clean sheets

There's nothing like the feeling of getting into bed with freshly laundered bedding at the end of a long day.

Snow!

I am grateful for yesterday's lovely snowfall (and trying not to be too disappointed that it didn't get me a day off work), and for peppermint hot chocolate.

there's a crisp winter feel to the air

It's a glorious winter day. The snow from yesterday is making the view outside my window postcard perfect. And the still air has an indescribably good quality to it.

I'm going to enjoy today as fully as I can.

Finishing a Novel

I'm so grateful that it is finally over. I finished my novel. It is an actual story with a beginning, middle and end. Hooray!

small things

I'm glad I'm calm. I'm happy I have figured out what I'm wearing during my Tahoe weekend.

I am happy to see the sun

It was sunny all day Friday and all day Saturday. And it was sunny (unexpectedly) this morning.

I took this photo when I was on the beach Saturday:

let the sun shine... sort of

I'm grateful for whoever put the full spectrum lights in my office. It could make a world of difference.

it's all about chocolate, baby

I'm grateful for M&Ms.

And Ben and Jerry's Chocolate Fudge Brownie ice cream.

today is a new day, even if it is still raining

Happy for the clear, spontaneous laughter that rang out when my toothbrush leapt out of my hand... straight into the toliet.

Happy for the new toothbrush I had in my bathroom for an immediate replacement.

Charmed by the Sesame Street address labels made especially for me that were waiting for me in my mailbox today.

Intrigued by the realization I made in therapy today.

Glad I signed up for the Buddhist lecture series.

grateful for...

-being prepared.
-getting to take a vacation.
-having the vacation pretty well planned
-having a great husband and travel buddy

Thankful that fall is here

Cool weather, corduroy jackets, apple cider, pumpkin muffins....what's not to like?

Meanderings

Meanderings
i'm grateful for the new beginning of the circle

it's wednesday and i'm grateful for...

... the tears that help me cleanse.
... the time to heal.
... the love of my friends.

Thankful for...

two days in a row of walk-to-work weather
long distance phone calls
an office with a door
watermelon

thankful for...

.... friends who laugh --- heartily and as if that's the stupidest thing they have ever heard -- when I mention another person's negative feedback.
... the inspiration to change the direction of my desk in my office... it's gonna make me much more comfortable in there.
... an evening with friends.

Tuesday gratitude

I'm grateful for:
-the first sunny morning SF has seen for weeks
-my dad finally getting email
-fondue parties
-sentence fragments
-bullet points

Grateful

...to get to go wonderful places like Seattle for work.
...to be home again.
...that this morning was cool and un-muggy enough that I could walk to work comfortably.

grateful for..

... my job
... my car, which gets me where i need to go
... my health
... my Alaskan friends
... my sense of adventure

Thankful for...

... feeling calm and happy about my decision.
... having a friend to call.
... having cats to snuggle with me.
... being calm about waiting, when I am usually impatient.

i'm grateful for

... friends who call me and ask if i want to go shopping with them.
... cats that snuggle with me.
... time to reflect.

i'm grateful for...

... walks on the beach.
... good friends who drive my tipsy ass around... and call to make sure I'm ok.
... new friends who call to ask me to go for a hike.
... old friends who email me sweet things.
... chocolate ice cream.

I'm grateful for...

... her love.
... her compassion.
... her honesty.
... our decision.
... the fact that I'm very calm about it right now.

I'm grateful for...

...being able to ride my new bicycle to and from work
...having enough disposable cash to buy myself a decent bicycle
...hearing from a couple of old friends in the past few days
...finishing a bear of a story I'd been working on for two weeks
...getting to combine a business trip with a trip to see my mom
...my sister-in-law's decision to join me on the trip with her two darling kids

I'm grateful for...

... music.
... the refreshing breeze that's blowing through my open window.
... my health.
... my resilience.
... my imagination.
... my ability to feel things deeply.
... my friends, who are so important to me.
... my family members, who love and ground me.
... my beloved, who gives me so many gifts.... even as she resists me.

I'm grateful for the ability to live this amazing life... bumps and all.

I'm grateful for...

... having internet access at home again.
... the Hair Color Experiment that turned out well.
... thinking about my life, and my future, in a more optimistic (bright!) way.
... how happy I feel right now.

I'm grateful for

...days when I actually get motivated to do exercise. It really feels good!
...the no-pressure bicycle sales staff at Valencia Cyclery.
...having friends to go scuba diving with this weekend.

grateful for...

...friends
...IM, because it makes it easy to keep in touch with friends
...Net Newswire, because it makes it easy to track blogs
...Skype, because you can talk to people for free

Thankful for...

... interesting conversations at barbeques.
... independent movie theaters that show quality documentaries.
... friends who have birthdays... so I can celebrate with them!
... getting text messages from affectionate loved ones.

I'm grateful for...

... the sound of rain on my house.
... the two sleeping kitties next to me.
... the way a certain person loves me.

Grateful for...

...my health
...being loved
... having great friends
... being done with classes for the week

Thankful for...

... Odwalla fruit juice.
... zit medication.
... feeling loved.
... the ability to sleep in tomorrow.

These are not in order of importance.

I am grateful

...for summer produce.
...for friends who move my heavy furniture down the street for me in exchange for pizza, beer, and cobbler.
...for deodorant.

I'm grateful for...

... fruit, which tastes oh-so-good and is actually good for you, too.
... checks that arrive in the mail unexpectedly early.
... long summer days.
... my beloved, who enriches my life.

I am grateful

I am grateful for whoever figured out how to let people make telephone calls across the ocean. And also chocolate cookies.

So thankful...

...for email to tell me that my friend is okay, before I even find out that anything could possibly be wrong.
...that my friend is okay.

And so sorry that so many people aren't.

i'm grateful...

... for days where I can stay in my pj's all day long, if I want to do so.
... for small towns that have awesome 4th of July celebrations.
... for my two cats.
... to be living in a gorgeous area.
... that I'm able to feel things deeply... it's often a double-edged sword, but I'll choose to appreciate and embrace it today.

I'm grateful for...

... midnight fireworks display on the 3rd. (Even when they are on the 3rd in order to be the very first in the nation.)
... extremely long phone conversations.
... the variety of technological ways my beloved and I are using to keep in touch with each other.
... a friend who calls for advice... and appreciates the advice I give her.
... a sister who likes to talk to me.
... a beloved who loves me.

I'm grateful for...

...afternoon naps.
...cell phones that let me keep in touch with my beloved.
...the long days of summer.
...my health.
...my sense of humor.

gratitude...

for benign test results
for family
for bisquick
for chocolate pudding
for flowers

I'm grateful for...

my mom offering to come to my place to cook dinner tonight.
getting a fancy phone for almost free.
being able to get a good night's sleep.
digital cameras.
cute little children.

I'm grateful for...

...small towns that hold flag-decorating contests for Flag Day. I didn't remember that there actually is such a thing as Flag Day.
...visits to the small post office in this small town. I recently came back from a trip, and I went to the post office to pick up my mail. After saying 'hello,' the postal worker said, "So, you are here to pick up your mail, right?" Yep, the postal workers know me. I'm a step away from being a local.
...sisters who call me, tipsy, to ask for drink recipes.
...poetry.

when it matters most

I suppose it's most important to remember gratitude when one is feeling down, so here goes....

I'm grateful for cats.
I'm grateful for my hair, which still looks fine even on mornings when I drastically oversleep and don't have time to drag a comb through it.
I'm grateful for the memory of my piano teacher, Barbara Call, who used to say, "Give me a minute Jennifer... I just need to drag a comb through this mop," "this mop" being her head of wiry gray-brown hair, which she curled using bobby pins.
I'm grateful for comments on my blog.
I'm grateful for having a job.
I'm grateful for my memory.
I'm grateful for someone who's seen me at my worst so many times yet still loves and stands by me.

I'm grateful for...

...music.
...being home when a certain person called.
...the ability to express myself in my blog(s).
...a sunny day.

grateful for love.
grateful for phone calls.
grateful for long conversations.
grateful for cats who teach me important lessons.
and for one particular person who is opening up their heart to me.

a friend

I am grateful for DJC.

She let me stay at her house for a week, not minding when I came in at 4 and 5am.

She bought me pizza at the movies (twice) because it was so much fun.

She was so supportive of me and the reason for my visit.

I am grateful for my poet, who loves me.
I'm grateful for a chance to be with her.
I'm grateful for chances, in general.
I'm grateful for love. For life. For happiness.

TGIT

I'm grateful I have tomorrow off.
I'm grateful I did my laundry last night.
I'm grateful I found a new place to have lunch.
I'm grateful for "no gift" birthday parties.
I'm grateful I can express myself through writing.

I'm grateful for my sister, who understands me completely... and who lets me cry on the phone with her.
I'm grateful for sunny days.
I'm grateful for pleasant, nice mechanics who don't chastise me for taking so very, very long to get my oil changed.
I'm grateful for the opportunity to learn -- once again -- what is really important in life.
I'm grateful for that part inside of me that always strives for more. Even if it does get me in trouble sometimes.

Musical gratitude

I'm grateful for the Boomtown Rats song "I don't like Mondays" for always reminding me that I'm not alone.
I'm grateful for the guitar and people who can write amazing songs on it.
I'm grateful for Madama Butterfly as the perfect background music.
I'm grateful for Live 105, which has real, live, local DJs.
I'm grateful for public school music teachers, an endangered species.

I'm grateful for long distance phone calls.
I'm grateful for people who care how I travel from point a (airport) to point b (bed).
I'm grateful for hikes that challenge me.
I'm grateful for friends who don't laugh at me... while I'm around, at least.
I'm grateful for the felines in my life. Because they love me, unconditionally.

I am grateful for frequent flyer miles, the time off for last minute trips, and friends who let me stay at their house.

I'm grateful for gorgeous, sunny days.

I'm grateful for the energy to exercise.

I'm grateful for the easy smile that comes to my face today.

I'm grateful for the loving people in my life.

I'm grateful that a tough experience made me a little bit stronger.
I'm grateful for friends who understand.
I'm grateful for polite businesspeople who call you back right away with all the information you wanted.
I'm grateful for soy lattes.
I'm grateful for family compromises.

I am grateful for frequent flyer miles.

I am grateful for clean laundry.

I am grateful for gorgeous views.

I am grateful for eye masks and ear plugs.

I am grateful for old friends.

Gratitude

Today I am grateful for wild Texas rainstorms. We had one last night. I'm not sure what woke me first, the lightning and thunder, or my two scaredy cat dogs. Pele didn't used to be frightened, but then, we almost never even had thunder in Santa Cruz. Teddy just jumps out of bed and runs to my closet, expecting the worst. I am grateful for the rain. My gauges read over 3 inches this morning. I'm also grateful for my father, who I am turning into. He always checked all weather, and then made announcements about how extreme the temps. were. I'm grateful for this blog where I can shout about the weather but noone has to listen if they don't want.

I'm grateful for long walks with friends.

I'm grateful for sunny, gorgeous days.

I'm grateful for my felines who behave nicely when visitors are here.

I'm grateful for a second chance.

I am grateful for nice dinners with friends.

I am grateful for nice friends.

I'm grateful for my growth as a human being.

I am grateful for this person.

I am grateful for my father, who is 72 today. I'm happy that he joked and laughed with me on the phone today.

TGIF!

I'm grateful for getting out of work early today, and for long weekends!
I'm grateful for Flylady's corny emails reminding me to clean up, especially the babysteps part.
I'm grateful for my friend coming to visit from New York this weekend.
I'm grateful for my health, and the health of my loved ones.
I'm just grateful for life today--vast possibilities, excitement, hope and faith...

Meanderings

Meanderings

Today, I'll be grateful for my blog not being erased. It seemed to be gone yesterday. I was also grateful today for dogs and walks and San Antonio weather, which was supposed to be hot and rainy but was neither.

i'm grateful for nice little cafes that make yummy food.

i'm grateful for clear, unwavering support.

i'm grateful for days when you feel as if you can breathe freely.

i am grateful for sunny days, afternoon walks in the woods, friendships that last over 20 years, and views like this:

I'm grateful I bought the chai tea.

I'm grateful for fast internet, even if it is temporary.

I'm grateful for the answer yes... and an open door.

Lexapro

Today I am most grateful for antidepressants, that allow me to stay sane while working through grad school bureaucracy; and teacher certification bureaucracy, and for my daughter who made up a word for me after I was finished whining about it all. I'm grateful for the new word: BUREAUCRAPCY.

I'm grateful for...

-the fact that my gym teacher holds no judgment. She's just happy that you showed up, whether it's every Tuesday and Thursday for a month, or one time in 6 months.
-leftovers that are still good a few days later.
-witty bloggers, even if they're on a real long rant.
-steam-cleaned carpets.
-days like these when I know I can leave work at 5pm.

I'm grateful for my cute kitten who lays in my lap and accepts out of town visitors with ease.

I'm grateful for my out of town visitor.

I'm grateful for my car that will safely transport us on our adventures while she is here.

I'm grateful for honest emails, and even more grateful for the honest people who write them.

I'm so happy that my friend, the sister of my heart, is going to be here tomorrow.

I'm happy it is summer.

seeing things clearly

Today, I saw an eagle soaring through the sky, a rainbow brightening up my view, and the most glorious clouds I may have ever seen. And I am very grateful for my sight.

Back from my trip

So much to be grateful for...
-that there were no typos on the cover (of the daily magazine I was creating for the trade show I was attending).
-that several people thanked me for giving them good coverage.
-that the big error on Day 3 was the printer's fault and not ours.
-that the big error was way at the back of the book on Day 3, not on some prominent page on Days 1 or 2.
-that the people on my team were such hard workers and so much fun.
-that I know how to write a good headline.
-that I experienced true job fulfillment at several points each day that I was on my business trip.
-that I brought all the right clothes (amazingly) both for the business parts and the party parts of the trip.
-that my husband arranged a flight and super shuttle so I could come home a little earlier than originally planned.
-that the super shuttle dropped me off first.

flowers, questions and answers

Happy that one of my flowers bloomed today.

Glad I got the email that answered a few questions.

Glad I sent the email that may have inspired a lot more questions.

early morning gratitude

It's 3:30am and I'm glad I can sleep as long I need to today. The sun is supposed to rise at 4:21am today in this crazy Alaskan town. The sky is already light, waiting for the sun. Gray clouds are rolling by, against a background of lighter sky. The mountain tops still glow with the little bit of snow left from the winter.

I'm grateful for my eyes that can behold such a beautiful vision. I'm grateful for my body that can stay up until 3:33am and still be coherent. I'm grateful for the birds that are chirping outside my window.

And I'm grateful for my sleep mask, which will block the light when I finally do sleep.

Life is an amazing adventure. I'm glad I saw Auntie Mame when I was young, because I think some of her philosophy rubbed off on me. "Life is a banquet, and most poor suckers are starving to death!"

There's no room for regret at a banquet. Especially for staying up so late that it's early.

today's list

I'm grateful for

1) cats who lay on me, purring.

2) an ex who still likes me enough -- and cares about me enough -- to talk to me on the phone tonight for an hour.

3) sunny days

4) sappy movies

5) friends from far away who still miss me

6) love

yeah, I'm so grateful for love. More than words can express.

I'm grateful for yogurt and honey.

I'm grateful to be so much less stressed out today.

I'm grateful for old ladies with blogs who make me get off my butt and walk, and for my friends and family members who have donated money to support my walking in the Race for the Cure.

for handholding and for friends

I'm grateful that Elizabeth has a husband who will hold her hand when she needs it. Especially when she needs it but doesn't ask for it. I'm grateful that her husband is my friend, too. Because I know they'd both hold my hand -- one on either side of me -- if I really needed it.

I'm grateful I don't need it right now :)

I'm happy my friend, SP, is coming to visit me next week. Over the 20 years of our friendship, she's held my hand, kicked my butt and held my head (while I was sick). She's my sister, in all ways except biologically.

Thankful for this journal

Right now I am feeling grateful for having a gratitude journal I can contribute to. I woke up feeling stressed this morning. I'm not sure what's causing the stress--it could be several things, none of them major--but I was cranky, my stomach hurt, my hands were shaky, my forehead wouldn't relax, and I kept feeling sleepy--all my standard stress symptoms. On the Metro into the city, I focused on thinking of things to write in the gratitude journal and it really helped calm me down. So:

I am grateful for my husband, who saw how stressed out I was this morning, asked what was bothering me, listened as I speculated about the causes of my stress, and then kissed the wrinkly spot on my forehead and asked what he could do to help. Then he packed my lunch (which I'd asked him to do) and held my hand on the bus and the train (which I didn't ask for, but which helped a lot).

I am grateful for living some place with good trains and buses, so that I don't have to drive.

I am grateful for my favorite, friendly bus driver, who greets me the same way almost every time I see him, and says the same thing every day as the bus pulls up to the final stop.

As the train passed through Arlington National Cemetery, I gave thanks for the sacrifices of the men and women buried there. And I am grateful for the green and white simplicity and orderliness of the cemetery.

I am grateful for coworkers who have had to much caffeine and are chatty and happy in the morning, keeping me very amused. Especially when they give me cookies. Because who couldn't use a chocolate chip cookie at 9:30 in the morning?

I am grateful that I have the opportunity to travel. I am grateful that I will spend next week in Rome and Florence. Even if that means I am stressed out now, trying to get things finished up at work.

rainbows

I'm grateful for the rainbow I saw today. One advantage to living in a temperate rainforest is the opportunity to see lots of rainbows, and I appreciate that.

I'm grateful for my sister, who calls to make sure I'm doing ok.

I'm grateful my kitten, who was once feral, is happily laying on me right now. We've become friends.

Leaving on a jet plane

I'm grateful that, thanks to the preponderance of Starbucks and Peet's in our modern world, I know I'll be able to have a great cup of coffee while I'm waiting for my plane.
I'm happy that I've decided to check my bag.
I'm happy that I have a ride to the airport, because even though I could expense a cab, it's so much nicer to have someone you love dropping you off.

Happy to be happy

Today I am in a fabulous mood, and I'm happy just to be happy.

I'm grateful for the gorgeous day and pleasant to work. I'm also grateful for the comfy new sandals that make the walk to work so easy on my feet (although mine are not pink).

I'm grateful that my dinner party went well last night. The chocolate fondue was great, but the time hanging out with friends was even better.

I'm grateful...

• that my friends want to join me in this graditude journal.


• that I am done with final grades.


• that I get to cat sit a lovely cat this week.


• for my big sis... and how she understands me. And loves me.


• that I can sleep in tomorrow morning.

First time...

I'm really grateful that I finally figured out how to join and post on this!
I'm grateful that my friends let me use their snazzy Maytag Neptune washer and dryer to do many, many loads of laundry this weekend.
I'm grateful that my hair situation worked itself out. In time for my big business trip this week.
I'm grateful that I got to see my beloved auntie from Brazil today.
I'm grateful that Nick and I had not one but TWO nice lunches with my brother and his family this weekend.

Weekend gratitude

I'm grateful that the first thunderstorm of summer yesterday was so violently exciting. I'm also grateful that it didn't knock my power out for long, and that it's over now.

I'm grateful that I got to sleep so much yesterday. Even morning people need to sleep until 11 sometimes.

I'm grateful for orange juice, my new Gillian Welch CD, and the fact that my DSL is working again.

And I'm grateful that I have friends coming over for supper tonight, although I'm not exactly pleased about the housework I'll have to do in preparation for letting anyone see the inside of my house.

just happy

Happy that I have loving parents.
Happy for Netflix.
(Just in case you are wondering, those two really aren't on equal footing... but Netflix is on the list today... It's a comprehensive list, ok??)
Happy it's the weekend.
Happy it's raining.

grateful it's the weekend

I'm grateful to be finished with another set of grades. I'm glad I got to see Crash tonight. I'm happy I had a good meal with friends, and I may even have a new, yummy recipe for soup. I'm happy I got to talk with a close friend on the phone today.

Part of me feels like my gratitude entries are repetitive and uninteresting. It's not the best or most interesting thing to read. However, I guess that's not the point, unlike some of my other writing. It's simply for me to reflect on what I'm grateful for in life. Right now, I'm grateful for movies and yummy soup recipes. More importantly, I think the gratitude journal is really helping me develop and maintain a postiveness that I've never been able to maintain for long periods of time.

So... I'm gonna keep it up, even if it does border on sappy sometimes.

grading, socializing, zipping, eating, and spelling

I'm glad I have submitted grades for one of my classes. I'm happy that I have a few items on my social calendar. I'm glad it is the beginning of my summer break. I'm grateful I got a free trial upgrade this month on my cable modem. It's zippy! And I'm grateful for bananas. They add just the right oomph to my cereal in the morning. And I'm happy that Word knows how to spell 'oomph" because I sure didn't.

Simple things

Advil, my heating pad, and yoga are at the top of my gratitude list today.

I'm glad it's 8:28pm and still sunny out. I'm happy I was able to give a friend a ride today. I'm grateful I have friends who simply assume I got the job. I'm so happy to have my health. I'm happy I won't have another 8am class… until I decide to schedule one, which may very well be never again.

I'm grateful for friends who write on gratitude blogs with me.

Bilingual Kids

Today I subbed in the Bilingual School that I have taught at before. It has Mexican immigrant kids who still don't speak English well, and African children from Capetown, Somalia, and other parts African. They speak a variety of languages. A sweet little Somalian girl and I had met before and she said, "Hi!" to me today. I asked her if she spoke Swahili, and then said my only Swahili word, learned from Miriam Makeba songs, "Jambo sana!" She looked at me and said, "Jambo! Yo hablo Espanol." I'm grateful for sweet little African girls.

tuesday and tv

I'm happy that my navy shirt fits, even though I haven't worn it in months. It only fits when I'm on the lower end of my weight range, and I like wearing the shirt.

My cat is 4 months old this month. It doesn't seem possible that it's been four years since I took her home as a fluffy, purring kitten. But I’m happy to have her… happy she and I have done well together the last 4 years… happy that she still comes by to purr on my chest.

I’m happy that the post-winter brown on the mountains is now a bright green. The color compliments the darker green trees, making the mountains even more striking.

I'm actually glad it is cruise ship season. I love watching the cruise ships go in and out of the channel. I've got a prime view from my place.

I'm glad I get to see Gilmore Girls and Veronica Mars tonight. Yep, I'm scraping the bottom of the barrel if I'm listing TV shows as a reason to be grateful, but there you go.

I'm happy that, while I was coming to the computer to write this list all I could think of were the TV shows, yet I was able to come up with several more items. And I have the feeling I could come up with even more.

I'm beginning to see how and why these gratitude journals work.

Mondays and mothers

Sometimes I feel like the only person in the world who is grateful for Mondays. But, seriously, after the weekend, I'm refreshed and productive and happy. I've been known to get into the office at 7 am on a Monday (today was not one of those days). I get so much done, and I'm not completely exhausted at the end of the day.

I'm also grateful for little babies and new life. I went out to lunch with coworkers today, and on our way back we saw a teeny-tiny baby in a stroller. I was amazed by how small he was, how fragile he seemed. I would be afraid to pick up somebody so delicate.

And so I am also grateful for mothers. Yesterday was Mother's Day, but since my mom died four years ago, it's been a hard day for me to deal with and I try not to think about it. Today, though, after seeing that baby, I can be grateful for moms who bring such delicate little lives into the world and grow them up into people.

Monday

I am grateful for the job interview I have tomorrow... even though it scares the shit out of me.

I am grateful for the hour-long conversation I had last night with a new friend... because it shows how much our friendship is progressing. (I have a new friend!)

I'm grateful for old friends, who think to send me mother's day cards on behalf of my cats. Just another (silly) reminder of how much my friend thinks about me and loves me. (And is crazy about animals, but that's another topic.)

I am grateful for my insulated lunch bag. It's been ignored for months, but today it is going to hold my pb sandwich and other snacks of glory.

I'm grateful for the energy that I feel that helps me do yoga this morning, make the phone call I needed to but dreaded making, meditate, and pack my lunch.

I was only going to write one item... or however many actually came to me... but I was able to (easily) write five. I think I'm going to try to write 3-5 items a day, but perhaps this process gets easier the longer you do it. Which is the point, I guess.

I am grateful for a warm, sunny, windy day, and the chance to sit outside and read.

I am grateful for sweet, ripe mangoes.

Since Thursday, I've been home by myself, and I've enjoyed the peace and quiet; I'm grateful for time alone. But I'm also grateful that, in a few hours, I'll have company again.

hummingbirds

Yesterday, I found out how brightly colored the hummingbirds in Alaska are. Their colors are vivid and gorgeous. There were several in my neighborhood yesterday, going from deck to deck, flower to flower. I was happy that I'd put flowers on my deck already. The birds were playing and buzzing and sometimes getting very close to me... I lost track of time, while I was gazing at them in awe.

This morning, I am grateful for hummingbirds, flowers, spring, and being lost in the moment.

My first gratitude journal

Today I am thankful for:

1. Long conversations with friends.

2. Peanut sauce.

3. A snuggly cat.

Day three...

This is my third day of writing down things I'm grateful for, and I'm already stuck. Part of the problem is that I'm not feeling particularly positive right now. I'm downright panicky, and that's interfering with the gratitude part. I'm guessing that the gratitude part should interfere with the panicky part... at least, that's the goal, right?

The other problem is that I don't know the rules. Yeah, I'm really making this up as I go along, but what are the limits? I want to write down at least 5 things a day. The first three I thought of today were ones I've used in the past couple of days... sun, health, cats. So, how much can duplicate? How much do I want to duplicate?

As usual, I'm thinking too much.

Before I get to the list... a note about yesterday's list. The bald eagle. Flying close to my house. SO incredible.

Today's list, so far:

1) I'm grateful for the sunny day. Yes, I'm adding it! I live in a rainforest, so I am VERY grateful for any sunny day. Additionally, it might get to 70 today, which would be a first this year. So... grateful for the great weather today. I'm realizing how linked my mood is to weather.

2) Grateful that I have a lead on a make-a-little-extra-money job. Not sure what is going to happen... money-wise or job-wise. But the lead made me think more optimistically about my (panic-inspiring) money situation. Optimism is good.

3) Grateful to be finishing up my first year in my new job. It was an awesome year, in a lot of ways. My dream job. Things didn't always go smoothly -- nothing does -- but I'm happy that I have that dream job of mine.

4) Grateful for L'Oreal Feria's hair color, specifically color #36 (chocolate cherry). For my fabulously unnatural shade of red hair.

5) Grateful for the internet, so I can connect with my friends all over the world.

Today...

I am grateful:

1) that I can walk outside my front door and see a bald eagle flying through the air.

2) that my cat still wants to lay on my chest and purr.

3) for Costco... sort of... because of Costco, this summer I will not run out of popcorn, cleaning products, trash bags... and perhaps other things I am forgetting at the moment.

4) for the sunny, glorious day

5) for email

I had a difficult time thinking of these today... which is exactly why I should.

gratitude journal

There's some research that suggests writing in a gratitude journal is beneficial. Actually, writing in any type of journal seems helpful, but at least one study shows that writing in a gratitude journal daily for just a few months increases happiness levels.

I'm all for increasing happiness levels, so here goes:

1) I'm grateful for my health. Really. It's amazing to me how our human bodies work. The fact that mine appears to be working well is incredible.

2) I'm grateful my cats still love me, even when I'm a fuck-up. Chloe is laying on me right now, purring loudly.

3) I'm grateful for my view. It's a sunny, gorgeous day today… and it is so beautiful here.

4) I'm grateful for my friends. There is so much I could add here…. But let's just say I'm grateful for them…

5) I'm grateful I have enough food to eat today

6) No meetings are scheduled for today

7) Did I mention it was a sunny, gorgeous day?

8) Oh... and I'm grateful for blogger. A free blog... I've definitely taken advantage of that. Thanks, blogger!

I was going to write five, but I've always been an overachiever. Apparently, I'm supposed to do this every day, and I will gradually feel the effects of focusing on the positive.

It is true that optimism is related to physical and psychological well-being. So… I'm gonna look on the bright side.

Or try to.