At the end of the day...

...you're excited because it's finally Friday.

One of these months the days won't be so hectic and the weeks won't seem nearly so long.

Maybe.

Local brews.

Just keep swimming...
~ Finding Nemo

Here's one for you

So, I was on my way to the gym, and I had to stop and get gas.  So, there I was, sneakers, stretchy pants, sweatshirt, and hand-made tshirt hat (its cold here!), at the gas station.  I've been accused before of looking like a hobo with that type of outfit on, but whatever.  Anyways, I've been having problems with my debit card recently, namely that the strip is bad and card readers take several swipes to read it.  I had already locked myself out of the pay-at-the-pump once, and it was threatening to do it again.  I had just gotten finished making idle threats to the card-reader (which finally worked!) when I heard someone ask, "Where did you get your hat?"

After looking around and determining that the man across the way was talking to me, I answered, "I made it."

He made a face, somewhere between "it looks homemade", and "huh".  He only nodded.

I asked him, "Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"  I was curious.  Sue me.

He made another face, kinda like ehhhh.  He replied, "it could be a good thing".

I nodded my head in acknowledgement.

But then he added, "If you're a little eccentric."

I stared at him, Mr. everything-I'm-wearing-is-coordinated-and-looks-like-I-just-got-done-hitting-18-holes-of-golf, driving a late model Acura which probably cost more than my college education, and thought, "Eccentric, indeed."

Thanks to my niece, I will have a Christmas tree this year!!!

Most conversations are simply monologues delivered in the presence of a witness.
~ Margaret Millar

Feast

Today, I literally spent all day food shopping and cooking.

I don't have a lot of pictures of my feast, but here's a few...

The start of a tasty treat...raw almonds, hemp seed, flax seed, & chia seed...

...into a completely delicious nut butter.  A little thick for butter (I don't have a vitamix), but still yum.

Pulled BBQ chicken on homemade pretzel rolls.  The rolls are nowhere near what they should be, but still pretty good.  

I also made bacon & bean dip and butternut squash gnocchi.  The dip is super good, but the gnocchi is only so-so.  Very bland.  I might end up serving it to Atticus, as he has not had a problem eating it.

If you want the recipes, or to know what the above things SHOULD look like, click on the links!  

Ran out of time, so I'll have to hold off on my zucchini brownies til tomorrow.

Nothing ever goes away until it teaches us what we need to know.
~ Pema Chodron

Thankful 12

You know someone is very short when she takes one look at you and tells you you're plenty tall enough to change a light bulb for her.  Thus starts the first encounter with my elderly across the street diagonally neighbor.  The middle of the story has me reaching through a year's worth of dead bugs, spiders, and cobwebs and changing an outdoor security light for her in full darkness.  The story ends with her stuffing $10 down the front of my sweatshirt like I'm a Vegas showgirl after I refused it from her several times.

I had a pretty good day today.  After working 4 hours of overtime this morning at 2am, and my 5 hour nap when I came home, I hung around the house, cleaning, doing laundry, and decorating a little for the holidays.

So, between the good day, the hilarious encounter with my neighbor, and the cozy feel of my living room right now, I'm pretty stinking content.

So right now?  I'm thankful for the spirit of the holidays, the spirit of being thankful, and the spirit of home.

I hope you all feel as happy and content as I feel at this moment in time.

You have to go wholeheartedly into anything in order to achieve anything worth having.
~ Frank Lloyd Wright

Thankful 11

Tonight, I am thankful for my job.  Even though its stressful, I complain, I work too many hours (called in to work 4 hours on my day off tomorrow morning - starting at 2am!), I am very very lucky.

To celebrate all this overtime, I bought a shirt to assist a child with autism.

Believe in yourself and all that you are.  Know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle.
~ Christian D. Larson

Thankful 10

So today was the first of a string of winter storms the PNW is supposed to experience.  I had to drive to the Academy today - an hour south before dawn, and drive back home, an hour right at dusk, in the worst rain I've ever experienced here.  Imagine me, hunched over the steering wheel, my face as close as possible to the windshield, desperately trying to find the fog line (the white line to the right side of the road), and silently imploring the person in front of me to slow down so I could keep up with them and use their taillights as a beacon.  It was horrendous.  By the time I got home tonight, I had a stress headache *this big*.  Oi!!!

If you don't believe me, look at this article (I passed those news trucks on the way home!).

But I have much to be thankful for.

Number one:  I'm thankful my boy is okay.

Number two:  I'm thankful for food:

Lazy overnight cheesy bread....fresh out of the oven.  Can't wait to cut into it!!!

Number three:  I'm thankful the rain has stopped (for now!)

Number four:  I'm thankful I can support good causes.  (This week's purchases go towards the National Autism Association).

Number five:  I'm thankful that my work day is finally over, and I'm home, relaxing with my dog, and able to take some silly pictures.  Enjoy!

P.s.  An update on the selflessness project.  I'm glad I was able to contribute!

Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.
~ Dr Seuss

Thankful 9

Today I'm thankful that I could give a little back to the community while supporting local businesses.  And that I could spend some time with a friend.

Pennies do not fall from heaven, they have to be earned here on earth.
~ Margaret Thatcher