Prayer Works!

Today I Am Grateful For~

• Summer, warm weather and being able to just go outside with out any prep time before hand.
• Getting some sun today.
• How intuitive my dreams are.
• Stuff coming up to be healed.
• Thinking that I wanted to find a different way to do anger work this morning and thinking of one idea and being shown another. I love options.
• How Richard is perfect for my continued healing.
• Asking Shaina for a win-win tonight when arranging her use of the van.
• Sharing with her that I was feeling discounted and disrespected.
• Her shifting out of whiny demanding "but, I wanna ____!" and into sweet and thoughtful problem solving.
• Remembering to pray for help before speaking.
• Turning things over, turning things over, turing things over, better known as surrender.
• Being willing to be led.
• Talks with friends.
• Being trusted, it means a lot. Thanks Amy.
• Gifts of tile from our neighbor that will help spruce up the back of our bathtub.
• Having my dinner bought and a free coffee drink to boot! Thanks Steph and Amy :~}
• Hearing that Steph really enjoyed the belly rub I gave her at womyn's camp. Which reminded me of how soothing it was to do it. Thinking about it allowed me to re-experience it. Have I said before how much I love nurturing others?
• Knowing that the Cymbalta is continuing to increase working on my mood. Because although I don't like the issues being presented to me right now, I'm fairly calm and on an even keel about them. And can still focus on other things.

Love, Sharon

Re-framing

Today I am Grateful For~

• Plans with 2 different friends this week.
• My flexible schedule.
• Hearing back from the Jumpstart program this morning.
• Open house and on the spot interviews next TU for "qualified candidates".
• Knowing that I am the penultimate candidate for this job.
• My SIL, Vicki mentioning that it's a good idea to send a thank you note after an interview. Who knew?
• The Note from the Universe that mentioned me getting back into the jeans I wore "back in the day". I wonder who let it slip that I was dieting and what my goal was!
• Getting some time to lay out today.
• Remembering today as I reflected on Shanan & Michelle's trip, that I have had some incredible experiences that have created incredible memories. Like having seen northern lights in the UP (and hanging out with family just watchin them) and seeing them as a child living in Alaska, or climbing to the top of a mountain on the back of a 4 wheeler and watching the sunset, or being rushed to the top of a small island after an earthquake just in case there was a tidal wave (sounds scary but it never felt that way to me it always was an adventure), and many others.
• The way that the realization had me re-framing my life.
• All the adventures yet to come. Like drinking wine in Bali or walking on the Great Wall of China, or playing in waterfalls in Hawaii, or returning to Tulum, or exploring the Parthenon.
• Getting to spend time, however briefly, walking along the river today.
• The sound of crickets and moonlight so bright that I could see my shadow last night.
• You, moonbeam, you.

Love, Sharon

Everything Changes

Tonight I am Grateful for~

• Richard encouraging me not to settle.
• His idea of covering up the hideous brown paint on the floor of my studyroom with the light blue/gray stain we used on our porch.
• Realizing there is a light grayish blue in the chair that I want for the room. So the blue floor will be a perfect compliment to the room.
• Shaina's manager, Shannon buying our lunch when we stopped at Potbelly to eat today.
• My bedroom finally being a sanctuary to retreat to, instead of a dumping ground for stuff.
• The neighbors deciding to plant new lilac bushes in their yard beside our driveway.
• Kathy suggesting that we could both take some of the small sprouts from the existing lilac bush that was pulled out (I was distressed. That bush is the beautiful backdrop for the pictures from Shaina first prom). Now parts of the bush will live on.
• That she even offered some sprouts from a bush in the front of her yard.
• Yet another instance of someone helping with the beautification of our home.
• Submitting an application for a work-study position on campus that totally fits my past experience and future goals.
• Richard being open to getting someone to clean the house this fall/winter while I'm in school.
• Being able to pay for it when I get the work study position.
• Being mentioned in someone's glog (have I said before how much I appretiate being mentioned?)
• Picking up my book from Borders today, and a couple of curtain rods for the house and finally, the new to us chair w/ottoman for the livingroom.
• Bud and Nancy, Bud and Nancy, Bud and Nancy, we never would've made it without them. Heck, we still wouldn't be making it without them.
• That they came to a campfire last night before leaving for California today.
• Meeting our "new" neighbor Andy and his sister (Andy moved in just before the holidays last year).
• Getting a chance to play Mama Bird again to Amira last night.
• The enjoyment I get from giving nurturing.
• You, baby bird, you.

Love, Sharon

Home~Making

Today I Am Grateful For~

• Thinking of setting a soothing mood for dinner last night with fresh flowers and candlelight throughout the house.
• A wonderfully delicious dinner made by none other than, Me!
• Rave reviews on said dinner from my MIL and Richard.
• The great recipe for Beef Stroganoff that I have and the wonderful way I tweak it to make it even better.
• Making food that others enjoy.
• Getting more comfortable with bragging. That's right, I'm bragging. Mama Gina said I should, you got a problem with that? Um, okay, maybe not as comfortable as I'd like to be.
• The way that the house is evolving into a warm, welcoming, beautiful place to call home.
• Richard for cleaning our bedroom last night and making it look Fabulous!
• Playing with more options to make the house even more functional and perfect for us.
• All the creativity that's starting to flow, playing with the things that have been given to us lately, and thinking of new uses/places for things we already have.
• Another possible kitchen make-over soon. Hey, just the possibility is encouraging.
• All of the energy and motivation Richard provides that helps me follow through and continue on.
• Creative ideas from Richard to make my study room more beautiful.
• Being 90% done with painting the room (unless we go with Richard's idea, then it'll be about 65-70% done).
• Endless Possibilities.
• You.

Love, Sharon

Taking Care of Me

Today I am Grateful for~

• A happy ending to a book I was reading.
• My MIL accepting my invitation to dinner at our house on Friday night.
• Walking up to Shaina's work today to get the van and getting exercise at the same time.
• A real conversation with my 14 yr old BIL.
• Letting him know he is loved no matter what.
• More rain.
• Focusing on how I can feel the most healthy for the start of the next semester.
• Caterpillars who cross sidewalks.
• Taking the time to "rescue" a baby bird this afternoon. Getting Jacob (aforementioned BIL) to help me with a ladder, climbing up to the bird house and putting the baby bird back inside. Even if the little nut decided to fly right back out of the birdhouse!
• Being more comfortable with the habit of eating low carb.
• Commemts on my Glog.
• Getting to read others glogs and feeling uplifted.
• Knowing Shanan is w/Michelle JT right now having an phenomenal experience.
• Thinking of questions I never thought of as a kid like: Where do baby birds go when they "leave the nest"/grow up? and "Where do turtles sleep at night?"
• Answers from the Universe.

Love,

Sharon

Following the Flow

Today I am Grateful for ~

• Seeing yellow finches and small woodpeckers around our house yesterday.
• Hearing, for the first time, a bird that actually sounded like it was saying,"tweet, tweet, tweet" and one that sounded like it was saying, "chirp, chirp, chirp". Now I finally know how it is that those words came to be.
• Deciding to get the darkest tan possible this summer (safely of course!) in honor of my Indian Heritage and my upcoming project on said heritage this Fall.
• Already starting to see some color, which is good because it takes my skin a while to get going on the color thing.
• The wonderful rain, which although is interrupting my tanning is good for our lawn.
• Infinite possibilities.
• Notes from the Universe and how every once in a while one of them makes/invites me to feel totally loved. If you haven't seen them before, check them out at www.tut.com
• Choosing new options for taking care of myself by buying some stuff from the vitamin store.
• Knowing that this semester is handled.
• Knowing that it is handled for Shaina, too.
• Really feeling in partnership with Richard.
• Striving to learn how to give him the respect he deserves.
• The material abundance that has come our way lately. Gifts from Richards parents as they rearrange their home.
• My MIL having good taste and not buying junk.
• Rescuing a small kitchen table with a single drop leaf yesterday that will make the perfect desk for my study room. I've already begun the process for stripping it.
• Connections with like minded individuals.
• You.

Love,

Sharon

Before and After

Today I Am Grateful For~

• Richard and I working as a team and getting all of the area rugs outside yesterday and power-washing them.
• Scrubbing the living room floor on hands and knees together.
• Getting the dining room floor wiped down as well.
• Richard's inspiration to follow my suggestion from a while back and switch the living room for the dining room.
• The amount of work we have accomplished in the last two days.
• How the house looks now: so much more open. Our environment is looking so different and is feeling like a reflection of the changes we are making internally.
• The beautiful wool rug that Richard's friend Andy gave us. It goes perfectly in the dining room (the new dining room).
• The sound of crickets on a warm summer night.
• A really great walk last night filled with forgiveness work and gratitude.
• Doing "poopie patrol" in the back yard today which facilitated more internal cleansing, letting go of old stuff, old beliefs and more forgiveness work. God help me, I'm actually starting to like poopie patrol.
• My little black cat who is on the desk in front of me staring at me upside down.
• The birds in our neighborhood and the songs they sing.
• Getting a call from Borders that my book, "Open to Desire: Embracing a Lust for Life" is now at the store and ready for pick up.
• Actually starting to look forward to this semester. Registered for my classes already; I'll be carrying 15 credit hours.
• Looking forward to a blessed solitde break in just a couple of weeks.
• Going to the vitamin store yesterday and getting a few thing that will help nourish my body as I once again begin the process of shedding excess pounds.
• Having the idea today to take before and after pictures. To put up on the fridge for motivation and to show to all the people who say,"You don't need to lose weight!"
• Having the kind of frame, and the knowledge of how to dress it so my weight doesn't show unless I want it to. And of course, I never want it to, lol! Darn! shoulda taken before and after pics of the living room and dining room.
• You, all you busy bees out there, you.

Love,

Sharon

Full Circle

Today I am Grateful for~

• Pets, who are unconditionally loving and so affectionate.
• Aflac and the amount of training and encouragement/positive reinforcement it gives to it's associates. Richard gets to go go-karting today as part of a training/quarterly meeting/celebration.
• Getting an answer that we were waiting on.
• The positive changes in my relationship with Peter (one of our dogs).
• The blessed rain yesterday.
• That we only had heavy rain and not storm conditions.
• Some exciting possibilities in the near future.
• Creating a team of powerful, loving women.
• Having a lot of fun with Richard last night creating affirmations for manifesting wealth and positive changes in our lives. Just as we were talking and joking about it the song, "It's My Life" came on the radio and we were totally in sync with it. We had fun singing it at 100%. It was awesome. Then even though it was 9 o'clock, Richard said let's go buy that cd and we ran out to find somewhere open. There were two things that made this Bon Jovi song especially meaningful for me/us. One is that back when we were young and newly married another Bon Jovi song "Livin' On A Prayer" was a favorite of ours (complete with singing it to each other). The song mentioned two young lovers, Tommy & Gina struggling to make it. So, fast forward 20 years as Richard and I are singing along to "It's My Life" one of the lyrics stands out..."Tommy and Gina Never backed down." I was lovin' it! That so totally describes the way that Richard and I have held onto each other and the love between us through all the ups and downs, all the drama, family dysfunction, etc. It was a full circle moment. As if that weren't enough, "It's My Life" was my theme song when I decided to return to school. It was meaningful in my transition from being "Mom" to being Me. Now it's something that Richard and I share. I am feeling very blessed.
• Tenacity and commitment.
• All of you, you young lovers, you!

Love,

Sharon

Family Bonding

Today I Am Grateful For~

• A nice family reunion-type gathering at Richard's Aunt's home in Carleton.
• The beautiful weather.
• Choosing to let Shaina's deviled eggs be the only dish we brought.
• Warm welcoming hugs.
• Bring-a-dish-to-pass gatherings and the delicious food that shows up!
• Getting access to a cottage on a lake for my week of solitude before school starts (thanks to Uncle Dave & Aunt Kaye!).
• Being ready for the first time in my life to have a week without other people around.
• The sleeping, reading, sunbathing, swimming and doing nothing that I anticipate.
• Talks of the family going in on property together up north to maintain our yearly Rondeau getaway.
• Going to the Wyandotte Art Fair w/ Richard last night.
• Asking for what I want and getting it.
• The many ways in which Richard is giving me what I want lately.
• Being mentioned in Michele's gratitude list :~)
• Hearing other parents at the family function today, saying that their teens were at home because they'd rather be playing their new video games and feeling proud that Shaina was with us because she would rather be with family.
• The ways in which our family has changed and the ways that it has stayed the same.
• You, Cuzz, You...

Love, Sharon

Magic

Today I Am Grateful For ~

• A nice dinner and fire afterwards with Nancy & Bud.
• The support that they have always given us.
• Nancy echoing our feelings that they have been more like parent figures to us than landlords/mortgage holders.
• Being loved for who we are.
• Richard surprising my by spreading the mulch I got in the front flower bed.
• The incredible pasta dish Richard whipped up last night.
• The "Harry Potter" movie being in theaters now and plans to see it this week.
• The creativity of JK Rowling and how her writing gets me in touch with the child in me that loves make-believe, pretend, fairies, goblins, trolls, witches and magic. Which reminds me of a poem I wrote when I was 17:

Rainbows and Unicorns, of these things dreams are born.

Leprechauns, pots of gold, fairy tales, yet untold.

Woodkins, sprites and elves, are they real we ask ourselves.

Mermaids, waterbabies, Maub the Queen of these things a child does dream.

Spells woven on golden spinning wheels, their silvery magic a child does feel.

The things we give up at childhood's end make us feel as if we've lost a lifelong friend.

• Words and using them artfully.
• The child in all of us.
• You, my little imp, you!

Cleaning Up

Today I Am Grateful For~

• The free mulch that Dearborn provides for it's residents from trees that get trimmed, removed, etc. It's good for the 3 R's and good for my pocketbook.
• Picking up more than enough mulch yesterday to do my front flower bed.
• Being healthy enough to shovel it into the back of the truck by myself (hard work, yuck!).
• Making good choices yesterday.
• Figuring out that I can make cleaning up dog poo in the back yard a symbolic act of cleaning up old crap. Now I don't mind doing it. Oh, yeah, the pooper-scooper helps...
• Summer, Summer, Summer. I think I finally feel relaxed.
• Getting a lot of fresh vegetables at Randazzo's for just $15.
• Some awesome experiences with wildlife this past week: watching moths and butterflies dance on the breeze yesterday, seeing a racoon climb face first down off of a garage roof onto a garden arch, grab for said arch with it's hands, almost fall, swing like a pendulum for a second until it righted itself and continue climbing face first hand over hand until it was on the ground and scurrying away, hilarious! And a moment on the path beside the river when a heron flew down and landed in the river parallel to where I was standing. It stood there for a second then seemed to notice me and flew back the way it came. It must have been about 30 - 40 feet from me, Wow! Dude, those things are huge!
• Impromptu entertaining, it's been happening a lot this summer.
• Painkillers that kill pain and relax you when you've over done it (reference shoveling mulch!).
• Reading for pleasure, ah-hhh!
• Taking risks.
• You.

Riding the Currents

Today I AM Grateful For ~

• Banana pancakes [delicious!]and Michelle D. for making them at Womyn's Camp.
• Richard for making them for me a couple of times now since then.
• Having dinner already cooked for tonight.
• Richard listening as I read out loud to him from a book that Mama Gena recommended.
• Knowing that things will be different between us as a result; and feeling butterflies about it! ;~)
• That thinking about Richard can still give me butterflies after almost 21 years together.
• The changes we are both making.
• Constantly choosing love over fear.
• My sister letting me know that she'll be visiting in a few weeks.
• Little waves of feeling better.
• Book and map orders coming in.
• Feeling productive today.
• Being reminded of the concept of doing what needs to be done with love.
• Reading other's glogs and being delighted and inspired.
• You.

Stasis

Today I Am Grateful For ~

• My studyroom being about 80% painted.
• Being able to envision the beautiful haven that it will be.
• Love and support from friends.
• Opportunities to come face to face with my beliefs about myself.
• Possiblity thinking.
• Being patient with my seratonin/norepinephrine levels slowly returning to normal.
• Re-reading a favorite book of mine from early adolescence and realizing that I've been trying to teach myseslf to see people for who they really are and to look beyond the fear they exhibit (which often looks like anger, meanness, impatience and judgement) for a very long time. Here are a couple of lines from A Wind in the Door by Madeleine L'Engle: "If someone knows who he is, really knows, then he doesn't need to hate." "Love. That's what makes persons know who they are."
• Those and other spiritual truths in a chldren's book.
• Getting together with friends yesterday.
• A relaxing comfortable evening.
• Kari's generosity.
• My partnership with Richard and how we are working to support each other.

I'm Ea-zey, Easy like Sunday Mornin'

Today I Am Grateful for~

• Getting my application sent off to Lilly Cares Foundation today applying for getting free meds.
• 4 weeks worth of Cymbalta in the meantime.
• Mark Epstein and his article in "O" magazine, very enlightening.
• Getting to re-read the article today at the doctor's office.
• Hearing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" at Potbelly, while waiting to borrow Shaina's keys. For those of you who don't know, the rainbow is a symbol of reassurance for me and has a knack of popping up when I need it to. And the part that suddenly seemed significant was, "...where the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true."
• Daring to dream more and more all the time.
• Exercising today.
• Being okay with my errands that were supposed to take 2 hours taking 4 and a half...
• Being a go with the flow kind of person.
• Starting to feel overwhelmed with all that's on my plate right now (and all that I want to put on it), then automatically singing to myself, "When life is too much, Roll with it baby."
• All the musicians and songwriters whose songs touch me, encourage me, make me think or smile or laugh or cry.
• Music, Music, Music...
• You, you crazy riff, You!

Love,

Sharon

Uncomfortable

Today I Am Grateful For~

• Being out of my comfort zone for 4 days now.
• Riding through the ups and downs of being out of said zone.
• Being able to talk through the experiences with Richard.
• The Aflac meeting yesterday and how many things matched with our values.
• The Aflac vision statement mentioning that they are a relationship-based company that thrives by being honest and trustworthy, treating each other with dignity and respect, having open, honest communication and integrity (full statement to be posted at a later date).
• Being there to support Richard who was feeling awful I thought he was going to pass out a couple of times there. If he didn't need to show up for another team member to get her reward we would have stayed home! Well he would've stayed home, I would've went to Women's Group, lol.
• Only getting a mild form of the virus that Richard got.
• Richard winning the 50/50 Raffle that they held for the Aflac Cancer Center.
• Having the people skills to participate in the meeting and make Rich look good.
• Not staying long at a grad party we stopped by in the evening.
• Getting home in time to watch a movie with Shaina.
• Making good choices today.
• A very slow day today after a draining day of being "on" on top of being sick yesterday.
• Realizing that I needed three more quarts of glaze to do my room and finding that Aco had the glaze clearanced at $1/quart.
• Being able to buy high quality paint at bargain basement prices.
• Getting back to the river Friday and today and letting it soothe me.
• Going to bed early...

Goodnight, Sharon