I’m thankful for a busy day which made my last work day this week go by quickly, for chats with my daughters, a call with a friend, and a good dinner out with Patrick and his dad.

On Thursday Patrick and I are going to Boston for a long weekend for our anniversary. We don’t usually do much for our anniversary, but we kept talking about taking a vacation around it since we never took a honeymoon. We chose Boston for no other reason than we hadn’t been there together and thought we’d have some fun checking out all the historical sites. I’m looking forward to it!

Today Patrick’s dad drove from Texas to our place so he could watch the pups for us when we are gone. I’m so grateful he was willing to make the drive and made it here safely.

I’m thankful for a quick Monday. And a massage after work. And for this silly puppy butt.

I got another thing checked off my to-do list today. Yay! I want to paint our bedroom, but I was planning to wait until the weather cools down just a bit in case I need to open up a window. However, I bought a wall cabinet at the flea market a few weeks ago that’s been taking up a lot of floor space in the room. I’m tired of walking around it. So today I figured painting just the portion of wall it will go on wouldn’t fill the room with paint fumes, and I could hang the cabinet. Luckily, I was right. I’m pleased with how this little corner of our room is changed, and I’m thankful to get it (mostly) done. My hand collection is now on display…

I’m thankful for a day of getting some things done – not as much as I planned, but a few things. One thing was finally finishing the mulch in the front yard. I started at 7:30 so I could beat the heat, although it was still miserable. Another one was adding a bit more to this junk journal I’m making. It’s been fun.

Friday!!

Today is my dad’s heavenly birthday, and I miss him. It’s weird how sometimes the longing to catch a glimpse of someone or hear their laughter hits you out of the blue. Then other times, like today, you realize what the absence of their presence in your life means. I can’t wait to catch up one day.

I’m thankful for good memories. And the bit of rain we got today. And for these beautiful peonies I cut from the yard.

Last day of May! And it was another long work day. But I met some friends after work to celebrate our friend’s birthday. They all texted earlier in the day that they had things to do this evening, so wouldn’t be drinking anything other than iced tea or something. That lasted about a minute after they arrived. We shared appetizers and wine and had a lovely time. A lady at a nearby table offered to take our picture, which was sweet.

Of course, all I could see at first was how chubby I look. Maybe it’s how I was standing. Maybe it’s my outfit. Or maybe, I realized, I’m just chubby right now. I’m certainly heavier than I’ve ever been in my life. But then I focused on our faces—and look how happy we are. We enjoyed our time together.

I know my body has changed in the last few years and will change again after my upcoming surgery. But I’ll be at a spot soon where I can focus on getting back into shape and being healthier. In the meantime, I’m going to try to stop judging myself all the time. And I’m grateful for friendship and having fun over good food and wine.

Today I’m thankful for an easy day back into work after an extra long weekend, for a spontaneous get together with a friend after work, for rice pudding and working air conditioning. I’m also grateful for my good friend, Amanda, whose birthday is today. Tomorrow we celebrate!

It’s Memorial Day, and I’m grateful for the service and sacrifice of those who fought for our freedoms.