tree as i take a break from reading blogs and hopping around the internet enjoying crafty sites. paul simon sings “once upon a time there was an ocean” as i get ready to write my morning (today they are evening) pages.

today i am grateful for:
a day spent with my husband
feeling appreciated
prayers
the hope for healing
the new year
washing machines
moments that surprise in a good way
a day without talking on the phone

my project for 2007

2006-12-31T11:39:00.000-08:00

when i started this blog, i hoped to post on it every day. hmmm. i am not really good at doing things every single day. i am not one of those people. i am a bit more lazy than that, a bit more laid back, a bit more...well...i follow the rules so much in my life that i think doing something every single day is a rule i like to break. but earlier this year, i did take a polaroid of myself drinking tea every single day for four weeks in march in honor of self-portrait tuesday's timeline challenge.

and i enjoyed this ritual and capturing my life this way. the polaroid prevents me from taking lots and lots of pictures to find the one where i look "the best." watching it develop is its own ritual. taking that small moment to see your own face appear. observing and then letting go of the feelings that come up as you experience this moment.

a few weeks ago, i decided i wanted to challenge myself to do something each day. to seek the ritual in my life. to seek at least one moment each day when i would stop everything to take a breath, go through the ritual of making a cup of tea, and take a picture of myself. another way to seek the gratitude in my life. being grateful for one moment each day just for me.

starting tomorrow, january 1, i am going to attempt this polaroid a day project. i may not always be drinking tea (some days i just might need a martini) and i know i might not make it every single day (but i am going to try). i will post the pictures here. the posts might not happen every day, but i will get all the pictures up here. i plan to find a rhythm as i go.

throughout this process i hope to continue to seek the gratitude in my life. to find my way out of my head and my stuff to see more of the world around me. to experience more, feel more, love more, be open more, be grateful more.

a week where gratitude was almost forgotten

2006-10-20T17:14:00.000-07:00

this week has been full of stress, confusion, pain, fear, and defensiveness...yet, i am trying to force myself to see that all of this negative "stuff" pushes and pulls at me until i am forced to see something else. if we do not have these times of shit, we cannot see the beauty. we may not even recognize it when it is in front of us.

on bravo they keep playing this commercial for the show six feet under. a character asks, "why do people have to die." and the other character responds (something like), "so we know that life's important." yes, this is it. and why do we have to have the bad shit...so we see our lives. so we can tweak things and learn and live.

so today, i am grateful:

that i am not afraid: to live. to be honest. to tell my friends the truth. to love. to risk my own heart. to believe that having people in your life is more important than sitting in your life alone.

for my husband.

for my friends who listen and love me even though i am not perfect.

for my camera.

for inspiration that gets me off the couch (and out into nature and into the kitchen to cook a super good meal).

for a reconnection with an old friend.

for the safety of the ones i love.

10/16/06

2006-10-16T23:56:00.000-07:00

tonight, i am grateful for:

my husband.
my dog.
my friends.
my warm home filled with candles.
tea.

10/13/06

2006-10-13T23:31:00.000-07:00

Tonight, I am grateful...

that i did not get bit by the tick that was on my clothes.
for my grandpa (and i am praying he is okay).
for time spent with a good friend and her children.
for millie and jonny.
for gorgeous fabric.
for the ideas that can be generated between two like-minded people. one person can change the world a little bit...imagine what two can do.
for feeling my heart open a bit more today.
for the truth...even if it breaks your heart.

10/10/06

2006-10-11T00:18:00.000-07:00

tonight, i am grateful for:

friends who understand me.
cherry coke.
chapstick.
silly tv shows.
serious tv shows.
truth.
kindness.

10/9/06

2006-10-10T00:13:00.000-07:00

Tonight, I am grateful:

for a warm house.
for candles flickering in the still house.
that jonny takes care of me and brings me food when i am feeling sick (and even when i am not).
for friends who get me and take the time to really listen and honor me.
for laughter.
for musicals.
for free showtime (so i could watch that creepy show dexter).
for hope.
for tina turner and her voice and words that make we want to stand up and demand people see me as a woman.

10/8/06

2006-10-08T23:50:00.000-07:00

Tonight, I am grateful:

that Jonny, Millie, and I are all alive.
that our house did not burn down.
that I have a friend like Dana who says yes, come over when I need to come over.
that my husband stayed home all day to make sure the house was okay.
that Millie is curled up next to me on the couch and breathing okay and living her life.
that our parents care about us and are alive.
for laughter.
for freedom.
for friends I have known for over 15 years.
that I have layers of clothing to wear and blankets to pile on me when I am cold.
for the creativity that is aflame inside me.

10/7/06

2006-10-07T22:56:00.000-07:00

this evening, i am grateful:

that it is cool enough outside to have a fire in the fireplace.
that i am feeling a bit better today.
for snuggling with jonny and millie on the couch and...
...watching the season premiere of battlestar galactica.
how quiet our new dishwasher is (it is weirdly quiet).
for putting on a new outfit and feeling really good in it.
that my family and friends are safe.
for knee socks.

10/6/06

2006-10-07T10:28:00.000-07:00

(forgot to post these yesterday...by the time I remembered my computer was shutdown)

Today, I am grateful:

laughing and laughing while watching the show Weeds.
the safety of my loved ones.
warm rice to eat.
netflix.
space to step back from something and breathe.

10/5/06

2006-10-05T23:33:00.000-07:00

Today, I am grateful:

(hmmm...i am sick today so this feels harder than it should be...)
for the snoring dog beside me. today was a day where i deeply missed traveler but i know my heart would feel even more empty if this snoring, ear shaking, crazy dog wasn't next to me.
that my husband made me dinner tonight. i have been feeling nauseated with this cold and he fixed me exactly what i wanted.
for new friends who feel like old friends.
for pajamas with duckies on them.
that i work from home and could take naps at different times throughout the day.
for poetry. even though i cried the entire time i wrote the poem i posted for poetry thursday, i am glad that poetry is another part of my healing process.

10/4/06

2006-10-04T22:08:00.000-07:00

Tonight I am grateful for:

giving the gift of yoga.
a lazy night watching tv and reading blogs.
bread.
moments when my brain feels expanded a bit.
moments when my heart seems to grow.
the ideas that are swirling around in my head. (can i make them realities?)

10/3/06

2006-10-03T21:44:00.000-07:00

I missed yesterday. I forgot about gratitude in the midst of the murder of four girls in a school in Pennsylvania. Today I realize that I must have gratitude on days like yesterday most of all. The lessons, always the lessons.

Today, I am grateful for:
the safety of my loved ones.
laughter.
the beautiful new appliances installed in my kitchen.
the puppy sleeping next to me.
that my husband is stopping at two stores on the way home to buy me some things since I am feeling sick.

10/1/06

2006-10-01T23:20:00.000-07:00

today i am grateful for:

warm mugs of tea.
spending the morning wrapped in flannel pj's and warm blankets watching the movie sabrina (the original).
the colors of fall.
a steady paycheck.
being alive.

9/30/06

2006-09-30T21:28:00.000-07:00

today i am grateful for:

the echoes of paul simon's voice that i am hearing in my mind, heart, and soul.
a really great visit with my dad and his girlfriend.
good movies.
another notre dame win.
moments when i truly see myself.
the cool fall weather so that i can wear my flannel pj's.

9/29/06

2006-09-29T23:50:00.000-07:00

today i am thankful for:

paul simon. in concert. pure bliss.
my husband's patience.
the wisdom of oprah. (really. i am through the fifth dvd of her 20th anniversary collection. could she be any wiser and offer more inspiration?)
ahi tuna. rare. perfect.
sweet kisses from millie the wonder dog.
the excitement of seeing some dear friends in a few short weeks. (i. cannot. wait.)

9/28/06

2006-09-28T23:33:00.000-07:00

today i am grateful for:

finding the laughter when trying on clothes.
feeling like i have made a new friend.
freshly baked doughnuts and jam (oh my goodness).
my husband's kindness.
optimism.
a hug from my father.