May Gratitude

[fidgiegirl]

Wow, it's already the 10th and no gratitude thread! We gotta make up for lost time, friends! :)

Grateful today for choices in my career and life.
Grateful for having had a stable family of origin.
Grateful for my lovely husband.
Even though it's stressing me out, glad to be able to invite the family over for Mothers Day!

And what a beautiful evening to sit outside and devour a perfectly lovely GF scone from The Wedge at Peace Coffee, with a friend I haven't seen in two months and lives in North Dakota, then come home and meander down to the river for a walk with DH and Mr. Porky. Ahhhhhh . . .

[razz]

So much to be grateful for... Thanks for starting Fidgiegirl.
Grateful to finally get the south flowerbed cleared of weeds yesterday with birds singing all around me.
Grateful that DH's first cataract surgery went well with the second in two weeks.
Grateful that our rain barrels are up, filled and working well as i do more in my veg garden.
Grateful that all my pots for the hort society sale for tomorrow are filled and organized .
Grateful to get the deep freeze cleaned up and inventory done yesterday.
Grateful that I can take it easy today in susnshine and just do laundry to hang outside.
Grateful that I have now lost 21 lbs on simple normal diet of carb portions control.

[Rosemary]

Grateful for the wonderful visit I've been having with my mom. I've lived 1500 miles or more from my parents since I finished grad school. This became more difficult after DD was born, because I want her to really know them. And now that my parents are seniors, difficult on a different level. They are still very independent but they are definitely slowing down, and it is hard to see. Since I only see them 1-2x/year, the changes are very obvious when I do see them.

Grateful for the beautiful weather we've been having!

Grateful for having a new dryer installed yesterday after the old one died over a week ago. It's line-drying season but we had a lot of rain in the past week, and in the winter a dryer is really necessary here, since we don't have a real basement or attic for clotheslines.

Grateful for my husband and DD, who bring me smiles and hugs every day.

[JaneV2.0]

Haha! I'm grateful that my gimpy left knee has gone from "can't straighten leg" to "only buckles every ten steps or so." And that not heading off an incoming cold in time is a convenient excuse for not doing hated yard work. And to celebrate, I'm going to experiment with chia pudding!

[puglogic]

Grateful to just be able to be alone for a while today. I don't feel like being around anyone, and it's good to just have the house to myself for a while to journal, putter, and read.

[JaneV2.0]

Grateful that the cold is essentially gone, the knee is operable (no pun intended), the bills are paid, and the larder is full.

[puglogic]

Grateful for my dogs today, curled against my feet. The "pack" all hanging out together...

[Gardenarian]

Grateful for yoga breathing exercises, which are so powerful in helping me right now.
Grateful for my favorite walk where I can empty the recycle bin in my brain.
Grateful for the warmer weather - very!

[puglogic]

Grateful to have finally, finally, finally sold our house in this down market, and for close to our asking price, and to nice people who love it. It was an ordeal and a half, but it is done this afternoon, and we are just about weeping with joy.

[fidgiegirl]

Wow, today I actually got a letter from a job application updating me on the status, and I'm still in the running, from what it sounds like. It's surprising in two ways - that they took the time to send a letter, and that I'm surprised that they took the time to send it! But glad! It's a confidence boost.

[SiouzQ.]

I'm grateful that I have the forbearance and grit to make it through yet another day at my job.
I should know 100% by noon tomorrow if I have the Wholefoods position, which will be a godsend because I really, really don't think I can hold out much longer. The absurdity of my current job situation is breathtaking in its depth and denial. I really want to exit that place with grace and aplomb because that is the type of person I want to be looking back on this whole crazy job experience. I want to take the high road and thank the crazy old man for the work opportunity he gave me. Period. And I will have NO REGRETS whatsoever leaving that place, though I do feel bad for the guys left behind. However, it's not my problem. All I can do is train them to the best of my ability.
'Nuf said. Wish me luck tomorrow!

[fidgiegirl]

Thusly wished!

[danna]

Been there and wishing you the best of luck with getting out....I know it is hard to leave others behind but, there
really isn't anything you can do but train as best as you can.

[SteveinMN]

Good luck, SQ!

[Gardenarian]

I'm grateful for viewing the solar eclipse yesterday. What a cool planet we live on.

[JaneV2.0]

I'm thankful for a dark, rainy day that makes me feel like I'm living in a terrarium. A quiet terrarium.

[Mighty Frugal]

I am grateful for my wonderful children and dh. They truly make my life so rich and fill it with joy. I am also grateful for my wonderful supportive friends (both IRL and online) and the sun that has been shining for almost a week now.

[puglogic]

I'm so glad it is a slow week at work. It gives me time to declutter, do some research and writing, and generally get my bearings.

[DarkStar]

I'm grateful for the rain we're getting right now - second day in a row. We've been so dry here.

I'm grateful that I've gotten two offers on my house. I hope to have a contract signed by the end of the week. It's a huge relief to me.

[razz]

Grateful that DH's second cataract surgery went well today and the staff were so wonderful and fun.
Grateful for friends who make life interesting when they share their stories.
Grateful that everything looks so lush and green despite the need for rain.

[SteveinMN]

Grateful for all the kind words I heard at my going-away party last night. Sometimes you find out you've touched the lives of people in a most surprising way.

[SiouzQ.]

One. More. Day. You know though, I am going to miss almost everyone at the ol' guitar shop after all. I really liked almost everyone I have worked with for the past 2.5 years. The sad thing is if someone else owned the place, I would have stayed. Well, I'm almost on to new adventures. I will have this weekend off between jobs. Unfortunately, the weather isn't going to be all that great (I was thinking of driving to Lake Michigan and hanging out at the beach for two days). We'll see. Tonight I am just plain exhausted with too much work in the last couple of weeks. Enough already!

[SteveinMN]

Today was my very last day at my old job. I am grateful for the opportunities I had there, some of which took me well beyond where I thought I could go. I am grateful for all the support I was given in my decision to leave, especially among my closest colleagues, who will be hit the hardest by my leaving. Most of all, I am grateful for my wife and partner in life, whose support and trust make it possible for me to follow my passion. Today was a very good day!

[SteveinMN]

One. More. Day.
SQ, congratulations! How did the last day go? I know a lot of thought and energy went into your decision to leave and you carried it out! Best wishes as you start the next adventure!

[puglogic]

Grateful today to have had the chance to take part in a 30-day online coaching group throughout May, and grateful to have completed it. Made new friends & colleagues, and had a lot of fun while developing a new passion of my own.

[fidgiegirl]

You guys are so cool!!!! I am grateful for the gratitude thread!!!!

[SiouzQ.]

DONE! I am enjoying a very lazy Saturday morning in which I slept in late, changed my guitar strings, did my stretching, listened to this American Life and ate a huge bowl of granola and strawberries. And the whole day stretches ahead with endless possibilities, as does Sunday! I haven't had a complete weekend off (unless it was during my once-yearly road trips) in about twelve years.

Steve, the last day was rather strangely anti-climatic, especially after all the drama I've had to endure there this past year. At the end of the day I sought out the owner and thanked him for the opportunity and was done with it. He was very complimentary of my work there and said he would miss me. I wonder how the new staff (and I mean every one is pretty new there, as all the people I worked with in the three years I was there are now gone) is going to cope with this man...I realize now how he chews people up and spits them out, only to replace them with a fresh new crop of hopefuls. You should have seen the stream of people lining up to get my job in the past two weeks after I put in my notice! It doesn't take anyone very long to realize that NOTHING is ever going to change there, not while the owner is still alive. My saving grace was realizing very early on to NEVER, under any circumstances, accept a key to the store. There was one time I almost crumbled under the pressure and almost accepted the key to help out when the owner got really sick with the shingles last summer. What a weird thing in a workplace to not want any sort of promotion or more responsibility! It's so backward!

Anyway, all water under the bridge, I AM DONE! MY greatest decision of the day is when to get out of my PJ's or should I even bother?!!!!

And Steve, congratulations on your last day too! What will you be doing next?

[SteveinMN]

SQ, I'm starting my own photography business. I've happily taken pictures for decades without getting paid, so I'm thinking getting paid for taking pictures will be a pleasant experience. :) Right now I'm taking a few weeks off to get done some of the to-dos which just sat while I finished up the old job -- and to put a little space between activities mentally. But I'm really looking forward to doing my own thing!

[SiouzQ.]

Steve, that sounds awesome! Congratulations! What kind of photography do you do? Anything and everything?

PS: Once upon a time, in a different life (before digital took over), I got a Masters in Fine Art photography. It's been 24 years and I have never really done anything with that degree...

[SteveinMN]

SQ., I plan to concentrate on real-estate photography, with some fine-art photography on the side. At least, that's the plan. But I'm flexible. If I'm taking pictures, I'm happy. ;)