Monday, June 22, 2015

Manic Monday: Introduction



Mondays can be tough. Coming off the weekend, getting back to work and school, reminding yourself that not every day is for relaxation, rest, and fun…well, things can feel a bit crazy. I’ve gotten a bit like Garfield, lurching out of bed muttering hatred against Mondays – not the best attitude to start my week with.

But what if Monday was something different? What if instead of dreading the grind of another week, I started out thinking about all the blessings of the past week? Every week, even the ones I expect to be difficult, bring sweet moments and special surprises. It’s a habit I’d like to try to develop. So each week, I’m going to try to take a few moments out of my ‘Manic Monday’ to be thankful for what the previous week brought.

Birthdays: June in our family brings birthdays and anniversaries galore. This past week my mother and Nephew #1 hit milestone birthdays. Mom would probably rather not have her age broadcasted, but let’s just say she and Disneyland share a birth year. And Nephew # 1 has now survived his first decade on Earth. Happy Birthday to these two very special people.

Book Shopping: Any week I go book shopping is a good week. Anyone who knows me, knows I hate paying full price. So I’ve learned how to work the system, using local used bookstores, and GoodWill bookstores. Am I the only one who didn’t know about GoodWill bookstores?! The prices are even better than the books in actual GoodWill stores! I found a few books I’ve been looking for, which always makes me happy, happy, happy.

Leaky Shower Heads: California is in a state-wide drought, and this means the state government is on our collective backs constantly now, about conserving water. We’re now on a 2-day-a-week watering schedule, and my tomatoes are not taking kindly to it. I never thought I’d be thankful for a leaky showerhead, but collecting the dripping water in a pitcher to use in the garden means my tomatoes get just that much more of a chance at survival. And that is always something to be thankful for.

Sunshine: Living in coastal Southern California has it advantages. Our legendary ‘June Gloom’ is not one of them. For about a month (which may or may not actually be June) every day opens with a thick, dark layer of low-lying cloud cover, that doesn’t burn off until about three in the afternoon. This week finally seemed to mark the end of our June Gloom. Every morning has been bright, sunny and warm, and it is officially summer in SoCal.

Close to Heart & Home: I spent the last week getting this blog running and formatted to my taste. It was quite a project, but incredibly fun, and I’m happy with how it has all come together. Of course, I’m still trying to figure some things out, but I don’t take this opportunity for granted.
Friends: As I was working on this blog, many of my friends and family offered me help and advice, for which I am always grateful. Birthdays also have brought many friends to mind as they’ve wished my mother well, or as I’ve thought of their own birthdays. So many people touch our lives, and even when we don’t see them as much as we would like, they are still a part of us. So thank you to everyone who is a part of my life.

2 comments:

  1. Mondays used to be high stress days for me, but after I became a housewife, they lightened up quite a bit. I think this is a great attitude to have. Thankfulness is always better than grumpiness. Also... tell your Mom I said Happy Birthday!

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    1. Thankfulness has been a slow-coming lesson for me I'm afraid. :) Mom says "Thank you and Happy Anniversary to you and Price."

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