Fourth Day of Christmas

On the Fourth Day of Christmas,

My true friend gave to me,

4 Christmas Videos,

These 3 Things,

2 Fun Trips,

and

An Attitude of Gratitude.

Yes, some of these might be repeats from years past, but that only means I really really love them.  My new favorite one is the first one from Love Actually.

I hope you take the time to enjoy them... and create some Holiday Spirit.

Happy Monday!

The Third Day of Christmas

On the Third Day of Christmas,

My true friends gave to me,

These 3 things,

2 Fun Trips,

and

An Attitude of Gratitude.

I have to admit that I have not done my homework like I usually do for the 12 Days Tradition.  Most years by the first day I kinda have an idea of what I'm going to write about each day.  When I first started this, I would have a detailed outline in a notebook and sometimes tweak (not twerk) as I went along.  I've done a little less prep each year, but almost always have some notes.

This year I've got nothing.
Zip
Zero
Nada

Each day I wake up and wait for the something to inspire me to write about.  Not exactly what I'm used to, but I have to admit I'm paying attention to things around me a little more.  So when I sat down with Blaker at breakfast and let him put ESPN on, I wasn't exactly looking for the inspiration there.

However, this is the commercial I saw, and I almost missed it.  Almost let it play out without me even looking up from my phone, but I heard '3 things,' and my ears perked up.

It was almost as if God said, pay attention... this is for you.  Of course I started to google Jimmy V and the speech, and yes, I was inspired.

So today, for the Third Day of Christmas, I give you Jimmy V's three things we all should do every day...

1. Laugh
2. Think - spend some time in thought
3. Have your emotions be moved to tears.

If you do those three things every day, that's a full day... that's a good day.

You can also watch his full speech here.  It truly is an inspiration... 

Happy Sunday!

The Second Day of Christmas

On the 2nd Day of Christmas,

My true friends gave to me...

2 Fun Trips

and

An Attitude of Gratitude

Two Fun Trips.  Yes, this year I was blessed enough to pack a suitcase twice.  The first was for Pittsburgh, a family trip that was far different from anything we had done before.  The second will forever go down as the First Annual Wine Tour 2013.

One happy boy watching the Penguins

Beautiful (and chilly) view of Pittsburgh

Favorite time killer.

My favorite ladies

I believe this was Stop #1

Oh Gravity... How I miss you.

True story.

Sigh... what fun memories.  It reminds me how much I love to travel and hoping that 2014 will bring even more memories on the road.

Happy Saturday!  Enjoy that snow coming down :)

The First Day of Christmas

I know what you're thinking, and for the record, I'm thinking it too.

Where the hell have you been?

That's the giant elephant in this tiny room of a blog here.

I have lots of excuses (some are even good ones), but really, I'm not going to bore you with those.  They're always the same anyways, and I know you remember my go-to list of reasons I don't write.  Thankfully the dry spell doesn't last forever, and once again, I am wanting to give you something for the Holiday Season.

So here we go with the first day....

On the first day of Christmas

My True Friends gave to me...

An attitude of gratitude.

Yep, gratitude is the big lesson this year for me, and I'll admit I've worked for this one.  Gratitude doesn't just happen, and one really has to work at it on a daily basis.  Some days it comes naturally and others... not so much.  But in my heart I believe this is truly the answer to most of our problems.

I believe we always have something to be grateful for, even in the bad times.

Grateful for health.
Grateful for a paycheck
Grateful for laughter
Grateful for friendship
Grateful for social media
Grateful for Charlie
Grateful for love.

Day 1... make your gratitude list.

Word.

Have a fabulous day, my friends.

9 Things

I was browsing through Facebook tonight waiting for my hair to process (no more grey!!) and someone had posted '9 Things you don't know about me', and I have to admit, I love those damn things.

I love learning things about people they usually keep to themselves, because when we start to open up and be honest about who we really are, that's when connections are really made.  That's when we get to the really good stuff.

That's what I try to do on here, but yes, I was reminded today that it's been lacking lately.

So here is my list for you tonight... 9 Things You Might Not Know About Me

1. If I had to, I could survive on cookies, popcorn, and wine.  In fact I'm eating a cookie right now, and it's warm, gooey, and spectacular.  I often say 'this is the best batch ever,' but I really think this one is this time.
2. I would love to have another cat in the house.  I loved Putter more than I ever led on, and still miss that purr.
3. I would rather not write anything than write something bad.  I know, perfectionism is going to ruin me someday, but there are days I open my laptop and just have nothing to say.  Those days make me sad.
4. I have learned that my depression is connected to whether I'm writing or not.  I have never been
   
   happier than when I was writing my book this summer, and quickly slipped when it was over.  Now that I see the correlation I am making sure that it is a natural part of my life.
5. After 30+ years I have finally kicked the Young and Restless addiction.  I watch it on my days off only and even then I'm usually doing something at the time.  I don't record it, and oddly enough, I don't really miss it at all.
6. One of the things I'm the most proud of is how my kids treat other people.  They are, without question, decent human beings.  I know that sounds goofy, but watching them interact with other people just makes me smile with pride.  I love who they have turned out to be.  
7. Every time I go to the movies, the lights go down, and the credits begin to roll, and I dream of seeing my name up there someday after 'Based on the novel by...'  Every. Single. Time.  
8. I can finally talk about my mom without crying every time.
9. I have read some of the best books in the past eleven months than I've read in years.  My favorite thing is to be able to share these books with you, and this year we were especially lucky.

No, there aren't many things about me that you don't already know, but maybe you learned something tonight that made you go hmmmm.  I think it's important that we share a little more every now and then, so try to do your own list.  I am eternally grateful that you're still reading and care whether I'm here or not :)

Hope you're all having a grateful month!!

Day 5

I saw this article on Facebook today and had to admit that it made me stop and think.  I will be the first to admit that after eighteen years of marriage the lines of love can be blurry.  Somedays they're clear, and sometimes the lines are faded.  You know they're there, but it's hard to see them.

Now while I'll be the first to fight for making sure we carve out time for ourselves and creating a life we love, I will agree that a marriage can only survive if we are in it for the other person.  Marriages fall apart when one or both are being selfish and only thinking of themselves, creating a pile of resentment.

This can be said for all relationships really.

Kids
Friendships
Co-Workers
Even Pets

I think when we stop looking for what we're getting out of a relationship, and focus instead on how to make the other person happier, we're really making a connection.  We're making a difference in their lives at that point, and hopefully, they're returning the favor.

Day 5:  Today I am thankful for Toby and all that he does for me.  He makes me laugh more than anyone else on the planet, and never goes a day without letting me know how he feels.  No, it's not always love and roses, but most days it's exactly what we need.

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

Day 3 & 4

Since I fell asleep about five minutes after I got home last night, I am lumping the two days into one. Also, I've been in Grand Rapids for most of the weekend, in rinks, restaurants, movie theaters, and oh yeah, a corvette.... going about 100 down the backroads of Byron.

It was two days of friendships, bonding, and hockey.  It's funny... I don't usually get to go on tournament weekends, and when I do, I realize how much I miss out on.  Sharing inside jokes, appetizers, and Motrin, all the while cheering on our boys to play their best.  Sometimes it works out, and sometimes it doesn't, but always it unites a group of people who might not normally spend the

weekend together.  And it's the moments like watching the MSU v Michigan game, sitting on the floor with all the other mom's in the rink, giggling like we were back in high school, that I am thankful and grateful for being a part of this team.

Day 3/4:  Every May there is a try-out for the next year's hockey team, and even though I'm usually pretty confident that he'll make it, I always say a little prayer for the other players too.  Not just for the boys, but mostly for the other parents on the team.  I want to keep hanging out with this group, laughing, cheering, and occasionally sharing the misery.  Being a hockey mom is definitely a sacrifice, but it is also one of the greatest gifts too.

So yesterday and today... I am grateful for the gift of hockey in our lives...

Go get 'em tomorrow Boys!  We still got some life in this one.  I'll be watching and cheering via Twitter.

Happy weekend!