I snapped this photo of my morning ritual for an upcoming weekly gratitude entry.
Good day, today. Thanks to Jake mostly. He was home today so he could take David to his dentist appointment. He then took David to school and back, too which meant my morning was a lot calmer and more productive than usual. That started my whole day on a different foot. Here’s a shot of Nathaniel from the morning while he was crawling around in my room. He regularly stands up now and likes to come to the edge of the bed and smile at me.
See the top teeth? One’s out and the other also broke through the skin. My sweet boy.
Took two trips to work today and then a trip to the place where we’re having David’s fifth birthday. Got a ton of work done and even started a piece of art tonight. So, all in all, a great day.
Note to Self:
It was great to go to work today even for a short time. I had to get my photo taken but I ended up getting my computer fixed too and walking in the hallways at work, I just remembered how much I love that place. How l lucky I feel to be working at Google. I love being there. I love being a part of this wonderful place and working with these wonderful people. I truly feel blessed and lucky. I think sometimes when there’s a lot of stress or work, it’s easy to lose sight of all the good stuff but today was a reminder for me. I love the people I work with. I love the product. I really do love it. Must remember this more often. And must make time to go to work occasionally.
Three things I’m grateful for today:
1. Work. Ok I know I said a lot above so I won’t repeat it. But I really am thankful for work today so I couldn’t not put it on my list.
2. Mentioned this too, but I am thankful Jake took the day off to take care of David all morning. Made my day go 1000 times more smoothly than it would have otherwise.
3. I did two hours of hand stitching and sewing and machine stitching tonight. I am thankful for the time to do this. I don’t know what I am doing at all so I am thankful to YouTube for teaching me how to make a French Knot. Thankful for people like Rebecca Sower who inspire me. Thankful for art.
I am tired. I say this and feel it so much of the time. I can’t even remember anymore what it feels like not to be tired. I wonder if I ever will.
Here’s David because I don’t take as many photos of him anymore and that makes me sad.
And here’s the daily Nathaniel.
Relatively good day here besides being so tired. Not doing so great on the food thing either. I’d like to. Especially reducing the coffee since I am not sure it’s not affecting Nathaniel. And who knows if it’s one of the reasons he doesn’t sleep well….
Note to Self:
Making a todo list does work wonders. I got twenty-some items done yesterday. Of course there’s still a lot to do but it’s nice to get some things done and nice to have it all on paper. It means I don’t have to keep waking up at night just to send myself an email on something. (Yes, it’s stupid I know.)
I need to remind myself that I don’t always have to be ahead of the game. It’s okay to live life as it happens. Sometimes it’s even better. It’s ok to slow down. It’s ok. I’m still taking my time with the driving and that has helped a lot. Need to do that in other areas of my life.
Three things I’m grateful for today:
1. A little walk I took with my neighbor Sara today. I don’t get to spend a lot of time with grownups and I don’t get out much. So it was nice to take a walk with Sara and our kids and get some fresh air and chat.
2. Amazon delivery. Last week, I finally gave up and ordered some baby food instead of going to buy it. I cook some but I also supplement with Earth’s Best. Amazon shipped immediately, for free, and arrived in my doorstep in less than two days. And, no, I don’t have Prime. I love Amazon.
3. I am extra grateful for my home and health today especially in light of all that’s happening in Haiti. It’s so devastating and I can’t even imagine.
This week’s download is some gratitude quote art. Here is what they look like:
You can download it here: gratitude quote art download.
You are welcome to play with these as much as you want and use them anywhere you’d like. You are NOT allowed to sell them ever. You don’t have to but I’d appreciate a link back if you do use them.
This is part of a weekly digital download series. They are posted every Thursday. You can find all of the ones that were posted here. If you like my downloads, please click here and give me ideas/requests for 2010. I would like to continue this feature but I am not sure I can come up with enough ideas on my own.
I read about Await Your Reply on several “top books of 2009” articles so I decided to give it a try. I had read and liked Dan Chaon’s previous book and had high expectations. While the writing was good and I liked the way the plot intertwined and unraveled at the end, I just didn’t get into this book as much as I would have liked.
None of the characters held my interest or sympathy. I found myself uninterested in their stories and how they turned out. The plot, also, wasn’t something I found engaging. But this is personal to me. The writing was engaging. So if the subject of identity theft is interesting to you, you might enjoy this novel more than I did.
Catalyst Ninety-Six is: What are the most important lessons you’ve learned in life?.
I’ve decided that, in the end, all that matters is your integrity. Do you always do what you say you will by when you say you will? I strive to. And I strive to surround myself with people who do. Too many people discount the value of one’s word. All you have is your word. Does yours mean anything?
Well I finally got around to doing the todo list and let me tell you, it didn’t make me feel better. Maybe it’s cause there are 53 items on there. Ugh. Well at least now it’s all on paper and I can slowly start churning through them all.
Relatively good day today, got some work done, got some personal stuff done, only a few meltdowns in the house, what more can I ask for, right?
Here’s the little boy. He’s so so cute, I cannot help but kiss him all day long. I don’t understand how some moms can wear lipstick. How do you kiss your baby all the time if you have lipstick on?
Well I won’t linger too long, got lots to do.
Note to Self:
It’s amazing how a tiny good thing can give you an energy jolt. A small case of output being higher than expected. A teeny good news. Anything really. Just like one insignificant fight can ruin the day. It feels like my psyche is so fragile, so easily influenced. This is something I need to work on, at least on the down side. Understanding that things happen and they don’t mean anything. I plow onward and upward.
I also tend to take on other people’s bad moods. If David is sad or Jake or Nathaniel and I can’t fix it. It ruins my day. Even if I wasn’t the cause of it, because I can’t fix it, I decide it’s my fault and soon I am even more depressed than they are. Which is stupid and it’s doesn’t help. Something else I have to work on. Add it to the list.
Three things I’m grateful for today:
1. My list. As long as it is, there’s nothing like seeing it all in front of you. Now it’s much more likely to get done.
2. Creative Therapy. I was working on tomorrow’s catalyst post tonight and I love seeing all the art. I love how diverse our team is. I love the guests we have. I love what the site represents to me. I love that we’ve been doing it week in and week out for 96 weeks. That’s a long time. I am so proud of that site. So proud of that tiny lot in cyperspace.
3. Leftovers. Since we had guests last night, we got some delicious Turkish food and there were plenty of leftovers which I ate for lunch and dinner. Nothing like delicious Turkish food.
The following is cross-posted from the Weekly Gratitude Blog. I will post there every Tuesday and decided to post those posts here, too. For those of you who read both blogs, I apologize in advance. Some weeks the content might be different and other weeks, exactly the same.
The first official week of the year has been a tough one for me. I am someone who thrives on routine and the holiday season is far from a regular weekly schedule, so I was looking forward to the first week of the year. Looking forward to everything going back to the way it was.
Well, it didn’t exactly work that way. My little boy decided to sleep less and cry more. My older one complained that he needed to be entertained and I just couldn’t get back into the groove of work. At the end of every day, I felt worn out, depressed and like I got nothing done. I was so busy and so disorganized that I didn’t even get a chance to look at the todo lists I’d made, let alone make a clean one.
I had decided at the beginning of this project that while I did the art once a week, I was going to write three things I was thankful for every day, at the end of the day. I post on my blog daily so I just added this section to my posts. And I’ve now been doing it for 11 days. Even during the roughest of days, I had to take a moment and think of three good things that happened that day. And, to be honest, I was able to without a problem.
Just goes to show you that even when the times seem really tough, good things happen throughout the day. If you take time to pay attention, you will notice them. This practice reminds me every day that wonderful things are happening in my life right now. All the time. And when I am so tired that I can barely get up, it’s good to remember that.
So here’s a challenge for you if you’re up for it: for the next week, write down 3 things you’re thankful for every day. Every night before you go to sleep. Jot it on a piece of paper. Anywhere that works for you. Don’t leave it to the morning because I promise you’ll forget. Just give it a whirl for a week and see how it makes you feel.
I hope it will be as rewarding for you as it has been for me.
Apologies for the delay today. We had guests over last night and by the time they left I had to go to sleep.
Here’s Nathaniel in action.
Mondays are very hectic for us. It just feels like a rush after the quiet of the weekend and I have an afternoon meeting close to dinner time which throws off the evening into a mad rush. But this week the meeting was canceled so that made the day a bit easier and meant we could slow down a bit which was a welcome change.
I got a lot done today. After I dropped off David at school, I went to the school he will attend next year for a tour. Then I called several embassies for all my paperwork. Then I got a ton of work done and by the end of the day I felt spent but also happier. Still have to make that to do list though. Haven’t gotten in the groove of the year yet and it’s halfway through January.
Note to Self:
We had dinner with four of Jake’s friends from college. It was neat being in the same room with people who went to the same college as I did and rehash some old memories. My first years in America were so different than my life now and I often wish I could go back and re-live them with all that I know now. I bet I will say that about my kids later, too. But life doesn’t work that way, of course. It goes in the order it does.
Three things I’m grateful for today:
1. Dinner with new-old friends. It’s nice to have company and adults to talk to.
2. Getting to see where David will go to kindergarten. Living close to a good school.
3. My meeting being canceled. Nothing like getting an hour of your life back.
Ok I think this doesn’t even count as crafting but hey some weeks that’s all we do. This was the inspiration:
The source link.
We improvised a bit and used pretzels for the mouth and M&Ms for the eyes. And then we used some cookie decorations we had for the nose and teeth and it ended up looking more like a green spongebob than a frog. So here it was.
Looks great I think and David enjoyed eating every piece of it.
I was very relaxed today. I spent the day reading and playing with my boys. I was calm and collected most of my day and felt peaceful. Not rushed, not stressed, not like I wasn’t doing something I was supposed to. Days like this are rare for me.
In the afternoon little boy and I took a walk together. Just a little stroll where he sucked on his thumb and looked around and I snapped some photos and we both got some fresh air. And then I snapped a few of him. My wonderful boy.
Note to Self:
Several thoughts on my mind today. As I lay in bed, reading my book, I realized why I love reading so much. Reading doesn’t require anything from me. When I write, when I create art, when I take photos, I judge my work all the time. I strive to do better. I work hard. I am impatient. Judging. Not good enough. It sucks a piece of my soul every time no matter what. Yet reading demands nothing of me but my presence. It gives me things. It gives me thoughts, feelings, connection, joy. I love reading. It will always be my first true love.
As I was walking around today I realized that photography gives me two big presents. One is that I remember better. My memory has never been so great, I forget things all the time. And yet when I take a photo of a moment, not only does the photo preserve it, but I seem to remember it all better just due to the fact that I took a moment to photograph that. The act of preservation on paper, preserves it in my brain. The other wonderful thing photography gave me is that I now see the world more. I pay attention more. I look at the details. The colors. The small bits of water hanging on to leaves. The tiny buds waiting to emerge. Things that most people walk by, things that usually go unnoticed. I see them. I feel them. Photography helps me live the world more alive. More aware. What a great gift.
I have been eating really badly lately. Not the burger and fries kind but the coffee and graham cracker kind. Some days I will eat a bunch of crackers, some yogurt and two coffees for my whole day’s meal. I am still nursing 6-8 times a day so this is not only bad for me but it’s also bad for the baby. All this processed food is keeping my energy level low and isn’t adding anything to my already sleep-deprived state. This was one of the first years I didn’t even think to resolve to lose weight. I am done with diets. I don’t want to live my life that way. But I do want to eat healthier. I want to have better eating habits. Set a better example for my children. So I decided to start something new. Once a week, I will cook veggies for the week and cut up a ton of fruit and put it in the fridge. This way, each time I open the fridge there’s something healthy and fresh ready to eat. It might not work, but it’s certainly worth a try.
I’ve noticed that I am so impatient. I rarely like to revise my words. I am so done with them once they are out of me. I rush through my art, even processing my photos. I hate leaving pieces undone. I don’t take my time. I rush rush rush to finish. I wonder what would happen to my art if I slowed down, if I took several hours or days to get it done. Will it end up better? Or what if I just gave myself 30 minutes? Does the output quality actually change? Would my art look different? I wonder…
Three things I’m grateful for today:
1. That little walk in the afternoon. I rarely take them and they always make me feel better. I should take more walks.
2. Watching a movie in bed with my husband, holding hands. Can life get any better than that, really?
3. Feeling like I have no reason to rush. Being able to take it easy even if just for a day. I meant to take a bubble bath today. I’ll have to do that tomorrow.
This is done with A Million Memories October Kit. Journaling Reads:
Nathaniel, you don’t know it yet but you’re the luckiest boy ever. Because for the rest of your life you’ll have a big brother who loves playing with you and entertaining you just to see your smiling face. He already spends hours putting on puppet shows for you. Aren’t you lucky?
David made this today. He told me it helps him brainstorm ideas. (Brainstorm?? where did he learn that word?)
And here he is using it. He said it works super-fast!
And then he went to play outside so Nathaniel chased after him and watched him from inside the house.
And he smiled.
And David laughed and entertained him.
I love my boys.
I got to sleep in this morning. (Thank you, my love) and the difference between getting one or two hours of sleep is tangible. Waking up in less pain is magical. As promised, I took it easy today. I finished Julie and Julia, I read some of my book, I played with my kids, I cooked food for Nathaniel and for myself, David and I started a crafty project, and I even did a catalyst. Now I am relaxing more, watching some TV, and I am glad I get to have one more day of this.
Note to Self:
This whole week has felt all out of sorts for me. Last three weeks to be honest. I think tomorrow is a good day to sit down and get organized. I know I function better when I make lists. They help me take stock of where I am and what needs to get done. I’ve been so off lately that I haven’t even looked at my todo lists, let alone make them. Even if the list is a mile-long I know that I feel better when I’ve made it.
Part of me can’t believe it’s only been a week since this year has officially started and another part of me is worried January is already over. (We’ve been booking some things so the end of the month and the next month are all on my mind.) This year hasn’t felt like a new year just yet. I need to do something for it to feel more right. Now if only I knew what it was…
Three things I’m grateful for today:
1. Long naps. Nathaniel took an extra-long nap this morning. David played downstairs while I read and relaxed. It was nice to have the extra bit of quiet time. As with David (when he was a baby) I found myself feeling frustrated that I didn’t know it was going to be a long one or I would have planned to use the time better. That’s me. Always the optimizer. But here we are. It was still nice to have it.
2. My husband filled up the gas in my car. This is something I just don’t enjoy doing. Not sure why and I can do it if I need to but it’s something I always dread so it was extra-nice of him to do this for me.
3. While I love the holiday season, I’m always bummed that TV is on hiatus and I am thankful that it’s finally coming back and I can watch some of the shows I like again. I love watching TV and I will not apologize for it. So there 🙂
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projects for twenty twenty-five
projects for twenty twenty-four
projects for twenty twenty-three
projects for twenty twenty-two
projects for twenty twenty-one
projects for twenty nineteen
projects for twenty eighteen
projects from twenty seventeen
monthly projects from previous years
some of my previous projects
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