6-28-2012 Faith

Sometimes you hear people say to just believe, use your faith.  It's a good philosophy.  But, the times you really need to put it into practice can seem daunting.  Those times when logic and reason seem to fail and emotions can get the better of you, it's time to listen to those people who tell you to have faith.

One time I went running very early in the morning, before it was light.  I was on a trail that went through an old train tunnel which was pitch black.  Kind of scary inside, but I kept running and came out the other side.

Faith is kind of like that, you just keep going despite the darkness because you believe you can.

Of course, I'd prefer to not have to run on faith, but when you need it I'm definitely grateful for it.

6-27-2012 People Who Remind You to Be Grateful

A facebook friend and someone who I have run with once or twice (although she is way faster than me) posted a good lesson in how to look at stressful things and see something to be grateful, she said:

So today when I started to stress, I reminded myself of a few things: instead of stressing that the house is messy, I'm thankful for my babies that love to play; when work started to get the best of me, I'm thankful for a job and a great organization to work for; the laundry wasn't all done but I'm thankful I'm able to go out there and run adding to those dirty clothes.

Work was stressful today, other problems arose like the lawn and the pool and the house being empty as well as other ongoing things.  But, the lesson above is that if you have something to be stressed out over, you can look at it and be grateful for it instead if you just look at it differently.

6-26-2012 Refunds

I bought something a while ago which it turned out I didn't need.  So, I took it back to the store where I bought it for a refund.  There aren't too many things that can be so easily undone.

I was going to write about yesterday being grateful for not getting flooded from all of the rains and thought about writing it about it again today and hesitated because the storm has not gone past yet.  I guess, for now I'll be grateful for not being flooded so far, and will remain hopeful that the storm passes without too much more damage.  A lot of people have suffered already and despite it all, many of them are grateful for not having it even worse.

6-25-2012 Right Place at the Right Time

I went to go check on my parents house to make sure they didn't get flooded with all of the rain.  I got there and saw that things were fine, but also saw some people on the neighbors dock looking at the boat.  Next thing I know a woman was knocking on the front door asking for help.  They were the neighbors from two houses down checking on their neighbor who was out of town.

The boat had flooded and was about to sink.  It was very low in the water and the outlet to the pump was under water so that didn't do any good.

So, we attached a line to the boat and dragged it to my parents boat lift.  I turned on the power to the lift and we brought the sinking boat out of the water so it could drain.

I didn't think there was anything wrong at my parents place but I decided to check anyway.

I happened to be in the right place at the right time.  Not too long ago someone helped me out with my boat, so now I've repaid back a small piece of boat karma (I hope) because I was at the right place at the right time.

6-24-2012 Carpe Diem!

It rained all day today, a tropical storm was just sitting there somewhere off the coast of Florida.  It wasn't like a fast moving hurricane, just lots and lots of rain, steady all day.

This all day rain is the kind of weather that could make one stay inside and feel trapped.

A kid might see things otherwise and say something like, "I want to go play in the rain"

No thunder or lightning out, so I say "Ok".

I see him run outside with his bathing suit and jump into the pool, get out and jump back in again, splash around and have fun.

It looks wet, but it's actually kind of warm out.

So, I get decide to seize the day, get my bathing suit on and run out there, cannonball right in to the pool, get out and do it again.  Lather, rinse, repeat.

I'm grateful for Carpe Diem!  I will remember that moment.

6-23-2012 A Noisy House

Sometimes the house is very quiet, when no one is around.  If there are a few people, and maybe a dog, then there is noise.  The noise is better than silence.  There was some good noise today.  The noise of people and dogs going about their business inside of a house is part of what makes a house a home.

So, for the noise house today, I was grateful.

6-20-2012 Someone to water my Tomato plant

I was out of town this past week, the rain had not gotten here yet and I was pretty sure the tomato plant I have in back would have died if there was no one here to water it.

I asked someone, he watered it while I was gone, and so it survived.

I'm sure there are lots of bigger things to be grateful for, but sometimes it's those little things you need to recognize because it's those little things that could go wrong and suddenly end up looking bigger than they should.  So, be grateful for the little things, like someone watering your tomato plant while gone.

6-16-2012 The Skills that I Do Have

Sometimes it seems like there are a lot of things that you just don't know how to do or you know how to do them, you just aren't very good at them.  Failures can make you dwell on those things.

However, think about the things you do know how to do, things that you are skilled at.  Everyone has some.

Be grateful for those things, I know that I am!

6-15-2012 Grateful for this blog

There are feelings and there are actions.  Sometimes we can't help how we feel.  However there are actions which we can take, which even though they seem absurd can actually change your feelings.  Sometimes I get a feeling that I have nothing to be grateful for.  That is just a feeling, it is not the truth.  If I can think of just one thing and write it down it makes the feeling go away.  I have this blog where I'm trying to write down one thing each day to be grateful for.

So, right now, I'm grateful for this blog because it made me sit down and think about one thing I'm grateful for.  Other things will now follow thanks to this blog.

6-14-2012 Fire Hydrants

I was going out for a run in the evening.  As I ran around the neighborhood and ran past the fire hydrants I thought about them for a minute or two.  I thought about how they are everywhere, ready, just in case they are needed.  If it wasn't for fire hydrants and a fire was a big enough there wouldn't be enough water to put it out.  I hope I don't ever personally require the services of a fire department, but for anyone whose home was saved I'm grateful for fire hydrants.

6-13-2012 Driving out to See Someone

My brother was in town, well actually in Orlando, so not really in town but a short drive away.  I drove out to see him and we went out to eat at one of those Brazilian style all you can eat steak restaurants.  It was good to get away for just a bit and I was grateful for being able to have a car to drive and money for gas so I could have a short visit with my big brother.

6-12-12 Publix Sandwhiches

On several nights, this has been my dinner, I can grab one and pick up some other groceries and I have dinner and maybe even lunch the next day depending on the side dishes and how big the sandwich was!

6-11-2012 Ikea

Due to the canceled Ikea trip yesterday, I went out there by myself after work.  There was something comforting about it.  I could walk around and get some ideas.  I could get some things without spending much money.  I ran low on time so I found myself racing around through the aisles to find the boxed stuff that I had seen upstairs in the showroom.

I didn't find or get quite everything that I needed but I plan on going back.

So, I was grateful that this place was there and I could go and get away for a while.

6-10-2012 Sunday With the Boys

I was grateful just to do whatever today with the boys.  We had planned on going to Ikea to look for a few new furnishings for the house.  But, Thomas wasn't feeling too well.  So, we swam, we hung out, I did a few chores. 

I was grateful for this easy Sunday with the boys.

6-9-2012 Drum Lessons

So, my youngest one takes drum lessons, and sometimes I take him.  They go to a really cool place called Ramblin Rhodes.  There are lesson rooms off to the side and a good sized stage in the middle of the room.  When I'm sitting there waiting I always feel like I'm away from my usual life's ruts.  It somehow reminds me of high school and makes me think of how important it is to add different dimensions to one's life.  It also reminds me that there is more to life than whatever problems I might be going through - there is the sound of drums, and that's a pretty powerful sound.

If you ever need to feel a sound that goes through you and feels like a heartbeat, listen to some drums.

I'm grateful for those drum lessons.

6-8-2012 Frozen tortellini (or ravioli) and Sauce from a Jar

Some people might cringe when the read that subject.  Sauce from a jar !??  Frozen pasta ?!  Yikes!!

Well, it is better than getting fast food out and sauce from a jar has come a long way from what it used to be.  Add a salad and maybe some garlic bread and it's kind of like a home cooked meal.

You can't eat out all the time and until the list of foods you can cook from scratch increases, it's nice to have some things you can rely on, for that I am grateful.

6-7-2012 My Friend Joe

Joe is a good friend.  He was my first running buddy.  He introduced himself to me at a neighborhood party and told me about a running group that he would sometimes run with.  So, I ran with him and the group and we've traveled twice to marathons together - once to Jacksonville and once to Boston.  Some times it's a while before we see each other but we'll run into each other and seem to get along just fine as if no time went by.

He saw me last week and invited me to meet for beer and wings and some catching up.  Joe is a good guy and I'm grateful for him.

6-6-2012 The kids Tae Kwon Do Instructor

I looked back and didn't see any entry for this, but if I missed it, it is worth repeating.  The kids have been going to Tae Kwon Do for quite some time now and have had the same instructor.  He is a great guy and has watched them grow and also helped.  I think he helps me grow sometimes too even though I'm just there watching.  But, I see the lessons, both physical and mental/emotional that he teaches and sometimes learn something myself.

The past couple of months I have been taking them quite a bit which has helped them with consistency and gives us time to do some bonding - driving to and from, seeing what they are up to and sometimes Smoothie King afterward.

Craig - the instructor, has been one of those "constants" that are good to have in life to help keep things anchored, especially as changes happen.

6-5-2012 Wendy's Baked Potatoes

For dinner I had a small chili and a baked potato from Wendy's.  The baked potato half of the meal makes you feel like you are eating a real dinner even though it was drive-through and only cost $2.50.

For the convenience, value, nutrition, and the feeling that you ate an actual meal instead of just drive-thru, I am grateful for Wendy's baked potatoes (the baked sweet potatoes are awesome also)

6-4-2012 Ice Cream

Especially ice cream at home from a carton.  Nothing fancy, just ice cream.  I used to be a little more picky and only really appreciate a hot fudge sundae out some place.

But, you can't always get that.  Some times you just get a bowl of ice cream at home.  The kids like ice cream.  I like ice cream.

And, as one of the many little things in life that make life nice, I am grateful for ice cream!!

6-3-2012 Vacuuming

Sometimes, when things seem so messy it looks hopeless, all you have to do is run the vacuum for a bit and then it doesn't look so bad.  There's still lots to do, but at least it doesn't look so bad.

Today and yesterday, I was amazed at the power of vacuuming and therefore grateful for it.

6-2-2012 My Kids

I have mentioned my kids at various times, but I was thinking about how grateful I am for them.  They both did some pretty amazing things today.  My life is so much richer in many ways because of them.

5-25-2012 Shade on a hot day.

It was hot outside today.  I took my short walk to the thinking pond.  Walking across the asphalt parking lot I could feel the sun beating down.

Then, I reached the shade, and although just a few feet away from where it felt so hot, and still outside, it was completely different.

What a difference the shade made.

Sometimes, you may find yourself outside on a hot day, far from any shade and you'll wish there was a tree nearby or something to block the sun.

Finding that shade makes you realize what a difference it can make.

I'm definitely grateful for shade on a hot day.

6-1-2012 Birds Chirping in the Morning

I know I've already done an entry for birds.

But, this morning, after I got up and was sitting down at my kitchen table (which I'm about to lose - although that is such a small problem) - I heard the birds chirping outside.  It was still dark out, just barely.

Almost everywhere I've been, I can remember at some point hearing birds chirping outside in the morning - Rochester, NY,  Athens, GA, Dallas, TX, here in Florida.  I guess everywhere except for when out at sea while in the Navy and on the cruise back in January.

Hearing the birds in the morning is a reminder that a new day is starting, that life goes on, and there is a life outside of your own.  There are things to listen to besides electronics and nature is just outside your door.  The birds are also reminding me that it will soon be light outside.

All this good stuff from just a few birds making some noise.


There!  Now I'm caught up. Ok, not really, but I thought I would try a new strategy.  Every time I was close to catching up I would then fall behind again.  So, now I am doing an entry for today and will do an entry every day from now on.

I might go back and fill some in, but for now I'm going to just say that I'm caught up.