First Snow Day

I was delighted to get that 6:30am call saying that all schools in the district are closed today due to weather conditions. I did spend nearly 3 hours correcting earlier today, but I was happy to do that during the workday rather than some tired evening or unwilling weekend. I indulged in 3 mugs of coffee with eggnog (one was decaf). Now I think I'll venture out to pick up a few last-minute supplies for Taco Thursday, formerly Taco Tuesday.

I haven't mentioned two other items calling for gratitude: Christmas advent and a new kitten. It just so happens that Bizzy has been a little too interested in our advent wreath. I’ve since revamped and relocated it, along with our knitted figure-puppet nativity scene. (Mary was daily taken and chewed… No more.)

Hair, Snow, Run

I was so thankful that my hairdresser was able to squeeze me in for a last-minute appointment yesterday. She cuts my hair better and more affordably than anyone else (and trust me, I've had a LOT of bad haircuts!), even if I don't get a cafe mocha and neck massage while waiting like I used to at my salon in Montreal. Later that evening, it started to snow for (almost) the first time, although this dusting doesn't really count as a first snowfall around here. Then this morning, I decided to go for a run and my iPod has this neat new way of keeping track of my progress and it tells me (through the headphones) how far I've gone and how far I've got left. Other than this new technology, apparently my running gear hasn't changed much in the past few years. I'm also thankful for the benefits of my new wheat-free lifestyle, but that's for another day.

Complaint Rephrasal

So here's my first recorded attempt at rephrasing a common complaint as a statement of thankfulness. My typical grumbling goes like this: It's disheartening to come home after teaching all day and feel like all I accomplish in the evenings is cooking supper, preparing meals for the following day, and tidying the kitchen. Here's what I want to say instead: I'm thankful that even after a day's teaching, I can still be home to prepare meals and keep our kitchen tidy. If I quickly rephrase the complaint in my mind, I expect that I will eventually be more prone to being thankful for what is rather than complaining about what isn't.