Gratitude 18

The last time Bill Murray saw Gilda Radner

Gratitude 17

After a brief hiatus I'm back.  I was stressing myself out trying to fit in my daily gratitude and feeling guilty when I couldn't do it each day.  I decided to take a break from typing but still acknowledge to myself what I was feeling my gratitude for today.  Self checks are more simple, easier, yet less vulnerable.  (Plus I was really bent out of shape with all the lies being spread with the election.  I needed to protect myself a bit and slow down.)

This morning I was reading a blog I subscribe to that pointed out something I've been doing for a while now (and feeling better about parts of my daily decisions).  A few years ago I realized that sitting in rush hour traffic is something I just have to do.  I can't carpool, ride a bike, go at a different time.  I just have to accept the inevitable, and go with the flow.  I tune out the emotions of the drivers (and riders) around me and just move with traffic like it's a stream of water.  There's the occasional obstacle I keep my eyes open for and move around.  If I get stuck behind it, I wait.  Eventually I will flow around it.  Sometimes there's a dam.  I find a different route.  I may listen to the radio, I may call someone, I may just be.  It's SO easy to drive to work with this mindset.  The stressors from home are gone.  The stressors from work will be there when I arrive.  But in the car (or minivan) time just is.  Of course I fall off the wagon some days but overall, I have enjoyed my little bit of me time.

Now to have more personal success with other moments in my day...

Here's the link to the blog that I find particularly useful.
http://tinybuddha.com/blog/the-surprising-secret-to-being-on-time/

Gratitude 16

Indi asked me to play hide-n-go seek with her.  How could I say no?  We played a few rounds (she doesn't know how to count past 13 yet) and I had to hide fast.  She walks around giving a play by play of the game.  So do I.  "Hmm.  I wonder where she's hiding.  Is it here?  No.  Is it here?  No."  She's still of the age where she looks where we hid before.  We had to quit the game because I think I scared her too much.  Each time she found me I yelled boo.  Learned my lesson.  Don't scare the toddler.

Gratitude 14 & 15

This is harder to do than one might think.  I find myself looking back throughout the day to figure out what can I publicly declare my gratitude for and judging things that come to mind.  Or maybe thinking others might judge me.  Hmm.

Do I want to break down into tiny details why I'm grateful for something?  Sometimes.  Should I?  Maybe.  Probably.  Yes.

14:  I kept thinking about my oldest child's birthday which was on gratitude day 15.  Perfectionism was preventing me from saying anything about it on day 14.  If I get into some deeper thoughts on this I really am grateful my body was able to carry his body through the growth and development it had to do.  The external stretch marks are not that big of a deal.  Do I feel gratitude for them?  No.  What they end up being is a reminder of my children and sometimes a little poetic waxing of what once was.  I'm not so grateful for the internal stretching that took place and isn't really talked about.  ((shrug inserted here))  What can I do about it?  Physical therapy, surgery, nothing.  I'll use that another day.

15:  The day of my first born's birth.  I am deeply grateful for this person in my life.  He challenges me more than I thought possible.  I will fight for him when there's injustice and hold him accountable for his own misdeeds.  He's been the one I've "fessed up to" in my own shortcomings.  An attempt to let him know I'm not perfect and don't expect that from him.  He's made me a better person, and for that I feel gratitude.

Gratitude 13

Colors.  Patterns.  Quilts.

Check out the feathers. http://artfulife.blogspot.com/2012/08/feather-quilt.html

Books

I went to the library looking for a specific book by a specific author on the shelf (and I can't for the life of me remember what book THAT was).  Instead I grabbed two books from that location and read them instead.

One book is called Italian for Beginners by Kristin Harmel.  It's just a silly girl novel.  The main character, Cat Connelly, goes to Rome for an escape from her life in New York City after her younger sister gets married.  Predictably, Cat figures it all out.

The other book is called The Year She Disappeared but Ann Harleman.  This was an excellent book.  It's in the great book category for 2012, in my opinion.  Dark, not too wordy, interesting characters.  The main character disappears with her granddaughter.  I don't want to give away more than the title gives you.  (I get bummed out when someone tells me a bit too much about a book ahead of time and I figure out the ending before it's done.  :-/ )    Read it.

I don't have the book in front of me but I haven't said much about another book I read last month that was pretty good.  It's called Gone Girl or Girl Gone (I can't keep it straight.)  I wouldn't put it on the list for a great book, but it would qualify as a good book.  No details.  I don't want to give anything away.

Gratitude 12

Nightlight