Day 88 in Gratitude

I am grateful for the sunshine on my face while driving to work in the morning.

I am grateful for the warmer Spring-like weather that is making it's way into Chicago!

I am grateful to be sipping a cup of tea while watching an episode of Restaurant Impossible with my husband. I love that show.

What are you grateful for?

Day 86 in Gratitude

Watching my son and daughter in law as they begin their journey as parents is so heart-warming. They're due with their first child mid May and today I hosted a baby shower for them. Mommy to be is glowing and when she smiles she lights up the room. My son is excited and I couldn't be more proud of him. He will make a great Daddy. He seems the type of Dad that will get down on the floor and play with the baby for hours. I am so grateful to be able to watch this new family begin.

We invited all the usual suspects! My Mom, sister and niece, my Aunt, cousins, friends and the newest additions to our family, my daughter in laws sister, two daughters and Mom. They are wonderful people! Kind, loving and very easy to get to know. I am thankful to have our new, extended family to share this new life coming into the world.

My husband, sister, Mom, niece and friends were a huge help today. Some made food, some let me borrow plates, trays, etc. Some helped gather coats, while others helped serving everyone. Thank you, Thank you!! I love you all and am so grateful to have you in my life. I am blessed.

What are you grateful for?

Day 83 in Gratitude - A Life Of Abundance

I found this in one of my books today and it really spoke to me.

Why go through life as thought it were something to be endured, as though there were not enough good or joy to go around? Are we not always limiting the possibility of love and affection, of appreciation, and of the common everyday good things of life? If we really are in union with a Divine Source then there should come a feeling of abundance in everything we do - an abundance of friendship, of self-expression, of everything. The abundant life contains all things whether we call them big or little.

Today I expect a more abundant life. I am keeping my whole mind and thought and expectation open to new experiences, to happier events, to a more complete self-expression. Giving more love, I expect greater love in return. Sharing with others whatever good things I have, I expect all life to share with me the good that it possesses. Seeing beauty everywhere, I expect a revelation of still more beauty. Seeing joy in everything, I expect more laughter. More deeply sensing tranquility in which all things exist, I expect a deeper consciousness of peace and security. Through it all I feel that I am in the embrace of a warm, loving presence forever seeking an outlet through me. I am grateful for an abundant life.

What are you grateful for?

Day 82 in Gratitude

I am grateful to have taken today off to heal. I haven't been feeling well and can't quite shake the continual headache. I took a few naps today and tonight I'm feeling a bit better. I am on the mend!!

I don't panic much. I am realizing that more and more every day. Talking to friends who worry about things they can't control, like their grown children. Talking to my sister who gets very nervous during bad weather, talking to my Mom who worries about EVERYTHING. I realize I don't worry about much. There are things I think about and I confess, I do worry about money, which I shouldn't. But the more I trust in a higher power the more I realize that we all are taken care of. Thank you God.

I am concerned about my brother-in-law. He was diagnosed with leukemia less than a year ago. He went through a few rounds of chemo and a marrow transplant. Just a few short months later his Dr told him the leukemia is back. I think about Tim and how short life is. I think about his family, his wife who adores him, his sons who love him, his brother who admires and looks up to him and all of his adorable grandchildren who will miss him dearly. I am so very thankful I have my health, my boys are healthy, my husband, sister and Mom are all healthy. When we are in good health I think we take it for granted. It's like that phrase; 'you don't know what you've got until it's gone'. I want to thank God every day for the abundant health in my life.

What are you grateful for?

Day 81 in Gratitude - Bobsie Story Movie

Bobsie Story Movie: "When I watched Jack Canfield tell this story in the video below...2 things happened for me. I was deeply touched and reminded that there are a lot of remarkable people doing great things in this world. I asked myself, "Why are so many people moved by this story?" To see if it does the same for you...I'll guess you'll have to watch for yourself!"

Thank you to Jack Canfield and 'It's All About Women' for sharing this video - my wish is that it inspires you too.

What are you grateful for?

Day 80 in Gratitude

Spring is in the air! Today was sunny and in the 50's. I was home with stomach flu but even so, napping with the window cracked open was heavenly. I am so grateful to start to see the weather turn.


Learning more about myself is always fascinating. I received a numerology report on my birth name and birth date. I'm not sure why I even looked into this considering I know nothing about numerology and have never really had any interest in it.The report was intriguing and held my interest. I read about how they calculate the numbers and what each number means. I love learning about new things, new concepts that I know nothing about. It seems my Life Path is a 5; I am about freedom, independence and the right to follow where my heart and gut-instincts lead me in life. My Expression is a 1; I am a courageous and natural born leader who is not afraid to makes things happen.My Soul Urge is a 22; I have the highest soul calling of all of the numbers, as it is the call to transform the world permanently and for the better.It truly is fascinating how the science of numbers, which governs much - if not most - of what happens in your life, your relationships, your health, and your economic future you can learn with just one click of a mouse. I am thankful for an inquisitive mind that keeps me reading, stretching myself and learning.

Last night my youngest son drove almost 5 hours round trip to spend my birthday dinner with me. He is such a loving, caring individual. He is kind, compassionate and loves to laugh and I love spending time with him and his brothers. Being a Mom is one of my greatest joys. I thank God everyday for my boys. When blowing out my birthday candle my daughter-in-law said "make a wish!" so I closed my eyes, thought for a moment and made my wish. Afterward my boys starting guessing what I wished - "World Peace" one said....no, no "Eternal Joy" the other son said. Everyone laughed but I have to tell you I was thrilled with what they were saying. I am completely thankful that my boys, even tho they poke fun really know who I am at my core. It made my heart swell.

What are you grateful for?

A Quote on Gratitude

"Remember, whatever you focus upon, increases...When you focus on the things you need, you'll find those needs increasing. If you concentrate your thoughts on what you don't have, you will soon be concentrating on other things that you had forgotten you don't have-and feel worse! If you set your mind on loss, you are more likely to lose...But a grateful perspective brings happiness and abundance into a person's life."
Andy Andrews, Law of Attraction Quotes

Day 79 in Gratitude

I had a wonderful evening. I went to dinner with my husband, boys and daughter in law. They chose a fantastic vegetarian diner. http://www.veggiediner.com/wp/ Their tag line is: Meat free since 1983. They've been voted the Best two years in a row. If you live anywhere in or near Chicago, I highly recommend this place. We waited about an hour for a table but it was well worth the wait. Check out the menu - awesome!

Everywhere I look, every face I see
Is love reflected shining back to me
I just give thanks for all these simple things
The joy and peace that gratitude brings.

Everyday I wake, before I open my eyes,
I count my blessings and I realize
Life is a miracle when I see it that way
I focus on the beauty, that’s why I’ve got to say

I am so grateful for:
All of my friends, My wonderful life, My radiant health,
My abundance, The joy in my heart
The peace in my life, Every blessing. 

What are you grateful for?

Day 78 in Gratitude

Today was filled with joy and love. I cherish days like today. First thing this morning I was woke by my middle son sending me a text. About 30 minutes later he called. Then my oldest son sent a text. A few friends called, a few more texts. I laid in bed, read a few magazines and enjoyed the sunshine. My husband surprised me with a new FLIP Video! Then my youngest son called to talk and tell me about his weekend. I went to lunch with my big sister. She's not really my big sister but my very dear friend. Since it was so nice out, when I came home, my husband and I took a nice, long walk around the lake. The lake is a new found treasure, up until now I didn't even know it existed.The forest preserve is less than a mile from my house and I had been so busy with my life that I never noticed. When we came back from our walk I took a nap. A NAP on a Saturday afternoon...fabulous! We went to Borrowed Earth for dinner. Borrowed Earth is a RAW cafe and the food is out of this world delicious. The owners are great and we had great conversation.

Thank you, thank you to everyone who shared my birthday today. I love you all and my life would not be the same without each and every one of you. I am truly blessed.

What are you grateful for?

Day 76 in Gratitude

This has been a tough week for a number of reasons but with that said:

1. I am grateful for my cousin's sense of humor, she always knows how to make me laugh.

2. I am grateful that I have my health.

3. I am grateful to have friends I can reach out to. I am not isolated and can pick up the phone or text to friends anytime, day or night.

What are you grateful for?

Day 75 in Gratitude, a letter from Sendai

A letter from Sendai

Things here in Sendai have been rather surreal. But I am very blessed to have wonderful friends who are helping me a lot. Since my shack is even more worthy of that name, I am now staying at a friend's home. We share supplies like water, food and a kerosene heater. We sleep lined up in one room, eat by candlelight, share stories. It is warm, friendly, and beautiful.

During the day we help each other clean up the mess in our homes. People sit in their cars, looking at news on their navigation screens, or line up to get drinking water when a source is open. If someone has water running in their home, they put out a sign so people can come to fill up their jugs and buckets.
It's utterly amazingly that where I am there has been no looting, no pushing in lines. People leave their front door open, as it is safer when an earthquake strikes. People keep saying, "Oh, this is how it used to be in the old days when everyone helped one another."

Quakes keep coming. Last night they struck about every 15 minutes. Sirens are constant and helicopters pass overhead often.

We got water for a few hours in our homes last night, and now it is for half a day. Electricity came on this afternoon. Gas has not yet come on. But all of this is by area. Some people have these things, others do not. No one has washed for several days. We feel grubby, but there are so much more important concerns than that for us now. I love this peeling away of non-essentials. Living fully on the level of instinct, of intuition, of caring, of what is needed for survival, not just of me, but of the entire group.

There are strange parallel universes happening. Houses a mess in some places, yet then a house with futons or laundry out drying in the sun. People lining up for water and food, and yet a few people out walking their dogs. All happening at the same time.

Other unexpected touches of beauty are first, the silence at night. No cars. No one out on the streets. And the heavens at night are scattered with stars. I usually can see about two, but now the whole sky is filled. The mountains are Sendai are solid and with the crisp air we can see them silhouetted against the sky magnificently.

And the Japanese themselves are so wonderful. I come back to my shack to check on it each day, now to send this e-mail since the electricity is on, and I find food and water left in my entranceway. I have no idea from whom, but it is there. Old men in green hats go from door to door checking to see if everyone is OK. People talk to complete strangers asking if they need help. I see no signs of fear. Resignation, yes, but fear or panic, no.

They tell us we can expect aftershocks, and even other major quakes, for another month or more. And we are getting constant tremors, rolls, shaking, rumbling. I am blessed in that I live in a part of Sendai that is a bit elevated, a bit more solid than other parts. So, so far this area is better off than others. Last night my friend's husband came in from the country, bringing food and water. Blessed again.

Somehow at this time I realize from direct experience that there is indeed an enormous Cosmic evolutionary step that is occurring all over the world right at this moment. And somehow as I experience the events happening now in Japan, I can feel my heart opening very wide. My brother asked me if I felt so small because of all that is happening. I don't. Rather, I feel as part of something happening that much larger than myself. This wave of birthing (worldwide) is hard, and yet magnificent.

Thank you again for your care and Love of me,
With Love in return, to you all,
Anne

This letter is from Ode Magazine. I am so thankful to read a story that isn't horror ridden and completely dictated from the media. I'm not downplaying the terrible devastation that has taken place in Japan. What I am saying is that even in the face of severe, life-threatening challenges, there is always hope.

What are you grateful for?

Day 73 in Gratitude

 Just three days after Japan's devastating earthquake and sunami there is hope:

(CNN) -- A massive emergency response operation is under way in northern Japan, with world governments and international aid groups coming together to bring relief to the beleaguered island nation.
So far, 91 countries and regions and 6 international organizations have extended offers of assistance, Japan's foreign affairs ministry said.
The Japanese government has received 11 urban search and rescue teams, including teams from the United States, South Korea, Australia, Germany, Mexico, New Zealand, China, Hungary, Singapore and the United Kingdom.
Japan's own search and rescue team was in New Zealand, assisting with recovery from the recent Christchurch earthquake, when the 9.0 magnitude quake and tsunami struck on Friday.

There are things we, as American's can do to help http://www.redcross.org/portal/site/en/menuitem.1a019a978f421296e81ec89e43181aa0/?vgnextoid=6e051b139d1be210VgnVCM10000089f0870aRCRD

I am thankful for all who continue to hold love and hope in their hearts for all the victims of this disaster - our prayers are with you.

What are you grateful for?

Day 72 in Gratitude - the first Baby Shower!

Today was just an amazing day. One of my sons is expecting his first baby. First off, I still can't believe that. Let me say it one more time (for my own benefit because it still hasn't sunk in)...one of my sons is expecting his first baby!! I am so happy for him. He smiles more, he laughs more, he glows just like the Mommy To Be. I love seeing him so happy. That's what every Mother dreams, that their children are happy. And I do believe that he is happy. He has a wonderful woman in his life. She's down to earth, beautiful and so easy to love. She has something about her that is infectious. She walks into a room and the whole room lights up. And, now that she's pregnant...wow! She glows! This is what life is all about; spending time with family, seeing your children in love and the beginning of a miracle. Today I am so grateful for 1. That my son has met such a wonderfully warm, loving, caring woman and 2. That they're giving me my first grandbaby!

What are you grateful for?

Day 71 in Gratitude - my middle son's 5 seconds of fame!

I couldn't stop laughing! I logged on to Facebook today and kept reading posts from my friends saying "hey, I saw your son on Wheel of Fortune last night for The Palmer House." After reading one or two posts I laughed it off thinking it was a case of mistaken identity. But after the third post I started getting upset thinking I knew nothing about my middle son being on television! I called him immediately and asked why the heck he didn't tell his Mom he was going to be on tv?? He kept denying it and laughing saying that my friends were nuts! Well, I couldn't argue that point but...So I got onto You Tube and found the link, sure enough he WAS on tv. Now, I may be a proud Mom but you have to admit, he is handsome, isn't he??

So for today, I am grateful for the little surprises that make my day! Finding out my son was on tv brightened my day and made me smile! My readers probably won't enjoy this as much as I do but hey, I'm just a proud Momma. If you're wondering which one my son is, he's the handsome devil behind the counter talking to a customer at The Palmer House.

What are you grateful for?

Day 68 in Gratitude

I seem to be in a state of confusion. So many things seem to be changing, or at least there is a hint of change in the air and I don't really know how I feel about all of it. I need to take some time alone and think things through. Or maybe, better yet, follow my heart. A very good friend always asks "are you willing to live with the consequences of your decision?" which really makes you think long and hard about making the decision. Sometimes when faced with a major, life-changing fork in the road I like to talk things through with friends. Not for clarity so much as for a different perspective. I always have to remember this - I can talk things over with my friends for hours and hours, hashing over the facts, the emotions involved but it all boils down to this; they don't have to live with my decision - I DO! All I know right now is I am grateful that life is full of choices.

What are you grateful for?

Day 66 in Gratitude

I am grateful that I have kept up with this gratitude blog for 66 days. When I'm having a bad day, I'm crabby or over-tired and I come home to blog, it changes the way I look at things. Today, for instance, I was driving to work when a stone hit my car's windshield and cracked it. For as long as I've been driving this has never happened to me - for that alone I'm thankful. My first instinct was to start worrying about how I'm going to pay to have the windshield fixed. Right away my mind went to the negative, worrying about something I really

Day 65 in Gratitude

I have so much to be thankful for today. Yesterday my husband's daughter came in from Colorado to visit during her Spring Break. We haven't seen her in awhile and it's really nice having her visit. It is loud tho! Our house is usually very, very quiet. It's just my husband, me and the dog so having a very lively 15 year old in the house is

Day 63 in Gratitude

1. I am grateful for friends who love me unconditionally.
2. I am grateful for kind words from others.
3. I am grateful for friends who stand by my side and help support me when I need it most.
4. I am grateful for good food and great conversation.
5. I am grateful to be able to hear and be a part of laughter among friends.
6. I am grateful for friends who guide me to forgive easily.
7. I am grateful for quiet mornings spent in thought.

What are you grateful for?

Day 62 in Gratitude

Listening to others, just being there for someone gives me great joy. I want to continue to learn how to become a better listener. We were given two ears but only one mouth because listening is twice as hard as talking. Maya Angelou once said. "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."  When someone decides to confide in another, they do so to fulfill a need. They may be looking for advice, compassion or empathy or they may just want/need to express emotions. I know there is a real distinction between hearing the words and really listening for and understanding the message. When someone confides in me I want to continue learning to actively and attentively listen. I am so grateful to be able to offer an ear to friends or anyone who confides in me.

On a much sillier note, my husband snores like a chain saw cutting through the rain forest. Sometimes it's subtle - if that's possible - and sometimes you'd think I was laying next to a grizzly bear. I know most people complain (they're not alone, I do it too!) that their significant other snores too loud. So loud that they have trouble falling asleep. But think about this, if you didn't have that significant other laying next to you - snoring like a mad man/women, wouldn't you miss it? So, this may be the one and only time I say this but...I am grateful to have my honey laying next to me snoring!

What are you grateful for?

Day 61 in Gratitude

"We are all teachers and what we teach is what we learn. And so we teach it over and over again until we learn." from A Course In Miracles. Just as we are all students in life, we are all teachers. In fact we learn best by offering what we desire for ourselves to as many individuals as we can, as frequently as we can. If I inspire enough people for a long enough period of time, I'll learn what I need to learn - gratitude. I'm sure there are many, many other lessons for me to learn but for today - gratitude.

Today I am grateful for being open to learn. I continue to learn from the people in my life. I learn grace, patience, kindness and humbleness. Of course, then the day is over and I need to start learning all over again - hey, I'm not perfect, I'm a work in progress. Thank you, thank you, to all my teachers.

What are you grateful for?