A Favorite Song

You're Gonna Miss This




A great reminder to appreciate what you have...now!

What Choice Do I Have?

Choice consists of the mental process of thinking involved with the process of judging the merits of multiple options and selecting one of them for action. Some simple examples include deciding whether to get up in the morning or go back to sleep, or selecting a given route for a journey.

That is the Wikipedia definition of choice. Wow – there’s a lot more involved in making a choice than I thought. Thinking. Judging. Options. Selection. Phew. It makes me tired just reading those works. But really, it’s all good. Sometimes it can be overwhelming, but think of the freedom that choice brings. We’re not prisoners of our lives. We can have a different life by simply making a different choice.

Sure, circumstances are part of the equation, but it’s how I react to circumstances that really determines what kind of day I’ll have. I could choose to let my blood pressure rise and use creative hand gestures when that little red Mazda zips in front of me. Or I can choose to move along and be thankful that I have a car that can travel on the freeway to the job I have that pays me pretty good money which allows me to buy groceries, gas, and some of life’s other necessities (like chocolate and fabric). Hmmm – I think I’ll go with number 2.

When life gets us down and we’re feeling trapped we need to remember that we have a choice. In fact, we often have several choices or, as Wikipedia says, multiple options. Sometimes we simply need to be open to that fact and engage in the “mental process of thinking” and remind ourselves of all the possibilities we could choose from. Just being open to alternatives is a good place to start. We may need to consider that the opposite of what we are doing or feeling is a viable and possibly even preferable choice.

It’s easy to forget that we have a choice and to assume that this is the way things are and we can’t do anything about them. But we aren’t powerless. We can choose to be cranky or good humored, optimistic or pessimistic, complain or be thankful.

What r u thankful 4?

Life is good...

when your daughter learns to cook, especially when it's flan.



And it was some yummy flan, too! I wonder what she'll make next week. Cheesecake, maybe?

What r u thankful 4?

Thankful, Naturally

Being a positive person doesn't come naturally to me. I tend to automatically focus on the things in life that don't measure up. Here's how Merriam Webster defines automatic -

largely or wholly involuntary; especially : reflex 5 b: acting or done spontaneously or unconsciously c: done or produced as if by machine : mechanical

That's me...spontaneously, unconsciously, involuntarily focusing on the most minute of imperfections - like a dang machine. While this might be my natural inclination, I don't have to settle for this characteristic.

I have control over my mind and I can make the choice to change my focus. For now it requires concentration and conscious effort. It may even take a quiet internal conversation with myself to get the right perspective, but it can be done. I can choose to accentuate the positive and appreciate the beauty, blessings and bounty of my life.

And someday maybe my automatic response will be celebrating the good, the right, the positive in life...automatically, naturally!

What r u thankful 4?

A Pretty Quilt...

...and it's mine. Well actually, it's my daughter's now. It is a Quilt in a Day pattern by Eleanor Burns called Garden Lattice. It took slightly longer than a day to complete...more like a year, give or take. I tried my hand at free motion quilting. There is a flower in each of the squares. The stitching doesn't show in this picture, which is a bummer. But it turned out pretty nicely.

I'm thankful for time (and money) to quilt.

What r u thankful 4?

Finished

Not only did I make some new pals at the quilt retreat, but I finished a quilt top that I've had around in pieces since 2000. Phew - that was nice to go done.

I also complete this little project (from start to finish) on that retreat -



It was so nice to have long uninterupted times to just sew, sew, sew. The location - Cambria Pines Lodge - was beautiful as well.




There were beautiful gardens on the property, separated by cute little gates. The flora and fauna was unique and glorious. It was a wonderful spot.

Friends

If it weren't for friends life would be pretty boring. There are different types of friends. There is the best friend. This is the friend that you can spill your heart to and she'll listen for hours if that's what you need. She's insightful and patient. She'll be there tomorrow and ten years from now. She's rock-solid. She's your best friend and you're hers.

There are buddies. These are the friends that you connect with regularly. Being one of the girls is what this group is about. Chit-chat and catching up are what you do when you get together. The commitment level is minimal and there's an understanding that sometimes life just gets in the way. Grace is extended for those times and then you carry on.

Groupies are those people who have a common interest. These friends aren't necessarily close, but they like to do the same things and they are fun to be around because they are passionate about the same things you're passionate about. A close bond may or may not form...and that's okay.

Casual acquaintances. These are the people who come in and out of your life, but who don't have a connection of any depth. The neighbor that you talk to occasionally, the man at the dry cleaners, the people at church that you see every week and greet with a hello.

It's nice to have all kinds of friends. This week I'm at a quilt retreat making new friends. I'm having a blast - sewing, eating, laughing and getting to know each other. It's not a bad way to spend a week.

What r u thankful 4?