Wednesday, June 30, 2010

"If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day, so I never have to live without you." (Winnie the Pooh) A. A. Milne

I have gratitude today for...
* having the time to get everything ready for tailgating today and tomorrow
* hanging out at Josh & Lauren's for a little bit before heading into Camden
* no traffic getting into the lots
* good times in the lots tailgating with friends, as usual!


* Andy making it on time for the show to start, I felt really bad he missed tailgating with all of our friends. 
* trying to make the best of what I thought was a pretty crappy show. Over the last couple of years I've really tried to appreciate that I get to go to so many concerts instead of being annoyed when I don't love a particular show. 
* getting out of the Camden ghettos safely & quickly

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

"Be nice to people on your way up because you'll need them on your way down." -Wilson Mizner

I have gratitude today for...
* being able to sleep in this morning, I haven't slept until 11:30 in a very long time!
* the easy drive to West Chester
* dinner with Bethany at Mas Mexican Cantina in West Chester. It was so nice to sit on the roof top deck and catch up. Sad to say we were celebrating my birthday--it's closer to her birthday than mine at this point!
* the adorable "birthday" gift Bethany gave me
* having a pleasant server, it doesn't seem to be the norm at restaurants. 

Monday, June 28, 2010

"To succeed in life, you need three things: a wishbone, a backbone and a funnybone." -Reba McEntire

I have gratitude today for...
* getting another day "off" because my cleaning job was pushed back until tomorrow
* the 5mi walk on the beach I did today even thought it was extremely hot outside
* going to the beach with Matt & Tim
* the great chicken & veggie stir-fry dinner I made tonight
* Relaxing on the couch watching Season 4 of Army Wives and eating an ice cream sundae
* going to see acoustic live music at the OD with Matt & Tim

Sunday, June 27, 2010

"Life is like a coin. You can spend it any way you wish, but you only spend it once." -Lillian Dickson

I have gratitude today for...
* having all day to enjoy the beach, the bay and time with Andy 
* spending a few hours on the beach with Andy
* watching The Real World---it's the most ridiculous entertainment!

Saturday, June 26, 2010

"It takes seventy-two muscles to frown, but only thirteen to smile." -Author unknown

I have gratitude today for...
* floating in the bay on the raft this afternoon
* the 3mi. walk with Andy tonight

Friday, June 25, 2010

"Practice hope. As hopefulness becomes a habit, you can achieve a permanently happy spirit." - Norman Vincent Peale

I have gratitude today for...
* spending time with Megan at the beach after we cleaned this morning. It was beautiful and we were able to talk, read magazines and relax for a couple of hours. 
* taking Jeffrey & James to the arcade and playground after dinner. They get so excited about the little things and are so much fun to watch. 
* watching The Office with Andy---I just love that show!

Thursday, June 24, 2010

"It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters." -Epictetus

I have gratitude today for...
* finding the quote above for today's blog, it's just perfect for the kind of day I've had. Something to think about; how do you find the good in the bad (and the annoying?)
* being here to help Mrs. Roth with the stain disaster---it was all over the deck, siding, you name it. I rushed to ACE Hardware and bought paint thinner and thankfully it pretty much did the trick. 
* the policeman that tried to get into my car after I locked my keys in it. He couldn't get it open so I had to call AAA. I'm thankful for the guy that eventually got my car open even though it was a 2 hour endeavour. 
* being able to appreciate that I get to spend so much time in Avalon this summer. I walked down to the beach to just chill out for a bit this afternoon and naturally there were tractors dredging the beach. The beach was closed from 20th-30th St. and I refused to sit there and listen to the tractor noise. Drove to 69th St. and it was gorgeous, for about an hour till the clouds rolled in. Sometimes you just gotta laugh at days like these. 
* a great dinner at The Bellevue Tavern with Mrs. Roth 

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

"If you want your life to be a magnificent story, then begin by realizing that you are the author and everyday you have the opportunity to write a new page" - Mark Houlahan

I have gratitude today for...
* I had my annual doctor's appointment today and it reminded me of how I felt last year at this time. I hated my job and felt like I had very little direction in my life--I sat in my car after the appointment and just cried. Now I am in school and excited about becoming a teacher. I've lost 9 pounds and have been more health conscious. It feels great to know I'm in a better place now. 
* the cute sundresses I found at H&M for $7 each, I had a gift card to use there and these are perfect for the beach. 
* the Origins mini-facial I got today and the time the lady spent with me to figure out what's best for my face.
* discovering Sur La Table, my new favorite kitchen/cooking store!

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

"No road is long with good company."- Turkish Proverb

I am grateful today for...
* spending time working on Tastefully Simple stuff
* getting all of the work for my BE4000 class
* talking with Copley and finding out the angry text message I received from her last week was sent to me by mistake. 
* the three mile walk Andy & I took after dinner around our neighborhood
* my long talk with Kerry tonight. I was able to talk to her about some things that have been bothering me and she told me about some of the things she's excited about wedding planning. Somehow we were on the phone from 11:30pm-2:30am, crazy, I know.

Monday, June 21, 2010

"Truly great friends are hard to find, difficult to leave, and impossible to forget." - Unknown

I have gratitude today for...
* being able to keep my doctor's appointment even though I was a half hour late and for the shot not hurting too badly. 
* a nice lunch with Rita at the Olive Garden, a woman interested in possibly joining my Tastefully Simple team.
* the yummy stir-fry dinner I made for Viki & Lori tonight
* sitting out back with Viki & Lori all night long talking and laughing and eating and drinking wine. I feel so luck to be so close with both of them, we have the best time together! 

Sunday, June 20, 2010

"Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think." (Christopher Robin to Pooh )- A. A. Milne

I have gratitude today for...
* a great Victoria's Secret sale, love the semi-annual sale on their bath & body stuff. 
* the cute outfits I got for some upcoming baby showers
* spending Father's Day with Dad and the rest of the family 
* making chocolate dipped strawberries with Kelly & Alex- I taught them how to melt chocolate chips without burning them. 
* a great family dinner by Chef Mom
* going to Halo Pub with Dad 
* the movie The Lovely Bones. I thought it was so well done and true to the book, I forgot how creepy the story is. 

Saturday, June 19, 2010

"To be upset over what you don't have is to waste what you do have." - Ken S. Keyes, Jr.

I have gratitude today for... 
* the walk with Andy on the boardwalk in Avalon
* spending some time reading on the deck
* being able to attend Chrissy's baby shower


* having a great meeting with Kerry's mom, Jim's mom and the other bridesmaids to discuss her bridal shower. I've been looking forward to planning this for her for soooo long!
* dinner with Naoma at a fantastic Italian restaurant in Hamilton and a great girls night at her house talking until 1am. It was great to have some quality time with an old friend after a long day of running around like a crazy person. 

Friday, June 18, 2010

"Look at a day when you are supremely satisfied at the end. It's not a day when you lounge around doing nothing; it's when you've had everything to do, and you've done it." - Margaret Thatcher

I have gratitude today for...
* getting an early start on my drive home, left at 5am. 
* choosing a granola bar and vitamin water over McD's at the rest stop when I needed something quick for breakfast. 
* being able to take a nap on the deck when I arrived in Avalon
* having some drinks on the McSparran's deck with MaryAnne, Joe, P.J. & Mrs. Roth
* Tonio's Pizza actually having decent pizza 
* seeing Andy after not being home for a few days, I missed him

Thursday, June 17, 2010

"Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning." - Albert Einstein

I have gratitude today for...
* pancakes with real maple syrup from the farm down the street. 
* meeting Benny the Bernie at the General Store on the resort grounds


* the comedy that was us trying to find a house on Greylock Rd. that we are convinced does not exist. 
* hot fudge sundaes for lunch!


* visiting Green Acre Farm and meeting the butcher Jeff and owner Frank. Amazing fresh sausages and produce, amazing service and genuinely good people. 


* visiting all of the little shops in Williamstown, MA and finding a cute bracelet as a souvenir. 
* going to the Williams College Museum of Art. Mom & Dad tried get me to overcome my fear of eyeballs. 


* getting my fresh homemade maple syrup from Ioka Valley Farm.


* taking a walk around the ski resort area and meeting a really nice couple from Havertown, PA. 


* having another girls night with Mom and going to the Mary Kay party hosted at the hotel. 
* a great dinner with mom and dad with all of the food from Green Acre Farm. 
* watching the NBA Finals with Dad even though the Celtics lost (that's who he was rooting for.) 

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

"If you concentrate on finding whatever is good in every situation, you will discover that your life will suddenly be filled with gratitude, a feeling that nurtures the soul." - Rabbi Harold Kushner

I have gratitude today for...
* exploring the area with Mom & Dad and having some good laughs when Mom & I were both using our GPS's in the car.
* visiting Tanglewood, an old amphitheater in Stockbridge, MA


* visiting Kripalu- a Center for Yoga & Health. It made me want to really learn yoga and focus on my health & wellness, something I've let slip over the last few months. 


* looking through the Norman Rockwell Museum gift shop, it was neat seeing the collection of all of his paintings. 
* relaxing in the hot tub listening to yoga music after our long adventurous day
* spending the evening drinking wine, listening to music and playing on our laptops with Mom. 
* finally catching up on this blog 

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

"Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow." - Melody Beattie

I have gratitude today for...
* getting up at 3:30am to leave for MA and hitting very little traffic throughout the trip!
* The Doors-The Soft Parade coming up on shuffle, it reminded me of all the fun times we had my freshman year at WCU with the whole crew in Ramsey Hall!
* GPS helping me avoid the GW bridge and its traffic jam
* seeing the ski slope out the window from our room at Jimini Peak and feeling excited about skiing again this winter. 
* spending time at the pool reading SELF Magazine in the beautiful sunshine
* going to an awesome Mexican restaurant for lunch with Uncle John 
* the fresh organic chicken we got from Guido's Market. I love all of the farms and small supermarkets up here!
* the truck full of tree logs not spilling them all over the road. It didn't look to safe!


* going to a BeautiControl demonstration with Mom at the hotel. We got mini-facials and had so much fun, disappointed we didn't get a picture with our masks on. 
* a fantastic dinner (baked chicken, veggies, pasta, focaccia bread & wine) with Mom, Dad & Uncle John

Monday, June 14, 2010

"What you think of yourself is much more important than what others think of you." -Seneca

I have gratitude today for...
* making great money and getting exercise from cleaning today---7 hours worth!
* eating leftovers for dinner, easy and good!
* deciding to leave for MA in the morning instead of pushing myself to drive tonight. Sometimes I try to just keep going and I know I would have been too tired to do that long of a drive in the dark by myself.
* learning to never, ever eat watermelon that has been cut up for more than 10 days---GROSS! It was the most disgusting thing I've ever eaten. (this is a PSA: I don't recommend you test me on this one.)

Sunday, June 13, 2010

"Life has no limitations, except the ones you make." -Les Brown

I have gratitude today for...
* another beautiful day in Avalon
* having a fun day with Jeffrey & James
* floating in the bay and testing the water. It felt great, no too cold!
* Happy Hour on the deck with Andy & Mrs. Roth. Fresh, homemade salsa and chips, Veggie Sticks and wine, what more do you need?
* dinner at the Avalon Yacht Club with Andy & Mrs. Roth. They have the best French Onion Soup I've ever had. 
* watching more of The Office, Season 6 with Andy

Saturday, June 12, 2010

"The world is moving so fast these days that the one who says it can’t be done is generally interrupted by someone doing it." -Harry Emerson Fosdick

Today I have gratitude for...
* getting a few hours of decent sleep and waking up on time 
* the nice kid next to me lending me his scientific calculator for both tests so I didn't have to use my $1 store four function calculator that I brought with me.
* all of the encouragement from family and friends, telling me I will pass these tests. They were really hard and I'm no convinced I passed, but I felt good to know so many people have confidence in me. 
* the slice I had after the exams from Campus Corner Pizza in Villanova. They owner was extremely friendly and the pizza was excellent!
* no traffic on the way to the shore
* the beautiful day in Avalon
* blowing up our Coleman Party Island and having a fun time with Jeffrey, Megan and Andy in the bay
*playing with James & Jeffery this afternoon
* a fantastic chicken piccata dinner with Andy out on the deck 
* hanging out and having drinks with Jeff & Megan tonight. Good conversation and good laughs.

Friday, June 11, 2010

"Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up." -Thomas A Edison

I have gratitude today for...
* being able to spend most of my day studying for the Praxis II exams
* the email I received from my friend Melanie after she received the Thank You card I mailed her. It made me feel happy that someone appreciated a card as much as I appreciate them. There's nothing that means more to me than a card with a meaningful message from someone I care about. 
* remembering back to the infamous 6/11 DMB show at Giants Stadium. Sever thunderstorms, pouring rain and tens of thousands of fans dancing, while the band played Two Step and we all prayed they wouldn't be electrocuted. It was also the first time I took Kelly to DMB show. 
* Arriving early to class tonight with the intentions of studying for the Praxis. My professor was there and we started chatting and instead of being annoyed that I lost an hour of studying time, I enjoyed talking with him and having him get to know me a little better. That will be important when I am trying to find a job. 
* Getting out of class an hour early so I could study for a couple of hours before bedtime. So nervous for these tests!

Thursday, June 10, 2010

"Every person, all the events of your life are there because you have drawn them there. What you choose to do with them is up to you." -Richard Bach

I have gratitude today for...
* all of the samples you can find at COSTCO. Today I discovered Veggie Straws and decided they are a must better option versus Cheetos or any of my other vices when it comes to snacking. 
* making myself spend time studying for the Praxis II tests I'm taking this Saturday
* watching the first few episodes of The Office Season 6 with Andy---thank you Demonoid!
* a yummy taco dinner, we hadn't had them in a long time. 

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

"The most important trip you may take in life is meeting people halfway." -Henry Boye

I have gratitude today for...
* getting a good amount of work done today
* finding good hoagies at Mamma Mia in Prospect Park before the game
* being fortunate enough to go to Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs to see the Flyers possibly force a game 7 in one of the most exciting series I can ever remember
* the awesome moments during Game 6 when the Flyers scored and the crowd went wild and I could see the happiness on Andy's face. In the end the Flyers lost, and it was heartbreaking. They were a miracle team and it would have been incredible to see them win another game. They were a team that could do anything, against all odds. We were very luck to be there.

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

"There are two primary choices in life: to accept conditions as they exist, or accept the responsibility for changing them." -Denis Waitley

I will admit, I've fallen behind again and it's really 6/16. I've been trying to write in my planner a few good things about every day. I am thankful I've been so committed to this blog. I will do my best to stick with it on a daily basis like I did for the first several months in 2010.

I have gratitude today for... 
* Adrienne coming over to hang out with this afternoon. I made awesome quesadillas and we ate outside.
* a nice night with Andy

Monday, June 7, 2010

"Half of our mistakes in life arises from feeling where we ought to think, and thinking where we ought to feel." -John Churton Collins

I have gratitude today for...
* the gorgeous weather we're having, no humidity!
* being able to go to the local high school and borrow text books and lesson plans for school and studying for the Praxis. I feel lucky I've developed such a great relationship with the business teacher at the school. 
* spending a few hours at the office today, I'm really excited about doing this work while I'm not in school for the summer. 
* lunch with Ed & John
* being able to sell our Phillies tickets for tonight
* the roasted lemon chicken I made for dinner tonight. It was an experiment and I wasn't sure how it would turn out---it was excellent!

Sunday, June 6, 2010

"Life is a series of commas, not periods." -Matthew McConaughey

I have gratitude today for...
* sleeping well in the playroom on an air mattress. I was so tired, felt great when I woke up this morning!
* our visit to the beach, I got to see another side of the Long Island Sound
* more fun times in the pool with all of the kids
* sitting with James as he discovered how much fun watermelon is. 


* the Miner clan stopping by on their way home from Boston. It was a lot of fun to have everyone there
* another easy trip home from CT, no traffic again. Amazing...
* making an easy dinner and watching the Flyers game even though it was quite a depressing game. :-(

Saturday, June 5, 2010

"Your greatest self has been waiting your whole life; don’t make it wait any longer." -Steve Marabo

I have gratitude today for...
* being able to get up early and getting on the road to CT by 9am.
* hitting no traffic the whole trip!
* all of the fun we had with the kids in the pool this afternoon
* watching Andy & Jeff "playing" street hockey with Jeffrey


* being in CT to celebrate Henry's 3rd Birthday with him. They had a party with all of his little friends, it was so cute. Chris & Jess made the trip from NYC.





















Friday, June 4, 2010

"Life is 10% of what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it." -John Maxwell

I have gratitude today for...
* starting my day off by getting a massage at the National Academy of Massage
* my leftover dinner from last night that I had for lunch today
* making the best of an annoying situation when I drove to S. Philly 3 hours early to beat traffic. I thought I'd do some work and then my laptop wouldn't turn on. I found a park and read this month's issue of Philly Mag and enjoyed the quiet for a while 
* the nice couple we met in Romano's (where the original stromboli was created.) The husband was having a great time telling us stories about Philly sports teams
* being fortunate enough to have tickets to tonight's game
* the much older man that was sitting next to us at the game, I though it was great that he's still going to games. He was keeping score by hand!
* the incredible energy in the Wachovia before and during the game
* such an exciting game, and the Flyers winning again! They still have a chance to do this...

Thursday, June 3, 2010

"I cannot believe that the purpose of life is to be happy. I think the purpose of life is to be useful, to be responsible, to be compassionate. It is, above all to matter, to count, to stand for something, to have made some difference that you lived at all." -Leo Rosten

I have gratitude today for...
* getting 5 1/2 hours of work in today
* finishing up all of the gift shopping I needed to do for birthday, Father's Day, and countless baby showers
* my heart to heart with Megan this afternoon
* dinner with Andy at Totaro's and our good conversation

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

"Death is more universal than life; everyone dies but not everyone lives." -A. Sachs

I have gratitude today for...
* the sweet email Kerry sent me telling me I'm a really good friend
* taking care of a lot of errands and crossing things off my TO DO list today
* being able to lend Viki my car when she needed it to take her dad to the doctor
* the roasted veggies I made with dinner coming out so well
* one of the most exciting, nerve wracking games I've ever seen (in ALL of sports!) An OT Flyers win! The excitement Andy showed and him picking me up and giving me the biggest hug after they scored was fun. 
* talking with Chris about the game after he got home. 

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

"Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated." -Confucius

I have gratitude today for...
* getting another cleaning job at the shore for this summer
* safely getting home from Avalon since some insane kid almost hit me
* working out a part-time position at the magazine
* our laid back evening
* talking with Kerry tonight