March 20, 2023
I am grateful for the good night of sleep I just had; I am grateful for warm bed I’m still tucked into as I write this; I am grateful for the the extra 30 minutes of sleep I’m about to get! #3things #gratitude #choosejoy
I am grateful for the able body that has allowed me to work in my yard for the last 3 days. It has been a long time since I have been able to get my hands dirty on my own little piece of heaven; I am grateful that I got to spend time with my two favorite, busy college students this past weekend – they bring me such peace and joy; I am grateful for the beautiful weather we have had these last few days. #choosejoy #3things #gratitude
3 things: January 2, 2023
My first list of gratitude for 2023 overflows, so I decided to focus on the simple things.
I am grateful that 10 weeks after my move I finally have all of my socks put away off of the top of this dresser (and everything else, too…but the socks seemed to propagate each week).
I am grateful for the New Year’s Day fire I had in my backyard with my guy. A cleansing of sorts as I burned the last few boxes from my move into my new house. Appropriate timing I’d say.
I am grateful for the red granny boots I wore today. I have been actively searching for them for 10 weeks (since the move). I bought them in Austria this summer but still had never worn them due to the shredded ACL and the aforementioned misplacement. I didn’t even mind how squeaky they were all day with their rubber soles.
Perception is everything. Everything. Continue to find the joy where you can in 2023. Some of the things I learned in 2022 – happiness is a synonym for peace; serenity needs protection from invaders and thieves; never confuse peace for boredom – they are NOT the same thing.
#gratitude #3things #choosejoy #serenitynow
2022 – coats, hats, scarves….and giggles and games…and family, above all else, family.
#3things #choosejoy #gratitude
December 11, 2022
The rain just keeps coming. It’s a slow soaking which I know our ground needs but our spirits have had enough of it. I am grateful for the shelter of my home and for the knowledge that my loved ones are also.
Due to my health and recent move I decided not to put a tree up this year. The Christmas decorations are minimal and I have not even a wreath on my door. I am grateful for all of people in the world who decorate their homes for people like me to enjoy when we just cannot rise to the occasion.
I had a wonderfully relaxing yet productive weekend. The house is shaping up. The freedom I feel to do what I want to it is like no other feeling I have ever felt. Perhaps one day I will find the words. But for now, I am grateful that my home is my special place – not a beach or a mountain – my home.
#gratitude #3things #choosejoy
I am so grateful for open and honest conversations. Communication makes or breaks any relationship. Clarity; I am grateful that my surgery went very well yesterday (outpatient- nothing major). But I woke up and came home. Whew; I am grateful for this hot cup of coffee I’m having with my boyfriend this morning. #choosejoy #things #gratitude
I am grateful to have my kitchen unpacked and I am looking forward to my first batch of chocolate chip cookies; I am grateful the pile of of empty boxes outside my back door from all the other things I have unpacked in the last week; I am grateful that tomorrow I get to keep going and keep working at making this my home, a home like no other – my refuge and my safe place. All mine. #choosejoy #3things #gratitude #homesweethome”
I’m not going to be a total Debbie Downer, but I can’t let this day go by and not acknowledge that it is the day I convinced my mother to go into the hospital after a fall down the stairs. She had been in bed for the week with “the flu” but we were afraid she had had a stroke. Well – she never came home. Sadly, she died 10 weeks later. 10 weeks of agony with no diagnosis and incompetent medical care. The doctors asked for an autopsy bc they had no idea what killed her. Turns out God just didn’t want them to find the cancer that invaded every organ and every gland…her brain… her spinal cord. Her soul.
I was 22 and a single parent. She was 49 and my whole life. Just gone.
I’m now 53. 3 kids, 2 grandkids, and a full life. She gave me so much. I miss her all the time and wish she could see my kids – my angels. I know most people feel this way about their lost parents. I’m not unique.
So, on to the good stuff. I am grateful that I had 22 years with a woman who taught me acceptance, passion, integrity, unconditional love, authenticity, and persistence…ok stubbornness; I am grateful to have had a wonderful model to show me how to be the mother I wanted to be; I am grateful for the perfectly imperfect world in which I live and learn grace daily. #gratitude #3things #choosejoy #restinpeacebigA
fields of poppies 