Gratitude: Day 6

I'm thankful that

... Julie asked me to accompany her to Pittsburgh to check out her new school and find some living arrangements.

We'll have lots of time together traveling, learning, exploring and visiting the family burial plot. My little girl is all grown up.

Gratitude: Day 5

I'm thankful for

... my husband who helps me manage my computer files.


Just look how quick he is at it! His hands move like fury so that you can see right through them!

Gratitude: Day 4

I'm thankful for

... my new laptop.

It's powerful.

It has great internet connection speed.

And who can resist that purple hue?

Gratitude: Day 3

I'm thankful for

... a membership at the local gym.

A funny thing happened on the way to the treadmill...

Jodie and I were working out together this morning when our trainer came up to us to ask if we'd like to be in a photo. The two of us joined another gym member and our trainer and had a 'photo shoot' of sorts with a gal from the local newspaper.

Our photo may be featured in an add for the gym in a week or two. If it pans out, I'll post a picture.

Go Elf Yourself!

Just getting in the spirit of the season, folks!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Gratitude: Day 2

I'm thankful for

... a hot breakfast with my husband while the snow tires are mounted on his car

Gratitude: Day 1

I'm thankful for

... the aroma of pumpkin muffins baking in the oven

... the bright autumn sun beckoning me outdoors on a frosty morning

Snapshots of This Day

OUTSIDE MY WINDOW it's dark and rainy. Autumn's days are numbered. It feels like snow will soon peek over the mountains. The Canadian geese call.

I AM THINKING that the more I try to simplify my life, the easier it is to add complications to it. In my heart, I want to downsize. New technologies jump in and demand attention.

I AM THANKFUL FOR my eldest daughter finding her path again. She took a difficult detour. All signs point to a clear (though bumpy) road ahead. No flat tires, please!

FROM THE KITCHEN the aroma of salmon cooking in our new stove-top smoker. Lovely new invention. One toy that didn't feel too complicated.

I AM WEARING slouching-around-the-house clothes. Stretchy pants. My big, baggy, dusty pink sweater. Good clothes for curling up and reading or slipping out the door for a 2-mile walk.

I AM CREATING a comfortable home. With Flylady's help, our house is peaceful. Daily and weekly tasks are accomplished with a minimum of fuss. There's more time for peace, more room to breathe. Visual and audio chaos levels are at an all-time low.

I AM GOING to Pittsburgh, PA before too long ... just another week! My middle daughter and I will learn our way around town, will explore her new school, and will visit the grave of my parents (first time in over 10 years!)

I AM READING a book about willpower and self discipline. Finished it yesterday, in fact. Didn't care for it. I don't think I am part of the audience this book was written for. Men might like this. I find a lot more practical help, from a woman's perspective, from Flylady.

I AM HOPING that I stop feeling overwhelmed soon! I'm hoping I can take things one step at a time and make progress on learning the new technologies that have recently been introduced to my life: Zune, GPS, Dell laptop, Droid phone.

I AM HEARING the quiet buzz from the brains of my husband and child as they play with and learn about their new phones.

AROUND THE HOUSE the wind has been howling. It's quiet for the moment.

ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS is stitching. I haven't been doing enough of it lately. I'd like to dig up a new project to work on.

A FEW PLANS FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK include going to the gym, starting a new book, baking some pumpkin muffins, moving data onto my new computer, learning to use a cell phone for the first time. I'd also like to do some writing for our family's educational trust. If all goes really well, I'll stitch, I'll blog more often and do some photo editing and posting. Don't hold your breath.


Many thanks to Maureen for this idea.