Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.   ~William Arthur Ward

Today I have started and stopped writing at least 5 times.  While I can think of the things I am grateful for, today I find it hard to appreciate those things I am thankful for because I find myself focusing on the negative things (can you say run-on sentence?).  Bad stuff is just going to happen, no matter what I do.  It is how I handle it that determines the outcome.   I have so far to go-still.   I need to re-read Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff.  I hope this challenge will be a good lesson for me.

Here’s my ‘D’ list…

1.  Decisions.  I don’t always make the best decisions, but my intentions are always good.

2.  Diet Mountain Dew.  I’m not sure I could live without this.  Okay, I can, but I don’t want to.  Truth is…you don’t want me too either.  I don’t drink coffee.  The caffeine must come from somewhere.  Hey, I’m at least grateful it is calorie-free.  I donw a 12 pack almost everyday.  Thank goodness I’m no alcoholic!

3.  Digital Camera.  Boy, I sure love my camera.  I have captured so many memories with this thing.  The older I get, the less I can remember.  It is nice to have pictures to look back at and reflect.

4.  Diet Cookbooks.  I’m a horrible cook.  Without these, I’m an unhealthy cook.

5.  December.  This is a hectic month for my entire family, but we also have tons of fun.  Some of my best memories are putting up the Christmas tree at my mom’s house.  She has the most beautiful tree.  My sister and I usually wrap about 1000 presents for my mom.  Even though we complain, we really don’t mind doing it.  We are all still “kids” and count and shake presents, just like when we were 8.  Really, like 1000.  No kidding!

6.  Driver’s License Picture.  I actually liked my picture.  I looked cute.  Sadly, I just had to renew.  Oh, well.

7.  Dads.  My dad died when I was 3.  I never had a chance to know him.  I hear lots of great stories, which I am grateful for.  I am thankful for the dads who have “adopted” me over the years and treated me like family.

8.  Dogs.  Fifi, my Chihuahua was the best gift ever.  I love that dog.  She is a part of my family.  Thanks Barbara.  You are a true friend.

9.  Deadlines.  Sounds weird, huh?  I work well under pressure, but it is nice to have a deadline to work with.

10.  Daycare.  I would never make a great stay at home mom.  That is the hardest job in the world.  For real!  God bless those who have the patience to do it.  And, God bless those who take care of my son so I can go to work!

Gratitude Day 5…here I come!

If you don’t twitter, you probably have no idea that the carhop at Sonic (on skates) crashed into my car.  My first instinct was to laugh my a$$ off.  But I stopped.  (I laughed later)  I opened my door, only to hit it on the speaker/menu board thingy and help her.  She was embarrassed and started apologizing.  I said “Just be grateful you are not hurt, and probably no one saw you”.  She smiled and said “yeah, you’re right..”  I helped her up and she went to get new food and drinks.  I guess I should also be grateful my car is not dented, even though I still had to spend $3 in quarters to wash my son’s milkshake off of my car!  Poor kid.  Those quarters were supposed to be for arcade games at the movie theater.

I’m leaving today to go out of town on a “all girls trip” with my Mom, sister and sister-in-law.  This is sorta like a vacation for me this year.  Things have been so hectic at work, I have not gotten any time off.  I plan to shop ’til I drop. With my sister, who was probably a professional shopper in another life, this is not hard to do!  I swear, if shopping was a sport, she would have a gold medal.  I’m scared that my poor sister-in-law will not make it through the weekend.  Our last shopping trip was Black Friday.  It was a very planned out, strategic shopping trip.  We nearly killed her that day.

Okay, I’m off.  I’ll still try to post up my blog while on my trip.  If not, I will at least keep my gratitude list and post when I get back!