Thankful Veteran's Day

I am grateful for many things today :

1. Time with my family

2. A day to wear sweats and rest and fight off a cold

3. The general safety of my country

4. The sacrifices of our military service personnel

5. And the sacrifices of their families

6. Living in a free country

7. Cough drops

8. Signs that my son is getting better, not worse

9. 10 hours of sleep last night

10. Home fried potatoes for breakfast

Thankful

Coming down with you cold, so I'm going to dive right in. I am thankful for:

1. My students' enthusiasm for card making today (and their general good-naturedness)

2. The many men and women of the armed services who do jobs I would never want to do

3. My MIL for picking up my sick boy from day care

4. My son's good spirits despite a seemingly constant cough

5. The promise of sleep

6. Mac-n-cheese

7. Starbucks gift cards

8. My husband for putting dinner on the table almost every single night

9. Three-day weekends

10. Sweat pants

Thankful Crafting

Today, my students are creating cards to say thank you to our veterans and our service men and women. As I gathered supplies for this project, I got to thinking about all the craftiness that makes me happy and for which I am grateful:

• Glitter
• Patterened paper
• Acrylic paint
• Glitter
• Cute stamps - especially of bicycles or owls or trees
• Glue - because nothing is more fun that cutting and gluing (or so thinks my son)
• Glitter
• Adhesive-backed rhinestones
• Ribbon
• Glitter
• Embossing powder
• My new Cuttlebug
• Glitter
• My Cricut
• Paper flowers - I used to use them on every project

Did I mention glitter? All these things bring energy and fun into my life. Yes, they are just things, but they are FUN things, are they not?

What makes your day glitter?

A Thankful Reminder to Self: You Got It Good

Lately I have been thinking about responsible shopping, which got me thinking about from where my things originate, which got me thinking about disparities inside  the world, which got me thinking about all that I have that mothers in many countries don't. Most of it pertains to the relative certainty of my life. Nothing in life is completely certain, but it is true that my life breeds fewer questions than it might had I been born elsewhere.

For these reasons, I am dedicating today's thank-full post to the questions I don't have to ask:

~ Will we have clean water tomorrow?

~ Will we have food on the table?

~ Will my daughter get to attend school?

~ Will my children have the freedom to choose their faith?

~ Will my daughter never have to engage in prostitution for survival?

~ Will my children work as slaves?

~ Will my husband have to go to war?

~ Will we have access to medical care?

~ Will my children be allowed to participate in their political system?

~ Will they have the freedom to speak their minds?

What questions do you not have to ask?

Grateful Monday

Today I am grateful for the following:

*  My big news: I am going to China!

*  Hot mint tea

*  Antibiotics for my doggy's ear infection

*  A daughter who is feeling better

*  My new tote bag for work

*  My parents for watching my sick kid

*  The promise of sleep tonight without a dog who is up with a sore ear every hour

*  Dharma Zephyr

*  Central heating

*  Roasted pine nuts from my mom

*  My school's new vice principal for his tact and diplomacy

Are you thankful?

Thankful Snowy Sunday

1) A warm bed

2) Finished plans for my boy's birthday party

3) Happy children

4) Breakfast out with the family (a rare occurrence)

5) My iPod and podcasts

6) An extra hour to tackle my to-do list

7) Albuterol for my sick girl's lungs

8) My parents

9) Yummy Cracker Box omelets

10) My husband for splitting an omelet with me

Thankful Birthday

Another post for Thankful November.

1) A great 41st birthday

2) A productive day

3) A lovely dinner courtesy of my mom: barbecued lamb chops with cranberry sauce and pine nuts; vegetable rice; salad with pears, apples, and blue cheese crumbled on top; my brother's homemade sourdough bread with peach chutney; wine; and spring cake

4) Fun presents: a briefcase, a Cuttlebug with dry embossing cartridges, a journaling book, and a case of various colors of glitter

5) Afternoon naps

6) Afternoon double-tall lattes with an Equal

7) Reading Matilda with Roz

8) The health of my family

9) Playing matchbox cars and stamping with Sawyer

10) Layers of blankets on my bed

Do any of these strike a chord with you?