Highs and Lows

This week has been a battle for me. At times I feel like I'm on my game and everything is going exactly right. At others, I feel like life has dropkicked me in the face. It would be annoying if it weren't so quintessentially LIFE, you know? I mean, life is a combination of inspiration and desperation, blessings and challenges. I think the real success in life is choosing to focus on the happiness in each day.

So this week, I'm choosing to focus on my new entryway table, my bread-making success and my husband's new health insurance. I'm going to ignore this terrible weather, the fact that I enjoyed so much of that homemade bread last night that I made myself sick, and the sad state of the economy. Counting your blessings isn't always easy, but it is definitely effective.

P.S. The bread I'm making is from this cookbook, and it couldn't be more easy or delicious. If I could practice some self-control (around bread? HA!), I would make this every day. I also would include pictures of the bread. I've tried with each of the 4 loaves I've made, but somehow, we keep eating it before I have a chance. Imagine that. Instead, check this photo out and pretend it's the loaf I made.

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Thanks

Today I give thanks for:

• my husband, who loves me despite my occassionally quirky and off-the-wall moments. (That's a nice way of saying all those times I'm crazier than a loon.)
• my family, who will always support and love me, and who just helped me paint and clean the new house.
• my new house! That's new to the list this year. I feel so fortunate to be in a position to buy a house, even if the amount of debt is scary scary.
• my dogs. Dogs really do make life infinitely more exciting. It's not always good excitement, but I love them nonetheless.
  
• my job, which although I wish it paid more, I still love. Couldn't ask for a better job.
• The freedoms guaranteed to us by the Constitution.
  
• my blog readers. Wait, I already counted this one. Hi Mom!

I hope you all have a happy Thanksgiving! Go Cowboys!

Jackie Joyner-Amazing

The Library had two extra seats today for a very lovely event focusing on women and philanthropy, so Bonnie and I got to attend. Olympic gold medalist and notable philanthropist Jackie Joyner-Kersee was the keynote speaker.

The woman is amazing. She came from very meager beginnings, lost her mother suddenly while she was in college, became the greatest woman athlete in track and field, and most importantly, gave of herself to create better opportunities for those disadvantaged children in her hometown.

I may not be able to win a heptathalon, but I can only hope that I can leave a legacy of giving like she has done.

The Valerie Trammell Center for Kids That Don't Read Good, here we come!