Yeah, it would seem I've got a bit of catching up to do...
While I failed at blogging this task, I really did take time each day to think about things I'm thankful for having in my life. The bottom line is that I'm thankful for it all. The little things, like a photo or a song to the big things like my family, it's all important and it all has a place.
I promise to get back to blogging too...I don't know what has happened!
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Month of Thanks- 9 through 13
This week was pretty stressful, but I still try to look at it in perspective. I may not be happy with some things in life, but there are many more things to be thankful for.
So, I'm thankful for:
9) a job in the field I went to school for
10) my health
11) veterans
12) my education and
13) books
All of these have been on my mind the past few days. There are a lot of people my age graduating college and unable to find work in their respective fields. It took a little while, but I did find my current job and I'm very happy there. I feel like no two days are the same and I learn a little something new each week. Side note: I'm probably thankful for my first out of school job too even though it was the pits because it taught me everything I DID NOT want in a career or work place.
I know I mentioned on facebook before November started, but I'm really thankful for my health. In October at work we had a health screening and I had really good results (to quote the nurse "A+"). I had the sniffles for like two seconds yesterday and I thought about it, I haven't been sick-sick in a long time. I think it might have to do with going to the gym and trying to eat better. I have Tim to thank for this. He helps keep me on track- even when I whine and pout that I don't want to go to the gym (like today).
Of course, Friday was Veteran's Day and I'm very thankful to the people who serve and protect our country's interests and well being. My brother recently made Chief Petty Officer and I'm incredibly proud of him.
On Saturday I watched the UGA and Auburn game and even though the score was disappointing I couldn't help but think- I have a degree from there. Yes. Some people cheer for whatever reason- but I cheer with a deep sense of pride in my education. I'm thankful for that. Auburn taught me a lot about myself- good, bad and ugly. I'm thankful for it all.
Today, I'm thankful for books. Why? Because I've been trying to read more. It's low cost entertainment. Especially if you go to the library (ahem, I still need to come get my new card Mr. Chris...). You're never too old to enjoy a good book. Reading helps you in a myriad of ways. I'm currently reading three different books and over the weekend I bought The Hunger Games so...I need to finish these before I start any more.
So, I'm thankful for:
9) a job in the field I went to school for
10) my health
11) veterans
12) my education and
13) books
All of these have been on my mind the past few days. There are a lot of people my age graduating college and unable to find work in their respective fields. It took a little while, but I did find my current job and I'm very happy there. I feel like no two days are the same and I learn a little something new each week. Side note: I'm probably thankful for my first out of school job too even though it was the pits because it taught me everything I DID NOT want in a career or work place.
I know I mentioned on facebook before November started, but I'm really thankful for my health. In October at work we had a health screening and I had really good results (to quote the nurse "A+"). I had the sniffles for like two seconds yesterday and I thought about it, I haven't been sick-sick in a long time. I think it might have to do with going to the gym and trying to eat better. I have Tim to thank for this. He helps keep me on track- even when I whine and pout that I don't want to go to the gym (like today).
Of course, Friday was Veteran's Day and I'm very thankful to the people who serve and protect our country's interests and well being. My brother recently made Chief Petty Officer and I'm incredibly proud of him.
On Saturday I watched the UGA and Auburn game and even though the score was disappointing I couldn't help but think- I have a degree from there. Yes. Some people cheer for whatever reason- but I cheer with a deep sense of pride in my education. I'm thankful for that. Auburn taught me a lot about myself- good, bad and ugly. I'm thankful for it all.
Today, I'm thankful for books. Why? Because I've been trying to read more. It's low cost entertainment. Especially if you go to the library (ahem, I still need to come get my new card Mr. Chris...). You're never too old to enjoy a good book. Reading helps you in a myriad of ways. I'm currently reading three different books and over the weekend I bought The Hunger Games so...I need to finish these before I start any more.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Month of Thanks- Day 7 and 8
What a whirlwind of a Monday/Tuesday. I have two things I want to mention today. One deals with food and the other is music.
First, you'll note I try and blog about various foods and dishes. I'm thankful that I have the ability to have so much choice. Some people don't know where their next meal will come from, so they aren't being picky. I'm thankful I am able to feed myself and feed myself with tastes I enjoy.
Second, I'm thankful for music. Music is my ultimate cure for any ill. I've had a rough few days here lately and I loved putting the ipod in my ears tonight and running it out. I loved riding in the car tonight with Tim blasting songs from our high school days. Music is my addiction and I'm so happy its easily accessible. Nothing makes me feel the way I feel when I am at a live concert dancing around like a happy fool.
Now...as a total aside...if anyone from Flystyl is reading this...please have a reunion show in the PTC ASAP :)
First, you'll note I try and blog about various foods and dishes. I'm thankful that I have the ability to have so much choice. Some people don't know where their next meal will come from, so they aren't being picky. I'm thankful I am able to feed myself and feed myself with tastes I enjoy.
Second, I'm thankful for music. Music is my ultimate cure for any ill. I've had a rough few days here lately and I loved putting the ipod in my ears tonight and running it out. I loved riding in the car tonight with Tim blasting songs from our high school days. Music is my addiction and I'm so happy its easily accessible. Nothing makes me feel the way I feel when I am at a live concert dancing around like a happy fool.
Now...as a total aside...if anyone from Flystyl is reading this...please have a reunion show in the PTC ASAP :)
Monday, November 7, 2011
Dinner at Our House: Taco Soup
Tonight we tried something new! And SURPRISE it was really yum. I'm kind of weird about anything with "tomato juice" in it so I've always been hesitant when it comes to soups with tomatoes...but I was brave and we tried this version of taco soup.
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 medium green pepper, chopped
- 1 envelope reduced-sodium taco seasoning
- 2/3 cup water
- 4 cups reduced-sodium V8 juice
- 1 cup chunky salsa
TOPPINGS:- 3/4 cup shredded lettuce
- 6 tablespoons chopped fresh tomatoes [Mom thankfully put these to the side]
- 6 tablespoons shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup chopped green onions
- 1/4 cup fat-free sour cream
- Tortilla chips, optional
Directions
- In a large saucepan coated with cooking spray, cook the beef, onion and pepper over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in taco seasoning and water; cook and stir for 5 minutes or until liquid is reduced.
- Add V8 juice and salsa; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes or until heated through. Top each serving with 2 tablespoons of lettuce, 1 tablespoon of tomato and cheese, and 2 teaspoons of green onions and sour cream. Serve with tortilla chips if desired.
My mom also made this sort of taco-pizza too. It was good but it dried out before we could all get home to eat it.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Month of Thanks- Day 5 and 6
Yes, I'm a slacker but I'm still trying my best! This weekend (5+6) I'm thankful for friends- old, new and somewhere in between.
Saturday I went to a baby shower for Baby H (Melinda and Matt's little one). Melinda is an old friend from childhood- actually she started out as one of my first ever enemies :) Some young girls (and sadly some adult women) feel like they can only have one best/close friend and Melinda and I had the same one. We were pretty competitive with each other until we finally started being friends somewhere around 6th grade and middle school. Anywho, she means a lot to me and I'm really excited for her upcoming mommyhood. It was great to spend time with her and my other friends from childhood (especially my oldest friend Katie). I'm so thankful to still have connection to these gals.
Also on Saturday, I spent time with new friends from work. I had fun at a Pampered Chef party at a coworker's house. Lots of sweet women and I enjoy getting to know new people. Work has really given me some of the best new friends ever and I'm really thankful.
And of course there is my soulmate Mel. Anytime I get to spend with Mel and Chris I am happy. Especially when football is involved. I still to this day cannot believe Mel and I grew up in the same town and never crossed official paths until we went to Auburn for graduate school. For that I am REALLY thankful.
Saturday I went to a baby shower for Baby H (Melinda and Matt's little one). Melinda is an old friend from childhood- actually she started out as one of my first ever enemies :) Some young girls (and sadly some adult women) feel like they can only have one best/close friend and Melinda and I had the same one. We were pretty competitive with each other until we finally started being friends somewhere around 6th grade and middle school. Anywho, she means a lot to me and I'm really excited for her upcoming mommyhood. It was great to spend time with her and my other friends from childhood (especially my oldest friend Katie). I'm so thankful to still have connection to these gals.
Also on Saturday, I spent time with new friends from work. I had fun at a Pampered Chef party at a coworker's house. Lots of sweet women and I enjoy getting to know new people. Work has really given me some of the best new friends ever and I'm really thankful.
And of course there is my soulmate Mel. Anytime I get to spend with Mel and Chris I am happy. Especially when football is involved. I still to this day cannot believe Mel and I grew up in the same town and never crossed official paths until we went to Auburn for graduate school. For that I am REALLY thankful.
Friday, November 4, 2011
Month of Thanks- An Eye Opening Experience
This year at work I have the honor of serving on the United Way Committee at work. I've always liked to think I possess a giving heart, but today I realized there is always something more that can be done.
Today, I'm thankful for two things in particular: the home I live in and our warm running water that allows me to shower.
As part of our United Way campaign at work we had a field trip Friday. Several of us were able to board a van and travel to a few sites in the bi-city area and see where all of our money goes. And let me tell you, it's going to MANY good causes.
We went to the Open Door Community House, Homeless Resource Network and the Child Advocacy Center. It wasn't like I was naive and didn't know these conditions existed (especially the last one because it deals with a similar subject to my personal volunteer work). I've been on mission trips before, I've volunteered locally, but I guess the saying "out of sight out of mind" is very true. Today was a wake up call though.
All of these places have amazing programs. One of the most amazing is the shower program. Open Door has a building that looks like maybe a double wide trailer? Not 100% sure, but its a place with a number of showers where the homeless can come take a shower. How many of us shower daily (yeah, I thought so)- some of us may even shower twice a day. What would you do if you had no water to bathe yourself on a regular basis?
A block away there is the Homeless Resource Network which had a lot of programs also. One program they showed us was their storage. During business hours, homeless can store their possessions in a secure room. Note: if you are local they can ALWAYS use backpacks, suitcases, etc. This is incredibly helpful for someone who is homeless who is trying to get a job. If they go to a job interview with all their possessions, it's pretty much a dead giveaway. Also, it helps give some security back to those who have lost everything.
And that is what I liked MOST about both of these organizations. They aren't just curing the symptoms, they are trying to remedy the causes. They don't just give handouts, they teach people to become self-sufficient, give them skills and tools for bettering themselves.
Today I became recharged; motivated and excited. I thought about the shower project and how they appreciate a shower, something we expect to do daily. I thought about my new hobby of couponing. I want to start thinking about those coupons I don't plan on using and seeing what could I use them for? Maybe I don't use Dove soap, but I sure bet the shower program could. I may not use Gain or ALL detergent, but they could. Each Sunday I want to make a conscious effort to look for supplies that may be low-cost to me, but high impact on someone else.
It's easy to brush off donating because we see one or two "bad examples" of mismanagement so we write off the whole process together. But, truly, these organizations are making a difference. We are all having a hard time in this economy, but there is always someone else who has it worse and could use a little lifting up. Someone mentioned today, that even if we don't have the money to give, we also have the gift of time. I want to make sure I'm using both to do what I can. All of the little efforts add up.
Today, I'm thankful for two things in particular: the home I live in and our warm running water that allows me to shower.
As part of our United Way campaign at work we had a field trip Friday. Several of us were able to board a van and travel to a few sites in the bi-city area and see where all of our money goes. And let me tell you, it's going to MANY good causes.
We went to the Open Door Community House, Homeless Resource Network and the Child Advocacy Center. It wasn't like I was naive and didn't know these conditions existed (especially the last one because it deals with a similar subject to my personal volunteer work). I've been on mission trips before, I've volunteered locally, but I guess the saying "out of sight out of mind" is very true. Today was a wake up call though.
All of these places have amazing programs. One of the most amazing is the shower program. Open Door has a building that looks like maybe a double wide trailer? Not 100% sure, but its a place with a number of showers where the homeless can come take a shower. How many of us shower daily (yeah, I thought so)- some of us may even shower twice a day. What would you do if you had no water to bathe yourself on a regular basis?
A block away there is the Homeless Resource Network which had a lot of programs also. One program they showed us was their storage. During business hours, homeless can store their possessions in a secure room. Note: if you are local they can ALWAYS use backpacks, suitcases, etc. This is incredibly helpful for someone who is homeless who is trying to get a job. If they go to a job interview with all their possessions, it's pretty much a dead giveaway. Also, it helps give some security back to those who have lost everything.
And that is what I liked MOST about both of these organizations. They aren't just curing the symptoms, they are trying to remedy the causes. They don't just give handouts, they teach people to become self-sufficient, give them skills and tools for bettering themselves.
Today I became recharged; motivated and excited. I thought about the shower project and how they appreciate a shower, something we expect to do daily. I thought about my new hobby of couponing. I want to start thinking about those coupons I don't plan on using and seeing what could I use them for? Maybe I don't use Dove soap, but I sure bet the shower program could. I may not use Gain or ALL detergent, but they could. Each Sunday I want to make a conscious effort to look for supplies that may be low-cost to me, but high impact on someone else.
It's easy to brush off donating because we see one or two "bad examples" of mismanagement so we write off the whole process together. But, truly, these organizations are making a difference. We are all having a hard time in this economy, but there is always someone else who has it worse and could use a little lifting up. Someone mentioned today, that even if we don't have the money to give, we also have the gift of time. I want to make sure I'm using both to do what I can. All of the little efforts add up.
Month of Thanks- Day 3, ah!
I missed Day 3 yesterday so I thought I would say that as my third post I'm thankful for sleep. Sleep is why I missed blogging yesterday. After we came home and went to dinner I came home and just cuddled up on the couch and snoozed. So I am thankful for not only sleep, but the warm place I call home that provides me a place to sleep.
Which leads me to a bigger post I want to write tonight about my visit to Open Door and Homeless Resource Network.
Which leads me to a bigger post I want to write tonight about my visit to Open Door and Homeless Resource Network.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Month of Thanks- Family
Probably the most important thing in my life- family. I've got great parents and a wonderful husband. It's kind of fitting that I write about them tonight. Today wasn't a "bad day," it was just an exhausting day. I called home and told Tim I wasn't feeling up to cooking anything because I just felt completely BLAH. He volunteered to make whatever. Now, he ended up buying half of dinner and cooking potatoes just a little shorter than they needed to be...but it didn't matter. What mattered is when I came home and he was in the kitchen I just really needed a hug and there he was- ready to give me the best and biggest hug. And that is just one of the MANY things I'm thankful for when it comes to family. They love you even when you feel pretty cruddy and run down.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Month of Thanks
Preface: Sarah inspired me to attempt this month-long blog series on what I'm thankful for. All credit is due to her and her facebook :)
Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday of the year. Mostly because it's the fun and food of Christmas, without the stress of gift giving. You get to focus on just being with your family and the ones you love. Thanksgivings growing up were always so much fun. We'd go to my mother's mom's home and enjoy Christmas with my mom's side of the family. I remember the house she had before she and her husband Russell moved to the cooooountry. I remember running around the outside of the house, playing with our great-grandmothers magnet collection on the fridge, attempting gymnastics off the clothesline, swinging on the swing and the constant torment of my eating habits (a biscuit and chocolate cake).
As you can imagine when I saw Sarah's facebook status tonight:
"Posting something I'm thankful for every day of November. Today I'm thankful for the way God continually blesses my family. I'm thankful for this every day, but especially today!"
I got excited. What a great idea. I know we should take time to express our thanks everyday, but I thought it might be nice to take on the challenge. So here goes- the first thing I'm thankful for is Sarah's idea. :)
Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday of the year. Mostly because it's the fun and food of Christmas, without the stress of gift giving. You get to focus on just being with your family and the ones you love. Thanksgivings growing up were always so much fun. We'd go to my mother's mom's home and enjoy Christmas with my mom's side of the family. I remember the house she had before she and her husband Russell moved to the cooooountry. I remember running around the outside of the house, playing with our great-grandmothers magnet collection on the fridge, attempting gymnastics off the clothesline, swinging on the swing and the constant torment of my eating habits (a biscuit and chocolate cake).
As you can imagine when I saw Sarah's facebook status tonight:
"Posting something I'm thankful for every day of November. Today I'm thankful for the way God continually blesses my family. I'm thankful for this every day, but especially today!"
I got excited. What a great idea. I know we should take time to express our thanks everyday, but I thought it might be nice to take on the challenge. So here goes- the first thing I'm thankful for is Sarah's idea. :)
Caturday Saturday: Post Halloween Costume Edition
Yeahhh so maybe its no where near Saturday, but I had to share these of Scooby dressed in a costume that fits her personality oh so well:
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| Your soul is mine...ok maybe just your toes. |
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| I hate your face :/ |
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