6/30/2009 Gratitude

I am grateful for a naturopath that I like. Even though she has yet to be able to help me, she is working with me and my body to find the right answers -- not one-size fits all formulas. And while it is sometimes hard to be grateful for a body as sensitive as mine, I do appreciate all my body does for me and goes through in the process.

Would you rather . . .

. . . spend decades living the good life with great homes, fancy food, maids and butlers, new cars, etc. only to spend your final years in prison with virtually nothing? Or would you rather live a very modest life with no extravagances for your entire life?

The answer is easy for me. The modest life. First, I think giving up the high-life would be way too hard. The contrast of going from having everything to having nothing would be nearly impossible for me to adjust to.

Second, I am not really a person who craves a lot of extravagance in my life. Yes, a good meal once-in-a-while is nice but I don't want it every day. I get satisfaction from doing my own dishes. And I get really attached to my car! Ha!

Finally, I tend to keep my life on a fairly even keel all of the time. I don't enjoy the rollercoaster rides of life.

6/29/2009 Gratitude

I am so thankful for the wonderful day I spend yesterday on a pontoon on a lake with friends and my hubby. It was a lovely day and really quite peaceful. Saw some pretty birds, jumping fish and very few insects! We had good food too. We can't afford a boat but are grateful we have friends who can.

6/27/2009 Gratitude

I am grateful for sleep. I have said it before but when you have had trouble sleeping in the past, every good night's sleep now is a little gift. And I have been dreaming a lot lately which I think is a good thing as I am processing things and taking soul journeys. And waking up with kitties waiting to snuggle in bed is pure heaven!

6/25/2009 Gratitude

I am grateful that I was able to give back just a little today with a pro bono project that should help many non-profits. Even though I am not done with it yet, I have taken large steps forwards.

6/22/2009

Heat. I am grateful for heat! We had such a cool, rainy spring and it made my body ache -- literally. The heat has finally arrived and I feel so much better. Yeah, the heat can be draining and you feel sweaty all the time. But I will take that over feeling like I have the flu any day! Summer has arrived!

6/212009 Gratitude

Thank you for this beautiful day spent boating with friends on their pontoon, relaxing and reading by our pool and watching TV with my husband tonight. It was a great day in all ways.

6/20/2009 Gratitude

This might sound bad but it is something that I am really grateful for -- I am so glad I am not at my parent's house this weekend. My sister is visiting and I just can't stand to be around her. My reasons are vast and valid but I won't get into them here. Let's just say it is self-preservation on my part to keep my distance. I am grateful to be 1, 000 miles away, in my own home with nothing to do for the day. But I am looking forward to a Summer Solstice meditation class tonight!

6.19/2009 Gratitude

I am grateful for the yummy dinner I had last night at one of our favorite "Mexican" restaurants. It isn't your typical Mexican restaurant and that's why we love it. I split Mahi Mahi and tequila shrimp dishes with a friend. Ooo, were they yummy -- black beans, rice, fresh tomato picante, guac and lots of garlic (I paid for that ingredient later!) And the margarita? Perfect after a stressful day/week. And because we had a gift certificate, it was cheap, cheap, cheap!

6/18/2009 Gratitude

Why is it that when we need something the most, we want it the least? I dreaded going to yoga class last night but it ended up being a very good class and just what I needed. For that I am grateful. I am also grateful for NetFlix, it has made our evenings so much more enjoyable during this long, rainy spring. And finally, I am grateful for being able to go to the pool for a while yesterday so I could relax and finish the good book I had been reading.

6/15/2009 Gratitude

I am grateful for dreams. I rarely have nightmares and only sometimes have dreams that I would consider disturbing. Usually my dreams are just weird -- weaving together bits and pieces of my day into this bizarre nighttime movie in my head. But what a great escape! And if what they say is true of dreams, I am processing a lot of emotions while I sleep, releasing them from my psyche.

6/13/2009 Gratitude

I am so grateful that I am feeling better today and not in as much pain. It has been a rough pain week for me and to have some relief today was wonderful. I think I might have figured out what was causing it (keep your fingers crossed) and if so, it is a pretty easy fix. I am also grateful for being able to eat my lunch and dinner outside today. With the awful weather we have been having, this was a real treat!

Seriously?

Why must people take things so seriously when they are so insignificant? I am thinking about this today because of the Sarah Palin/David Letterman media hype. Sarah says that David owes all women an apology for his joke about her daughter getting pregnant by Alex Rodrigez. It was a kinda funny joke and certainly did not necessitate the onslaught of media coverage it is now getting.

Why aren't we instead outraged about hate crimes in America where real people get really hurt, and even killed as in the Holocaust museum shooting this week? Why aren't we protesting prisoners being kept in Guantanamo without trials or due process? Why aren't we pushing our government to make sure health care is available to all -- poor, sick, unemployed, etc. Why do we hardly hear about Darfur anymore? Instead the only news we hear from Africa is whether or not Madonna gets to adopt another child.

Please, let's save our outrage for important issues and let the little things slide off our backs without another thought.

6/12/2009 Gratitude

The sun is out this morning, at least for a little while as they say the storms and rain will be back this afternoon. I am happy to see the sun even if for only a little while.

6/10/2009 Gratitude

I am grateful that our friends bought us dinner last night. It was yummy and fun!

6/8/2009 Gratitude

I am grateful for the money to be able to buy groceries (whatever I wanted) and coupons to make it a little cheaper. I know a lot of people that are unemployed cannot afford to buy groceries let alone name brands, organics and treats like I did today.

6/7/2009 Gratitude

Thank you for the lovely "church" service at my meditation center today. I really enjoy hearing Margaret speak. Plus it was nice for me to get out of the house for a while and do something good for me and my soul.

6/6/2009 Gratitude

I slept so good last night. It was cool with a little breeze in the bedroom. The Advil I took helped my leg cramps and once I got to sleep it was a solid night's sleep. I awoke this morning to the sun shining -- something we really haven't seen for days. Thank you body, thank you Universe!

6/5/2009 Gratitude

Today I am going to be "geeky" and be grateful for my technology. Even though it goes haywire on me sometimes, driving me crazy, I can't imagine life without it. I am grateful for my laptop, my iPod iTouch, my Wii, my television, cable, DVDs, Netflix, TiVo, cell phones and all the people that invented and "perfected" these technologies over the years. They make my life easier in many ways, but mostly more fun. And who doesn't need fun?

6/4/2009 Gratitude

Thank you President Obama for reaching out to the World's Muslims through your speech in Cairo today. It may not have been perfect and it may not ultimately make any difference. But we need to start the conversation. We need to reach out. We need to show the World that we practice the principles that we teach. It is a start.

6/3/2009 Gratitude

I am grateful that I have the type of relationship depicted in the movie "UP" which I saw today.

6/2/2009 Gratitude

Today I toured a facility in my area that helps people in need -- in need of food, shelter, clothing, utility assistance, etc. I am so grateful that I have never needed these types of services, that I have always been self-sufficient (with the help of my wonderful husband). I am grateful I haven't had to give up my beloved pets because I have no where to live. I am grateful I don't have to sleep in my car -- or have my car carry my only possessions. I am grateful I can go to the grocery store and pick out the foods I want to eat, and not rely on random food bank offerings. And I am grateful that such organizations exist to help those in need. Most of all, I am grateful for my life.