yum

i am thankful for garlic green beans, fried tofu and rice.

random smile

around 3am i had such an awful nightmare.
i am so thankful for joshua being there to comfort me...

april. april. april.
we solved immigration, health care, religious and state marriage.
not to mention non conventional relationships.

and thank you random woman in traffic with the nice smile.

AND... i peed twice in my new lawn, with 'areosmith' playing from the smoke filled garage!

prom date

had drinks with a dear friend from school. we saw each other at our 10 year reunion in '02. but otherwise... it was 1992. and now we live in the same town.

i am grateful for old ties, good lives and friendships old and new.

laugh

i am grateful for laughter... jokes and good stories.

i am often craving more and more.

sunshine

today i went on a little field trip to home depot and it was sunny out. (bu the time i left work... it was cold and kinda yucky again.)

i am grateful for my outing filled with sunshine.

trust

i am so excited about moving in about a month.

i am grateful for change and trust and good men in my life. they build stuff, make me laugh and know that i can do it!

need

abundance is infinite. ask for what you want and the universe will deliver.
in july i asked for more money and a new place to live by march. (based on my, then current situation)
i have received both. on time.

i am grateful for the universe and it's listening power.

once i decide what i need/want i get it. (i have to be very deliberate... because the universe also has a sense of humor!)

thank you. thank you, universe! for always delivering! you have NEVER failed. (35 years and counting.) you always know the difference between what i need and what i want. two VERY different things.

books

i am grateful i got a lot of sleep this weekend, because my cat just slept for the past 12 hours and i'm afraid the next 6 might not be too restful.

i am also thankful for books, groceries and someone else making dinner.

rice

i am grateful for electricity, contractors, sex, sunshine, projects, rice and good humor.

box wine

i am thankful for gas in my car, fridays and box wine.

home

it is going to take a bit of work to get all the guy's stuff out of the house and into the garage. it is a cute house that needs some love. i hope we will be able to give it what it needs.

i am grateful for up coming projects.

good kharma

thank you for all the good shit that has come my way.
i am so grateful for ALL of it. money, opportunity and people!

I LOVE YOU!

house

today i got an email for a friend. i have only met him once in person when i moved to portland in 00-01. i was pretty good friends with his younger brother and sister in high school. anyway... we have kept in touch via email and facebook while he has been in the middle east.

today, he sent me an email. 'would you like to house sit for me?" he has a house up on NE 75th. it is a cool area. the house is small and cute and we would only be required to pay for utilities, keep the place looking nice and do a little upkeep on the house.

i am grateful for rare and unusual opportunities. and possibly a washer and dryer with out coin-op.

butt rub

i am grateful for lazy mondays off work. sleeping in... sunshine (only admired from my window), netflix, biscuits and gravy, a book and pizza made for me.

... and a good butt rub.

april violet sunflower

so many things to be grateful for today.
april tops the day.

she has a was of shining light on any situation with grace, a new perspective and a gift that is like no other. EVERY time i see her, think of her or am in her presence, i am shown... pure love. the kind that gives no judgment but will shake my shoulders to show me something new when i am ready to see it. - with a hardy laugh and a sparkle in her eyes.

"are you related?" - YES! i say... she is of my clan and a part of me like no other.
thank you.
thank you for being you... what ever that might be that day.
may i always give you the same in return.

heal

i am grateful for kari and all her wisdom and healing she has shared with me.

... and a hot fucking shower.

stories

there are two programs on NPR that i love. one is 'this american life' with ira glass. i often listen to these while i am at work and doing something a bit repetitive. it is a nice way to spend an hour working and listening to something.

the other is 'story core'. there are stories about 3 minutes long from people all over sharing a tidbit of their life with someone they know. (mom and son, friend and friend, grandpa and granddaughter...) today i listened to about 10 episodes and felt so nice.

i am grateful people and their stories. all so different and wonderful.
(and a non leaky faucet.)

water

for a girl who lived without running water for the better part of a year... having it run constantly was very annoying.

i am grateful for a kitchen sink that no longer drips, a shower drain that does not leak into the downstairs neighbor's apartment and the hope of there being hot water in the shower. (when i decide to shower next.)

... and tots with bbq sauce.

pong champion

so my day did not start out so well...

see fb quote for the day.
"having a disturbing day... nightmares, unreasonable mind chatter, saw too many photos of the former husband. a lovely woman in the cafeteria got canned... this was all before 8am. i am HAPPY to start work, that's for sure."

we had a work party at a warehouse with a full indoor skate-thing, ping-pong and a basketball court. there was beer and a dj.

i am grateful for kickin' ass at ping-pong and having a GREAT time. these coworkers are a bunch of little brothers. (thankfully i had a big brother to show me the ropes.) thanks big brother.

counting

i am feeling weird this evening... not sure if it was the random nap caused by the burritos i made or just the voices in my head taking over.

they are talking about 'fairness'. this is something i struggle with. for example. if you can do something. so can i. if i do something for you, you do it for me... if i put in this much. you put in that much. and often if these things don't happen i find myself feeling resentful, shutting down or just plane pissed.

i am hoping, that with a good book and night of sleep... i'll wake up and have a fresh perspective.

i am grateful... that, over the years i have gotten better. now i can count things in gestures not nickels and dimes. thank yous always count for double. sorries are like gold stars and sincerity and honesty are priceless.

oliver in vegas

"Oh my god. these are awesome. bad day today. this made me laugh hysterically."

i am grateful that my silliness brightened someone's day.

totinos and green beans

was inspired by julie & julia. as i am with most cooking or travel shows. bought some travel/cooking books and after a very satisfying totinos pizza... sauteed up some fresh green beans, garlic, olive oil and lemon. damn that was good.

i am grateful for back porches you sit outside on, on a sunny january day in portland.
... and green beans.

24 hour characters

friend gave me a new book. under 24 hours... done. i love a fast, good book. it is funny to get attached to characters in such a short amount of time and then to see them go.

i am grateful for hot thai food, good company, nap times (with some sleeping), knowing that nightmares fade and there will be better dreams to come.

hot water

met some new coworkers and actually did something that pertained to my new job! i'm staying at the 'big house' for the weekend and really looking forward to a consistently hot shower/bath.

i am grateful for new illustrator tricks that make work a little easier and more fun.

lunch

i am grateful for girl lunch at work and beautiful blue eyes of a stranger.

lilacs

slept well. dreamt of smelling lilacs. i could really smell them. it was a warm spring day with the breeze blowing by. so colorful and soft and dreamy.

i am thankful for productive days that roll gently by. feeling observant and at ease and funny.

ps thanks for always making me think. a new or outside perspective is sometimes hard but always welcome.

eye doctor

i am grateful for shiney new technology and the eye doctor that is making me reading glasses. oh... and new cubes.

bills

i'm technically working with my new group. i am still sitting in my old cube and quite possibly won't be down stairs for another week. i'm enjoying the freedom of getting stuff done. bills, eye appointments, long lunches...

today i am grateful for typos that work in my favor, internet connection and a full belly.

hugs

it wasn't the 4 course french meal. it wasn't the old friends. it wasn't the cute cloths or the hot shower. it was the random boy at the bar. it was the 3 hugs and conversation. it was the promise of passing our hugs, shared moments of global acceptance and soon travel that made the night. the promise to share our best selves, good vibes and john (halcyon) would say... "people would rather hug you that hurt you." that made my night.

i am once again grateful for random acts of connection, hugs and the promise to spread love where ever we go.

thanks, sweet david!

bbq sauce

i am grateful for... breakfast burritos with bbq sauce, shadows made by sunshine, heaters, sleeping cats, flushing toilets and dinner plans with girlfriends.

hannah

i made a new friend. not sure if i will see her again but she made the last hours of 2009 and the first of 2010, fantastic. she was charming, beautiful, traveled and the perfect conversationalist.

they say, we bring people to us and they are reflections of ourselves. well... let me say. i look fucking hot 2010 and what a happy disposition i will be having.

i am grateful for the mirror of new friends to remind me of my best side. the side that had been shadowed for parts of last year, yet promise to shine in the new one.