Friday, November 16, 2012

11-16-12 Smiles

I was grateful for a lot of things today.  I was wondering which one thing I would pick.  There were many things and that made me feel fortunate, and that feeling fortunate made me smile.  The smile reminded me.  When you smile, you can feel it.  You can remember many things that made you smile.  It's a gift to remind us.  They are free.  You can give away as many as you want and maybe make someones day a little bit richer.

So, yes, I am grateful for smiles.

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

11-14-2012 3.76

I was going through the motions this morning.  Going on my run and hoping that something would happen, that there would be a shift in thinking.  And there was.  My garmin read 3.76 miles, I was running down the grassy shoulder along the road where I sometimes run to simulate running on a trail.  It was a memory that came back to me and made me smile.  This one memory switched me back on.

This moment could have happened at any time.  I had faith that it could happen.

Tomorrow is another day.  Another chance for a happy thought or something good.

I was grateful for this moment today at the point where I had just finished running 3.76 miles.

Saturday, November 3, 2012

11-3-2012 My Son

I literally watched my son come into this world 14 years ago.  He has been a blessing even from before he was born and continues to inspire and motivate me.

I am grateful for my son.

11-2-2012 Notes to Self

Earlier in the week I was thinking about something.  I was thinking about the power of faith.  Faith really becomes important when everything else seems to have gone away, hope, reason, etc.  But, sometimes you just have to trust in faith.

Then today, something was troubling me, and things seemed hopeless.  Then I remembered what I had been thinking about earlier in the week.  I believed it then, so I would believe it today also, just have faith, trust, and go on.  (It makes me think of a dark tunnel I ran through a long time ago.  I tried to go around it, but found I had to go through it.  I had no light with me.  I knew the tunnel would get pitch black in the middle, but I also knew that if I kept on running I would come out the other side.  So, I ran through it and as I predicted, it was pitch black in the middle, but I kept on going and just as I told myself I did come out the other side).

Remember what you tell yourself and believe, it will come in useful!
I am grateful for these notes to self.

Friday, November 2, 2012

11-1-2012 November

A new month.  Thanksgiving (and lots of people focusing on being thankful), time to make a 2012 CD, mornings will start getting lighter, the holidays will approach.

In a month located at this time of year that should theoretically be depressing, there is so much going on.

welcome to November everyone, enjoy!

I am grateful for this month.

10-27-2012 Hydrogen

I was talking to older son about his homework, which was to work on a write up and model of an atom.  I asked him if he could do hydrogen (because then you could just take an apple for the proton and put a grape on a toothpick for the electron).

No, on two counts.  Must be at least atomic number of 6, and can't use food.

So, he picked nitrogen.

But, it gave me an idea.  Let's make some hydrogen.

My Dad showed me this a long time ago, and there were also plenty of examples on the internet.

Some tubes, some wires (borrowed from the inverter we bought this summer), salt water and batteries.

We hooked it up and right away saw the bubbles.  Later, once we had enough gas saved up, I took the tube outside and lit it to prove what we had done.  Retried the experiment with both hydrogen and oxygen going into the same tube, seemed to have the same effect when lighting it (maybe a slight "pop" sound though)


10-31-2012 Halloween

I put up decorations this year, and like last year also the real magic came from the kids (although mainly the older one) helping to put up the decorations and adding some of the right touches.

The bucked filled with candy, it was time.  Older son was by the house twice , once to get ready and then once by with his friends.  He was with a group, all of them wearing basically the same costume, the main piece of which was the "Groucho Marx" glasses (dark rimmed glasses, big fake nose, and bushy mustache), the other key thing about this group is that they were singing.  At the neighbor's house they sang Jingle Bells.  At our house they sang BYOB by System of a Down (and did quite well, too).


Younger son spent some time trick or treating with one of his friends, then went a little bit on his own (not too far just to the end of the street and back).  He rushed back in the house like someone was chasing him and then yelled to me "Trick!!"

We hung out for a few minutes sorting through his candy and then it was time to go.

Yes, there was some magic tonight, and it was definitely the good kind, the kind that we all could use more of.

I greatly treasured Halloween this year (i.e. grateful)