The ABC’s of Being Grateful.

MY LIFE IS SWEET:  The ABC's of Being Grateful.

We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.  ~Thornton Wilder

I am usually a pretty optimistic person, but sometimes the weather, ignorant people, and small nuisances make a good day go bad, and so on days like those, I have to mentally remember what I am thankful for.
Here is that list, in ABC order of course!
A:
I am thankful that Apple made MacBook Pro's.  Period.
B:
I am grateful for Bread.  And Peanut Butter.  Chunky.
C:
I am grateful for Coffee. Strong.  Bold.  Caffeinated.
D:
I am grateful for my Dogs, Henry and Wrigley, no matter how muddy, stinky, and hairy you are.  And yes, I am finally grateful for those chickens!
E:
I am grateful for my Employees. You are honest, hardworking, respectful, and you make me proud, especially when you adhere to my motto, "You should NEVER be doing NOTHING".  And when I say "If you have time to lean, you have time to clean".  I know you roll your eyes behind my back and I enjoy watching each one of you grow up. It is a privilege.
F:
I am grateful for Food. Mainly for: seafood, and fresh fruits and vegetables.  I seriously think about the soil, seeds and water when I bite into all of my fresh fruits and vegetables and this is no lie.  I am grateful for my GREAT Friends. All of them, old and new, tried and true.  In my opinion, I have the coolest friends of anyone in the world.  I seriously believe that if there were a worldly contest of who has the most interesting friends ever, I would win, hands down.  ( I wish there were a contest like that)  Everyday I wake up, I thank God for them.  I have sooo many good friends, some of them since kindergarten, some since Northview, some since BF, some since VHS, and some from IU.  And so many I just met this past couple of years, and some who share new music with me everyday. You all know who you are, and I want you to know I appreciate you.  A lot.  And I mean a lot.   I am particularly thankful for my entire, large, crazy, Family. They are simply the coolest, smartest, nicest, most genuine family in the world...(in my opinion), and not a day goes by that I don't love and miss them.  There is something extremely special about them...all of them.
G:
I am also soooo grateful for my Grandma. She has been an unwavering shining light in my life,  since, well, I was born.  I have to share how awesome she is!   When she came to visit from Florida every year, I wanted to be near her ALWAYS.  So, she made a deal with me.  "If she went to bed at MY time, then she was allowed to get up at her 'early' time and have coffee with adults.  But, if she wanted to stay up late with the adults, then she agreed to stay in bed with me all morning and would sing my favorite lyrics a million times...who does that?  I mean, she slept in a twin bed with me every time she visited!!???  And I forgot to mention, If I woke up in the middle of the night, she would make me a sandwich, any kind, any hour.  I love you Gramma. 
My Gramma Brown and Me.
H:
I am grateful for Heat. Really grateful.  Even if it is only 66 degrees of heat, I am grateful.  Extremely.  I never take heat for granted.  I am also grateful for all the people who have left this world and reside in Heaven, and along with the Higher Powers, they look over me all day and prevent mishaps from happening and keep us safe.
I:
I am grateful for my mother-in-law, because without her, we would not live in our amazing home, and my kids wouldn't know about the  great operas of the world, and they would not be prolific in the works of Shakespeare.  She is a walking, talking fine arts promoter, and we are the benefactors.  Lucky us.  I am grateful for my Ipod. I sincerely believe that Ipods are a necessity, not a want.  And I am sticking to that.
J:
I am grateful for the month of July, because that is when we get to escape to New Smyrna Beach for a week and then to Winter Park for a week to hang with my family and gramma.  Couldn't live without the month of July.
K:
I am grateful for my Kids.  Even though they leave their toothbrushes on the counter,  don't know how to put a new toilet paper roll on, do their homework at the last possible moment, leave their wet towels on the floor,  and spill milk on the floor,  I am still grateful for them....because when I kiss them each night and they are safe in their beds, I experience the true meaning of peace!  That is, until the blaring alarm clock goes off the next morning.
L:
I am grateful for Licorice. The real kind.  The black kind.  The Good and Plenty kind.
M:
I am grateful for Music. I have often thought, if I had to  choose between being blind or deaf, I would choose losing my sight.  I could not live happily without music.  Not ever.  It starts my day, it ends my day, it rules my day, it picks my mood, it provides me with an escape, it takes me back in time.  It connects me to my parents, it connects me to my kids.  It connects me to my friends, and occasionally, if I am listening to the world's greatest Aria's, it connects me to my mother-in-law.

 

"Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything." ~ Plato~

N:
I am grateful for my Neighbors. (even if some of them are my family, and even if you just moved away).  Forget sugar, you let me borrow roasts, ground beef, bottles of wine, and laundry detergent. You never shoot my barking dogs or wandering chickens, you are cool, you don't care that we have parties every weekend, GIANT bonfires, and you never judge us because we leave our super retro Barth camper in our driveway.  Or do you?
O:
I am grateful for Olive Oil, because it starts all of my meals.
P:
I am thankful that my Parents are still around everyday, and thankful to them for giving me SO many things.  Like...super  cool brothers and sisters , who contributed to an unsupervised, perfect childhood, and who now, enhance my adult life everyday.  A sense of stability and unconditional love, always....and I don't even resent the fact that I wore Pete's hand me downs....at all.   A 69 Plymouth Valiant convertible with three on the tree stick shift.  Simply amazing.  A gas card that YOU paid for.  The trips to Florida each winter with no heat, and ice on the walls of the van. (Susie is still thawing out 30 years later)  A college education, that I have definitely used bits and pieces of, just not in its entirety.  Please forgive me! A sense of humor and a good, honest work ethic. (You could have given the bushy eyebrows and excess facial hair to someone else, though)
Q:
I am grateful for Qwerty, the keyboard layout on my blackberry (which I am also thankful for) that allows me to efficiently text and email.
R:
I am grateful for the radio, so WXRT is never far away from my fingertips.
S:
I am grateful for Shredded mini wheat cereal. and I am immensely grateful for fresh cracked pepper and Sea Salt. You have added so much zing to my  life.  I am thankful for people whose job it is to pick up garbage, work outside in the winter time, and empty our Septic tank.  I admire you.
T:
I am grateful for my Temper-pedic mattress. every night and every morning.   I am grateful for the incredible Teachers and schools in Valparaiso.
U:
I am grateful for my sometimes UNCOMPROMISING husband.  Even when I am cold, shivering, and in the dark (like now), I am grateful that he knows how to do laundry, cook , make ice cream, fix the boiler, play the guitar, fix the dryer, manage money, build a chicken coop, build me all the "wood things" that I request, fish for giant muskies, and... he always makes bona fide time for our kids, the neighbors kids, and kids in general.  Luckily for him, that trumps all.
V:
I am thankful that Vacuums, brooms, and mops were invented.  Of course, I am also grateful for Valpo Velvet Ice Cream, because I understand the sweat and hard work that goes into making it every day.  Every year.  For 62 years.  What they do is admirable, I tell you.  I am also thankful that my parents raised me in Valparaiso, IN, and that my kids are being raised here also.  It is a exceptional city filled with extraordinary people!  Which leads me to how much I am grateful for Volunteers, you know those "people", who always say "sure", and "of course!" , who are the ones who never say "what will you do for me in return?"  Absolutely amazing to me, how their benevolent attitudes run our youth sports leagues, our city, our charities, and our schools.  These people are awe-inspiring.
W:
I am thankful that Wireless Internet was invented. It just makes my disorderly life so much more manageable.  I am also grateful for grapes and for the people who figured out how to make red Wine, Good red Wine.
X: I am grateful for my dentist and orthodontist, you have fixed what nature and sugar ruined...and prevented me from having  Xanthodont: (one with yellow teeth.)
Y:
I am grateful for the Youth that surround me. The kids I teach, my nieces and nephews, my kid's friends, my friend's kids,  the kids I coached in basketball way back when, the kids that come get ice cream every day, the kids that put on musicals,  music concerts, band concerts, and entertain me by playing sports.  Kids rule.
Z:
I am grateful for the Zzzzz's of sleep I get each night, although the number of hours has decreased dramatically since i got a MacBook Pro, and my husband decided to pick up snoring as a hobby....but I am still grateful to have him next to me at night, even if he is eating peanuts.
Last, but not least, I am thankful for people like you, for taking some time out of your busy day to read this.
What are you truly thankful for?

If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, "Thank you," that would suffice.  ~Meister Eckhart

Have a Great Holiday weekend everyone.  Be safe.  Enjoy your family and friends.

You can email Cathy Brown at cabb44@aol.com