Thankful Thursday

Quick interruption to the SF photos to mention some of the fun parts of my week! Sorry to those of you who have seen these elsewhere. I used to try not to repeat myself on various sites, but now I'm falling into that habit!

The other day I had this fun surprise in my mail! My aunt saw how much I liked the ones she got my parents, and she picked these out for me. I love them!!

Tuesday was a good day. It started snowing (though not sticking), and on my way to work I saw this coyote!

I managed to pull over and catch a few photos before he ran off. I couldn't get very close, but for not being ultra prepared, I'm happy I got anything at all!

Even though it was too warm for the snowflakes to stick, I managed to catch a few photos as they melted away. Not many turned out, but here's one of them.

Then today I woke up to light but steady snow falling again! It was in the forecast, but since when can I trust that? I was very excited to try more snowflake photos. I ended up not going into work at all, though it didn't officially close until noon. I decided that it was worth it to take half a day so I could take advantage of the photo ops.

Like this one! Unfortunately, a lot of the "flakes" are not pretty and just look like shavings of white fuzz or something, so I haven't gotten as many shots as I had hoped. But still, I'm glad I got some (I'll share more later). VERY glad! It's been a fun day. :)

And what's one of the best things to do on a snow day? Bake cookies! I shouldn't have, but I so did. I hadn't made these in a couple of years and they are pretty simple and use basic ingredients. Click here for the recipe. Try them!

I'm excited for even more snow today and maybe some more decent-looking flakes to photograph, if my toes can stand the cold. How has your week been?

Valentine's and Thankfulness

Happy Valentine's Day! How was your day? Mine was very nice, with sunshine and treats and hot pink nail polish.

Also, belated happy Ash Wednesday and season of Lent. I was looking at some old journal entries and remembered that a couple of years ago I did 40DOT (40 Days of Thankfulness - I try to limit my gratefulness to small portions), so I decided to do it again this year. The fun thing about having a designated set of days to point out happy things is that sometimes some really cool events take place, or maybe I just notice them better. It's fun to wake up wondering what will be my items of the day. I remember doing an 8DOT before Christmas of 2008, and all kinds of great stuff happened. It was the year of our big snow/ice storm, which was awesome, and I got to miss work and some other events I didn't care to attend anyway. It was an introvert's dream, and maybe even anyone's dream--who doesn't like getting snow days?

Day 1 was yesterday (obvi), and I came home to a fun package mailed to me from my friend Dania! It was fashionably late Christmas presents, actually, but she also included some Valentine gifts. I'm particularly excited about the puzzle, which I had come across online a couple of months ago. Maybe a friend tweeted it or something, but it has pieces in the shapes of the countries, so it's not just a puzzle, but a learning extravaganza! My geography knowledge outside the US is pretty horrid, so I welcome fun ways to get to know this sphere we call home (I made that extra-corny on purpose, though I do feel a little queasy now).

I also had a good evening in general. The eves before holidays tend to be kind of sparkly for me, and I did a few special things to ring in this day.

Dinner wasn't special, per se, but it was pretty delicious. I made One-Pot Spaghetti based on this recipe. I used different pasta, added a can of cream of mushroom soup (I like to do that with spaghetti sometimes), added olives, and probably used more broth than the recipe calls for. It made a lot, of course, but now I have some meals in the freezer in addition to a couple in my fridge. I suppose I should've taken a photo of it in the pot, but that wasn't very pretty.

So those are my Day 1 items, though I might not always mention more than one or even have visual aids. Today, aka Day 2, I have come across many things to be thankful for, but my little rule is not to decide on my thankful item(s) until the day is done. You never know what's around the corner.


Except that I actually do know what's around the corner from my office: flowers! Every year the little hillside gets covered in crocuses, and every year I take pictures.


Have a great evening, and I'll be back with more thankfuls when the mood strikes.

PS My friend Danielle is a great writer and I appreciated her Valentine's posts. Start here to read them.

Thankful Thursday

1. Cute birds. There are lots out lately, even though the weather is terrible. I took several photos and will put a handful in this post.


2. Garbage disposals. I remember that when my sister lived in New Hampshire, they didn't have garbage disposals there. Then on our recent Mexico trip, they also didn't have one. Not having one makes me so appreciate having one!


3. Time off. Christmas means a total of five holiday-days off in addition to weekends, so I'm excited about the next couple of short weeks.


4. Having all of my Christmas mailing done. I sent off three packages today and I'm done. I do have one more present to buy, but it doesn't have to be mailed anywhere.


5. Potatoes. They're tasty.


6. Presents! I really like presents--both giving and receiving. Today I had one on my desk when I got to work, and then a friend brought by another in the afternoon!

I'm not sure if I'll be posting again before Christmas. If not, have a merry Christmas, friends!

Thankful Thursday

Happy Thanksgiving! I haven't done one of these in awhile, but what better day to get back into them? These will all be related to my vacation this week.

1. Safe travels so far. Especially in Mexico--thank goodness my dad doesn't mind driving here.

2. The sky. We wake up to the sunrise and the sunset reflects back in the evenings. There's been a range of cloudiness, but mostly the sky is clear blue in the day.

3. Delicious food. My dad has cooked a lot and we've gone out a couple of times. There's been lots of shrimp, fish and salsa involved.


4. Warm-climate plants. I wish we could grow some of this stuff up in Oregon!

5. Hummingbirds. Duh.

6. Porches. We've spent a lot of time out here.

7. Swimming pools. I've always loved them.

There are many more, but I have to go! I think we'll be at the beach today. Have a nice holiday!

Thankful Thursday

I'm feeling behind on all things blog, but I know that bothers me way more than any of you. I'm behind on my art journal pages, on responding to comments, and posting in general. It feels better to acknowledge that here, for whatever reason. Meanwhile, here are some good things:

1. I bought my plane ticket for Albuquerque in October. I'm going to the hot air balloon fiesta again! Best of all, I get so see my adorable nephieces and the rest of my family. Even my parents will be there for a portion of my visit!

2. I had a good dentist appointment today. I don't generally dread the dentist like some people, so it wasn't a big deal, but it seemed to go even more smoothly than usual. I didn't have sore gums afterwards and everything looks good with my teeth. The hygenist is really nice, too (and so is my dentist, though I generally only see him for about 30 seconds per visit).

3. I feel pretty good. I've felt like that several times over the past months. I have less anxiety than I once had, and it seems like God has given me a little break, and many areas of life are just mellow and uneventful, which is a very good thing.

4. My friends are having a garage sale. This is good for me because I was able to contribute some stuff to hopefully be sold! I'm a little nervous about craiglisting things when I'm living alone, so this was a good opportunity to try selling my office chair, for instance, and a few other things that have been taking up space. Fingers crossed my stuff sells!

(Avocado stuffed with chicken salad.)

5. Avocados are better this year. Last year they were really disappointing, and I hadn't really eaten any for several months. I've recently been able to enjoy them again!

6. Deepwood Estate. The other day I wasn't feeling well and thought an evening walk in some gardens might help. I just love having local, pretty, free places to visit.

7. Flowers. Man, there are SO MANY kinds of flowers. I was reminded of this at Deepwood because many of them I had never seen before. I'll post more photos later on.

8. Caller ID. (I'm writing this just after receiving/ignoring a phone call from an unknown number--probably a sales call.)

9. It's still mid-July. Even though the year is going by quickly (as always), and sometimes I can't believe Independence Day (or even Easter :P) has already passed, it's nice to know we still have a couple months of good weather left.

10. Other day-to-day nice things. Like walking out into warm air after freezing in an air-conditioned room. Pretty dresses. Inspiration. Trying new recipes. Having freedom, as a single person, to make my own plans and have a quiet home. Ceiling fans. Photographing a butterfly or bird that's hard to capture. Seeing deer on my way to work. Having a reliable car. A pitcher of cold water in the fridge. A good song coming on the radio. Wii frisbee golf. Being able to blog and connect with friends and family in a little way like this.

Have a great weekend! Do you have special plans?

Thankful Thursday

[I started this post earlier today and now it's too late to really fill it out with photos, so you're getting the stripped-down version.]

I am still doing my art journaling, but don't plan to post it every day. You'll get caught up soon enough (and you'll be sad I ever started the project!).

I've actually felt a little cranky the past couple of days (I think allergies and poor sleeping are the main contributors), but I've been simultaneously able to see why I shouldn't feel cranky. Here's some of the good stuff:

1. Shopko had a big clearance on all of their plants, so I was able to get a couple of hanging plants for around $5 each! I always wish to have plants to hang on my deck in the summer, but at around $20-40 each, I usually talk myself out of it.

2. The Safeway near me has finally started selling two delicious products: Mexican Coke (aka Coke with cane sugar instead of corn syrup) and raw tortillas! Since I don't have a Costco membership, this makes getting the good tortillas more convenient (for my friend with the Costco membership, at least). As for the Coke, well I don't typically have non-diet soda, but if I do splurge, I might as well go for real sugar.

3. I had a sore shoulder yesterday, and then it was fine. I'm not sure if the pain was from my new pillow or what, but it was bugging me all day and then in the afternoon I realized the pain/discomfort was gone! The nice thing about having pain or sickness is that it makes "normal" feel SO good by comparison.

4. Drugstore.com. I don't buy from them very often, but sometimes I will compare prices on things like hair products. So I ordered some stuff from them the other night, and I discovered they have lowered the minimum order for free shipping, and they gave me great customer service when the free gift I was supposed to get didn't show up on my order. PLUS: My order shipped out on Tuesday and I got it on Wednesday!! That's pretty crazy--that was the free shipping, not expedited.

5. New hair products! (Once again my thankful list is mostly shallow and materialistic.) I've only tried the stuff for one day now, but wow my hair is noticeably curlier and more voluminous (a word I never say). I'll probably tell you what I bought after I give it a bit more time.

6. You guys. I really appreciate that you follow my blog. Even without comments, it makes me happy when people make a point to subscribe/read regularly. :) Thank you.

Okay it's late. Goodnight.

PS Happy birthday June and Deborah! I know I texted you both, but I figured I'd mention it here. If I were a more thoughtful person, I would've included each of you on this list with why you rock!

Thankful Thursday

Happy Thursday! I ♥ Thursdays. I'm going to include a few photos from the past week in this post, and they may or may not relate to my thankful items.  

1. Responses. I didn't expect so many responses and for people to read all I wrote yesterday! :) Thank you. I already feel better and more excited about my blog after posting that.

 

2. My new blog design. I changed it up--go look!

   

3. Summer. I love summer here in Oregon. It's the nicest time of the year. I loved summer growing up, too, but when I was an adult I started liking it less after we moved from our house with the pool and I had to work full time in the HOT weather of the north valley of California. Moving to Oregon has changed the meaning of summer and it always reminds me why people live here in an otherwise dreary climate.

 
4. L's visit was what I hoped. I feel like we got to do all the things I wanted to do with her, and we had safe travels and only minor glitches. I'm working on a video compilation and it makes me happy to watch the little clips. I'll show you guys when I'm done.


 
5.The coast. I don't go as often as I'd like, but I'm glad I have access to make it there a couple of times per year, at least.

6. My friends. I've said it before, but repeat thankfulness isn't a crime. I have some really nice people in my life. Friends from church and work, online and offline friends from all over the world, and friends from places I've lived before. There are lots of nice people out there.


7. Speaking of friends from work, I have some really nice coworkers. There are people who consistently encourage and appreciate me. Just yesterday I got a gift from a coworker in thanks for basically just doing my job. I also received many nice words from some ladies I am on a committee with. It was sweet and unexpected!

 

8. The Internet. A couple of my friends are moving away, but thankfully it's so easy to keep in contact with people these days.

That's all I've got today! My lunch break is over, and Blogger is driving me crazy with the formatting, so sorry for weird spacing you may encounter. 

Thankful Thursday

I don't have time for a big list, but today is my niece L's 13th birthday! I'm so thankful for her. :) :)

L was my very first nephiece. For the first half of her life, she and I lived in the same city (sometimes in the same house!) and I got to spend lots of quality time with her and her younger sister, K. I have a lot of happy memories of watching them grow, and they (along with my other nephieces) are one of my favorite gifts I've received in this life! Being an aunt is a huge blessing. And if I keep talking about this, I'm just going to start bawling. :P

Since she was born before I got a digital camera, I don't have any baby photos handy, but above are some photos over the years. She's the girl of many hairstyles!

I can't do a birthday post for every nephiece on every birthday, but 13's kind of a big deal. Maybe I can start that tradition, at least.

Happy birthday, L. :) :) I can't believe you're now a teenager and taller than me. I can't wait to see you next week (she's coming to visit me!!).

UPDATE: R sent me some baby photos of L!

Thankful Thursday

Yeah it's been awhile blah blah blah.

1. Nice weather. I'm happy to put that on every one of my Thursday lists if it means its true! Loooooving the nice sunshine. Even if I don't spend a lot of the day outdoors, just seeing it through the windows makes me a happier and more motivated person.

2. My car's oil is changed. Glad to have that chore out of the way.

3. Free stuff. I got a set of nightstands for free the other day! How, you ask? From Freecycle. I've never even been on that site, but my coworker uses it and it was through him that I got the furniture. Possible photos to come, after I figure out how I want to use them.


4. Freezer burritos. I made this recipe (with some tweaking) the other day and am loving that these are easy and don't seem to get soggy. I guess I always thought that would happen so I'd never made them for the freezer before.

5. Upcoming fun.  I'm driving down to visit my parents soon--did I tell you? My friend is even able to carpool with me (to visit friends in the area), so I won't have to make the 8-hour drive alone.

6. Upcoming fun part 2. My niece is coming to visit me next month!!


7. Beaver season. No, not for hunting! Sheesh. I just like it when it's light enough that I can watch the beaver buddies pretty much any evening.

8. Padington's Pizza. I just suddenly had a craving for them so I figure I'll add them to my list. They are THE BEST. And their personal pizzas are a really good deal.

That's all I've got. Sorry, R, it's just 8. I know 10 is a more comfortable number for you! I'm just feeling a little blank. Padington's was really just tacked on.

Okay fine! More tacking:

 9. My Wii. I <3 it.

10. Cherry Zero Coke. I love it too much.



Wow, this list is pretty shallow. Oh well.. I'm living in a material world and I am a material girl. So what made you happy this week?