30 Days of Gratitude

Day 1

A few days ago on twitter Jade mentioned the 30 Days of Gratitude project, and while I’m pretty swamped for November already (there are only two months left of the Spurred project and I’ve decided to attempt NaNoWriMo) but this was just too close to home for me to pass up.

I love the idea of taking time out of the day to remember what we are grateful for. And what a fabulous way to prepare for the coming New Year then to take a whole month to reflect on what we appreciate, what we can sometimes take for granted, and what really matters. (I know, I know, my internal clock must be off- I start getting all “end of the year”ish around this time.)

I am grateful for so many things, and even more grateful for the opportunity to capture them with this project and to share them with you. I will post a few photos every few days so you can see where I am with the project, and you’re welcome to join in, as always.

Day 2

November 2nd is my mother’s birthday. I know this isn’t a very flattering picture of either of us, but it’s one of my favorites. This was taken after one of my theater performances (and that is why she is crying). I am so grateful to have such a caring, inspirational, strong-willed woman to look up to. I truly would not be the same without her.

There are many reasons why I admire her, but one I’ll talk about with you is how she quit her high paying job back in 1999 because she wanted to be a web designer. I remember at the time I thought she was crazy, I knew more about the www then she did, and everyone told her it was unwise when she had two children to support, but she did it. And she did it. She built a business with her own two hands when nobody thought she could and now she knows more php then I do! (There are times when I ask her for help, seriously.) She built an auction software for non-profits, and just when her coding business was booming, she decided she’d had enough, and has switched to making movies and play productions for children.

She always follows her heart and her passions and never gives up. She has taught me so much. I would not be here, today, trying my hardest to do photography, if it weren’t for her example.

We make our own future. We just need courage.

Day 3

Things I appreciate about Pumpkin:

He is tiny.
He likes enclosed spaces.
He let me carry him around in my coat when he was a kitten, and helped me pick out ripe fruit from the grocery store.
He is relaxed, mellow, and loves other animals.
He is scared of loud noises, strangers, and the broom.
He knows how to “sit”, “touch”, and “stand”.
He loves sleeping with us, and being sandwiched between two people for a hug.
He loves being a part of what we are doing, and consequently sits with us during breakfast.