cccrrrkkkk... tango 4 over and out...cccrrrkkkk...

I am doing a bit of catch up today, so there will be multiple posts for multiple days. It is hard writing / blogging and being conscious of gratitude. I think I have improved immensely because I may have not blogged but I did have a gratitude thought each of these days. That is a big step in the right direction - my heart and head are in the right place. Now, if I could just get that darn life to follow suit…:)

Thursday, I was grateful for helping, making someone laughing out loud. I can be the most serious driven person one moment and then the silliest, just shake your head stupid, childish person in the next moment. (PS – I am probably un-diagnosed as a bi-polar and schizophrenic) I think my favorite moments in life are when I am this Jill brand of silly, except when it involves alcohol – and we won’t go there. Any who, so I enjoy making people laugh and hearing people laugh. I would much prefer to be Fred or George, then a Hermione. I enjoy being the court jester, if I can get a laugh, smile or chuckle, I feel good.

So, today I am grateful for being the court jester and making a friend laugh out loud.

PS - to my friend, I think you are more a Dumbledore than Malfoy. Mysterious, thinking, creative, secretive, but caring and protective all in one.

Namaste

He Makes A Mean Soup

My dad has retired officially, yet unofficially, from the work world. In September, he retired officially from UPS, but now works for another company when the mood strikes him. The mood strikes him usually about 6:30 am until about 3:00 pm Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursdays! He has to get his head examined. When I retire, I am in bon-bon-ville, poolside with Sven fanning me, while Helga does my toes. Am I missing something? Here is a man, who has worked his whole life, in one form or another, gets to the golden age, can now finally relax, and what does he do, he works. I guess that type of sickness cannot be leached out too quickly or at all sometimes. Oh well, if it makes him happy, keeps him busy and stops him from calling me every 2 minutes, I say go Daddy, go!



Really, I am very grateful for my Dad’s retirement. He does seem much more relaxed and can do more of things he enjoys instead of sitting at a desk all day. Also, this gives him the time to make his wonderful and delicious delicacies. My favorite being his beef soup. And boy, does he make a mean soup. The most recent batch of beef soup was the inaugural event for the new Chantal cast iron soup pot. It was absolutely, melt in your mouth, warm you up inside, stick to your ribs, delicious. One bite and I am 10 years old again, fighting with my brothers for more noodles and seconds. The perfect blend of vegetables and meat. Just like, I remember it, during those endless, cold, snowy, and wonderful Sundays growing up. Mmmm.

Aren’t memories just lovely? The good and the bad. It is funny how one mouthful of soup and I have a smile on my face for the day.

Today, I am, oh so, grateful for my Dad, his retirement, his relaxation and his culinary abilities…

Namaste

What a Man

Happy New Year!

Today and this past year, I am most grateful for one thing. Most importantly, I am very grateful for my husband and his patience. I love his nature. It is so soft to my hard and sometimes maniac personality.
So, I suppose a little background about me would put his "amazingness" into perspective. I come from a family of the great debaters. We love to have heated “discussions” about everything. To an innocent bystander, with an untrained eye, these “discussions” might seem like shouting matches. But really, these “discussions” are many strong willed opinionated people communicating. This was my environment growing up. These “discussions” would be launched anytime two of us were in one room together. It is how I learned to communicate with other individuals. So, it is my nature to automatically raise my pitch a couple octaves, put my head down and win this “discussion”. But this runs so, so, sooo counter to my husband’s way of “discussions”. Just picture a marshmallow hitting a boulder. He doesn’t ever raise his voice and he agrees with everything you say. Now to a debater, this is the most frustrating defense in a “discussion”. The opponent must come back with the next volley in the discussion. But my husband, just takes the ball, says okay and walks away.

So, yesterday, we had one of those “discussions” and I am charged up, ready and begin my tirade, oops I mean ”discussion”. After what seems like 20 minutes of me laying out my points very poignantly and succinctly, I open my eyes, come down out of my frenzy, ready for the rebuttal, but, there is no rebuttal or counter “discussion” point, just a bewildered, kind set of eyes looking at me like I have 3 heads. He just looked at me with pure understanding that he knows I am off my rocker and I needed to vent at that moment. It takes a special man to recognize crazy and still love it.

So, this day, year, and moment, I am most grateful for my husband and his all-knowing, non-judging, understanding and beautiful nature!

Namaste

Modern Technology

Yesterday, I had a colonoscopy. Isn't technology amazing? Who thought this up? …One day, while playing with his spaghetti, little Timmy sticks a piece through his straw , then he thinks I wonder if I could look into a person’s bowel via a spaghetti camera... So, because of little Timmy, they can put a small camera on a stick up my rumpass to check for a litany of ailments. Although, it did not seem like a small camera at the time, just imagine a 2x4 going through a straw??? Actually, I didn’t feel a thing. The doctor must have given me some really good drugs, because all I remember is that one moment I am lying on my side in the operating room and the next moment I am in a recovery room speaking gibberish.

The colonoscopy went well. There is nothing to report from the colonoscopy, except that I have some very lazy, lazy bowels. Isn’t life funny? I am maniac and frantic about every aspect of my life and everything I do, but I have lazy and slow bowels. The one thing you wish would not be lazy and I got it. God / Allah / Buddha / {Insert your favorite deity} is definitely working in mysterious and weird ways this time…

So, today, I very grateful for modern technology and a lovely little camera.

Namaste

Multitudes of Gratitude

Today and yesterday, I am most grateful for our wonderful friends. Last evening we held a casual Christmas party, with games, food and loads of fun. It was so much fun to be around everyone. It was the perfect kick off to the Christmas week. We are truly blessed with such kind, happy and funny friends.

As an added bonus, we extended our circle last evening with the introduction of the most lovely soul. It warms my heart with gratitude for bringing such a beautiful person, inside and out, to our dear friend. I am so happy he found someone as special and kind as he is....

I am very grateful for my friends and time we can spend together.

Namaste