Cold, very cold

What to do when it's -35C, the gas light is on, and you don't have a Monday after-school snack (i.e., cold, hungry, not impressed): 1)Be thankful your husband keeps the cup-holder in the car full of "coffee money" change for such a snack as this. 2)Pump the gas, scurry inside and pick a chocolate bar. 3)Take the scenic route home and enjoy every bite!

My Man

When Jeff picked me up from school today, I was in a foul mood. All the ride home he tried to cheer me with a variety of song selections from his iPhone. Finally, he sang out his own on-the-spot-created jingle which I joined him in repeating for the final moments of our drive: "Some days are flour. Some days are salt. Some days are sugar and together they make a cake." His songs - even little rhymes - when applied with love, never fail to remind me of truths that I near-sightedly miss. Oh, and doesn't he look like such a trooper out snowshoeing this weekend?

From House to Home

Jeff commented yesterday that it finally feels like every room in our house is being used properly, that there is no room with boxes or bins stacked in a corner or which serves only to collect dust, cat hair and clutter. It seems like each room now has its purpose or multi-purposes and that the layout of our home tends towards conversation and communication. May the life and interactions that take place here reflect genuine openness and joy!

Time

I know that everyone has the same number of hours each day, so I try to avoid saying "I didn't have time..." when something doesn't get done in a day. Nonetheless, I am thankful for what I was able to do during the two weeks when I wasn't spending time at work. We enjoyed Christmas in Nova Scotia with friends, lingered long over visits with family, completed our 2nd Annual Chili Cheesecake Resolution Run, reorganized some closets and rooms, and I even attempted a few sewing projects. Since no one photo seems to capture each experience, I'll only display one of my sewing projects: swittens, i.e., mittens made from felted wool sweaters. Wool is my new favourite thing these days!

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.