This Week in Joy and Thanks 4

Gratitude List

Week of August 4-10

Last week's post can be found here.

Friday 4

• Brooke! She's a good friend. We had our annual hang out.
• Chinese food
• Got stickers
• Laundry and housework, check!
• Relaxing night

Saturday 5

• Glossed Saturn (resin, not the real one)
• Game of Thrones re-watched all three episodes of GOT S7
• Washed my hair to see how Arctic Fox holds up
• My hair is very Aeron Greyjoy but I'm cool with that
• Brandon's random act of yellow dye shows potential
• Ordered a shade of green and blue that should be a good seaweed-enhancer
• ^ note, their shipping is slow

Sunday 6

• Got to see Tristan jump on stage wearing sunglasses
• Weather was nice
• NEW Game of Thrones!
• That moment of stunned silence after the episode
• Re-reading A Dance with Dragons for the third time

Monday 7

• It rained all day!
• Listened to my favorite Westeros podcast
• Tris had his first piano lesson
• Cleaned the coat closet (scary! not just coats!)
• Made the bed for Cassie's visit!
• Gumball Jackpot package arrived - cuteness

Tuesday 8

• We have insurance that allows pick up around the corner!
• I no longer have to walk three miles
• This allowed me to get my migraine pill to cure Mother of Migraines!
• I have lived in Philly for 9 years
• Thankful for that because I wanted to stop the pattern of moving around
• The Mystery Knight was released in graphic novel and landed in my hands!

Wednesday 9

• I finished installing all our towel racks!
• Tristan wore a really fun outfit
• His style makes me smile
• First night of church camp for him - returned joyful!
• More mini hoop practice
• Got a heap of paperwork done

Thursday 10

• It was Audible credit day! Chose A Clash of Kings, shocker
• A Dance with Dragons was 75% off
• Pretty soon I can listen to ALL the books!
• Friends have been picking up & dropping Tristan off
• So Bran and I can work on more paper work & we got a little of hardest done!
• Putting together the different stages of hair color journey

That's all for this week, though I could go on! I will be working on an entry about the long journey from dyed black hair to silver. It's just too long to explain over Instagram which can be found here.

Thank you for reading.

#thedailylistofjoyandthanks

This Week in Joy and Thanks 3

Gratitude List

28 July - 4 August 2017

Last week's post can be found here.

Friday 28

• We were able to treat Tristan to a pizza party for one
• He made my heart smile with his joy
• Bran and I stayed on our ketogenic diet
• Friday nights are fun
• Good hoop song (Belly, Feed the Tree

Saturday 29

• Cloudy and cool
• Summer solid lotions and lip balms from Epically arrived!
• Tristan got to see an old friend
• Lots of relaxing
• Played Minecraft with Tris

Sunday 30

• Good church message
• Indian buffet afterwards with friends
• Enjoyed a keto-break for that one meal
• Gosh, I love Indian Food
• Pretty walk home

Monday 31

• Began glowing unicorn head base
• Finished all the paint layers
• Started wearing leg-weights around the house
• Tried new dye (Arctic Fox)
• My hair still looks like Aeron Greyjoy book canon
• I'm OK with that

Hello, August!

Tuesday 1

• I deep cleaned the garbage can and didn't barf
• Found a stolen purse and reported it
• There was a note inside that said "My Reason."
• I enjoy found notes
• Talk to Cassie on the phone about visiting!

Wednesday 2

• Tristan's first grade supplies arrived
• He's been gobbling Captain Underpants books with Papa
• Second time he's been thrilled for a book
• First time was Fortunately, the Milk by Gaiman
• That alone makes me happy

Thursday 3

• Spent time with Tristan on his bike
• We got insurance!
• Love all my ASOIAF podcasts
• Trump Rally!
• Put together a to-do notebook with a GOT theme

Until next week!

xO.

This Week in Joy and Thanks 2

Gratitude List

21-27 July 2017

Last week's post can be found here. This is something I began doing over three years ago as part of my PTSD treatment. I've continued the lists because they are helpful.

Friday 21

• I began writing these lists again after too long a lull
• We found great plumbers who worked us in before the weekend.
• The feeling of working sinks!
• Fresh groceries
• Our family triforce charms arrived: T is power, B is strength & I am courage.

Saturday 22

• Tristan and I saw the first crystals in our DIY rock candy
• NEW FRIENDS! and they're keto Christian preemie parents, too!
• Fun time, fat foods.
• Huge rainstorm!
• Tristan curled up under B's arm to watch Coraline. Again.

Sunday 23

• Returned to new church and T was just as stoked.
• Started rehab on my nails (long story that is full of stress grr grr)
• Brandon made keto enchiladas that were SO GOOD.
• We re-watched Game of Thrones
• Then we watched the new episode on our TV ON TIME, first time ever!

Monday 24

• ONE MONTH IN KETOSIS!
• Pulled all the downstairs furniture, bleached deep cleaned, rearranged
• Tristan helped and we had fun
• It distracted him over hurting re: uncle having to leave
• We had another glorious rainstorm

Tuesday 25

• Weigh in day and continue to lose.
• No leaks in the basement since early this year.
• My new light box arrived!
• Took photos of things and it works great.
• Tristan played an evil villain all day (but I was still his princess)

Wednesday 26

• Cracked open a Tristan-charmander in the morning
• Took a photo of our growing sugar crystals
• Noticed Tristan's first adult tooth is budding!
• Heard him sing a beautiful (but sad) ballad.
• He decided not to run away. Later I saw what he would have taken.

Thursday 27

• 6 year annual apt! 3'11
• We saw a giant dandelion in their garden and it made us smile.
• Ran errands but still had fun.
• Found out about an upcoming Minecraft festival.
• I like Minecraft, too.

This Week in Joy & Thanks

Gratitude List

14 - 20 July 2017

Note: this has been an ongoing project of mine for over three months. I have decided to move it to my blog and publish my lists on Fridays along with a collage of shots from my week.

Friday 14

• The migraine I'd had for a week lifted by evening.
• There was a wild and dark rainstorm that Tristan and I watched from the porch.
• It smelled so good.
• The wind gave me fond memories of Santa Ana winds of my youth.
• Am thrilled with Audible subscription and listening to The World of Ice and Fire.

Saturday 15

• I was gifted a polish by Ellagee Polish and it came in a happy package!
• So I did a mani
• I tried something new with my nails (vinyls).
• That helped me relax after all the migraines from the past week.
• Brandon and I continued rewatching Game of Thrones Season 6

Sunday 16

• We tried a new church and it was great!
• Especially excited over the youth program.
• We cooked a whole turkey so I could try making bone broth later.
• SEASON PREMIERE OF GAME OF THRONES 7
• ...that feeling after the episode. So good!

Monday 17

• 8 years ago I commented on a photograph of Brandon which reconnected us.
• We were both in hard positions but we made it out on our own to be together now.
• I cleaned our back garden. City yards are teensy and with so many clustered together as part of an ally it is rather disgusting this time of year. Like, gag.
• Washed the house and porch.
• Played with my longer string levitation wand (The Hover Craft).

Tuesday 18

• Cleaned!
• Got our upstairs bathroom organized...then bumped a pipe. DOH!
• However this accident would nudge me to face the kitchen sink situation. YAY
• Began the process of making rock candy with Tristan.
• The beautiful Inner Holo planner from Choose to Do came!
• I hung a towel rack by myself!

Wednesday 19

• The plumber could come right away to assess the situation/s.
• The business was the first truly kind business I've head with in ages.
• I ordered the parts.
• Finished decorating our downstairs bathroom.
• It looks cute.

Thursday 20

• I got a book to make me smile: Misheard Lyrics of the 1980's
• I'm so excited about it that it needs it's own story.
• I took Tristan to Rite-aid so that he could claim his first wishbone wish.
• My wish had some true; he won the break!
• Made my first batch of bone broth since going Keto (about a month ago).
• Brandon likes it!

Moments from my week.

Gumball Jackpot Review

Gumball Jackpot is the newest​ treat by successful mother-daughter team, Amanda and Samantha of Lowcountry Eclectic.

Remember seeing those shiny machines and begging for a quarter to turn the crank? How your​ eye was on something cool that might make it out (it didn't)?

The anticipation was typically worth more than what actually came out, which is where Gumball Jackpot​ drew their name.

Through Friday, 26 May, you can spend $10 on handcrafted earrings and pins and get a FREE pair of rocket earrings.

That's more satisfaction than any rusty grocery store machine ever gave me!

Have a look at the treasures I got and be sure to put the code URBAN15 in your pocket. It will always get you 15% off!

Badmotorfinger: The Passing of Chris Cornell

Today Chris was lost to suicide, in 1991 he helped save me from mine.

Grunge. It happened in the early 90's just after I'd relocated to a small town outside of Boston from Southern California. I was not in a good place mentally. I wanted to die and frequently called the Suicide Helpline from the back of YM (magazine) to either sit in silence or hang up on them. It was an 800 number so there would be no charge to alert my parents.

I didn't know what I was feeling. There were just so many emotions. I hated being alive, though.

My old music reminded me of home and I thought the stuff they played on the east coast was lame. But then grunge began to filter in. It was angry and raw. I didn't know the lyrics by heart but the music and growling words fed my soul.

Today Chris Cornell hung himself.

I drifted away from Soundgarden's music over the years but they hold a place in my heart.

I remember that by the time Stone Temple Pilots came onto the scene I'd met a Florida girl in high school and we bonded over everything, not just lack of sunlight. She found a flyer to a dingy pink graffiti clothing dive that we'd save our allowance to visit. Three dollar flannels while the polo crew at school wore GAP's fashion rip offs and we'd roll our eyes. That's what you do when you're 15.

She saved me, too, but that's a story for another day.

Music has been the net to contain my chaos. When I turn it on everything settles down and I can function productively.

Today will be my 3rd year, 1 month, fifth day of hooping in a row.
Today will be outshined.

Thank you for everything, Chris.

Accidental Photography

#thedailylistofjoyandthanks

1. Still figuring out the kinks of blogging by phone but doing it!

2. Twilight.

3. When Tristan and I sing Jigglypuff together in harmony.

4. I read Dune!

5. Portable heater. Oh warmth, the California in me needs it.