Tag Archives: Family

So, Thanksgiving is coming up and I am thankful…

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I don’t have oodles of cash. I don’t have a big, fine house. I don’t have a “big job”, but I am thankful and happy every single day. I have a friend/trend who buys her way into people’s hearts. She has not one friend that she hasn’t spent lots of money on at one time or another. She is a nice woman, but she would not be the person that she is without her nice income.

So many people define themselves and their lives by their status, the number of stamps on their passports, or how often they get pampered at the spa. I wonder how they make it if they made 30 grand a year. Or if they rent instead of own. Or, if they did not have a boatload of people to hang out with at a moment’s notice.

I have spent much of my life being mediocre. (It kinda sucks because I am actually quite bright and creative and fabulous) Making mediocre money, going mediocre places, and living a life that could have been so much bigger. But then came my kid. I have done the whole mom/child-rearing thing in a big way. I am a super, fabulous mom and  a lot of people envy-no joke. I wouldn’t trade all of the memories on vacations with flashy friends for the awesome journey I have had and continue to have with my kid.

I look at my child everyday, and realize what a gift I have been given by God. I yell, I get annoyed, I may not cook all of the food groups on a regular basis, but I am present. I have traditions with my kid. I make occasions more than special. I treat every birthday as a royal occasion, planning for 4 or 5 months sometimes like her recent party.

But, one doesn’t have to have a child to see and feel God’s love and blessings. Having a great and rewarding career is something to be thankful for. I have never had that. Having a great relationship with your family, or friends that would go to the ends of the earth for you is something that most  of us don’t have. Being really athletic and fit and inspirational to others is a blessing to count for sure!

My whole point in all of this, is that people die everyday. There are monsters creating terror all over the world everyday. So everyday we are alive and haven’t lost anyone is a day to praise God and celebrate. I have decided to not ever put myself into a relationship, or a job or in a situation any more where I am not valued or I do not feel happy. I want to look back when I am old and realize that I did not waste my time on unimportant issues or people.

During this beautiful and hectic and magical holiday season. Don’t fret. Don’t feel sad. Know that there are many people out there that would love to have the life that you do. IF you ever feel that you are short on blessings, know that your ability to read this blog and other blogs and have access to technology and have the ability to  write is a right or a privilege that many people across the world do not have access to.

What are you thankful for this year?

Simply~

Dee

Why does a place with hissing and whirring sounds calm me and keep me more focused than I am at home?

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So, Starbucks is one of those magical places that keeps us wanting more and more and more and more.:) Or, at least me and millions of other people. I had lunch at a neighborhood supermarket with my daughter and then we walked around in the snow a bit more and then we hopped into the car and drove to Starbucks. We were at home and I could have sat on my bed to make a call to the insurance company. But instead, I drove a mile and a half to our favorite Starbucks (there are 10 in a 10 mile radius) to do what I could have done more comfortably at home.

Then I spent over 3 dollars on my drink. And then I spent almost 4 dollars on a breakfast sandwich for my daughter and I to share. Then she read a book and I checked some emails. All things I could have done at home. But something about the dark wood, and the nice and subtle lighting, and the pleasing tunes wafting ever so softly in the background mesmerizes me. It is like an addiction of sorts.

People could say it is the caffeine, or the taste of the coffee, or the trendiness of it all. But I think it is the whole package. I could drink caffeine/coffee at home. It is not hard to make a bacon, egg and gouda sandwich at home. I actually drink faux coffee. So, I think it is a type of voodoo they have over the masses.

The same kind of voodoo that Disney puts on people when visiting their parks. That is why we are going back again this year. Despite the cost, the travel aggravation, the lines, there is no place like Disney. We do believe it is the happiest place on earth, except for of course our little abode. Even the people that go to Disney are less annoying than they are at other places. Or, is it part of the trance Disney puts me under?:)

Funnily enough, as much as I love those places, I love being at home too. The familiarity of surroundings,my cat, the material items and mementos that take me back to certain experiences that mean something to me. I guess now that I think about it, Sbux and Disney have captured the magic of the home away from home experience but in a grand way. But when it comes down to it,home, Disney and Starbucks hold something in common: Beauty,comfort, memories, happiness, and sharing precious time with people that we love. Those things are more important than the aesthetics or psychology in the advertisements. A price can’t be put on experiences and memories…

Simply~

Dee