Following the lead from other crafty bloggers out there like artsy-crafty babe and Creative Kismet, I am adding a new feature to my blog: a gratitude entry once a week. Okay, so this week I am grateful for:

1. Weekly dates with my husband. Even though we only get to spend an hour or two alone together, time alone is time alone.

2. Weekly dates with my friends. Many of my friends are moms. Getting together is therapeutic and helps me find meaning and happiness in my everyday (and most important) work: raising my child(ren).

3. Stories that linger. I am a book fanatic and a movie feen. On a recent date with my husband we saw Juno with Ellen Page and Jennifer Garner. I cried my eyes out. The next day I could not stop thinking about the characters’ and the way their lives overlapped and interconnected. For the first time (I feel awful admitting to this), I considered the experiences of women who are unable to conceive children. I also empathized with women who need to give up their children for adoption. Five stars all around.

4. Z Pizza. I used to deny myself the great pleasure that pizza can be (too many bad experiences with dripping greasy pizza). No more! Z Pizza just opened near our friends’ house, and I love their whole wheat Berkeley soy cheese and California pies. Yummy.

5. Making new friends with other crunchy mommies, both here on my blog and in my local community. Friends like Danielle and Melody are like strokes of yellow and red on an otherwise plain canvas. They inspire me to keep writing and creating. Thank you ladies!

6. Finding my camera’s user manual. I searched high and low for my manual, as advised by many a blogging photographer. While Annabelle naps, bathes, and parallel plays beside me, I am learning the ins and outs of a camera that I have owned for almost six months. I am so excited because I just figured out how to improve lighting for indoor shots.

7. Visits with my mom and her boyfriend Joe. Over four years ago we lost my dad to cancer and a bad heart. Getting to see my mom laugh and have a chance at love again is a wonderful feeling. I am so happy for her. Plus, Annabelle’s Nanna is a top notch babysitter.

8. Exercise. I stay mentally balanced and energized when I get my butt moving.

Thank you to the Universe, to God, or the great unknown. I have loving people in my life, a roof over my head, and truly magical moments to treasure. Oh yes, and thank you for gratitude. It helps me keep perspective.

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This entry was posted on Monday, February 18th, 2008 at 12:16 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.