Graditude post. Because it keeps me in line ...

1. Darling  granddaughters that has a mix of her Mimi's tomboy and girly ways. She makes me laugh and soon perhaps, cry. Danny, Caitlin and Charlotte are moving out this week. Grad school over and well, after nearly a year and a half with us, it's time to let them fly. And fly they will. And I will miss them. But so grateful for this time we have had together. However, have I ever mentioned that I am not a fan of change?

2. Pajamas. Wish I could wear them all day.

3. Our last trip of summer to our favorite beach.

4. Unexpected gift from my sister Shannon. Made me cry. Not the Starbuck's gift card but the beautiful words inside the card.

5. Surprise presents from another daughter.This week Jessica, who knows how much I love Halloween. Caitlin, no pressure,for you next week okay??

6. Daughters who call me from concerts and hold up the phone so I can hear songs I love from a band I love, Mumford and Sons. Taylor, you are the best.

7. Joe doing oh so boy things. Catching lizards and then catching bees, with his hands, with gloves on. I asked him where he learned to do that and he immediatley credited one of his cohorts in crime from the neighborhood, by saying, " Dylan is the camping and nature master. And ... he has a pocket knife." Guess what Joe wants for his birthday in a few weeks??

8. Noxzema.

 Yep. The one and only old school face wash. I use it everynight  and everynight it reminds me of my grandmother. Smells can be powerful reminders of different experiences in our lives. Of different people in our lives. Some here in this life and still with us, some gone, but never, ever far from our hearts.

9. My mothers purse that sits, unzippered in my downstairs closet. Whenever I go in there, without even coming close to the actual purse, I can smell her. And sometimes, I pick it up, press my face to it, and breathe deeply and I can almost feel her here with me. Almost.

10. Chocolate. Sometimes I think that is why I run. So I can eat more of it. I have problems.

 11. PosrSecret. I never miss their weekly posts on their blog. They only post on Sunday's and they also do not keep up the posts from the previous week. So if you don't check each week, you are out of luck. Unless you buy their books or go to a show, which might be the whole point.The long and short of what they are about is: "PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a homemade postcard." And, as my friend Eric so perfectly expounds on it," However, the secrets are as vast and varied as all people. Some are cute, some are empowering, some are appalling, some are neutral, some are enlightening, and so on. There seems to be one for every adjective you can think of."




12. Night runs. Which seems to fit my schedule best. And can I say, that the first 1/2 mile to 1 mile, I wonder why it is I run and then this happens,

 
and suddenly, I remember.

Speaking of which, I am off for a run in a few minutes. And then, bed early. Which for me will hopefully be by 11pm. Busy, crazy day ahead.  Not the least of which happens to be a certain little someones first day of kindergarten and another certain little someones first day of preschool. AND, they are in the same class. How can that be? You'll have to come back another day and find out. Pretty magical stuff, if you ask me.