"May I never miss a sunset or a rainbow because I am looking down." –Sara June Parker

I have gratitude today for...
* this gorgeous weather!
* leftovers
* getting to spend the afternoon with Adrienne, we never see each other. 
* being able to drive to AC together because the traffic sucked and at least we had each other to talk to and an iPod. 
* discovering how awesome Atlantic City is. I've had so much fun the last few times I've been there.
* $3 beers at the Showboat!
* laughing hysterically with Age in the elevator packed with people
* the House of Blues in AC. What an awesome venue!
* the Third Eye Blind concert, good times. 
* the guy that bought me & Adrienne a drink at the show since they were $9 each!
* Andy picking us up from AC so we didn't have to spend $100 on a cab home. 

"Happiness often sneaks in through a door you didn't know you left open." –John Barrymore

I have gratitude today for...
* finishing my paper and presentation early in the day instead of waiting until the last minute, I didn't have to worry about it all day!
* Viki coming with me to drop of Andy's car for an oil change so I didn't have to walk home
* another great 4 mi. walk with Viki in the park today
* lunch at the Blue Bell Inn with Becky. Fantastic food & conversation with an old friend, there's nothing like it. 
* my presentation going so well tonight, I felt so comfortable with it and now I just have to wait to find out my grade. 

"Choose your pleasures for yourself, and do not let them be imposed upon you." –Lord Chesterfield

I have gratitude today for...
* all of the great YouTube clips I found for my presentation on Arts Education tomorrow night. I wish I could use them all. Two of my favorites are Kids Singing Viva la Vida by Coldplay & Why do we need arts education?
* that I was fortunate enough to go to an excellent public high school with great music, drama, athletic and business programs.
* saying yes to a 4 mile walk with Viki. It's the first time I've exercised since I was in FL and it felt great!
* Viki giving me a ride to the train station so I didn't have to deal with parking
* a fantastic dinner at Spasso Italian Grill with Andy, and that they accepted my gift certificate from 2008
* a great win by the Phillies
* Kelly & Alex getting the most adorable new apartment in Philadelphia, I'm so happy for them!
* a nice visit with Kelly & Alex to see their new place

"Maybe I wanted to hear it so badly that my ears betrayed my mind in order to secure my heart." –Margaret Cho

I have gratitude today for...
* the fun time with Viki this morning shopping at Lowe's, BJ's & Produce Junction
* all of the great fresh fruits & vegetables I got today.
* finding out already that I got an "A" for my EDU502 class and the positive feedback I received from my professor!
* our grilled chicken quesadillas that I made with lavash bread instead or tortillas, they came out great!
* talking to Andy about some things that have been bothering me, none of which are in my control, and he made me feel better.

"Pick battles big enough to matter, small enough to win." -Jonathan Kozel

I have gratitude today for...
* finally cleaning our room and the kitchen
* getting a bunch of errands taken care of
* talking with Rachel tonight
* another movie night with Andy, we watched Up In the Air.
* the good old fashioned vanilla ice cream cones we had for dessert, so good!

"You can tell more about a person by what he says about others than you can by what others say about him." -Leo Aikman

I have gratitude today for...
* having a lazy Sunday with Andy. Jeff & Jeffrey came over and we were so excited to hang out with them!
* Tastefully Simple's Perfectly Potato Cheddar Soup!
* all of the awesome pictures from last night
* my trip to the mall with Megan & Jeffrey. It was fun to catch up and go baby shower shopping!
* Auntie Anne's pretzels!
* the yummy roasted chicken dinner Mrs. Roth made tonight
* The movie Crazy Heart---I thought it was an excellent movie and Jeff Bridges certainly deserved the Oscar he won for his outstanding performance!

"Now that it's all over, what did you really do yesterday that's worth mentioning?" -Coleman Cox

I have gratitude today for...
* finding an awesome dress for the wedding tonight at the mall (& it was 60% off!)

* the rain holding out for Deirdre & Michael's wedding ceremony

* being invited to attend such a beautiful wedding, we had a great time! 

"Give thanks for what you are now, and keep fighting for what you want to be tomorrow." -Fernanda Miramontes-Landeros

I have gratitude today for...
* being able to return a dress at Marshall's that I bought in Feb. with no problems
* that everything was ready to be picked up at the Phi Sig house because I was in a rush
* a great lunch with Colleen at Mikado. They have fantastic food and lunches for $8! I highly recommend going there sometime, I've never had a bad experience. 
* my appointment with Sharon at Cirillo Cosmetic Spa, she is amazing and made my eyebrows look so pretty!
* deep breathing while I was stuck in traffic on 76, 676 & Rt. 70---traffic really makes me crazy. 
* spending the afternoon catching up with Stacie
* Stacie's fantastic Tastefully Simple party! It had the highest party sales of all my parties so far!
* my GPS---it saved me from sitting on traffic on the way home

"If you don't like how things are, change it! You're not a tree." -Jim Rohn

I have gratitude today for...
* our Earth. The green trees, flowers, oceans, animals, mountains and everything else that makes our Earth beautiful. With Earth Day on my mind, I hope more people will try to be more Earth friendly! I still know people that don't even recycle, and I think that's simply unacceptable. 
* finally finishing my paper!
* my healthy and tasty lunch---garden salad with chicken salad from Marrazzo's, yum!
* spending a couple of hours with Wendy today. Talking about her wedding and all sorts of other things. I am so happy she asked me to do a reading during her ceremony, that means a lot to me!
* my awesome haircut by Andrea at The Hair Cuttery in Hamilton Marketplace!
* catching up with Beckman for a few minutes today
* the Moe's "naked" burrito I had before class. All of the ingredients were so fresh!
* the girl that seemed to be OK as she stood next to her car that was on fire. I was also thankful that I've never had such a scary thing happen to me. 
* an easy class tonight, all we had to do was watch presentations. 
* Flyers winning game #5 and the series! Woohoo!

"What saves a man is to take a step. Then another step. It is always the same step, but you have to take it." -Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

I have gratitude today for...
* spending time with Missy and Dane today. We went to the Great Adventure outlets and had a nice afternoon until the rain started to come down. 
* finding the Under Armor OUTLET---how exciting. I got some great gifts and an awesome Under Armor fleece for $40 that will come in handy for cool nights at the ballpark (it's red!)
* discovering my mom's Body & Soul magazine, I really enjoyed reading it
* the fantastic dinner Mom, Dad & I had tonight---boneless pork chops, mashed potatoes & salad
* Idol Gives Back---I wish more shows used their broad audiences to draw attention to charities and causes that need support & donations.

"There are two ways to slide easily through life: to believe everything or to doubt everything; both ways save us from thinking." - Theodore Rubin

I have gratitude today for...
* usually having an easy time writing. I had the worst case of writer's block today trying to write my paper for school and realized how lucky I am that schoolwork has always come fairly easy to me.
* my professor being understanding about my needing extra time to complete my paper.
* being able to watch the Flyers game with Andy tonight, and their winning game #4!!
* the book The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb. It's an incredible story having to do with Columbine (although it doesn't consume the entire book.) I thought about this today as I was remembering the 11th Anniversary of the Columbine shootings. I remember that day like it was yesterday...I remember where I was and the feelings I had about it. I remember being weary walking into my high school the next day. I believe it was one of the worst days our generation has witnessed. 

"Life is a succession of lessons, which must be lived to be understood." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Kind of a boring day, stillllll not feeling that great. I am grateful today for...
* waking up in Avalon
* getting organized when I got home

"Live your life and forget your age." - Norman Vincent Peale

I have gratitude today for...
* getting at least a few hours of good sleep on the couch since I spent most of the night coughing non-stop
* our visit to the Cape May County Zoo---I think I will be a zoologist in my next life!

* lunch at Mack's pizza on the Wildwood boardwalk---yum!

* Flyers winning Game 3 versus the Devils in overtime, great game!!!
* the really nice weekend in Avalon with Andy

"I could not, at any age, be content to take my place by the fireside and simply look on. Life was meant to be lived. Curiosity must be kept alive. One must never, for whatever reason, turn his back on life." - Eleanor Roosevelt

I have gratitude today for...
* a nice relaxing morning with Andy in Avalon
* getting a good laugh from The Marriage Ref (on-demand)
* the Food Network magazine
* our visit to 96th Street shops in Stone Harbor. Andy got a great Avalon sweatshirt and I got UGGS for 50% off (unheard of!)
* signing my first Tastefully Simple team member
* watching Phillies baseball and hockey playoffs with Andy
* how good my Chicken Piccata came out tonight, I haven't made it in a while. 

(not the best picture quality, this picture was taken with my phone, but you get the idea)

"Time is a companion that goes with us on a journey. It reminds us to cherish each moment, because it will never come again. What we leave behind is not as important as how we have lived." - Captain Jean-Luc Picard

I have gratitude today for...
* getting all of the kitchen cabinets cleaned out and reorganizing everything! 
* my quick visit with Jeffrey & James this afternoon
* getting a B+ on my annotated bibliography---I'm usually not happy with B's but I did it last minute without the instructions so I'm happy with what I got. 
* meeting up with Kerry and her other bridesmaids at Chammps even though I'm still not feeling well. 
* Stacie referring a friend of a friend that wants to become a Tastefully Simple consultant to me!
* arriving safely to Avalon since it was raining again during my drive!
* hot tea---it's the only thing that makes my throat feel better

"Study as if you were going to live forever; live as if you were going to die tomorrow." - Maria Mitchell

I have gratitude today for...
* not being that crazy person trying to do her taxes last minute like usual
* spending time in the garden and finding that oregano comes back!
* taking the time to clean out my car--vacuumed and all--it's nice to drive a clean car
* actually reading the chapter for tonight's class--it made class more interesting having read the material 
* watching the Phillies game with Andy this afternoon, even though they lost
* our new grill! 

"Love doesn't make the world go 'round; love is what makes the ride worthwhile." - Franklin P. Jones

I have gratitude today for...
* getting a lot of work done for school 
* finally I'm starting to feel better!
* spending a few hours this afternoon changing over my closet from winter to summer clothes! It makes me so happy to know summer is coming. 
* Phillies baseball!
* the Flyers winning game 1 vs. the Devils

"Do not take life too seriously. You will never get out of it alive." - Elbert Hubbard

I have gratitude today for...
* the good night's sleep even though I'm not feeling well. 
* getting my taxes done!
* the large Tastefully Simple order that came in today. 
* a nice time at Kildare's with Andy, Josh, Lauren & KB. I wasn't going to go and I'm glad I did, even if I was the only one drinking water. :-)

"Our care should not be to have lived long as to have lived enough." - Seneca

Today was kind of a rough day. I woke up with a really bad sore throat again and did not feel well at all. The flight home from FL was one of the worst experiences I've ever had flying. With that, there is always something to be thankful for...


* making it to the nasty airplane bathroom when I had to get sick on the flight home.
* Doug picking Mrs. Roth & I up from the airport. 
* being able to come home and go to sleep. 
* being able to sleep in my own bed tonight.
* feeling so happy to see Andy :-)

"And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years." - Abraham Lincoln

I have gratitude today for...
* the fact that I'm usually healthy. I didn't sleep last night, woke up with a headache, sore throat, aches and a fever. I felt horrible. It made me think about people that are chronically ill--how hard it must be to feel awful all of the time. I am lucky to be, mostly, a very healthy person. 
* the nap I took this afternoon--I finally was able to sleep for a little bit. 
* forcing myself to spend some time on the beach this afternoon even though I wasn't feeling well. It's my last day in FL and I had to say bye to the beach. 
* talking with Mom and Dad on the beach today. 

"Remember that no man loses any other life than this which he now lives, nor lives any other than this which he now loses." - Marcus Aurelius

I have gratitude today for...
* spending the day in backyard with Megan and the boys
* talking with Chrissy on the phone and catching up with her
* the email I received from Wendy asking me to do a reading during her wedding ceremony. I feel so honored to be a part of such a special occasion!!
* getting the horrible sore throat I have right now today instead of earlier in the week

"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." - John Lennon

I have gratitude today for...
* taking Jeffrey to the playground this morning
* going bathing suit shopping and finding 2 adorable bathing suits for $15 each!
* a nice lunch with Megan
* a relaxing hour watching Oprah
* making myself do a 5 mile bike ride late this afternoon
* Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution show on ABC!
* the awesome Chicken Marsala dinner I made for Megan & Mrs. Roth 

"There are as many nights as days, and the one is just as long as the other in the year's course. Even a happy life cannot be without a measure of darkness, and the word 'happy' would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness." - Carl Jung

I have gratitude today for...
* my bike ride to the Cocoa Beach Pier and back. Over 7 miles, and half was into the wind which made it really hard--but I did it and it felt great!
* my mom feeding me and my sister so well when we were little. While on the beach today I saw so many overweight children and it's really sad to me. We never ate Mac & Cheese, Spaghettios, TV dinners or any other crappy foods like that. I know how lucky we were now!
* the beautiful view at Lobster Shanti and a nice dinner w/Jeff & Megan, the boys and Mrs. Roth
* Jeffrey's reaction to the catfish we were feeding in the bay at the restaurant
* a fun time playing with Jeffrey & James in the living room tonight before they went to bed.

"Life can be found only in the present moment. The past is gone, the future is not yet here, and if we do not go back to ourselves in the present moment, we cannot be in touch with life." - Thich Nhat Hanh

I have gratitude today for...
* the quality time I had with Jeffrey this morning. I love that he loves "Aunt Teen" soooo much!
* going with Jeff & Megan to the Sand Castle Festival in Cape Canaveral. It was really cool and we got some great pictures of the boys.

* my healthy and yummy grilled chicken salad for lunch. 
* spending the afternoon with Andy on the beach before I had to take him to the airport :-(
* another safe trip to and from the airport. 
* catching up with Missy
* being able to finish my paper by the deadline at midnight. Even when I try to not wait until the last minute, I do. 
* American Idol on DVR

"Education, therefore, is a process of living and not a preparation for future living." - John Dewey

I have gratitude today for...
* my 5mi. bike ride on the beach with Andy
* finding out I passed the Writing portion of the PPST--I was soooo nervous I didn't pass!
* drinks and appetizers at Coconuts on the Beach. 

"We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give." - Winston Churchill

I have gratitude today for...
* being in Cocoa Beach for one of the last NASA Shuttle Launches. Waking up at 5am to go see it, a once in a lifetime opportunity!

* discovering how much fun beach cruisers are and how beautiful it is to ride on the beach. 
*spending the afternoon on the beach with Andy, Jeff, Megan & Mrs. Roth
* the Phillies season starting (with a W!)

"Reading is a basic tool in the living of a good life." - Mortimer Adler

I have gratitude today for...
* everything good about my life. Although I'm not super religious I did take a moment on this Easter Sunday to reflect and thought about how lucky I am. 
* starting this blog. When I'm feeling sad, upset or frustrated about something I still make myself find the positives about everyday and that's important. 
* getting dressed up and taking pictures on the beach early this morning

* the peace ocean waves and the beach bring me
* quality time with Andy on the beach
* the freedom to do pretty much whatever I want most of the time. I love kids, but I'm not ready to give that up yet. 
* talking with Mom & Dad
* talking with Grandma & Grandpa
* talking with Kelly
* baseball season being here starting today!
* listening to a lot of DMB- contrary to popular belief I don't listen to them all that much 

"The personal life deeply lived always expands into truths beyond itself." - Anais Nin

I have gratitude today for...
* sleeping until 7am when I expected to be woken up by 5:30am since we were on the pullout couch and there were 3 early risers in the house. 
* being able to run 2 miles today! I couldn't believe I did it. 
* the big family outing to the Pier for an Easter Egg Hunt and lunch
* a great afternoon at the beach with everyone. 
* Bryers Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream (made with low-fat ice cream!)

"I love my past. I love my present. I'm not ashamed of what I've had, and I'm not sad because I have it no longer." - Colette

I have gratitude today for...
* surviving 2+ hours in Wal-Mart
* finally putting my feet in the sand for a while this afternoon
* the safe arrival of Chris, Kem, Edie, Molly & Henry from Orlando
* Andy getting here on time from Philly
* the awesome Mexican dinner I made for everyone. 
* the easy and safe trip to and from the Orlando airport to pick up Jeff & Megan

"It is worthwhile to live and fight courageously for sacred ideals." - Norbert Capek

I have gratitude today for...
* having the experience I had in high school band. I started reading a book called "Why Kids Need the Arts" and it's amazing what music and other performing arts can do for kids. I feel lucky band wasn't associated with being a "dork" at LHS--we had the captain of the football team, cheerleaders, feild hockey players--you name it. We played DMB songs thanks to the most fantastic music teacher in the world (thanks Eric Haltmeier.) I think it's sad so many adults don't realize how exposure to arts & culture can lead kids to success in other aspects of their lives. We have to try and "save the music" because arts education is constantly being cut from district budgets. 
* enjoying the sunshine and catching up on some of my magazines. 
* forcing myself to get off my butt and did a 3 mi walk/run. I know I can't let too much time go by without exercising (it was a week this time) or I'll have to start all over. 
* choosing to keep dinner simple by eating leftovers. 
* a relaxing evening watching Grey's Anatomy & Private Practice. 
* that overall, I've stuck to writing daily on my blog and exercising regularly for the 1st quarter of 2010.