Last Day to be Grateful!

Okay so technically it is the last day of November, so after this I don't have to be grateful anymore. ;) Something did happen today that put a smile on my face and for which I am grateful. Two weeks ago I had a thought about setting up two friends of mine and how it all got in my mind was really random.  It happened when I saw this friend of mine wearing sandals to church on a really cold day and I thought to myself, "Is she crazy? Who does that?" Then as I was pondering that I realized that my friend Gary would wear sandals to church in the winter. Then I started to wonder if they might have something else in common and I made a few connections with their personality and their interests. Before I knew it I found out that they were both game to meet new people and voila, they seem to like each other.  Well they like each other on Facebook and though messaging so far. The true test will come if they ever get a chance to really meet because he is in Minnesota and she is here in Salt Lake.  Time will tell but I am feeling good about this match so far.  It makes me happy. They are both great peeps and I would like to see them being great together. Yea! I mean Sheri and Gary, their names totally rhyme. That means that they are MFEO!  ;)

Grateful for Massage

Today I am SO grateful that I can go and get a massage for $12.50!  It feels especially good because I have been working SO hard on my studies hunched over reading for several hours a day. I had this tiny Latin girl working on me, and for her size, (I am pretty sure she was well under 5 feet) she did an amazing job. They said I had to wait 45 minutes but it was more like 10 minutes, either way I wouldn't have minded though because I brought some flash cards to study.  I just wish that someone could have carried me to my car and then drove me home so I could stay relaxed. 

Gratitute for Modern Medicine

Although there are plenty of problems with our healthcare system, I am grateful that we have one. I am grateful for doctors and nurses.  I am grateful for people who risk their lives to save others. I am grateful that I live about three blocks from a hospital incase I ever need it.

Although I don't use them often I am grateful for over the counter medications and for the people who created them. At times they just help make life a little more livable. I am grateful for natural herbs and remedies and foods packed with nutrients.

I am grateful for the health information that I have access to, so in many ways, I can take my health into my own hands. I am grateful for the researchers who work to gain a greater understanding of the human body and all the information they acquire.

I am grateful for the Word of Wisdom that has blessings attached from heaven.  I am grateful that my good health is important to God. I believe he wants us to be happy, healthy and strong. He wants us to live life to the fullest and have joy.

Grateful for Good Music

I am grateful for music.  I am grateful for its power to inspire, uplift, and motivate. There have been a few songs lately that I want to hear over and over again for their power to inspire me and lift my mood.  Here is one of my favorites...

Here is another gem from the "Meet the Mormons" movie that I also love... 



Then there is the music that motivates me to move. There is NO way I would have been able to finish a half marathon without good music. In this shot I am pretty sure I am listening to "So What" by P!nk. I was at mile 11 of 13 while running from the Draper Temple to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple...

Lastly, there is my house cleaning music, boy my place would be a mess if I didn't have good house cleaning music.  It started with Ace of Base back in the day. When my sister Cate was moving out of her apartment and we needed to clean the place up, she made sure I brought my Ace of Base CD so we could rock out as we cleaned. Also there are songs like Taylor Swift's "Shake it Off" that just wont allow you to sit still or keep your mouth shut when you are driving in your car...

 

Well I guess there are too many good songs to list them all but I am SO grateful for people who have those skills and allow me to benefit from their talents.  And even if I can't find a good DJ here in Salt Lake, at least I can always have a dance party in my living room with my iPod or my Xbox.

More Gratitude

This morning I am especially grateful for an awesome bus driver. Too many mornings I come barreling out of the house right before the bus is supposed to be at my stop. He is usually a little early and needs to wait a minute or two at my stop, since it is a check point stop. I have to admit that I have lost track of how many days the bus driver has waited for me to run from my house to the stop. This morning when I got on I thanked him for waiting and he said, "There you are!" like he had been waiting just for me.  Usually when I get on the bus I am a little embarrassed but some of the riders are smiling at me because they have just watched me run as fast as I can the half block to the bus in a skirt with two bags. I keep telling myself that I need to work on my bus stop punctuality but the driver just makes it too easy to cut things close.

The other reason he is awesome is that he even knows the stops that people usually get off at.  There were a couple of teenage boys who I usually see on the bus and they were really into some kind of Japanese anime comic book.  The driver stopped at their stop as usual, even though they didn't pull the cord.  I looked at them and asked, "Isn't this your stop?" They rounded up there stuff and ran off the bus a little embarrassed. Then there was the day that I was planning to get off at a later stop than I usually do and he did the same thing for me.  I was really into reading my tablet and he stopped the bus and asked, "Did you want to get off here?" I thanked him and said that I would be getting off at a later stop that day.  I mean talk about going above and beyond the call of duty! He's the best and he is almost never late, which leads to less cold mornings waiting for him to come. I am going to be sad the next time they reschedule their routes.  Maybe I can call and beg the people at UTA to keep him on my route.

I am grateful for my friend Stacey who is collecting money to buy a homeless man a coat.

I am grateful that my mom got into discounted senior housing in Minnesota and that she has a good network of people to help her move so I don't have to worry about her financially as much anymore.

Month of Grattitude

I have decided that I am only going to post things this month that I am grateful for. I have spent so much time reading about how much happier we are when we are grateful and I also just feel that I have a lot to be grateful for.  I am sure if I wanted to I could come up with a list of things I want to be different in my life, but on the whole my life is pretty good and I would rather focus on the positive things and keep a positive outlook. So here are some things I have to be grateful for...

My house-I love my house.  It is so perfect for me right now.  It is in an area I like.  It is right on the bus route so I don't have to walk far in the cold or transfer busses and I save a TON of money in gas. My place has all the space I need.  I don't need to care for the lawn or shovel the walks.  I have a covered parking spot so I rarely have to scrape my car.  I love how updated it is and how I haven't had to put much work into it.  I love that I have had very few repairs to make and that the appliances are all newer and updated.  I love my furniture and that I was able to pick it out and that for the most part it wasn't some hand me down from an old roommate (some of it was). I love my quilt on my bed and how I wanted it SO bad but didn't want to pay $120 for it at BBB and then I found it at Tuesday morning months later for $60 and I even found a matching pillow in the pillows section.  I love that I have a spare room with my exercise equipment and my computer in it so I have plenty of space in my bedroom.  I am also pretty excited about the prospect of having it all paid off in 15 years or less.

My ward- I love my bishop.  Every time he speaks to us, I can tell how much he cares for us and loves to serve us.  I love my Relief Society president Mandi. She cracks me up every week with her dating advice.  She is also perky (in a good way) and she is tons of fun to hang out with.  I can tell how much she loves to serve us and see that we are all happy in our lives.

My institute class- I love my institute teacher.  She says things every week that I need to hear.  often times I feel like she has prepared her lesson just for me.  I always pick up little gems of wisdom from her life and I feel like she has walked in my shoes and has been through a lot of the trails I have faced. Some may think she is too blunt and matter of fact but I need those things in my life.  I need someone to help take all the gray areas and make them more black and white. There are too many gray areas and who wants more gray?  I want more clarity and peace in my life not more confusion and doubt.

My job- I have worked here over eight years. How many people can say that. It is very rare that people find a job that is in line with there values. I love what I am contributing to. I feel that the work I do is important and meaningful and valuable. I feel like I am respected and treated fairly. I feel like I am encouraged to progress. I feel that my thoughts and opinions are appreciated. I don't dread coming into work. I love our devotionals and our inservices and so many great people that I work with. It is hard to think about ever leaving this place. If I do it will have to be for a very good reason.

My car- It is fast and has a lot more power than I am used to.  It is a convertible so I can put the top down and try to pretend that I am cool in the summer. It has had few repairs if any. I can't seem to think of doing much more to it than changing the oil.  It is completely reliable and the best part is that I got an AMAZING deal on it. I think the dealership price was about $8000 and I scored it for $4500. 

My family- They are awesomely supportive.  They really care about me and what is happening in my life.  They always want me to come and visit and when I do they fight over how much time they get to spend with me.  When you know someone for 37 years you get to know them really well.

My friends- My friends are probably the biggest thing that kept me from moving to Hawaii.  I have so many friends that understand me and that I can relate to.  They listen and they care and they help me to see that I matter to them. How lonely and miserable I would be without them in my life.

School- I have just started school on November 1st and I think I will have my first two classes done at the end of this week.  So far my studies have been pretty interesting.  I am learning about organizational behavior and business law. The classes haven't been boring so far and I love that I get to study on my own time and at my own pace. At the rate I am going I could finish this degree within 6 months but I may just kill myself trying that so I will just do all the work I can and see how fast I can get things done. Either way, I feel really good about it and I seem to be doing a good job absorbing the information I need.  All the roadblocks I have experienced with school in the past have been removed at WGU.  I have tons of support from the school (sometimes it is a little much) and now I am just kicking myself for not starting sooner. 

Great vacations- I have been able to go to Hawaii 3 times in the last 3 years. How many people can say that? I got to visit Heather in Houston. I am heading to MN this year and Arizona next year. I am very grateful to have the means to travel. It is nice to have something that makes my married friends a little jealous.

My health- I am so grateful that I read that book "Eat to Live", especially before I started school. It has been so helpful and I have with few exceptions started the nutritarian diet. I feel like I have more energy than I have had in the past.  My brain focuses better, my skin is smoother, my digestion functions better, my allergies are better, and my moods are more stable and upbeat. I also have been waking up more refreshed and with more energy.  Is it worth it? YES! Perhaps it is a little too soon to be praising this diet but the bottom line is I am feeling better and I am hopeful for the future. I feel like if I go back to my doctor in a few months for a blood test, he'll be surprised by how much better my numbers look.

Good food- I still love avocados, squash and blueberries but I have been eating a lot of foods that I haven't had in a long time and with much greater variety, like almonds, lentils, and black beans.  I have also started to eat Ezekiel bread and tried a bunch of new greens that I never would have tried otherwise. I am hopeful that I will be able to add more and more foods to my diet as my body adjusts. In the history of the world we have never had greater access to a greater variety of good tasting and nutritious foods.

God- As I look back on my life I can see God's hand in it over and over again.  He has led be to people that have had very positive influences on me. I have had tests and trials and I am grateful that God has found me worthy to put me through them. He has been there for me whether I noticed or not. Although there have been periods of darkness he has always led me out of them. At key times I have felt his love for me. I am so grateful for my knowledge and understanding of him.

Jesus- I am so grateful for his love and his example. I am grateful that he suffered willingly for me. I am grateful that he chose to do the father's will. Even though he was completely obedient his life was hard. He didn't see immediate rewards or blessings during his life but I am sure he has them now. He opened up people's minds and hearts and spoke truth, regardless of how hard it might have been for some to hear it and yet he spoke in parables so that not everyone would be held accountable for what he said. He paved the way to our happiness. He is ever willing to take upon himself our sins and help us change.

Holy Ghost- I certainly can't forget about him. He brings me peace when I need it. He puts ideas and inspiration in my head. He confirms good choices and guides me at key points in my life.