Gratitude

Today feels so much more hopeful than the last few weeks have felt. Partly it's due to a huge release in pressure since the board meetings are over and I no longer need to stress out about the big proposal I was presenting.

With the return of hope, I thought a gratitude list was in order. Here's what I'm feeling grateful for this morning:
- the delicious burritos my daughter cooked for supper last night
- my husband has been picking up the slack a lot around the home front while I've been busy having meltdowns and disappearing when I needed to for visits to the labyrinth and the grave
- the fun and crazy orange and green room Julie and I created - just in time for her 12th birthday (eventually I'll get some pictures posted)
- the free carpet I just got for my new creative sanctuary in the basement
- the lovely voice mail from the lovely Michele, "just so that there was a pleasant voice on my answering machine not asking for ANYTHING"
- the equally lovely emails from Linda and Cynthia for essentially the same reason
- all of the friendly, supportive comments on this blog - you really lifted me up when I was feeling pretty low
- the fact that our board of directors put enough trust in me to approve my full proposal (even though they had to drag it through the mud a bit before they could approve it). (But... can I just say... YIKES! I have a lot of work to do!)
- some really kind and supportive things said to me by several board members (some of whom felt really badly for the "dragging through the mud" I had to live through)
- I get to hire 2 new staff to take some of my workload (and launch lots of new and exciting ideas)
- I have some renewed energy and a few new creative ideas for my day job and don't feel quite as desperate to leave it as I did a few weeks ago
- a fun day on Monday when I got to take a Zimbabwean visitor out to a field to ride a tractor and play farmer for awhile (by the way, according to him, things are looking up in Zimbabwe!)
- the wonderful email exchanges I'm having with my soulsister-whom-I've-never-met Vicki (not much point in linking to her blog since she NEVER UPDATES IT! hint, hint.)
- a great book
- speaking of books, I sold a photo (from my Flickr set) for $50 and get to buy some new books, guilt-free! Can't wait 'til they arrive in the mail! (Some of them are recommendations from you, my lovely blog readers. Thanks!)
- great biking weather the last few days
- it's Friday! It's the weekend!

What are you grateful for today?

Today I am thankful for...

- the colour green

- rowboats on the river

- my lovely Trek bicycle, and the way it rode so smoothly this morning with the freshly pumped-up tires

- Maddie’s tag-along bike, and the way she bounces happily along behind me when we ride to soccer games together

- a shower in the basement of my office building for when I sweat my way to work on warm mornings like this one

- that my children are not as whiny or disrespectful as some of the children on the soccer field (yeah, I know I sound catty, but I'm still thankful)

- the flowering trees along my morning bike path

- that I don’t always have a rash on my chin, and that it doesn’t look as bad as it feels

- a few minutes to watch my beautiful niece play last night

- that this morning’s conference call went better than most

- creative ideas

- colour

- that Maddie hasn’t woken up during the night the last few nights and that her breathing is nearly back to normal

- sandals

- my new second-hand linen skirt that swooshes around my legs when I walk

- that I’ll get to relax in another lovely bed and breakfast next week

- the tulips someone planted amidst the wild grass along the river pathway

- the anticipation of a picnic

- a little break from soccer tonight

- jolly rancher candies

- a good book to read (Honeymoon in Purdah – I highly recommend it)

- a cup of tea

- sunshine