Monthly Archives: July 2021

Staying in a State of Gratitude Is Not Easy: So How Do I Do It?

Recently, I wanted to go out to lunch with a friend. We tried four different restaurants and each one was crowded with a long wait. Plus, we had to mask up so we wanted to social distance. We had even gone at an early hour to avoid the crowds. I guess everyone else had the same idea. However, when we got to restaurant number five, it was empty. The food was better than the other places we had visited and the lunch was actually more enjoyable.

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Staying in a State of Gratitude is Not Easy: So Why Do It?

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When I began my journey to gratitude, it seemed easy to find examples of kind acts by people, fun pet moments, memorable acts of generosity between individuals, and so forth, but as this pandemic drags on I am observing more stress, more anger and frustration, greater impatience, visible sadness, signs of depression, instances of hopelessness, and fits of intolerance all around me. It is hard to stay grateful each and every day when you see and hear stories of death and dying, fights on airplanes and in shops over wearing or not wearing masks, lack of clarity on what will happen when school begins again, red States and blue States, and political disagreements.

How in the world does one stay grateful and joyful when there seems to be pain and sadness all around?

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Gratitude When Finding Favorite Foods

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As I grow older I try to limit my sweets, but I have a weakness for bread pudding. Every time I go out to eat I search the menu for “bread pudding” and order and sample whenever I find it. Last week in Westfield, Indiana I found #pumpkinbreadpudding at #GrindstoneontheMonon. It was topped with vanilla bean ice cream! It was good. My family members and I enjoyed it and, of course, compared it to our favorite previous bread puddings. We love to compare the sauces, the temperatures/textures, and ingredients. For example, my favorite topping sauce consists, in part, of cream cheese with Grand Marnier Liqueur with pecans, but I admit the vanilla bean ice cream was nearly at the top.

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Gratitude For the Ordinary: Sun And Clouds

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Recently I decided to drive across the United States to rid my restlessness from the pandemic. Typically, I love to drive and see the beauty within the various States. As music plays it causes me to reflect on and find joy, as I think about all that I am grateful for in life. My favorite time of day is the early morning, around 4 AM so I can watch the sunrise over the mountains in the Western States.

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Grateful for Love’s Truck Stops: Motorcycle Man

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Recently I drove across the country from California to Indiana on a weekend. I was surprised at the road construction and all the people on the road. I typically like to stop at #Love’s Truck Stops as they are open 24 hours and have gas, food, and clean bathrooms. People typically take a nap, or even sleep a few hours at night to rest during their various trips. Families fill their cars or campers with people as get-aways

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Grateful That Illegal Fireworks Did Not Damage

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Last night was scary for me at my home. I am a boomer and the young neighbors across the street had a party with illegal fireworks in the street and, at times, my driveway. I videotaped their fireworks on and off throughout the evening. With the drought, they could have started a fire. It was horrible for my little dog most of the night#. I was surprised that a car did not catch on fire, nor did anyone walking by get hurt. I know that the kids have been trapped inside during the last year because of the pandemic, and their youth produces lots of energy, but their party last night was dangerous.

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Grateful For 4th of July

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Generally, I feel grateful for the 4th of July today. People seem cheerful and my small little city is a buzz with activity. We have our Annual Office Chair Races underway so strange costumes, parades, decorated chairs and golf carts, people, and more all walking up and down the streets to observe and participate in the races. I do not know the history of this annual event, but I did watch it last year and it was fun to see the creativity of people and to watch the chairs racing down the hill. I also do not know what this race has to do with the 4th of July, so someday I might look it up.

I have mixed feelings today, watching the Surfside Condo Tower ongoing search for

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Gratitude For Life’s Lessons

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An activity is suggested that compares two points in time in your life: a younger you compared to an older you. What would the older you tell the younger you? Using personal photographs practice this activity with the author and see what would be your own personal outcome?

This posting focuses on the journey to gratitude for life’s lessons. Five lessons learned on the journey to a State of Gratitude are discussed with examples from the author’s life. The Lessons include the following:

Lesson One: Love Your Family. Two poems are read: My Family, and You Carry My Genes by Marian Elsie Blake in the book, A House Inside of Me by Mary Blake Huer, available on Amazon.

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