Day 150: Hot Shower

I am grateful I was able to take a hot shower this morning. It was a cold night, and it looks like it's going to be a cold day.  Warm thoughts please! 

Day 149: Goshen

I am grateful that tonight I will be sleeping in Goshen. Camp is one of my favorite places in the world. I can't wait for this weekend, and no matter how awful my throat, ears, and nose feel, Goshen will make me feel better.

p.s. I will most likely be unable to post for the next three days, so I promise to update in Monday. I will still be blogging, but I guess it will be the "old school" blogging style known as writing with a pen and paper. Updates promised. :)

Day 148: Coverage

I am grateful for Maria, a new developmental specialist at our office.  I haven't been feeling great and she graciously agreed to cover my last group today.  I was able to come home and rest up for the crazy weekend ahead.  

Thanks Maria!!

Day 147: No Rain On Me

I am grateful that every time I had to get out of my car today it was not raining.  It rained while I was inside several visits and during a few of my drives between visits, but not once did I get rained on!  

Day 146: Memorial

me·mo·ri·al

məˈmôrēəl/

noun

noun: memorial; plural noun: memorials

1. 1.

   something, especially a structure, established to remind people of a person or event.
2. 
   

Today I am grateful for all of the men and women who have given their lives, those who are currently putting their lives on the line, and those who will someday put others before themselves to keep our country safe.  

There are so many fights and debates over this war and that war; so many people who think it's their job to decide if we should or should not be fighting in various parts of the world. Today, I hope everyone put their own feelings aside and took time to remember the fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, friends, sons, and daughters, who are bravely keeping watch over our country.  Today, I hope all those arguing came to a halt for even just a minute, so those who lost loved ones fighting for our freedom could have a moment of silence and a moment of remembrance.  Today, I hope those recent high school graduates who have decided to become the next generation of the US Army, US Marines, US Coast Guard, US Navy, and US Air Force had someone say to them, "I am proud of your decision. Thank you."  

Today I am grateful for my grandfather who fought during World War II as part of the US Coast Guard.  I am grateful for my brother who is retired US Coast Guard.  I'm proud of both of these men.  

I am grateful that I live in a country where I can go to sleep each and every night knowing that someone, somewhere is awake and keeping our United States safe.  

Day 145: BBQ

I'm grateful that Justin and I were invited to and made it to Jess and Brandon's Memorial Day BBQ. It was very fun, and a great way to end a really busy day. Plus, I got cuddles from Noah. :) 

Day 144: Tylenol & Advil

I'm grateful for pain meds. They haven't gotten rid of my headache yet, but I'm hopeful.

Day 143: My Personal Clock

I'm grateful that no matter what, Justin knows what time it is within 5 minutes. Tonight he said, "Feels like bedtime." I asked what time that was, and said (without looking at any type of clock) 8:46." It was actually 8:43. It's a cool skill, and helpful for someone like me whose sense of time is as good as her sense of direction. 

Day 142: Clean Pants

I'm grateful that the pants I want to wear tomorrow are clean.  I didn't need to do laundry tonight so I got to catch up some season finales, and hang with Justin.  Good night.

Day 141: 9 More Days

I am grateful that for the next 8 nights I will be working on the I ACT VIII retreat.  This will consist of many things, including listening to awesome music, making amazing movies, and generally feeling closer to God.  

Day 140: Look Back

I had an idea of something to be grateful for tonight, but I couldn't remember if I'd already posted about it. I started scrolling through all of my old posts. All 139 posts. 

I am grateful that tonight I needed to look back because I've already been grateful for 139 things this year. 


Ps. I haven't been grateful for Pandora yet, so expect it in the near future.

Day 139: One Late Night Promise

Justin and I were sitting at the Red Sox game last night and made a promise. We promised each other that tonight we wouldn't do anything. I'm incredibly grateful for that promise. I needed a night of doing nothing.

Day 138: 2 Games, 1 Weekend

Today I am grateful to be heading back to Fenway for our second game of the weekend. Hopefully tonight will be drier and have a better final score.

Ps. Thanks Pat Sears, & Erin and Phil!!

Day 137: The Radio Works

This past Thursday the air conditioning in my car stopped working. It wasn't too bad on Friday, but today was hot and I was sad the vents in my car were not willing to blow out some freezing cold air. Fortunately, with the windows down the breeze was very refreshing.  I am grateful that although the ac is busted, the radio works perfectly.  I drove home from Wayland today with the windows down and the music up. 

Day 136: Passed Inspection

Today I am grateful that my car passed inspection. I've officially managed to move my inspection month from February to May over the course of 7 years. And thankfully, regardless of the month, it has always passed.

Day 135: Not Friday

So most of today felt like Friday. I have no idea why, but driving home from my last visit I kept thinking tomorrow was Saturday. This kind of thinking can often lead to sadness, as one realizes they have another full day of work before the weekend will begin. I, however, am grateful that while tomorrow is actually Friday, it is an easy day and the weekend should be here before I know it. 

Day 134: A Roof Over My Head

Things are not going as smoothly with the house-selling process. It's so complicated, and at times incredibly frustrating. I've gotten my hopes up and my bubble popped all in the same day. It's hard to look on the bright side sometimes.

But,, I own a house with my husband and we have a place to call our own. We have a roof, walls, floors, and windows. We have a yard and back steps that I can sit on while looking up at the stars. I am grateful for all of these things.

Day 133: No Traffic

I am grateful that there was no traffic on the Pike or on 495. I got home from Wayland in record time.

Day 132: New Normal?

I was washing the dishes tonight while Justin was outside mowing the lawn.  He had started it before I got home from work, took a break for dinner, and then went back out to finish up before it got too dark.  I watched some TV (currently a Gilmore Girls marathon), got jello ready for my play group tomorrow, and started the dishes.  It all sounds simple enough right?  About half way through the dishes  I realized how weird it all felt.

Justin and I haven't had the most "typical" relationship in the spending-time together sense.  His schedule and my schedule never really allowed for more than a night a week and a weekend day/night for us to be together.  This January he stopped working at his second job and our entire life got switched around.  

I will say that it surprised how much effort it took to adjust to being home together so much.  It wasn't as easy as I'd thought it should be; but any adjust requires some degree of work.  Tonight seemed like a reward for that work.  It was nice to have time to do something as silly and un-fun as the dishes while Justin and was working in the yard.  Neither of us felt like we were wasting our only time together doing things that kept us apart.  I like our new routines, and I'm grateful for our "new normal."

Day 131: Mother's Day

“A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts.”

 ―Washington Irving

My first attempt at today's post was a letter to my Mom.  I wrote and rewrote parts of it several times.  Memories shared between the two of us, reflections of how our relationship has changed throughout the years, stories of my childhood and teen years that would make her laugh and cry. Nothing I wrote felt right.  The words I wanted to say were just not coming out.  So I gave up on the idea of a letter and just started to write.  

This is what I ended up with. I apologize if it doesn't all flow nicely and make sense, but sometimes words from the heart don't always translate well to paper.

Mom, I love you. You gave me a childhood I will always look back on with smiles and laughter.  You gave me memories of birthday parties, American Girl Tea Parties, and car rides with the radio blasting.  You held me when I cried over skinned knees, boys, grades, and mean words. 

You were my first best friend. 

So much of who I am is because of how you raised me.  You taught me to be kind, to help people, and to cherish loved ones. You showed me how to be brave when things were scary, and you held my hand when I wasn't ready to be brave on my own. 

You taught me about hard work and persistence.  You never let me give up when things were too hard. You celebrated my accomplishments. 

You showed me what it means to dedicate yourself to family. You showed me how to be an amazing mother someday.  

As I get older I'm learning to appreciate our relationship even more.  I hope you know how much you mean to me.  I hope you know that I love you more than words can express. I hope you know that I am proud to be your daughter. 

I love you, Mom.

  

  

Day 130: "Million Dollar Arm"

Justin and I went to see a sneak preview of the movie Million Dollar Arm tonight.  I've been really excited to see it, and we bought tickets ahead of time just to be sure it didn't sell out. We used my Kindle to buy the tickets and chose the print-at-home option.  The only problem was my Kindle isn't connected to a printer, so we couldn't print the tickets. Luckily, technology is amazing.  I'm grateful that the customer service guy at the Cinema-de-lux in Millbury was able to swipe my debit card and print out our tickets.

It was a great night for a really great movie!

Day 129: No Plan Weekend

I'm grateful that Justin and I have nothing planned for the weekend. We don't have anything that must be done on a certain day, at a specific time. On Sunday we will see my Mom, and other than that, it's a beautiful "planless" weekend. 

Day 128: More Time Tomorrow

I am grateful that I will have more time tomorrow to write a better post.

Day 127: Mix CDs

In the midst of our packing, Justin and I uncovered a CD holder with at least 100 cds. Most of them were actual cds, but there were a few that had no printed label, only a word or two scribbled across the front in random colors of sharpie marker. We took a break to get ice cream and brought two of those mysterious mix cds. One was titled "The Joys of Procrastination" and the second just said "county". We spent the trip listening to some pretty excellent jams. 

I'm grateful for my generation's version of the mix tape.

Day 126: Beluga Whales?

Tonight I am grateful for beluga whales. Why? Because Justin asked me to be thankful for beluga whales? Is that even a real type of whale??

Day 125: Busy Day, Busy Evening, Sleepy Night

I am grateful for a busy day at work and a busy evening at home.  I got caught up on filing at the office, and there is now a total of 5 1/2 boxes packed from the kitchen.  We are on our way.  I am hoping this busy day will lead to a solid night's sleep.

Day 124: Planning Meeting

I am grateful to be part of the I ACT planning team.  We are on our way to creating another amazing weekend for Catholic teens and young adults.  There will, no doubt, be more posts about this weekend as it gets closer; but, for now, I am just grateful to be part of a great group of people who dedicate part of their lives to inspiring teens in the church.  

I ACT VIII - May 30th-June 1st!!

 

Day 123: Confirmation

I am grateful that I was able to watch my niece, Brittany, receive her confirmation. It was a beautiful ceremony and Justin was a very proud sponsor. Congrats Britt! 

Day 122: Spring Night

I am grateful for spring nights. The kind of night that you can enjoy in jeans and a favorite sweatshirt. The kind of night that with the windows open and the right music playing, it is impossible to feel anything but peaceful.

Day 121: 1st Rainbow

I'm grateful for the first rainbow of the season.