I am OH so thankful for homemade chocolate chip cookies with extra chocolate chips, fresh out of the oven so the chips are still melting when you split the cookie apart. The simple things in life are what bring me the most joy and that is one of them. The cookie is soooo warm and comforting, chocolate is my favorite sweet and when it is melted it is OH so tasty. This treat always brings a smile to my face.
I'm craving it, just thinking about it!!
Friday, November 13, 2009
Thursday, November 12, 2009
My Health
I've had a rough time with the ol' health since I hit my 20s, but things seem to be working themselves out. With the help of my VNS and working (a lot) with meds, I think I'm getting to a point where I remember what normal feels like.
The rough patch was awful, to say the least. Above all else, it was emotionally draining. But the best part about the hard times in life is that you grow stronger from them. So I am thankful for the strength I've gotten from getting through rough times. And I'm thankful that I'm feeling better. I can go out with friends and not pay for it for a week. I mean, I can go out with friends, period. I can have a job. I can be 27. And I'm a stronger girl than I would have been if I didn't have a hard time getting to this point.
The rough patch was awful, to say the least. Above all else, it was emotionally draining. But the best part about the hard times in life is that you grow stronger from them. So I am thankful for the strength I've gotten from getting through rough times. And I'm thankful that I'm feeling better. I can go out with friends and not pay for it for a week. I mean, I can go out with friends, period. I can have a job. I can be 27. And I'm a stronger girl than I would have been if I didn't have a hard time getting to this point.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
A Month of Giving Thanks
Oh my. So, I was going to try to spend all of November blogging each day about one thing that I am thankful for, from something superficial to things that are very deep. I'd get it if I started on the first of November and fell behind, but I didn't even get that far! Goodness.
But I am a very blessed person and I try my best not to take anything for granted, any time of the year. I just want to take time to share with the Internet some things that I have to be thankful for. I am going to start with 11 things and HOPE that I am good enough to return each day with another thing to add to the list. Otherwise, I know I'll be back on Thanksgiving.
In no particular order, 11 things I am thankful to have for.
1. I have to bundle this up in one big package and just say FAMILY. It would take up more than my list if I tried to narrow it down to my mom, my grampa, my brothers, my husband, individual cousins, my in-laws and on and on...
This has been a very painful year with the passing of my very special grampa, but he left me with so many memories and so many life lessons that I feel him with me every single day and plan to live with his life lessons in my mind. His passing also brought me closer to some incredibly special relatives when I needed them the most. And this year wasn't just about losing him, but also about my cousin's wedding, which was so, very special. That was another time when I felt extra close to family. I got to spend a week with that cousin and her family and felt more like a sister than just a cousin. My cousin is incredibly blessed with her sweet-hearted husband, which makes *me* feel blessed and I'm so happy that he is a part of our family!
In a quick summary, I always know that I have a beautiful family. But this year, something extremely sad happened and something very happy happened. During those two extremes, I learned just how very special my family is. I am very blessed.
2. The roof over my head. In this time when the economy is rough, people are losing their homes or having trouble making rent or paying their mortgages. My husband and I still own a house AND rent, but we're able to do it. We have trustworthy renters for the house and an affordable apartment that is comfortable and in a good neighborhood. I absolutely do not want to take this situation for granted, when so many people are facing tough times. I'm very lucky to have a safe, cozy home that we know we can afford.
3. Which leads me to our jobs. I bet everyone either has or knows someone who has been laid off. My husband works in a field that is safe from lay-offs and my job won't be going anywhere. How very lucky we are right now!!
4. And THAT leads me to food. I'm sitting here snacking on Chex Mix, something that was a luxury when I was in college and lived off canned veggies and soup! I pass a lot of jobless people when I go to work. I don't know their stories, but I know that they're not in good shape. I'm glad that we can support ourselves and afford this tasty food. Even the naughty Chex Mix!
5. My puppy. Sure, he belongs in the "family" category, I suppose. But he's so much more! He makes me laugh when times are hard, he snuggles when I'm just relaxing, and he just makes me feel good! All of that from a little furry critter who doesn't realize what he's doing. He's just living. But he brings me so much joy!!
6. My clothes. I'm a cheap shopper. I don't like to spend a lot of money on clothing. But I do like to have fun with what I buy. Some people don't have that luxury. People come in to my job all the time wearing the same outfit for weeks, or wearing clothes that don't fit because they had to accept hand-me-downs. I'm a blessed girl.
7. My friends. I have met so many great people in my life. I'm usually drawn to them by their sense of humor, then what I learn about them keeps me hanging around. All of my friends are intelligent, kind people who inspire me because they are so wonderful. Yay for funny, fun friends!
8. Iowa City. You heard me. This whole area is awesome and full of opportunities to seize. You wanna go out? There are a variety of things to do. You wanna volunteer? Pick your cause, there are tons of organizations here. You wanna build up your resume? There are places everywhere that need your help and in return, you just might be led to an awesome job opportunity. You just have to poke around a bit. PLUS, I like this area because people generally seem to leave their judgements at the city limits. Unless you're a Cyclone fan.
9. Music. Usually, I love music because I love to hum along and dance to it. Sometimes I like it because I'm in a low mood and the lyrics can make me feel completely validated. Others understand. No matter how I'm feeling, music gets me. :)
10. High heels. It's funny, but I really don't think I'm that short until I meet someone new and they point out how very short I am, at 5'1. But when I wear high heels and stand at 5'4, the world looks totally different and I feel even more confident... and usually the shoes look super cute. Something so small can make me feel so good.
11. Short people. Very rarely, I will find myself standing behind a man who is shorter than me. Probably 5 feet tall. I get so excited that I will stand just inches behind him and straighten up my posture so I can see what it feels like to other adults to stand in a crowd of adults. It's really satisfying. Probably creepy on my part and I don't really notice that I'm doing it until after the fact, but... it makes me feel good about myself. =-D
But I am a very blessed person and I try my best not to take anything for granted, any time of the year. I just want to take time to share with the Internet some things that I have to be thankful for. I am going to start with 11 things and HOPE that I am good enough to return each day with another thing to add to the list. Otherwise, I know I'll be back on Thanksgiving.
In no particular order, 11 things I am thankful to have for.
1. I have to bundle this up in one big package and just say FAMILY. It would take up more than my list if I tried to narrow it down to my mom, my grampa, my brothers, my husband, individual cousins, my in-laws and on and on...
This has been a very painful year with the passing of my very special grampa, but he left me with so many memories and so many life lessons that I feel him with me every single day and plan to live with his life lessons in my mind. His passing also brought me closer to some incredibly special relatives when I needed them the most. And this year wasn't just about losing him, but also about my cousin's wedding, which was so, very special. That was another time when I felt extra close to family. I got to spend a week with that cousin and her family and felt more like a sister than just a cousin. My cousin is incredibly blessed with her sweet-hearted husband, which makes *me* feel blessed and I'm so happy that he is a part of our family!
In a quick summary, I always know that I have a beautiful family. But this year, something extremely sad happened and something very happy happened. During those two extremes, I learned just how very special my family is. I am very blessed.
2. The roof over my head. In this time when the economy is rough, people are losing their homes or having trouble making rent or paying their mortgages. My husband and I still own a house AND rent, but we're able to do it. We have trustworthy renters for the house and an affordable apartment that is comfortable and in a good neighborhood. I absolutely do not want to take this situation for granted, when so many people are facing tough times. I'm very lucky to have a safe, cozy home that we know we can afford.
3. Which leads me to our jobs. I bet everyone either has or knows someone who has been laid off. My husband works in a field that is safe from lay-offs and my job won't be going anywhere. How very lucky we are right now!!
4. And THAT leads me to food. I'm sitting here snacking on Chex Mix, something that was a luxury when I was in college and lived off canned veggies and soup! I pass a lot of jobless people when I go to work. I don't know their stories, but I know that they're not in good shape. I'm glad that we can support ourselves and afford this tasty food. Even the naughty Chex Mix!
5. My puppy. Sure, he belongs in the "family" category, I suppose. But he's so much more! He makes me laugh when times are hard, he snuggles when I'm just relaxing, and he just makes me feel good! All of that from a little furry critter who doesn't realize what he's doing. He's just living. But he brings me so much joy!!
6. My clothes. I'm a cheap shopper. I don't like to spend a lot of money on clothing. But I do like to have fun with what I buy. Some people don't have that luxury. People come in to my job all the time wearing the same outfit for weeks, or wearing clothes that don't fit because they had to accept hand-me-downs. I'm a blessed girl.
7. My friends. I have met so many great people in my life. I'm usually drawn to them by their sense of humor, then what I learn about them keeps me hanging around. All of my friends are intelligent, kind people who inspire me because they are so wonderful. Yay for funny, fun friends!
8. Iowa City. You heard me. This whole area is awesome and full of opportunities to seize. You wanna go out? There are a variety of things to do. You wanna volunteer? Pick your cause, there are tons of organizations here. You wanna build up your resume? There are places everywhere that need your help and in return, you just might be led to an awesome job opportunity. You just have to poke around a bit. PLUS, I like this area because people generally seem to leave their judgements at the city limits. Unless you're a Cyclone fan.
9. Music. Usually, I love music because I love to hum along and dance to it. Sometimes I like it because I'm in a low mood and the lyrics can make me feel completely validated. Others understand. No matter how I'm feeling, music gets me. :)
10. High heels. It's funny, but I really don't think I'm that short until I meet someone new and they point out how very short I am, at 5'1. But when I wear high heels and stand at 5'4, the world looks totally different and I feel even more confident... and usually the shoes look super cute. Something so small can make me feel so good.
11. Short people. Very rarely, I will find myself standing behind a man who is shorter than me. Probably 5 feet tall. I get so excited that I will stand just inches behind him and straighten up my posture so I can see what it feels like to other adults to stand in a crowd of adults. It's really satisfying. Probably creepy on my part and I don't really notice that I'm doing it until after the fact, but... it makes me feel good about myself. =-D
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