Attitude of Gratitude #18

I have to confess, I'm having a hard time thinking of something to be thankful for today. Dance was great last night but it was long. New dancers were on from 7-8:10 (with the rest of us acting as "angels"), Mainstream was from 8:10-8:30 and Plus (the level I dance at) was from 8:30 to 9:30. By the time coffee and announcements were over and I got home it was well past 10. I didn't fall asleep until close to midnight and then I slept hard and fast and barely made it to work on time. Today my eyes are bothering me from staring at the computer to much, I spent an hour on the phone with our IT guy trying to figure out my scanner (my new computer isn't accepting the new settings). The sun is shining now but I've had to close my blinds because it was reflecting on my computer screen.

I'm scheduled to give blood tonight but I don't think I can honestly answer the "Do you feel well today" question with a "yes" so I'll probably skip. Dad wants to go see the new Bond movie but I think I need to just stay home. My kitchen is a mess from not being home and awake for more than a handful of hours in the past five days and the box of Christmas things that I pulled out last week when I put up my tree is still sitting in the middle of my living room.

So, if you've stayed to read my little pity party, I think I can now write about what I am thankful for.

I am thankful that THESE are my problems. I may not have a lot of money in the bank but all my bills are paid. I have food in the cupboard. I have a roof over my head, heat, a bed to sleep in, a job to go to in the morning, friends that care about me, things to do, happy memories, things to look forward to, peace in my soul.

I'm not wondering where my next meal will come from, where I'll sleep, how I can afford to buy clothes. I'm not fighting addition, or illness or adverse circumstances that are out of my control. I live in a beautiful province in one of the best countries in the world where I am encouraged to share my opinion (even if I do think there are too many elections going on ;)) and it is safe to walk down the street.

I am free to listen to who and what I want, believe what I want, be friends with who I want and pretty much do what I want.

I have a wonderful family that is practically dramaless (when compared with other families) and who I am looking forward to spending Christmas with.

So today, on the 18th day of trying to find something to be grateful for when I'm tired and in a bad mood, I would just like to say,

I am Heidi and I am Blessed!

Attitude of Gratitude #17

I am thankful for solitude.

I live alone. I usually have music on in the background but that is different than having people around. Today I'm at work and I have my end of the office all to myself because my boss and one of my co-workers are travelling.

The board meeting on Thursday and Friday went really well. For me, my busy time is after board meetings. I have a lot of files to update and routine stuff to do. Having a quiet office makes it so much easier to get this stuff done. I have the radio playing but I'm not being interrupted and it's wonderful.

I crave solitude and I always have. As a child I'd go to my room and close the door. Being alone makes me happy. As an adult I often schedule days or evenings where I'm just at home. Doing my thing, whatever that may be, quiet all by myself.

I am thankful for solitude.

Attitude of Gratitude #16

I am thankful for Starbucks.

I am also addicted to Starbucks Peppermint Mocha Twists but I am trying to break that so I won't blog about it. Still, for me, three days in a row is bad.

Anyways, my regular readers will know that a month of Gratitude wouldn't be complete without an ode to my favourite coffee shop. The funny thing is that even though I profess to be horribly addicted, I'm not really. Three days in a row is a BIG deal for me. Starbucks is expensive. I know that. That's why I generally limit myself to that many a MONTH.

I love Starbucks the company though. I like what they stand for. I like how they operate, how they treat their customers and employees. I have many friends that are or were baristas in the past and they speak very highly of the company. In fact a few weeks ago I sat in on a Starbucks training meeting! Most people (including the barista's that were there) think I'm crazy but it was a lot of fun. I enjoyed learning about the new Christmas flavours, what makes them special this year, and the other new product that is coming...well, that is here now.

Starbucks is one of the only places I let myself visit when I am on vacation, that I can get to at home. Usually my rule for eating out while on vacation is "anything I can't get at home is fine". So it can be a chain but if we don't have it in my town, I'll eat there. Starbucks is the exception. I've had Starbucks in PA, MD, VA, TX, WA, BC and AB. Not a ton of places but pretty much everywhere I've been!

Yesterday I went to Starbucks with my parents. They're both Tim Horton's fans but Mom wanted to try the Peppermint Mocha Twist (advertising works!) I'm not sure who's fault it was but I ordered the Peppermint Mocha Twist as well and the barista made an egg nog latte. I ended up taking the latte as well (because she would have just thrown it out otherwise) so I had two drinks!

I am thankful for Starbucks :)

Attitude of Gratitude #15: Voting

This post is a few days late because I didn't have any internet access for over 48 hours. Me! Offline for TWO DAYS and I didn't even go into withdrawl! So, why was I offline? Grab a coffee, pull up a seat and let me tell you :) (and yes I'm phrasing my update as a "Attitude of Gratitude" post. When you're behind, killing two birds with one stone is the way to go :D)

I am thankful for the democratic process.

Hah! I bet you thought all the political posts were over LOL Sorry, but they're not. I saved mine till now. This has been a crazy year for politics and elections. The US Presidential race started with the candidate race way back when and finally culminated in the election on November 4th.

Within that time frame, the Canadian's had a(nother) federal election. From the date the election was called to the actual voting was about five weeks. Nothing changed except that the Conservatives gained more seats. They still have a minority government though.

Saturday was the Civic (municiple) elections across BC. These happen on the third Saturday of November, every three years so it was kind of random that it happened on the same year as the US election and the Canadian Federal Election, oh, and we have a provincial election in May. Insane.

Anyways, I actually voted locally in the advanced polls on Wednesday. I had to wait for about 40 minutes for my turn and even though my choice for mayoral seat wasn't the winner, I'm still glad I got to cast my vote.

On Saturday I was in Vancouver helping my friend Sue with the civic elections there. Sue was the "Presiding Election Official" for the section we served. She did turn her desk over to this little guy for a little while though :)

It was a fun day. The traffic flow was pretty steady. I processed 146 voters. In between we visited, I cross stitched and we ate.

At the end of the day we printed off the results and Sue took them to City Hall where they were added in with the rest of the votes from the city.

I am thankful for the democratic process and the fact that we have the right to have our say. Even more than that I am thankful that elections are over unti May!!!

Attitude of Gratitude #14

This entry is self posting today because I don't have computer access.

I am thankful for my job. I'm at a board (bored?) meeting today. They happen four times a year and while the week leading up to the meetings are always kind of crazy, I am thankful that I have a job that I enjoy.

I know so many people that are either stuck in jobs they don't like, or who are just unemployed and looking for a job. I have been here for about two and a half years now and it's still a great fit for me. Challenging, stimulating and close to home. I can't ask for much more.

So, today (even though I may be cursing it out right now) I am thankful for my job.

Attitude of Gratitude #13

There is so much to be thankful for! I don't know where to start.

Today I am thankful that my car got fixed for free, fast and for some extra benefits.

I dropped my car off on Monday (post #10) and I got it back Wednesday afternoon. No charge to me for any of the repairs (no deductible even) and I got a rental car for the days my car was in the shop.

Because of the type of damage, and the fact that my bumper is made of plastic and foam (isn't that reassuring?) they just replaced the whole piece. One of the benefits of getting a brand new bumper is that any stains or marks that were on it are gone. I went to Saskatchewan in 2004 and since that trip I have had bug guts that I cannot get off. I tried, even with powerful bug remover formula, and then gave up. Now they're GONE!!!

Another benefit of having your car in for service is that they detail the inside. Vacuum it and wipe it down. Now it's all spiffy and clean smelling.

So as annoying as accidents are and having to deal with insurance companies, I am thankful that my car is fixed, for free, the bugs are gone and it's CLEAN! Woohoo :)

Attitude of Gratitude #12

I am thankful for fake Christmas trees.

Well, sort of. I prefer real ones. I grew up with real Christmas trees and having a fake one is hard for me, BUT there are many benefits to having a fake Christmas tree. I think the biggest benefit is that I can put it up on Remembrance Day and leave it up until the new year. You can't do that with a real one!

Yesterday afternoon Meredith came over to make cards (while I scrapbooked). She helped me rearrange the furniture in my living room and then we put up my Christmas tree. That's two years in a row that I've put it up on Remembrance Day. I like that :) We also put lights around the window in my bedroom and put a little tree on the dresser with my little train set.

So, while I don't really like fake Christmas trees, I am thankful that I can put it up early, and that they're allowed in my apartment (we're not supposed to have real ones).

Attitude of Gratitude #11

Today is Remembrance Day and I am thankful for all the soldiers who fought for my freedom. Mom and I went and joined Jean and her family (that's Jean and I on the left) at her father's gravesite. He was an engineer (Sapper) in the Canadian army in Italy during the second world war.

Cecil is my grandfather's older brother. There were two other boys in the family. Harold, who served as part of the forestry division in North Bay, Ontario and Meliville who died on December 24, 1943 in Ortona, Italy.

My grandpa wasn't enlisted. He told me one time that while they were on their way to school one day someone was using a slingshot and shooting rocks. One of them caught him in the eye and he never had proper vision from it. That was enough to allow him to not have to serve.

This was my first time visiting Uncle Cecil's grave. Today was a good day to visit. Jean and her husband, their five sons, and some of their grandchildren were there along with her brother in law and a few family friends. We were quite a group in the soggy graveyard. We had a moment of silence at 11:11 am and then we all placed our poppies by the grave.

Today I am thankful for those who served and those who lost loved ones.

Attitude of Gratitude #10

I am thankful that my car is getting fixed, for free (the guy who hit me accepted responsibility) AND that I get a rental car while mine is in the shop! I took it in this morning. It should be ready in a few days. In the mean time I get to drive a spiffy 2008 Corolla. Like mine, only better, and RED! :)

Mostly I'm just thankful that my car is getting fixed though and that I don't have to pay for it.

Attitude of Gratitude #9

I am thankful for GladWare. This is my freezer right now. Two kinds of soup, chili, strawberries for smoothies, leftovers, all in GladWare. My lunch bag usually has three or four of these containers in it each day. I use them ALL the time and I love them. They have saved me so much money in eating out. They last for a long time...unless you drop them while they're frozen...then they shatter. Other than that they are fantastic though.

I am thankful for GladWare.

Attitude of Gratitude #8: Countdown Shows

I am thankful for Countdown Shows.

Okay, maybe "thankful" is to strong. I mean I could easily live my life without them but I really enjoy them! I primarily listen to Bob Kingsley's Country Top 40 on Saturday mornings. Starting at 10am and running until 2pm he counts down the top 40 country music hits. My local station also plays Jeff Foxworthy's countdown but that's at weird times so I don't always catch it. There's a few others I catch on the American stations I can tune into from my car but I don't listen to them regularly.

I admit after a weekend of listening to the same 40 songs played over and over again, I'm pretty sick of them, but the interviews and tidbits of information that are thrown in are worth it.

I recently discovered that my local Christian station does a countdown on Saturday morning as well. If I'm up early enough, I'll tune in to that one. I used to watch the video countdowns on CMT when I had cable as well.

I am thankful for countdown shows.

Attitude of Gratitude #7

I'm thankful that my cold medication is all expired.

Wait, I know that sounds weird. Hear me out though. I have a minor head cold right now. Stuffy nose and a raw throat from mucus running down it. I went to drink some Neo-Citron and I realized that it had expired in September 2008. (I still drank it). That's a good thing though right? That my Neo-Citron is expired? It means that I haven't had a cold in awhile!!!

I also had some orange "cold and flu" capsules. I think they were Tylenol. I took them too. I feel a lot better today. I doubt it is because of my expired medication but it can't hurt.

So, I am thankful that my cold medication is expired because it means I haven't used it very much!

Texas Landmarks

When you think of Texas landmarks, what comes to mind? The Alamo? NASA? The Stockyards? All of those are popular and well known but there's another lesser known landmark that dozesns of individuals have made the trek to see. It was one that was near the top of my list for my trip. What is this mecca?

Stacy's Porch Swing




This weekend many women are making the trek to Texas. I don't know how many are actually going to stop by at this infamous spot but I had my chance in April 2007 and I treasure every minute I spent there :)

Attitude of Gratitude #6

I am thankful for salvation.

Last night I witnessed my second cousin, a girl I used to babysit, get baptized. That public act never fails to give me goosebumps. I was baptized almost 15 years ago and it is still just as special now as it was then.

I am thankful for salvation.

Attitude of Gratitude #5

I am thankful that I have joined the 21st century.

File this under the "little things that make me happy" or "things that aren't a big deal, but neither is changing them".

A major component of my job is organizing face to face meetings and conference calls for our board of directors. Each time a meeting happens, formal minutes are taken. Minutes that I write. We're talking over 30 sets so far this year. Most of the minutes are confidential and my boss is paranoid about having them stored on the server. My computer doesn't have a cd burner so up to now I've been using 3.5" floppy disks. It works because it's just word documents that I'm storing but they're so LITTLE. 1.3 MB? I fill that up in about three months.

Apparently I'm getting a new computer. Something about my coworker's computer dying, and him inheriting mine which means I get a new one. This new computer will have a cd/dvd burner. As part of the conversation of "what Heidi needs on her new computer" I mentioned that I'm using this archaic system of saving documents. Bingo! In the time it takes to say the Staples slogan "That was easy!" they bought me an 8GB memory stick. Gigabyte! Eight of them! That's like 800 stupid little disks!!!

I don't really care if I get a new computer or not because frankly this one works just fine but I am thankful that I have joined the 21st century when it comes to saving documents.

Attitude of Gratitude #4

I am thankful for my square dance friends. Some people might wonder why I drive 20 minutes each way to dance when I could drive 2 minutes but I started dancing out there and I have so many friends in that club that it's worth the extra time and gas to me.

Last night we had a new dancer class. We started the night with a spaghetti dinner and then danced. We started at the very beginning, learning all the moves from scratch. It's good to rehearse and we had so many new people that it made it a lot of fun.

I am by far the youngest dancer but it doesn't matter. Everyone is always so happy to see me that I just love going there.

I am thankful for my square dance friends.

Meeting Jean

So, speaking of extended family (see #3 in my "attitude of gratitude" post) Sunday night Mom, Dad and I went out to visit my dad's cousin Jean. I don't think I've met her before and my parents haven't seen her since her dad (my grandpa's brother) passed away. She and I have been communicating via email lately and she's the one who sent out copies of the geneology work she's done.

It was so great to actually sit down and review some of this information with her in person. Stats and facts are great but until you can relate them to something it's really hard to digest it all. Jean and her husband David are wonderful, warm, welcoming people who are full of stories. There's a 15 years between Jean and my dad so even though they know and are related to a lot of the same people, the relationships and stories are very different.

For example she was quite close to my great-grandma whereas my dad rarely talks about her. Having a reference point has inspired me to keep going on the work that Jean has already started. I did a little bit of internet searching last night but I need to organize my information before I move on. Little by little it will be accomplished.

Attitude of Gratitude

Sherry has challenged us to do a "Gratitude" post every day for the month of November. Canadian Thanksgiving was last month but this is a good exercise any time...especially since November is generally so crummy weatherwise.

I've done something similar to this in a daily paper journal I used to keep. Everyday I'd write a little re-cap of the day, a verse that meant something to me and something I was thankful for. I'm excited to try it on my blog.

Today is Monday and I'm just learning about the challenge but I'll put some from the weekend too.

I am thankful for #1 - My parents. Some days they drive me a little nuts but I love being with them and talking with them. My dad is an awesome sounding board for big world event conversations and my mom is incredibly insightful when it comes to personal relationships. I am thankful for my parents.

#2 - I am thankful for my maternal Grandma. November 2 would have been her 78th birthday. Unfortunately she only lived to see her 65th. She was taken way too soon but she leaves an incredible legacy of love behind. I have wonderful memories of her and I miss her daily. I am thankful for Grandma B.

#3 - I am thankful for extended family (and I promise these won't all be people, this is just what's on my mind right now). I come from a family (on both sides) that values relationships and history. Life frequently gets in the way and we don't communicate as often as we could but there are no hard feelings or drama and we all get along when we do get together. I am thankful for family.

Feast One Hundred & Ninety

Friday Feast
Appetizer
When someone smiles at you, do you smile back?
Yes but I usually smile first. I love smiling at people just to see what their reaction will be.

Soup
Describe the flooring in your home. Do you have carpet, hardwood, vinyl, a mix?
95% carpet. I only have a bit of vinyl in the entry, kitchen and bathroom. The allergist said I should have hardwood but I like capet.

Salad
Write a sentence with only 5 words, but all of the words have to start with the first letter of your first name.
He helped her help herself. (does it count if I kind of repeat two words? LOL)

Main Course
Do you know anyone whose life has been touched by adoption?
Yes, many people. The first that comes to mind is Charlyn and her three adorable boys and Diana and her four amazing children. That's just the beginning though!

Dessert
Name 2 blue things.
Not the sky today! Lets see...how about, the walls of my office (at least the part that's not wood panelled) and my co-worker's hoodie.

Inspiration

I originally uploaded this photo as a Wordless Wednesday but I realized I wanted to talk about it so I'm posting it today instead.

A few weeks ago Mom and I drove out to Surrey to visit an embroidery/cross stitch store. It was *full* of floss, patterns and tons of completed projects. Mom does a lot of cross stitch, she always has. Mostly smaller projects. I have done some in the past but not recently. After visiting that store I was inspired! I went digging in my hope chest and pulled out all my floss and half completed work. Since then I've completed a small Christmas project and made great headway on the larger one that I have going. I used to alternate between scrapbooking and cross stitching regularly but lately it's been all scrapbooking. It feels good to get the cross stitching out again though. It must be the cold weather.

I'll try and take some pictures of my projects so you can see what I'm working on.