8-12-12 Moments Where you Realize Life Is Beautiful

It can happen at any time, even if the day is not going so well.

It is hot out and very humid, but then the rain comes and goes and things feel fresh.   You are at the Home Depot, loading up your truck with some sod and an older lady jokes if I'm going to deliver it to her house.  On the drive home you see a huge rainbow, it is very thick and low in the sky, a little different from any other rainbow you have seen before.  You get home and carry the sod and some edging and plants to the back yard, getting all sweaty in the process.  A couple of new plants bring color where there was none before, you stop and crack open a beer and then a few minutes later you get a call from someone you haven't heard from in a while.

All of this stuff just happens, it's just a bunch of small things, but in one instant you realize that life is beautiful because without life none of it would have happened.

I'm grateful for this.

8-11-12 Weeds

When you feel like you should be doing something, especially outdoors, there are always more weeds to pull.  Pulling weeds can be quite satisfying, too.

There were several good things that happened today, but I still had that feeling I needed to be doing something.  So, I pulled weeds, which lead to throwing out some junk in the backyard and I have something else to work on in that spot where I pulled the weeds.  Maybe some planting or even painting a section of fence if ambitious!

Grateful for those weeds reminding me that something needed to be done!

8-10-12 Friendly Cashiers

After work I stopped at Michael's to pick up some things for the house.  I feel a little bit weird in there sometimes because I might sometimes be the only male in the store. 

Anyway, when I was checking out the cashier asked if I had a coupon.  I didn't, so she rang it up anyway as if I did have one.

It wasn't just the coupon thing, but was being just really nice all around.

I guess we should be grateful for anyone who is extra nice, but today I'll tip my hat to the extra friendly cashier and be grateful for that!

8-7-2012 Challenges that make You Stronger

Sometimes if you think back on the events in life that stand out, the ones that have shaped you, many of them are some of the most difficult challenges, the ones that make you ask "why me?  why is this happening to me?"

Or, maybe thinking about running, and how the hardest runs are the ones that most prepare you to run the best race of your life.  It might be a hard run because you are not feeling well, a hard run because it is farther than you thought you could run or faster than you thought possible.

The classes that challenged you the most in school are also like that.

For any challenge that seemed impossible at the time but I somehow managed to survive, I'm grateful.

I'm grateful when the challenges are over, too!!

8-5-2012 Brownies in a Mug

I found a recipe on the internet, it's really easy - 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup flour, pinch of salt, 2 tbsp cocoa, 2 tbsp oil, 3 tbsp water, microwave for 1 minute 40 seconds , top with ice cream.  I've made it 3 times now.  Once just for me, and two times for me and one son.  The other one had a taste of it so maybe he will want one next time also.

I was grateful I came across this, tried it, enjoyed it, then shared and enjoyed.

8-4-2012 The crater

My son calls the hot tub next to the pool, the "crater".  So, it's not just sitting in a hot tub in the back - you are suddenly sitting in a crater on the moon.  These are the things that make the days at this point in life special, they will not be around forever, because life changes.

Another moment to be grateful for - these are the things I don't want to forget.

8-3-2012 Learning to Cook

I learned how to cook a long time ago - a few things at home, a cooking class in 8th grade, just enough to get by.  But you need to practice, and that is where I've been lacking.  Little by little I've been starting to practice.  Friday night was grilled salmon, rice, and steamed green beans, tonight was steak, grilled tomatoes, corn and mashed potatoes.  Nothing too complicated.  During the week I made pumpkin bread on Wednesday night, and I've been using my rice cooker a couple of times a week - have made white rice, brown rice, as well as soup.

I'm grateful for the little that I have learned so far and am looking forward to losing more.