Grace in Small Things # 1

Let's face it: We're all waging our own battles against embitterment, right? 

Schmutzie, a blogger I adore, started this social network, Grace In Small Things, so that people would remember the positive things in life that often go overlooked. 

It's sad to say, I need this. I mean, yes, it's a nice thing to do, write a list of the postive things in life, things you've noticed throughout the days that make you happy, the things that you are grateful for. But when I started to write this post and started thinking, What will I put on my list?, I realized how hard it was - for me to just sit down and gather a few positive thoughts. So I need this, as often as possible, don't I?

Here are some of the things that have made me exceptionally happy lately - I am grateful for all of them:

1.) Addie's first birthday party is tomorrow, and it will also be the occasion of Elise's first sleepover at Alisha's house - she's never spent the night anywhere besides home and grandparent's house's, so this will be fun, and interesting.

2.) Digging up an old story that I haven't worked on in years and realizing it is a lot better than I thought it was and seriously considering diving into it again.

3.) The surprise dinner provided by the roomie tonight: a delicious grilled cheeseburger and some cheesy mashed potatos.

4.) Reading all of these: BlogHer Community Keynote: Voices of the Year.

5.) Getting a date for next Wednesday night. Yeah. That happened.

A very bullet list Wednesday

• Today Alisha called me at work from HER work to tell me a secret. "Don't tell anyone!" she says to me - "No one is supposed to know yet, but I have to tell you!" It's a good secret - one of our friends is pregnant. I LOVE finding out when friends are pregnant. It makes for a good day for me, knowing that there is a little bundle of joy coming into the world that I can kiss and cuddle and spoil.. and then give back.
• I'm supposed to be helping my friend Brian move the last of his things out of his house tonight and I don't want to do it but I am going to because he has helped me with so many things in the past (including moving) and I would feel like a total bitch for telling him no. So I told him yes, and even though I don't want to do it, I will. I feel like I should feel NOTHING in particular about this. Do I feel bad that I don't want to do it even when I know I should? Do I feel bad for feeling bad? Do I feel bad just because of the fact that I don't want to? I guess the bottom line is sometimes we do things for our friends that we don't want to do just BECAUSE they are our friends and they ask. And that's enough for me.
• I want to go to BlogHer. I am jealous of all of the people who are heading off to San Diego today and tomorrow to attend the conference, but since I don't have any real blog friends, why would I go? I'm working on the networking, I am. I need it. I have been so let down by the people I know and am "friends" with in my hometown area, I need the escape of the internet to stay sane, I know this now. Some people (people who just don't know better I guess) don't understand it. Why would you meet people online? Isn't that creepy? Your mom is creepy. What.
• I have to dedicate a considerable amount of time to a blog post that I have been meaning to write for a few days that regards Elise - and it's hard and I haven't been able to bring myself to do it yet, but it's coming soon, and I hope it changes things.
• Let's call this a well intentioned cop-out.