30 Days of Thankful ~ #14

I love my morning ritual. It involves a cup (or two) of coffee and the morning paper. I am an early riser and it is my favorite time of day. It is quiet and peaceful. The day is before you and holds all kinds of possibilities and potential. No matter what occurred yesterday, the morning is ripe with a clean slate and a new start. The busyness will come. The list of "to do" will grow, but for now, nothing matters except the aroma of coffee and a good, old fashioned newspaper to read. In fact, all five of my senses are used in my morning ritual. I touch and see the newspaper. I smell and taste the coffee. I hear....nothing, except the sound of silence.
Today, I am thankful for this pocket of peacefulness in my morning ritual.

30 Days of Thankful ~ #13

I am a chronic mult-tasker. Doing many things at once, never really stopping to take a breath and slow down are aliments from which I have suffered for years. There is always a project on my desk or at the dining room table. The one time of the day when I try my best to stop and just relax is when I have my bubble bath. I can't go to bed without a bath, no matter how late it might be. I don't like showers. They are purely functional as far as I am concerned. Get in, get clean, get out. But a bath, ahhh, now there is a reason to linger. It must have bubbles and it must be very hot. I would say it ranks second on my favorite things, right behind a good run. I can think about nothing or think through ideas and situations that are on my mind. Somehow the bath washes clean, not only my body, but my mind as well.
Today I am thankful for a bath and the peace it brings to me.

30 Days of Thankful ~ #12

 Almost two years ago, I got the insane notion that I needed a dog. My husband was less than thrilled with this proposition. Callie Girl has been an unending source of joy for me since the day I rescued her from the shelter in Irvine. Although he will never admit it, my husband also has grown to love her. She gets walked two or three times a day. The neighbors tease me as I walk by, saying that dog is spoiled and walked more than any other dog they know. My reply is always the same, "It's good for both of us!"

 Yes, dogs are a pain. They jump in trash cans to find food! They demand your attention when you are tired after a long day. However, I am happy to report, this rescued pup has NEVER chewed a shoe or ruined anything around the house.

She tolerates the grandkids carrying her around like a doll and stuffing her in baskets. She is always ready for a belly scratch. She is a good snuggler. She loves unconditionally ~ a great lesson for us humans.
Today I am thankful for love in the four-legged, furry variety.

30 Days of Thankful ~ #11

Here's a cold, hard fact. We do not get to choose who our children marry. The ones we love, pick the ones they love and we are just along for the ride. So far, I am happy to say, the ride has been pretty smooth and not very bumpy. My son-in-law has always been very open to us being around a lot. I think he appreciates the help with the kids. We love to cook Sunday night family dinner together, something my "non-cooking" daughter fails to understand! He also gets along great with my husband as they both love the outdoors and have been on many trips and adventures together. Occasionally, people will say, "Your father-in-law is going??!!!" Sean always tells them, "Hey, it's Marko. I wouldn't go without him!"
As most of you know who read this blog, my son got engaged last Thanksgiving to this lovely lady, Emily, or, as I like to call her, "EB". Early on, she saw we were a crazy, highly opinionated, quick to make a sarcastic joke family. She fits in just fine! She even laughs at my husband's jokes where we all just roll our eyes when we hear them. She makes my son happy, and that makes me happy. She is a part of us already, but we look forward to "officially" welcoming her into the family with a wedding. I need a new batch of babies to love! Hint! Hint!
Today I am thankful for these two and all the joy they have brought to our family.
 

30 Days of Thankful ~ #10

And I blinked my eye and they became adults! Another example of the fact that days are long, but years are short. Today, they both stand taller than I am. They are both beautiful and smart and good. They each carry parts of me in their personalities. They also have qualities that are better than me. What a gift to see them grow into adulthood and make their way in the world. They are strong minded and well spoken people. They make me laugh. They make me cry. When it matters most, they rally around each other. They make me proud.
Today, I am thankful for my two children. I will love you forever!

30 Days of Thankful ~ #9

These three beauties make my life richer and more rewarding than I could have ever imagined. All the things they say about grandchildren being wonderful are understated! On a scale of one to ten for involved grandparents, my husband and I probably rank a twelve! We see them almost daily. They are as comfortable at our house as they are their own. I know lots of people in our stage of life who are traveling and buying vacation homes.My husband does not envy these people. He says we are exactly where we are supposed to be in life, helping to look after and nurture these children. Soon enough, they will choose friends over us and we will see less and less of them. Why would we miss this opportunity to spend time with them whenever we can? We are the lucky ones.
Today I am thankful for the love and joy and laughter times three that I get from "the littles".
Blessed...abundantly blessed!

30 Days of Thankful ~ #8

This man is one of the finest men I know. He quietly takes care of his family in the simple ways that matter. He makes sure the doors are locked at night. He cleans up after dinner without being asked. He changes light bulbs that have burned out so your porch light is on during the night for safety. He picks up grandkids, takes them to practices, not just games. He listens to their long, drawn out stories that often have no ending with total attention. He throws a ball or plays in the pool with them long after the other adults have tired of it. He puts up with my neurotic rants and quietly offers solutions I didn't see. He is the guy you want to call at 3am and say, "Mark, I'm in trouble and need help." All he would ask is where you were and he'd be on his way. Believe me, many people have done it before!
He will never write on Facebook that he loves his wife. Such bravado is not his way and he finds it rather silly when people do. He believes you show love in a quiet, steadfast way that makes people know they are loved, day in and day out, year after year, even when they don't act lovable. He's so smart, he knows that's when they need it most!
Today, I am thankful for this man.