grateful today

I’m home sick again today, so I took Happy for a “walk” around the yard in my robe.  While I was bemoaning the totally shocking amount of deer poop out there, I spied a discarded antler!

This is Christmas morning for a dog.  She loves it so much.  The best part is that I saw it before she did.  One important part of her Come Here Now and Walk Next To Me training is giving her the feeling that if she stays near me, exciting things will happen.  So I got to play Lady Bountiful and “give” her the antler.

Makes me want to buy them from the upscale doggie boutique and sprinkle them along the trails near our house.

Today I’m also grateful for: ability to sleep until 10:00 am, patient co-workers, open windows, coconut milk in my coffee (yum), weekends, happy lamp, and health insurance.  -Katy

I came across this blog post and the pictures made me smile.

I used to live in a big old house that backed onto a park. In the winter I could look out the window and see dogs running loops in the snow, silly with the physical joy of it.

- Estyn

Speaking of baby memories, according to our friend youtube, these quadruplets are ten now.  This is both hilarious and kinda scary.

-Katy

I was clearing out a closet and found two trash bags full of packing peanuts. I couldn’t bear to throw them away (why they were in the closet) so I offered them on my local Freecycle list and got a reply from a woman who needed them, and picked them up this morning.

It felt so good to find a home for something useless to me but useful to someone else! I want to do it again; I’m looking around me for what can be purged.

It’s good to let go of things, as well as egos, and stinky old historical emotions. May this be the year we let go of them all.

- Estyn

To live in this world
you must be able
to do three things:
to love what is mortal;
to hold it
against your bones knowing
your own life depends on it;
and, when the time comes to let it go,
to let it go.

-Mary Oliver (from In Blackwater Woods)

So I’m keeping a food diary detailing each thing I eat, and what symptoms it evokes, hour by hour by hour by hour.  Trying to track down leaky gut syndrome is an ANTI-gratitude exercise.  (Incidentally, isn’t that the worst syndrome name EVER?  I prefer to believe “I’m so sensitive, even my intestines are porous!”)

So this morning on my walk to work, I had to very intentionally and repeatedly train my mind to look for things to be happy about.  Here are some I discovered:

*Man walking next to me with red knit cap that bounced up and down each step he took

*Crocuses or something poking up underneath the gritty black snow

*Nice chat with stranger about the weather

*It’s sunny today, and might go up into the 50′s

*Someone opened the door for me

*My new headband sticks to my head instead of pinging off like a shot rubber band

*The training to stop Happy from barking in the middle of the night seems to be working (this consists primarily of “go into your crate now and think about what you’ve done!”)

-Katy

Noola the wise.
In exchange for a biskie treat she will advise you.

- Estyn

I’ve been physically unwell in a lot of ways for a long time.

When I signed up for this round of the Awakening Joy class, I set a clear intention of getting healthy.  Reading The Happiness Project helped me to clarify that probably the biggest barrier to my happiness is being sick – it’s just 1,000 times harder to be grateful and generous, to sing and to exercise with the flu.

So I was thrilled to read in my Susan Miller horoscope for March  “Even if you have been disappointed in the past with doctors who never seemed to diagnose you correctly, this month you can get the help you need. Jupiter rules … miracles, and is powerfully associated with health, healing, and even rejuvenation against all odds.”

March 5th I found a doctor who recognizes what’s wrong with me, is experienced in how to heal it, and takes a holistic approach to underlying causes.  I’m so grateful.

I feel like I’ve been blessed with a window of opportunity to finally release something – and if I’m going to have to release gluten and oatmeal and clingy bits of ego to do it – so be it.

-Katy

Via Cast On I came across this video which I think is delightful.

If the embedding isn’t working for you click here.

- Estyn

* Coffee. (If in doubt, one can always be grateful for coffee.)

* At the post office a friendly woman held the door open for me, smiled, and said “How are you?” as if we knew each other well. It felt good.

* The lady behind the post office counter was very sympathetic when Express mail failed to offer the desired delivery time.

* The girl on the phone at FedEx was able to circumvent the already-passed pick up cut off time. My package will be delivered when I need it to be. All is well.

* Sweet, loving, ridiculous cats keep jumping on my lap, demanding worship.

- Estyn