My 100 Gratitudes Today

I am grateful for: 1. This: “Fortunately, no mistakes can seriously hinder us. In fact, most mistakes give us an additional opportunity to learn.” Phew. 2. “I will have the courage to make a mistake today. It's a promise of growth.” Well that’s good. ‘Cause I already made one lol 3. “Where we stand today is far removed from our position last year, or even last week.” Oh boy. Thank God. 4. “This, which I saw on facebook: “Thomas Merton: "We live on the brink of disaster because we do not know how to let life alone. We do not respect the living and fruitful contradictions and paradoxes of which true life is full. 5. “We don't have to struggle through feelings and problems alone. We can ask for help from our Higher Power and for support and encouragement from our friends.” Okay. That’s somewhat comforting. 6. And that: “One of the most absurd things we do to ourselves is not asking for the help we need from a friend, a family member, our Higher Power, or the appropriate resource.” 7. Oh, and this, could it please be true: “It is self-defeating to not ask for the help we need. It keeps us stuck. If we ask long and hard enough, if we direct our request to the right source, we'll get the help we need.” 8. And this. A lesson perhaps I am finally learning. “There is a difference between asking someone to rescue us and asking someone in a direct manner for the help we need from him or her.” 9. And this: “We can be straightforward and let others choose whether to help us or not. If the answer is no, we can deal with that.” 10. And this prayer to God: “Help me use the vast Universe of resources available to me.” 11. This: “Faith is what lets us know we are all right even when life doesn't seem to make sense.” 12. “even our heartaches can be sewn into a shape that is beautiful and useful.” Is this true? And – it also lets me know that others go through heartache too. That it is merely a part of life. 13. And JUST a part. : ) 14. My food inventory. It’s already helping me. 15. My very healthy breakfast. 16. And coffee (with vanilla almond milk). 17. Simple foods. Like suppers. You know, like peasant food Potato soup or something. 18. Water 19. Seltzer 20. Fruit 21. My Vitamix 22. My food processor 23. My blender 24. My vegan “pesto” 25. Earrings. Talk about luxury! 26. “NO MATTER how good or bad life is, WAKE UP each day & be thankful for Life SOMEONE somewhere else is fighting to survive. 27. “That it will never come again is what makes life so sweet." Emily Dickinson 28. Wow: “Life seems to be a continuous pattern of getting committed to things and having to let go - falling in love and losing the one we love, developing a job skill and having to change careers, caring for our children and letting them go off into the world. This is the rhythm of life, and our spiritual growth teaches us to make peace with it. participating fully in the rhythm is how we become whole men” 29. “As addicts and codependents, we used our gambling, overspending, drugs, sex, work, or caretaking of others to avoid the pain of making deeper relationships and to avoid the grief over losing them.” Yes. Oh my. 30. “…in our increasing sanity we gradually let ourselves go in other attachments. We know we face losses as part of life. We will have the strength to grieve them and move on.” Of course before that, it says, “First, we commit to our recovery program with no reservations.” Uh oh : ( lol 31. That I have a beautiful pot of soup cooking right now. Onions, garlic, celery, oil, boxed lentil vegetable soup thrown in (I was out of broth), water, tomato paste, parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, black pep, spinach, dried lentils. I shall add coconut milk and a bit of bulgur before the end: ) Mostly organic, yum, and healthy. 32. I had a good breakfast AND lunch today. I’m eating veggies and/or fruit at every meal, yay. 33. That I’m taking some care of myself today! 34. And that second load of laundry is in. Yay. 35. My piano practicing went well today! 36. And I might even do more! 37. Today’s prayer for the day in one of the readings: “I pray that my soul will lose its restlessness by finding rest in God. I pray that I may find peace of mind in the thought of God and His purpose for my life.” 38. The Cosby Show reruns. I like them. 39. And Claire Huxtable, played by Phylicia Allen (Rashad). A good example of woman dignity and femininity and self-confidence and achievement. 40. That I have a treadmill. 41. That I’ll get another DVD player, as J took the other one (with my agreement) plus it has now broken anyway. I will find one. And not too expensive. 42. Clean undies 43. Clean socks. 44. From Little MissMatched 45. AND – that M’s girls LOVE the ones I bought for them! 46. And that I got each, a little Hanukkah present yesterday, as although I don’t celebrate Hanukkah, they do: ) Cute little painty crafty things that I really believe they’ll like. 47. That my mother looks so gresat. 48. And is having some quality of life in the days now! 49. And her apartment is so clean! 50. And her fridge 51. And foods 52. And baths 53. And laundry – all kept up with. Yay. People to do these things for her. 54. That I have a desk 55. That I have two prep periods tomorrow. I need them! 56. I just added coconut milks and whole wheat couscous to the soup, simmered (you know, lid askew) for 15 more minutes, and tasted. Oh my gosh! It is excellent! 57. I just practiced a little again, and it went pretty well (piano) 58. My arms are hurting a little, but I know that’s good. Based on the past when I was little AND recently, they will get stronger (AND the hurt will go away) 59. The feel of typing on this new laptop. I love it 60. That I have electricity. Life is SO MUCH EASIER with it than without 61. That I DID the felt-scary banking yesterday! 62. And WILL pay the bills tonight or tomorrow the latest! 63. Dogs 64. Ats 65. Fish 66. Birds 67. Giraffes 68. Zebras 69. Cheetahs 70. Kids’ interest in dinosaurs. Teaches me things. 71. Hair color (not dye) 72. Haircuts. I remember not getting one for like 12 years: ( 73. Heat 74. The HUDNREDS of flowers on my “Christmas cactus” 75. And it should bloom again in like April, too 76. That I watered most of my plants at school 77. My feet 78. My legs 79. My lamps. All of htem. For different reasons 80. That I have short-time-burning logs for my fireplace. 81. The words, “My fireplace.” 82. Wine 83. Water! 84. Food storage containers 85. Cookies for the meeting 86. Breadcrumbs with garlic 87. Fresh artichokes. I have two in the kitchen right now! 88. Vegan salad dressings 89. And I think I’m about to go cook them right now! Be back: ) 90. I did! They are steaming right now. Yum! I put some boxed Italian flavored (vegan) Panko breadcrumbs in a bowl Added the rest of the old, organic, whole grain spelt bread, crumbled LOTS garlic powder Some dried parsley Some fresh parley A little black pep And – a little white (drinking) wine, which moistened it and flavored it so nicely! Washed chokes and pulled apart leaves, stuffed, put in NOT TOO HIGH a pot, filled halfway up chokes with water, brought to boil (covered) and am now simmering for like an hour or until the leaves easily come apart. 91. I right now have like 13 healthy, veggie involved, home-cooked dinners or lunches! Yaaaaaaay! 92. MA, on phone right now. 93. That I have a dishwasher. 94. AND – that we (J and I, about 3 years ago), had that electrician come, and paid only 500 dollars for him to fix it so that I can have the microwave AND dishwasher on. Or toaster… 95. So that – I can have the dryer on and the dishwasher, which I will do in like one minute. 96. I am NOT checking email this past half hour or so, and being involved with my own stuff (including calling MA and hanging the 3rd – 3rd! – load of laundry to dry) and NOT AS crazed. NEED to remember this, to stay less dependent on where L. is regarding me… 97. And - I do not feel ANGRY, though. Good! 98. Smiles 99. My good feeling in my body. Like, not sick, good skin, hands, just feeling well. I’m VERY grateful for that! 100. I am so lucky. I wish everyone were. I am SO lucky. There are probably A BILLION circumstance in which I would feel that I’d do anything to have these problems back. Some, even, in which I’ve BEEN. And many in which others have been, or are. Thank you, God, for all my blessings of this day.