April 30th

Today I'm grateful for time to look at the clouds.

I got off work and went straight to the frisbee fields with the intention of doing extra warm ups, stretches, and throwing. But I got there and decided to lay in the grass instead. I took a brief cat nap before spending some time looking at the sky. I didn't do any extra anything to prepare for my game, but it was definitely time well spent.

April 29th

Today I'm grateful for porch sitting.

I came home from work and promptly sat myself on my porch.  I entertained myself with journal writing, book reading, Norah Jones listening, and chocolate milk drinking (and eventually computer typing). I only left to go for a run and make my dinner. I'm looking forward to many more sunny afternoons and evenings on my porch.

April 28th

Today I'm grateful for sleeping.

I didn't sleep well last night which made me grateful for almost all the other nights when I do sleep well. I thought that I wasn't sleeping at all, but then in the morning I remembered my dreams and realized I was just having nightmares all night. My body usually takes such good care of itself when it comes to sleeping. I know it's definitely part of my self-care and for sure helps me function better. I suppose the good news is that I know I'll sleep well tonight. I've never had two bad nights in a row. Good night!

April 27th

Today I'm grateful for crushes.

I've had a crush on a this boy for a few months. It's agonizing and wonderful all at the same time to have feelings for someone. I'm grateful for meeting another human that can evoke such strong emotions and for the process of exploring, learning, and discovering things with a new person.

April 26th

Today I'm grateful for home.

There is definitely a particular sense of comfort and familiarity about being home. Being at home usually provides an opportunity to go at a slower pace. I spent my day talking and spending quality time with my family, eating fabulous home cooked food, and enjoying the natural beauty of my little town. I also got to see my sister perform in The Importance of Being Earnest and catch up with a couple high school friends. A solid weekend for sure.

Sunset in Bandon. 

After playing cribbage with Ellen at the port.

Homemade feast. Not pictured: Garlic bread and creme brûlée.

Gwendolyn: Act 1

Gwendolyn: Act 2

April 25th

Today I am grateful for NOT getting speeding tickets.

I was pulled over on my drive home today. It was only my third time getting pulled over in the 11+ years I've been driving. The officer was pretty friendly when he approached me, but he took all my documents back to his cruiser and I thought for sure I'd be getting a ticket. I really, really didn't want to have to find and cough up the money to pay a fine, so when he came back and told me to have good night and didn't give me a ticket I was so grateful.

April 24th

Today I'm grateful for breaks in the rain.

It was pouring rain at the time I was supposed to leave for work today, but I ended up getting delayed. I felt guilty and stressed for being late, but by the time I got everything sorted the pouring rain had stopped and it was sunny for my bike ride in. I am grateful that I caught a window of sunshine. 

April 23rd

Today I'm grateful for Administrative Professionals Day.

When the front desk team arrived at work today we were greeted with flowers, chocolates, and cards from our supervisory staff. I was touched that they remembered and went out of their way to recognize the work we do.  

April 22nd

Today I'm grateful for flower deliveries.

I came out of a meeting at work to find these flowers sitting on my desk. My very thoughtful, sweet roommate sent them to me. It was such a welcome surprise. I haven't received flowers from anyone in years. They will continue to brighten my day all week!

April 21st

Today I'm grateful for homemade Thai food.

My cribbage crew switched things up today and did a Thai potluck. We listened to 90's pop radio and prepared pad thai, pad see ew, vegetable green curry, papaya salad, and coconut ice cream. And it was all amazingly delicious. I should have taken a picture of the whole spread but below are pics of making pad thai and coconut ice cream. 

April 20th

Today I'm grateful for Rising Sun earrings and sweets.

One of the many wonderful players on my Rising Sun team brought all the lady players earring that her mom made us. I just love and appreciate how thoughtful people are. The earrings are beautiful, and fun, and so versatile!

I also participated* in Lent this year by giving up sweets. So the first thing I ate this morning was ice cream. And then birthday cake. Yum! The cake is made by my roommate's grandmother who is a wizard baker. I aspire to make cakes like she does.

*I had quite a few planned cheats, and some unplanned cheats too...

April 19th

Today I am grateful for so many things!

1. Half Marathon--Race day finally came and I finished successfully. I was disappointed in my time since I didn't beat my 2012 time (and only missed it by 3 minutes, SO close!) but I finished well and my body feels great!

2. Wedding--After the race, I grabbed a delicious brunch with a group of Portland friends and then headed south to attend a wedding of two more dear friends. I was so grateful to be a part of the celebration especially since I knew both the bride and the groom. I was around before they started dating (and I'd like to say I had a small role in them getting together) and saw their relationship develop and grow since the beginning. I think they are a wonderful match and I admire how much they care and make time for each other.

3. Birthday--So after all this, I was exhausted but made it to one more event before calling it a day. My roommate was out of town for her actual birthday last weekend so we celebrated this weekend. I didn't stay out too long but I got some line dancing and a birthday song in before going home to my sweet, sweet bed.

April 18th

Today I'm grateful for card making.

Card making is a craft I started in high school and that still enjoy partaking in, although don't usually make time. Today, before jetting off to Portland, I made a very simple card for a wedding I'm attending tomorrow. I enjoyed getting my creative juices flowing and was quite pleased with the finished product.

April 17th

Today I'm grateful for date nights.

My girlfriend surprised me and took me to dinner tonight. It was one of the best dates I've ever been on. And actually the only date where the person picked me up at my house, paid for dinner, and dropped me back off. We had a really good conversation during dinner and I thoroughly enjoyed the evening. 

April 16th

Today I'm grateful for compliments.

I was running late this morning so took even less time than usual picking out my outfit. I got to work and one of my coworkers complimented me on my shirt. Throughout the day no less than ten people complimented me on it. I don't usually get that many compliments in a week so I'm feeling totally flattered (and feel like I need to adopt a new strategy for choosing my clothes). Perhaps the best part is I bought the shirt at Goodwill!

 Here's the magical shirt:

April 15th

Today I'm grateful for lists.

I use lists as a coping mechanism and self-care. My thoughts or tasks will constantly swirl around in my head and writing lists help me organize. I'm grateful I figured out this method early in my academic career, as I still use it in my professional and personal life. 

April 14th

Today I'm grateful for lunar eclipses.

I'll be honest, I tried to stay up, but I only saw the first bit as I was pretty exhausted from the weekend. I still appreciate the novelty and hope to catch the next one!

April 13th

Today I'm grateful for Midnight Whiskey.

This was my team this weekend. I really appreciated our positivity, energy, level of competitiveness, and support for one another. We got third overall but I think in our hearts we got first. :)

April 12th

Today I'm grateful for the Cascades.

Bend has a rugged beauty that I appreciate every time I visit. Even from the field you could see mountains in the distance. I didn't get a very good picture as I was focusing more on taking pics of people on the field, but you can get a sense from this photo of how beautiful it is. 

And here's a pic on the drive over the night before.

April 11th

Today I'm grateful for finishing my last long training run.

My half marathon is just over a week away. I did my long run a day early this week so I could play in a frisbee tournament this weekend. I ran just over 10 miles and I was surprised at how well it went. I felt really strong and ready for the upcoming race!

April 10th

Today I'm grateful for my sisters.

In honor of National Siblings Day I'd like to take this opportunity to recognize both of my wonderful sisters. They are very generous individuals and have talents and traits that I admire. We each have our own personalities but remain fiercely loyal to each other. My life certainly wouldn't be the same without them. I am grateful for many people in my life, but my sisters are in my top five. 

April 9th

Today I'm grateful for Susan B. Anthony.

For our ultimate spring draft league we decided to to lady captains and theme teams after famous, influential women. I chose Susan B. Anthony for my team name and in doing research about her to send out in fun e-mails I learned a lot about her. She was a mover and a shaker and I admire that in any person, but especially a woman in the 1800s. The things she was doing have had a direct impact on my life and I'm grateful for the changes she helped make.

April 8th

Today I'm grateful for walk and talks.

I talked to a good friend on the phone today after work. We're both busy individuals and we're in different time zones so we typically keep in touch via e-mail but try to Skype or call every few weeks. We were finally able to talk today which alone would have been great. But the weather was also gorgeous so I walked around my neighborhood before settling on a bench to finish our conversation. It was wonderful to catch up on each other lives and a great way to spend my evening.

April 7th

Today I'm grateful for the scenic route.

I had a meeting for work in Corvallis today and I carpooled with my colleague. I assumed we would take I-5 but he was driving and I quickly realized we were not going to take the freeway but the back road, Highway 99. It took us a little longer to get there but the drive was super pleasant and beautiful. I'll be taking that route again.

April 6th

Today I'm grateful for lost things being found.

I lost a ring on Friday night. The ring had no monetary value, but I've had it was a gift for my 18th birthday and I was bummed to lose it. But I found out today that my friend found it on his porch! I think it came off when I took my gloves off after biking. I'm so grateful to have it back. My finger was feeling naked.

P.S. It is way harder than I thought to take a ring/hand selfie. More respect for those perfect engagement ring photos!

April 5th

Today I'm grateful for crossing items off my bucket list.

I have a Eugene bucket list and one of the items that has been on it for a few years is going to see a roller derby bout. I finally went today and it was quite the experience! I should have done some research on the rules prior, but my friends and I were able to piece things together. I enjoyed watching the sport and observing the other fans.

April 4th

Today I'm grateful for my coworkers.

I work with a bunch of very talented and caring people. One of my favorite coworkers is moving on to bigger and better things and today was her last official day at work. I'm sad to see her go but also excited for her new opportunity and grateful that our paths crossed. And I'm hopeful they will cross again.

April 3rd

Today I'm grateful for Christmas packages from Kenya.

Speaking of mail, my roommate and I got a package in the mail today from Kenya! It was a Christmas package from our dear friend and past roommate. It was so fun going through all the little goodies she sent us. And I have a very cool, new friendship bracelet.

April 2nd

Today I'm grateful for online shopping.

I prefer online shopping to in person shopping for a few reasons.

1. I can do it anytime and I can do it from my bed.
2. I feel like I can find or at least compare more products, thus getting a better deal.
3. And this is the best reason, I get mail! (I did a little retail therapy recently and I got a package in the mail today.)

April 1st

Today I'm grateful for running partners.

I ran with a couple of girlfriends after work today. It was my first non-solo run and it was fun to have company. I also needed the extra motivation today as I didn't run over the weekend.