Thankful Thursday Friday

A time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance.
- Ecclesiastes 3:4

This week, I'm thankful for having been blessed to know Frankie Manning for 20 years. It's not everyday you meet someone who truly changes your life. Frankie did that for me in January 1989. I wouldn't do what I do if it weren't for him.

My favorite comment about Frankie's passing was "We now have the answer to the age-old question, 'How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?' Answer: 2. Frankie & whomever he chooses as his partner. The rest of the angels will back off to give him room & watch."

This was a tribute put together by some local DC dancers. It only scratches the surface of what an incredible man he was and how much knowing him has meant to me.

Thankful Thursday

Things I'm grateful for this week:

• Thursday -- only one day left until the weekend, yay!!
  


• Pandora -- I know, I'm late to the party. I've actually known about pandora.com for a while, but until a recent upgrade to our computers/network at the office, we couldn't get to or use it. Now that we can, I've had it playing in the background nearly every day. Of course, I've been grooving to lots of old favorites, but the best thing is the new-to-me songs or artists I've discovered when it's given me things that are similar in nature to those songs I told it I like. If you aren't already using it, check it out!!
  


• Spring flowers -- Between the cherry blossoms & the magnolia blooms, DC is pretty much busting at the seams. Add in the daffodils and tulips blooming in my front yard, and it's pretty hard not to smile or not to be in a good mood.
  


• Getting a major vote of confidence from the higher-ups at work. Even better was being able to back up that vote of confidence by taking the ball & running with it/finishing the project within the time frame in which it was needed. Something like that is always nice, but it's especially satisfying given the current economy. Every little bit of extra job security is a good thing as far as I'm concerned!
  


• My foster puppy FINALLY being out of heat. She was scheduled to be spayed so she could move on to her permanent home, but came into heat just before, which meant the surgery had to be postponed. She's now out of heat (and acting/feeling more like herself again), which means that a) we can reschedule the surgery, and b) I can take her out for walks again. Being able to get her adequate exercise will certainly help evenings be calmer around my household until she moves on to her forever home!!!
  


• Good friends who have rallied around me these past couple of weeks as I've had to deal with a difficult person and the resulting drama said person likes to cause. While such things are just a part of life & we all have to deal with them from time to time, it's great to know I've got people who have my back and make such unpleasantness more bearable.

How bout you? What are you thankful for today? (Thanks to Tib for the super-fly, retro-inspired new graphic.)

Thankful Thursday

It's been a little while, so I'm overdue for showing a little gratitude. Today, I'm thankful for:

• My 2nd mom's finally getting to go home from the hospital. It was great to hear from her!!
• Daffodils. I've got about a dozen blooming in the yard and it brightens up the day whenever I see them.
• Silly puppy antics. As exhausting as it is to be fostering a young 'un, she is quite entertaining.
• Fresh, red, ripe strawberries. Simply delightful!!
• Starting up our dance classes again. It's kind of tough suddenly not having my Monday nights to myself anymore, but I do love teaching and we have good classes this go round, so it is kinda fun. It's always nice to see students from the fall classes come back, as well.
  
• Getting a clear vote of confidence from the higher ups at work.
• Getting to see my nephews this weekend. It's always fun to spend time with them.
• My new camera. I'm LOVING it!! Only a couple more weeks til there should be some fantastic opportunity for "Spring in Washington" shots.

So, how bout you? What are you thankful for today?

Thankful Thursday

It's been a while, so I'm long overdue for a Thankful Thursday post. I'm going to keep it short & sweet. Right now, I'm thankful for:

• Health -- it really is so precious.
• Friends
• Being able to be there for those friends and for the confidence/trust they put into me in allowing me the opportunity to be there for them

Thankful Thursday

It's been a while since I've gotten one of these written and it's long overdue. This week, I'm thankful for:

• Holiday goodies. They are starting to appear around my office & since I haven't gotten around to making any myself, that's a good thing!!
  


• Finally kicking the sinus infection that sidelined me for a bit. Good riddance!
  


• Cyber Monday. I was home sick that day & managed to pick up most of the remaining items on my Christmas list. Got some good deals on 'em too!!
  


• My job. It's rough out there. I know lots of people are out of work or facing potential layoffs. So far, things are stable here & I am profoundly grateful for that!
  


• The holiday specials. I admit it; I'm just a big ol' little kid when it comes to holiday specials. Charlie Brown, the Grinch, Heat Meiser/Cold Meiser, etc. all make me smile.
  


• Getting a break from teaching weekly dance classes. The place we teach isn't heated, so we take the winter off from our classes. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy teaching or I wouldn't do it, and especially with the last group of students we had as they were a lot of fun. However, I do also enjoy getting a break from it sometimes. We've still got events to perform at and other non-weekly-classes to do, but due to the economy, those are also lighter than usual this year, so it's the first real break we've gotten in quite a while and I'm greatly enjoying it.
  

How bout you? What are you thankful for today? Thanks to Tiburon for the new graphic.

Thankful Thursday Friday

Traveling this week has left me scrambling to catch up, so I'm a little late, but thankful none the less. This week I'm thankful for:

• Being home -- I like traveling, but I'm always glad to come home.
  
  
• Those things Washington DC has to offer like great museums, wonderful theatre & arts, etc. I'm reminded every time I go away how many nice things this city/area offers.
  
  
• My dogs --it's so nice to see how much they've missed me whenever I go away. Makes me feel special. :-)
  
  
• A great cadre of volunteers --without their help, we couldn't run the dances we offer. This is especially noticeable this week since I was gone for much of it and couldn't have managed the details even if I'd wanted to.
  
  
• My dance partner -- who did keep things running while I was gone. Teaching classes or filming a partner-based dance show is not easy to do solo and he had to do both this week. Thanks, darlin', you're a gem!
  
  
• Making 2 new friends at work -- this trip, I was paired up with 2 ppl I'd neither met nor worked with before. Given the nature of the trip, one spends long hours (14-16 hr days, or even longer) as a team, most of the time in one car, so there's no getting away from one another if personalities clash or you just aren't a good fit. I was paired with 2 wonderful people with great senses of humor. Within a very short time, we were laughing and joking with each other as if we were old friends. It made the very long work days a lot nicer than if we hadn't really clicked.
  
  
• Being healthy -- Last time I had to do this type of work assignment was a couple of years ago. I was not well, so those 16-hour days really were trying. This time around was a MUCH better experience.
  
  
• Our veterans. And the troops currently serving our country. They deserve our thanks & more! Take a moment or 2 this upcoming Tuesday to at least honor them, if not doing something to actively thank them.

Props to Tiburon for the great new autumnal graphic & the original idea for the Thankful Thursday posts. Feel free to take the idea and the graphic and play along.

Thankful Thursday

This week, I'm thankful for:

• The upcoming time change. It's so hard to get up for work when the sun's not even up yet. I also have a way-too-early flight next week, so I have to be out of here at o-dark-thirty. At least it will seem not quite so unbelievably early thanks to the time change.
  


• A working keyboard. I sorta knocked mine off my desk last week & broke it. It's very hard to check email, surf the web, or even do work-stuff when you don't have a functional keyboard.
  


• Running water. Another one of those things we take for granted. While I get to go to San Antonio (ish) for work next week, a co-worker is being sent to a *really* remote area where he may not have access to running water for part of the day. I'd say I got the better deal on this one!!
  


• French fries. I know they aren't good for me, but they're soooo good!! I think someone should come up with a study showing that French fries are actually good for you, the way they've shown that about chocolate, coffee, red wine, etc. Just sayin'.
  


• Kind & caring neighbors. We had some really fierce winds the other day. I didn't realize it, but they blew the gate open in my yard. One of my dogs discovered it & unbeknownst to me, he decided to go off exploring on a little walkabout. I found out this had occured when I got a call from someone a couple of blocks away telling me they had my dog. They'd gotten my number off the tag on his collar. How wonderful of them to make the effort/take the time!!

So, how bout you? What are you thankful for this week?

Thankful Thursday

This week I'm thankful for:

• Having a few minutes before my next meeting where I can actually make this post. It's been rare lately to find those few minutes.
  
  
• A friend's new baby. Megan Rose is currently 2 days old and she and her momma are doing great!
  
  
• My crock pot. Dinner ready when I get home? Yeah, I'm down with that!
  
  
• Halloween candy. Who doesn't like chocolate on sale?!
  
  
• Going out to dinner with a friend tonight just to catch up.
  
  
• Finally figuring out my Halloween costume.
  
  
• Getting to spend time with my nephews this past weekend. Even better was hearing how excited the 4-year old had gotten when they told him that morning that I'd be coming over. I just love having my own personal groupie!
  
  
• Finding out I'll be going to the San Antonio, TX area for work in a couple of weeks. (If anyone has any suggestions of fun things to do or don't-miss-places, please leave the info in the comments. I won't have much free time, but might be able to carve out a dinner somewhere or book my flight back for late enough in the day that I can find an hour or 2.)
  
  
• The Christmas cactus in my office is starting to bud. If it's anything like last year, it'll bloom early, so it'll have flowers from around Veteran's Day to Thanksgiving. It's so pretty when it's in bloom.
  

There's plenty more, but time is up so I'll stop here and run off to my meeting. Feel free to take the banner and the idea and make your own Thankful Thursday post.

Thankful Thursday

Yeah, I know it's not Thursday, or even Friday anymore. It's just been that type of week, but as the old saying goes, 'Better Late than Never'. So, in no particular order, this week I'm thankful for:

• Gorgeous weather. It's really been spectacular around here lately.


• NOT being named Employee of the Month....wait a minute, first you were & now you're not? And you're happy about that? Yup! Turns out the award I'm getting is much bigger than that. It's part of the annual awards for my division, so it's a much bigger deal than I originally thought.


• Having a big training class for work that I helped plan, organize, and execute come off without a hitch.


• Acupuncture. I have a great practicioner who helped me delay that surgery for at least a couple of years. I hadn't seen for a little over a year (just before my surgery) but went back this past week. 2 sessions and I already feel better/less run down/feel like things are more balanced or clicking on all cylinders. I have no clue how it works, but it's definitely given me great health benefits and I now swear by it!

So, how bout you? What are you thankful for today?

Thankful Thursday

It's that time again. Wow -- I even got it written & posted on Thursday. That's 2 weeks in a row. It might even be a trend! :-)

This week I'm thankful for:

Veterans -- I meant to include this last week b/c the big dance performance included a salute to the veterans. The association whose annual meeting was the reason for the event invited some of the residents from the Armed Forces Retirement Home here in DC to be their special guests, so we were able to thank the ones who attended personally. For all the rest who weren't in attendance, a heartfelt thanks!

Fall -- It appears to finally be making an appearance around here. The weather has that little tang in the air & the first crop of locally grown apples is appearing. Won't be long before there's color in the trees.

Getting to attend my nephew's 4th birthday party -- Even tho they live nearby, I haven't seen him (or my brother, sister-in-law, and my other nephew) in a little while, so this gives me a good excuse to hang out with him for the day. My nephew was really disappointed that Grandma & Grandpa weren't coming to his birthday party -- he doesn't understand that they live in Florida & it's too far to drive for the party -- but he got over it immediately when he was told that I was coming. That kid sure knows how to get to me!!

Being able to help someone -- I got a plea for help via the dog rescue organization I volunteer with. A woman was having issues with her dog & was thinking about giving him up. None of the issues were surprising given his age (adolescent) nor that difficult to manage if one had the right tools or skill set; since training is one of my specialties, this was right up my alley. Luckily, the woman was very receptive to what I had to offer her/what suggestions I made and has started implementing them. So far, so good, leaving us with one happier (and more hopeful) owner and one happier dog who is that much more likely to stay in his home/not need rescue's help. That's what I call a win-win!!

So, how bout you? What are you thankful for today?

Thankful Thursday

This week I'm thankful for:

• Getting my Thankful Thursday post actually written and posted on Thursday. :-)
  
  
• The dance team performance going okay and the whole gig in its entirety going off without a hitch. All of my dancers arrived on time, had no problem getting thru security & onto the base, had the appropriate wardrobe with them, and performed their job admirably. Our client was happy and we are likely to get called again the next time they need someone, so really, how much more could I ask for?
  
  
• Sleep. After all the rehearsals & extra stuff, not to mention my usually crazy schedule, to say I was wiped out last night was an understatement. A good night's sleep and I feel soooo much better and more functional today.
  
  
• Salon Pas. This is similar to Ben Gay, but on a transdermal patch which allows you to slap one (or more) right on the aching muscle & get a slow, constant release of the good stuff right where you need it. They also don't have the tell-tale smell that Ben Gay has, so I could wear them under my outfit at the dance event & no one could tell.
  
  
• Random compliments. Being complimented anytime is nice, but when it comes totally out of the blue & from someone you didn't expect to say something, it's really nice!

So how about you? What are you thankful for this week?

Thankful Thursday Friday

Yeah, I know. I'm late again. Story of my life lately it seems, but that doesn't make me any less appreciative. This week I'm thankful for:

• My dogs -- work has been crazy, and kinda frustrating this week. Nothing melts away a bad day like being greeted by 3 fuzzy monsters who are so happy to see me. Add in a squeaky toy and some other silly antics and it's an instant attitude adjustment. I've also had a couple of friends who have lost their dogs in the past few weeks, so it makes me realize even more how precious they are.
  
  
• My boss -- as I mentioned, work's been frustrating, but it's not because of my boss. He's had my back all week and I know I've got his support when I run up against the stuff that's going on.
  
  
• Sleep -- it's really a nice thing. And after rehearsals & such, MUCH needed!!
  
  
• The Kennedy Center's Open House -- this annual event is another favorite of mine. A full day of interesting and varied art workshops & performances. Music. Dance. Theatre. We're teaching for some of it, which is always fun, plus before & after, I can go check out other offerings. (If you're in the area tomorrow, you should come down and check it out.)
  
  
• Firefighters, Police, Rescue workers, etc. -- we get reminded every Sept 11th, but these fine men & women are out there doing the same sorts of things every day. Thanks!

So what makes it onto your thankful list this week?

Thankful Thursday

It's late, but I'm actually going to get this in on Thursday this week. (Yay!) This week, I'm thankful for:

• Being healthy/able -- I may be sore & tired from a pretty heavy dance rehearsal schedule as we hit the final stretch before this next big performance, but isn't it nice that I *can* dance, not to mention walk. How much harder (and different) life would be if I didn't have the physical ability to do so.
  
• A mild August -- I had to break down and turn on the AC this evening for the first time in nearly a month. (It's getting humid here as the precursor to Tropical Storm/Hurricane Hannah rolls in.) It's been wonderful to have the windows open and get the fresh air, not to mention it's been very helpful on the budget to not have to run the AC!!
  
• A good public transportation system -- Last time I filled my car's gas tank was in late July. I just now dropped to slightly below 1/4 tank and will have to think about filling it again soon.
  
• The political conventions being over -- yes, they are important, and yes, I've been paying attention, but enough already!!! No matter which party one might be supporting, there's really a limit to the partisan speechifying and rhetoric that one can take!!
  
• Puzzles -- sudokus, cricklers, mah jong, crosswords, etc. All of them. I love having a small diversion when things get crazy-busy or I get stressed. By using different parts of my brain, it helps me blow off steam & clear my mind so I'm better able to focus.

So, how about you? What are you thankful for today?

Thankful Thursday Friday

It seems that this making-a-Thankful-Thursday-post-on-Friday thing is starting to be a pattern. Oh well.

Things I'm thankful for this week include:

• Seeing my friends from Sweden again. They were in town for the weekend to judge a dance competition. Since we weren't competing & weren't involved in organizing or running the event, we actually got to just spend social time with them. It was a lovely visit and we'll hopefully see them again soon.
  
  
• Feeling a whole lot better this year than I did this time last year! AS the old saying goes, if you don't have your health, you don't have anything!
  
  
• A 3-day weekend. (Does anyone find it ironic that we celebrate the concept of working by NOT working?)
  
  
• The dancers working on this upcoming group performance. We had rehearsal last night & it was wonderful to see how much progress each couple had made since we last met. They clearly had put in the time & effort to really get this routine down. We were able to make sooo much progress & it's starting to look pretty good. We've worked with other dancers before who never bothered to do the "homework" that was necessary, so it was slow-going and at times very frustrating. It's so nice to be working with people who understand what it takes to pull something like this off & who are willing to give us that!!

So, how about you? What makes you thankful this week?

Thankful Thursday

It's been a somewhat difficult week, so it's nice to take a moment and focus on the more-pleasant side of things. In no particular order, I'm thankful for/that:

• No one was harmed when the theft happened. As Teddy Bear said, things can be replaced.
  
  
• 3-day weekends. I've taken tomorrow off so today is my Friday for this work week! Being able to get some things on my "need or want to get done" list taken care of on my day off will be nice. Even better is that I've got a massage scheduled in the afternoon followed by dinner with friends.
  
  
• No staff meeting today. (And by extension for a cool boss who doesn't hold a meeting just to have a meeting. If there's no need to meet, we don't meet.)
  
  
• My foster dog being adopted. He met his soon-to-be-owners last weekend and they fell completely in love (as did he!). Assuming Harley and their current dog get along ok, he'll be heading off to his new forever home on Saturday morning.
  
  
• So You Think You Can Dance -- I'm not a big tv watcher in general, but I do like this show. After the stressful week, it was great to be able to chill out & watch this week's episode. The dancing last night was FANTASTIC and all 6 of them deserve to move on, IMHO. As a dancer myself, it's great to not only see dancing get such wonderful primetime exposure, but to see it reach this level on a reality show is pretty encouraging.

Ok. Your turn. What are you thankful for? Feel free to swipe the idea and the header & make your own post.

Thankful Thursday

Things I'm thankful for this week include:

• Noxious fumes -- I can hear you now, "Girl, what have you been sniffin'?" Hold on & let me 'splain. My office bldg had some bad fumes when we got there this morning. Apparently, they were painting the garage or something like that. (Why they didn't do that on a weekend escapes me, but they didn't ask for my opinion....) Instead of getting better, it kept getting worse. Finally, at about 11:15 am, the bldg management decided to close the bldg. My organization doesn't own the bldg; we just rent a couple of floors, so we had to wait outside on our "fire drill assembly spot" while the higher ups & powers that be were contacted. After about 45 minutes of waiting, they released my section to head off where we could "work at home". *wink* (My boss used air quotes as he said those words.) The storm front that blew through here last night had dropped the heat and humidity, so it was a gorgeous day for this to happen. I gave my sweetie a call and met him for a picnic lunch before heading off to catch a museum exhibit I've been hoping to see before heading home to actually do some work....So, yeah, I'm thankful for noxious fumes!! Best.workday.EVAH!
  
  
• Muppets!! -- The exhibit I went to see this afternoon before heading home is all about Jim Henson and the creative process that brought about the Muppets & various other of his creations. It was interesting to see his development & evolution from his early work on Sam and Friends or for Wilkins Coffee, through Sesame Street, the Muppet Show, Fraggle Rock and the Dark Crystal. The most amazing thing was to see his initial sketches -- doodles, almost -- for some of the characters we now know and love. It was easy to see the personality he intended for that character and to identify the character it would become, even from a simple line sketch that he probably produced in only a few minutes. He was an incredible visionary!
  
  
• Good neighbors -- Next to me & across the street from me live 2 widows. Since we all live alone, we keep an eye out on each other. I hadn't seen the neighbor across the street in a while, but she was outside as I stepped off the bus the other day. Not only did we catch up, she insisted on sending me home with some homemade spinach lasagne. :-)
  
  
• Tiburon -- she gave me the 411 on the $1.50 cheesecake special coming up this next week. Yum!! In addition, I shared this information with one of my co-workers who is young/just out of school/realizing that it costs more than he thought to live in the real world. A few weeks ago, I clued him in to the free Slurpees at 7-11 that day (also news I got from Tiburon). When I told him about the cheesecake, he stopped, looked at me w/ his mouth slightly agape and said, "How do you know this stuff?". I smiled slyly and told him, "I know people" and left it at that. Tiburon, thanks for sharing that information and making me look good!
  
  
• Good friends -- I've had some serious crap going on in my life for the past year and a half or so. Most of the time, I deal with it pretty well, but occasionally it gets to me. This week was one of those times. A really good friend was there for me & made me feel a lot better. Thanks, Mel!
  
  
• A gladiolus in bloom -- I almost missed it as it's slightly obscured by the lilies that are pretty much finished blooming & the hostas that are in full bloom. It's a beautiful, elegant creamy yellow color. It's early yet for glads here, so it caught me unaware.
  
  
• A night off -- my DDP (Dear Dance Partner) handled our classes without me this week, so I could have a night off, get to sleep early, etc. I love teaching, but sometimes it's nice to play hookey.

So, how bout you? What things are you grateful for this week? Take the logo and make a post in your own blog if you are so inclined. I'll bet ya feel better if you do.

Thankful Thursday

Another week, another Thursday. Another chance to express a little gratitude. So here goes:

• My SO getting home from overseas.
  
  
• My foster dog being pretty easy -- he's good with everybody and everything, so he should be easy to place. He's also a pretty laid-back personality -- he doesn't see himself as "large and in charge" -- so his presence hasn't in any way upset my dogs or challenged them.
  
  
• Getting a massage Friday night after work -- AAAAHHHHHHHH! I needed that! Even better was that I was planning on doing it anyway & then I got an email offering an additional 15% off on Wed, Thurs, or Friday, so an added yay for procrastination! Best of all, it's a legitimate business expense. Not many ppl can say that!
  
  
• Eating my first local, truly ripe (so that the juice runs down your chin) peach of the season -- now *that* says "summer!"

So, how about you? What are you grateful for? Feel free to take the banner and play along.

Thankful Thursday

Every week, I take a few moments to stop the world & focus on those things that have made my life a little nicer during the week. It's a great way to ac-cen-tu-ate the positive (as the old song goes) since it's too easy to spend more time on those things that are negative or going wrong, than what is going right. It's also a great way to remind myself not to take things (or people) for granted. This week's list includes:

• Cell Phones -- My SO is overseas for work this week. His office gave him an international cell phone, so we've been able to talk pretty much daily despite the 8-hour time difference and being 2 continents apart.
  
  
• Ranier cherries -- I LOVE these things! Yeah, they are on the expensive side, at least around here, but they are sooooo good!
• Being pain free -- I taught a Salsa/Mambo class this week & for the first time since my surgery 10 months ago, doing Cuban motion didn't hurt!! I think all the work to build my muscles back up must be finally paying off. Woo hoo!
  
  
• Finding out my best friend's mom (my 2nd mom!) does NOT have cancer!! She had a couple of scary-looking lumps found during a mammography a month or so ago & had a biopsy done last week. The report came back earlier this week that they are not cancerous or otherwise worrisome!! WOO HOO!!
  
  
• My new toy -- it's soo much fun!! Now if it wouldn't tell me that my "Wii Age" is significantly older than my real age. Ok, so I'm not the greatest at hitting virtual tennis balls inbounds (at least I hit them!) And maybe I don't hit baseballs out of the park (at least I make contact & a base hit is perfectly fine by me!). I haven't tried the Wii Fit yet; hopefully that one will deem me to be significantly younger than my actual age & the 2 will average out.
  
  
• Lilies -- after weeks of teasing, they've finally burst into full bloom. I have bright sunny yellow ones and some white ones that are just exquisite.
  
  
• Hearing my best friend sound pretty excited about a couple of potential opportunities that might be coming down the pike. Go get 'em, BG! It's great to hear you be so animated again; I've missed that!

So, how about your? What are you grateful for this week?

Thankful Thursday

It's Thursday again, so time for another Thankful Thursday post. (For those of you who are new to the blog, it's a weekly post about things for which I'm grateful. The idea and the pretty banner came from Tiburon at SharkBait. She's given permission for anyone to take the banner & play along....)

So, in no particular order, this week I'm thankful for:

• A 3-day weekend!! Yay!!
  
• Friends
  
• Creativity and inspiration
  
• Cool nights where I can turn off the A/C and open the windows. (Very rare for DC in June/July!)
  
• Finishing a big project at work. It's great to get it off my desk. Even better to have it done early -- no scrambling to get it finished and it reflects well on me/my boss/my whole department. One can never have to many "way to go!" moments at work, y'know.
  
• Looking for some items for the living room, even tho I didn't know what I wanted, and finding some things that are just perfect!

So, how 'bout you? What are you thankful for?

Thankful Thursday

It's been a quiet week, but that doesn't mean there aren't things to be thankful for. In no particular order:

• Live theatre! -- Opening night is tonight for the Lion King and then I get to see Julius Ceasar at the Shakespeare Theatre over the weekend.
  
  
• Friends who can hook me up with tickets to live theatre -- See above.
  
  
• Finding a REALLY GORGEOUS vintage bracelet at an expo over the weekend that was very affordable. Even better, it goes perfectly with a dress I got a couple of months ago. Best of all, it's over-sized, but my wrists are small, so I can have matching earrings made from the links I'll have to have removed so it'll fit me.
  
  
• Getting assigned to a new project at work that is not only high-visibility, it should be a lot of fun to do. I also get to hone new skills/expand existing ones, and it allows me to engage my more-creative side (something that I don't get to do too often at work).
  
  
• Local fruits are starting to come in season. The berries are here & it won't be long before roadside stands have peaches, tomatoes, and locally-grown corn available. Nothing says "Summer!" like fresh, vine or tree ripe produce!!
  
  
• Getting inspired to do some redecorating at home. When I got my home phone/internet fixed, I also went ahead and got cable tv. Up until then, I'd only had what was available on broadcast tv. HGTV has become a favorite station already and while I haven't hit on a "vision" yet, I'm now starting to mull over possibilities for my family room. I've also gotten motivated to work on my bedroom too. (Of course, actually finding the time & energy to execute any plans I come up with will be another matter altogether, but at least something is starting to happen.)

So, that's my list. Your turn. Feel free to take the banner & make your own post -- I stole both from Tiburon's SharkBait blog.