Let Love Rule !!

Today the Supreme Court made legal Marriage Equality in 50 States !!

Such a great day to celebrate human rights and steps forward in the fight against discrimination of the LGBTQ community. We hung our pride flag on our porch and I have enjoyed watching it flapping in the breeze.  Joy!

One year

It has been one full year since I began my  365 Grateful Blog here. Wow, what a difference this blog has made for my outlook on each day. I have discovered that no matter what kind of day it is, I can always find something to be thankful for.  One year ago my goal was to post about something positive in my life, something that made me laugh or happy or grateful...and to post each day for 365 days. Mission accomplished. 

Having changed my way of looking at the world around me, this blog cannot stop here. Although I am not going to promise 365 posts this coming year I will definitely continue to account for the people, places and things that make me happy and thankful along the way.

 Thank you for taking this walk with me, for there is so much for us to see, appreciate and to celebrate.

Birthday

I had a great day and was showered with love from family and friends. 

Evening events included a fantastic Korean BBQ at a place we had not tried before followed by couch watching one of my favorite movies/stories of all time, To Kill A Mockingbird.

I'm officially 47 and loving it!

Dreamy

Today, in Seattle, I parked a few blocks away from the office and walked along a nice residential street to work. Half-way there I was greeted by a sweet cat coming down off his porch for some pets and to do some meow-ing for more love. Pretty, soft, and affectionate I was tickled by this sweet kitty. I reached under his chin to see a tag hanging from his collar...and revealed was a name, Dreamy. Perfect name.

Dallas Clayton

My sister turned me on to this author/artist guy on Instagram who does some cool stuff, and I always look forward to seeing his newest uplifting message or random poem. Dallasclayton.com

Lux

I like my Lux Salon. I visit them for eyebrow and chin wax every other month. It's a quick drive from work and a 15 minute appointment means I will get back to the office quickly. Today though, after doing my brows the women decided to add "a little powder" to my brows just for fun.

I got in the car after, took a look in the rear-view mirror, snapped a photo for your enjoyment and wiped it off the best I could with a napkin.

Not a big fan of the look, and if it's not mascara or lipstick I have no patience for makeup.  I can appreciate those that can pull it off and are artists with a brush to face, as I know it can't be easy.

Changes

Thought a lot about my sister today who had a first day of work at a new job today. She was returning to the workplace after being a stay at home mom for a long while so it was a big step. 

I truly feel that the work of a stay at home mom can be harder and more exhausting than any job in the workplace.

The transition from one to the other is a tough one. Happy that my sister has a new chapter ahead of her to look forward to.

Treasure found

In the small park across from our home stands a large tree. In the hollow of the tree I found a hidden treasure today.  Turns out an artist in town has made clay octopus figures which have their tentacles wrapped around a glass sphere.  He or she has taken the lead from the Monkey Shines tradition and hidden several of these around Tacoma.

I was lucky enough to find this sweet octopus hugging a red sphere. Fun!

Proud, just plain proud

I got a great text from Brent today. Apparently Dominik's teacher sought him out today when Brent picked the kids up at school. So proud of the progress Dom has made this year and he has really grown leaps and bounds emotionally too.

Happy parent moment!

Monkey Shines

Every year on and around Chinese New Year a group of glass blowers in Tacoma hide hand made glass orbs in beautiful colors. This year they made and hid over 2000 pieces. The kids and I scour the city every year and although two yrs ago we did find a Monkey Shine medallion, we still haven't found one of the awesome globes.  Alice and Dominik were covinced that we would find one in the canon at Wright Park and we went to check two mornings in a row leaving empty-handed. Thankful for the thrill of the hunt.

New beginnings

Brent had quite a day...he gave his 2-week notice of resignation to Bellevue Schools. He was quite thrilled to have accepted the position of Communications Director for International Union of Operating Engineers. I'm so proud of the work he put into getting this job and so glad that he is rewarded by having a chance to do something that he is truly passionate about.

Thankful that sometimes wonderful things happen to fantastic people.

Glass fun

Thankful for mosaic to keep my mind from exploding, and providing me down time to let go of it all.

It's the little things

Today I am thankful for cute earrings that only cost $7 at World Market, and the understanding that if history repeats itself, I will have likely lost one of them by the third time I reach to put them on.

Birthday wish list

My birthday is coming up in less than two weeks...I seriously keep forgetting and I have not made any plans. My Alice, however, loves to ask me for a birthday list at least once a day for the last week. I really hate coming up with a wish list...I can never think of anything I need or want so I always drag my feet telling her "I'll start thinking, I promise".  She loves the act of giving...she loves to give things to people to show them she cares. It's truly wonderful, and I love her for that. 

Tonight I decided that instead of gifts of things, I wanted an activity, an adventure with my family...something we have not done before. I wanted to do something new. Now, to decide what that will be...

Art therapy

Mosaic is helping me relax and provides a nice alternative to being plugged in while at home. It is truly therapeutic. Here are my most recent creations...

Theory of Everything

Had a chance for dinner and a movie with my sweet Brent. We saw Theory of Everything which was based on a book written by the former wife of Steven Hawking.  A great movie, a nice time!

Family time

Quality time with Alice, dinner and Swiss Family Robinson on Netflix with the lot of them...these were all highlights of the day.  Oh, and afternoon board games with the kids. It had been a great while since I actually won a game of Monopoly Junior...I guess today was just my day!

Squeeeeeee !!!

This is what February 13 looks like in the Pac NW...I couldn't be more thrilled to see these wee irises pop out overnight !

Glass!

So excited about the package of stained glass scraps that I received today...this will ensure many fun hours of sifting through, cutting up pieces and creating mosaic treasures.  Looking forward to the weekend when I will have time for creations.

Todd Parr

This guy is my favorite kid's book author and artist.  My babies grew up loving his books and I have given many a new parent a few to share with their little ones. His books teach tolerance, love and peace through his beautiful words and silly illustrations.  I have several in the collection and tonight I flipped through this one as I always got a kick out of reading it to the kids.  What a delight! Greatful for authors like Todd Parr who brighten the world with their work and open the minds of individuals everywhere.

Holiday Card

My kids are lucky...they get a greeting card in the mail from my parents anytime a holiday rolls around...Halloween, Easter and this week, Valentine's Day. They love it because they rarely get anything in the mailbox and so few people send cards these days.

Brent has a scrapbook his mother made him filled with greeting cards he received from family when he was a child. It's such a treasure, that as the years pass I have stashed away Alice and Dominik's cards to put in their own memory books someday.

Buster kind of Monday

The highlight of this Monday evening was enjoying the silent film short, One Week starring Buster Keaton. A great art form, fantastic actors and the kids were sucked in!   Monday's should always be this fun.

Snack pack pickles

I just want to say that who ever came up with this novel idea is BRILLIANT!

Have you ever tried to bring pickles in your sack lunch? The juice always seems to leak out onto the rest of your lunch, even when you use a good ziplock.

My life just got better!

Egg or potato?

I have been thinking about this statement since I saw it posted on the net, and it seems quite true for many situations.  Lately in my new role at work, I find I am often evaluating and re-evaluating myself and what I am made of.  The ability to align decision making skills and goal setting with what I feel I am made of is trickier that it seems.

Friday = Sugar

Friday afternoon and Brent was working late so I picked the kids up from school. I surprised them with a trip to their favorite donut shop on the way home. Best Mom Ever.

No spring chicken...

Some days it's just easier to feel 46 going on 47, than other days. I still feel like I am in a young mid-20's state of mind.  The body, however disagrees.

Got a kick out of this meme today...so true!

Wednesday

Wow, it's been a pretty good week so far...but it feels like it the weekend is taking an awful long time to arrive.

A jam packed 3 days of deadline felt impossible many times. Now that it's done, I see I had it under control all along...Yeah, right!

Feeling of gladness

A most wonderful thing happened today. My dear friend and co-worker has returned to work with us. Irina is a superstar, so great to work with a good person. She left us to explore other work places and now has decided to join our team once again!  This makes me so very happy. Irina is an active mountain climber and the photo below is one of my favorites of her...I love it.

JTE

I worked my arse off today and the one thing that kept me rolling is the sound of Justin Townes Earle new album.  I love him.

Schoolhouse Rock

Of course I remember fondly the catchy educational tunes of Schoolhouse Rock and the quirky animations that accompany them.  Dominik's teacher this year uses them in the classroom and Dominik has become hooked on them. He knows the lyrics to many and likes to watch one or two of the videos before he goes to sleep at night. 

I am tickled by how much he has learned and retained by watching Schoolhouse Rock!

Colors

Alice and I stopped at Panda Express for lunch today while we ran errands...and I wound up with this fortune in my cookie. I found it inspiring enough that I spent the rest of the day playing around with ceramic tiles and scraps of stained glass, starting a new mosaic piece. Art therapy.

Down time

The best part of a Friday night is thinking about the possibility this weekend that I might carve out some time to find my own stream.

Sweet sounds

The best way to round out the day was attending Alice's first orchestra since September when she began learning the cello. I was impressed at these beginners. They seemed passionate about the instruments and the music. Glad Alice decided to join orchestra...she will reap the benefits from being a part of such a group for the rest of her life.

TAL

I am thankful today that I was able to put in some ear buds and listen to an episode of This American Life on my rush hour commute home tonight. What a difference it makes driving for 90 minutes after a full day !

Nomads life

Tonight we watched a beautiful documentary on indieflix called Nomadslife.  Four adventure-seeking folks travel from Amsterdam to Mongolia to spend time with and learn from some nomadic tribes in very remote areas. What amazing people they met, with such beautiful spirits. A nice way to end a Tuesday.

Record beat

For complex reasons, Basil  is learning how to be an indoor cat during the Winter months ...but he would prefer to be outside. His record number of days without catching us off-guard and bolting out the door was 21, but today he hit 25 and still going strong.  He's not a fan of litter boxes (seriously who can blame him) but I think it's getting easier.  I love having him around so much...he is one of my favorite cats certainly.

By candlelight

Tonight we had a first...as we were sitting around the table after dinner we suddenly lost power. We were caught off guard because we were far from having any kind of windstorm, snow or ice today.  It was stranger still since we had never even once lost power here since moving to the home 15 years ago. We were told that we shared electrical source with the hospital nearby so chance of power loss was very slim.

We lit lots of candles and hung out in the living room playing charades and the power came back on with an hour and a half.  What a fun unexpected turn to our evening!

Tiny needles

If I could afford to have accupuncture treatment once a week I would jump at the chance.  It is glorious. Dr. Wang practices Chinese Medicine including accupuncture and I have gone to him for about 5 years.  Whether he is relieving the arthritis in my knee or, like today, treating what feels like a pinched nerve in my neck/shoulder the guy is super gentle, friendly and smart.  The massaging of pressure points, the cupping, and of course the accupuncture are all treatments I have had...and they work!

Here is Dr. Wang and his business partner, Dr. Fan.  Lovely people, fantastic doctors.

Friday night ?

It seems like many moons ago when Friday nights meant staying up late with friends, going out to coffee shops or bars/clubs to celebrate the end of the week. At this point, Friday nights mean staying in with the kids, watching tv, and surfing the web. I go to bed around 9:30p and do my best to block all thoughts of work from my mind so the stress will subside for awhile.

Coffee!

I heard the best news today ! One of my co-workers has ordered a Kuereg coffee maker and is bringing it into the office for us to use.  This is great because I currently brew coffee in the morning just to bring to work in a travel mug.  But now I can drink a mug of fresh hot coffee anytime I want when I'm working. No more travel mugs.  I can drink from my favorite ceramic cup.

Man, life is GOOD !

Boss

Tomorrow marks another chapter in my career...it is the day that I become someone's boss.  I am so pleased to have offered the position of Payroll Assistant to a gentleman we interviewed last week.  He joins us tomorrow and the payroll team of one becomes a team of two. I am excited about the opportunity to have a staff member reporting to me and to learn the ropes of managing people.  It will be a challenge, but I am up for it...and with Michael as my role model how can I go wrong?

Sunshine

Shortly after our adoption of Alice, I picked up this hanging tile and put it on the wall in our kitchen. You know how home decor becomes invisible to those who live around it day in and day out?  That is the case for me for much of the items around our home...except this tile. I love it...it is exactly how I feel.

Pain in the neck!

I managed to acquire a stiff, achy pinched nerve type of neck pain 3 days ago, probably from sleeping on a bad pillow.  Stress aggravated it, and today I was beside myself with headaches and serious grouchiness. I then starts reading about acu pressure that can relieve neck pain.  It is done by applying pressure to the space on the back of the hand between the pointer knuckle and the middle knuckle. While pressing roll you neck around to stretch the muscles and try to regain mobility by turning the neck from side to side.  I tried this technique and I have to say that my neck could finally move around with very little pain!

I didn't have to resort to BenGay...thank goodness.

Memories

Looking through some old photos I found this one.  It was taken in July of 2008, when Dominik had just turned 2 yo and Alice was 4 yo.

This photo brings back so many memories of this time in our family's life.  We spent most of our free time at parks, playgrounds, beaches, when we weren't playing games in the front yard.  We had our hands full, and were winging the parenting thing.  We still are. I remember the time with fondness and I love being remembered of it.

 

Mess

The best part of the day was spreading out glass tiles and practicing mosaic with Alice.  We made quite a mess, but it was a lovely, colorful one!

Friday

The only thing better than Friday is the Friday before a 3-day weekend. Hooray!

Mega proud parent day

Lots of nice things happened today, but I am mostly thankful for two in particular.

It started with leaving work early to attend the MLK Jr day assembly at Grant. Dominik performed in many parts of the show...singing, narrating. He was great and Brent and I were so proud.

Then after school we all went to see the Reflections Art program pieces. Some of them would be advancing to WA State contest. Alice's photo of Mount Si had advanced from Grant to Tacoma City Council, and had received an homorable mention here.  What an honor! 

Such great kids in a great school!

Art is such an integral part of the education at Grant.

Pink

I love winter sunsets when I'm driving home.

Reflection

Work responsibilities for over 3 months  have felt like mountains sitting on my shoulders. Existing in survival mode for that long is not the most comfortable way to work and it's not good for anyone. Too many responsibilities and not enough hours in the day.  With some staffing shifts in the near future, however, it is possible that I might be getting a glimpse of light at the end of a very long tunnel.  I don't want to get my hopes up, though one has to believe that relief is on its way.

The Beav

This show is now on Netflix and we started from the episode 1.

I had forgotten how funny Leave it to Beaver was...especially the early ones.

The best part is Alice & Dominik love the  show as much as I do.