atole

i am thankful for atole.

"The drink typically includes masa (corn hominy flour), water, piloncillo (unrefined cane sugar), cinnamon, vanilla and optional chocolate or fruit. The mixture is blended and heated before serving. Atole is made by toasting masa on a comal (griddle), then deleting water which was boiled with cinnamon sticks. The resulting blends vary in texture, ranging from a porridge to a very thin liquid consistency."

(it's like eggnog without the alcohol.)

mexican women

when i first visited here and then moved, i realized that not many white women are friends with mexican women. for three plus months this has proven to be the case. yes, i know some mexican women but it is usually just a hello on the street. today, "trini", who works up the street, and i see most days, opened the door to mexican women. i was across town checking on a friends house and trini was there. (fyi - she speaks no english) she lives across the street from my friend. i was telling her what was going on with the house i was checking on and she was telling me about how she no longer is working. we kept chatting and she invited me to see her house. we talked about the bargins she got at 'sam's club', her 'skye' tv and how she has both a washer and a dryer. (it was the first dryer i have seen down here, except at the laundromat.) she then picked up her sleepy grandson and we went to get her some tortillas for dinner from the little shop a couple doors down. we were chatting more about where we both lived and how in april i will be looking for a new place. she walked me around the neighborhood and introduced me to two locals that have apartments that may be available then. (for less money than i am paying now and in a cozy mexican neighborhood)

my whole point to this story... i have a mexican woman friend that speaks no english and i adore her. (i knew it when i saw her the first time.) i am thankful that on my 3 month anniversary in mexico, i broke a stereotype and confirmed a friendship.

whales

i forgot to mention... i saw two whales yesterday!! they were kinda far out but i could see the one breech and i could see the spouts of water. really cool. those are whales 2 and 3. pretty sad, all times i have been to the ocean in alaska over the years and only saw one. i hope to see more down here... now that they are on my door step.

i am thankful for a mexican friend having me help negotiate a landscape job on my street. i actually knew more spanish than someone else. of course writing numbers on the neighbors truck helps with the dollar/peso conversion.

sleep in

i am grateful for our new schedule at work. joshua is doing the 8am - 1pm and i am doing the 1pm - 6pm. i get to sleep in and he has his afternoons to work on his painting. yeah!!

reminder

i am thankful for the reminder today... enjoy where you are, not where you think you should be. be amazed by what is around you, by the people that arrive in your life and leave your life. it is all a gift. grab it, hold it and let it go. all with a smile on your face.

god resides in you, as you.

christmas

i am thankful for rollies breakfast (paella), walk on the beach, naps, reading, dinner at taco's ivan and chocolate milk. merry christmas to me!

christmas eve

it seems that christmas eve is the bigger deal down here than christmas day. so many people out and about in town and i was able to wish many of my mexican friends, "feliz navidad". many of my friends will be feasting tonight with family; late, late tonight and then the kids get their gifts just after midnight. i am super excited for 2 local kids, especially. they will be getting new skateboards!!! (from our shop) both boys are wonderful kids and will probably freak out when they get them. it was fun to be a part of a 'kid christmas'. i can't wait to see them riding down the street with a big grin on their faces. i am thankful for my first christmas out of country. i think i can safely say... "i got to be a foreign exchange student!" (only better... i can drink legally and i don't have any parents to answer to and no school tomorrow!! hee hee)

thursday

what to say about thursday... i spoke with my grandma vi. (not sure if it was on thursday) but i am thankful for the ability to call her and hear her lovely voice, from so far away.

regalos

i am grateful for the gifts/regalos that my grandmothers funded for my christmas gifts. a beautiful girly shirt and a mexican painting. thanks grandmas!!!!

mama's house

i am thankful i found a cool place for my mom to stay during her visit to sayulita!! the people, price, location and atmosphere are awesome. a week with my mom is going to be so much fun. i can't wait to show her all the crazy/great things in mexico!!

http://www.casitastortugas.com/

gisela

had a lovely morning with gisela. i am thankful for gisela and how she spent part of her only day off with me. coffee, breakfast and good company. my other chilean sister.

not sure

... not sure what happened yesterday. but i am thankful for another day and all the lovely people that are in my life. either in front of my face or in my heart.

cori time

i am grateful for a lovely evening with cori and zoraya. it is great to have a lovely woman to chat with, for hours on end.

skype family

i am thankful for skype so i can see all of my brother's family!!! i love seeing the kids growing up, hearing the little one say, "auntie mare" and hearing mama say, "i love you, honey!". i love you all. my brother is in the best family...

kisses

i am grateful we all got some sleep last night and guera a minute or two of 'puppy-ness'. a couple of kisses, a tail wag and a little chomp on my finger. i think she is getting better... but it is a slow and sad process.

vets

i am thankful for 'gabi' the vet, who has been so kind everyday when i bring guera in for injections. (she has a lung/respiratory infection) it is so hard to watch someone else suffer. i am not sure how all you moms do it. (i am thankful for you, too)

forgetting

i am thankful i can forget what day it is now and then.

remember vacation

i am thankful for remembering what it is like to be a vacationer in sayulita.
met up with morgan and his girlfriend, had dinner drinks and took myself to my favorite bar for a beer, dance and some tourist talk.

more banda

just when i thought it couldn't go on any longer... we had the final day of the 12 day festival. today's highlight was dancing horses. i am thankful for seeing so many crazy things. drunk/drinking mexican cowboys on dancing horses, LIVE banda music, what seemed like the whole town packed in the square, kids lighting fireworks, women in 4" heals on cobblestone and more cowboy hats than i've seen since college. i think the town will sleep in with out the 5 and 5:30am firework-call-to-church explosions tomorrow. not to mention the hang overs.

banda

almost everyday the neighbor guy next to the shop blasts 'banda' music. (mexican-country-accordion music) let's just say... it is not my favorite music to hear. especially first thing in the morning, which is common but not completely understood by me. today i happened to be talking to a new friend, "daniel" when neighbor guy started up his music. daniel was wondering if i liked banda and i had to admit that, i thought only real mexicans like it. and wouldn't you know, he is all mexican. he loves it. loves to sing it, hear it and dance to it. which brings me to my part of the day that left me laughing... like the time i saw blue man group, or heard the rocks on a random beach in oregon make the coolest sound, or when i get to dance... that spontaneous, taken by surprise, feel like a little kid discovering something new... kind of laugh. thank you daniel, for the dance in the dusty street, to the horribly-great banda music and having a GREAT laugh because it was one of those moments.

pan man

around 815 every night. (except when it doesn't happen) there is a truck that drives up our road selling bread. a lot of the trucks that sell stuff have speakers that project what they are selling. almost like commercials. "we have shrimp!" "we have pots and pans!" "we have beds!" "we have avacados!" the bread truck is a bit different. it has a beautiful song that sounds like it is coming from an old phonograph. static-y, old, catchy and kitchy. I LOVE IT! the song says something like, "the bread man makes the bread. the bread man makes the bread. come get your bread!" and then a woman starts singing about bread. i am thankful for my mexican tv... and my evening commercials.

mexico

I LIVE IN MEXICO!!!!!!!
i am thankful for living in a place that is equally beautiful and unpredictable.

paint

i am thankful for blue paint, a sleepy puppy and a slow day at work. took guera to the vet. she gained another kilo and got her vaccinations. she ran back to the shop and crashed for 5 hours. which gave me time to paint all the yellow on the shop blue!! woo hoo. it was also a good day to be slow at the shop. there are no waves right now... so time to do some clean up work and prepare for the next push of renters. oh... was walking home and a woman i have seen in town this week stopped me, to pet the puppy. we stood in the center of town, in the street chatting for almost 45 minutes. it was GREAT. at the end of it i said, "we've got to do this over or a couple bottles of wine!" she doesn't leave until the 19th, so we'll see.

ember

i took a horseback ride in the morning. so cool. we went up our beach. it was about 9am and still cool out so i asked my 'guide' if i can run the horse. (i've heard they don't let you sometimes. which is why i went by myself and early in the day when the horse won't get overheated) he said, "si!" so me and coco flew across the beach! woo hoo! then we went up through the jungle at the end of the beach (north side) and got to the top of a small vista that overlooked sayulita, the ocean and a neighboring beach. we came back down and to the beach again. this time it was the horse that was itching for a run. so off we went again. later in the day, after a short nap on the beach and picking up fresh laundry... ember came by with treats from portland. (bbq sauce, mustard and other groceries from new seasons. YUM!) i am thankful for ember and fast horses. (and a saddle sore) a great end to my weekend.

paddle boarding

i did my first trip out on a paddle board! so much fun. it was like canoeing, kayaking and surfing all in one. we paddled out past the point and turned around to see where we live. we (cori and me) layed on our bellies and just enjoyed the peace and quiet and the rocking of the waves. can't wait to go out again. thanks for the official day off!

puppy love

i am thankful for this little bundle with wild, cuddley craziness! even being all dirty... i love the way she smells and snuggles up at night. (and the little whimpers she makes.)

stars

when i walk home, there is a small patch of road with out much light, and i can see the stars!!! they are so beautiful. i am thankful for the space, time and darkness to see them. (note to self. go to the beach at night... they are even more amazing there. with sound effects. ((waves))

feeling famous

sitting at the shop and a man walks up and says... "are you red mare?" (aka my flickr name) "yes!" i said. quite confused. he began to explain that he has been seeing my photos on flickr for some time now and when he found out that he was coming to mexico on vacation from canada, he made a special 2 day stop over in sayulita to find me. he was so excited to meet me and genuinely a lovely sweet man, that introduced me to his wife and sister. it was such an honor to part of this man's adventure. AND i made a new friend. i am thankful for new friends.

dream drink

neighbor tony just shared some of his drink he got for dinner from 'tomale/bike guy'. it is warm milk, coconut and cinnamon. it is like a coconut eggnog. wow!!! i am thankful for generous neighbors and new drinks!

waking for work

it is nice to feel 'well'. i woke up and was excited to go to work. i am thankful for more energy. today my friend from art school came to town for 3 weeks. it was nice to see morgan's face after so many years and stoop it with an afternoon beer.

ps guera, the puppy, is doing great and getting healthier everyday!

sunshine

i am thankful for sunshine. it makes being sick a little bit easier. (getting better!)

sleep and sick

i am thankful to be sick when it is warm and sunny outside. it makes having a cold just a bit warmer. (and i got to sleep in!)

hearing

today i took my laundry down to get done. it is also where 'guera' used to live with her other mother. it is so cute to see guera and 'other mother' get so excited to see one another, not to mention all the other dogs that were guera's friends. other mother today told me that guera was born on august 28th with 9 other puppies. 2 died, so 8 were left. she told me about one of guera's brothers that was adopted by someone in another village and has the name 'guero'. (white boy) AND he weighs 10 kilos. guera weighs 2.5 kilos. i don't really know how much a kilo is... but i can tell you that it is bigger than bodo, the cat. WOW! guera must have been the runt and super sick, to be this tiny and have a brother that big. i am thankful for knowing a bit about my little girl and watching her play with our friends 4 week old pitbull. (playdate) then they fell asleep together. so cute.

thanksgiving

i am happy to report; a successful turkey day with lots to be thankful for. thanks to all my friends who prepared a wonderful thanksgiving day dinner. (mexicans, russians, morracans, germans and americans) i am also thankful for having tough feet. i went to see my friend gisela after dinner and had to walk through a back alley, a garage and down some steps. it was dark and i remembered the steps going down in front of me... well... they went right and i went straight. down. about 4 feet. i went to put my flip flop back on and walked right out of it. tried again and did the same thing. i picked up my shoe and saw that i tore one side and the toe part right out of the shoe. so i took of the other shoe and walked the 20 minutes home through the dirt and mud. ha ha ha. time for a new pair of flip flops.

internet

oh my god! i have internet at home. i will work on getting the skype phone. woop! woop! i am thankful i could check email while i made dinner and the puppy slept. time to make thanksgiving potatoes.

vet

i am so grateful for a fantastic vet down here. i took guera to see them. we spent 45 minutes there. (all with the vet). he took her temperature, pulse, weight, gave her 2 shots, and 2 different medicines that i have to give her over the next 2 days. all this for the price of $80 pesos. (about $7 usd) this included everything. what a dreamy experience for a vet visit. thanks sayulita animals, you have my business.

dinner with scott

i am thankful for scott taking us to dinner. he was such a joy to have in town and make friends with. hope to see you when we make it up to la in the spring.

day off

i am grateful for days off, even if i still end up at the shop. i took guerra to the beach. she ate sand and passed out. a great day in puppy land.

puppy

i am thankful for my new puppy!!! (a little, sickly white pitbull...)

beach sit

i forgot that i can go to the beach any time i want. (when i am not at the shop) today at sunset i went out and watched the surfers. i saw a dozen friends tearing it up and sat with 2 of my favorite beach dogs. (gringo and chester) 20 minutes of peace, beauty and enjoying the playground of life.

i am thankful for... (D. all the above.)

chris teig

i am thankful for another friend in town for a day. chris teig and his girlfriend mckenzie. we had a fun night hanging out and sharing stories. thanks for coming to town. (i'm loving all the visitors... friends and new friends.)

wednesday

what did i do on wednesday? i don't really remember. i know i had a good time, worked hard, enjoyed the sun and flowed through the day with wonder little moments.

i am thankful for being present and forgetting... sometimes that is a really great thing.

simon

i am thankful for simon. he is one of our new friends. he works at 'yo yo's', from england and cracks me up! he knows so many people, loves the town, loves the tourists and calls women, "darlin" in his beautiful accent. thanks for the new friendship, simon.

sarah's birthday

i got invited up to my friend sarah's house for her birthday dinner. WOW!! it is only about 20 minutes out of town, but i have not seen roads or scenery like that since alaska. she lives with the jungle behind her house and she is on a cliff over looking the ocean. not a house in site. she doesn't have electricity or hot water. no windows or doors. just ocean breezes coming through all the time. we ate by candle like and they cooked by 'bbq'. AND i was the only person from the us. there were 2 french canadians, 5 canadians, 2 mexicans and an austrian. (not to mention the 2 VERY large dogs and tiny kitten that i couldn't put down.)

i am thankful for new friends who live in remote places.

brother

i am thankful i can still see my brother's face and hear is voice. he IS the best brother, ever!

skate

i am thankful for sunshine and the chance to see some really great skateboarders, do their thing.

rafael

i am thankful for rafael singing and playing the guitar for me today.

*supplimental gratitude*

i am thankful for nicknames in mexico. last night i hung out with...

skinny (flaca), chicken (pollo) and rabbit (that one is in english. which is kinda strange. he is french canadian and the mexican boys gave it to him.)

there are also other names that are fun.
potatoes (papas)
fatty (gordo or gordito)

so in honor of our fun names and our new walkie-talkies... i introduce to you, "Ha-my-ka". my new vegetable name.

(now i just have to figure out how to spell it. the internet is no help... it can't decide if it wants to be in english or spanish and neither is making sense this morning.)

nov. 10

pots and pans!!! woo hoo. finally... "pots and pans lady" drove by the shop today. i have seen this truck before. (i'll have to get a photo) it is piled high with buckets, mops, broom and toilet scrubbers. i had no idea that she also had dishes, pots, pans, plates, silverware, plasticware.... and for a great price! i am thankful for all the vendors who supply me with an endless supply of entertainment AND fantastic things that i need.

nov. 9

i am thankful for cool mornings and the option to wear t-shirts and 'pants'. it is chilly when the sun is down and sleeping is much nicer. i think our 'summer' house will have lots of fans and maybe a pool. right now our little place is perfect for the winter months. i am thankful for all these great options of living.

nov. 8

i am grateful for tourists and their excitement to rent our boards and enjoy all that is fun and beautiful here in sayulita.

nov. 7

been working a lot and with limited internet... i've been slacking on my blog. don't worry, i have not been with out gratitude!!!

i am thankful for... fresh squeezed lemonade.

surprise visitors

i am grateful for portland-peeps surprising me in sayulita today.
i was sitting at the shop and i turned to look up the street and became SUPER confused.

'i just saw dustin??? and reid. and peter AND lisa!!! oh my god!!! what are they doing here??? this is AWESOME!!'

such a great afternoon. they had been in PV for 4 days and drove up to sayulita to see if they could find and surprise me. after about 45 minutes of walking around the beach/town, they asked some one at the reality place and they knew where my shop was and they come over. woo hoo!!!

we drank some beers and then got some GREAT tequilla at 'fish taco' and then got fish taco and wandered the streets for a while and then sat at a friends place for a few more beers. it was so great to catch up and see some familiar faces. (they get the 'gold star' for being the first peeps to come visit!!)

selling

i am thankful for selling boards. we sold two yesterday. one was at our shop for 10 minutes before we turned it around. woo hoo!! (it was part of a trade/deal we did with one of our friends).

surf

another great day for quiverito. today i went out!!! (with brenda, kyra, raquell, tatiana, kevin and joshua) we all had a blast!! i caught a couple of waves on my belly (on the board) and rode them all the way to shore. it was so fun to be out there with a group of fantastic women. (and kevin and joshua) i am thankful for people motivating me to get out there and make it super fun!!

sold one

i am thankful for selling our first board. it payed for a months rent and a bit extra!! woo hoo!!

1st day of high season

i am thankful for surfters. we had 5 of our rented boards in the water yesterday and joshua!!
thanks to, joshua, josh, matt, ian, chelsea and joe!!

missed day

just making sure i have 31 days logged for october. i think i lost a day of gratitude during the move.

we have been in mexico for a month now and owning the shop for a month. we had 3 weeks of no customers. and this last week has brought 2 week long rentals. woo hoo!! a really good place to be. it is nice to see all the tourists coming to town and enjoying the beach.

i am grateful for being here and not wanting to be anywhere else.

customers

i am thankful for customers and tourists. they are here!!! happy halloween. off to sunday market to buy some pots and pans. yeah for street vendors. (still waiting for table-guy and spaghetti-lady to come back by.)

walmart?

i am thankful for walmart. never thought i would say that. but i was able to buy pillows, rugs, some dishes and a mop. seems that everyone goes to town to get these items. i would prefer not to go back... it was a little to shiney and too many things to choose from and compulsively buy. BUT thank you for being there.

cori

i am thankful for cori. she made dinner, i supplied the wine and we chatted for hours. thanks!!

moving day

i am thankful for a new place. it IS great. bodo already found a way out the window. (he'll get to meet the unfriendly neighbor chiuauas sooner or later. oh... and chickens! that will be a funny day. today we need to find the gas man. (when he drives by) and get that hooked up. find out who we can borrow internet from and find out what is making that 'dead' smell. (pretty sure it is/was a rat) all is well and loving the mexican headaches.

yoga

today was the last day of the 7 day yoga challenge. it was so wonderful to go out to the beach in the morning at sunrise and do an hour of yoga with some amazing women. i was the only one (other than cori, the instructor, who made it everyday.) i am so thankful to have meet these good spirits and share that time and energy with them. tonight cori and i are celebrating with $1 beers, while sitting in the plaza. (i love drinking in public.) since we've been up on the hill i have only been in town one night in three weeks. i am looking forward to the new place, closer to town. yeah!!

hill

i am thankful for one more trip up gringo-hill and one more afternoon in the (cold) pool and one more night sans roosters. thank you casa juanita, for all your head aches and heart aches. it has been nice. NEXT!

keys

we got the keys to the new place!!! it is even better than when i first saw it. our landlord cleaned and cleaned AND gave us furniture, pictures on the wall, soap, dishes, a couch... it is awesome!!

i am thankful for our new place. it will feel like we live here rather than vacation here. we will have chickens, mexican neighbors, chiuauas, garbage on the street, stray cats... it is perfect. i can't wait til thursday.

job?

i am thankful for creating this reality here in sayulita. i also might have a second job. paula from across the street is looking for someone to sit in her shop for a couple of days a week. since i sit out front of our shop everyday for 3+ weeks (= $60) i might as well make $15 a day sitting at her shop and waving at joshua from across the street. it is funny to do the math... what i can bill nike at and what i would be paid per hour at paula's shop. $2 and hour or $65? given my surroundings and choices of lifestyle... i have made the right choice a hundred times over. i love how the universe has a sense of humor. (and i get the joke!)

shoeless

had a lovely day at yoga. today i sent all my energy to jimmy, in hopes that he can find some peace with some of his struggles right now. (i hope it helped!) i've been trying to find someone for each day to think about. i claimed the first one for myself, day two was margi and three was jimmy. i'll have to see who devote tomorrow to. : ) it was pretty fun today, when i was at work i kicked off my flip flops and spent the day without shoes. going to the store, going to see if frenchman made his chocolate donuts, the hardware store, the beach... it was a nice little freedom.

i am thankful for yoga and a shoeless day.

mexi home

i am thankful for feeling at home. the smells are right. (maybe not on white-y hill) but in town. the sea, the people, the food. i like the heat... the constant unknowns. and the ability to get keys made at a moments notice. it feels right and i can't imagine being anywhere else at this moment.

clean up

after a wonderful time at day 1 of the 7 day yoga challenge i was buzzing when i came off the beach. i could hardly sit still at the shop. i got some breakfast from taco lady and started sweeping our part of the street. almost everyone on our street was cleaning up. (might have been an official day for it, i don't know.) but it was great. the curbs got repainted by jonic (of 'rooster' the men's clothing store) rick supervised (he runs the 'iguana azul' restaurant next door) neighbor guy sweep on the other side. cori cleaned her stoop (works at 'scarlett' the women's clothing store and is my yoga-amiga) gretta (works at 'buddha spa') swept, street vendors on our corner took care of that end and even the 2 french boys that are in town for a few months helped out jonic. i am so thankful for everyone taking part in cleaning up our street for us and the tourists to enjoy. it looks beautiful!

translator

i am thankful for internet translator. i just spent two hours with gisela. we both only know a little bit of each others languages, but have a great connection. lately we have talked about some surface things with deep conversations waiting in our minds. so today while i was at her house we used the internet to translate our big conversations. it was wonderful to 'hear' her words and big ideas that we have been struggling to share. our connection only got deeper. i hope when we both move that we will still have time together to talk. it is an interesting realization, that you can have a connection with out language. (you hear about people in love having that, but i did know that friendships could have that.) it is great.

pasta

today was another day of fantastic comfort food... mac and cheese. it is some how better and exotic in mexican packaging. i can't say that it tastes any better but it feels nice. familiar.

it was a bit of a shock (and i probably won't make the mistake again) when i was eating, i was reading the part of "eat pray love" where she is italy describing every form of pasta, sauce, gelato, vegetables, fruits pastries and breads and all the pleasure that eating food with intention and passion can be like. mac and cheese somehow lost a bit of its zing after that, BUT... i am thankful for the inspiring words that make me want to create, indulge and savor every tid bit of the amazing food around me. every drop of mole, fresh tortilla, ripe avacado and succulent sour lime.

cool?

i am grateful it has cooled off a bit in the mornings. this morning joshua turned the fan off and i put a blanket on. wow!!! it so wonderful to be under the covers.

chocolate donut

i am thankful for my lovely french friends that make 'chocolate donuts' on the weekend. wow!!

stephanie

i am thankful for stephanie today. she gave me a ride up the hill... i had bad cramps when i got done with yoga today and had no desire or energy for that damn hill. thanks, lady!!

ps - mole is a sauce used in many mexican dishes. it is a rich sauce using peppers, chilies, chocolate and spices. recipes vary from chef to chef. it is a balance of spicy, rich, sweet... deep, amazing flavors.

mole

i got it!!! (chicken mole taco) i am thankful for taco lady, fans that work, walks in the afternoon, neighbors, cat and toilet adventures, horses in the street, iguanas, joy's voice, pizza with orange sauce, a nap and a great book.

rent

i am thankful that we were able to find another place, starting at the end of the month. the plan is to have this one for 6 months minimum. i paid for the first month, to reserve it and between now and then, they are going to do more cleaning and maybe get us some furniture.

beers on the beach

i met up with gisela and we bought many $1 beers and drank them on the beach as the sun went down. it was so nice to have a girl to talk with. we struggled with the words, but always understood each other, like girlfriends do. she also made me a dream catcher. it is about the size of my palm and made with recycled string, metal and has shells from the sayulita beach. i am thankful for beers on the beach with my new friend.

mole y practica

today gisela came by the shop. she is a lovely chilean, that i met on pizza night. she knows a bit more english than i know spanish. we have seen each other the past 3 days or so, and making a habit of practicing english and spanish together. we have a lovely connection and want to know what the other is saying... so it is great motivation to learn more words!! she brought a lesson book to help us today. i learn how to say, "do you have roastbeef?" "do you have beefsteak?" "i take coffee." "joshua takes coffee." woo hoo! a couple of verbs. i also got to tell rick, "rick's restaurant has very delicious food." he liked hearing that. (he is owner of the restaurant owner of the place next to our shop.) i hang out with him everyday at work. i give him toilet paper and he lets me use his bathroom. it is fine trade. i also had the ladies $1 street taco again today. mole was the 'drug' of choice this morning. amazing!!! i am thankful for learn more spanish with gisela, rick and joshua and eating some of the most incredible food.

pink

i got up this morning... around 7/730 to be at work by 8. i have complained about my up hill commute but i can't see a reason to. it is in the fresh air, it is only 10-20 minutes (depending on direction) and the scenery is always beautiful, even through the sweat in my eyes. anyway, i starting walking to work and everything had a pink hue to it. it was divine. i am grateful and thankful from my daily walks and the for the ability to do them everyday. thank you for the commute!!

joy

i am grateful for skype-ing with joy. we had video but i could not hear her. she could hear me... so it was a funny typing, video, one-sided-talking conversation. it was so good to see her face, smile and i can't wait to hear her laugh! thanks for the chat, girl!!

ride home

i am thankful for stephanie and her car. we were just leaving the store and gearing up to tackle our hill to go home when stephanie (who lives next door and owns the argentine restaurant) asked if we wanted a ride!! woo hoo!! of course. later that evening i went for a walk to take some photos and met our maintenance man, gustavo. we enjoyed the view and while we were talking, we ended up walking down the hill. crap... then i had to walk back up.

cat

i am thankful for a large porch/deck that bodo and be out on. he chases bugs, stretches out and gets spooked by unfamiliar noises.

the big night

if you have ever seen the movie, "the big night", you will understand the dinner i had. we got invited to have pizza with bruno who used to have a restaurant that made wood oven pizzas. we show up at 8 and see mossimo (one of the local italians. i lied when i said it was the french quarter. it is more like the european corner.) mossimo is italian and met his girlfriend, whom i ADORE. in spite of our language differences, and they met in chile. i bought chilean wine. bruno made pizzas and two girls from town came. (tanya and sandra. tanya is from west linn, oregon and sandra is from here in mexico). then a couple showed up with there baby. SO LOVELY! the most tranquil baby i have seen. (could have been the beer and mama's glass of wine) either way. the whole family was there eating, drinking and sharing stories. i can not believe that I got to be there. it was like being the star of my own movie. everyone drinking, smoking, eating (10 different pizzas, while bruno walked around with his shirt and shoes off) WHAT A COUNTRY! i am so thankful for this group of people that let us join them in their wonderful night of feasting!

no pool

i did not go into the pool at the new house last night. i freaked myself out in the dark. i had seen too many bugs, beetles and a snake that day to wander down, even with a flashlight. i am grateful for our new place that lasts 3 weeks and 2 days. it's a good price and bodo can play all over the porch and even if he gets out, we are in a 'gated community'.

pool

the neighbors have a pool. i saw it from my deck the last time i was here. last night i snuck over the railing and climbed the stairs to the top and hopped in. it is an infinity pool that over looks the town. it was so lovely. i could hear the ocean, some buzzing from town and all the stars were out. what a wonderful little indulgence. i am grateful for this little spot, that i have now stayed in twice. tonight... is posh-ville for 23 days. woo hoo!

sarah

i am grateful for my new friend. she is from canada and been here in town since may with her husband and 2 teenage girls. she is living in town since she can not drive to her place because of the floods. we spoke for about an hour outside the shop she works in, 3 doors down. she is full of love and grace. i am excited to get to know her.

bbq

i am grateful for bbq sauce. yes... bbq sause in mexico. we were sitting outside the shop (yes, i know i have not taken pictures.) and we met a girl named emma. saw her later in the day when we needed food and she and a friend have a bbq chicken and ribs place. YUM!! i ate half a chicken. today we were at the shop in the am and joshua took out 2 guys for a surf and we made $20. talked with tons of people and hope to have a couple of hour rentals tomorrow. still looking for a place, forgot to buy coffee or look for a phone. i guess i had too much on my list for one day. one minute it is morning and the next the sun is going down. i am also happy to report i found a higher speed on the ceiling fan.

paradise

i am grateful for banda music on the bus and school kids singing as we take the bus to busarias again today. we were able to exchange money today. it is a bad rate, but we can now pay our shop rent for 6 months and then it time to find a permanent place to live. the days are fast and slow all at once. we have figured out, if we can get one 'mission' accomplished done a day and some emails... we are successful. today was money. tomorrow is phone. by sunday... a place to live. happily surviving on beans, rice, eggs and beer and LOVE IT!

dinner at 10pm

i am grateful for beans and rice. today after our bus ride we got some beans, rice and tortillas for lunch and then hung out at the shop with tomas for a bit. by 10pm we realized that we should probably eat again. joshua got in a good surf. 3 times up on the 'herbie fletcher' and came back smiling!! it is hot and great! bring on the surfers! we confirmed our first reservation today.

day 1 in sayulita

what a day!! we got our 5 pieces of check on bags, 1 surfboard box, 1 cat and 4 carry ons in the car, through 2 airports, customs and security with little trouble. we scored a rather cheap van to bring us to town. there was construction, traffic and the guy running with the olympic torch. fun stuff. when we got to town we had to back track due to the bridge being out but with a trusty driver and some 4-bying we made it to town AND THEN, the driver floored it up our hill only to stall at the top. all the gasoline was at the back of the tank and he had to back down/turn around to get it started. but we didn't have to carry all our stuff to the top of the hill by hand. thank god. bodo did well. he was panting and a little unhappy, but seems to be recovering pretty well. he now has a proper litter box, food and water. sleeping was a challenge with the heat and new noises but that will settle down with time. adjustment is the key. met back up with all my friends from before, drank beer and even checked out an apartment in the square above the 'fish taco restaurant'. not ideal space but will do if we don't find something a bit better. it was a good price and location. ($300 a month) and a block from the shop. sweat sweat and more sweat. : )

last day in LA

i am grateful for a wonderful stay in LA with joshua's mom and meeting more of his family and friends.

hookah

i am thankful for garage space at joshua's mom's house. it is amazing how little and how much we are taking to mexico for 6 months. we hung out with a couple of joshua's friends. it was a great day of repacking and enjoying the last days of american conveniences and pleasures. flushing toilet paper in the toilet, mint ice cream, large screen (english) tv, LA mexican food, speaking english all the time, crosswalks, stop lights, quiet neighbors...

malibu

i am thankful drives through malibu. (when i am not driving) it was great to see the ocean again, meet more of joshua's wonderful family and eating more LA mexican food!!

driving

i am thankful for arriving in LA safely... 21 hours early and realizing that, i AM a long distance driver. we have a couple of days here with joshua's family, running errands and picking up the last of our supplies before we hit sayulita.

travel

i am thankful for enough energy to drive from portland to redding... with ease. here is to trying to make it to LA by tomorrow night. woo hoo!

vans rock

i am thankful for the mini van and all its hide-able seats, that and i can fill with every worldly possession i have left.

last hoo rrrah!

i started out the day packing and organizing. camesha, nyah, sophie (and bryan in spirit) can over and we played in the yard and ate sandwiches. then april, alice (and kyle in spirt) came over and we drank a bottle of wine. next... tiff picked me up and we picked up kate and drove to erin's place. (my old apartment) and had LOTS of wine and smokes. we talked about now, before and what is to come. we laughed and smiled until our cheeks hurt. and then i said goodbye to portland in THE hug to erin. i have a hard time saying how much love went through and through our tears... it was amazing!!! love. just love.

i am thankful to portland and the girl send of i received today. it was the BEST send of, to end my time living 9.5 years here. my gratitude that i feel for this home is immense and grand.

i love you!

sold

i am grateful for people who want to buy my stuff. i sold my car and the futon today. it IS happening.

best day

i am so thankful!!!!!!!!! i just made my dream come true on my father's birthday. more importantly... i made my gradma vi's dream come true... i spoke with my dad and wished him a happy birthday. (without barfing... ha ha ha) and joshua told me i made his dream come true, too.
i am blessed and on the right path. thank you all for love and support. it is an example of, when you follow your heart, and do no harm... you can make others happy.

sold

2 things left to sell; the car and the futon. i have a hand shake on the car and i'll do a craigslist on the futon. i am thankful for great timing... things always work out as they are meant to.

party

i am grateful for all my portland, eugene and seattle peeps that came out to wish me luck in mexico. you will all be missed!

contract

i am thankful for nike contract work. it will offset the money i am losing on selling my car. pretty cool deal; charge more, work at home, sleep in... and hopefully be able to help out again when i get down south.

victor

i am so grateful for victor. we had tons of beer and memories this evening. it was a blast to catch up and just 'be' with victor. one of the great men of the world. i have been a part of his life, which makes me a very, very lucky person.

no consumption

today i spent no money. sounds easy... but for what ever reason (life) it seems that i spend money every day. food, books, bills... whatever. but today. i had a lovely day and no money escaped my grasp. (not that i want to hoard. i just don't want to spend) i am grateful for days of 'in' and not 'out'. i am in transition, of turning my life into something... more simple. more quiet. more satisfying. more moments. more... important.

nike/car

i am thankful for movement. today i started some contract work with my old group at nike which could give me some cash down south and less pressure on the business. also the woman that looked at my car on friday wants to talk numbers tomorrow... here's to positive movement forward.

brownies

yes. i am thankful them, too. (homemade!)

spaghetti

i am thankful for homemade spaghetti and sauce, with bread (roasted garlic, tomatoes, sweet peppers and herbs). YUM!!

hugo and elaine

when it comes to 'last meals' in portland... i hit the jackpot today. first was lunch at hugo's with baja fish tacos and ceviche made with mexican love from the home land. it was a sunny day filled with love and hugs.
dinner was beef bourguignon made by elaine's husband, matt, for elaine's birthday. WOW! it was accompanied by appetizers, (fine) homemade wines, ports, desserts and amazing friends.
i am so grateful for friends and family, that when i say, "see you later." it means that. i am thankful for my friends here in portland... the gravity of my situation is starting to sink in. i am going to miss my friends and portland. i am amazed daily by what i have built here...
thank you!

sarah and leana

i am so grateful for new friends, sarah and leana. i have only known them briefly and now i am leaving, but i feel a wonderful friendship with them and hope that it continues. i am sending big hugs to them and their journeys.

bethy, kimi and leslie

i am grateful for my girls. i laughed so hard tonight and got the good lovin' that is so precious. i love you!!

nice

it was a busy and relaxing day. did a bunch of work in the garage. i am so close to having all the 'shit' thrown out and all the other stuff organized. this afternoon i spent some time at the bathtubs and got a massage. sometimes it is so nice to be pampered and given love... from a stranger, that asks nothing in return.

today i am most thankful for being at the tubs and seeing naked bodies. short ones, tall ones, fat ones, skinny ones, dark ones, light ones... soaking in a 'people soup', just enjoying feeling of the water and air on their skin; what ever skin you're in.

back

i am thankful that my back is feeling a bit better after my seattle tv injury. i have hot tub and massage scheduled for tomorrow. yeah!!

b/g/a

i am thankful for ben, gretchen and addie. i will miss them and having them so near. i love you!!

hot tub

i am thankful for erin's hot tub. it made my (tv watching injury) hurt shoulder feel a little better.

indian

i am making a list of, 'last meals' and today indian food came up on my list. so erin and rona found a great place in their neighborhood. YUM!!

i am grateful for the plethera of food in seattle. (and portland)

near and dear

i'm in seattle for the weekend... making my rounds and seeing friends.
i am thankful for my near and dear friend, rona and her lovely backyard.

crystal

i am thankful for an evening with crystal. for a couple of years crystal was the first smiling face i saw in the morning at work. she made me breakfast and gave me the energy to make it through my day. today we hung out and had beers together. what a wonderful woman. thank you.

rose quartz and lavender

i am grateful for my long friendship with mark and kari. they move to washington this weekend and i am sad see them go and even more excited to see them begin a new chapter in their lives.

today kari gave me a small purse of lavender she got from a 'crazy' lady and some rose pedals from her 'passion party' a while back. the other sweet gift is a rose quartz heart stone.

hustle

i am thankful for a great day of hustling. we got tons of work done today on the house, the business... and enjoyed the whole day of working for ourselves.

drugged

i am thankful for testing the travel drugs on bodo and a having positive experience.

salmon

i am grateful for salmon; that reminds me of alaska in the fall. now if only there was a camp fire.

sale

another great day at the garage sale... i am so thankful for good friends, garage sales, laughs of lots of kids and a good bye party for mark and kari.

garage sale

i am grateful for little sophie coming up to me (1.5 years old) and giving me a hug like we were old, old friends.

AND i had an amazing conversation with joy about her 'love' and all our goings-on and our speed bump in our relationship, that i was able to apologize for my childish behavior that she had gotten over years ago... she is a dear friend that has brought JOY to my world since 1987. (middle school, high school, college, living together, divorces and friendship throughout). i am a better person because of her. thank you, joy. you do your name justice.

uneventful

i am thankful for having a non-eventful day... it was easy and lovely.

yum

i am thankful for... corn, biscuits, rib-lets, mash potatoes and lemonade.

balls

i am grateful for finding my 'balls' and doing what my dreams lead me to. living in stagnation is no life... life is meant to be lived. lived with gusto and passion; with faith and determination. with no regret or guilt. live it... !! feel it. breath it. up or down. it is mine and mine alone. worthy!

sunday

i am grateful for this sunday... no drive to beaverton tomorrow.
just taking care of stuff for the garage sale, maybe the tax guy and collecting poo from my cat to take to the vet.

alaskans

i am thankful to be reassured by old friends, that... 'once an alaskan, always an alaskan.'

(surf)board meeting

i am thankful for the first official board meeting for 'quiverito'. we covered our budget, travel and other ideas.

cold

i am so thankful i do not have work today. i have a terrible cold and i was never one to use my vacation time on sick days. but this is one of those colds...

clouds

i am grateful for some clouds. i am going to get my share of sunshine starting in october, so a little gloom goes a long way.

the henrys

i had a great day today but i must say, the best part of today was sitting with jack and jasmine in the front yard picking stones from the path for a couple of hours and dreaming of making necklaces to sell at saturday market and making rock towers from the pebbles... and simply playing, as children do... with out a care in the world for what happens next.

i am thankful for dreaming childhood dreams and making childish things with children.

i love my henry family. each one of them is amazing... and as a 'clan', can make the world slow down and be amazing... as it is. perfect.

family play

i am grateful for car rides and water parks with the family and kids. so much fun to just be near them. they all have so much to offer and are so easy to be around. what a joy!

family time

i am so thankful for this family. i came down to corvallis to see some friends that i have known since 1995 and they have returned to oregon and know i am moving. every night they do story time and when i am here i get to join in. there is mom who reads, an 11 year old girl, and 8 year old boy and john's oldest son, who is 17 is here and so am i. we were all piled up in one room listening to jess read. it was so lovely to be snuggled up for family time.

hug

i am so grateful for my hug from beth. BEST EVER!

last day

i am grateful for my last day at nike. it was filled with food, laughs, smiles and hugs. they will be missed...

commute

i am thankful that my hour + commute will soon be done.

toe-ma-toe

i am grateful for my first ever home grown tomato on my dinner sandwich. yeah me! yum!

welcome to home

it is always nice to come home.
i am grateful for a home to always come home to; my cat and my man.

mosh pit

i had an amazing moment, inside 4 hours of dancing. i was in a sea of people with LOUD music, sweat and beer everywhere; bodies bouncing into one another... it was other worldly and i was swept away in it. i was void of anything but that moment... and just, was.

i am grateful for my fantastic-ly insane and crazy little brothers, that i have called coworkers for the past 8 months. they have rocked my world and shown me that grownups are just kids with beer guts and day jobs.

peeps

i am thankful for my time with my work friends. they sure now how to show some love and have some fun! thanks for supporting the dream.

shoes

after a full day in new flip flops that gave me 4 blisters...
i am grateful for overpriced, red, sneakers...

2:30am

out with joshua's mom from 7pm til 2am. what a wonderful woman.

i am thankful for chrissy giving birth and raising a rare, unpredictable wonderful human named joshua.

3 days left in a cube

i am off to california for a 'work' trip tomorrow.

today... i am grateful for open, honest and kind communication and a great dinner.

early

after work i had a lovely dinner with joshua, did some chores, watched a movie and was asleep before 10pm. aaaahhh... sleep.

i am thankful for nights that i can go to sleep early.

marla

i had beers with erin and then stopped by elaine's. sometimes it is fun to just knock on your friend's door unexpectedly and see a surprised, smiling face standing in front of you.

i am grateful for surprise hospitality, drinks, salmon tortilla sandwiches, bees and marla, the neighborhood cat i haven't seen in 6 months.

doors

when i decide to do something that flows with my path... all the doors open.
but first i had to decide.

i am grateful for my path and that feeling of floating through each threshold with ease.

paper shredder

i spent hours going through paperwork, photos, documents and stuff. it was kindof an emotional day. i saw so many old friends, old lovers letters, divorce papers, bills, notes...

today, i am grateful for the paper shredder and how it can detach me from, even some of the most stubborn emotions, memories and burdens that i have carried around for years. i am letting them go...

sofa

first big thing. today leslie picked up the sofa.
i am grateful for friends supporting the dream and getting a couch out of the deal.

friends

i am thankful for a whole herd of friends i saw today.
so much laughing!!!!!

thanks
camesha
teresa
nyha
sophie
denise
sabrina
dee dee
cooper
... new friends, of sabrina's

yesterday i was looking through friends of friends of friends facebook pictures and came across a photo from someone in alaska and in that photo was a woman wearing a hat that my first friend from art school in portland made, nicole flood. i met her the first day of school and i was surrounded by 'teeagers' and one of them was, nicole. this beam of light. she now has her own clothing line, married a classmate and has two beautiful boys. her specialty is making hats from recycled fabric... and they are fantastic. (i have one, of course.) so when ever i run across a photo or have an encounter with someone wearing her hat, i send a quick email. this was her response...

Nicole FloodJuly 29, 2010 at 8:58pm

Re: your hat

... YES! For all of time I want you to know that EVERY time you see one of my hats in the wild like this....know with all of your heart it is me, saying Hello to you.

hope you are well sweet woman!
Lots of love.
Nicole

i am grateful for sitings of nicole hats.
http://www.floodclothing.com/

inspiration

i am so grateful to be a point of inspiration. it is amazing to see people's eyes light up when they hear about me living my dream. it releases them to fulfill their dreams. there is nothing less selfish than inspiring other people to do what they love and live up to their potential.

share your dreams. do your dreams and inspire others.
happiness begets happiness...

what is your dream?

alice

i am grateful for sleep overs with alice. (april's sweet pup)

april gifts

i am so grateful for april and her presence in my life. i know we will be far apart in distance but always in close in heart, mind and spirt.

i love you, april.

car

i am thankful for my car... and i hope it sells.

margaritas

i was a week off in my calculations. i have more days at work than i thought. no biggy. more time to try to sell my car.

i am thankful today for the dinner date with leslie and beth. i am going to miss my girls.

skype

i am grateful for skype. last night i got to talk to and SEE my family.

jimmy
mom
lesa
brady
brady's cousin
easton
ben
gretchen
and addie (who wins... most surprised and excited!)

10 working days

i am thankful for 10 days left at nike and john, the design director and his enthusiastic "holy shit!", giant hug and "you are welcome back here anytime!" was awesome!

resignation

i am grateful for over 5 years at nike. i have learned so much, met amazing people and it led me to so many opportunities and possibilities.

thank you!

sharing the dream

i am thankful for sharing our dream to more and more of our 'family' and hearing their excitement!

viva la mexico!! see you in october!

boarders

i am thankful for nice people in chaotic airports.

jane - in boarders. i'm loving the book and our time together.
alejandro - my 8 year old seatmate on the plane. that is the most tic-tac-toe i have played in years.
luis - alejandro's father, who's smile lit up the plane and reminded me of my future neighbors.

last night of vacation

i am grateful the neighbor girls to celebrate my new 'live shift'. we had a blast. cheap tacos, beer, raggae and tons of laughs. thanks sara and liz!

plastic chair

i am grateful for business deals that happen with a view of the ocean from plastic beach chairs.

ocean

i am thankful for the ocean... 10 minutes to an amazing beach full of families and floating. just a simple nice day down south.

my new reality

i am thankful for... EVERYTHING!
the dream is here. now.
i can image nothing more. (than joshua and bodo by my side)

faith! it is real.

(how do you describe every moment of the day, being just as it should be... and perfect!)
i am content, calm and a bit sweaty and it feels like home... with no shoes.

glorous day

i am thankful for strangers that are not really strangers... we are all a cheek kiss and a hand shake away from a new friend.

collected a ton of information early in the day and then had a calm evening of sitting in the square, walking the streets, meeting new people and recognized by others. so much warmth in the air and in the people. the sweat is feeling normal and lovely. and the smells... once again, intoxicating!

the personal freedom here is exhilarating! dogs and kids playing where ever... people doing what they love with no one looking over there back. shoes? no shoes? men with out shirts? stray dogs? street signs? street vendors? street performers? it's just people doing their thing and letting others do theirs. NO FEAR!

later...
i just remembered my perfect moment of the day.
i was having dinner at the 'tequila bar' and getting ready to bite into my fish taco when the one of the owners was serving dinner to her daughter. she was a little one and was going to have to eat from a very high table since others were filled with customers. i said she could sit with me and she was such an adorable dinner companion. we talked about food, colors, numbers, barbie, the sun, moon and geckos. it was a realization of how a 3 year old can speak MUCH better spanish than myself. well... it's time learn! thanks azul, for a giggly fun dinner! - joshua, she reminded me of anna.

right now tieki at the raggae bar is singing 'welcome to jamrock'. rasta dreams await... it's a perfect way to fall asleep.

ps

... was at the raggae bar listening to live music and dancing under an amazing thunderstorm. i can still hear them partying from my room. what a night. new friends, old friends. it is nice to be recognized and feel welcome.

salute!

viva la mexico!

i am grateful for safe journeys and great smells.

i took the bus from the airport. ($2.50) not bad for a 1.5 hour drive/25 miles.
i am settled into my house. i have beer, mexican radio and nice neighbors, 2 girls from jackson hole, wyoming. i am sure i will get a chance to hang out with them. the other neighbors... a group of americans with a killer pool, are in a villa just above me. i am sitting on my deck and i can see the ocean and palm trees. i am sweating in strange places and i have up-ed my shower quota for the year. i'm off to find food when it cools down, and hope that the bar will be hoppin', so i can dance with the rastas from my last visit.

went into 'town' for dinner. had amazing shrimp with peppers, onions and red sauce all wrapped up with beans and rice in fresh tortillas. yum! made friends with the waiters. jonathan and joshua. i saw so many people i recognized! and 2 people from nike. ha ha ha. it was just lovely to sit outside and have, what felt like, the whole town out in the square. mammas feeding their babies, kids running all over the place, old people chatting and the rest of us eating. what a great vibe of togetherness. 45 minutes until the music starts. let's hope i can make it. (i was up at 4 with 4 hours of sleep) nice!

mom? safe travels to you, too. i hope you are feeling better. i'm thinking of you!!

sis

i am thankful for my sister and her pep talk.

... and feeding my fish.
thanks to jimmy and the whole family for believing in me, so i can go follow my dream.

monday

i am thankful that my monday sits right next to my friday this week.

out back

i am thankful for my time on my blanket, in the sun, with my boyfriend, my cat and a gentle breeze as we shared stories.

excited

i am grateful to hear gretchen's voice when she told me about a web design gig she got. it was the voice of pure excitement!

dear friends

20+ years i've known them... and i still see the same smiles and hear the same laughter from my wonderful friends.

i am so thankful that we can come together and share old times and new.

Albert Schroeder, Marilee Woolace, Shane Kitchin, Chris Moss(my prom date) and Camesha Robb Hart. also in attendance, was Josh Tittle.

hot sleep

i am thankful for the heat! i have been wishing for some warmth for a while... now that it is hear, i am savoring it.

backyard beers

i am thankful for my little slice of yard. it is the perfect place for a sit and a couple of beers in the sun.

passers by

i don't often struggle with physical self-esteem. i've got a good handle on my body image and my body. i have a partner that tells me i'm beautiful and to top it off... while mowing the lawn today, 2 guys in there twenty's, made it a point to tell me i looked good doing it.

i am thankful for looking good and hoping to look even better as time goes on.

french food

i broke my recent food faux paus today while eating breakfast at the french bakery. dairy and grain/potato. i had risotto cakes with poached eggs and a side of potatoes/yams. YUM! i did manage to have soy milk in my coffee.

i am thankful for wonderful french treats that have yet to give me any ill side effects. woo hoo!

sweat pea

i am thankful for joshua and his unwavering sense of self.

time

i am grateful for time that moves fast and time that moves slow.

mac-n-cheeze

i am grateful for our trip to the store to find mac-n-cheese without dairy. thank goodness for non-dairy comfort food.

completely

"people think they know the mystery of living in your skin. they don't. there's no one who knows except the person who carts it around her own self."
- colum mccann

i am thankful for the reminder that i can never know some one completely.

laughs

i am thankful for laughing...

old friends

i am thankful for chatting on the phone with old friends!

traffic

i am grateful for very little traffic on the drive home. (only took 45 mins. rather than the 1.5 hours, that it can take sometimes.)

flowers

on our walk a little girl asked if i wanted the flowers she was holding. YES! i said. what a wonderful gift.

i am grateful kindness in small packages!

float more. fear less.

i am thankful for spontaneous acts that make me smile!

dreaming

i keep feeling like i need to justify my dream. i am once again putting myself into a position of acting out of guilt (or not acting)... this idea that i am not worthy (common theme) or that 'living the dream' is ok for someone else but not me. that some how it is perceived as selfish. (i also know that i have created this in my head. and it is only reflected back to me when i speak to other people. if i change my thinking and behavior, those around will change their perception, actions and words they use.)


i'm too old.
i'm too young.
i have everything i could need right now,
why would i want to risk the security i have?
i have a good job.
i have a great place to live.
why would i want to live with less. (stuff and space)
live where there is RISK.
live where there is LIFE.
live where there is LESS.
live where the moto can be... "vamos a la playa" (let's go to the beach.)

i am grateful for... slowing finding out how to negotiate these ideas and resolve them in myself and trust that, no one else's view of the way i want to live matters. (if i harms no one)

... remember to be "Marilee"! not what i think marilee should be.

Marilee thrives in an environment of...
risk
life
less stuff
adventure
unknown
less money
more connection
failures
simplicity
in the moment
feeling productive
embracing what is in front of me
witnessing the lives of others
learning something new every day
eating healthy
being in an active environment

frogs

i am grateful for my afternoon walk, accompanied by my friend leslie.
we saw frogs, GIANT tadpoles, grey heron, beaver like animal, ducks and little fish. AND it was sunny. thanks for the walk and laughs.

evening nap

after staying up late monday with april, drinking wine. it was nice to take an evening nap after work.

i am thankful for naps. (and going to bed early.)
... and pancakes for dinner.

believe

i am so thankful for my friends that believe in me!!

viola irene woolace

... just when i think i haven't made any progress on, "project marilee", i am sent a challenge and came through better than when i started.

i am so thankful for my dear friend and grandmother, vi. yesterday she spoke her mind (& heart) and put a lot of pressure on me to call my dad. i listened, made no promises i couldn't keep and responded respectfully and honestly to a very emotional request. later in the day... she called back to apologize. we talked it through and came out stronger on the other side. she is a powerful woman with so much to offer. (never disregard or disrespect an elder!!)

thank you for the respect, wisdom, dialog and true love... i am blessed.

house stuff

i am thankful for this house. i'm able to wash and line dry cloths, mow the lawn, weed, grow vegetables and flowers... thanks, chris.

remember

remember:
1. whoever comes, are the right people.
2. whatever happens is the only thing that could have.
3. whenever it starts, is the right time.
4. whenever it's over, it's over.

this is how my day has been feeling.
in the flow... with ease... surprises... and happy synchronicities; as if i might be knocking on the right doors.

i am thankful that what is... IS.

wine work

had an outing today with coworkers. we drove about 20 minutes north of work and were whisked away to lush hills with grazing cows and grapes hanging from the vine. we had a lovely lunch and great wines.

i am thankful for even more new work friends!!

opportunities

i am grateful for new opportunities and reminding myself... 'i can do it!'

marilyn

i am so grateful for marilyn.

over the years she has really become a wonderful and dear friend. we have amazing conversations about everything. she is a fantastic listener and because of her experiences... she shares her unique perspective and is so inquisitive about my life. i hope i give her the same respect and kindness. she is one of a kind! thank you mom!!

new light

i am grateful for the coworkers seeing me in a new light.

it was wonderful to walk into work and have all coworkers i traveled with look at me, like they new me. after 5 days in mexico, they really saw me... that seems to get lost at work. (in the cube, with the headphones on and taking orders.)

one

when i want to do something good, i've heard... "you can't help everyone". and my response is, "you're right! but i can help some ONE!"

tonight i met a man from haiti that is in portland because someone helped him.

i am grateful for the ONE. we can always help someone. try it!

readjust

i am thankful for a lovely day of readjusting.

a drive in the sunshine
saw 'sherbert' the awesomest neighborhood cat, ever!
mark and kari's for a hello
mexican food at 'delfino's'
SUNSHINE!
a long nap
air hockey on the ipad
and my own bed

friday futbol

i can't even begin to list all the wonders of gratitude for friday...

but... one thing that sticks out is,

watching the futbol game of mexico vs south africa, in mexico at 9am (i got there at 10), with tons of new friends, crammed into a hot bar... band on the roof, dogs coming and going, kids everywhere, the shops closed and the excitement of the game through their eyes! and the 11am party afterward wasn't too bad either.

wonder

i am thankful for being here. i wandered all over town just going up one street and down another and here and there. never quit lost but just following my nose. to the beach, to a restaurant, to the room, to the bar... seeing friends from last night in the square and wondering... why more is said to be better... when sand in my flip flops, sweat and the sea seem to be just enough and just right.

rastas

i am grateful for mexicans looking beyond my skin. (which we(americans) can't seem to do lately, unless they are picking something) they gave me a perfect night. music, food, dancing, instant friends, brothers, sisters, love, kindness, laughter and most of all... a sense of belonging. as the basque say... 'you drink with us, you eat with us... YOU ARE US!.' mexico has not let me down, nor its people. i am welcomed everyday with smiles, love and connections that i can't seem to measure outside these boarders. i may be lacking in SPF but my heart has found a home every time i come here. please... please... remind of where i belong, and whisper... 'mexico. mexico! MEXICO!!'. i will hear you and i will come home.

... and don't let me fall asleep, because every morning i am reminded of where i 'should' be... and cry. and in the night it all returns with a tornado! "COME HOME! COME HOME! WE MISS YOU. COME HOME!"

tuesday boat

ate breakfast and took a ride to the marina to get on an all day boat ride.

swam through caves, saw schools of fish (swam with them) watched birds dive for food, dolphins and could have swam all day in this cool water with the warm breeze. the boat captain was 'rad' and his deck hands beautiful. tons of little beers, sandwiches and an ocean that stretched out and out and out.

i am thankful for raggaetone music, the feeling of still being on the boat even while typing and drinking a beer. understanding some spanish... and for the love of GOD... mexico.

goal=sell everything, live the life i have. (in mexico)

monday sayulita

holy shit!! this is fantastic.

the villa is huge. the view is amazing. my coworkers are awesome!
dinner overlooking the water. live salsa music. danced and danced with the locals.

i am most grateful for the locals that put me on the right dirt road home. the night watchman that shared a beer, smoke and stories of his 10 kids, 22 grandkids, 3 jobs and the stars. so many new friends!! mexcians make me happy... their smiles, dark skin, wonderful language and openness to gringas!!

thank you. thank you.

sunday

i am so thankful communication and a partner that is a willing participant and always got my back. i love him!!

swim suits

i am thankful for the chance to go to mexico again!!

i am not so excited about how i feel about my body right now. i am not a self conscience person by nature. my usual thinking is...
'own it!'
'rock what'cha got!'
'got it? own it!'

the thing i am trying to remember, as i don the swim suit is... "self confidence is beautiful!" and
"who gives a shit, anyway. i'm here to have fun!!"

work

i am grateful... work ain't all bad.

blogs

i have always been interested in birth, labor, doulas, midwives, parenting... recently i am finding so much information on the internet about these topics.

i am thankful for learning new and very interesting things.

trees

email to joy...
this morning i woke up from a dream i had, with you in it.

we were packing or unpacking all your stuff for your move and your mom and dad were there helping, too. you had tons and tons of stuff, so we were there for a while. at one point you said, "hey, mare... i want to show you something." you lead me to this hill that overlooked the town and there were 2 trees there. you said, "do you remember back in middle school when they gave each of us a little tree to plant at our house?" "yes." i said. "but i couldn't plant mine at my house, so i gave it to you." it was then, that we were standing by these two magnificent trees. one was so tall and strong with a huge trunk and long roots and the other was a beautiful japanese maple that was fragile with so much amazing color and shape.

these were our trees that you planted for us.

it was a lovely way to wake up.
thanks for planting our trees.

knowledge

in the past couple of days i have come across a couple of really cool things. a fantastic movie... "the business of being born" and an article about the benefits of mother/baby contact and infant spinal health.

i am so grateful for access to knowledge, choices and like minded people.


http://www.sleepywrap.com/
stroller vs baby-carrier in infancy

The Business of Being Born

2007NR84 minutes

Director Abby Epstein's controversial documentary takes a hard look at America's maternity care system, juxtaposing hospital deliveries against the growing popularity of at-home, natural childbirths that some expectant parents are opting for. Former talk show host Ricki Lake was inspired to produce this compelling exposé after a dissatisfying birthing experience with her first child left her with many unanswered questions.

mt. tabor

what a lovely summertime-feeling day.

i am grateful for my walk with with kari today. we spent about an hour, hour and half going up mt. tabor and back. i didn't even realize i was walking(hiking) with all the fantastic conversation, sunshine and scenery.

i am going to miss having kari near by, but am so happy for mark and kari and their move to follow their dreams.

mornings

... a cup of coffee, a foreign film, breakfast at new seasons with a book, grocery shopping and sunshine.

i am grateful for lovely mornings like today's.

fit of frustration

i am grateful for knowing myself more and more each day, week, month and year that goes by.

new route

summer hours started at work, after our team potluck. i had know idea that the traffic would be so bad at 1230, but it was. as i often do, i take all sorts of different routes when the highway is backed up. i would rather keep moving than sit still. all my other routes were packed, too, so i tried new one. it was fantastic. lots of switchbacks, no cars and the houses, trees and flowers were amazing! well worth the added time.

i am thankful for new routes. as a creature of habit, i forget how much pleasure i get from something new until i do it.

waiting

sitting with a beer in hand waiting to meet up with gretchen for dinner.
the bartender says, "are you tired of waiting for your friend."

nope.

more recently, i like waiting. it is a time to hold still. calm my mind. enjoy the things around me. stop rushing. decompress. this is also true of traffic and commuting.

i am grateful for waiting.

rain running

after meeting up with kari for a beer at the horse brass, we were heading back to her place (2 blocks away) and it started to pour down rain. we ran all the way there. it felt so good to move my body and know that it works. we were laughing as we saw how drenched we were.

i am thankful for running. maybe someday i will want to run all the time!

dead birds

over the past 4-6 months i have found 3 dead birds at work. it seems they all have died, flying into really clean windows. - moral of the story? clean windows has its side effects.

i am grateful for... nothing that has to do with dead birds, but my coworker who really likes his job. when i work with him... work is very very nice.

girl tv

i broke down and turned on the tv to watch the bachelorette.

... and i am grateful for joshua joining in on the fun and watching girl tv with me.

sans cheese

i am thankful that i have control over what goes into my body. (even if that means no dairy)
: (

rain

stopped by the nursery yesterday. the clouds parted and we got to enjoy all the plants, chickens and a cool cat. then when we returned to the car, the rains started again.

i am thankful for good timing and chickens. they are pretty funny animals!

beers

had a great night with april. (had a bump in the road and won't be going back there anytime soon.) we had yummy food. (without cheese, for me.) fantastic beers, belly dancers and random new friends.

i am thankful for a fun night with april. it is always exciting.

avatar

what a great movie. so much inspiration on one screen. being blue seems like a wonderful idea.

i am grateful for good movies.

abundance of joy

i am grateful for an abundance of joy in my life.

she is a wonderful friend that shares her heart, laugh and friendship.

trips

i am thankful for trips to look forward to.

... for work.
mexico for a week and california for 3-5 days.
it is looking like a good summer.

love notes

i am so thankful for love notes left for me in the morning. it really is a great way to start the day.

wake up

i got to wake up in my car!! i slept in my car since ben and gretchen had a house full... AND because i wanted to test out how my car functioned as a tent.

i am thankful for my car. i had such a good and fun sleep all stretched out in my car!! - urban camping.

4 year old birthday party

i went up to seattle to celebrate addie's 4th birthday. we all had a blast playing in the park!! what a wonderful day.

i am thankful for little kids and birthdays.

sledge hammer

today at work all the nike designers from all over the world met up. 600+ After a meeting we met down at a warehouse in NE. it was a 'carnaval' theme. i got to see my big boss get dunked into 30 gallons of guiness, throw rubber chickens in a hole, see co workers in a giant bouncey-ball AND beat the living shit out of a car with a sledge hammer. it was gratifying to hear the sound of it hitting the hood of the car and feel the power of breaking something... without holding back. letting loose feels good.

i am grateful for sledge hammers. it was a BLAST!

long days

it was so lovely to have all the sunshine yesterday. spent time outside and then watched the 'idiarod' show last night. all my dreams were of mushing, racing and alaska. it was a fun vacation in my brain.

i am grateful for (sleepy time) dreams.

laughter

joshua and i were watching 'arrested development' on netflix and there is a character named, "Bob Lob Law", who has a law blog. joshua decided to repeat this phrase over and over.

i am thankful for laughing so hard i was bent over the kitchen counter, until my stomach and face hurt. there was snorting, too.

huh.

not a great day.

i AM grateful for the fresh air, an afternoon walk and it not being monday.

no work all fun

road trip!! mom, joshua and i went a hundred miles east to maryhill museum. we saw peacocks, art, ate in hood river and saw some sturgen. it was a GREAT, long day.

i am grateful for the time together with my mom and joshua seeing new and wonderful things.

relax

lots of time was spent sitting in the sunshine. we also did some yard work and made homemade pizza. another lovely day...

i am grateful for the space to have 2 people that i love in a place that is big enough for us be together in.

summer begins

today felt like the first day of summer and i got to spend the whole day with my mother. walking around, having breakfast, seeing new things and then coming home and planting tomato plants. such a nice way to spend time with my mom.

i am grateful for her friendship and conversation. she is good and thoughtful person that is fun to around.

mom and soda

i am grateful that my mom made it to my house safe and sound.

usually i don't drink soda but in the span of a couple of hours i had two. wow!

raccoon

i am thankful for the backyard.

today bodo (the cat) was out in the backyard. usually he plays in the grass, then eats the grass, then barfs up the grass. this evening was no different. he just added to his repitoire. he sprayed the fence, snuck out to the front yard, chased another cat and a raccoon was between us and the house. i ended up under the neighbors car coaxing him out in hopes he wouldn't see the raccoon and mistake it for the cat he was chasing earlier. ha ha ha. all is well we all made it back to the house in one piece.

declarations

i am thankful for declarations of intent.

i do like having a plan... i had a thought this morning. (a few thoughts actually)

my strengths and successes come from being with people, helping people be the best they can be and supporting people that are evolving into the people they want to become. i don't want to be a doctor, an astronaut or even a graphic designer... i like helping those people get to where they are and be successful. with that being true, i often feel unfocused. my dreams are often piggybacked on other's dreams and therefor i lack much of my own direction. one of the things i do to counteract that is... think of how i want to live. where? with whom? when? how will i get there? what will it look like? and start making a plan.

nutria

thanks april!!

i've been trying to take a walk around the campus every afternoon. (ok. i'm at day 2) it takes at least 20 minutes doing a brisk walk. it is so beautiful! there is a 'lake', japanese garden, 'wetlands' and tons of animals. the common ones are the canada goose (geese). right now there are babies !! there are also nutria, cranes, ducks, beaver... anyway.

i am thankful for my little adventure through the woods.

happiness

for some reason doing this at night is not happening lately, and once again i am at work thinking about yesterday.

i got a new book over the weekend. "the happiness project". it has been really great to read and think about happiness in a new way.

i am grateful for all the things that bring me happiness.

cat
boyfriend
home
sunshine
thoughts of mexico
cooking
eating
growing
talking
listening
adventures

... and my 2nd follower. HI FREIYA!! i was thinking of you this morning as i put my bracelets on.

sunday

i am thankful for... a mellow, relaxing day with some good food and chores thrown in for good measure.

tiny art director

as you can (or can not see) i have been writing 'yesterday's' post, 'today'. (rather than same day.)
oh well... just thought you should know (myself included) that it's ok.

so... i am writing about yesterday's thankfulness today.

joshua and i went to powell's yesterday to get him a book and as often happens i find one or two of my own. there was one book that i didn't not buy but, made us both laugh out loud at and read cover to cover. (thank god it was short and had lots of photos.) it was called, "tiny art director".

i am grateful for unexpected finds in unexpected places.

i am still laughing.

talks

i am grateful for hard talks that are not the end of the world. (like my brain would like to think.)

snack

i am thankful for avacado, tomato, lime and chips. (or any variation that includes said ingredients)

weather

i am thankful for sunshine on the front porch and a down pour on the back.

laundry

i am grateful for joshua. i come everyday to a smiling face and clean house. today the laundry was sorted!! woo hoo!!

water

a couple of weeks ago i went to see a naturopath. after an hour and a half long visit, she gave me somethings to work on and try. more 'movement', deep breathing, taking some drops, eating certain seeds/nuts during different times of the month and drinking 80+ ounces of water. i had no idea that a gallon of water is equal to 128 ounces. yikes. have you ever tried to drink more than a half gallon of water in a day? let me tell ya', it will keep you busy. yesterday i did it. i drank more than half a gallon at work and another 4 big glasses at home. we'll see how i do tomorrow.

i am thankful for water. inside and outside of my body.

i would love to go swim in the ocean at my favorite beach in mazatlan today!

in bloom

wow! the trees, flowers and shrubs are all in full bloom now. joshua and i took a walk in our neighborhood, down by the golf course. i believe i heard him say something like... "i love our new neighborhood."

i am thankful for long walks in the sun, wearing flip flops and seeing colors only nature could come up with.

home

i grateful to be home in my own bed, with my boys and all of our smells.

nair and pasta

nothing better than nair-ing your friends back for his big date! it was great to hang out with adam and do our once-every-two-year tradition. and also catch up and chat.

i am also thankful strangers on park benches on sunny days, pasta made by sabrina and good roof top conversation at sunset with the church bell chime.

thanks for a great vacation. relaxation, sister, girlfriends (adam included), new friends (todd) and over all unexpected merriment!!

flip flops

i am thankful for my walk to the store in flip flops, sunglasses and no jacket!! beautiful day in boston.

todd

i know some people on line. some for a long time, and we have never met. years... even.

tonight i met todd. and it was like finding a missing piece. i have seen his photos, read his words, know some of his stories and watched his daily life unfold. and today... we met in real life and let me tell you... what a treat!!!!!!!!!

i have found a lost friend. he is even more than i imagined. smart, funny, kind, thoughtful and i can say... a dear friend.

i am thankful for our years of sharing on line and now... our real life friendship. thank you, todd. you make the world a better place!! thanks for the drinks and conversation!

... way better than john malkovich! ha ha ha

public transport

what a day!! i took the subway and a bus to south boston to the ICA (modern art museum). what a building. inside and out. i saw john malkovich in the museum. not to mention to exhibits. one, a tattoo artist and illustrator from mexico and a photographer woman who's work was mainly done in iceland. very, very cool. my favorite part was sitting looking out over the water on a perfect day listening to the artist talk about water. lovely.

but what i am truly thankful for is the public transportation and all the strangers i saw. every color, shape and size! amazing... and all the new sights and smells. life!

carolina

i am grateful for carolina and all the time we had together.

i also spent some time alone in the square having lunch, reading and playing on the computer. a dreamy day... that ended with good food and laughs with adam, sabrina, carl and jen. just lovely!!

thanks for the new sights, sounds, smells, environment. i needed a new 'show'.

umbrella

as we walked around boston most of the day. we had crazy weather, like portland. it would be pouring rain on us and 2 feet away it would be sunny. it was a lot of fun, but i was thankful for the cheap umbrella (that is now dead) that kept us dry.

saturday

my sister. how wonderful it is to see her. in the matter of hours we have found a rythym that is so comfortable and perfect and easy. we are having so many special moments of sharing ideas, see new things together and just savor the time together.

i am soooo thankful to have such an amazing sister. it is hard to believe that she and i met in 1991 and our friendship and paths have only come closer with time.

friday

i love airports. i get in this strange space in my head. i wonder, do what i want... people watch and i realize how open i feel to things. i love it.

i am grateful the freedom to go place and see things.

luggage

i packed for boston today. 10 years ago i would have crammed everything in one little backpack. now i have a backpack, a check on piece and carry-one-rolly-bag. back when i was married i would have felt guilty for taking so much. but now... i revel in the fact, that i can take as much stuff as i want to. whether i use it all, doesn't matter.

i am thankful for luggage and more than enough cloths to take with me anywhere i want to go.

vi

today is grandma vi 94th birthday.

i am grateful for her.

she and i have developed a great friendship over the past few years. with her move from florida to the assisted living home in ohio, her emergency room visit while i was out to see her... and our recent phone conversations. she is a good teacher.

let the bad stuff just roll on by. she doesn't even remember the a bad time in her life.
laugh often.
share your life with people.
love.
have faith.
help where you can.
calls are better than cards.
travel when ever you can.
hope.
dream.
share.
be grateful.

prison

i have been slacking on doing my post the same day. oh well. that is just the way it is at the moment. my evenings have been filled with other thoughts.

we watched a comedy show last night where the comedian preformed in front of an audience of all female inmates. at the start of the show she was talking with some of the women. there was one woman that was sentenced to 145 years in prison, and she looked about 2o years old. it was really sad.

if you didn't know this about me, i do not believe in the death penalty. i do not think one (or more) deaths justifies another death. of course sentencing someone to 145 years is ridiculous. for me, the part that bugs me is... this idea that people are dispensable, unforgivable, unworthy, unworthy of forgiveness or unable to change. i am not saying that there are people out there that shouldn't be in prison for 145 years... but there is something flawed in the system. where is rehabilitation? where is change? where is the forgiveness? where is, working towards making things right? ... moving forward? ...making the imprisoned life 'worth' something?

i am grateful for not being in prison and knowing... 'that i am one bad decision away from being your cellmate.' we all are.

adam

today i talked with adam. one of my boston friends that i am looking forward to seeing next week. i am grateful for a herd of friends that i will get to play with on my trip to bean town. (including adam and BEAN!)

boston

i am grateful for vacations. i leave on friday morning to go to boston to see sabrina, adam, todd and my sister carolina. it is going to be a great week!!

projects

i am thankful for this project and not feeling guilty about not typing this last night.

phone

last night i chatted on the phone A LOT!! it was so great to catch up with loved ones.

i am grateful for cellphones, so i can sit in my backyard and talk for hours and hours while looking at the lovely outdoors.

paul

i am grateful for paul and the lovely gift he sent me today!! big hugs to my friend pauly.

all day

i am grateful for no meetings tomorrow. at least the all day kind.

and being able to shut my brain off from work (mostly) once i get home. some days are harder than others, but for the most part, my time at home is filled with only with home-y things.

meetings

i am grateful for the sunshine i saw in the middle of the work day and dinner made and presented to me with a smile after a long, long day of meetings.

freiya

i came home to the perfect home today. clean, full of food and fun!! i also received international mail from my pen-pal. lucky, lucky me!! chocolates, something to build, a photo book she created, a key chain, mix cd and the loveliest card.

i am so grateful for freiya. she has been a wonderful friend, AMAZING pen pal and an inspiration through her creativity and humor. i hope to one day share a pint and a huge hug, in gratitude for her friendship.

naps

i am grateful for sunday's. books to read, naps, homemade food and movies.

ben

oh ben. one of my first friends in portland and first 'boyfriend' here. we have come along way since '01. relationships, his marriage, his baby, my relationships, moving.... and through it all we are still the best of friends, with such a great connection. he has not only given me his love and friendship, but through him, his wife and i have found an amazing friendship and bond that is so dear to me. AND their daughter, addie, has become such a light in my life as well. all of them full of sweetness and love that can not be measured, only enjoyed!

i am grateful for this family and ben and i's early friendship that cultivated this wonderful union. they are my family!! i love you.

ella

i am grateful for having had 'ella' in my life.

i met her and sabrina around '05 when we lived together. (with epi) ella is such a wonderful, sweet, fun... chubba-wuabba kitty. tomorrow the world says good bye to our little girl. she has been sick for sometime and at age 13... she will die in the arms of the person she loves the most and loves her the most. my heart goes out to ella and sabrina. i love you both.

john

i am thankful for john, halcyon, styn.

i am inspired by his actions, words and what he shares with people. he lets his light shine so bright, never dimming to make others 'feel better'. but shows we all can do more, one action, one smile, one hug, one gift at a time. showing others that being the best version of yourself, lets others be their best version.

john's latest cause

sidewalk man

i am once again blown away by the power of strangers. i was standing in line at safeway and the man behind me said hello... we started chatting about this and that. the wonderful weather and lovely day we were both having. as i was driving away a few minutes later, he was at the corner with the biggest smile and wave. it carried me through town and through traffic, where i gave and received so many smiles and kind gestures in response.

i am grateful for safeway/sidewalk man and his contagious smile and good will.

good deeds flow like rivers.

worth

after a therapeutic talk with april, i found some worth this week and acted on it.
will keep trying... small steps with great results.

i am thankful for finding some of my worth.

joy

i am grateful for joy's love, happiness, goofiness and abilities! she is a rock star.

sheets

i am thankful for my man helping with folding all the laundry. (and taking care of TONS of house work.)

thanks joy and camesha... for another great afternoon of conversation and openness.

kayaking

i have sore shoulders, back and neck.

i am grateful for 2 hours of kayaking on such a beautiful day!! what a great great trip. thanks girls! (i want to do it again!!)

paid in full

i am grateful for having the money to pay off bills.

i am down to my car and student loan payments. woo hoo! financial freedom is close at hand.

addie

today gretchen sent me an audio of addie telling a story. it was the sweetest 45 seconds. it is also joshua's birthday!!

i am thankful for little voices, big stories and birthday fun!

sushi

had another great night with camesha and joy.
i loved all the family time with camesha's girls!!

i am grateful for all our time together this week, sushi and SAKE!

lederhosen

hung out with joy and camesha at reilander/gustav's.
even though by body is not happy about it...

i am grateful for cheese fondue and beer. and girls that act like the balding, chunky accordion player is actually a stripper that likes getting dollar bills placed in his lederhosen. (i think he did like it.)

girls

thanks joy and camesha!

i've known you both since 1987 and we still have so many connections.
i am grateful for lasting friendships, laughs with snorting and lots of fart/poop jokes.

pepper

i bought an orange pepper today to put into a curry that i was making for dinner and took a bite before chopping it up. it was so good!

i am grateful taste buds!

bugs

i mowed the lawn today. maybe not because it needed it, but because i could!!

i am thankful for stirring up so many spring time bugs in my tank top and looking at the magnolia tree.

sunny days

the commute home took around an hour. no matter which way i went... there were cars. more importantly, there was sunshine, the windows were down, the tunes were rockin' and my hair was blowing all over.

i am grateful for long, unexpected commutes that remind me to slow down and enjoy the ride!

old friends

i am grateful for denise!

lover

i am grateful for my lover. every day i look forward to coming home; to laughter, love, good food, a home and companionship.

flowers

i am grateful for my amazing birthday flowers from april and kyle.

crap

just before lunch i started feeling like crap. cramps. then i ate lunch... then i felt really really bad. i made it home doubled over on the toilet then throwing up. bad lunch? 3 hour nap and some dinner... all set.

i am so thankful for feeling better.

birthday

i am grateful for another year well spent! here is hoping for another... where ever it takes me.

birthday year

tomorrow is my 36th birthday.

i am grateful for an amazing year.

2 trips to mexico.
brought my boyfriend home with me.
living with my boyfriend.
getting pregnant.
having a miscarriage.
seeing my mom.
met flickr friend paul when he came to town.
went to ohio to see my 2 grandmother's and family.
did care taking for vi in the hospital.
shared thanksgiving with my brother and his family.
had a perfectly quiet, nonstressful christmas.
got a new job with a new wage.
am living in a house of a friend for a great price.
moved after 5 years in my studio.
shared many memories with friends.
became a stronger person through my experiences.
became a better listener. (at times)
am more patient with myself and my situations.
have worked on not attaching myself to outcomes.
have worked on not having expectations on people or situations.
have worked on building a community.

AND i found a grey eyebrow hair.