I Heart Sundays!

i love sundays.  they are the perfect day to rest, to comtemplate, to nurture and prepare yourself for the week ahead.  i don’t go to a traditional church on sundays, but i always ‘observe’ in my way and give thanks.   sunday has always felt like a very spiritual day to me.  i don’t know why.  it could be all in my head.  but i don’t care.  sundays feel great to me.  they feel like a deep sigh after a rushed day.  they bring you present.  i like to think last week is behind sunday.  next week is ahead.  sunday, feels out of time.  this feels just right.  a place to dive in and just be.  i love sundays! 

so, on sundays i like to make a sunday list.  it’s not much different than the other days, which i generally make a list of things i am grateful for first thing in the morning.   hey, oprah winfrey does this too!  anyway, i guess the only difference about a sunday list is the ritual surrounding it.  more than any other day, i am going to take the time to sit down somewhere beautiful and comfortable, likely with a steaming warm cup of tea beside me and likely a sleeping warm cat.  i take the time maybe to put on nice music, or light a candle, or sit outside under the sun and trees for it.  sunday lists are a great way to take care of yourself.  make it a date.  every sunday we can romance ourselves just a bit, take our notebook someplace magical and write into it whatever is causing us to ooze joy in that moment.  it is very simple, very immediate.  and honest.  so honor sunday just a bit.  and honor yourself always! 

here is my sunday list:

thank you lovely universe kindly for the blessings of…

1 neil who teaches me a great deal about unconditional love and support.

2 bibby and holly the best cats in the world.

3 sadie and casey visiting this next week for holiday-esque festivities.

4 my divine and wonderful pilates class this morning

5 endings and beginnings

6 bright and quiet mornings

7 the smell of breakfast cooking up

8 the clean feeling after a shower

9 snuggly up winter book reading opportunities

10 my family cookbook project coming to fruition.

11 my mom having affordable doctor visits.

12 the beautiful flowers and green masterpiece outside the living room window.

13 inner calm and happiness.

14 the miracle of kundalini yoga; the yoga of awareness…

15 the women’s circle i had been envisioning is forming now, effortlessly.

16 my car keeps on tickin’.

17 kyla and josh coming to visit!

18 the comfort and joys of home.

19 really, there’s no place like home.

20 aunt margaret.  aunt margaret’s famous cheese straws.  this year, in your honor, girl.  we miss you.

21 the beautiful memory of my gram.  i love the memory of her voice.  we were kindred spirits.

22 smiling eyes, happy feet

23 dumb ass hilarious comedies.

24 poetry poetry poetry.

25 vision, creativity, imagination.

26 playing make-believe.

27 laughter is the best thing in the world.

28  i love sundays!  the yumminess and sacredness of sundays.

love is.  you are.  any questions?  ha ha.  sunday joke.  okay, hugs to everybody.  ooh…wait-

29 hugs!!!

))))))))))))

*this post was hand-written sunday, typed monday.

Love Today

my friend whitney recently reminded me how much i love the song, “love today” by Mika.  if you don’t know it, it is fairly flamboyant tribute to, today.  very peppy and wonderfully infectious!  also a great one to move your booty to.  and really, isn’t that all we’ve got, today? 

another friend of mine lost a dear friend of hers today, at the young age of 27.  it’s amazing how even hearing about something like this, immediately puts things in perspective and provokes gratitude.  life is such a precious gift, but it is easy as humans to get sidetracked from praising it, to get sucked into routines, challenges and other things that distract us from the gift of the present.  today, i am exceedingly grateful for my 35 years on the planet and i hope to have many many more.  but, i have no idea what life has in store for me… so i do my best to dwell in the wonder of todayness. 

i am including a poem today.  i am writing poems lately, after a few years ‘off.’  i never in a million years expected to be a poet, let alone a poet with a blatant spiritual bent.  the poetry i used to write and the poetry i have published in the past was a far cry from what is coming out of me today.  it is a good thing, to me a poem is like a map of the soul.  a snapshot of our current state of consciousness.  the stuff i wrote back then was still rather dark and full of angst.  i am grateful for it, it was a necessary stage and purging.  and there is always more purging to do! 

lately, however, i find myself purging mostly pure love!  i find my poetry coming out almost in a voice that is not mine, a voice that is bigger than me.  a voice that just comes out with ease and very little complaint!  a voice that most often is overflowing with love, is present and full of praise.  it makes my old personality a little uncomfortable!  i could easily write a book called, ‘the death of kristin foster.’  i am very different in some ways than i once was.  but the changes have been necessary, needed, and have created great improvement.  this inspires me all the more to praise today, for it is a wonderful opportunity to change. 

in india, it is thought that by simply changing one habit, you can completely alter your destiny.  by doing one thing different, especially if it is something you never do, this action can have a powerful effect on your soul, your consciousness and the very life you experience.  for me one thing i never do is get up before the sun rises in the morning.  this is such a sacred time of day too, the world is silent, the world is yours.  this is likely one of the next changes i’ll choose to make. 

one choice i have made, about two months ago, was to switch to a vegan diet.  after years of trying to creep up on the switch without much success, i decided to go ‘cold turkey’ (pun intended!)  what a miraculous shift this has created in my life.  i am very sensitive to energies, and well, there’s not a lot of good energy in dead meat.  i would get sooo depressed every time i ate a meal!  on the surface i would look forward to those tasty morsels and would want that turkey sandwich, would crave that bacon.  but i would eat the bird or bacon and think… this is delicious… but whhhaaaa!  it made me very very sad! there is no separation for me anymore, i see the animal, i see the unnecessary loss of life.  especially now that i live in the country where turkeys are my neighbors!  it is hard to think about them the same way.  and it seems absurd to me now to celebrate thankgiving, with killing.

i have a deep compassion for animals and since they have no voices humans can understand, i feel happy to be a voice on their behalf.  sure, being vegan is not for everyone, and i appreciate and respect all individual choices when it comes to diet.  i do not feel holier than thou and i do not need everyone to ‘be like me.’  but i am happy to be a catalyst for contemplation in others.  i am happy to ‘be the change i wish to see.’  i am happy. 

the bottom line for me is, this one switch has dramatically altered the course of my life.  i feel lighter, i feel happier and grateful for every meal.  i feel amazed at how easy the switch has been.  i feel excited at the challenge of thinking of new things to eat, it really stimulates creativity!  i am a huge fan of food in general and i loooved meat, ate it my whole life.  i never thought in a million years i would be able to give it up.  but i have.  and it is good, and i feel more my true self now than ever before.  to me, it is not a choice made to restrict myself, it is not about diet and getting skinny.  it is about loving something greater than myself , loving something  more than my little self.  it is about loving the earth and it’s creatures more than i love to satisfy my selfish little tastebuds.  much to my surprise, i do not feel deprived, i feel expanded.  i feel happy.  and i feel after this feat, i could make many more changes.  i feel i can do anything!

today, i wrote a little poem.  i did not intend for it to be a ‘god poem’ , but this is what wanted to come out.  who am i to say what my poems should be about.  these days i just open myself and wait.  and the words come out, and i honor them.  i find it interesting that what came out hints at what i’ve felt all along.  the truest appetite we have, the deepest appetite, is for love.  and there is an endless supply for everyone.  so let’s drink it up and dance in it and share it and give it freely!  it will always come back to us.  in truth, it Is us. 

here is the poem:

GIFT OF GOD

satisfy your appetite

there is no lack of love

*

having slept, we now wake up

breathing in deep what we can hold

heart to the belly, today is just

*

today is calling…

so, in honor of today-loving Mika, and to unexpected ‘god poetry,’ i make my list of gratefulness in response to the question, what do you love about today?  it is all we have.  it is the greatest gift.  make your list, it activates the best stuff in the universe!

What I Love About Today…

~the most delicious homemade chai tea.  i chant a little indian prayer to it while it simmers and when it’s done, you can literally taste the love!  it is very uplifting, very soul-soothing.

~peace and quiet and a day pregnant with possibility

~my sweet kitty sleeping in a perfect ball next to me as i type.  my constant companion who has taught me so much about life!

~i am loved i am loved i am loved.  i feel it everywhere, i see it everywhere.  the best part of life is the people we are in relationship with.  otherwise, i think experience would be very hollow.

~forgiveness.  that it dissolves everything and brings you present.

~a hawk is soaring over the apple trees just outside my window.

~that even housecleaning is joyful when it is preparation to invite friends and loved ones into my home to share yummy food and thankfulness.

~cherished, long lost friends reemerging.  i am grateful our paths have crossed again.

~how music instantly transports you.

~how much fun i am having as i work to finish the family cookbook in time for christmas.  there are generations of love in this book.  it is tangible!

~the sun is still shining so bright out even though it is supposed to be winter.  this amazes me, i love it!

~that we are having ‘bangers and mash’ for dinner tonight!  neil’s famous ‘confetti mash’ with red potatoes, parsley, carrot, white pepper and scallions.  and we found insanely delicious vegan grain-based sausages, sage and apple, that are better than the real thing.

~that i can feel all my dreams actively coming true.

~i love that my cold is gone and i feel reinvigorated, very appreciative and full of energy again.

~that neil cleaned the kitchen up for us first thing this morning.  aahhhh.  music to a minimalist’s ears.

~my laundry is done and put away!

~that i choose movement now first thing in the morning instead of food straightaway, and how dramatically this enlivens my whole day.

~cold showers!  yeah, another thing i thought i’d never do, but i’ll tell you, it re-sets your entire ‘electrical system’ and promotes waves of spontaneous bliss.  try it!

~that today is just more time for loving, laughing, playing, creating and enjoying all there is.

~talking to my mom always makes me happy.  her voice is so soothing.  i am aware in the present how much i will miss her when eventually, she is gone.  it may sound kind of morbid, but it is a powerful thought that helps me to appreciate my loved ones while they are still around.

~that i have everything i need, that no matter what i may worry about ‘not having,’ the truth is, if i reflect on my whole life, i have always been provided for.  and i always will be provided for.  worry is a waste of time.  it is good to be aware of this.  it changes everything.

~i love today because it is.  because it is so vast.  because it is whatever i wish it to be.  this is the ultimate in creative freedom.  this is the ultimate power.  what will i make of it?  the best!

okay, signing off for now.  i am grateful to write this if someone is listening/reading.  i am grateful if no one is but me!  it is a form of prayer for me.  it is praise.  praise today, it is seed of all future dreams.

wishing everyone love and gut-wrenching laughter.  peace.

the grateful phoenix

hello everyone, please excuse my absence over the last few days, i’ve been suffering through a gnarly cold.  oy.  in fact, i thought of writing everyday, made notes about it, but just couldn’t bring my stuffy fevered head to the computer.  and i must admit, i was in a foul mood and grumping up a bit and not in the mood to be grateful!  what’s funny is, i learned something really significant during this time.  how i generally practice gratitude is to simply look around, be aware of what’s in my life and select the morsels i most love and talk about them exclusively.  it never occured to me to be grateful for things i  consider ‘bad’.  i always just focus on the best of the best stuff. 

first, having this little cold, despite my frustrations, afforded me a bounty of positive things.  i was stuck inside and not capable of ‘doing’ much, so i sat down to read.  an activity i love but don’t always make time for.  my cold gave me the opportunity to read a wonderful book about my latest passion, Kundalini Yoga.  what a joy it has been to learn more about this practice even while not capable of practicing it!

second, i realized how much i can take my breath for granted.  what an enormous appreciation that wells up when you are experiencing the contrast!  it was awful to not be able to breathe freely!  all-day discomfort and fitfull sleeping to boot!  But, today, with both nostrils clear, i feel very happy!  let’s face it, breath is life, and boy oh boy do i feel more alive today with this gift in free-flowing action.  thank you thank you thank you.  i want to suck in all the air around me now.  and you know what, there’s an infinite supply.  and it’s free!  yippee!

and finally, a major revelation came while reading this wonderful Kundalini book*.  in one chapter the author discusses how the principles and practices of Kundalini changed her perspective during illness.  (ha!  just what i was needing!)  she talks about a time when she fell down some stairs and broke two ribs.  during her recovery she experienced intense pain, even with medication.  so, she decided to ‘practice what she preaches’ and use some of the Kundalini technology she had learned.  so, each time she felt a twinge of pain rising, she would say out loud or silently, “Thank you God, I accept your wonderful gift of pain.”  and the pain would ease up immediately!!! 

here is an excerpt from the passage that followed this story;

“Gratefully accepting everything that comes to us as a gift of God invokes a remarkably dynamic response from God.  An ‘attitude of gratitude’ invites and allows the power of God to work faster and easier to bless and heal us.  Try it for yourself.  Whenever anything happens- good, bad, pleasant, unpleasant, desirable, undesirable- see it as something that God is doing.  Then verbally express and affirm your gratitude.  See what happens.”

to me, this was a miracle on a page.  couldn’t have said it better myself.  we are so in the habit of labeling things as good or bad, categorizing and placing items on shelves.  this goes on good shelf, i can be grateful for that, this is bad, let’s stick it in the corner!  when you realize that everything in existence comes from one source, the source with many names most often called, God**, then it becomes easy (and greatly beneficial!) to see everything around you, no matter what it is as the work of God and therefore good, as it should be and worthy of praise.  i did conduct this experiment myself with instant and wonderful results!  i said, “thank you god, i accept your wonderful gift of illness.”  and as easy as pie all my negative emotion and frustration was instantly replaced by a broader understanding and much laughter! 

so, in the end, i am so happy and grateful to have gotten this cold!  it is what it is.  i am what i am.  all is well.  some of the other gifts my cold gave me: down time, much needed rest, time to contemplate, an opportunity to surrender and receive from others, a provokation for better self-care, i.e. amending diet to include more nourishing foods, soaking in a hot tub, curling up with empathic kitties, and much more.

today, i am on fire i am so grateful, i feel like the grateful phoenix, rising from the ashes of grumpydom and reemerging as aware and thankful as can be.  today, i will list everything present in my life at this moment, without labels, no matter what it is.  i challenge anyone interested out there to do the same.  and anytime you are feeling awful or are in a real pinch, try being grateful for that same debaucle and notice how quickly it dissolves.  life is miraculous when we let go of resistance and give praise to all.

thank you…

1 for the peeling paint on my bedroom doorframe.

2 for the spider living above the bathroom medicine cabinet

3 for not working this week even though i wanted to

4 for insecurity and confusion which i think are part of transitioning to something new and wonderful

5 for both the grace and challenges of marriage

6 for the air that i breathe!

7 for my car that lurches everytime i stick it in reverse.

8 for thanksgiving, the best holiday ever

9 for neil not being around much lately, which creates an opportunity to miss him

10 for both my parents alive and well

11 for my messy room filled with stacks of books and art supplies and piles of clothes, a scene of abundance!

12 for the feeling of ‘not knowing’  for the mystery

13 for clean sheets

14 for the challenges of creating food that satisfies the tongue and nourishes the soul

15 for cats liking to sit in boxes and paper bag forts

16 for a wildly entertaining episode of Survivor last night

17 for all the pain i have experienced in life, the other side of which was tremendous pleasure

18 for all the illnesses i have experienced in life, which created an opportunity for me to be the hero of my own life, which led me to the joyful practices that helped me to dissolve them. 

19 for sunny days in the middle of november

20 for the new tradition of planting trees each year at christmas, instead of chopping them down.

21 for the feeling of being cold right now which makes me feel slightly uncomfortable but very alive

22 for garlic, onion and ginger

23 for depression

24 for my eyes, ears, nose, legs, hands

25 for my shitty laptop that runs slow, weighs 500 pounds and whizzes a terrible noise every time you start it

26 for my orchids which have been attacked by tiny slugs

27 for the stacks of laundry on the back of my sofa

28 for my messy kitchen

29 for having a house to get messy!

30 for all the love in the universe which comes in such a variety of forms and can be felt just as strongly emanating from the formless

31 for my deeply sensitive nature

32 for my education even though i’ll be paying for it for the rest of my life!

33 for pajamas and angels meeting me between waking and dreaming

34 for all the miraculous and nightmarish things i have experienced that i cannot fully explain in words.  how they shredded the veil of illusion and made me aware of the power of my own mind.

35 for being 35, for getting older and for being happier now than i have ever been, more present, more pliant and getting better each and every day.

36 for all the friends i have ever had.  for the joy.  also for the pain, which is a great teacher.

37 for all my stupid mistakes

38 for my insatiable appetite for food, for knowledge, for life, for spirit

39 for lip balm

40 for the experience of being kristin, which no one else will ever fully know

thank you my lovelies for reading my blog.  i hope it stimulates happiness or awareness or some other yumminess.  thank you for your existence!

*the quoted segment above comes from the book, Kundalini Yoga: The Flow of Eternal Power.  As taught by Yogi Bhajan, Ph.D, written by: Shakti Parwha Kaur Khalsa.  it is a very easy read with cute pictures and loads of insight and inspiration and even some recipes, if anyone fancies looking into it!

**Note: please understand that i use the term God in a very broad, all-inclusive way.  i honor and acknowledge that there are infinite ways to experience God, describe God, worship and know God.  i have graduated to knowing God after many years of atheism!   i personally, do not adhere to any particular religion, but recognize the oneness inherent in all religions.  my belief in God (not necessarily a man with a white robe, but rather, an energy within and around us, the essence of all that is) has emerged from direct personal experience.  i hope what you read above is valuable to you, regardless of the particular way you experience God, even if, or especially if, it differs from the way I do.  the principles of love, kindness, compassion, oneness and gratitude are all pretty universal.  this is where i lean, toward the universal.  i hope for this blog to be valuable to all, regardless of our individual differences.  thank you for your time and interest and i wish you always, peace, love and happiness.

Cafe Gratitude Rules!

often, to celebrate our anniversary, neil and i will take a trip somewhere.  this year, we stayed close to home and didn’t plan much due to busy schedules and me getting a nasty cold that week.  but, i did suck it up long enough to be driven to healdsburg for a surprise dinner at the new Cafe Gratitude.  a raw vegan delight.

i’m telling you, i was not exactly bright or bushytailed that evening, but there is something magical about that place.  it soon made me forget all about my sniffles and transported me to this delicious little world of pure love and thankfulness. 

i don’t know how to explain it really, as all truly great experiences have the tendency to transcend words… but, i indeed had a spiritual experience eating raw spring rolls and coconut peanut sauce in that small cafe.  the people are wonderful, the food is divine, art and inspiration abound in every nook, on every wall.  treat yourself to a visit before you croak.  or make it a habit, the energy there is irresistable.

so, today, i am inspired by Cafe Gratitude, in that they have a traditional question of the day which is asked of themselves and all patrons, to stimulate thinking in a way that awakens us to the joy and abundance all around and inside us. 

you can sign up to get the Gratitude question of the day sent to your email.  it’s a fun and thought-provoking way to start the day.  now, i borrow two questions from the cafe, and answer them with as much love and enthusiasm as i can muster!  take a minute and consider your own answers…

 

What are you enthusiastic about today?

*cooking for the potluck.  having a nice morning sipping tea and flipping through cookbooks to find the perfect ‘green side dish’ and bread item to bring.  not to mention, the anticipation i have for drinking my first Martinelli’s sparkling cider of the season.  joy of all joys!

*enthusiastic about spending time relaxing and enjoying with wonderful, giant-hearted people and the opportunity to meet new wonderful people as well.

*enthusiastic about meeting with Carla to give her a reiki session.  it is a wonderful practice that makes both the giver and receiver feel peaceful, relaxed and refreshed.  mutually beneficial things are gooood.

*glad for the sunshine and birds singing just outside my window.

 

What do you love about being alive?

*the mystery of it

*the vast ocean of possible experiences

*connecting with others

*exploring new things, people, places

*that in every new day i have the opportunity to do over and over again the things i love the most.  the things that make me feel joyful.

*learning

*all the pleasures of the senses

*contributing something that generates happiness

*being in a body that takes me wherever i need to go

*the myriad ways in which we experience and express love

 

all for now.  happy sunday!

thankyou…

so, some days, i must admit, i get stumped on where to begin.  how can i express my gratitude today?  how can i express myself authentically when nothing is upfront, obvious, on the tip of my tongue, on the tip of my pen?  

on these days i find a solution in using the phrase ‘thank you’ as a mantra.  i say silently, out-loud, or through writing, thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you… until something i am authentically grateful for emerges. 

in this way, though i may feel stumped and grumped initially, i can easily move past it, altering my my mood/attitude in the process.  i never accept tiredness or lack of inspiration or bad mood as an excuse to not express gratitude,  in fact, these are the times when i need gratitude the most! 

so, tonight, here i am without a clue as to where to begin, but i am showing up and i am chanting thank you until the ‘reasons’ for my thank yous come into view. 

in a way, this is a faith practice.  thank you in advance shows faith that there is something to be thankful for even if you ain’t feelin’ it yet.  so let’s chant…

thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you for solitude and peace and quiet.  thank you for a day full of work and play and friendship and community and connection.  thank you for homemade basil-mint pesto.  thank you for the easy bake oven(s) i had as a kid.  thank you for how much fun i had reading the first harry potter book in it’s entirety many years ago on thanksgiving day.  thank you for my first vegan thanksgiving coming up soon.  thank you for the book goodnight moon which is simple and magical. 

thank you  thank you thank you thank you for my heart.  thank you for laughing until cheeks and belly are sore.  thank you for new friends and old friends.  thank you for space.  thank you for the combination of chocolate and orange. thank you for indian goddesses.  thank you for the fact that i looked in the mirror today and found myself thinking, ‘you look really pretty’ for the first time in a long time.  thank you for mangoes. 

thank you for the strange vision i had the other day during meditation where right smack in my ‘third eye’  which i don’t even know if i believe in, was a little jesus face attached to a buddha body in lotus position.  it was a funny and interesting experience. 

thank you for meditation.  thank you for inner vision.  thank you for the most beautiful world i have ever seen and it is not the one outside of me.  thank you for love in all it’s forms.  thank you for the feeling of relief.  thank you for the ease of being.  thank you for the pressure in my heart dissolving.  thank you for the honest simplicity of a dog.  thank you for lisa weil.  thank you for all the children in my life.  thank you for the wisdom of children.  thank you for all that children have taught me:  mostly, nowness and yesness and loveness. 

thank you for the smile cracking my lips right now.  thank you for staying up late.  thank you for the feeling of driving a convertible on a sunny day with wonderful music playing and nowhere in particular to be.  thank you for the beach and how it solves everything.  thank you for transforming things, like butterflies. thank you for the poem, meeting at night by robert browning.  thank you for candlelight and enigmatic things.  thank you for the moon.  thank you for all the birthday cake ice cream i ate in college.  thank you for cheese at christmas.  thank you for evergreens.

thank you for being you.  thank you for loving me.  thank you for expanding.  thank you thank you thank you… for sweet dreams.  and waking dreams.  and dreams come true.

peace love & happiness   goodnight.

 

Counting My Blessings, literally!

so, one of the funnest and easiest ways to practice gratitude is to make a list every morning or evening (or both!) and just start with five things, or twenty-five things (whatever floats your boat) that you are feeling grateful for.  i call this particular exercise count your blessings, or counting my blessings, because i literally number the page and write as many goodies as i can think of.  here goes:

Blessings:

1  that i am alive right here and now, in this healthy body, breathing in and breathing out.

2  that my cat, who is 100% pure love wrapped in fur, is snoring next to me right at this moment in an elegant and peaceful rhythm.

3  my friend, Gloria, who completely made my day by being such a generous friend and taking me out to an insanely delicious chinese dinner filled with laughter.  also, that she ordered all vegetarian dishes so we could share even though she’s not a vegetarian (just me.)  also, that she is the kind of friend who never gives up on you and loves you through all kinds of weather.  i looove you, glo, you are a goddess!

4  my pilates practice which reminds me of my inner strength, teaches me patience and compassion and well, let’s face it, molds my body into hot rockin’ healthfulness.  loooove it.

5 my husband neil, who is kind and gentle and makes me laugh all the time. 

6  the abundance of fresh, local, organic food available to me.  growing up there were times we couldn’t afford to eat.  now, i’m almost overwhelmed by the quality, availability and choice of foods before me.  i appreciate every bite.

7  the unexpected money coming to me from various sources, including finding $150 when i was brave enough to finally clean my room! 

8  a job i love, people i love to work with, a place to work that feels like  my second home, the fact that my work feels more like play and i could do it every day and not get tired of it.

9  my family, without which, i would literally, be nothing.  the backbone of my existence, i am thankful even for the difficult times and relationships, for they all helped me to ‘see’ more clearly.

10  my home, right now, warm and cozy and filled with love and the supersoft abyss of my bed.

11  clean water to drink and bathe in.

12 that i super cleaned the bathroom today, so tomorrow i can enjoy a bubbly soak in a freshly cleaned tub.  ahhh… heaven!

13  growing our own fresh herbs and vegetables in the garden.  how delicious they are and how much more connected i feel to life and the earth through the practice of gardening.

14  wonderful potluck parties to attend with friends this weekend!  celebrate good times, c’mon.

15  thai iced teas!!!  delicious.

16  everyone who has ever loved, supported or believed in me.  i am so grateful for all of you.

17  stand-up comedy.  a true gift.  laugh laugh laugh!

18  the clarity and bliss that emerges with kundalini yoga practice.

19  how suprisingly easy it has been to switch to a vegan diet, and how much better i feel that my meals no longer stop heartbeats.

20  that i live in a peaceful, abundant, friendly, naturally beautiful part of the world that i completely adore.

21  the teachings and inspiration of Mary Jane. 

22  art, dance, singing, moving, stilling, being, loving, kissing, hugging, eating, dreaming, playing.

23  the experience of Paris, which i hope to someday be able to put into words because it was so fantastic my heart almost exploded from the profane beauty of it.

24  my friend jennie pregnant, healthy and happy, sharing her first sonogram with me today!  ammmmaaaazing!!!

25  passion, creativity, helpful people, synchronistic events, animals of all kinds, the feel of warm sunshine on skin.

*bonus blessing…

26  writing; my friend and companion since i was seven years old, still here for me after all these years!

okay, i’m sleepy so ending on 25 tonight.  but, hey, i feel good!!!  sweet dreams all.  peace and blessings…

Intro: Day 1

well, here i am, embarking on my first blog.  i am not going to worry about the format too much at first, will just write what comes up, however it wants to come up.  and for anyone reading,  i can’t be bothered with caps so hope it doesn’t annoy too terribly.

anyway, decided to start this blog because i truly believe the practice of gratitude can change the world, beginning with your own.  in a world where it is so easy to focus attention and energy on what isn’t working, or what we don’t want, gratitude has a way of instantly redirecting us to the good things in life, and the good feelings and positive experiences that come with that. 

i have been practicing gratitude for quite some time and miracles have taken place in my life.  i will expound on this as the blog gets going.  gratitude makes me feel good and creates a momentum in my life that brings more and more wonderful people, places, things, events,  etc… into my experience.  it’s so easy, and so rewarding!

so, on the premise that gratitude can change individual worlds as well as the world at large, i will ‘enter the blog’  every day and count my blessings in whatever way suits.  some days lists will do, some days paragraphs, some days poetry.  i’ll have to wait and see what moves me! 

the most important part of this daily effort for me is, that this blog might move you, or just one person to dive into the gratitude project.  i hope that something i write will speak to someone else out there and they might start practicing being grateful in a similar way, and thus experience a similar expansion of happiness and abundance. 

okay, enough intro!  on with the thankfulness… see next post! 

p.s.

thank you for reading!!!