August 30th, 2013 - JJ

It's been a long long time! I am setting out on a mission to get back in the habit of sending these daily! 

1. For the bottle of body spray that I keep on my night stand. It helps make the room smell nice again after anyone (husband, dog, either of the cats) let's one rip. 

2. For AAA who came to my aid and put the spare tire on my car after I got a flat last night so that I didn't have to figure out how to do it myself.

3. That our replacement espresso machine makes perfect delicious espresso every time.

4. That my dad is in town for work and staying with us. it's nice to have him around!!

5. For the water proof bed liners we bought after Ripley peed on the bed several months ago when my brother was visiting. Because guess who decided to do it again now that my dad is visiting? Also thankful for the many websites that say this behavior is actually your dog's way of showing preference and protection for the person who sleeps in the bed they peed on.  That makes it less upsetting than thinking she's mad at us. Still not happy about it, but it could be worse.

July 31st - Heather

1.  I'm thankful for the new, very powerful fan in my room making it so much easier to sleep through these cool, but humid nights.

2.  I successfully cooked my first lasagna....without any flaming incidents!  Nothing caught on fire and everything came out quite delicious!

3.  The imaging tech who had the wherewithal to verify instead of just doing what was in the computer!

4.  The joy of getting that first issue of a magazine subscription...right before the little voice in the back of my head asks me when, exactly, I'm thinking I have the time to read this new monthly magazine!  And the two or three others that are on the way!

5.  The website that allowed me to turn airline miles that were about to expire into magazine subscriptions!

July 16th, 2013 - JJ

1. For my espresso machine! My homemade lattes aren't nearly as good as Dad's but hopefully I'll get there someday. :) Would probably also help if I got my hands on some Sanders hot fudge...

2. That Ripley is now good enough at walking on a leash that we made it through a 30 minute walk around the neighborhood this morning without her tripping me and without my arm getting tired from pulling her back. I'm also very thankful that she doesn't seem at all distracted by the suburban wildlife we encounter. Apparently bunnies and squirrels are very boring, but other dogs are SO EXCITING!

3. That I actually got up and out of bed AND dressed early enough to be able to take Ripley for a 30 minute walk this morning. Usually I hit snooze way too many times and then lounge around in my pajamas for a while and end up missing my opportunity. 

4. For Central A/C.  I truly don't know how we lived without it for so many years. It's the best thing ever (especially when coming home from a 30 minute early morning walk when it's already crazy humid outside)!!!

5. For a husband who not only cooks dinner, but also packs me a lunch made up of yummy dinner left overs.  I get to have shrimp risotto for lunch today!  It will probably be the highlight of my day since I'll be all over town for work all day long, and won't make it home in time for dinner tonight. 

July 9th, 2013 - JJ

1. For our house for so many reasons: our own washer and dryer, a yard for Ripley, a dishwasher that has a light up button for "clean" so you're never confused, big closets, no leaky ceilings, no concern over packages left out front being stolen, no concern over our cars being broken into, the quiet, our fridge has not once frozen a single item inside of it nor has it leaked any water out the bottom, a garage for storage and to keep my car free of snow next winter, for a responsible landlord.

2. Coffee and my french press.

3. For Standard Market, the fancy schmancy grocery store near our house that is filled with awesome stuff! 

4. For farmers markets. 

5. For good books. I just finished Animal, Vegetable Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver and now I'm reading The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. Totally different books, but both page turners for me.

June 12th - Heather

1.  Some solid time in my office to wrap my head around my to-do list.

2.  Life experiences that have literally exposed me to a wide variety of people, places and cultures!

3.  Reflecting on dreams and goals.

4.  Putting something out there into the world when you're not sure any one else can relate to it and somebody does.  On a discussion board for class I mentioned that I'm a little bit of a different person in each of the different places I've lived.  And one of my classmates knew exactly how I felt!

5.  The functionality and portability of my iPad...especially since I think my laptop just took a step closer to its final death!

June 11th - Heather

1. A long unexpected chat with an old friend. It's so good to feel connected to the people with whom you have great memories!

2. Sundresses. Not something that really figured into my wardrobe before moving to the Midwest. What is it about this place that just makes you want to wear a dress/skirt when the sun is shining?

3. Keep up with discussion boards for two different classes....I wasn't sure how this was going to go...but so far, so good!

4. Making progress on my abstract...well ahead of the June 15th deadline!...sending it off to two reviewers tonight...

5. Those two reviewers! I'm so thankful to have two strong writers and academics willing to review my writing before I submit my first paper proposal.

Posted with Blogsy

June 11th, 2013 - JJ

1. Funny autocorrect moments. Especially "poop" to "boobs" (in case you're wondering why poop is even a topic for my phone to autocorrect: I talk a lot about Ripley's poop lately since she's been sick). These moments are especially hilarious when discussing the possible reasons for "soft boobs."  I mean poops. Haha! I guess girls never grow up either....

2. For my camera. It's pretty awesome and I love the photos of Ripley and her friends that I've been able to take with it. :) I need to get better and think I'll take a photography class at some point, but for now just holding down the shoot button to take continuous shots is turning up a few good photos out of every couple hundred. :) Not an efficient process, but it works...

3. For dry shampoo and flat irons, getting me out the door looking presentable this morning after I overslept!

 

4. That I finally have double sided printing down to a science with my printer. It takes a lot longer, but I feel pretty good about saving the trees and saving some $$. 

5. Just a few more days in this apartment until we move into the house!! Can't wait!!! :) (yes, I will be thankful for this every day until we move, and probably several days after that, too!)