grateful

On Thanksgiving, I went to yoga and was asked to reflect on someone in my life who filled me with a sense of gratitude. Whoever resonated with me that day.

On that day, it was my mother.

Yesterday, I found out that my college roommate's mother passed away; she had a heart attack.

So I'm writing a thank-you post to the mothers out there. Think of your own mother; let yourself feel grateful, sad, homesick, happy--whatever you need to feel.

I feel grateful, undeniably grateful and homesick and happy and a bit sad.

Thanksgiving should be everyday, except for maybe the gross over-eating. I want to focus this blog more on ways of bringing serenity, grace, and gratitude into my life while also reaching toward my goals, be the reaches baby steps or giant bounds.

Today, I feel gratitude again to my mother, beautiful, healthy, loved.

8 by 2012!

Happy belated Thanksgiving to all. Today, Brian and I are hosting our first Thanksgiving in our new home; some of our favorite friends are joining us and we're having a pot-luck style feast. We're roasting an obscenely large turkey, slow cooking three home-culled chickens (yesterday's big project), making stuffing, and baking some pies. Friends are bringing the rest.

Here's the 12 by 2012 update:

1. Blog: update and rethink blog with steps taken/initiated toward new design for the new year.

In progress now that I've posted about our engagement!

2. Academics: Complete my grad. level PSU class with an A and a possible publication.

Progress continues here. Final draft due in one week, so this week I will focus on this goal.

3. Painting: Finish painting the bedroom sky blue, the guest bedroom hazel green, the hallway a turquoise/teal and the downstairs a creamy latte/chocolate brown.

In progress: finished the second coat of hazel green in the guest bedroom and finished the blue in the bedroom.

4. Donate old clothes and books.

Done!

5. Host a friend's Thanksgiving: Invite people over for a Thanksgiving potluck the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend.

Done-ish! Or this will be done all too soon.

6. Host some thank-you dinners for friends who have been super helpful in the past month of stress and madness.

7. Unpack. I still have lots of projects and decorating to do, but I feel safe to say that this is done!

8. Buy a washer and dryer.

Done! 

9. Buy a new phone and get set up on family plan and teacher discount.

10. Take real steps toward the next big project (to be clarified later). 

We have three houses rented, the wedding spot rented, and I've started to look at dresses. That's some progress, but I'd like to find a caterer and photographer by Jan. 1.

11. Start taking photographs and publishing them again.

12. Go to yoga at least 7 times.

In progress: Went four times!

10 by 2012!

Compared to last week, I am feeling rested and wonderful, frankly. Of course, there's still a lot on my plate, but my first quarter grades are done--whoo! And the big move is over! I feel like less of a crazy person when I have a place to come home to that's neat, homey, and semi-organized.

Here's another Monday update on ways I've chiseled away at my list this week.

1. Blog: update and rethink blog with steps taken/initiated toward new design for the new year.

In progress now that I've posted about our engagement!

2. Academics: Complete my grad. level PSU class with an A and a possible publication.

Progress continues here. Need to revise my rough draft tonight for a meeting with my professor tomorrow, but have a thesis that seems to be shaping up nicely. Professor seems to not hate our first draft.

3. Painting: Finish painting the bedroom sky blue, the guest bedroom hazel green, the hallway a turquoise/teal and the downstairs a creamy latte/chocolate brown.

In progress: finished the second coat of hazel green in the guest bedroom.

4. Donate old clothes and books.

In progress: The pile is in the trunk of my car!

5. Host a friend's Thanksgiving: Invite people over for a Thanksgiving potluck the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend.

In progress: I invited folks! I ordered a turkey! Now I just need to tell people what to bring!

6. Host some thank-you dinners for friends who have been super helpful in the past month of stress and madness.

7. Unpack. I still have lots of projects and decorating to do, but I feel safe to say that this is done!

8. Buy a washer and dryer.

Done! 

9. Buy a new phone and get set up on family plan and teacher discount.

10. Take real steps toward the next big project (to be clarified later). 

So, this is the wedding plans, and we are making progress. We've found a wedding party house and a location for the wedding itself. My parents have also rented a house on the coast. Now I have to start seriously looking for a dress, a photographer, and a caterer. Ah!

11. Start taking photographs and publishing them again.

12. Go to yoga at least 7 times.

In progress: Went twice!

Engaged!

So, I've been hinting at some big changes going on in my life since about late July, and the first one is the fact that we're engaged! Brian asked me on the coast, at sunset, in late July. We were sitting on a bench, surrounded by trees, home to deer and elk, with an amazing view of the waters and the colors of the sunset. I've been meaning to post, but I wanted to use an engagement pictures and other big life changes got in the way (more on that soon!). So here is the big news, at long last!

Thanks to Amy for taking this incredible photo of us under the St. John's bridge. The lighting is so romantic and perfect, and as in life, he is supporting me and making me feel as though I could fly.

I have a graphic design student at my high school designing our save-the-date cards. I can't wait to see what she comes up with, using other amazing photos by Amy.

11 by 2012!

In a moment of total stress anxiety, with deadlines looming, it feels really great to look at my 12 goals and see how productive I've been in the past week! It's easy to forget what's been accomplished and be hard on oneself when expectations are high, time is short, and the piles of grading, reading, writing, etc. seem to grow rather than shrink.

1. Blog: update and rethink blog with steps taken/initiated toward new design for the new year.

2. Academics: Complete my grad. level PSU class with an A and a possible publication.

In progress. Worked extremely hard almost all weekend on classwork, but now feeling behind with school (teaching).

3. Painting: Finish painting the bedroom sky blue, the guest bedroom hazel green, the hallway a turquoise/teal and the downstairs a creamy latte/chocolate brown.

In progress: finished the second coat of hazel green in the guest bedroom.

4. Donate old clothes and books.

In progress: The pile is growing!

5. Host a friend's Thanksgiving: Invite people over for a Thanksgiving potluck the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend.

6. Host some thank-you dinners for friends who have been super helpful in the past month of stress and madness.

7. Unpack. In progress: only a few straggling boxes remain!

8. Buy a washer and dryer.

Done! Washed about 20 loads this weekend!!!

9. Buy a new phone and get set up on family plan and teacher discount.

10. Take real steps toward the next big project (to be clarified later). 

Definitely in progress!!!

11. Start taking photographs and publishing them again.

12. Go to yoga at least 7 times.

In progress: Went once!