715. My office partner bringing pink gerbera daisies to our office for both of us to enjoy, love seeing a spot of Spring every time I walk in to sit at my desk.
716. Not setting the house on fire with my small grease fire while making chicken tonight. Like I said before, always an adventure when I decide to cook, whether it's sneaking vegetables in unsuspecting dishes; trying new, healthy things that nobody really cares for; using expired ingredients unknowingly, or starting fires! Never quite know what you're gonna get;)
717. Emmy picking out my earrings for me in the morning. She takes such pride and joy in choosing just the right ones, and it makes me so happy to want to help me get ready.
718. A good walk while Lily was at her girl scout meeting, 1.65 miles. Feels so good to get movement into the day.
719. A good phone chat with a dear friend while walking. Love our talks.
720. An email reply I've been waiting days for.
721. Anticipation.
722. Tagalong girl scout cookies. Ouch, ate way too many tonight, but yum, so delicious. Thank goodness we only have one box!
723. My loving, supportive, sensitive, helpful, and so much more, husband.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Start #1: Gifts 707...
707. Breathtaking winter skies on my way to work this morning: a blanket of white cloud painted across the horizon in front of the rising sun offering a stark contrast to the saguaro silhouettes and dark gray rainclouds descending from the heavens.
708. Learning more about personnel challenges at work and, by observation, learning how to navigate them.
709. Box one of who knows how many in our garage now en route back to my brother via UPS.
710. Learning that my brother and I have something positive to share together now - running - after a very difficult journey in the recent past.
711. Warm chili on a cool night, and eating it scooped up on tortilla chips.
712. The patience that Lily, Emmy and I had for Fox in Socks tonight. Lily wanted to read this out loud to us all after dinner. So we sat, after I read Green Eggs and Ham again for Emmy, and listened for nearly half an hour as Lily made her way through - fantastically so. The amount of patience it took for her to read and Emmy and I to listen was unprecedented. I'm still shocked that we all endured:)
713. A night jog tonight, 1.5 miles again, but total of 1.75 with a little walking.
714. The thorough, 15 minute stretch I had after the run while Andy and I chatted.
708. Learning more about personnel challenges at work and, by observation, learning how to navigate them.
709. Box one of who knows how many in our garage now en route back to my brother via UPS.
710. Learning that my brother and I have something positive to share together now - running - after a very difficult journey in the recent past.
711. Warm chili on a cool night, and eating it scooped up on tortilla chips.
712. The patience that Lily, Emmy and I had for Fox in Socks tonight. Lily wanted to read this out loud to us all after dinner. So we sat, after I read Green Eggs and Ham again for Emmy, and listened for nearly half an hour as Lily made her way through - fantastically so. The amount of patience it took for her to read and Emmy and I to listen was unprecedented. I'm still shocked that we all endured:)
713. A night jog tonight, 1.5 miles again, but total of 1.75 with a little walking.
714. The thorough, 15 minute stretch I had after the run while Andy and I chatted.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Start #1: Gifts 699...
699. Thankful that I have a husband who gives me the space and respect to say what I need to say, and who accepts my apology when I so rudely cut him off when he tried to respond.
700. Being able to say, "I'm sorry."
701. Oh my, so thankful that I have had 700 things to be grateful for (at least) since I began this project.
702. That my family and I have our home that offers protection from the ferocious wind and dust that hit the Valley today.
703. Trader Joe's Trader Johann's Lip Balm Virtuoso, so spearminty that people think you just brushed your teeth, so soothing it's, "Music to your lips." Our desert dweller lives would not survive without this one product, the only balm that is a one size fits all for our family.
704. The most incredible night, just me and the girls. It's amazing what happens when they're stripped of everything but each other and books (and in case I need to mention it, clothes too!). It was almost like seeing that first ray of sun break through a rain cloud after a storm to see how kind and caring they were to each other, and to feel the love we felt together reading books tonight.
705. Emmy reciting almost all of her new favorite book Green Eggs and Ham, oddly enough, just in time for Read Across America Dr. Seuss week. She LOVES that book and completely gets into the exclamations and everything. What a fun story time tonight.
706. Getting to rest my allergy tired eyes right now. Good night.
700. Being able to say, "I'm sorry."
701. Oh my, so thankful that I have had 700 things to be grateful for (at least) since I began this project.
702. That my family and I have our home that offers protection from the ferocious wind and dust that hit the Valley today.
703. Trader Joe's Trader Johann's Lip Balm Virtuoso, so spearminty that people think you just brushed your teeth, so soothing it's, "Music to your lips." Our desert dweller lives would not survive without this one product, the only balm that is a one size fits all for our family.
704. The most incredible night, just me and the girls. It's amazing what happens when they're stripped of everything but each other and books (and in case I need to mention it, clothes too!). It was almost like seeing that first ray of sun break through a rain cloud after a storm to see how kind and caring they were to each other, and to feel the love we felt together reading books tonight.
705. Emmy reciting almost all of her new favorite book Green Eggs and Ham, oddly enough, just in time for Read Across America Dr. Seuss week. She LOVES that book and completely gets into the exclamations and everything. What a fun story time tonight.
706. Getting to rest my allergy tired eyes right now. Good night.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Start #1: Gifts 671...
671. So grateful to have some one-on-one time with Andy on Friday night and Saturday morning to refuel and remember.
672. Thankful for Nonna for being brave enough to try a sleepover with both girls and Emmy's first.
673. Friends who made our date night so fun and out-of-the-ordinary, thankful for them in our lives even though they weren't on our date with us. Thank you for the last minute suggestion to take your beach cruisers out for a spin. We pedaled through the streets of Phoenix at dusk, taking in the breeze, sights, and smells around us - it was truly an awakening, exhilarating experience.
674. Small plates (see Dinner Menu), ambiance, wine, and a loving, reconnecting bear hug at The Rokerij.
675. A morning walk together with birds being the only thing awake yet in the neighborhood.
676. The fierce love of our daughter Emmy.
677. The beauty I see, both inside and out, of our daughter Lily as I watch her grow and change before my eyes this year.
678. Invitations to celebrate the births of special people in our lives.
679. The menu that Lily's friend's vegan parents had at their daughter's birthday party. Such a refreshing change to have vegan chili bursting with pure flavor, beans and veggies; a large garden salad topped with red tomatoes, red peppers, cucumbers, and homemade bread crumbs; a beautiful vegetable platter with a bowl of hummus dip, and a refreshing fruit salad of apples, kiwi, pineapple, melon, and pear.
680. Watching kids run around free, creative, imaginative, living in the moment.
681. Spontaneity.
682. Femininity.
683. Getting to see old, longtime friends - a forever bond - and their beautiful families, and looking forward to spending more time together hopefully soon.
684. Innocence.
685. The raw, pure emotion and honesty of a three year old, of our three year old.
686. Heading East on Lincoln Drive in Phoenix - one of the prettiest drives in town if you ask me - from the 51 to Scottsdale Rd., especially on a sunny, spring day.
687. Seeing three of my favorite mountains in one day today - North, Squaw Peak, and Camelback.
688. Watching a family soak up the provisions of their sprawling mesquite tree - a tree swing, kids and neighbor kids climbing its branches, mom laying on a blanket under its shade, dog playing nearby.
689. My tight jeans being loose today! Not sure how that happened right in the middle of girl scout cookie season, but I'll take it:)
690. Family meetings, and even better, seeing that the kids understand the reason for them.
691. Telepathic parenting. Not sure how it happened, but I truly think that this somehow came into play during our family meeting, as Andy and I only had a one-minute pow-wow prior to our family meeting, yet our delivery could not have been more perfect as we took turns driving our point home. Yay for us, and I am so excited that we are focusing on cooperation and respect for each other and our home.
692. A chuckle in the midst of a difficult day, found this posted on Lily's bedroom door this afternoon:
I sure hope that no kissing rule stays in effect for quite awhile. Like many, many years!
693. Andy finally got an iPhone. That is something to be grateful for, for two reasons: One - I don't have to hear the pity party any more because he doesn't have one, and two - he will be able to help me get in touch with technology, when I'm ready:) See, there are positives to having a phone stolen by your students!
694. Our washing machine and dryer. This may be a repeat, but I am ever so grateful that they have held up through the loads and loads of jeans, sheets, towels, kid dirt and more than I care to know about that pass through them on any given weekend.
695. So grateful for how a school robot project broke the tension of the day and got us all involved as a family again.
696. Our dining room table and chairs to sprawl out on. I praise this furniture nearly daily, more so than any other piece that we have, possibly with the exclusion of our bed that I am grateful to have. Today we went from mealtime to clothes dryer to robot project, and here are remnants of each:
697. Taking care of myself with time in a soothing bath before bed.
698. The prettiest candle holder I've ever had, and the light it casts from its pale blue glass. So grateful for this gift and that it reminds me of its giver every night that I light it.
672. Thankful for Nonna for being brave enough to try a sleepover with both girls and Emmy's first.
673. Friends who made our date night so fun and out-of-the-ordinary, thankful for them in our lives even though they weren't on our date with us. Thank you for the last minute suggestion to take your beach cruisers out for a spin. We pedaled through the streets of Phoenix at dusk, taking in the breeze, sights, and smells around us - it was truly an awakening, exhilarating experience.
674. Small plates (see Dinner Menu), ambiance, wine, and a loving, reconnecting bear hug at The Rokerij.
675. A morning walk together with birds being the only thing awake yet in the neighborhood.
676. The fierce love of our daughter Emmy.
677. The beauty I see, both inside and out, of our daughter Lily as I watch her grow and change before my eyes this year.
678. Invitations to celebrate the births of special people in our lives.
679. The menu that Lily's friend's vegan parents had at their daughter's birthday party. Such a refreshing change to have vegan chili bursting with pure flavor, beans and veggies; a large garden salad topped with red tomatoes, red peppers, cucumbers, and homemade bread crumbs; a beautiful vegetable platter with a bowl of hummus dip, and a refreshing fruit salad of apples, kiwi, pineapple, melon, and pear.
680. Watching kids run around free, creative, imaginative, living in the moment.
681. Spontaneity.
682. Femininity.
683. Getting to see old, longtime friends - a forever bond - and their beautiful families, and looking forward to spending more time together hopefully soon.
684. Innocence.
685. The raw, pure emotion and honesty of a three year old, of our three year old.
686. Heading East on Lincoln Drive in Phoenix - one of the prettiest drives in town if you ask me - from the 51 to Scottsdale Rd., especially on a sunny, spring day.
687. Seeing three of my favorite mountains in one day today - North, Squaw Peak, and Camelback.
688. Watching a family soak up the provisions of their sprawling mesquite tree - a tree swing, kids and neighbor kids climbing its branches, mom laying on a blanket under its shade, dog playing nearby.
689. My tight jeans being loose today! Not sure how that happened right in the middle of girl scout cookie season, but I'll take it:)
690. Family meetings, and even better, seeing that the kids understand the reason for them.
691. Telepathic parenting. Not sure how it happened, but I truly think that this somehow came into play during our family meeting, as Andy and I only had a one-minute pow-wow prior to our family meeting, yet our delivery could not have been more perfect as we took turns driving our point home. Yay for us, and I am so excited that we are focusing on cooperation and respect for each other and our home.
692. A chuckle in the midst of a difficult day, found this posted on Lily's bedroom door this afternoon:
693. Andy finally got an iPhone. That is something to be grateful for, for two reasons: One - I don't have to hear the pity party any more because he doesn't have one, and two - he will be able to help me get in touch with technology, when I'm ready:) See, there are positives to having a phone stolen by your students!
694. Our washing machine and dryer. This may be a repeat, but I am ever so grateful that they have held up through the loads and loads of jeans, sheets, towels, kid dirt and more than I care to know about that pass through them on any given weekend.
695. So grateful for how a school robot project broke the tension of the day and got us all involved as a family again.
696. Our dining room table and chairs to sprawl out on. I praise this furniture nearly daily, more so than any other piece that we have, possibly with the exclusion of our bed that I am grateful to have. Today we went from mealtime to clothes dryer to robot project, and here are remnants of each:
697. Taking care of myself with time in a soothing bath before bed.
698. The prettiest candle holder I've ever had, and the light it casts from its pale blue glass. So grateful for this gift and that it reminds me of its giver every night that I light it.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Start #1: Gifts 662..
662. Salsa sale at work today! Such a treat to be able to taste 8 homemade salsas and take home containers of two that are already near empty (but my belly full:)
663. Collaboration - two heads are better than one, in this case today:) Thanking a friend today for her unexpected help at work on one of the biggest spreadsheets I've ever created.
664. Meeting a due date today for pre-registration. These are the kinds of things that usually get by us and we notice a little too late, which causes us a lot of extra money that we could have saved. I made it today, right on time (although the last day), so saved us more $$$. Feels like I'm becoming an adult and getting it together;)
665. A tough love parenting moment that paid off with a lesson learned. Lily rushed through her homework - lightening fast - because she wanted to run to a friend's house to play. Her penmanship was far from her best and she got two out of two wrong on an online activity. Then she asked if she could go play now. I asked Lily if she thought her teacher would like Lily's writing on this homework when she turns it in tomorrow. Lily, knowing her teacher is a stickler for excellent penmanship (which I am thankful for!), said her teacher wouldn't like it. I said, "Then no, you can't go play. You need to do your writing all over again."
Lily yelled, "You mean I rushed through my homework for nothing?!"
I answered, "We do NOT rush through homework just to go to a friend's house to play. Homework is more important."
Right then, Andy and Emmy walked through the door as Lily broke down in tears and ran to her room. We got distracted soon after with dinner and a quick walk to the park. All on her own, Lily sat down at her desk after her bath and did her homework all over again, as neatly as she could.
I feel so lucky that we have such amazing kids that we do. I feel so proud of her tonight, proud of both me and her for handling an unpleasant situation.
666. Breakfast for dinner, one of our family favorites.
667. I can see myself quickly developing an addiction to this new syrup Lily and I found at the store today. I want to go with pure maple syrup knowing it would be so much better for us than that high-fructose corn syrup varieties, but the higher cost of pure is out of our price range. We found this one exactly in the middle: Maple Grove Farms of Vermont All Natural Red Raspbery. So dangerously delicious, as it caused me to eat both Lily and Emmy's leftover pancakes in addition to mine. Slight backfire;)
668. A family walk to the park after dinner at the tail end of sunset. We all got time on the swings, Molly had room to run, and the sliver of a moon with two planets in direct alignment decorated the early evening sky on our walk home. Peace.
669. Getting excited about planning a possible of-the-beaten-path trip, our most favorite kind! Just thinking about the possibility while exploring our options on the Internet gives me butterflies. Even if it doesn't happen, I am grateful that life's awaiting adventures thrill me.
670. Getting in the shower just a few minutes after 10pm! Earliest night all week and will give me an extra hour of much needed rest.
663. Collaboration - two heads are better than one, in this case today:) Thanking a friend today for her unexpected help at work on one of the biggest spreadsheets I've ever created.
664. Meeting a due date today for pre-registration. These are the kinds of things that usually get by us and we notice a little too late, which causes us a lot of extra money that we could have saved. I made it today, right on time (although the last day), so saved us more $$$. Feels like I'm becoming an adult and getting it together;)
665. A tough love parenting moment that paid off with a lesson learned. Lily rushed through her homework - lightening fast - because she wanted to run to a friend's house to play. Her penmanship was far from her best and she got two out of two wrong on an online activity. Then she asked if she could go play now. I asked Lily if she thought her teacher would like Lily's writing on this homework when she turns it in tomorrow. Lily, knowing her teacher is a stickler for excellent penmanship (which I am thankful for!), said her teacher wouldn't like it. I said, "Then no, you can't go play. You need to do your writing all over again."
Lily yelled, "You mean I rushed through my homework for nothing?!"
I answered, "We do NOT rush through homework just to go to a friend's house to play. Homework is more important."
Right then, Andy and Emmy walked through the door as Lily broke down in tears and ran to her room. We got distracted soon after with dinner and a quick walk to the park. All on her own, Lily sat down at her desk after her bath and did her homework all over again, as neatly as she could.
I feel so lucky that we have such amazing kids that we do. I feel so proud of her tonight, proud of both me and her for handling an unpleasant situation.
666. Breakfast for dinner, one of our family favorites.
667. I can see myself quickly developing an addiction to this new syrup Lily and I found at the store today. I want to go with pure maple syrup knowing it would be so much better for us than that high-fructose corn syrup varieties, but the higher cost of pure is out of our price range. We found this one exactly in the middle: Maple Grove Farms of Vermont All Natural Red Raspbery. So dangerously delicious, as it caused me to eat both Lily and Emmy's leftover pancakes in addition to mine. Slight backfire;)
668. A family walk to the park after dinner at the tail end of sunset. We all got time on the swings, Molly had room to run, and the sliver of a moon with two planets in direct alignment decorated the early evening sky on our walk home. Peace.
669. Getting excited about planning a possible of-the-beaten-path trip, our most favorite kind! Just thinking about the possibility while exploring our options on the Internet gives me butterflies. Even if it doesn't happen, I am grateful that life's awaiting adventures thrill me.
670. Getting in the shower just a few minutes after 10pm! Earliest night all week and will give me an extra hour of much needed rest.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Start #1: Gifts 656...
656. Listening to Lily sing Selena Gomez from the backseat on the way to school this morning, completely unaware of her audience.
657. Taking the time today to research Andy 's dental plan for some upcoming work that will now save us nearly $200, and finally, an appointment to take care of one more pending health concern. Feels so good to take care of ourselves, invest in ourselves, maintain ourselves - a little bit at a time.
658. Our farewell at Lily's Daisy troop leader's house this afternoon. We stopped by after school to pick up some more cookies, stayed for a bit to chat, and then said our goodbyes near my car. When it came time for her leader to say goodbye to Lily, it was to reach down to her level with her arms opened up wide to give Lily a big hug. In that moment, I could feel how much she genuinely enjoys her time as a troop leader and with each of the girls that make up Troop 3031, so sweet, and such a kind woman.
659. Blue Diamond Wasabi Soy Almonds! Oh my gosh, Lily and I ate half the can on our way home from Target today.
660. Our new favorite family activity - Just Dance 3 for the Wii. This was a birthday gift to the girls from their Aunt Mindy, Uncle Donny and Harlee. Tonight was the first time we tried it all together at the same time. We were all dancing, laughing, smiling, out of breath, and having the best time. I feel grateful to have an activity that we can all enjoy together like this, and one that completely takes our minds off any worries in the world. You're almost forced to be in the present moment of pure enjoyment because you're focusing so hard on getting the moves down - it's a blast!
661. Ending the night reading a beautiful meditation for the heart chakra to such a dear friend who is miles away - such a peaceful, moving way to end the night. While reading it, I realized how applicable it is to me also. Here it is, from The 7 Healing Chakras Workbook by Brenda Davies:
Now, close your eyes. Return once again to your safe place within yourself. Take your focus down to the level of your heart. Allow yourself to see a beautiful pink rosebud there. Its petals are closed. See it in its as yet unformed beauty. Gently observe it, and when you are ready, breathe warmth and light into it and watch it begin to open. Softly, the petals start to move, slipping over each other, opening the bloom. Opening and opening to its full beauty. A wonderful, fully formed pink rose. Now it is at its peak, a spectacular bloom in all its glory. Though all of its stages of development were lovely, now at its fullest blooming it achieves perfection - the fully formed magnificent flower.
See this rose as the metaphor for your own blossoming. Now you are achieving your full bloom. You are at the peak of your blooming - you are, like the rose, fully opened, fully formed, stunning, beautiful, magnificent... This rose is your gift to yourself. You and your full flowering are a gift to the world. Hold the beauty... hold the magnificence. You are the gift. Let yourself enjoy the feelings... let yourself savor the moment. Let yourself embrace the magnificence of your maturity, your full flowering. Enjoy...
Now, from the center of the rose, allow a beam of love to go out to wherever you wish - healing, cleansing, purest love. Notice that as you send it out, you are healed by it also. Let it shine wherever it is needed most... let it heal wherever it falls. Let this unconditional love heal the world. Let this unconditional love be your neverending gift to the world.
Stay as long as you wish. When you are ready, allow the beam of love to gently cease - though it will heal you forever. Let yourself hold onto the rose, enclosing it in your heart.
Smile... feel yourself healing. Enjoy.
Take your time. When you are ready, gently bring your focus back to your physical body. Be aware of your weight on the floor. Allow yourself to be well grounded, in touch with the earth. Gently begin to stretch and be totally aware, returning your mind to the room. Make sure you are back to that place behind your eyes. Feel your physical body. Put your arms around it... hold it... love it.
When you are ready, very gently open your eyes. Take your time. Just be.
657. Taking the time today to research Andy 's dental plan for some upcoming work that will now save us nearly $200, and finally, an appointment to take care of one more pending health concern. Feels so good to take care of ourselves, invest in ourselves, maintain ourselves - a little bit at a time.
658. Our farewell at Lily's Daisy troop leader's house this afternoon. We stopped by after school to pick up some more cookies, stayed for a bit to chat, and then said our goodbyes near my car. When it came time for her leader to say goodbye to Lily, it was to reach down to her level with her arms opened up wide to give Lily a big hug. In that moment, I could feel how much she genuinely enjoys her time as a troop leader and with each of the girls that make up Troop 3031, so sweet, and such a kind woman.
659. Blue Diamond Wasabi Soy Almonds! Oh my gosh, Lily and I ate half the can on our way home from Target today.
660. Our new favorite family activity - Just Dance 3 for the Wii. This was a birthday gift to the girls from their Aunt Mindy, Uncle Donny and Harlee. Tonight was the first time we tried it all together at the same time. We were all dancing, laughing, smiling, out of breath, and having the best time. I feel grateful to have an activity that we can all enjoy together like this, and one that completely takes our minds off any worries in the world. You're almost forced to be in the present moment of pure enjoyment because you're focusing so hard on getting the moves down - it's a blast!
661. Ending the night reading a beautiful meditation for the heart chakra to such a dear friend who is miles away - such a peaceful, moving way to end the night. While reading it, I realized how applicable it is to me also. Here it is, from The 7 Healing Chakras Workbook by Brenda Davies:
Now, close your eyes. Return once again to your safe place within yourself. Take your focus down to the level of your heart. Allow yourself to see a beautiful pink rosebud there. Its petals are closed. See it in its as yet unformed beauty. Gently observe it, and when you are ready, breathe warmth and light into it and watch it begin to open. Softly, the petals start to move, slipping over each other, opening the bloom. Opening and opening to its full beauty. A wonderful, fully formed pink rose. Now it is at its peak, a spectacular bloom in all its glory. Though all of its stages of development were lovely, now at its fullest blooming it achieves perfection - the fully formed magnificent flower.
See this rose as the metaphor for your own blossoming. Now you are achieving your full bloom. You are at the peak of your blooming - you are, like the rose, fully opened, fully formed, stunning, beautiful, magnificent... This rose is your gift to yourself. You and your full flowering are a gift to the world. Hold the beauty... hold the magnificence. You are the gift. Let yourself enjoy the feelings... let yourself savor the moment. Let yourself embrace the magnificence of your maturity, your full flowering. Enjoy...
Now, from the center of the rose, allow a beam of love to go out to wherever you wish - healing, cleansing, purest love. Notice that as you send it out, you are healed by it also. Let it shine wherever it is needed most... let it heal wherever it falls. Let this unconditional love heal the world. Let this unconditional love be your neverending gift to the world.
Stay as long as you wish. When you are ready, allow the beam of love to gently cease - though it will heal you forever. Let yourself hold onto the rose, enclosing it in your heart.
Smile... feel yourself healing. Enjoy.
Take your time. When you are ready, gently bring your focus back to your physical body. Be aware of your weight on the floor. Allow yourself to be well grounded, in touch with the earth. Gently begin to stretch and be totally aware, returning your mind to the room. Make sure you are back to that place behind your eyes. Feel your physical body. Put your arms around it... hold it... love it.
When you are ready, very gently open your eyes. Take your time. Just be.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Start #1: Gifts 651...
651. A great day at work today - very focused, productive, and energizing.
652. A dinner that EVERYONE enjoys - red beans, rice and turkey sausage. So nice to have a one-pot no mess, quick dinner and full bellies.
653. Hearing Emmy pretend on the phone to leave Grammy and Bumpa a message, "I hope you have a wonderful day. I love you!"
654. Andy and I putting our finances back at the top of our priority list after a getting off track for February. We learned two very important lessons of what works for us:
652. A dinner that EVERYONE enjoys - red beans, rice and turkey sausage. So nice to have a one-pot no mess, quick dinner and full bellies.
653. Hearing Emmy pretend on the phone to leave Grammy and Bumpa a message, "I hope you have a wonderful day. I love you!"
654. Andy and I putting our finances back at the top of our priority list after a getting off track for February. We learned two very important lessons of what works for us:
- We now know that we cannot make any exceptions to devoting time before the end of the current month for the next month's budget.
- We also now know that in order to make the budget work, we have to take cash out for our month's expenses that are not regular bills. This worked for us so well last month, and by not doing it this month we feel as though someone else is in the driver's seat - that must be our money and the desire for consumption!
Monday, February 20, 2012
Start #1: Gifts 639...
639. Admiring my Valentine's rose before bed each night as it has blossomed over the course of the week, unfolding to allow every piece of its being to open up in expression of its unique beauty.
640. Six new hires today - realize that I love this energy of more people in the room and the opportunity for exchange this provides as people to open up and ask questions about their benefits. I always hope that awareness brings smart use of what they have and knowledge of their responsibilities as well as those of their providers and the insurance company.
641. A whole Facebook photo book of the recent Jeka journey to Yosemite just waiting for Lily, Emmy, Andy and I to dig into tomorrow evening - can't wait!
642. Andy taking the time today to take care of himself by going to his appointment at the hand specialist, sending positive energy for healing.
643. Brainstorming solutions together to try to make things easier for Lily, and in turn us all as a family, still navigating our way around sensory experiences. Hoping that headphones and her own music help make transitions in the car from school or activities to being with us all and the chatter a little more tolerable.
644. A new arrival into the world - hello to you Mia! We can't wait to meet you!
645. Seeing Molly so happy with her new bone tonight - doggy happiness makes the day a little lighter - or maybe it was the way we pony-tailed her ears together on top of her head so the long hair on them wouldn't get matted up in bone shrapnel and us all chuckling at the sight. Emmy commented, "Dad, that bun that you made on Molly's head is funny! She has a bun!"
646. Falling asleep with Lily in her bed tonight after stories. Sometimes, there isn't a more peaceful 20 minutes of slumber than that.
647. Getting a text of great news on their journey of recovery from dear friends. So excited to hear about their progress, endurance, and patience through challenging times.
648. No traffic today due to a lot fewer people on the road for the President's day holiday.
649. Having quiet time to myself tonight in our room - ahhhhhh. I love you Andy, but I also love that you're watching Survivor out in the dining room and I'm in here in my peaceful haven, reflecting on my day.
650. Being able to take time to appreciate the positive moments of the day.
641. A whole Facebook photo book of the recent Jeka journey to Yosemite just waiting for Lily, Emmy, Andy and I to dig into tomorrow evening - can't wait!
642. Andy taking the time today to take care of himself by going to his appointment at the hand specialist, sending positive energy for healing.
643. Brainstorming solutions together to try to make things easier for Lily, and in turn us all as a family, still navigating our way around sensory experiences. Hoping that headphones and her own music help make transitions in the car from school or activities to being with us all and the chatter a little more tolerable.
644. A new arrival into the world - hello to you Mia! We can't wait to meet you!
645. Seeing Molly so happy with her new bone tonight - doggy happiness makes the day a little lighter - or maybe it was the way we pony-tailed her ears together on top of her head so the long hair on them wouldn't get matted up in bone shrapnel and us all chuckling at the sight. Emmy commented, "Dad, that bun that you made on Molly's head is funny! She has a bun!"
646. Falling asleep with Lily in her bed tonight after stories. Sometimes, there isn't a more peaceful 20 minutes of slumber than that.
647. Getting a text of great news on their journey of recovery from dear friends. So excited to hear about their progress, endurance, and patience through challenging times.
648. No traffic today due to a lot fewer people on the road for the President's day holiday.
649. Having quiet time to myself tonight in our room - ahhhhhh. I love you Andy, but I also love that you're watching Survivor out in the dining room and I'm in here in my peaceful haven, reflecting on my day.
650. Being able to take time to appreciate the positive moments of the day.
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Start #1: Gifts 621...
621. Being able to laugh at my own kitchen blunder. So excited to try a new recipe tonight, Reuben burgers made out of pinto beans. Andy graciously ate almost his entire burger, and I nearly all of mine too, when he got up from the table and started looking around the kitchen sniffing out the offending ingredient. This ingredient turned out to be bread crumbs that expired in 2010! I asked with much concern because I rarely eat anything after the expiration date, "Are we going to be okay?!" He explored around on the Internet and didn't find much of anything to be concerned about, other than what we knew about eating expired pancake mix.
"I've heard people have died from eating that!" I said.
Lily asked, "Are we going to die, Mom?"
"Hmm..., I really don't know! Guess we better call everyone tonight and tell them we love them just in case! Sorry, everyone! Leave it to Mommy..."
"It's not okay, Mom!" Lily said with a smile. Andy and I were in hysterics. Emmy was just confused. It was her lucky night, having not had one bite of her burger in the 15 minutes we had been sitting at the table while I harped, "Eat your burger, take a bite of your burger." Turns out she's the only one who's safe - and quite confused, might I add, that I took her burger away and said, "Don't eat that burger, you can't eat that burger!"
A few hours later, so far so good, aside from a few burps!
622. A fun and laugh-out-loud funny weekend.
623. Watching Emmy in her first gymnastics class, and being escorted into the gym hand-in-hand by her big sister Lily.
624. Emmy's facial expressions while she jumped on the trampoline that had Andy and I cracking up.
625. A haircut, so long overdue!
626. Receiving a gift certificate to the very place I already had an appointment at for my haircut.
627. A night out with my husband and friends.
628. A big thanks to Nonna for being with Harlee, Lily and Emmy so we could enjoy ourselves knowing our girls are safe and loved.
629. Seeing all our friends smile and laugh, a great night out for everyone.
630. Pancakes, fruit salad, and giggles with Harlee, Lily and Emmy this morning after the girls woke up.
631. Mimosas outside on the patio this morning with family and friends at Betty's Nosh.
632. Putting the girls down for a much needed nap, and having some of our own grown up nap time;)
633. Getting to spend time working in the yard together, the Arizona sun warming my skin despite the cool winter breeze. Feel like I'm finally winning my war on weeds. Made a big dent in yanking them out today while Andy repaired sprinkler heads. Looking forward to more time in the yard next weekend.
634. Spending uninterrupted time with Emmy in the playroom tonight, being silly and laughing just watching her laugh. Even if all the laughter was over how funny Emmy thought it was that she asked me to smell her finger, which I did, and asked, "Why does your finger stink?" to which Emmy said, "Because it was in my butt!" to which complete hysteria broke out. Yep, that's our Emmy, the honest comedian!
635. Seeing how happy Lily was to have uninterrupted time with Andy tonight learning how to play a game on his iPad.
636. Knowing I'm going to be sleeping in my bed in half an hour from now.
637. Running my first mile and a half - working my way up for my first 5K in a few weeks! I have only been doing 1 - 1 1/4 miles but pushed myself to go a little more on Saturday. Felt like I went into a different zone for the first time, a nice warmth creeping in all over my body and more ease than I've felt before.
638. A Friday night sharing red wine, dark chocolate, and a game of Zilch together while the girls watched The Sound of Music, all of us in bed by 9:30pm. Ahhhh, a perfect night after a work/school week.
"I've heard people have died from eating that!" I said.
Lily asked, "Are we going to die, Mom?"
"Hmm..., I really don't know! Guess we better call everyone tonight and tell them we love them just in case! Sorry, everyone! Leave it to Mommy..."
"It's not okay, Mom!" Lily said with a smile. Andy and I were in hysterics. Emmy was just confused. It was her lucky night, having not had one bite of her burger in the 15 minutes we had been sitting at the table while I harped, "Eat your burger, take a bite of your burger." Turns out she's the only one who's safe - and quite confused, might I add, that I took her burger away and said, "Don't eat that burger, you can't eat that burger!"
A few hours later, so far so good, aside from a few burps!
622. A fun and laugh-out-loud funny weekend.
623. Watching Emmy in her first gymnastics class, and being escorted into the gym hand-in-hand by her big sister Lily.
624. Emmy's facial expressions while she jumped on the trampoline that had Andy and I cracking up.
625. A haircut, so long overdue!
626. Receiving a gift certificate to the very place I already had an appointment at for my haircut.
627. A night out with my husband and friends.
628. A big thanks to Nonna for being with Harlee, Lily and Emmy so we could enjoy ourselves knowing our girls are safe and loved.
629. Seeing all our friends smile and laugh, a great night out for everyone.
630. Pancakes, fruit salad, and giggles with Harlee, Lily and Emmy this morning after the girls woke up.
631. Mimosas outside on the patio this morning with family and friends at Betty's Nosh.
632. Putting the girls down for a much needed nap, and having some of our own grown up nap time;)
633. Getting to spend time working in the yard together, the Arizona sun warming my skin despite the cool winter breeze. Feel like I'm finally winning my war on weeds. Made a big dent in yanking them out today while Andy repaired sprinkler heads. Looking forward to more time in the yard next weekend.
634. Spending uninterrupted time with Emmy in the playroom tonight, being silly and laughing just watching her laugh. Even if all the laughter was over how funny Emmy thought it was that she asked me to smell her finger, which I did, and asked, "Why does your finger stink?" to which Emmy said, "Because it was in my butt!" to which complete hysteria broke out. Yep, that's our Emmy, the honest comedian!
635. Seeing how happy Lily was to have uninterrupted time with Andy tonight learning how to play a game on his iPad.
636. Knowing I'm going to be sleeping in my bed in half an hour from now.
637. Running my first mile and a half - working my way up for my first 5K in a few weeks! I have only been doing 1 - 1 1/4 miles but pushed myself to go a little more on Saturday. Felt like I went into a different zone for the first time, a nice warmth creeping in all over my body and more ease than I've felt before.
638. A Friday night sharing red wine, dark chocolate, and a game of Zilch together while the girls watched The Sound of Music, all of us in bed by 9:30pm. Ahhhh, a perfect night after a work/school week.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Start #1: Gifts 611...
611. Transformation, change, personal evolution.
612. Replacing negative thoughts with positive thoughts.
613. Never thought I would say this, but here it is. Sharing my birthday today with a funeral - a celebration of a woman loved by many. Although there were moments of sadness, it brought such meaning to life, family and friends for me, all of which I am so very grateful for today.
614. My husband and children who fill our home and my heart with immeasurable love.
615. Kind birthday wishes from so many special people in my life.
616. My parents for the hardships they must have endured in making the choice as teenagers to give me life, and for the life, foundation and values they have given me.
617. Getting to take my heels off after a full day of wearing them, definitely not used to that - and boy does it feel good!
618. Andy making my birthday dinner at school today and bringing it home to celebrate, such a labor of love knowing the very few spare minutes he has in a day. I enjoyed every bite of my favorite Brussels sprouts dish that he makes, roasted potatoes and grilled chicken.
619. Finally getting to make our annual birthday wishes together after dinner with leftover cupcakes - me, Lily and Emmy.
620. Going to sleep with a heart bursting at the seams with love.
612. Replacing negative thoughts with positive thoughts.
613. Never thought I would say this, but here it is. Sharing my birthday today with a funeral - a celebration of a woman loved by many. Although there were moments of sadness, it brought such meaning to life, family and friends for me, all of which I am so very grateful for today.
614. My husband and children who fill our home and my heart with immeasurable love.
615. Kind birthday wishes from so many special people in my life.
616. My parents for the hardships they must have endured in making the choice as teenagers to give me life, and for the life, foundation and values they have given me.
617. Getting to take my heels off after a full day of wearing them, definitely not used to that - and boy does it feel good!
618. Andy making my birthday dinner at school today and bringing it home to celebrate, such a labor of love knowing the very few spare minutes he has in a day. I enjoyed every bite of my favorite Brussels sprouts dish that he makes, roasted potatoes and grilled chicken.
619. Finally getting to make our annual birthday wishes together after dinner with leftover cupcakes - me, Lily and Emmy.
620. Going to sleep with a heart bursting at the seams with love.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Start #1: Gifts 603...
603. The pretty little vase from our hall closet filled with a couple of delicate fragrant white roses from our front yard with the sweet valentine's day card that Andy took from the girls and wrote to me, all placed on my bedside table just in time for me to climb into bed last night. I am learning in our accumulating years of marriage that Love truly is all about the little things, bringing happiness to each other a little bit each day, one day at a time, some days more than others when the planets align;) I love you, my forever Valentine!
604. Thankful to wake up this morning feeling good and ready to get back into the groove.
605. Saying hello to caring co-workers who welcomed me back to work and asked me how everyone is feeling.
606. Laughter, my own and others'.
607. A surprise visit from a friend who wanted to stop by the office to give me a hug, and drop off a special little Pinterest project that I know she put all her heart into. Thank you for making me feel special today!
608. Being greeted at home with happy hollers for Mom and my cheeks sandwiched between Lily and Emmy's.
609. A meditation I received on Valentine's day that I didn't open until today, and am so grateful for because it is exactly the Thing (the large, looming, umbrella Thing) I have been struggling with and have been silently willing a solution for - "Don't Put Anyone Out of Your Heart" by Ed and Deb Shapiro. Thank you so much Dad!
But no. Instead, the Buddha taught them a meditation practice of loving kindness, or metta in Sanskrit, which develops loving kindness toward everyone, including yourself and your enemies. And then he sent the monks back to the forest. His famous words were: This is the only protection you will need.
Thinking the Buddha must be mad the monks reluctantly went back to the glade, sat down and began practicing metta. And the tree spirits, who at first were not at all pleased to see them returning, no longer had any affect on them. For all their antics, the monks just kept sitting there, beaming out kindness. Eventually the spirits were won over by the waves of love and compassion emanating from these robed ones and, far from than chasing them away, the same nasties that had been so ferocious now became disciples.
The question is, who are the tree spirits? Realistically, they are everything that goes on in our own minds -- all the doubts, fears, anger, insecurities, and negative thoughts -- that constantly undermine our basic goodness, which is innate in all of us. And the point the Buddha was making is that loving kindness -- metta -- has the capacity to overcome all manner of inner monsters and ghouls and lead us to a true heart opening. Metta is the act of extending our love, kindness and friendship equally toward all beings, proving that love is more powerful than any negative force. Rather than trying to deal with negativity, we cultivate the opposite -- seeing and knowing pain, we bring caring and kindness.
We know this sounds so easy -- just be kind and loving, how great, what a cool idea. But in practice it's not always so simple, such as when someone says or does something that is personally critical, derogatory or hurtful. Can metta still flow when the ego-mind is upset? By focusing on loving kindness as a way of living, it shows us all those places that are bound in ego and selfishness; it brings us up against our limitations and boundaries. Where do we meet our edge? Where is our capacity to step over the edge into greater kindness? How genuine is our ability to be altruistic in a difficult situation?
We remember talking with our friend Ram Dass at the time of the Clinton/Dole election. He told us how he had a picture of Bob Dole on his meditation altar as: "Dole needs the most love and compassion as he is the one being so vilified."
In that act, Ram Dass was practicing true metta. It was an important reminder not to cast anyone out of our hearts, for in the process we are casting out ourselves. If we feel affected by someone being dismissive, critical or hurtful, it is invariably because there is a hook in us for that negativity to grab hold of, a place where it can land and trigger all our hidden feelings of unworthiness, insecurity, and self-doubt.
However, when we extend metta toward someone we are having a hard time with, an extraordinary thing happens: the landing place, or the hook within, begins to dissolve. Then the negativity has no place to go. Metta asks that we stay caring, that we keep our heart open to the situation we are struggling with and all the accompanying annoyance and anger, and hold ourselves with gentle tenderness. Then, amazing change is possible.
5-minute Loving Kindness Meditation
Begin by breathing into the area of your heart, softening and relaxing with the in-breath, letting go of tension on the out-breath. Hold your name or an image of yourself in your heart and silently repeat: May I be well, may I be happy, may I be filled with loving kindness.
Next, wish all beings be well, wish all beings be happy. If at work you can spend a few moments repeating the names of people you work with and wishing them happiness and joy. On your way home from work reflect on your day and generate loving thoughts to those you meet. At night, think of your family and friends and wish them wellness and happiness: May they be well, may they be happy, may they be filled with loving kindness.
Finish by taking a few deep breaths and slowly opening your eyes, and have a smile on your face!
610. Emmy falling asleep in my arms tonight while we rocked together and I gently sang her favorite bedtime songs.
604. Thankful to wake up this morning feeling good and ready to get back into the groove.
605. Saying hello to caring co-workers who welcomed me back to work and asked me how everyone is feeling.
606. Laughter, my own and others'.
607. A surprise visit from a friend who wanted to stop by the office to give me a hug, and drop off a special little Pinterest project that I know she put all her heart into. Thank you for making me feel special today!
608. Being greeted at home with happy hollers for Mom and my cheeks sandwiched between Lily and Emmy's.
609. A meditation I received on Valentine's day that I didn't open until today, and am so grateful for because it is exactly the Thing (the large, looming, umbrella Thing) I have been struggling with and have been silently willing a solution for - "Don't Put Anyone Out of Your Heart" by Ed and Deb Shapiro. Thank you so much Dad!
Don't Put Anyone Out of Your Heart
Posted: 02/6/2012 8:00 pm on The Huffington Post
The story goes that, at the time of the Buddha, a group of monks wanted to do a quiet retreat away from the crowds of followers, so the Buddha sent them to a glade in the forest where he said they would be undisturbed.
The monks found their way there and settled down to meditate. But what they didn't know was that this particular glade was inhabited by a gang of tree spirits who were really upset that the monks had come. And when tree spirits get upset they can be extremely scary, ugly, very smelly and unbelievably noisy, ferociously shrieking all over the place. They did everything they could to spook the hermits and make them leave. And it worked. The monks decided they couldn't possibly meditate with so many disturbances, so they went back to the Buddha and begged him to let them go somewhere else.
The monks found their way there and settled down to meditate. But what they didn't know was that this particular glade was inhabited by a gang of tree spirits who were really upset that the monks had come. And when tree spirits get upset they can be extremely scary, ugly, very smelly and unbelievably noisy, ferociously shrieking all over the place. They did everything they could to spook the hermits and make them leave. And it worked. The monks decided they couldn't possibly meditate with so many disturbances, so they went back to the Buddha and begged him to let them go somewhere else.
But no. Instead, the Buddha taught them a meditation practice of loving kindness, or metta in Sanskrit, which develops loving kindness toward everyone, including yourself and your enemies. And then he sent the monks back to the forest. His famous words were: This is the only protection you will need.
Thinking the Buddha must be mad the monks reluctantly went back to the glade, sat down and began practicing metta. And the tree spirits, who at first were not at all pleased to see them returning, no longer had any affect on them. For all their antics, the monks just kept sitting there, beaming out kindness. Eventually the spirits were won over by the waves of love and compassion emanating from these robed ones and, far from than chasing them away, the same nasties that had been so ferocious now became disciples.
The question is, who are the tree spirits? Realistically, they are everything that goes on in our own minds -- all the doubts, fears, anger, insecurities, and negative thoughts -- that constantly undermine our basic goodness, which is innate in all of us. And the point the Buddha was making is that loving kindness -- metta -- has the capacity to overcome all manner of inner monsters and ghouls and lead us to a true heart opening. Metta is the act of extending our love, kindness and friendship equally toward all beings, proving that love is more powerful than any negative force. Rather than trying to deal with negativity, we cultivate the opposite -- seeing and knowing pain, we bring caring and kindness.
We know this sounds so easy -- just be kind and loving, how great, what a cool idea. But in practice it's not always so simple, such as when someone says or does something that is personally critical, derogatory or hurtful. Can metta still flow when the ego-mind is upset? By focusing on loving kindness as a way of living, it shows us all those places that are bound in ego and selfishness; it brings us up against our limitations and boundaries. Where do we meet our edge? Where is our capacity to step over the edge into greater kindness? How genuine is our ability to be altruistic in a difficult situation?
We remember talking with our friend Ram Dass at the time of the Clinton/Dole election. He told us how he had a picture of Bob Dole on his meditation altar as: "Dole needs the most love and compassion as he is the one being so vilified."
In that act, Ram Dass was practicing true metta. It was an important reminder not to cast anyone out of our hearts, for in the process we are casting out ourselves. If we feel affected by someone being dismissive, critical or hurtful, it is invariably because there is a hook in us for that negativity to grab hold of, a place where it can land and trigger all our hidden feelings of unworthiness, insecurity, and self-doubt.
However, when we extend metta toward someone we are having a hard time with, an extraordinary thing happens: the landing place, or the hook within, begins to dissolve. Then the negativity has no place to go. Metta asks that we stay caring, that we keep our heart open to the situation we are struggling with and all the accompanying annoyance and anger, and hold ourselves with gentle tenderness. Then, amazing change is possible.
5-minute Loving Kindness Meditation
Begin by breathing into the area of your heart, softening and relaxing with the in-breath, letting go of tension on the out-breath. Hold your name or an image of yourself in your heart and silently repeat: May I be well, may I be happy, may I be filled with loving kindness.
Next, wish all beings be well, wish all beings be happy. If at work you can spend a few moments repeating the names of people you work with and wishing them happiness and joy. On your way home from work reflect on your day and generate loving thoughts to those you meet. At night, think of your family and friends and wish them wellness and happiness: May they be well, may they be happy, may they be filled with loving kindness.
Finish by taking a few deep breaths and slowly opening your eyes, and have a smile on your face!
610. Emmy falling asleep in my arms tonight while we rocked together and I gently sang her favorite bedtime songs.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Start #1: Gifts 593...
593. Calm and health after 3 days of birthdays and 2 days at home with a stomach virus.
594. Most delicious, comfort food recipe for dinner tonight similar to a traditional version made for us by our Korean friends:
BIBIMBAP - kid friendly version from Cookie magazine, April 2009
It's delicious, but even better, it's deconstructible. (You can remove any offensive elements for the kids without sacrificing your own dinner.)
3/4 cup soy sauce
6 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
4 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 pound ground turkey (beef, or pork)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 large eggs
2 cups cooked rice (Chinese takeout works well)
Assorted vegetables (shredded carrot, canned baby corn, spinach, bean sprouts, red onion...), steamed or raw
Toasted sesame seeds
I used ground turkey, broccoli, shredded carrot, shredded red cabbage, bean sprouts and spinach.
1. Mix together the first three ingredients, set aside.
2. In a pan, brown the meat in half the vegetable oil, about 5 minutes. Add half the soy sauce mixture and continue cooking until the liquid is absorbed, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and cover.
3. In another pan, fry the eggs in the remaining vegetable oil, 4 to 5 minutes.
4. Divide the rice among 4 bowls. Arrange some vegetables and meat and an egg in each. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds, then drizzle the remaining soy sauce mixture over the top.
595. Lily saying at the dinner table tonight that although she gave up her school Valentine's party today for another day of rest after recovering from a stomach virus, "Being home with Mom today was perfect for Valentine's Day."
596. Thoughtful cards and gifts in snail mail.
597. The gift of taking care of myself. Thank you Judy for reminding me that I'm important too. As instructed, I used my detox bath salts, bath pillow, eye pillow, candle holder and candles to release the toxins, relax, and support my body's healing process. So grateful that our bodies are able to heal and recover.
598. Expressions of love between family and friends.
599. Time for stories with Emmy tonight.
600. Starting to pay off some debt! We were able to pay four smaller bills tonight, hopefully on our way to eliminate much more in the near future!
601. Healthy food in the refrigerator to get back to feeling clean on the inside and energized.
602. Getting much needed greater quantities of sleep and learning the hard way that I need to make this more consistent.
594. Most delicious, comfort food recipe for dinner tonight similar to a traditional version made for us by our Korean friends:
BIBIMBAP - kid friendly version from Cookie magazine, April 2009
It's delicious, but even better, it's deconstructible. (You can remove any offensive elements for the kids without sacrificing your own dinner.)
3/4 cup soy sauce
6 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
4 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 pound ground turkey (beef, or pork)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 large eggs
2 cups cooked rice (Chinese takeout works well)
Assorted vegetables (shredded carrot, canned baby corn, spinach, bean sprouts, red onion...), steamed or raw
Toasted sesame seeds
I used ground turkey, broccoli, shredded carrot, shredded red cabbage, bean sprouts and spinach.
1. Mix together the first three ingredients, set aside.
2. In a pan, brown the meat in half the vegetable oil, about 5 minutes. Add half the soy sauce mixture and continue cooking until the liquid is absorbed, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and cover.
3. In another pan, fry the eggs in the remaining vegetable oil, 4 to 5 minutes.
4. Divide the rice among 4 bowls. Arrange some vegetables and meat and an egg in each. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds, then drizzle the remaining soy sauce mixture over the top.
595. Lily saying at the dinner table tonight that although she gave up her school Valentine's party today for another day of rest after recovering from a stomach virus, "Being home with Mom today was perfect for Valentine's Day."
596. Thoughtful cards and gifts in snail mail.
597. The gift of taking care of myself. Thank you Judy for reminding me that I'm important too. As instructed, I used my detox bath salts, bath pillow, eye pillow, candle holder and candles to release the toxins, relax, and support my body's healing process. So grateful that our bodies are able to heal and recover.
598. Expressions of love between family and friends.
599. Time for stories with Emmy tonight.
600. Starting to pay off some debt! We were able to pay four smaller bills tonight, hopefully on our way to eliminate much more in the near future!
601. Healthy food in the refrigerator to get back to feeling clean on the inside and energized.
602. Getting much needed greater quantities of sleep and learning the hard way that I need to make this more consistent.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Start #1: Gifts 583...
583. Birthday eves! There are three coming up, starting tonight with the eve of our sweet Lily Belle's 7th birthday.
584. A quiet house shared with Lily this morning - she at the laptop next to me working on her online reading assignments learning about hibernation, and I at the other laptop working from home before we went to her school together for my volunteer day.
585. Seeing a different side of Lily in her classroom, so much more grown up, responsible, and a leader than we give her the room to be at home. She has just given me a gift to see this in her, and I suppose my gift to her will be to let her wings grow.
586. Stopping at the post office after school today to buy stamps and mail the letter that Lily wrote yesterday - a full circle experience.
587. Leftovers. Delicious leftovers. We are so lucky to have a refrigerator and freezer full of lunches and dinners to get us by.
588. Girl Scout Thin Mint cookies. Nevermind that I ate too many of them today, I enjoyed each and every one!
589. Being able to hug our friends in person today who are fresh in the face of grief.
590. Stopping my evening rush to read books with Emmy.
591. Birthday plans coming together, just in the nick of time.
592. Balloons and streamers just waiting for Lily to see them when she wakes up tomorrow morning.
584. A quiet house shared with Lily this morning - she at the laptop next to me working on her online reading assignments learning about hibernation, and I at the other laptop working from home before we went to her school together for my volunteer day.
585. Seeing a different side of Lily in her classroom, so much more grown up, responsible, and a leader than we give her the room to be at home. She has just given me a gift to see this in her, and I suppose my gift to her will be to let her wings grow.
586. Stopping at the post office after school today to buy stamps and mail the letter that Lily wrote yesterday - a full circle experience.
587. Leftovers. Delicious leftovers. We are so lucky to have a refrigerator and freezer full of lunches and dinners to get us by.
588. Girl Scout Thin Mint cookies. Nevermind that I ate too many of them today, I enjoyed each and every one!
589. Being able to hug our friends in person today who are fresh in the face of grief.
590. Stopping my evening rush to read books with Emmy.
591. Birthday plans coming together, just in the nick of time.
592. Balloons and streamers just waiting for Lily to see them when she wakes up tomorrow morning.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Start #1: Gifts 569
569. The gift of passing from this world to the next. A dear friend's mom, also mother-in-law and grandma to their family, left this world today ending her battle with cancer. So grateful that she is no longer suffering the way she has been for what seemed to be endless months. Our thoughts and love are with their family tonight.
570. Relishing the moment of how a passing of one life makes many stop and appreciate the existence of living and the lives of those we share this world with.
571. Pushing through a challenging morning this morning to end the workday with smiles.
572. Getting home early today with Lily and getting to be the one to help with homework and getting dinner started, a very welcome role reversal.
573. Teaching Lily how to write a letter and address an envelope - her first one all by herself with sender and addressee. I love letter writing and was so excited to give Lily the tools she needs to hopefully not let this art be forgotten in this age of technology.
574. Working through frustration with Lily in a different way tonight - it's amazing what happened when I reached out for her hands to hold them as I talked instead of me getting just as frustrated as she and both of us escalating to a total shut down of noncommunication. Lily opened up to me instead, so I learned that her frustration came out of worry that, "I should know how to do everything already because I'm almost seven years old now," as she grew increasingly upset that she didn't know how to write that letter I was tyring to teach her about.
575. A quick escape to the park in the moonlit night with Lily, Emmy and Molly between dinner and bath time.
576. Andy diffusing a repeat of last night. My heart goes out to all single parents who don't have the luxury of another parent to help when things get difficult.
577. Learning from Emmy and her communication style tonight that she can't immediately sit down to eat dinner as soon as she walks in the door. I think I discovered what she needs from me is a few minutes of time on my lap to decompress from the day and read a quick story before we launch into the routine of the evening. This was an AHA moment tonight that I think was an essential discovery to much better nights and quality time together. Much like I am learning what I cannot compromise on in these precious minutes and moments that make up a day, my children are learning (and teaching me!) about the same thing - our parallel journey.
578. Second (and third, fourth, fifth, etc...) chances. I am truly a lucky mom and wife.
579. A woman at work remembering how delicious I thought her leftover muffins from a meeting were last month and bringing me my very own today - a banana chocolate chip from Paradise Bakery.
580. Sharing that muffin with three other people so I could still indulge, but while also supporting my healthier choices.
581. A power nap with Lily at bedtime so I can now plow through the dinner dishes and get ready for another day tomorrow.
582. Eating dinner with chopsticks tonight that Lily put out at each of our seats because she, "just wants it to be a fun dinner night tonight." I forgot about this one until I just started doing dishes a few minutes ago:)
570. Relishing the moment of how a passing of one life makes many stop and appreciate the existence of living and the lives of those we share this world with.
571. Pushing through a challenging morning this morning to end the workday with smiles.
572. Getting home early today with Lily and getting to be the one to help with homework and getting dinner started, a very welcome role reversal.
573. Teaching Lily how to write a letter and address an envelope - her first one all by herself with sender and addressee. I love letter writing and was so excited to give Lily the tools she needs to hopefully not let this art be forgotten in this age of technology.
574. Working through frustration with Lily in a different way tonight - it's amazing what happened when I reached out for her hands to hold them as I talked instead of me getting just as frustrated as she and both of us escalating to a total shut down of noncommunication. Lily opened up to me instead, so I learned that her frustration came out of worry that, "I should know how to do everything already because I'm almost seven years old now," as she grew increasingly upset that she didn't know how to write that letter I was tyring to teach her about.
575. A quick escape to the park in the moonlit night with Lily, Emmy and Molly between dinner and bath time.
576. Andy diffusing a repeat of last night. My heart goes out to all single parents who don't have the luxury of another parent to help when things get difficult.
577. Learning from Emmy and her communication style tonight that she can't immediately sit down to eat dinner as soon as she walks in the door. I think I discovered what she needs from me is a few minutes of time on my lap to decompress from the day and read a quick story before we launch into the routine of the evening. This was an AHA moment tonight that I think was an essential discovery to much better nights and quality time together. Much like I am learning what I cannot compromise on in these precious minutes and moments that make up a day, my children are learning (and teaching me!) about the same thing - our parallel journey.
578. Second (and third, fourth, fifth, etc...) chances. I am truly a lucky mom and wife.
579. A woman at work remembering how delicious I thought her leftover muffins from a meeting were last month and bringing me my very own today - a banana chocolate chip from Paradise Bakery.
580. Sharing that muffin with three other people so I could still indulge, but while also supporting my healthier choices.
581. A power nap with Lily at bedtime so I can now plow through the dinner dishes and get ready for another day tomorrow.
582. Eating dinner with chopsticks tonight that Lily put out at each of our seats because she, "just wants it to be a fun dinner night tonight." I forgot about this one until I just started doing dishes a few minutes ago:)
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Start #1: Gifts 559...
559. Making myself practice what I preach to Lily - when things are difficult, do what you know works. What I know works is living in gratitude, so here I am, back on the page, to express my gratitude for the many gifts in my life.
560. Unconditional love.
561. Knowing my daughters are both peacefully asleep in their beds and my husband is snoring in our bed where I will join him in just a few minutes. Never thought I would say that, but that sound and the hum of the refrigerator in an otherwise quiet house are very comforting to me right now, almost as if everything is just as it should be...very welcome after an evening of things that should not have been.
562. A day filled with learning at an off-site training - learned more about Excel than I ever imagined I would. Computers are frighteningly powerful pieces of equipment!
563. Thankful that I have a little more time to prepare for the girls' birthdays and Valentine's day.
564. Taking a deep breath to enable myself to separate my emotions from money after a not-so-successful shopping trip this evening. My deep breaths and insight completely escaped me at the store, but there is such a thing as returns. Thank goodness.
565. A loved one sharing that, after a series of tests and days of worry, they have received a clean bill of health.
566. The swell of my heart over the love of my kids for me, and me for them. After Lily asked me to rub her back tonight as she was falling asleep she said, "Mom, I love you more than birthdays! And I love you a little more than a puppy." True love, true mother daughter love.
567. The gift and promise of another tomorrow to start fresh and strive to improve.
568. Grateful for our relationship and support to each other, that we care enough about each other to exercise together for the first time in way too long. Thank you Andy! For so many things, thank you, I love you.
560. Unconditional love.
561. Knowing my daughters are both peacefully asleep in their beds and my husband is snoring in our bed where I will join him in just a few minutes. Never thought I would say that, but that sound and the hum of the refrigerator in an otherwise quiet house are very comforting to me right now, almost as if everything is just as it should be...very welcome after an evening of things that should not have been.
562. A day filled with learning at an off-site training - learned more about Excel than I ever imagined I would. Computers are frighteningly powerful pieces of equipment!
563. Thankful that I have a little more time to prepare for the girls' birthdays and Valentine's day.
564. Taking a deep breath to enable myself to separate my emotions from money after a not-so-successful shopping trip this evening. My deep breaths and insight completely escaped me at the store, but there is such a thing as returns. Thank goodness.
565. A loved one sharing that, after a series of tests and days of worry, they have received a clean bill of health.
566. The swell of my heart over the love of my kids for me, and me for them. After Lily asked me to rub her back tonight as she was falling asleep she said, "Mom, I love you more than birthdays! And I love you a little more than a puppy." True love, true mother daughter love.
567. The gift and promise of another tomorrow to start fresh and strive to improve.
568. Grateful for our relationship and support to each other, that we care enough about each other to exercise together for the first time in way too long. Thank you Andy! For so many things, thank you, I love you.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Start #1: Gifts 549...
549. The gift of seeing my dad make a post and a shout out to me on Facebook that this is for me, with a picture of the famous expression, "A daughter holds your hand for a little while and will hold your heart for a lifetime..." Such a touching gesture from someone who rarely makes his own status updates. I'm so grateful to call such an amazing person my father, my dad, forever.
550. Lily finally starting to settle in with her new Daisy (Girl Scout) troop. Her best friend and best friend's mom who was the prior troop leader moved out of state after the last troop ended last summer. Two moms took over and added quite a few new girls this year, and it has taken Lily a long time to start to feel comfortable and make connections. Much like her mother, she is "slow to warm" so the lingo goes, takes a long time for us to feel comfortable, let our guard down, and open ourselves up to friendship. But after her meeting last night, I could see a difference in her, in the glow on her face, and width of her smile across her face, that she is getting there. Makes me so happy for her to open her heart.
551. Running my first mile! I brought Molly again and walked/ran while Lily was at her meeting last night. With my new pedometer, I can now see how far I've gone! I know it was the farthest I've run, and turned out to be exactly a mile. I felt amazing last night - not completely winded and felt like I could run more, but not entirely sure that I would be able to hold a conversation while running:) I felt so victorious, so healthy. And completely unexpected was how on top of the world I felt all day today for my accomplishment and excited to do more. Contemplating my first 5K as part of a Daisy outing, the Thin Mint Sprint coming up on March 10th!
552. So grateful that Emmy has a little lingering toddlerness to her pudgy hand, despite her telling me tonight when grasping the "baby" fork I set at her place at the table for dinner, "Mom, this is a baby fork! I'm almost three. I'm not a baby any more. I want a big fork!"
553. Getting to try fresh, Montana honey in my green tea this morning. Thank you Danielle for sharing your family's honey with me!
554. Reading reader's responses in this month's issue of Real Simple (thank you, again, Danielle:) to the Your Words column question - What is the most important trait in a spouse? This article made me stop mid-lunch and reflect on what my own answer might be, reminding me of the MANY reasons I am so grateful that Andy is my husband. I feel like we are very lucky to have chosen each other as life partners.
If you are reading this and have a partner, I invite you to pause for a moment and think about what traits you are thankful for in your loved one. Andy reminded me of one of his just tonight; his undying devotion to me. "I'll tear this house apart tonight to help you find your keys, if that's what it takes," he declared after we had both spent half and hour looking everywhere for my car (and work, and house) keys that I NEVER lose. He did find them, and I got a warm embrace in return, how does that work? My hero.
556. Pulling up to the house tonight to see our first fill bloom on our orchid tree out front, and taking in the many buds surrounding it that are just waiting to explode.
557. How amazing soft my skin feels after using a new facial scrub recipe tonight for the first time (and how deliciously enjoyable the experience was massaging it into my skin was!). Read this excerpt below and you will get an idea of how heavenly the smell is - and the link to actual recipe here.
Here's what I used and why:
-White Sugar and Pure Dark Brown Sugar for exfoliators.
-Oatmeal, which also is a good exfoliant and helps your skin glow.
-Cinnamon which is a natural antiseptic
-Honey is also a natural antiseptic as well as an anti-inflammatory.
-Almond Oil smoothes and softens skin.
-Pure Vanilla is used for its aromatherapy properties.
-Water to get the desired consistency.
558. Exploring the satellite view of google images world map with Lily after her homework tonight. We both audibly gasped as we zoomed in to the ridge of white that meets blue at the Antarctic. Go ahead, try it!
550. Lily finally starting to settle in with her new Daisy (Girl Scout) troop. Her best friend and best friend's mom who was the prior troop leader moved out of state after the last troop ended last summer. Two moms took over and added quite a few new girls this year, and it has taken Lily a long time to start to feel comfortable and make connections. Much like her mother, she is "slow to warm" so the lingo goes, takes a long time for us to feel comfortable, let our guard down, and open ourselves up to friendship. But after her meeting last night, I could see a difference in her, in the glow on her face, and width of her smile across her face, that she is getting there. Makes me so happy for her to open her heart.
551. Running my first mile! I brought Molly again and walked/ran while Lily was at her meeting last night. With my new pedometer, I can now see how far I've gone! I know it was the farthest I've run, and turned out to be exactly a mile. I felt amazing last night - not completely winded and felt like I could run more, but not entirely sure that I would be able to hold a conversation while running:) I felt so victorious, so healthy. And completely unexpected was how on top of the world I felt all day today for my accomplishment and excited to do more. Contemplating my first 5K as part of a Daisy outing, the Thin Mint Sprint coming up on March 10th!
552. So grateful that Emmy has a little lingering toddlerness to her pudgy hand, despite her telling me tonight when grasping the "baby" fork I set at her place at the table for dinner, "Mom, this is a baby fork! I'm almost three. I'm not a baby any more. I want a big fork!"
553. Getting to try fresh, Montana honey in my green tea this morning. Thank you Danielle for sharing your family's honey with me!
554. Reading reader's responses in this month's issue of Real Simple (thank you, again, Danielle:) to the Your Words column question - What is the most important trait in a spouse? This article made me stop mid-lunch and reflect on what my own answer might be, reminding me of the MANY reasons I am so grateful that Andy is my husband. I feel like we are very lucky to have chosen each other as life partners.
If you are reading this and have a partner, I invite you to pause for a moment and think about what traits you are thankful for in your loved one. Andy reminded me of one of his just tonight; his undying devotion to me. "I'll tear this house apart tonight to help you find your keys, if that's what it takes," he declared after we had both spent half and hour looking everywhere for my car (and work, and house) keys that I NEVER lose. He did find them, and I got a warm embrace in return, how does that work? My hero.
555. The elegant crane that was perched atop a telephone wire pole out my office window at work today for at least three hours. A beautiful, serene sight to see this gigantic bird so still and seemingly at such peace with its stillness.
556. Pulling up to the house tonight to see our first fill bloom on our orchid tree out front, and taking in the many buds surrounding it that are just waiting to explode.
557. How amazing soft my skin feels after using a new facial scrub recipe tonight for the first time (and how deliciously enjoyable the experience was massaging it into my skin was!). Read this excerpt below and you will get an idea of how heavenly the smell is - and the link to actual recipe here.
Here's what I used and why:
-White Sugar and Pure Dark Brown Sugar for exfoliators.
-Oatmeal, which also is a good exfoliant and helps your skin glow.
-Cinnamon which is a natural antiseptic
-Honey is also a natural antiseptic as well as an anti-inflammatory.
-Almond Oil smoothes and softens skin.
-Pure Vanilla is used for its aromatherapy properties.
-Water to get the desired consistency.
558. Exploring the satellite view of google images world map with Lily after her homework tonight. We both audibly gasped as we zoomed in to the ridge of white that meets blue at the Antarctic. Go ahead, try it!
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