2015 04 02 Forest Green

ATTITUDE of GRATITUDE

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FOREST GREEN

A beautiful deep shade of Green that I find calming and meditative. Two things we all can use in our life. 

Today I am grateful for:

* Hanley: He's Awesome. I am so thrilled to be travelling this path with him!

* Allergies:'cause they mean spring has sprung!

* A good night's sleep: I feel so much better today than yesterday morning.

* Coffee! Even with a good nights sleep the morning wouldn't be the same without coffee.

* Lorrie: She makes sure the house is clean (we will not talk about neat) and when the guests are back to back, she makes an extra trip to turn-over the bedrooms.  

Wishing you a calm and meditative day.

2015 03 17 Sunshine & Rain

ATTITUDE of GRATITUDE

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SUNSHINE and RAIN

This past week we've had both here in Georgia..in the same day.  Rainy morning, sun shines in the afternoon. Start out with clear skies, rain later on. We need both at this time of year. A bit of each, and not too much of either one.  I think we've been pretty lucky. No thunderstorms. No torrential downpours. Just soft rain, sometimes for most of the day. Then sunshine and clear skies. All telling the flowers and trees that it's time to show their stuff. 


Today I am grateful for:

* The little \/ on the facebook feed. Not only can I choose to not see my friends game score notifications, I can also choose not to read re-posts from sources I care nothing about. And, as we gear up for another political season (did the last one ever end?)I can keep my friends, keep up with their lives, and not be subjected to what I think of as extreme party politics. Love that little \/. I am grateful for the programmers who wrote that little piece of peaceful facebooking into existence.

* The kindness of strangers. The little things mean so much. A smile. A door held open. I am grateful for those strangers that brighten my day without knowing it.

* The birds singing. They start before sunrise. It's like they are calling to the sun, urging it to rise from its slumber. I am grateful for the early morning songs the birds sing.

* Coffee. I know it makes the list often. But I really am thankful for coffee. I am grateful for a strong cuppa joe.

* Friends. Today I am especially thankful for the ones that are willing to proof read potential articles, and those that are so helpful in planning events. I am grateful for Debbie, Sarah, and AnnLynn. 

2015 03 26 Thank List

Attitude of Gratitude

Brought to you today by the color Red

Why red? Well, it is one of my favorite colors. But it is also the color of the flower in the American Greetings logo.

Why am I interested in the American Greetings Logo? Well, they have a project going on called the Thank List. It seems that 95% of Americans believe that WE (Americans) have a civility problem. And American Greetings proposed solution: Gratitude.

The idea is to encourage people to say thank you. Thank you for the big things. Thank you for the little things. And to start with a Thank list.

So, it seems that American Greetings and I are on similar tracks. The idea is to Write Down the people & things for which you are Grateful. Research shows positive benefits to your brain just by WRITING IT DOWN! American Greetings is more about the people aspect, and remembering to say, "Thank You."

Last night I posted a preview of today's blog on my facebook feed. This is my nephew. I still call him Ronnie...He puts up with it. Take 5 minutes and watch. You'll be glad you did.

Now not all thank yous need to be "epic." They simply need to be Sincere.

Today I am Thankful For:

* My Family. All of them. The Brothers & Sisters-in-law. The Nephews & the nieces & the "greats" (we can't call them the "little kids" anymore as several of them are as tall or taller than ME!). The in-laws & the out-laws. The Aunts, Uncles, and Cousins. Thank You for being you and for the love we share.

* My Hanley. He really is the BEST! And, I've had people ask what our "secret" is.... well, it's no secret. Please and Thank you go along way. Even for the little everyday things like taking the trash out, or mowing the yard, or doing the dishes, or getting the other one a glass of water. Please and Thank You. 

* My SAORI family. It is growing everyday. I am so thankful for each of you and the things that you teach me.

* The Kindness of Strangers. The dude that ran past the dry cleaners (his intended destination) to open the door of the UPS store because my hands were full and countless others like him. 

* My Artist friends. Thank you for your continued inspiration...and the additions to my growing Art Collection.

So think on it. Our country could become a more civil place to live if we simply adopted an Attitude of Gratitude. Making a Thank List is the first step. Saying Thank You is the second. Making it a daily habit is the third.

2015 03 22 Monday

Attitude of Gratitude

Mondays

Brought to you by Chartreuse.  Why Chartreuse? 'Cause it's just fun to say.

I've been thinking a lot about this little Attitude of Gratitude thing. And how living with an attitude of gratitude doesn't mean that everything in my life is easy peasy. Nor does it mean that everything is perfect. It means making a choice each and every day to be grateful for the things I have (even if I don't post every day).

Today I am grateful for:

The flowers that bloom...despite my lack of attention to their well being.

Choices...Every day there are Doors that are waiting to be opened... Life is full of so many possibilities.

 Friends... They make me smile, laugh with me, cry with me, share life with me.

Color... so many options ... and even the ones we may not like on their own help to make other colors shine!

 Coffee... Really, were you surprised by this?

Have a great Monday! 

2015 03 21 Spring

Attitude of Gratitude
Saturday 

Brought to you by Spring

I think of Spring as a time of renewal.  A time when the the old crap gets washed away by the spring storms and the new growth emerges.  And not just in my garden. In my life. In my soul.

Today I am grateful for:

* The piles of Laundry yet to be done. They remind me that I have clothes to wear.

* The Dishwasher that needs to be emptied (and probably reloaded). It reminds me that I have food to eat.

* The flower beds that need to be Weeded. They remind me that I have a home with beauty all around it. 

* The orders that need to be packed today. They remind me that I have a healthy and growing business.

* My less than stellar moments. They remind me that I have friends that love me through the awkwardness and help me grow to be a better person.

* The STUDIO and all of its distractions. It reminds me that beauty is everywhere, and that I have a place to soothe my soul.

And Coffee.  We cannot forget coffee.

2015 03 19

Attitude of Gratitude

It's been a rough couple of days. No need to rehash what made it rough, just suffice it to say, It Was Rough.

It was so rough I yelled at a friend.  I shouldn't have. Now I need to find a way to mend that.

But Yesterday also brought me phone calls from the most unexpected places.  Voices that lifted me up. Voices that said, "I care." Voices that reaffirmed my desire to live my life with an Attitude of Gratitude.

Today I am thankful for:
* Coffee -- it tops the list this AM. After waking up with a headache, the caffeine is starting to work its way into my system and relieve the pressure in my head.
* Quiet Mornings -- I have the house to myself this AM and it is quiet, except for the Wren.
* The Wren's song -- Yes he has been on the deck singing his heart out this morning.  (If you've never heard a Carolina Wren, here is a video I found on You Tube). He may be small, but he is loud. 
*Friends -- Over the last few days they have lifted my spirits and helped me to refocus on what is important in my life. They have called just to check in, and to tell me I am loved.  I am more than loved. I am truly blessed to have them in my life.
*The Rain -- If every day was sunny we would live in a desert. The rain will help my grass to get green. It will help my flowers to grow. And hopefully it will wash away some of the dirt off of my driveway and side walks.


What are you thankful for today? Have you told anyone?

2015 03 18

Attitude of Gratitude 

Today's post is a bit different. I hope you will bear with me.

I had been thinking for a while that I needed to say something about the days when there is no post.  It's not that I'm not grateful on those days. It's more like I don't stop long enough to put it in writing.

Yesterday was not one of those days. Yesterday I woke up to an email that totally knocked me off my feet.  There were things in that email that were totally unexpected. Every time I sat down to try to write my gratitude post, the words of the email came back and I would start to cry all over again.

Now, those that know me well will tell you that I work very hard to NOT let people see me cry. But I couldn't write, all I could do was cry. So I posted to my circle of friends (ok, it's a very large circle) that I was having a hard time being grateful. What followed amazed me.

I had more responses to that one post than I have had to probably any single post in my time on facebook. Friends I have known since childhood; friends I've known for years but have never met In Real Life; friends I've only known for a short time - both IRL and on line, all posted loving caring messages.  

One thanked me for being real. Many offered things to look at to be grateful for. Many offered hugs. Some made me laugh. All were encouraging and offered me love and acceptance for where I was at at that moment.

Not one asked for details.

I learned a lot from this.  I learned that more people read my posts than I thought! I learned that there are people around the globe that care about me. I learned that sometimes it's ok to let people know you are hurting. And I learned it is possible to feel grateful even you cannot express that gratitude.

So today, My Dear Friends I am grateful for you. You fed my soul, and took me in your arms in great big ol' bear hugs. You understood the pain with out having to know what caused it, and you made me laugh. You showed me the true beauty that is in my life: Your generous spirits.



I am grateful for the birds welcoming the rising sun outside my window.

I am thankful for a partner who knew what was going on and let me process it.










I am grateful for my SAORI students who came to weave with me and allowed my wounded soul time to heal.




I am grateful for the healing and restorative properties of Art and Yoga.

And I am thankful for Coffee. 

Always coffee.