Gratitude.

Ali, you just reminded how human we all are. I'm such a huge fan of yours and I must admit I have you on somewhat of a pedestal. I am little relieved that you too feel much I like do sometimes - no patience, grumpy, and blah. Your post reminded me that this one of the reasons I started blogging late last year. Inspired by you, I wanted to force myself to write things down daily that are worth writing about;things I am or should be grateful for. I have to remember that and re-focus when I post. So here’s a quick list of things I am grateful for right now:
- My baby is sleeping and probably for the night
- My husband is making a delicious dinner
- My oldest son is playing quietly next to me with his beads
- I am having lunch with the girls tomorrow
- I had a great workout today
- Grey’s Anatomy is on tonight
- Wine
Thanks again Ali. Hang in there and keep sharing with us. You make a difference to so many.

i am greatful for your list.
i've been laughing-hard and out loud-since i read your whole attitude/gratitude thing and it's just what i needed. i can't stop laughing!!

I've been in a funk too. Apparently we are in a Mecury Retrograde. Well that's my excuse and I am sticking to it!
I am grateful for:
* My Husband - a great guy!
* The way little themes are linking together in a serendipitous way.
* Looking at this blog everyday - a small reminder of art everyday.
* Being loving and being loved.

No matter how often I wish I didn't have to work, I at least have Fridays with my baby boy. No matter how often I complain about how messy my house is, I'm grateful that I have a pretty nice one to live in. No matter how tired I am or how much I feel like there isn't enough time in the day, I'm grateful that I don't have any more on my plate than I can handle right now. I'm grateful that I'm generally happy and healthy, have a great husband, child and dog and family. And I'm grateful for discovering this blog, which along with scrapbooking, reminds me to stop and reflect on these things. (I'll have to take that HS class one day.) Thanks, Ali! Hope you're day wound up better. (And by the way, your readers rock! Bravo to the amazing donations!!!!!)

I've definitely been in a funk! I need to do this...
1. My sweet boyfriend who puts up with me everyday and stands behind me 100%.
2. A warm place to sleep.
3. The laundry finally being all caught up - yeah for clean clothes! :)
4. Scrapbooking - it takes my mind off of not-so-fun everyday stuff like bills.
5. TV - so many good shows on tonight!
6. My good friends Sam and Noel - they make me happy.

I am grateful for:
1)a very good good man that makes my life so wonderful each day
2)my wonderful son who turned out to be a really good man and soon to be 1st time father
3)my 1st grandbaby (a girl) coming in May
4)my home
5)my good good friends
6)my extended family
7)my ability to craft and get satisfaction from each page of it
8)God
9)my pets
10)the ability to forgive and forget
11)that fact that we live in America the beautiful
12)the ability to just be alive each day and breath the fresh air God provided us w/.
I could go on, but you would ask me to shut up at some point! My life is wonderful, I get in funks to as everyone does, but for the most part...I am a happy woman in my life.
Thanks,
KJ

your post today inspired my first comments - thank you! I am thankful for my two beautiful daughters, my husband, my family, my friends, my continued ability to learn new things and sunshine {and we had a wonderful blue sky sunny day in Atlanta today - maybe it will be spring soon?!}

I am grateful for:
1. a roof over my head
2. a car to bring me places
3. my family
4. my dog who always make me smile
5. telephone to keep in touch
6. friends
7. music that bring a smile to my heart
8. laugther

I am grateful for:
1. my super duty front end washer - how did I ever live without it!
2. my puppies - they love me all the time
3. yummy food at home that is ready to eat
4. my niece for helping me out at home
5. a phone call tonight about a job prospect

I'm so grateful for:
1. Family and the photos that remind me of the good times. (Just got the set back from our trip to Florida over the weekend)
2. Friends, near and far, and their support.
3. Laughter.
4. My job and the way the students make me feel every day - thankful that I can be around to help and support them.
5. Good health.
6. Reminders that we need to be grateful for every day we're given.
Sue

How about UNDO!!! Man has that stuff saved me a bunch of pain!
I have five grandkids that make me pretty proud and happy tooooo!!!

Hi Ali!
Hello from the Philippines! I've always been a fan of yours and reading your blog has been a part of my daily life. You INSPIRE me.
I would like to share with you the "things" that I am grateful for:
http://aireescreates.blogspot.com/2007/02/thankful.html
I wish you well.

hi Ali, i don't like funks myself & i was in a hell of a funk last week and it does get better!
my grateful list:
-i'm 28 weeks pregnant and enjoying my babies growth process from w/in.
-cuddling w/ my son who's been sick all week.
-enjoy taking pictures w/ my new 50mm f/1.4 lens.
-warm comfy feather comforter on my bad while surf the net or watch tv.
-my husband calling me to let me know he's on his way home from traveling on the road everyday.
-good friends new & old.
this list could get long...hope you get out of your funk soon & have a lovely weekend!

ok, serious grammar correction here for the 4th line...LOLOL!
-my warm comfy feather comforter on my bed while surfing the net or watching tv.
that's better ;-)

I am so grateful that you shared about being grumpy!!! That's what I'm grateful for. Because otherwise we'd all be thinking, wow, her life is like perfect all the time. I wish my life were like that. You gave us the gift of your humanity. That's what I love about this blog.
And you let your son watch television while you work, I love that! You should see how some moms came after me for putting that in my book. Goodness gracious, they said I should have houseplants instead of a daughter. But you let Simon watch TV and you blog about it. I feel SO much better!
I am grateful to be coming out of a three-week funk myself. It started when my husband left the country for eight days and left me home with one daughter, two puppies, three cats, and three fish. Everyone was easy excpet the puppies and they through everyone, especially me, way out of whack.
Then he came home and went straight into hell week for Grease, the musical. Thankfully, I am no longer a theater widow because the show went up (successfully) last night.
But please don't say, "Poor Chris." Are you kidding me? He's in politics and I'm thinking you will do your fair share of supporting him through challenging times. He and Simon are totally blessed to have you!
Also, I think you are writing a book, and I know when I was doing that I often felt completely overwhelmed and stressed.
So easy does it, my dear. This too shall pass. Besides, we're women and we have to deal with hormones. So that's a good excuse to be really, really nice to yourself. And for the rest of us to ourselves! Hooray!

That's funny you post this because I've been thinking about this sort of subconsciously for the past couple days... and trying to form some clear thoughts for a LO.
This is what has occurred to me lately.
I'm grateful that:
- I've never had to worry where my next meal is coming from
-I have never needed warmer clothes to get me through a rough New England winter
-I have a family that loves me and would do anything for me
-I don't have to worry if I'll have a job next week
-I have a job I love, that's flexible and gives me the time I need to do the creative things I crave
-I have a boyfriend who loves me more than anything in the world
-I have a core of very close friends who are the best girls anyone could ever ask for....
And that's more than enough to ask for in any one lifetime!

thanks for the reminder - i'm having a bit of the blahs also
i am grateful for good friends, good books, & good coffee
may you experience 1 or all 3 in the coming days!
Melanie

i dont have to drive a 1984 caravalle anymore, well at least i didnt have to drive it today! :-)

Wow I can sooooooo relate to this grumpiness. Especially this week. Maybe its in the air.
Im grateful for:
1. Grumpiness and not so perfect days. To be honest can you imagine how annoying we would be if we were perky and happy every day (its just not natural). There has to be some downtime and I think being in a blah mood allows us to sit and reflect on things that we are grateful for and gives us permission to do something for ourselves.
So having said that lol
2. Im grateful for my husband who puts up with my not so fantastic days and loves me unconditionally.
3. Grateful for my son who makes me smile every morning when I wake up. Even on the crappy days.
4. Grateful for my photography that provides an amazing outlet.
5. Grateful for my umbrella today because it pouring!
Thanks Ali I just got my journaling for a page lol

I am grateful for my husband and kids. (So cool to see my baby take a few steps for the first time today.)
I am grateful for the nice people at the Costco Photo Center.
I am grateful that you wrote a couple of books. I am really thinking about making my pages more pleasant to the eye and so I really took a good look at your first book today. Thank you for writing those two and putting all the work into this third one. I am looking forward to reading it.

LIFE - don't waste it you never know when it will be snatched from under your feet.

Don't feel bad, Ali. I made a post on my blog about being in the funkles too just the other day. Great exercise to try and get rid of them. Guess I will give it a shot on my blog..
Thanks :)

"I needed to hear her message (I am continually amazed at how things flow in just this way)."
And this is exactly how I feel about your blog on a lot of days, sometimes they are even old posts I am browsing through. Right now I keep finding myself going back to your posts from April of '05, because I feel like I have a friend who understands there. I feel a bit silly even feeling that way.
I'm not going to go on & on the way I have a tendency of doing at times so just... thank you. Right now I am thankful for you and your opening up your life to us. I'm glad I found you.

Thanks for the optimism and the reminder. I needed it today, and it really helped. I posted my list on my blog - http://susansmeanderings.blogspot.com/2007/02/gratitude.html
Looking forward to scrapping with you on Saturday in Tracy. CA.

Funny how things work...
Just today, on my way from lunch to my 5th period freshmen language arts class (I teach high school English and theatre), I had a gratitude check of my own. I was taking a breath trying to mentally line up the rest of the day. Life is still busy, I thought, even though my show and the accompanying rehearsals are over. I was a millisecond away from a disgruntled sigh when I realized that all of this (even the busy-ness) is part of my experience-- this wonderful thing called life. And where would my life-art come from without such a full life? My sigh turned to one of gratitude rather quickly. And Ali, one of the things I am thankful for is you. It is your work that has opened up this freeing attitude about capturing life (real life) and creating art. So I dare you: take a grumpy self portrait, and when the good stuff takes over your heart again, take a grateful self-portrait. I think I feel a LO coming on; I had better go. :)