New Day

Tomorrow my #1 turns 9.
Tomorrow is the first day of a new month.... a very busy month.
This entry will conclude the month long gratitude challenge.
So without further ado....

I am thankful that each and every night when I go to bed I will wake up to a new day.

I love the promise that a new day brings.

I am so very thankful for each and every day I have.

Everybody

Today is my stepsister's birthday. It was my Aunt Joan's birthday. Tomorrow is my friend Maria's birthday.
I really am blesses to have a wonderful circle of friends and family.
I have a stepfather that am so very thankful for. He is a good partner for my mom and the best grandfather kids could have...and I love him dearly.
I have a mother & father in law that I love and enjoy spending time with.
I have cousins and nephews and nieces and aunts and uncles all who enrich my life.
I have a sweet neighbor from our old neighborhood that still comes by to see me 3 times a month, even though I live an hour away now. She is sweet and kind.
My life is rich because I have so many that I love and care about.

My Sow

I often hear people say that they married their best friend.

What a blessing that is.

I married someone like my best friend - I have two best friends.

She was my first best friend.... my sow.

Our friendship has spanned over 20 years. She knows all of my secrets. She knows me. She really knows me.

Words seem superficial when trying to express how thankful I am for her.

I guess it is like having a sister without the annoyance factor.

She is one of the finest human beings I have ever known. She has it figured out. She knows what is important and what isn't. She gets the big picture.

I know there are days when she sees me going off on something stupid -something I am pouring my energy into - like a bad driver - and she just lets me go a bit and then redirects. Not unlike a loving parent toward a willful toddler. I am still trying to focus in the wrong place sometimes.

That is what I mean about she "gets it".

On top of all that deep and profound stuff....she is wickedly funny. We like the same kind of funny. And we like the same kind of sappy.

We have had some adventures over these 20 plus years. Adventures I hope she never shares with my children. I hope that we will be old ladies together.
Still meeting at the bookstore for coffee and acting silly.

Everyone should have a sow.

I am so blessed and thankful for her friendship....um, I mean sowship.

My Friend Sue

My friend Sue.

She is one of a kind.

She is overflowing with creativity and love.

She wants the world to be a better place.

She wants to help heal the world.

This is the friend I am able to discuss all of those deep spiritual questions with.
I can theorize and she never laughs or tells me I am nuts.
She takes it in and gives me a different point of view.

I admire her for her strength of her beliefs and the fact that she is not threatened by those who don't share her beliefs.

She is a good listener. A listener with a kind and open heart. I wish I were more like her in this way.

I am thankful she is my friend.

Scrapbooking ....duh!

So much of our life has been enriched because of this hobby.

For me, it is far more than a hobby.

As time passes I forget some of these phases my children pass through.

I am so thankful I have these scrapbooks to remind me of these sweet moments.

Not only do they help me to recall these moments but also these books are a way for my children to know their own histories.....at least as their mother remembers them.

This month long challenge will become a special little scrapbook for me.

It will serve to remind me how very much I have in this life.

I am so thankful I have my scrapbooks.

Guess what we have at our house?

Number one has had a stomach virus since Saturday.

I am thankful for certain medicines that help.

Music

If nature soothes me.
And art thrills me.

Music feeds me.

Through music I pray, grieve, rejoice, love, play games, am silly, am introspective, release anger or pain, find hope and joy.

It can turn my mood around with one song.

I can be more productive with music.

I love the poetry of lyrics.

I love voices in harmony.

I love an acoustic guitar strumming.

I would be hungry without my music. Finding new music is like trying a delicious new dish. And just like a good meal I always feel full and satisfied after consuming it.

I cannot imagine my life without my favorite music.

I am thankful for the Ipod I just got - so very, very thankful!

My Girl

My #2.

She is just a gift.

She looks like me but inside, she is that balance to me. Just like her daddy. She is quiet and smart and funny but only when she is comfortable.
She is shy.
I worried about her in school.
She has come out of her shell and bloomed!
Like a big gorgeous flower.
He has her own mind about things.
She likes to be alone from time to time.
She doesn't really care what anyone thinks -she likes what she likes and she is who she is.
I don't always understand her.
I ask her daddy from time to time....what is she thinking? And kindly, he will explain this precious girl to me.
I delight in her more than words can express.

I always thought I only wanted boys....and then G-d gave me Abigail.
I am so thankful he did.

ART

I love art.
All aspects of art.
Photography
Old Masters
Modern art
Design
Sculpture
mixed mediums
pencil drawings
watercolors
oils
pastels
collage
play-doh

It is all art.
I love to see someone's vision of something. I love that they (artists) feel the freedom and confidence to commit that vision in some form.
It is exciting.
It makes my heart race. I guess it is the opposite of what nature does.
Nature soothes my soul and Art thrills it.
Sounds like a good balance to me.

I am thankful for Art.

My Mom

Today is my birthday so I thought today I should talk about my mom.
She isn't perfect. I should say she wasn't perfect but she is pretty close to it now.
Things were not great growing up. But through it all my mom did the best she could. The choices she made, she made them with the thought that it was the best thing to do for us as a family.
She learned some tough lessons along the way.

She learned.

She is the most loving, most thoughtful, warm hearted, funny, kind, beautiful, caring person I have ever known.

She is my mom and my marme.

It is funny to call her a friend because she is soooo much more than that. I can come to her with anything big or small and we understand each other.

I love to talk to her and spend time with her. We have so much fun. Lots of laughter.

My life is so much richer and more complete because of her.

I am so thankful I have my mom.

Number Three

What can I say about my Joel? He makes me laugh.
He is the funniest little kid I have ever known.
He makes me laugh in the way my brother used to when we were kids.
I always have a hard time staying mad or keeping a straight face -that is how it is with Joel.
He is silly, and goofy, and playful, and I love him so.
When he takes my face in his sweet little hands and tells me I am beautiful, my heart melts.
He is also sassy. Perhaps that is a bit my fault. I tend to let some things slide with this one because he does make me laugh.
Overall, he is a sweet, playful, smart, fun little boy.

He is obsessed with superheros. ALL SUPERHEROS. Superman, Spiderman, Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman, Batman, Ironman, and the villains too...
The picture is Joel as Superman right after a bath. Cute kid.

Nature

This is a picture of the American River. I camped and went white water rafting here a number of years ago. It still stands out as one of my favorite memories.
As does rafting down the Colorado River.....and sitting on top of the mountain one winter evening.....and mountian biking to a waterfall on a mountain in summer...
There is just something about taking in the majesty of nature that makes me feel humble and awed all at the same time.

I am thankful for the way I feel in nature.

Random Acts of Kindness

This morning I opened my e-mail to find a message waiting for me.... the title reads
Guess What?
Yentl is coming out on DVD Feb 3, 2009.
You're getting a copy when they ship, plus a DVD of Quiz Show in a few days.
Happy Birthday, friend!

Who does this? I think sometimes I am wired differently.
I need to work on random acts of kindness.

This friend did this one other time a few years ago and she really impacted my day/week/month.

I have another friend, Sarah, that does stuff like this all the time. She will send me something like Harry Potter on cd (a loan from her collection) just because she knows #1 and I will enjoy it.

She has sent me some books that she thought I might enjoy - AND I do.

I am really blessed by these two friends. Not because they send me presents that I love but because they are an example to me.

They are an example of goodness, and kindness, and selflessness. They do things from the goodness in their hearts. I always thought that that was a rare thing, but I am finding there is more goodness out there than I have let myself believe.

Today I am thankful for the kindness of others. It really can change the world.

The Great Escape (at least for me)

I have struggled all day with something to be thankful for...and yes, I have thousands of things to be thankful for, but today I struggled.
I spent the day organizing my craft room.
I am not very tidy by nature.
I don't like clutter in my home BUT a craft room by its very essence is clutter.
We have lived here almost two years, and I have never really planned out the best way to use this space. I am still struggling, and everything is a mess. UGH!
So all of this whining leads me to the great escape... a good movie.
Last night it was To Kill a Mockingbird, today it was Coal Miner's Daughter.
I love this art form. LOVE IT!
It is an escape...Out of Africa, Quiz Show, Beaches, A Few Good Men, Almost Famous, When Harry Met Sally, Casablanca...

OH! I cracked up while watching To Kill a Mockingbird. I used to watch the movie at least once a week. My bff & I would use our favorite movie line from this film all the time to crack each other up. I hadn't thought about it in a very long time.
Here it is:
Scout: "Hey, Mrs. Dubose!"
Mrs. Dubose: "Don't you say hey to me, you ugly girl! You day good afternoon, Mrs. Dubose!"

You must use your best crotchety old lady voice when doing the Mrs. Dubose line.

Oh and one more from Pollyanna:
Mrs. Snow: You have a stubby little nose (to Pollyanna)
Pollyanna: I know. I wish I were pretty like you!

I love that movie.

I have a lot of favorite movies that I need to replace -VHS to DVD. Quiz Show, Yentel (still hasn't been released on DVD-what's up with that?)

Anyway, today I am thankful for the escape and enjoyment I get from film.
Now go get some popcorn and pop in your favorite movie.

I was going to blog about being thankful for our good health today.....and I am thankful that we are all healthy and strong, but I am really so very thankful for the feeling of contentment.
My dear husband and I were talking today about a friend of his. They kid around with each other about who is rich. His co-worker thinks we are because of where we live and the house we live in. We think his friend is because we know he makes a lot more than my husband. What people don't realize is that we made choices, as they have.
We are so happy with our place and where we are.

We could be making more money but we would have to give up time with our children.

We love our life and how we live it.

To me, that is success.


I am so thankful we see our lives as successful.

Unnamed Lady Who Sat Next To Me At The Movies (November 15)

This will seem like a silly thing to be thankful for but, I am so thankful for this lady.

I took my #1, and #2 to the movies this afternoon. I LOVE to go to the movies but really dislike going to kid movies. I don't like the talking and the kicking the back of the seat sends me over the edge. And it did today too......it did until she came and sat down.
At first I was thankful because I thought at least with bodies there, that kid behind them would stop shoving his little powerful foot into the back of the seat. And he did ....for 5 min.
Funny thing is, when the movie started and she started her dialog.....yes, she had her own dialog through the whole movie....

mmmmm, hmmmm
no, he didn't
mmmmmmm
oh no he didn't
ooooooooooooooooh

It cracked me up. Her laugh was the best. It was a giggle that worked its way up to a good hearty laugh.

I forgot about the 3 foot high beast behind us and really enjoyed the movie. She was infectious. I giggled at stuff that I would have never thought funny. Her laugh just caught hold of me and strangled the grouchy old lady out of me.

I had a fun time. And so did my #1 & #2.

I thought about leaning over and asking her name and telling her how much I loved her laughter, but I chickened out at the last minute.

So today I am thankful for the unnamed lady who sat next to me at the movies.

Past Loves (November 14th)

So this one it a little strange. First the picture....I couldn't post pictures of past loves so I found an image that helped with remembering that time. Second, why be thankful for past loves?
Because the helped me understand myself and do the work I needed to do so that I would be a good partner for someone.
I met both of my past loves in the 1980's.
At some point in the mid 1990's I got to the point where I was ready (or so I thought) to settle down.
I still wasn't 100% there because I was still caught in a relationship that wasn't good for me. It wasn't bad but it certainly didn't bring out the best in me.
It was at this point that I really started to pray about it. I started to question if I was supposed to get married and have a family.
Psalm 37:4 I prayed everyday. I added that if the desires of my heart were not what G-d wanted for me, I prayed for my desires to change. If marriage and family were part of the plan, I prayed that G-d would help me to become the woman he needed me to be and that G-d helped him to become the man I needed.
I prayed this everyday for about 3 years.
My past loves are still apart of me. I wouldn't change that for anything. They helped me on my path to where I should be. And I am so thankful for that.

My Husband (November 13th)

Everyone used to say.....when the right one comes along, you just know it.
A month shy of my 31st birthday, I no longer believed it. Then I met Mark.
It wasn't love at first sight, more like interest. But on our first date, I knew.
He says it took him a few more days. I knew on Friday. He knew on Monday.
He is so much more than I deserve.
He is good and kind. He has a strong work ethic. He is a partner in this family. He is the best father- he is an extremely active father -he doesn't want to miss a thing.
He makes me laugh.
He is humble and has a strong faith in G-d.
He is silly and playful.

I am so thankful to be able to share this life with him.

Wordless Wednesday (can you guess what I am saying?)

Computers/Internet (November 12th)

How much do I love the Internet?
Because of the Internet I can answer any question that pops in my head. Remember the days of searching the encyclopedia? If the information could be found, would it be enough or really focus on the question you had? If it wasn't enough or complete information that would mean a trip to the library. Not that that is a bad thing but usually if I had to go to that much effort for a simple wondering, I would just let it drop.
Now, within seconds of my question I can have an enormous amount of information available to me.
Then there is the whole genealogy thing that I love. I simply could not do what I do without the Internet. I still enjoy going to the genealogy library and spending the day pouring over old records but now I am able to do that when Joel is napping and I have a free hour.

Today I am thankful for the Internet and personal computer.

History (November 11th)

This is a picture of Colmar, France. My ancestors came from this area in the 1850's. The came to settle a wild area of Texas. They were the first ones to settle there -other than the Native Americans, of course.
I love our family history.
I wish I had time to learn more and gather more stories. I know they are out there.
Tonight, while helping my daughter with a project for school, I realized that every male member of our family has served in the military for the past four generations. Most of the males in that current (4th generation) are too young to serve. The one that is of age is currently on active duty.
That history makes me so proud. I am thankful for our history.

Books (November 10th)

A book is a set or collection of written, printed, illustrated, or blank sheets, made of paper, parchment, or other material, usually fastened together to hinge at one side. A single sheet within a book is called a leaf, and each side of a leaf is called a page.

Yup, that is a book. But really, it is soooo much more.
I really LOVE books. I have an emotional reaction to them.
A library is a wonderland.
You can learn ANYTHING - ANYTHING if you find the right book.
If you can think about a topic, there is a book out there.

The picture is of a favorite book that my friend, Beth talked about. I didn't look into it because I thought it was a religious thing. My other friend, Diane, purchased it and showed it to me. Ahhhhh, what a beautiful thing.
There are two other editions, US History, and Modern Culture.

I am so very thankful for books.

A BIG COMFORTABLE BED (November 9th)

After spending a long weekend with some of the BEST people on the planet, doing my favorite thing -Scrapbooking- I am sooooooo tired.
Being with my favorite people and scrappin' means little to no sleep.

Tonight I am thankful to be home and sleeping in my own comfy bed.

Good Night.

GINGER (November 8th)

FUNNY.

My favorite tv sitcom of all time is Seinfeld. Ginger is Jerry Seinfeld.

Every conversation I have with her EVERY SINGLE ONE, I laugh.
Not all of our conversations are light and funny, but that doesn't matter, she finds a way to make me LAUGH.
I love the way her thoughts process.

Ginger is one of my ScrapShare friends that became a friend in real lift too.
She is smart and did I mention funny? Yup, funny.
She always brightens my day.
On top of being funny, she is loyal, true to her convictions, a wonderful mother, and a thoughtful wife.

I am so thankful for my friend, Ginger.

November 7th - My Friend Diane

Sometimes I catch myself thinking, I don't deserve a friend like her. Have you ever had a friend that you show all your warts to and they seem to still like you?
Do you have a friend that you can tell your fears to, and they help you to feel better about things?
Do you have a friend that you can say stuff to (that you probably should just keep to yourself) and they giggle with you and don't think you are a beast?
Do you have a friend who encourages you to do things that are good for you?
Do you have a friend that would come help with a three year old birthday? (gotcha on that one didn't I?)

I have all of these things in my husband, of course, and I have a few good friends that I trust but Diane is one of those friends that I continually think - I have got her fooled. One day she will realize that I got the good end of this deal.

Today, I am thankful for my friend Diane. She really knows me and she is still my friend. Not only that, she is one of the kindest, most thoughtful people I have ever known.

November 6th - ScrapShare

Seems like a silly thing...........thankful for a message board? Yup, I am.
I have been chatting with these folks for five years now.

I started attending retreats about 3 1/2 years ago. Now, some of these women are really and truly my friends. I am soooo blessed to have them in my life.
We share good news, bad news, silly things, serious things....I have laughed, cried, and mourned losses all over the internet.

I posted this today because I am currently at one of those fantastic retreats.... having a fantastic time - reconnecting to old friends - meeting new ones - laughing too much - staying up way too late - scrapbooking. Life is so good.

My #1 (November 5th)

When this challenge started a few days ago, I decided I wanted to include the little things as well as the big things I am thankful for. I thought I would write a bit about my family on the day of their birth. I started this thing on the 2nd of November. My #1 was born on the first day of the month, so I missed it.

Oh well, I will just put him in when I feel it.

He is my #1. He is my first born. That in and of itself makes him special. As if that wasn't enough in the special department, this kid is an absolute treasure.

I am quite certain that he is a gift. He is smart, very smart, but far more than that he is wise. The things he thinks about and says literally, stop me in my tracks. There are days when I ask G-d why? Why have I been given such a gift?

He is growing up and he is spending more time with friends and that is how it should be. I am so very thankful that my #1 still wants to have mama and son days. I am so thankful that my number one still likes to come in and read with me. I am so thankful I have this person to love and that he loves me right back.

FREEDOM (November 4th)

At this moment anything is possible.

On election day, in the early morning my world is full of hope for what might be.

Freedom

Freedom to cast a vote

Freedom to have a say in our government

It may not turn out the way one hopes, but in this moment the potential is there. The process may not be perfect, but it is one that allows all to participate.
I try to remember all of those who fought so hard to provide us this life we live.



Today, I am thankful for freedom.

November 3rd

Nothing deep about today's entry.
I am thankful for coffee.

Most days I am really thankful for coffee, but today in particular I am soooooo happy to have my morning cup of joe.

The time change.

My children don't quite understand that the purpose of the "fall back" time change is so we can all have an extra hour of sleep.

Kids were up at 5. Five. That is early.

I don't particularly care for that hour.

Yesterday, I purchased some flavored coffee.

I am sooooo thankful I did.

November 2nd

I am thankful for my home. We live in paradise. I walked outside this morning and was just overwhelmed with the feeling of thanks.
It is a crisp morning (something I am always thankful for) and so, so quiet.
It reminded me of my white water rafting trips. Waking up to peace. Then it hit me that I have this available to me each and every day.

Month-Long Gratitude Challenge

I am a day late but will post two today to make up for it.
I haven't been blogging. I have been busy, but I really miss it. This is the perfect opportunity to get back to it.

So my November 1st entry is ....

My Family. I grew up with my cousin being my best friend. We had a falling out in the family some years ago and I lost my best friends. We have since reconnected. It will never be like it was, sadly, but I love, love, love the time we are able to be together.

Every Halloween my cousin has a big thing at her house. I look forward to it every year. Our children trick or treat and we enjoy the hundreds of trick o' treaters that are in her neighborhood.

The picture is of my cousin's husband. He is so funny. Every year he has a great costume. FUN. I love FUN.