gobble gobble

Had a lovely Thanksgiving meal today, very much on the low key side. Went to my dad's to eat with him & his girlfriend. K cooked up a turkey, smashers, gravy and I brought over rolls, a corn casserole & pie. We watched some football, ate some good food and shared some good conversation. It was amongst the least stressful holidays I have had in recent years and I love that! Hope everyone had as good a day as me.

play day

I treated myself to a play day yesterday and went thrift store shopping. I haven't been doing that as I am trying very hard to stick to a tight budget right now.
I spent $30 yesterday and got a fabulous, funky ocean painting in a great vintage frame, a punch bowl still in it's original box, some books (as I have a small book addiction) and a few frames that I will be personalizing for my holiday gift giving.

I absolutely love hunting through things that others no longer want and imagining stories of who they might have belonged to. Personally I love that the majority of furniture I own has come from thrift stores or garage sales. I have spent less money and gotten items that speak to me in some way. My style is eclectic to be certain, things I like might not be the things others like, however since they are for me alone it doesn't matter.

To me my house is a reflection of who I am, it shows all aspects of my personality from the girly to the goofy. I treasure all of my pictures as they reflect places I have traveled and people I love. To me the ultimate compliment is someone telling me how comfortable they feel in my home. It is my haven from the world and if others feel even a portion of that then I have done something right.

things to be thankful for

So, it is that time of year when we think of all the things we are thankful for.

the obvious come to mind when you sit down for that big family meal; family, friends and their support.

Here are some things I am thankful for right now in my life.

The people who while not blood related to me are my family.

A & B for the amazingly wonderful people they are. There are so many little things they do that make them so dear do me, letting me drop in to stay the eve before I fly out to visit other friends, dropping me off at the fly away or picking me up from LAX. Above all of that I would not have my sweet little cherry darling if it were not for them & each day as I drive that lil car I think of their generosity.

One of the highlights of my week is my phone chat with A, we catch up on all of the big & little details of our lives and even when we talk about nothing I feel better for it.

D in CO for flying me out to visit when I really needed an attitude adjustment. She knew that I was going thru a hard time in my life and helped me out by just being her. The perspective and love that she shares with me on a daily basis helps keep me sane.

DJ S for being my partner in crime here in crazyville, sometimes I just need to hang out with someone who understands the ups & downs to this sweet lil town in which we live. She gets that while I can be a girly girl I love a good football game, as does she, and can toss back the drinks as well as some of the boys we know. I thank her ex and my brother's ex for allowing us to have met and become friends, just shows good things can come out of the bad.

DK, even though we have had a very rocky year and are still working towards what we once had I am happy to have you in my life. You were there through so many major life moments with me and I truly cannot imagine my life without you in it.

My brother, mom and dad of course for being the individuals they are and for helping me when I need it.

Each one brings something different and special to my life.

I really am the person I am today because of the people who surround me.

This past year and these people have made me into the person I am right now and each day are giving me the love and support to keep growing.

I am thankful for my two obs.

I love working at each of them as they are like little families.

For the first time in many years I actually look forward to going to work.

My sweet lil house by the sea, it is a constant work in progress, but it is my home & sanctuary.

The fact that there is food in fridge, a roof over my head and money to pay for all of these.

I am truly blessed to be living this life and having the chance to share it with all of you.

much love

try, try, and try again

I am learning that you truly do not know what you are capable of until you try.

I tend to underestimate myself and my own ability to accomplish things. In the past I let myself get frustrated at certain struggles and even found that I would quit at some things because of this. Now I am trying to push past what others might think of my attempts and do it for myself. I might not succeed, but I feel much better for the efforts.

This past year has brought a series of changes in my life, some small, some larger, but I am finding the person I want to be along this journey.

I feel emotionally and mentally stronger than I was at this same time last year. The people that are in my life are here for a reason, I should take freely what they give to me and embrace the effects they have upon my life.

In all honesty I feel we should make the world a better place for being in it. This is a simple concept really, what little things can you do to enhance the world around you.

Can you take a moment to recycle that bottle of water when you are done enjoying it?

Will you smile at a stranger to brighten their day?

Make a friend smile by calling, emailing or texting them out of the blue, just so they know they were thought of?

All of these things make our world better in minute ways, yet they cost us very little in the way of money, time or effort.

Think about what things you can do in your own circle to create a better world for you and yours.

be thankful...

I had an interesting experience today. I was at the second of my two jobs which is waitress in a small family restaurant. We had a mere 15 minutes until closing, it had been a VERY slow evening and I was feeling slightly sorry for myself at not making much in the way of tips. I heard the door open and in wanders a homeless man, hard to tell his age as he just looked worn, if you know what I mean. If I had to guess I would say in his 40's, but he could have been as young as 30. Anyway he asks how much coffee is and I said we had none, but I could brew a pot & it was $1.75. He then asked for a cup of water and I gave it to him in a to go cup as I wasn't sure if he was staying. He proceeded to sit at a booth and eat some sugar off of a spoon while drinking some water. I didn't talk to him much, but let him sit as it was cold outside. After about 15 minutes he left, thanking me for letting him come in. I had put a couple of rolls and some butter in a to go box, but then my boss came & I wasn't sure how he would feel about it, so I ended up not giving it to the man and just taking it home.
Then as I stopped at the grocery store on the way home from this experience I encountered another homeless person, this time a young pregnant woman sitting by the carts outside of the local Ralph's. She asked if I had a spare dollar or two & I told her I would see what I had after buying my groceries. I knew I would be giving her money, but I only had twenty dollar bills and as much as I would like to help that is more than I could afford. So, after purchasing my couple of items I went out and gave her a few dollars and offered her the rolls, which she said would be nice.
Now, I know her sitting there could be a scam, I gave her $4 and saw another guy also giving her a few, but I have to trust my gut and feel like I was helping someone who needed it. It made me be ever so thankful for the money I did make this evening. It might not have been as much as I wanted, but it was enough for what I needed to get on my way home. (milk & oj)
We sometimes need to be reminded to stop and appreciate what is in our lives. I know that while my life has been hard this past year from being laid off, which brought major changes & upsets within my life, I had the support of my family and friends. I didn't lose my adorable rental house, or my car. I had a roof over my head, food in my fridge and the basic necessities to live. I have cut back on extras, I rarely go out to eat. I do not have cable or go to the movies often ( thank heavens for netflix!)
I learned to live on even tighter of a budget than ever before and through it I feel like I became a better person. I hope that the next time you see a homeless person on the street you take a moment to be thankful for all you do have and if possible find a way to give back.

bleh

been a bit irritated with some people and things of late, thus not in the mood to blog much. also woke up today with a bit of a headache and a stuffy nose, I sound like crap & so had to get my shift covered as I sound too yucky to serve food. life is just grand...