Days 499 & 500: 500 Days of Gratitude

I just got back from Philly about an hour ago, and it feels so good to be back in my own house. Let's just say, today wasn't my day. My purse broke. My favorite sweatpants ripped. The first thing I saw this morning was a dead buck. But walking back into my house and turning on the Christmas trees while sipping on peppermint hot chocolate made everything go away just like that. It was...nice.

And now I move on to figuring out when I can get to my Phil.

Today, I am grateful for:
* getting to see Nate and Vanessa.
* finding fun Christmas gifts.
* my own bed.
* holiday awesomeness.
* love.

Thanks-giving.

I just let go of something I'd been holding on to for far too long.

I am not going to commit to posting every day, but I am going to commit to an attitude of gratitude.

So, here's a small start.

1. Letting Go.
2. Pooka, forever and always, even if I have to leave him here for grad school. I know my mom loves him as much as I do.
3. All experiences, good and bad, each teach me something that I need to know.
4. Grad school. Hopefully at least one of these frustrating applications will turn into something.
5. My ukulele.
6. Good friends.
7. Being Love.
8. Books.
9. Crying, when it is necessary.
10. Everything I have.
11. Today. now.
12. Tea.


Namaste.

Day 498: Christmas Village

Today, I am grateful for:
* my new hat. So cute.
* getting to go to Christmas Village.
* adorable kids.
* picture texting.
* the Pad Thai Shack.

Days 496-97: To Stay?

I'm trying to decide if we're staying in Philly for another day. I'm leaning towards yes...

Today, I am grateful for:
* getting to see Mary.
* getting to see Pixie.
* having the family back together again.
* getting to spend time with Vanessa.
* a trip to Christmas Village tomorrow!
* getting invited to stay longer.

I'm Dreaming of a White Thanksgiving.

On this official day of Thanks, I have so many things to be grateful for. Here's a few of them (and then I gotta get to baking.)

I'm grateful for:

• my incredible friends who always support me, inspire me, challenge me, make me laugh, listen when I cry, talk/text about anything and everything, and simply love me.
• Team Diva.
• my loving family.
• my dogs.
• my warm house.
• having plenty of good food today.
• the beautiful snow.
• being employed and working with such a great team.
• love, in all of its forms.

Days 492-95: Thanksgiving

It's officially Thanksgiving. There's sailing on tv as we wait for football, and Nate and I have already started our prep work in the kitchen. And we finally have a little bit of snow here in Philadelphia.

So, on this day of thanks, I am grateful for:
* getting to spend this day with my brother.
* getting to spend time with Vanessa.
* holiday weather.
* remembering things I used to love.
* good food.
* having such amazing people in my life.
* love.

Days 485-91: "Pork products are very sexy."

It's almost Thanksgiving! The air is getting cooler. The sun is still out. The coziness is on. This is basically my favorite time of year, especially now that it isn't filled with cramming for finals and end of semester stress.

I leave for Philly tomorrow, one of my favorite places. I get to see my brother, his girlfriend and their new place. But mostly I'm excited for football, food and some solid culture.

I am grateful for:
* peppermint hot chocolate.
* dinners with Don and Debbie.
* the neighborhood dogs.
* Rufus taking care of me last night when I had a headache.
* awesome Christmas ornaments.
* library books that I'm super excited to read.
* bright pink nail polish.
* good food.
* the opportunity to cook a Southern Thanksgiving.
* Phil always making me smile.
* my girls.
* my Razorbacks tee.

"Can I offer you a Jake Gyllenhal or something in a nice Mark Ballas?"

I'm grateful for:

• feeling grateful, even when I don't blog about it often.
• being able to read about my girls' gratitude on an almost daily basis.
• having extended family in town for a few days.
• unlimited texting & virtual dates/tv nights with Sam.
• Sam's concern for the quality of my "list."
• my leadership team at work finally becoming stable, and finally having an entire group that works well together & gets along. Things were rocky for a while, with people getting transferred, quitting, or just not working out... but I think we've found a group that's really good. It's so refreshing.
• music.
• solo 3 minute dance parties in my kitchen.
• PLUtonic. I was watching some of their youtube videos last night; they are so good this year.
• my dogs.
• oversized sweaters.

Days 474-84: Holiday Time

It's been a crazy month. A really crazy month. I leave a week from today for Thanksgiving in Philly, and so the holidays are starting early since my mom loves Christmas and is sad she can't decorate the day after Thanksgiving. We got our first tree up today. (We have two fake trees.) And decorating will probably start tomorrow. Here's hoping that no more stray dogs wind up in our neighborhood. The poor things should get to enjoy the holidays too.

I am grateful for:
* a new treat container for the dogs (from Phil and Bec).
* the holidays starting!
* phone dates.
* virtual Ghost Bros dates.
* unlimited texting.
* love in all of its forms.
* music I can rock out to.
* cozy blankets.
* warm drinks.
* having a good start on my Christmas shopping.
* having a good start on my Christmas cards.
* an adorable penguin ornament from Bec.
* pirates.

Days 472 & 473: NaNoFailing

Today, I am grateful for:
* an amazing boyfriend who can always make me smile.
* hopefully having a few days to focus on NaNoWriMo.
* chai tea and hot caramel apple cider. (It's getting cold here.)
* phone dates.
* my dogs having a safe, happy home.

Days 469-71: Bailey and Boston

Today was slated to be a pretty standard day: do laundry, play with my dogs, Humane Society benefit, movie, bed. Today ended up as anything but standard though.

As I was dragging my laundry through the house, I looked outside one of the front windows and saw a female Golden Lab staring back at me. I figured it was just the neighbors' dog, so I went out to catch it and realized that it had a buddy, a small female Beagle mix. It turns out that my mom thinks she saw them both get dropped off in our neighborhood this morning. So we fed them breakfast, got them into our yard, and I spent from about 1:30 until 7pm outside keeping an eye on them, playing with them and making sure they weren't hurt. Animal control was supposed to come pick them up, but we never heard back from them. (Note: Animal Control will find them a good home.) I named the Lab Bailey and the Beagle Boston, and they're currently sleeping in my backyard. Both are too covered in ticks to come inside.

So tomorrow I'll get up at sunrise to feed them and start the process of finding them a home all over again. I wish I could adopt them, but I don't have the time or the money to take on two more dogs. I just have to focus on giving my own two dogs the best home possible.

Today, I am grateful for:
* Bailey and Boston being willing to trust me and come to me. It would break my heart if they were out there all alone tonight.
* Mary Jo, my neighbor, who gave me a few people to call in the search for B & B's new forever home.
* my own two dogs being safe and healthy.
* chai. I seriously need something after today.
* actually having a plot in mind for NaNoWriMo. Which I will start working on riiiiiiiiiight now.