Prosper

I suppose writing this blog should help me prosper in many ways.

Perhaps make me a better writer.

Or teach me patience.

I could make money and prosper through advertising. Perhaps that would help my blog viewership prosper too.

How much do we prosper in our lives? What is worth living for?

I know that I look for joy, finding ways to help others to the best of my ability. That is how I look to prosper.

still giving thanks

It was only back in January that I tried writing daily posts. You can read that here.

I have not done a very good job of keeping up with that. Nor have I done a terrific job of saying what I'm thankful for in each post. Sometimes, I think, it's been obvious. Perhaps the less obvious times I have tried to point it out.

At any rate, when I went searching for that original post, I thought it was late fall or early winter that I had started. I was actually hoping I could tell you in this post that I was "close enough" and give it up while I learn my new job. Yet, much to my chagrin, not only was it not late fall but I've only written about two hundred thankful posts.

I've felt guilty these last few weeks. I have intentions of writing something, but the end of the day arrives and I'm too tired. I need my rest.

I will try to carve out time to write something. I have a problem though. When I pick up my laptop to write a blog post, I think, "Oh I'll just check my email quick." The next thing I know two hours have gone by, I never wrote a post and it's way past my bedtime.

Knowing this happens, the other nights when I do have time, I don't even pick up my laptop because I know I won't write anything and I'll just spend time checking email!

With that in mind, please extend me grace. There are three of you who read this and you can all email and ask me what is going on if you miss me that much. I'll keep trying.

I am thankful I'm not being graded on this.

Chili and boot camp

There are a couple of things that I'm thankful for.

First, for Chandra and Meijer Gardens. Meijer Gardens offers classes for many subjects and all ages. There was a Photography Boot Camp class that I saw was being offered for adults. I happened to mention it to Chandra and she said she would enjoy that.

Having a new camera that I know very little about, I thought I could benefit greatly from a class like this.

Having Chandra say that she would be interested in taking it with me, was even better.

Today was the class.

My brain is on overload.

The teacher was amazing. He used superb examples to explain all the different things about the camera.

I could have used more classes with smaller amounts of information. But that's just how I am.

Here is a small sample of what I did learn.

The first photo is the raw, original photo I took of Atticus, a very difficult subject in low light.

Then, with the raw data, I used iPhoto to adjust it.

Again, it's just a very small sample of what I learned. I may have over adjusted it, but I'm lucky I even figured out how to do that.

Small steps.

The other thing I am thankful for today is Bill. I'm thankful for him every day, and I try to tell him that. However, today he went above and beyond. While I was out playing (really, I don't consider taking a class called "boot camp" "playing" but I digress); he ran the vacuum, he went shopping and bought ingredients for chili, and then he came home and made chili. This chili is on the more mild side of Bill's chili, but it has the right amount of seasonings and flavors. It was delicious.

And that makes 1,000.

All about the numbers

Today is my 999th post.

Wow.

I am a numbers person. I get a kick when the numbers in the checkbook have some kind of pattern. I like catching the clock when it reads 12:13. I watch my odometer on my car too.

This year, my birthday will be 12/13/14.

There will be a party.

Being that this is post #999, I couldn't let it pass without acknowledging it.

That's a lot of writing.

Some of it good, some of it not good.

Hey, I'm not an English major.

The funny part about that fact is that I would probably have the exact same three part-time jobs if I did have an English degree.

On the being thankful note, I am very thankful for peanut butter, chocolate and graham crackers. Put them together (after melting the chocolate very slightly in the toaster oven) and you have a delicious snack. I can't believe I have never thought of that combination before. I like s'mores, but I'm not a fan of a marshmallow that has not been roasted over an open fire. I like peanut butter on graham crackers.

Watch out, it will change your world.

Maybe not, but it really is a great snack. It has every craving; crunchy, chocolatey, salty, sweet, savory… what more could you ask for?

A new start

I'm currently reading, "One Thousand Gifts" by Ann Voskamp. It's for my book "club". We're on the last two chapters. We've intentionally gone slow because the book is pretty heavy. We've also gone slow because everyone in the group with the exception of myself, have children. That means nothing, other than reading an entire book can take longer when you're caring for ankle biters. (They're all great kids, I'm using that term loosely.) Hence our "club". We meet once a month. That's about all we can commit to doing. We've watched a video, we've shared food and coffee, we've read a book or two. Maybe "book" club is how we should describe ourselves.

At any rate, I gave everyone in our group a notebook so that we could each keep track of our one thousand gifts.

I know I'm not alone in our group when I say I have done a poor job of finding things for which I am thankful. I have thought of thirty-some. I bought the notebooks back in October. So it's not like I just started last week.

Last night, as I read a bit more of the book, it occurred to me that I could continue writing things for which I am thankful in a journal but I could also go back to blogging daily. I could use Giving Thanks as my daily theme.

And so I will.

The idea also stemmed from a friend who posted a comment on Facebook back in November. She pointed out that everyone posts what they're thankful for in the month of November, why not be thankful the rest of the year? Thank you, friend. I think I will.

You'll notice I changed my blog. I gave it a fresh new look for my new journey.

I have no idea what sorts of things I'll come up with, being thankful can happen in many different ways. I hope this will inspire you to think of things for which you are thankful.

Today, I am thankful for a blog, with readers (!), where I can share whatever I feel like sharing.

things that get in the way

Laundry
Dishes
Cooking dinners
Cross-stitch
Card-making
Photography
Vacuuming
Dusting
Working
Sending emails
Working out

These are all the things I've been doing instead of blogging. Not that I wouldn't rather be blogging. I have thought of so many things to write about. That is why I set the challenge to blog every single day a few years ago. Because if I don't have a personal goal, blogging (or anything else) goes by the wayside. I don't make time for it.

Things I've wanted to blog about: art projects, french braids, our road trips to see college students, the power outage, the crafts I've made…

Maybe I'll find time to write about those things, maybe I won't. In the meantime, don't give up on me. Maybe I'll go back to blogging every day.