Day Thirty

 I am thankful for my bed - and the fact that I can go ahead and get into it at 8:30 PM if I want to.

Day Twenty Nine

 Thankful for the chance to share the stage with incredibly talented friends. Missing Jennifer Martin tonight!

Day Twenty Eight

Thankful to be a day late because we were having so much fun with friends! Game night at the Sanders villa is such a blast!

Day Twenty Seven

Thankful for Friday night, turkey burgers and grilled zucchini. Sometimes simple is best.

Day Twenty Six

Thankful for a quiet night at home with hubby, The Big Bang Theory and tempeh stir fry.

Day Twenty Five

 Thankful for a life that is full of good things like work and rehearsal for 'Dearly Beloved'. Full enough that occasionally I may not get on Facebook for more than 24 hours!

Day Twenty Four

Thankful to be halfway home. Vacation is nice, but home is better!

Third Week

The week started out fairly normal but has wound up as one of the most memorable of my life. I'm writing this from my upgraded suite at Beaches Turks & Caicos, glass of complimentary merlot on hand and aloe vera on my nose from just a touch too much sun. I feel as if I have had my first experience with 'more to be grateful for' on this trip. My flight from Tampa on Saturday morning was scheduled to leave at 9:00 AM with a one hour layover in MIami, but when I got to the gate, it was delayed by almost an hour, meaning I was most likely going to miss my connection to Providenciales. In the past, I would have gotten angry, maybe not showing it, but certainly seething inside. This time I took a deep breath and decided to go with the flow.

The gate agent seated me in the bulkhead row, as far forward as possible to try and make the connection, and as fate would have it I was seated next to another travel agent, Andrea, who was trying to make the same connection. We had no luck once we landed in Miami, the connecting flight left 3 minutes before we got there, but Andrea had access to the Admirals Club so our unexpected 6 hour layover was actually pleasant, with complimentary drinks and vouchers for lunch and dinner. Andrea has been an agent for almost 3 years, and I was able to get good advice and encouragement from her about continuing my business, so it was a worthwhile delay. Once we finally got to the resort at about 9:00 PM, I found out I had been upgraded to a one bedroom suite with a fully stocked mini bar and concierge services. I took full advantage of the bottle of merlot that was there and was able to get to sleep fairly easily.

The next morning was an early start with a 4 hour seminar on the Sandals/Beaches resorts all over the Caribbean, but then lunch was at our leisure and I was finally able to start exploring the resort. The grounds are amazing, if a little spread out, and the food so far has been tremendous. I indulged in the lunch buffet at Giuseppis in the French Village section of the resort and it was definitely a step above your regular buffet, with choices including lamb in couscous with cumin and cilantro, farfalle pasta with garlic cream sauce and a wide array of French pastries for dessert.

After lunch I changed into my swimsuit for the chosen excursion, a boat trip out to snorkel on the coral reef in the marine sanctuary. The water was cool, but not cold, and clear as glass. We anchored at a depth of about 12 feet and spent an hour snorkeling amongst hundreds of fish, which I hopefully captured on film with the underwater camera that I decided to purchase. Some of the other swimmers said they saw a shark, which was my signal to get out of the water and instead enjoy the fruit and pastries that were offered onboard the boat.

Dinner was a group event at Schooners, the al fresco seafood restaurant near the water, and I enjoyed the lemon grilled snapper, but I was more interested in getting to Cricketers Pub to see the Giants/49ers playoff game. I made it for the 4th quarter to watch the Giants win in OT, then sand a couple of songs at karaoke before heading to bed just in time to miss a prolonged rainstorm. The rain on the roof lulled me right to sleep.

Today started with breakfast at Barefoot on the Beach, with an omelet made to order served outdoors on the sand beneath a thatched roof pavilion with the ocean waves in the distance. Just gorgeous. After a quick guided tour of the resort to see a number of different room types, we had the rest of the day at leisure and I spent a delightful few hours at the beach. Sand like silk powder, a lounge chair under a shady umbrella, a couple of pina coladas and I was in absolute heaven. I'm ready to head out for our last dinner now, and I know I'll have even more to be thankful for, but I'm starting to look forward to heading home tomorrow and being back with my husband. His presence is the only thing that would have made this trip absolutely perfect. I'm thankful I'll be back with him tomorrow!

Day Twenty Three

Pictures will better convey my unbelievable gratitude at being able to have an experience like this. More to come...

Day Twenty One - Part Two

 Thankful to finally be at my resort, AND upgraded to a suite with a complimentary mini bar and fruit plate! Gratitude works! Time for merlot!

Day Twenty One

Hoped I would be thankful for a seamless trip to the Caribbean, but instead I am very thankful to have found a fellow travel agent who has given me access to the Miami Admiral's Club during my unexpected 6 hour layover. Yay for complimentary wine! Thank you Andrea!

Day Twenty

Thankful to have a love that is still so strong after 22 years that I am sad that we'll be apart for 4 days.

Day Nineteen

So thankful to be working, but REALLY excited that I leave on Saturday for an all inclusive trip to Beaches Resort in Turks & Caicos! Expect to see thankfulness for beach umbrellas, breakfast buffets and lots 'o rum!

Day Eighteen

I am thankful to live in a country where we may openly protest censorship. There are countries where people are imprisoned and tortured for trying to protect their liberties. Cherish our freedom!

End Piracy, Not Liberty – Google

https://www.google.com/landing/takeaction/

Day Seventeen

 So incredibly thankful to be part of a great new show with some of my very favorite people!

Day Sixteen

 Thankful for spa pedicures! Even if I can only get them every six months.

Day Fifteen

Day Fifteen - so thankful to be able to audition with talented people for a great director, AD and producer! Thanks for making it fun, y'all! 

Second Week

Week Two of A Year of Gratitude is complete, and I feel really good. I find myself looking for the good in each day so I can have something to post, and I feel more calm, centered and balanced than I have in a long time. Granted, it could just be the relief of a steady paycheck after so many months out of work. And I haven't had any really big challenges to face so far. Not that I'm asking for any! But it's easy to think that I have a new and improved outlook on life when I can now pay my bills and I haven't had any personal meltdowns.

We went to Carrollwood Players community theater last night and saw the female version of 'The Odd Couple'. I did that show back in the late 1980s when it was still on Broadway, and I can't decide if it's held up or not. Neil Simon is always classic, and we laughed, but it's strange to think that in attempt to highlight women's empowerment, Simon chose to copy an existing male play rather than write something new. I may be overthinking it, it's probably just better to sit back and enjoy the entertainment. But I'd like to see a true female buddy comedy. Maybe I should write one.

Plans for this weekend - the Live Chat from home experiment begins! As part of my new responsibilities as eCommerce manager, I volunteered to log into Live Chat for our website tonight and see if we can increase weekend sales by having chat available. I'm hoping for a busy night, it would be the first step towards a true 'work at home' option which is my dream. In our perfect world, G. will retire from Disney in a few years with full benefits, then work at home doing Live Chat, if not for this company, then for someone else. Hopefully tonight will help make that perfect world a reality.

Of course, while monitoring live chat I'll also be monitoring football. G. has only had the slightest interest in football, mostly watching the games to keep me company. But he is now fascinated by the phenomenon that is Tim Tebow. Last week's game winning touchdown pass in the first 10 seconds of OT against the Steelers was simply astounding, and now we're both really looking forward to seeing how this story continues...or ends. Regardless of how you feel about his religious beliefs or his abilities as a quarterback, Tebow is fascinating, and I'm thinking it's going to be an amazing game.

Next weekend I'll be blogging from Beaches Resort inTurks & Caicos! A WHOLE lot of gratitude is expected, accompanied by frothy drinks!

Day Fourteen

I am thankful for the love and company of our beautiful kitty, Visa. She was a rescue and I want to help more cats and dogs like her! So I'm joining Team Tonka to raise funds and awareness for the Humane Society of Tampa Bay. Please donate if you can!

Click here to help!

Visa for Tonka!

www.firstgiving.com

The Mission of the Humane Society of Tampa Bay: Dedicated to ending animal homelessness and providing care and comfort for companion animals in need.

Day Thirteen

Day Thirteen - lucky to have talented friends and looking forward to supporting them tonight. Break a leg, ladies! Carrollwood Players - The Odd Couple

Day Twelve

I am so grateful for days like today - sunny, 75 degree days with no humidity. Sorry Northern friends and family. But, hey, just think, you'll be able to use this status in June when I'm working on being thankful while being drenched in sweat.

Day Eleven

I am thankful to be able to support friends in good causes!

Donate to Team Tonka and the Tampa Bay Humane Society

Day Ten

 thankful for this view on the evening commute!

Day Nine

I am thankful for a husband who makes me laugh every day. Well, almost every day. :)

Day Eight

I don't want too much of my gratitude to focus on food,  but man, I am loving the awesome cherry bread I made today! So, thankful for sweet treats and a lazy Sunday watching football with my hubby.

First Week

I have completed my first seven days of my year of gratitude online journal, and it's feeling good so far. No major changes in my life or attitudes, but I didn't really expect any. My hope is that by expressing gratitude every day I can accomplish a couple of things. First, when things happen that make me angry or upset, I can more quickly move past them and get back to being glad for the many things that work well in my life. And second, by being thankful for what I have, I believe it will bring even more things into my life to be thankful for.

This was a reasonably calm week. I just started a new job on December 20 as the e-Commerce supervisor for an online footwear company, so I'm still settling into that role and figuring out the office dynamics. It's a very laid back company, and the people are all extremely nice, but I'm just starting to get an idea of personalities and work habits. I'm sure there will be challenges ahead,and the 75 minute drive each way is definitely tiring,  but I'm EXTREMELY thankful to have a job after looking for 6 long months.

This weekend is focused on friends and football, with a great 40th birthday party for a friend last night, and the wild card games on TV today. I'm looking forward to a lazy Sunday. Not that there isn't a ton to do around the house, but we've been in renovation mode for 8 months, getting the house foundation shored up from a sinkhole. That struggle, combined with lack of employment and low finances, has been a big part of why I've been so angry for the last year. A two year fight with the insurance company to save our house finally culminated in a settlement in May, with major foundation work done in June, then months of cosmetic work including taking up all the flooring, leveling the interior concrete, refacing the fireplace and replacing all the laminate flooring. To save money, we did all the interior work ourselves, which has been time consuming but ultimately highly satisfying. We've got almost everything done now, just the finishing touches on the floors and painting to do, but we're going to take a break for a few weeks while I get back into work mode and G. adjusts to a new (better) schedule at work. We are so lucky now to have a home we love that is safe from collapse.

Here comes week two! I'm ready!

Day Seven

thankful for quality time with family and friends - lunch with Mom, and now headed for Jim-a-palooza. Happy Birthday Jim Johnson! Oh, and thankful for disco naps. :)

Day Six

Very thankful for my good health, brought into sharp focus when co-workers are ill and injured. Oh, and TGIF! :)

Day Five

 I am so thankful for a husband that has dinner ready when I get home from a 75 minute commute.

Day Four

 thank the gods for pizza and red wine. Whoo hoo!

Day Three

thankful for warm socks, fuzzy blankets and our fireplace. And that we only need them a few nights each year.

Day Two

 thankful for mornings when the alarm does not need to go off!

A Year Of Gratitude - Day One - January 1, 2012

The new year has begun, and depending on your point of view we are either spiraling towards the end of life as we know it, as heralded by the Mayan civilization, or simply starting another 365 day cycle on the endless bike path of the universe. Either way, I want this year to be different. 2011 was a terrible year all around for me, marked by failure and frustration in business and personal ventures, and I desperately need to wipe that slate clean. Today, my friend Amy turned me on to the concept of a Gratitude Journal, focusing on the things you are thankful for each day. My idea is that as you give thanks for what you have, you are brought more and more to be thankful for. So I have decided to focus on the positive in my life by giving thanks each day. I'm  posting Facebook for family and friends but I decided to also post in this blog so people I don't know may find it. As the year progresses, I'll post thoughts on how this exercise is affecting my life and outlook. So -

A year of gratitude - Day 1 - I am thankful to have friends who will debate with me one moment and introduce me to the concept of The Gratitude Journal the next. And will still love me whether I make it to Day 365 or just Day 3. :)