Be Thankful

"I like to walk alone on country paths,
rice plants and wild grasses on both sides,
putting each foot down on the earth
in mindfulness, knowing
that I walk on the wondrous earth.
In such moments, existence is a miraculous
and mysterious reality.

People usually consider walking on water
or in thin air a miracle.
But I think the real miracle
is not to walk either on water or in thin air,
but to walk on earth.
Every day we are engaged in a miracle
which we don't even recognize:
a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves,
the black, curious eyes of a child--
our own two eyes.
All is a miracle."
Thich Nhat Hanh, "Miracle of Mindfulness"


I seem to start all blog posts with, "Wow, it's been awhile." Today is much the same. Over the last few months I have thought often of logging in and updating the blog with my life... and then as soon as the thought comes, it goes. Life has been moving quickly for me in the last year. I planned a wedding, got married, went on a honeymoon, and returned to work. It seems my job is pulling me in several directions each day. And I like that. Although, it seems as of late there are more long days at work than short ones and for some reason time seems to go at a faster pace. Don't get me wrong, I love my work. I've realized in the last couple of years that I have a strong desire to succeed, to grow, to make something of myself. I've never felt more driven in my life -- working towards a goal, surpassing a goal, and setting a new one. That being said, this morning I had an experience that made me stop and realize how blessed I truly am. And while the drive to succeed and live in the fast lane will probably always be a little bit of who I am, I know that when I get going too fast God will always bring me back to what is most important. And so I feel compled to write, to share, to hopefully encourage others to realize what your true blessings are.


So many times I say, "Wow, I wish we had a bigger house" or "We can't fit in this house!" or "I'm going to go crazy if we don't move to a bigger house!" The fact of the matter is we have a house. This morning I walked outside to see two women rifling through our recycling bin and taking out cans. One of the women looked at me and said, "I'm so sorry." and it just broke my heart. A couple of years ago Matt and I went two months without any paychecks... we both were transitioning from our jobs (which happened to be at the same company) and it was a tough time. We jokingly refer to it now as "The summer of no paychecks" and remember about having to ask family for help, putting rent on our credit cards, and eating a lot of peanut butter and jelly and ramen noodles. And then I think of us, two years later, having conversations about our life now. Both very lucky to be employed with great jobs, returning from an amazing vacation, being able to pay rent with ease and afford dinners out and time with friends. And yet sometimes, selfishly, I still find myself saying, "When we make THIS much money we'll be able to do this"... and this morning seeing those women slammed me back to reality. Even in the "summer of no paychecks" we had each other, we had our home, we were able to go to the grocery store and put food on the table, we had family, we had friends. Today was a true testament to me about giving back. There are so many people who do not have what we have. I'm sure the same can be said for many of you. Take a moment to appreciate all that you have, and if able, make a point to give back. There is so many little things that really would make a huge differnce in someones life.

Slow down, reflect, be thankful.



Until next time,

AL

Love: Post 1

From my journal:

August 23, 2007

I've met a boy. His name is Matt. I'm still sorta on the fence about the whole situation. He is an awesome person and I love spending time with him. He is also a lot different than me. We are truly coming from different places - and we approach things in different ways as well. But I feel a connection there I know I wouldn't pursue if I didn't think it could go somewhere, but I honestly didn't think I would meet someone so quickly after my move. Obviously it is nice to get to know someone and have some instant stability - but on the other hand I know I can't handle being hurt right now so I am hesitant to put myself out there - fully anyway.

He really is awesome. I don't think I've ever had someone treat me with the kindness and respect that he gives me. And he has these eyes that I was to stare into. And he has the greatest laugh. And I love when I say something that makes him smile. He has a way, already, of putting my mind at ease- and I love when he grabs my hand or puts his arm across my back. I love when he says "hey pretty lady."

I know I am falling into "like" with him. I know I need to explore it more and see what really is going on. I wonder where this will go.


*~*

And that was just the begining. What a wonderful journey.

Becoming a Big Kid: My Bucket List

"Every man dies - not every man really lives"


On July 19 of this year I will turn 26 years old, I will have lived in Colorado for 4 years, and I will be 18 days away from getting married. When I moved to Denver I was fresh off what I now realized was a very comfortable life. I remember calling my mother during month three or four and saying, "Do you KNOW how much they charge you for cell phone service?!!" Paying all my own bills was only one of the realities of becoming a "big kid." I moved here thinking I knew it all. I thought I had "grown up" in college and I was an "adult" and I no longer needed advice or wisdom or anyone telling me how things should or were going to be. The realization now? I'm still a kid. I'm still growing. I'm still learning. I'm still adapting. And I don't think that will ever change, at least I hope not. I want to be able to keep that young eyed version of myself alive... where every new experience is better than the last and the more you learn the more you appreciate who you are and where you've been. Today I am feeling blessed that I have a wonderful family, amazing friends, and the perfect partner in Matt to continue to learn and grow with me.

So many things have happened in the last four years and while my usual M.O. in blogworld would be to look back and remember those moments (sentimental me), today I want to talk about what I envision and hope for the future. A lot of life has happened and even more life is left to live. I hope I can take advantage of it:

Annalisa's Bucket List 4/15/2011

-Get Married! I cannot wait to marry Matt and start a new life with him.
-Travel. First stops: Africa, Croatia, Italy, and Denmark.
-Live by the ocean: I envision a beach cottage with wood floors that always seem to have sand on them no matter how much you sweep.
-Open a ceramics studio: a life long dream.
-Run a marathon
-Ride the cable cars in San Francisco
-Drink wine at a vineyard in Napa Valley
-Drive along the 101, in a convertible, with the top down
-Take more creative writing classes
-Write short stories
-Write a book
-Ride in a hot air balloon
-Ride a camel AND an elephant (not at the same time)
-See the Northern Lights
-Zipline through the rainforest
-Give someone a total and pleasant surprise
-Take my parents on vacation abroad
-Swim with dolphins
-Own a home
-Own our DREAM home
-plant a garden
-Continue our love of cooking
-Visit all of the big art museums around the world
-Kiss in the rain
-Explore a castle
-Get a picture in a red telephone booth in London
-Learn how to sail
-See a play on Broadway or see many plays on Broadway
-Have a successful career
-Be recognized for having a successful career
-Be invited to speak somewhere about said career
-Have babies, see Matt be a dad
-Be a good parent, make family a priority, strive to be like my parents
-Build a tree fort
-Achieve debt freedom
-Take my best friend on a trip of her dreams
-Live in another country
-Take a gondola along the Venice canals in Italy
-Go to Mardi Gras
-Learn to surf
-Stay in an overwater bungalow in Bora Bora
-See Niagara Falls lit up at night
-Walk into an airport and buy a same day ticket for somewhere appealing
-Continue to see live music
-Say yes to change and accept new opportunities


What's on your bucket list?

Until next time,
A

Little Moments

Today I woke up to snow. A heavy, wet, pile of snow. While my dog loved running around the backyard burrowing his head beneath the drifts looking for his beloved red ball I sort of resented it. Not watching Cooper but the idea of what snow brings. Traffic. Slow, miserable, icy, traffic. I immediately found myself in a bad mood just thinking about it (I wasn't even on the road yet!!). While getting ready I talked myself off of the ledge and told myself I was going to be optimistic about my day. I filled my travel mug full of delicious coffee (okay and like 1/3 cream because, after all, I was HAVING a bad day) and got in my car to come to work. By the time I arrived (1.5 hours and 2 country cd's later) I was much more positive (thank you caffeine and zac brown). I walked into my office, responded to work emails, and dutifully checked all of my social media sites and blogs. What killed me was apparently everyone else was having a bad day today too. I found the "glass half full" mentality slowly starting to fade as I read about everyone elses troubles and struggles. It was then that I realized I really haven't blogged in awhile. Every time I have a moment to post I don't seem to have anything to write about, at least anything worth reading. But today while reading peoples facebook posts, twitter updates, and blog entries I realized my "today" is actually pretty great. And then I almost felt bad for feeling good! How crazy is that? So I realized that I need to blog about the little moments. I need to celebrate those daily things things that may not seem very important to note because all together they are what make my life really great. From now on each post will include a "little moment" that I truly treasure.

Today's "Little Moment": The green light on the coffee maker. Green, in case you non-caffeine addicted friends don't know, means "on". It means the coffee is hot! It means you are about to receive a jolt of pure energy. In my case it means I have an amazing fiance who makes coffee for me each day. Yes, he is up before me and yes, he drinks coffee too but the feeling I get when I walk into the kitchen after he has already left for work and see that green light makes me feel as if he just left a silent "Have a good day" for me to enjoy.

So today I urge everyone to think of one of their "little moments." I guess this means I should go play with my dog in all that snow...once I get home from sitting in traffic, of course.

Until next time,

A

New Year, New Me, New Us?

For last year's words belong to last year's language
And next year's words await another voice.
And to make an end is to make a beginning.
~T.S. Eliot


Wow, 2011! We made it. I can hardly believe we're back to New Years Resolutions. Last year my resolution was to write more and to actually keep my blog updated. If we're comparing to the infrequent posts of 2009 I think this was a success, however, I am hoping 2011 allows for even more improvement. Writing for me has always been the ultimate de-stressing tool. It is a time when I can completely shut out everything else that is going on around me and just say exactly what I am feeling. Do you remember when you were in 5th or 6th grade and your teacher would have you do "Free Writes?" You would have ten or fifteen minutes to just write whatever came to mind. You weren't allowed to go back and erase and you couldn't put the pencil down until she called time. That is sort of the approach I take to blogging. I just go for it. And sometimes when I'm finished I go back and I realize I either wrote something really great that I treasure... or I realize I just vented for 20 minutes about how I can't seem to have a good day. But either way I love blogging for a medium to express my thoughts, feelings, and attitude towards what "today" brings. And I love that I can share it with friends and family too. So here is to another year of blogging and a continuation of last years resolution. My hope is for 36 posts this year!

While we're on the subject here are the rest of my resolutions for the year:

*Pave the road to a stronger, healthier me: I will never give up the chocolate cake, glass of wine, or my favorite pasta in garlic cream sauce but I can choose a healthier path when I'm not consuming these favorites. In 2011 I want to continue to try new recipes that feature fruits and veggies, take advantage of local farmers markets, shop locally, return to my love of running (including at least one race this year), and, as always, take advantage of Colorado (hiking, snowboarding, biking, etc.)

*Stay in better contact with those I love: I suck at calling my friends. Enough said. In 2011 I hope to stop ending phone conversations with "I promise not to wait 3 months next time!"

*Be a better girlfriend/wife: First, can't believe I will be a wife by the end of this year. Can we just take a moment to say "AHHHHH." Okay, I'm better now. When Matt and I get married in August we will have been together for 4 years. Which, I realize, in the scheme of a lifetime is a drop in the bucket. However, if there is one reason why I know I can spend the rest of my life with this man it is his ability (since day one) to show up to our relationship everyday. My wish for 2011 is not to be perfect but to make the continued effort that we not only show up to our relationship each day but that we continue to learn and grow as well.

*Give back. Last, but certainly not least. I cannot be more appreciative of the blessings that I received in 2010. Because of this I think the master hope for 2011 is to spend more time giving back. A few causes I want to support this year: Jefco Action center, American Cancer Society, and St. Jude's. If you are able to give your time this year I urge you to support a charity that you love. This is truly how we will all make a difference.

I hope your resolutions stick and you have a happy and healthy 2011.

Until next time,

A