Gratitude Day 27 - donors

Today I am grateful for people who donate decent items to fundraisers. 

Last weekend, The Husband and I went to a rummage sale hosted by the local historical society. Among all the standard out-of-style old things, there were several quality pieces of furniture and one like-new wireless, ergonomic computer keyboard. How "like-new"? It still had the protective plastic coating pasted to it.

The historical society wanted $5 for it. The gentleman who accepted my money told the woman who donated it said she tried the keyboard once or twice and did not like it.

Thank you, dear lady!

Gratitude Day 26 - the desk

Again, props to Past Roses. She's a smart cookie.

About a year ago, The Husband and I decided to finally move our "temporary" COVID home office off the kitchen table to Elder Son's abandoned bedroom.

As Past Roses shopped for a desk, she looked at stand up options. What she found was brilliant in many ways. It was compact, stylish, and offered adjustable height.

The feature I'm most grateful for today is the casters on the bottom that make the desk mobile.

I can roll that baby (monitors, laptop, and all) from the bedroom down the hall into the livingroom where the sun pours through the windows and where the cat naps. All the equipment is plugged into a surge protector, so there's just one cord to unplug and replug.

The entire moving process takes less than 60 seconds.

Thank for the mobile desk, Past Roses! I like it a lot!

Gratitude Day 25 - coworkers

Spent today day in the office, and two other marketing staff members there. The three of us occupied a room that used to serve eight. We chatted all we wanted and bothered no one.

One of them invited me to join her in a few laps around the company outdoor walking track. She needed to vent. I needed to vent.

It was nice.

You can't really appreciate the ability to take a 20 minute work break and share stressors with another person until you spend two years isolated from other people.

Today I am grateful for the coworkers at my company who work in the office.

Gratitude Day 24 - cousins

Grateful for my cousins.

I have lots of cousins.

I have 20 cousins. On just my father's side of the family. On my mother's side, I have about 40 more.

I am additionally grateful for cousins who contact me out of the blue to ask if they can drop by for a visit as they're passing through the state.

"Where do you live? We’re in Wisconsin, heading home and wondered if we were close to you?" this weekend's surprise message read. "...thought maybe we could stop and visit a bit if you’re around."

It was the most lovely visit.

It was only the second of its kind, the previous one happening just a few years ago.  Both were reminiscent of a time long ago when I traveled cross country with my parents dropping in on relatives who happened to live along to the road trip map. Our hosts were always so gracious and seemed so happy to see us.

I'm finding out it's pretty cool to be one of those awesome hosts. 🙂

I hope it happens some more.

58 more cousins to go 😉

Gratitude Day 23

Spontaneous Friday lunches with The Husband

Gratitude Day 22 - lunch buddies

Grateful for former coworkers who still like me and choose me to eat lunch with.

My company hosted a community gathering today, so I made a point to get up early and work in the office so I could attend. 

Surprised and delighted when two people from the radio station where I used to work called to me from across the room, then eagerly made their way across the same crowded room to sit next to me during lunch.

It's nice to be chosen.

Bonus grateful: free lunch 😉

Gratitude Day 21

Grateful that Past Roses and The Past Husband rolled the garbage cans to the curb last night. They didn't want to, but the weather was pleasant after a week of stupid heat, so they got off the couch and did it anyway.

This morning it's pouring rain.

If we hadn't taken advantage of the opportunity for fresh air together last night, I'd have been dragging cans around in the rain all by myself today.

Thank you, Past Roses.

You're a good friend.

Gratitude Day 20 - flowers

Grateful for lilacs.

Discovered today that the scent of them, while pleasing to me and The Husband, is repellent to The Cat.

Have managed to keep the vase upright on the table for 8 hours now.

Nice.

Gratitude Day 19

Daylight past 5pm

Gratitude Day 18 - the hair

Grateful that I broke up with my former hair stylist and took friends' advice to develop a new relationship with their stylist.

I'd been unhappy with my hair for years. When my then-stylist would ask what I wanted to do today, I'd respond, "Just shave it all off."

And I wasn't really kidding all that much, because if I could have pulled off the look, I'd have totally done it.

I didn't like the style I had, but I also didn't know what style I would like; I *did* know that I didn't want the middle-aged-midwest hairstyle that all the other women my age seemed to be wearing.

So every time he asked what I wanted, I told him to just do what he, in his professional opinion, thought was best.

I never liked the style he gave me. It looked suspiciously similar to the middle-age-midwest style everyone else was wearing. I wanted something else, but not knowing how to guide him, I shrugged and put up with it.

And wished I had something different. 

After every appointment, he'd set up our next appointment before he'd let me pay and leave. Very clever.

Along came COVID-19. 

He called me to cancel our next appointment when hair salons were ordered to close. Not knowing when he could open again, he apologized that he could not reschedule.

I told him I understood, no worries.

And I immediately consulted with friends who had amazing hair, and they eagerly recommended a new stylist. 

She has been wonderful!

I am SO much happier with the style she suggested. The Husband has remarked SO often that I'm having good hair days, and he's so glad I'm happier with my hair. Apparently I'd complained to him about the old style a LOT.

My former stylist called just once after his salon was allowed to reopen to set up an appointment, but I told him (honestly at the time) that I wasn't ready to go out in public yet. He said he understood and told me to call whenever I was comfortable. 

I never called. 

I ghosted him.

I feel bad about it. I could have handled that better.

But day-um! My hair is AWESOME now.