Today I'm grateful for:

• stretchy clothes
• having options
• that I've spent many years cultivating a strong connection to spirit
• things that are easy
• time

Inspiration....

A friend of mine tutors a 10 year old boy named Stefan Lyon. He decided two years ago that he wanted to open a school in Africa:

"One day this kid said to his mom, "Mom I want to build a school in Africa." His mom picked up the ball and from there they went to Albertson's about setting up a cookie sale outside the store. The kind hearted manager gave them cookie dough and that's how it all began.

But then, (you know how tough business can be) they needed more money than the cookies could produce, so Stefan wrote a little book. "My Adventures with Stitch" (Stitch is his pet rat---see website)

Long story very very short, it's two years later, and his mom recently got back from Kenya where the money was used to build a school for AIDS Orphans. "

How cool is that? Just shows how one small intention can make a pretty big impact!

Here is his website if you are interested in learning more/helping: http://www.stefanlyon.com/index.asp

La Luna

gratitudes:

• la luna in all her glory all through the night - awesome
• Little Stevie!
• spot on intuition
• no traffic
• the unconditional

frYday

grateful for:

leaving early, and still putting in an 8 hour day

overtime at overtime rates

ha's kung pao chicken

not caring that it's friday night, and getting ready for sleep in not too long

long hot baths followed by the swingmaster chi machine

people are staring at me

and it is annoying...

I'm grateful for friends who listen to my story without getting a judgemental, "what are you thinking" look in their eyes.
I'm grateful that my boyfriend will forego his end of day beer to get me food ASAP - even though he says I'm a pain in the ass...maybe I am but so what?
I'm grateful that everything is okay with my baby right now.

That's it.

ok what's in retrograde?!

i'm grateful that my craziness came before everyone else's so I am able to remain calm, confident and thoughtful while others get hysterical

i am always grateful for sushi and the spirit of the fish which nourishes me

i'm glad it is warm again and tomorrow will be 90 degrees at the beach!...bring the cold beer.

sweetness in the dark and the air laden with the smell of the sea

that it is Friday and I can turn people's bullshit off!...or I'm grateful for my healthy sense of selfishness otherwise known as self preservation.

slowing down

i'm grateful today for:

restful nights at home

praise at work that boosts my confidence

being asked back for a third week at TSI

red red wine

bus stops that are practically door to door (well, ONE IS d-t-d)

just what makes that little ole' ant...

For trying, even when others give up

for challenging myself and believing in at least growth and a positive outcome even if it isn't the outcome for which I am striving

for lessons which are learned through others experiences and pain and knowing I do not have to experience or learn it that way

self reflection and the courage to confront my deamons before they confront me

people who care to make their communities better

today

i'm grateful for:

lunch in the sunshine
"tea" with zarah
swimming in backyard pools
making and breaking our own rules
memory foam

Monday's menace

For 6 years and the prospect of many more

For fights which remind us of the worth of relationship building and that it is always under construction

Blues in dark bars

Strangers becoming best friends even if for just an evening

Seeing my husband relax and laugh and sometimes pull me toward the fun

For the time to say goodbye

well well well

today i'm grateful for:

being grateful that it's friday!

doing well at and liking my contract job

just getting a $10/hour raise starting next week...proof that i'm doing well and that they like me here...boy does all of THAT feel good

innertube

nice bus drivers to start the day off well...sometimes it really is the simple things!

on target...in a way...

grateful today for:

people coming to ME for answers/tips/trick

getting to design a catalog spread

plans shifting opening me up for the unexpected phone call and meeting to follow

band aids and neosporin

another burrito...black beans please

yup

grateful for:

friends who know friends, and create a new branch of community

laundry being done (now to remake the bed....ugh)

memory foam on the way

"getting it" and getting it done

plans for days to satisfy my social jones

a laugh on the other end of the line that makes me smile big

Today's list:

• an unexpected and lengthy conversation with one of my favorite sister-friends
• teachers in all thier forms
• displays of integrity
• everything that is happening right now
• courage
• celebrating birthdays

for the insight of taking some time off to eat peaches and enjoy summertime
meeting an old friend for lunch
my porch
long swims in the rarely warm Cape Cod Bay
my long on-going relationship with the Perseid Meteorite Showers...it ton't matter how old you are, it is always grand to watch a shooting star!

FIXation

grateful that:

i'm not looking to be fixed (by anyone but moi)

that people can fix my things (like my transmission)

that sometimes things get fixed (and it's easier and less expensive than expected)

that i haven't needed a fix of anything (but a burrito) today

fixation is (just as) easy (on positive things)

Know thyself

Today I am grateful for:

• my ability to reflect on my behavior in order to understand my self and the way I impact others
• "You can't fix this"
• being the way I am - even though I sometimes drive myself (and others) crazy, it's okay and I continue to learn how I got here and why I do the things I do
• believing that everything I need will come to me easily and the universe will provide when I do the legwork
• having someone close who focuses on savoring "the moment" and teaches by example
• starting to get out of my head and relax into what is happening now
• acceptance and trust
• a tiny crack that is open to receive - the Berlin Wall came down...

monday

thanks for:

work for the week
not completely forgetting indesign
following my heart
contemplating another take care of shit big phone call
getting things taken care of that need taking care of

grateful for:

a long streaming shooting star at 4am
a cozy weekend with sparkling lights
warmth
yummy food
understanding

rolling right along...

today i woke up feeling good.
i'm grateful for:

sleeping in a room by myself, with nobody snoring nearby...nobody

a hiatus that will allow a real, new beginning

faith in myself which has finally landed me a little work!

a few more days of "free" yoga

a client tonight

catamaraning on lake tahoe

ditsy cashiers that charge me $10 for gas instead of $35.45!

soy milk for my coffee that is not folgers

my neighbor for helping with the cats whenever she can

Summer Rains

Flexibility to take vacation or time off on a whim

Being in a good space right now

Reclaiming $ and momentum for a project which will protect drinking water for years to come...that feels good!

Being able to help others be more comfortable being themselves

A smile out to each and everyone of you on this fine friday...

A vast receptacle

Ahh, there is relief today in knowing that I know what I know...what I learn doesn't just go away because it has been awhile since I used the skill; it is all still there in the vast receptacle of our learning.

Opportunities to lobby for our natural resources

When playing politics actually works

For my sweet hubby, pouring my wine, allowing me to put my feet up and cooking me dinner after a hot and busy day in the city

For the unexpected hand that reaches out to hold mine

snuggles

tonight I am grateful for good health, warm cuddles, a special email, farts and burps and the people who love me even when I'm smelly and making weird noises, pajamas that pass as "real" clothes and that my skinny jeans are miraculously fitting better than the fat ones.

Lucky ME

While on-island this weekend and often when at beautiful places people remark on how lucky someone else is b/c they get to live somewhere great; have money to pursue their interests or whathave you. But we don't really know. We don't know what keeps them awake at night or the struggles they face because of their wealth or material or worse yet, inheirited baggage. I am quite sure their problems may be different than mine BUT I know mine and I have the ability and know how to work towards solutions for MY challenges.

So today I am grateful for MY LIFE x5...all that it means and all the gifts I am given in order to adapt and adjust for my own personal struggles.

I wouldn't be nearly as good in someone else's life...oh shoot, maybe therein lies the problem; maybe this isn't my life. AAh ha! ...just joking.

in an instant

things can change in an instant...

today i'm grateful:

that i could help a friend out that supports me frequently

for a semi-spontaneous trip to nevada this afternoon
(so i won't be posting for a few days)

leave in conditioner - the state of my hair is much much better b/c of it

patience love and trust in the bigger picture

retapping into my creativity

Stranded!

Spontaneity and getting stranded on an island, in a beautiful house lit by candlelight, connecting with good people in the moment, feeling a million miles away even if we can see "civilization" across the bay

A great well behaved dog which sometimes gets us invitations

growing and digging for my dinner; my hands may be scraped to pieces but the clams and mussels were so worth it

Eating peaches in the sun on rocks big as a house

A honey that is home cooking dinner as I type this now. What a pleasure to know its not all on me and I can rest assured that I will be cared for...sometimes I am not grateful for this because it feels limiting but today it feels grand!

Score!

Today I am super grateful that I scored tickets to see one of my all-time favorite musicians in the history of music - Stevie Wonder! I hope I can find peeps to go with me who love him as much as I do cuz I got four cheapo tix so I can spread the wealth...

I'm grateful that I woke up feeling beautiful this morning, even though I stayed up until 3am watching stupid reality shows starring has-been actors. doh.

I'm grateful for having certainty in my life regarding the most important stuff.

I'm grateful for my parents and everything they gave me.

I'm grateful for my babydaddy - except when he disses Stevie! If you want to to escort me to one of the most exciting events of my musical life, you better stop dissin' my boy...boy.

I'm grateful for stretchy shirts and pants.

it's when i feel the least grateful...

that i have to dig, to acknowledge that indeed i AM grateful.
grateful for:

two very dear friends who have been THERE and supporting me in some troubling times

the diva cup for showing me that indeed my cup doeth runneth over

removing all of the books and knick knacks from my bookshelf and realizing how many books i can get rid of

green apple books for possibly taking my books, and thus giving me an activity this week

lists that remind me of all i have to do/learn/accomplish

Today I am oh so grateful for:

getting maternity insurance!
another stress free day!
gas-ex
sunny days and foggy nights
feeling excited about life today

grateful for:

uncontrollable giggle fits
a stress-free day
sunshine
not feeling like I have to hold my stomach in for the next 6 months
ripe nectarines

new beginnings

i'm grateful today for:

a new beginning
a planned date
an early morning nap
sunshine i need to get out into
bleeding

Friday

summer dresses

laughter and perspective

balanced people who care to give their very best

invitations you will gladly accept

reviews and raises!

grateful today for:

• a fun day at the beach
• fitting into one of my favorite dresses and wearing it
• not being in debt
• the years I've spent working on myself
• being a woman

today's list

includes:

beach blanket conversatons and sunshine through the creeping fog

good deals

following my heart in taking care of my needs

nice interactions with random strangers

fitting into a smaller size

Sigh of Relief

Today I am grateful for:

Forgiveness - both as receiver and sender...my breathing slows and becomes more full;

a near miss with a new aquaintance almost becoming my neighbor...her constant chatter exhausts me...huge sigh of relief for so many reasons;

for the inspiration my friend who has struggled with breast cancer for a decade now provides to me - she keeps on working diligently for conservation all the while taking care of her disabled sister and she never seems to need a mental health day - may I provide her with some kind of beneficial
return in our friendship;

passion and my desire to stop and smell the roses - so many people forget to do that;

Carrion Beetles that eat the rotting putrid flesh of dead animals and recycle it back to earth for us...they are kinda cool looking and keep the stink of rot on a hot summers day to a minimum

For all of these things, I breath a bit deeper, slower, and appreciate the world which is mine.

short

today i'm grateful for:

my recently sprained thumb feeling better

insightful monthly horoscopes at www.astrologyzone.com
(not looking forward to august 28!)

my toe ring finally fitting back on my surgical toe

kitchen kisses

brian's bootcamp classes, even though i dread going, i feel good after...

to every thing, churn, churn, churn...

today I am grateful for Ingemar Bergmann and his films which gave me a glimpse into my own cultural heritage. One day I will travel to Sweden and learn some of these things for myself.

I'm grateful for having a safe home to come back to no matter where I am. There's no place like home...

I'm grateful for my cozy bed.

I'm grateful when people express gratitude towards me.

I'm grateful for clean water to drink.

Humpday

Dub - awesome post...you too have one of the most beautiful smiles and a big heart. Take your best and embrace yourself for it. Oh, and I love all my cowboy boots too!

I am so happy to have a sibling amongst my humongous family that I actually like;
Great strong women in which I feel bolstered to be myself and learn and grow;
Fresh veggies from the garden and berries from the woods;
a mental health day w/ lazy readings and movies;
Ice Cream!