Gratitude Post #3: Everything We Need...and much of what we want

I happened upon this website called 2Hands.org.  Essentially, its mission is to help those who need help - and allow "angels" to give what they can.  People post their stories and what they need, like help with PG&E bills or Christmas gifts for their children.  "Angels" can then contact the poster and help.

And this is where people start saying, 'Ah.  There are probably so many scammers out there or those who don't really need something." Yeah, yeah, you skeptical Grinch-like people!  I know that it is possible that there are people who take advantage of organizations like this, BUT there are also so many people who legitimately need a helping hand.  So many people in the world are one or two paychecks away from being homeless.  They struggle to get basic needs met and are unable to buy Christmas presents for their kids or put food on the table.  I can only imagine how heartbreaking it must be to not be able to provide for my kids.

So many of us take what we have for granted.  We mistake what we want for things we need.  Yes, I need food to eat, but do I need all the extras we buy, like chocolate or chips? Did I need to buy new towels or did I just get them because they were "a good deal"?  Did I need that new board game...or did I get it to just add to my collection?

I am blessed - and most of the things we buy nowadays are wants, things we can definitely do without. We are fortunate to be working.  We are fortunate to be able to afford the "extras" now.  There are so many who are not as fortunate.  I am grateful we are have everything we need....and much of what we want.

I only wish I was able to help everyone on that website.  If you have lot of love in your heart and a little to spare, please take a minute to look at the website and be someone's Angel this holiday season.

Gratitude Post #2: My Students

As university faculty, I have the opportunity to meet a lot of students.  I admit that I have had my fair share of frustrating students, but overall, I feel very blessed to have had met so many wonderful and inspiring students.

• I love learning about my students' passion for their major, their future goals, and their future dreams.

• I love seeing them collaborate with other students, getting inspired and excited about a project.

• I love hearing news about getting a dream internship, an interview for a job, or a scholarship award!

• I love getting updates from students I taught in the past, seeing wedding photos, getting baby announcements, hearing about their travels, and so on.

I truly do appreciate all the wonderful students I have met throughout the last 12.5 years.

And since it's Thursday, here's a Throwback Thursday photo!

This is a photo from 6 years ago - the students standing near me (why I decided to sit on the floor, I have no idea.) are all grown up now!  Awww!

I am still amazed

(Warning:  Total mushiness ahead.  And I'm not saying our relationship is perfect.  Obviously, there are still things he does that drive me crazy and some days I'd like to smack him - figuratively, of course - but overall, more often than not, I find myself so grateful and blessed that my husband still loves me after all these years.)

Sixteen years ago, my husband and I got married after having dated for 6 years.  This means that this month marked 22 years of our being together.  We have been together a long time...and I still find it amazing how strong our relationship is.

Amazing.
                         Unbelievable.

Freakin' unreal.

Let's be honest.  In today's culture, it is more common to hear about divorce than married couples who have made it this long, especially if the relationship started between a preppy, sorority girl and a heavy-metal headbanger with piercings, both barely out of their teen years.

Dating for almost a year...

What the heck?

I know, it's crazy, right?  No one thought we would make it.  I admit that neither of us were even thinking that way.  Sure, I liked him.  Yes, I thought he was cute.  But to think forever?  Please!  Prior to my husband, my longest relationship had lasted days - okay, a few weeks - but I am not sure I can even call that a relationship.  I had some serious commitment issues, so I had never imagined marrying anyone, especially not someone who was so completely "not my type."  And before you think I was a cold-hearted b-word, let me share this little tidbit:  it was not something on his mind either.  In fact, early on, he actually point-blank said to me, "Don't take me too seriously."  He even wrote it on the Christmas card he sent me after we had been dating a couple months.  Clearly, we were just taking it day-by-day.

But you know what?  You just never know what life has in store....

Somewhere along the way, it happened: we fell in love.

For some reason, it worked - we worked - and I knew. I can't remember exactly when that was.  Maybe it was during one of my "distance makes the heart grow fonder" phases.  One summer I even went to Japan for 2.5 months.  Much to my surprise, I spent a good deal of money calling him once a week and crying on the phone, wailing about how much I missed him. (Good grief.  However did he put up with THAT?)  Gone were the days of my "game-playing" and acting like I didn't care that much - even when I had.  Instead, letters were sent almost every day.  Tears were shed as I counted down the days to go home and see him.  It's surprising I didn't scare the crap out of him right there, being all clingy and emotional. haha.

The difference for me was that we were able to be ourselves with one another - be stupid, be goofy, be honest.  Maybe that's just who he is, but for me, I had always seemed to have this persona I felt  I needed to be....until I was with him.  He accepted all my craziness: my only child tendencies; my desire to travel for weeks, sometimes months at a time; my habit of wanting to take a million photos, even indulging me when I took photos of us wearing silly eye masks or humongous 3-d glasses. (I'd share those two photos as well, but I think there *is* a limit to how much he'll accept now! haha.)

And now, here we are....22 years later, grown-ups (or so we fool people into believing we are) with careers, two kids, a mortgage, and bills.  And while some things have changed, some things feel exactly the same.  (cue sappy music)  Believe it or not (and sometimes I have a hard time believing it myself), I love this man as much as I did when I first fell in love with him - maybe even more. Okay, probably more.

I am still amazed....and so very grateful.

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*Note: I will be attempting to write more regularly.  My goal is to write at least once a week, about something for which I am grateful.

My Own Little Happiness Project

So, I'm reading The Happiness Project.  Truth be told, I'm not very far into the book, but it's sparked something in me.  The author writes about how she was on this quest to become more happy.  Honestly, she wasn't depressed or in the middle of some mid-life crisis.  In fact, she was already happy, but she wanted to learn how she could become more happy.

That's me.  I'm actually a pretty happy person - and a grateful one, at that.  I feel blessed for all that I have - a nice home, loving husband, wonderful (most of the time) kids, and a job I enjoy.  And now, in the midst of summer, I have more time to spend with my kids, more time to sleep, more time to do the things I love: go to summer camp, vacation with the kids, catch up on my TV shows, lounge by the pool, and so on.  It's a pretty awesome life.  No, it's not all roses and cupcakes:  Sometimes my husband annoys me, sometimes my kids drive me insane, and 99% of the time, I hate grading.  BUT...overall, I could not be more blessed.

So why read The Happiness Project?

I suppose part of me is always on the search to create a meaningful life.  In fact, I do teach a course entitled just that.  The other part of me just thought it sounded interesting and figured it would be a nice addition to the list of 25 books I plan to read this year.

I'm only on chapter one, which discusses how the author started clearing some of her clutter - visual and mental - and about her commandments.  There's a lot more to it than that, but the biggest thing I took out of it was this: "Does this make me happy?"

And so, the purging began.  "Does this dress make me happy?"  Out went things I had planned to sell on ebay.  "Am I going to actually do this craft thing?"  Out went things I thought I would one day use.  The hoarding/clutter does not make me feel happy.  I unburied things from my closet I forgot was there.  What in the world?  I'm nowhere close to done, but I can see the floor of my closet, so I think that's a pretty good start.

I gotta say.  It may seem silly to some, but man, seeing that cleared space made me happy.

Of course, I really only cracked the surface...but at least progress was made. And that, my friends, makes me happy.

The Downside of Reading: Getting Overly Attached to Characters

Over the course of the last month, I have read/listened to the entire Hunger Games trilogy.  The Hunger Games and Mockingjay were audiobooks, so I listened to "Katniss" tell me her story.  Catching Fire I read in less than 48 hours.

And now...now I feel like I've lost my friend because she no longer talks to me.

I know.  I'm losing it.  But think about it.  It was HOURS upon HOURS that I listened to Katniss talk about her troubles...about Peeta, about Gale, about Prim, about Rue, about her district, about Snow.  And now, now nothing. 

So, it makes me wonder.  How are she and Peeta getting along now?  What are her kids like?

Maybe I need to go on medication.  This is weird. 

To combat this withdrawal, my daughter and I watched The Hunger Games movie today.  And I cannot wait until the next movie, coming out in November. 

Until then, I'm off to find another character to obsess over.  I am currently reading two books at the same time now. 

Summer Dilemma

Before each summer, I start thinking about all the things I want to do with my kids: camps, trips, activities.  And at the end of every summer, I am bummed that we never got to do everything we had wanted.

So, this year I'm considering keeping the summer camps to the minimum and just planning day trips.  Considering I already have plans for a couple vacations and one week-long overnight camp, I must remember that there are only so many weeks in the summer!

I'm fortunate to live in the Bay Area - and there are so many interesting and exciting places to take my kids, places we have been but also places we have not.  Here's a short list of some of the places I'd like to take the kids this summer:

1. Dennis the Menace Park - Monterey

I took my son to this park years ago and he had a BLAST - an absolute blast.  The rolling slide is hilarious, good shaky fun.

There are bridges and tons of other slides, lots of space to roam....









2. Santa Cruz Beach 

It's a beach.  It's beautiful.  What's not to love?






3. Amusement Parks like Six Flags and Great America

We are again season pass holders for both amusement parks, so I plan to get our money's worth!  That's right.  A new dolphin show?  Gotta see that.  An easy, fun day for the kids?  Oh, ya.  I'm there.  Great America - rides and a waterpark?  Sign me up for that.  Yes. Yes. Yes.


4. San Francisco
Specifically, I'd like to take back to Land's End Trail.  I'd also like to spend another day riding a cable car, walking around Fisherman's Wharf, and going back to the California Academy of Sciences.  I'd also like to check out the Cable Car Museum.  I haven't been there since I was in elementary school!

5. Chabot Space and Science Museum
I've never been here and I've always wanted to check it out - just to see what's there and what it has to offer.

6. Coyote Point Park -

My son loves parks - and what kid doesn't want to play in a castle with a dragon?  How cool is that?  I've known about this park for years, but I haven't ever been there.  I better hurry up before he gets "too old" for playing in parks. HAHA.





So, here are the six off the top of my head.  Obviously, I'm open to suggestions, so let me know if you have any places I should add to my list!

Considering this is my first try making a list and I already have six, I'm guessing I should probably NOT sign up the kids for camp.