Celebrate The Small Things: An Attitude Adjustment

I definitely need an attitude adjustment this week, so I thought I'd return to a wonderful hop that I've participated in so sporadically in the past.  Viklit runs this hop, and it's just what I need right now.  Thanks, Vic.

Today I'd like to celebrate a few small things which ARE making me smile, despite some rather deep struggles this summer.

1) All four of our new window air-conditioners are now in and the house is a blissful, cool temp round the clock.  The thingamajiggies The Engineer built to get them sealed into the windows are working like a charm, and so far I haven't had to look at the electric bill.  He looked at it.  He didn't say anything.

2) I've joined a support group led by an amazing, caring, wonderful Father Dragon, and they are a really encouraging bunch.  I'm accomplishing some goals.

3) I got a massage today.  My amazing brother and sis-in-law just gifted it to me.  What a treat!

4) Blogger is actually working, unlike Tuesday night when I was ready to brave the garage, find a sledge hammer, and just go at this computer in Office Space copier style...

5) I continue to meet wonderful folks on the Post Challenge A-Z Road Trip.  It's been really enlightening, humbling, and encouraging to read their Reflections.  (I'm going randomly, so if you're at the top of the list, you have not been skipped, just FYI).

6) The new friendships I made during the April Challenge endure, and I'm enjoying continued friendships with my long time buddies.

I have a lot to be thankful for, and I need to stop whining.  So here's a first step.  I'm grateful for these blessings in my life, and the people who have brought them to me.

~Tina, time to stop wallowing and start movin' and groovin'...


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Celebrate the Small Things: Still Driving that Road to Contentment!

It's Friday!  I missed this last week, and this week I really, truly need to re-focus on my contentment quest, so I'm with  VikLit of Scribblings of an Aspiring Author in this inspiring hop. These are so fun to read.  Happy posts.  Grateful people.  I highly recommend joining.  

I FINALLY GOT NEW GLASSES!

I've been needing new glasses for four years, as in the ones that I use for emergencies, since I wear contacts, and then reading glasses, were four prescriptions ago.  I just really couldn't see with them anymore.

 Yup.  They are tri-focals. Granny glasses.  Receptionist on Monsters, Inc glasses.  Her name was rose, and the frames are sort of rose, so they are my Rose glasses.  (Insert looking through rose colored glasses joke about me here).  No, you don't get to see them on me! The frames were $9.  I don't wear these in public.

These are the best though. (Nice mug, eh?)  These are bifocal reading glasses.  Picture this. You're a writer.  You're looking at your notes, or are texting on your cell phone, etc. Close up. Strong reading glasses.  Then you glance up at your computer. Blurry.  Switch to reading glasses that are three levels less strong to see computer.  Repeat all day.  Totally annoying, but necessary.  UNLESS, you have these magic glasses which are tuned for BOTH computer and reading.  No more switching!  Bliss.

OYT MADE DINNER
I called his bluff.  He didn't want what I said we were having, so I flippantly said, "Well then YOU make dinner!"  He said, "Ok, can I make chicken nuggets, mashed potatoes and my favorite veggie mix?"  Totally surprised mom.  "Um, sure."  I ended up taking my work into the kitchen and giving advice, but he did it all!  He's no stranger to the kitchen since he's an excellent baker, but he's never made a whole meal.  Add to that the friend he had over was staying for dinner, so extra pressure.  It was great!  (OYT is Our Youngest Teen, 14, for all you new followers!  Hi!  I appreciate you!)

I GET TO MEET A BLOGGING FRIEND NEXT WEEK!
I get to meet AJ of Naturally Sweet!  She was my minion during last year's A-Z Challenge, and this year she's a co-host.  She's going to be in my town for work and we're going out for coffee!  It will be the first time I meet a friend I met online.  I'm so excited!

What are you celebrating this week?
~Tina

Celebrate the Small Things ~ On the Road to Contentment

Last week I met a new to me blogger, VikLit of Scribblings of an Aspiring Author through DL Hammon's Blog Blitz. I'd seen her weekly “Celebrate the Small Things” blog hop all over the place, and now found the founder!  I'm joining in, because it fits so well with my word of the year focus on CONTENTMENT.  

This week I'm celebrating the work I've done on straightening out our finances. We've done Financial Peace University TWICE, yet it seems that every few years we need to do a re-set and basically kick ourselves in the rear and start behaving responsibly with our money. Lots of unplanned expenses lately (which if you've been reading Life is Good even for a little while you're familiar with them...I let it all hang out ;-) 

I'm happy to say we've found some great software that's really helping. It's called YNAB which is You Need A Budget. Yes, yes we do. So far we're liking the 34 (what's up with 34?) day free trial very much and will most likely buy it.

I'm also celebrating some victories in my continual battle with my body image. Some of you know my history (anorexia – there, said it out loud again – and every time I do it gets easier).  I don't like being this size. I struggle constantly with food. 

Alcoholics “get” to just quit drinking. Not saying that's easy AT ALL. My point though is that we can't quit food cold turkey. Well, we can, been there done that and that's the problem...Food is constantly there as a source of stress. My success is that I'm feeling good about my weight for the first time in a long time.  

Maybe the weird combination of meds keeping me breathing is helping me in some way. All I know is that I'm wearing jeans that haven't fit me since 2010. I wasn't going to say anything to anyone, but hey, it's celebration day, so there you go. (To read more about me and this topic here.)

I'm also celebrating my wonderful kids and all they've done for me lately. They have really stepped up and done all their chores and most of mine, and mostly cheerfully. 

Yesterday The Transporter had a very difficult job to do to get his mother to her friend's new apartment. Elevators out of order...four flights of stairs for asthma girl not a possibility...but he (and Mr. Maintenance) found a way to get me up there! (I know you're going to be wondering...we got let into the residents parking garage and drove up to her floor, well as close as we could get anyway and that was enough.) He did all that while carrying a vase of flowers. 

OYT is going on his first overnight youth retreat this weekend which is a huge step for a shy guy and I'm so proud of him.

What are you celebrating this week? Since it's an ongoing, weekly hop, you can join too! Or just leave me your celebration in the comments so I can cheer with you!

~Tina