30 Days of Thankfulness: Day 30

Day 30:  I'm glad I've been able to blog for the 30 days of thankfulness!  I'm happy to have the knowledge to write, to use a blog, to use a computer that have made this possible!  This month was NamoWrimo month, or try to blog every day this month.  I didn't want to write 50,000 words, but I did blog every day this month.  (If you missed any days, please feel free to go back on my blog and read them all!) I may not blog for a week or two after this on this blog, but I'll still have my weekly food blog every Thursday.  

30 Days of Thankfulness: Day29

Day 29: I'm thankful for the creative genius of Joss Whedon. I fell in love with "Buffy the vampire Slayer" at a time when I was lonely and needed entertainment.  I borrowed all of the Seasons of DVD's from a friend. I watched the entire series and knitted blankets for friends.  Then, I borrowed the episodes of "Angel" up to that point.  The series was starting it's last season on air. Then, I borrowed Firefly.  Pure Awesomeness!  It should have never been cancelled!
I find Joss Whedon's writings and creations so imaginative!  I can't wait to see what he comes out with next!

30 Days of Thankfulness: Day 28

 Day 28:  I'm thankful for stores, like the Gap, that sell pants that fit me!  I am 4'10'', and finding pants that are the right length is an extreme pain!  (I know, just go get them hemmed!)  It saves me a lot of time and hassle not to have to do that.  I'm really appreciative for companies like the Gap Inc. (Old Navy, Gap, Banana Republic) that sell the Cropped length of pants.  Usually in Fall and Spring, I make trips to these stores just for this reason.  Most stores, even the Petite sizes are about 6 inches too long.  I end up buying four pairs a year from the Gap, and wear them all year long, until they fall apart!

30 Days of Thankfulness: Day 27

Day 27: I'm thankful for my new car!  In August, Ian and I bought a brand new Hyandai Elantra.  I love it!  It doesn't die.  The breaks haven't failed.  The tires haven't gone flat.  It has a LIFETIME warranty!  Basically.  The warranty is for 20 years or 200,000 miles!  *That's the Lifetime of the car!  We plan to drive this car until it just falls apart!  I'm so happy that we are able to do this.  We are going to have to cut some other things out of our budget, but I have a car that's safe to drive.

30 Days of Thankfulness: Day 26

Day 26:  I'm grateful for awesome authors!  I may enjoy popular literature, like "Harry Potter," "Twilight," and "The Hunger Games" series, but they were all fun to read!  I want to thank J.K. Rowling, Stephenie Meyer, and Suzanne Collins for writing entertaining books for me to read!

30 Days of Thankfulness: Day 25

Day 25:  I'm thankful for great singing divas of the 80's and 90's.  They probably saved my life more than once.  I have this memory of buying Mariah Carey's debut album in 1990.  I listened to that album on repeat until I had every single word, note, and run memorized!  I'm pretty sure it drove my parents crazy!  In 1989, Janet Jackson's "Rhythm Nation: 1814" was the album I listened to on repeat. 
These albums and artists came into my life when Grunge music was becoming the thing to listen too.  I hated grunge music.  I love to be able to sing along to the music!

30 Days of Thankfulness: Day 24

Day 24:  I'm grateful for my hair stylist, Dustin at Dream Weaver.  He's amazing!  He's truly an artist!  I saw him yesterday, and he did great things.  I recommend him to everyone.  He makes me look and feel great!

My New Hair Style

30 Days of Thankfulness: Day 23, Black Friday

Day 23:  I'm thankful for Black Friday.  I know this sounds like crazy talk, but it's of the biggest days of the year that keeps our economy going.  Every year, even when I say I'm not going to, I end up shopping on this day! 
Maybe this year, I'll do something different, like go to the Indianapolis Children's Museum.

30 Days of Thankfulness: Day 22, Happy Thanksgiving

Day 22: Today is FULL of Thankfulness!  Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!  I'm thankful today for friends, family, and food!  I'm so happy that my friends and family will be able to celebrate together today.  I'm thankful that we are able to afford the turkey with all of the fixin's.  Turkey is one of my favorite foods!  I'm grateful that Ian and I are able to travel this year and see everyone.  This may not always be the case, but this year, we still can.
Well we did what I call the "Indiana World Tour."  That is: Wednesday, we visited my parents at two different nursing homes, down the street from each other in West Lafayette.  Thursday morning, we started in Indianapolis, and then, ended up in Bloomington for lunch.  We'll then ended in the Shelbyville/St. Paul, Indiana area to visit Ian's family!
  

30 Days of Thankfulness: Day 21

Day 21: I am thankful for the Indianapolis Children's Museum. I just bought a year membership, so, I can go all the time!
When I was 12 years old, my parents bought a "Grandparents Membership."  This included memberships for them and all of there grandchildren.  They counted me as a grandchild and got cards for the 11 or 12 grandchildren that were in existence at that time.  Every time we went to Riley Hospital for a check up, I could bring a friend.  After the check up, we would go to the Children's Museum and spend the rest of the day.
My nieces and nephews did actually get to go with us one time that year.  That was a lot of fun! 
The Children's Museum still holds great memories for me!  I can't wait to make more of them this year!

30 Days of Thankfulness: Day 20

Day 20: I'm thankful for Facebook, Twitter, and other social networking sites.  They keep me in touch with friends and family near and far.  My mother, who is 79 years old, even uses Facebook!  I get to hear from my Sister in Law in that's in Chili right now.  I get to see pictures of my nieces and nephews, and great nieces and great nephews! 
This helps us communicate. 

30 Days of Thankfulness: Day 19

Day 19: I am thankful for the movie "Sister Act."  This movie may have saved my life!  I had seen it many times before, but one day, I saw this movie in a double feature package with "Sister Act 2" in the five dollar been at Walmart.  I picked it up and bought it.  I went home and watched this movie.  Every time the nuns started singing with Whoopi as their director, I started tearing up and crying.  I knew that I enjoyed music and directing a choir.  I had been directing the choir off and on in my church branch.  But this music, pop music, was the kind of music I wanted to direct.  I knew I wanted to direct a group that needed music in their lives.  Not that church friends don't need music, but I do think some of them take the opportunity for granted.
The rest is history!  I started the Indy Adult Show Choir, with help from some friends, and my life has been changed for the better.
I love all of the friends I have made through my community choir!  Through my choir, I have a life I enjoy living!
Watching "Sister Act" changed my life and made me realize what I really needed to be doing!

30 Days of Thankfulness: Day 18

Day 18:  I am thankful for my cats.  My cats have personalities that are so fun to watch! Kassie loves to cuddle.  I walk in the door from work, and she immediately want to be in my arms.  She gives me hugs.  Whiney was born under my bed while I was in college. He was born exactly 5 weeks before my kidney transplant.  He's a bit feisty now at 13, but I still love him! 
I love my cats!  Call me a crazy cat lady if you must, but I wouldn't give them up for anything!

30 Days of Thankfulness: Day 17

Day 17: I'm thankful for herbs and spices for cooking.  I love garlic, freshly ground black pepper, and chili powder!  I love all sorts of spices! I've already stated that I've love to cook, but most of the experience is how the seasoning makes the dish taste in the end!
My boyfriend tells me that using spices in Indiana is not a big thing.  In the Midwest, seasoning means "Salt and Pepper." He tells me all the time he loves my cooking! 
I'll just say one thing, I rarely use salt.  Salt is not good for the body. Most foods already contain enough salt, so, I try to use all sorts of spices!  I'm so thankful that I can!

30 Days of Thankfulness: Day 16

Day 16: I'm thankful for nature. If you know me, you know that camping for me is, going to a hotel without a restaurant! I do love looking at nature. Watching animals in their natural habitat. Having bird feeders in my back yard to watch the birds native to Indiana, like Cardinals and Blue Jays. Watching the squirrels try to figure out how to still the feed our of the feeder. I love watching the huge bids of prey that are native to Indiana that fly over the highways. I love observing nature.

30 Days of Thankfulness: Day 15

Day 15: I'm thankful for home cooked food! I love that I have the knowledge to cook for me and anyone else that wants to eat it! I hate eating out at restaurants like the Cracker Barrel because I can make it better at home. That sounds like I'm bragging or full of myself, but why pay for someone to make that food, when I can make it at home cheaper! I'm thankful for my mom, dad, and sister that always welcome cooking in the home. They taught me so many important life skills.

30 Days of Thankfulness: Day 14

Day 14: I am thankful for home made hot chocolate! I love a warm comforting cup of hot chocolate! I love it from the little packets, but I really love it when I make it from scratch.

30 Days of Thankfulness: Day 13

Day 13: I am thankful for shoes.  I love shoes!  So many styles! So many colors!  I love them all!  One day this Summer, I went to five different stores for two different pairs of shoes, that I had decided to buy!  Vera Wang, Mudd, New Balnce, Fergieliscous, Rocket Dog: I love them all! They make the outfit! They make me feel awesome!
I am thankful for shoes!

30 Days of Thankfulness: Day 12

Day 12: I'm thankful for people who work in the service industry, whether that's the person at the restaurant that seats me, makes my food, or serves me my food and then, cleans the table, washes the dishes, or anything else that has to happen at a restaurant.  The person who works in retail that helps me find clothes that fit and then, sells them to me.  The service people the answer the phone every day and make sure my order is correct.
I really appreciate all of the people that do these jobs, because I do them too.  I know these are hard work! Thank you all so much!  

30 Days of Thankfulness: Day 11, Veterans Day

Day 11: I am thankful for Veterans who fight for my freedoms.  I am free to say what I want.  I am free to Be who I want.  I am free to worship or not worship how I want.  I am free to love who I want.
My family covers every branch of the military.  My dad was in the Navy, my uncle in the Army, my brother was a Marine.  There are so many other family members that I have that were and are still in the military. I appreciate them and every other millatary member that has fought for my freedom. 
Thank you!

30 Days of Thankfulness: Day 10

Day 10:  I'm thankful for great scented products!  I love Glade, Partylite, and Scentsy so much!  I burn candles all the time.  I currently burning a Glade candle that is apple cinnamon scent, which is amazing! 
I own to cats and love to cook.  The current candle burning is covering up the remnant smell of bacon that was cooked for dinner.

30 Days of Thankfulness: Day 9

Day 9: I'm thankful for my family.  No matter how dysfunctional we may seem sometimes, we can usually come together and have a great time!  We can also get things accomplished that need to get done.  That's important.  Sometimes, things just seem too over whelming, but with the help of family, they still get done.
I love them very much!

30 Days of Thankfulness: Day 8

Day 8: I'm thankful for my phone.  It goes every where I go!  That may sound shallow, but it's very important me me!
I have this memory of being in Drama class in high school, and my drama teacher saying, "Everyone will have their own phone.  We will be able to get in touch with every one all the time!  It will just be in their pocket!  This was in the time of brief case phones and Zac Morris from "Saved by the Bell" carrying around a GIGANTIC cell phone, and those things just seemed way expensive!  In these days, it's all possible.
I'm thankful for those inventive creative people, with the knowledge to invent the cell phone.

30 Days of Thankfulness: Day 7

Day 7:  I'm thankful to live in a country where I can vote.  I am female, and I get to exercise my right to vote!  I voted for Obama.  Thank God for President Obama!  He cares for Healthcare and whether or not I have it! Passing the Lilly Ledbetter Law, I know that I will eventually get to make as much at my job as my male counterparts.  He thinks that families should get to be families, whether or not there are same sex partners! 
I am so excited!

30 Days of Thankfulness: Day 6

Day 6 of Thankfulness: I'm thankful to have a job.  I'm glad to work for the company I do.  I get to help people plan out music.  I really love doing that!  I love finding that piece of sheet music that customer was afraid they would never be able to locate.  I love being a specialist in my company for show choir of all things.  I enjoy traveling with my company and meeting the people I get to meet. Most days, I love my job!

30 Days of Thankfulness: Day 5, Kidney Day

I am thankful for my kidney!  I am grateful that a person in Texas and his/her family decided to donate his/her organs, so, I could live. I am very thankful for medical science and how it saved my life.  The inspired hands of doctors and nurses that took care of me, and still take care of me to this day! I have great love for the staffs of Riley Children's Hospital and I.U. Medical Hospital.
Please, donate your organs.  Have it noted on your drivers license.  Now, in the state of Indiana, that is what they go by completely.  Your family can not contest it! 
Think of all of the lives one person can save by doing this! 
Go Kidney!  13 years, and still going! 

30 Days of Thankfulness: Day 4

Day 4: I'm thankful for my boyfriend!  He's been awesome ever since our first date!  I knew from the moment he finished the camera story, and we thought the same thing, he was the one for me.  He does so much without me even asking, like scraping my car windows in the morning.  He works very hard.  He helps me out with my show choir. He goes along with a lot of my wacky ideas. I love him! I am thankful for every thing he does for me! 
Today is our two year and seven month anniversary!  Happy Anniversary! I love you, Ian!

30 Days of Thankfulness: Day 3

Day 3 of Thankfulness, I am thankful for teachers.  All of them, past, present, and future, who have influenced my life through the years, not only in music, but a lot of different life subjects!
My high school Psychology teacher, who not only taught us about Psychology, but also taught us the life skills of helping others.  He ran a community service/volunteer group that I will never forget being a part of.
My high school Drama teacher, that took us to plays at Beef 'n Boards in Indianapolis.  He also took us on a trip to New York city, where I saw Broadway shows for the first time in my life!  That is an amazing experience I will never forget!
My music teachers all the way from elementary school through college, that taught me so much about the musical experience.
I'm also thankful for all of the current teachers that work so hard to teach our future!  I hope they never loose hope, no matter what a political party, school board, or group of parents are doing! I know that they work very hard, and I'm grateful for that.

30 Days of Thankfulness: Day 2

I am thankful for my show choir!  For a long time, I wanted to perform, direct, choreograph, and use my music talents in this way.
I'm thankful for all of the members, past and present, that have been a part of this amazing experience. You can't have a choir with just one person!  I love them all.
The Indy Adult Show Choir has been one awesome wild ride!

30 Days of Thankfulness: Day 1

I'm going to try to remember to blog something every day of November that I am thankful for.  I can't promise these won't be material things, because let's face it, some material things are worth being thankful for! But I will try my best to not do too many material things!
Day 1: I am thankful for music.
Music has saved my life on numerous occasions!  It's the reason I function as an adult on a lot of days.  I have a very eclectic taste in music, and  love and appreciate every single on of those styles.
It's the reason I go to work everyday.  I love helping people find the music they love!
It's the reason my mind works and runs the way it does.  I always have a song running through my head. This probably saves me from obsessing about other things that are worth the time obsessing over.