A gratitude post

This morning I am grateful that I have a roof over my head, warmth and peanut butter cookies for breakfast. 

This morning I am grateful that Sandy didn't do as much damage to the city I live in as she could have.  I expect in the years to come we will have larger and more violent storms but other than a loss of power and some downed trees (neither of which I experienced) we came through this one okay.  I am grateful for far aways friend who called or texted to see how Maine was faring in the storm.  I am grateful for those who were out in the storm around the clock helping those who needed it.

This morning I am grateful for that day a week or two ago when I was sure I was getting sick (it turned out be allergies) and so I stocked my cabinet with sudafed and cold medicine so that when I awoke this morning with a sore throat, fever and stuffed up sinuses I was prepared to deal with it.

This morning I am grateful for the 17 years I've had with one member of the spinster pride named Orange.  She is very near the end of her days, frail and fighting cancer.  I think her body is close to giving up and while I wish with all my heart that I could keep her around forever I don't want her to suffer.  I may be saying goodbye as soon as tomorrow.  My heart is heavy with that.  I am grateful for the expressions of care and love sent her and my way. 

This morning I am grateful for the opportunity to create collaboratively with some hugely talented people and the multiple opportunities I have in the coming week to dance and make music with all of them.   

This morning I am grateful that I have a mind that wants to learn and a body that is up to the task of the many hours of work it takes to get ever closer to earning my degree.  I am grateful that what I am learning is useful to me and others.  I am grateful that so much of it I can use now.   I am grateful that so many of my fellow students want to make the world a better place. 

This morning I am grateful to be alive, to have had the experiences that brought me here today and for the amount of love that is present in my life. 

The Verdict is Mostly in...

I’m about to say something that I never thought would pass my lips for some time but it’s true…

(...drum roll please….)

I am liking having roommates again.  Okay, at least I like these particular roommates – I don’t think I’d be liking it quite so much of they were, you know, douchebags.  In fact I like this new situation enough that in some ways it’s hard to believe that it has only been just over two weeks since I moved from my tiny, solitary apartment on the other side of town to my new home.   

I like that the humans in the house converse with the cats nearly as much as each other.

I like having slightly tipsy late night conversations by candlelight in the living room.

I like the half coherent “good mornings” muttered my way during the pre-coffee kitchen shuffles as I work at my desk.

I like watching movies on the couch and sharing my popcorn.

I really like shared litter box duty.

I like that we all have our own space and that space is respected.

But of course it has only been just over two weeks.  It’s still possible that they could turn out to be slimy lizard aliens living in disguise or closet collectors of all things My Little Pony but chances are they are simply decent human beings who are likable and easy to live with.

September, September...where did you go?

Oh September where did you go to?  I had so much I wanted to do while you were here and it seems that time just got away from me and here it is October already. We had such grand plans didn't we?

Way back at the beginning of the month I posted a list of things I wanted to accomplish in September.  Of course one week after penning this list I decided to pack up my life and move to a different part of this city.  While I wish I could claim to be a superwoman and share that despite the sudden upheaval and chaos that deciding to move brought into my life I still crossed off all of things on my list...I can't.  I can't even claim that I managed to do most of them...


1. Clean my closet:  Well I did more than clean my closet!  In fact I managed to move the entire closet across town to a whole new home.  I'd say, mission accomplished!

2. Create a budget for the remainder of 2012:  When I wrote this one down I was full of all sorts of good intentions.  After all, one of the biggest reasons I decided to move was to save some money so a budget should be at the top of the list as a way to further nurture my budding frugality.  Except for the fact that I 100% completely forgot to actually do it.

3. Spend more time at the library:  When I wrote this one I had plans to spend quiet evenings studying at the university library after my Tuesday and Thursday classes.  I'd find one of those comfy chairs with a view of the ocean and there I'd sit listening to jazz for my Saturday morning class while writing amazing essays sure to impress the heck out of my professors.  But then I decided to move and had less than three weeks to prepare and so my Tuesday and Thursday evenings were filled with sorting my belongings into boxes.  I grabbed study time where I could but it was almost never at the library.

4. Start school:  Yay!  This one may have been pretty easy (all I had to do was show up) but the way this list is going so far it's nice to add another "mission accomplished" to the list.

5. Dance every day: For the first half of September I was very successful at this.  Signing up for the 90 Day Dance Challenge helped and I even managed to dance on a few nights when I simply was not feeling the desire at all but you know that saying about doing something for three weeks makes it a habit?  Well I never quite got that far.

6. Prepare crafts for the holiday craft fairs:  I'm not sure I even picked up a crochet hook in September other than to pack it.  Yeah...

7. Attempt to bake gluten free bread:  When in the world did I really think I would fit this one in?

8. Do my homework:  Yes!!!  Mission 100% accomplished.  Despite the chaos of the past month I managed to get all of my assignments completed and handed in on time. Not only that but I received excellent grades on all of them.

9. Get performer bios up on the troupe website:  Once again, big plans.  I've been saying I'd do this for months and really I was just waiting for summer and the busy performance season that accompanies it to be over so I could get started on this.  However, as both seasons came to an end, life wasn't any less busy and in fact I managed to fill my time with even more things.

10. Make a list for October:  Can I just take what I didn't do in September and do it this month?  

Throwing a move into the mix a week after the creation of this list sort of threw one giant monkey wrench into the middle of my big "Get Shit Done in September" plan.  The fact that I packed and moved myself (with the assistance of a lot of awesome friends) and still managed to get even one or two things crossed off the above list is probably something worth patting myself on the back about.  I might not get a gold star but I'm at least due a participation award for showing up!  Right?   

And maybe a consolation shot of tequila?