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!