I have been breathing air into my lungs for 37 years. THIRTY SEVEN. Birthdays have been known to make me cry since the age of 23 although I have no inkling as to why. I’m comfortable with the whole “age is just a number” stance and have converted my way of thinking from “birthdays signify another year closer to death” into “birthdays are an invitation to another year of life.” And so another year bites the dust and a new year welcomes me with open arms. Lovely.
I’m not going to sit here and blog about how my lovely eye wrinkles are a sign of all the years I smiled because I’m likely to buy every cream on the market to diminish crow’s feet. I’m sure one day down the road I’ll type a blog embracing my laugh lines, just not in the mood as of yet. Where I am at today, at the remarkable age of 37 (I’m still here! Eek!) is a place of feeling blessed for the little things. It’s quite simple actually. I feel better than I ever have in my whole life health-wise (although I sense a lot of cake eating in my future) and my mind is more clear, my heart more hopeful. Wounds are healing. Doors are opening. And life goes on.
In my quest to focus on the positive I am going to attempt to quickly type as fast as I can 37 things I am grateful for in my life. I am also going to time myself because if someone is truly thankful for as many things as I claim to be they should just burst out of my brain onto these keys like a magical flow of effortless thanks. I will not go back and erase any of them. I am going to accept that some may sound ridiculous but I’m not going to allow myself to over-think my first instinct and double guess my gut feeling (I tend to do that sometimes!). Ok so here it goes! It is 8:03 a.m. July 6th 2014.
1.) My family. Adorable son, hubby, and chihuahua Nico and all my lovely siblings and their children! My Dad and my Mom who I know is watching over me! (tears are already welling up) Happy thoughts. Happy thoughts....
2.) My house. It’s cozy in all ways. This house has provided me with the best memories of my life! Plus we are going to remodel the outside and this gets me very excited!
3.) My job. I spend over 1/2 or more of my waking hours there!
4.) Sunshine in Minneapolis. There is nothing better than being able to sit outside in my hammock with a good book and the chirp of birds while the sun dances away with the clouds. I love it.
5.) The smell of freshly cut grass! I could inhale it all day.
6.) The smell of a grill. I no longer partake in the eating of animals but the smell of a grill fills my heart with childhood memories and I can almost feel the heat of the cement patio on my bare feet at my parents house in Sleepy Eye every time I smell it!
7.) Water. Clean water that is. It’s something we take for granted in this country and I am thankful for every time I can sip clean purified water because I know the difficulty and struggle that people around the world must go through to enjoy this luxury.
8.) Hot water. Again. Until you do not have this you don’t understand the worth. Being able to take a hot shower every morning is one of my most pleasurable moments of the day. Well, it may have something to do with my hot chocolate body scrub as well. Damn I love the smell of that stuff.
9.) Online shopping. UGH! My love/hate relationship with shopping gets all twisted here. I shop online too much but I love the ability to do so!! Sometimes I get things in the mail that I forgot I ordered....That is my only confession on this blog! Damn.
10.) Iced lattes. Or any delectable coffee shop drink that is warm and creamy. I know that coffee shops are overpriced but I still love them. Guilty pleasure.
11.) My vehicle. My Mazda CX7 has been so good to me. It’s 7 years old but I still feel like it’s brand new. I also still get that weird feeling of excitement when I turn the key as I did as a 16 yr. old who first got her license. Strange haha! I do love to drive. (Unless I’m with the hubby, then I prefer he drive so that I can read my magazines)
12.) Magazines! Haha. I’m thankful for the little tid bits of gossip I can read (I know it’s only 1/2 true but get a kick out of it) and all the pretty clothes on the glossy pages of which I cannot afford to own myself. Fashion is like art to me. I’m a chronic magazine flipper.
13.) Netflix. How awesome is it to be able to watch shows on demand? I would have killed for this as a kid! I love the moments where I can pull up netflix on my computer, shut the office door and curl up with my blanket and watch a movie just by myself.
14.) My cell phone (sensing a technology turn here). I would be lost without my cell phone. Between the apps and camera and instagram and my alarm clock--I just love it in it’s entirety. iphones rock.
I sometimes even make phone calls on it (but this is rare).
15.) Coconut. No I’m serious here. I love any and all things coconut and my heart flutters at the smell of it. I am forever thankful for my discovery of Nutiva brand coconut oil I cannot even tell you. I use it for cooking, on popcorn, body butter, home-made lip plumper, scar removal, etc. It is the best thing on the planet. Also love coconut water, coconut body scrubs, or shredded coconut (of which I put in all my granola bars, oatmeals, protein shakes) A healthy love is a love worth holding on to :)
16.) Vegan pizza. I try to be vegan but it’s difficult. The couple restaurants in our area that provide vegan pizza are phenomenal! The cheese they make is way better than any typical mozzarella.
17.) My shoulders. Ok I’m trying to do this fast people so in a quick moment of thinking I opted for this as something I am thankful for because they don’t slouch nor have they ever. My clavicle bone is very straight in it’s structure- almost like a hangar to which my shoulders drape over. They make me appear more confidant than I am, so thank-you shoulders :)
18.) My brown eyes even though they don’t have 20/20 vision (yes I’ve had lasik and it failed. Not happy about that!!) But still thankful that I am not blind and that I can see a computer and read without having to put on my glasses.
19.) My teeth! My teeth saved my parents a lot of money, because they came in perfectly straight and I never had any issues with my mouth. My dentist Tom Larson back in Sleepy Eye used to tell me I had the best teeth in town. (If he said this to anyone else, I’d rather not know about it so that I can keep feeling like a star for something) Thanks.
20.) My bike. I love my bike and am so thankful to live in a neighborhood where I can ride around! I love pedaling and the breeze and the sounds of birds and the smell of the flowers and all that. I love my bike like a kid loves a cabbage patch doll. Seriously.
21.) Vegetables. I mean it. I love all of them (except radishes) I am so thankful for the abundance of fresh vegetables available to us! Organic of course. If someone told me I could never have another vegetable I would fall into a deep and dark depression and wither up into a ball of dust and sorrow.
22.) Fruit too, can’t forget the fruit. Honeydew and cantaloupe chopped up in cubes and eaten with a fork are pure perfection.
23.) OMG this is getting harder than I thought. 37 things?! Why did I pick my age? I should have done 20. Anyways. I am thankful for my ability to type up blogs and share them on facebook. When I was a kid this awesome technology did not exist. I had to use a pen and called it a journal. Now I can share my thoughts with everyone! Although, that may not always be a good thing....
24.) Oh! Vodka. Yes I am thankful for vodka. You can make vodka lemonades, vodka sunrise, vodka cranberries. Cold cocktail on a hot day? Yes please.
25.) SHOES! Oh my how could I forget shoes! They make me the proper height! I love this happy “solefull” accessory. I often buy shoes first and then the outfit. My feet can wear heels all day long and it feels perfectly natural. Talk to me in another ten years and I’ll keep my fingers crossed that it doesn't change.
26.) Skinny jeans. I love them. They go with everything and I love a tapered ankle since my calves are tiny. I am a skinny jean girl.
27.) Consigment shops. So thankful for these. They’re fabulous really. Get money back for something you know you’ll never wear again? As it should be!
28.) Hugs, kisses, and snuggles. Aaaaahhhh of course I had to go there! Who doesn’t love being able to curl up on the couch with the ones they love and and warm puppy on their lap?! Turn on The Notebook and I’m in heaven.
29.) Ryan Gosling. Yup. I am thankful he was put on this planet and that’s all I’m going to say about that.
30.) Peanut butter. I mean. C’mon. Warm peanut butter on toast is the ultimate soul food and I’ve only made better creations with it as I’ve gotten older. My home-made peanut butter cups should make me a millionaire. With or without nuts I’m in love. Oh and back to the coconut thing I make a home-made almond joy bar that is to DIE for. My sweet tooth is starting to take over the typing now....
31.) Sunsets. How great is it that we get to see a free display of moving art practically every day of our life? I could look at pictures of sunsets for hours. I love the colors and the magic of it all. Like a golden globe of beaming light gets tired and descends into a slumber by casting a multitude of colors and shadows upon the earth. My heart is like that sometimes. A beating sunset.
32.) Books. They are my life. There has never (that I recall) been a point in my life since the age of 7 where I was not reading a book. Now I read 3 or more at a time. They are knowledge and escape at once. Books have saved me and healed me in a multitude of ways through the course of my life. I need to have a house with a library!
33.) I am thankful for my sisters. I am so thankful for my sisters I feel like this could completely take over the entire blog and I ramble on for another ten pages. I love how they accept me and share my memories and how sometimes I’ll catch a glimpse of one of them doing something and it makes me think of myself. I love how we grow up together and create our own distinct lives and yet we are still those same little girls in our hearts. I am so thankful for having them...now I’m tearing up again! Happy thoughts...happy thoughts...
34.) Airplanes! Ok yes. Airplanes. For without them I would not be able to fly to such beautiful destinations! One of which is NY where I’m going next week to see my sister Jenny and the anticipation feels like a there’s juggler in my tummy. Yay!
35.) My bed. Yes I am very thankful for my king size bed topped with fluffy white blankets and firm satin pillows. It is what I look forward to all day long. It’s like a big hug at the end of my day. Yes I smile when I crawl in.
36.) Two more to go! OK let me think here. I am thankful for.....for.....baking! I love to bake and create and use my hands and smell something in the oven. I am thankful that my co-workers like sweets so that they eat the birthday cakes I make them. I am thankful for my oven....it has been very sweet to me :)
37.) FINALLY! This took forever! OK the final thing I am thankful for (and this may sound silly) is my attitude and my ability to say what I want and not be affected by other people’s judgements about me. That being said, I am really super thankful that this blog is finally over. No grand finale or witty words of wisdom at the end. It’s too damn early for this and I need to refill my coffee.
And well. It’s my birthday so I can do whatever the hell I want.
Toodles!
*End time 8:41 (hey that’s almost 37 minutes! crazy)
