30 Days of Gratitude: Day 12

What texture are you grateful for?

I have the worn cotton pullover from Millsaps College that has been a closet staple. I love this sweatshirt. I love how it smells. I love how it feels. When I worked overnight in the hospital, I used to love pulling the hood over my head to protect me from the cold air conditioning. I even took naps with the hood up! It’s a texture and feel that makes me happy.

Writing connection: I am blogging my 30 days of gratitude, as I do revisions to my novel, because I want to think of more human attributes to add to my MC. I think gratitude is a great human attribute that we overlook because so often when we are chasing the superficial we forget about the small stuff.

30 Days of Gratitude: Days 6-11

Day 6: What in nature are you grateful for?

With Halloween quickly approaching, the Fall decorating bug has bitten me! I immediately got a sweet idea for flowers and pumpkins on my porch. I envisioned yellowish/orange chrysanthemums (mums) but was immediately pulled in by white mums when seeing them at the local grocery store.  It was like fate! I am so grateful for the beauty they have brought to my porch. They are inspiring even as I type this.
Day 7: What memory are you grateful for?

I got pregnant with my oldest daughter when I was a sophomore in college. For many in my family (and even some old friends), graduating from college ended the day I had her. The memory I am most grateful for, was walking across the stage at Millsaps College in May 2007 with my daughter and family watching me. My daughter was a gift and motivation to achieve my goals.

Day 8: What book are you most grateful for?

This is a tough question because I love to read and I believe that every book has shaped some part of who I am (yes, even the romance novels!). I love a good Aunt Dimity mystery. Reading them inspired me to try writing my own mystery series. I actually like the Twilight books. They made me long for a better, more romantic, teen existence. Finally, A Call To Conscience: The Landmark Speeches By Martin Luther King, Jr. fires me up and makes me want to hope again.
Day 9: What place are you most grateful for?

Home, because there is no place like it. The best part of going on a trip is knowing that you will return home. Then you come home and lay in your bed (that fits you perfectly), you read your books, and drink your water AND ARE ALL THE MORE GRATEFUL for what you have.
Day 10: What taste are you grateful for today? 

I was craving something sweet (that I shouldn’t indulge in!) and remembering that I haphazardly packed a peach yogurt in my bag. IT HIT THE SPOT! So I am grateful for creamy peach yogurt goodness:)
Day 11: What holiday are you grateful for?

This is a tough one because I have grown into not being a holiday person. I feel the big holidays – Christmas and Thanksgiving – lead up to potential drama. So, I am grateful for any low key “holiday” where I can get away with just laying somewhere reading a book:)

Writing connection: I am blogging my 30 days of gratitude, as I do revisions to my novel, because I want to think of more human attributes to add to my MC. I think gratitude is a great human attribute that we overlook because so often when we are chasing the superficial we forget about the small stuff.

30 Days of Gratitude: Day 5

What sound are you grateful for today?

Silence.

As a wife, mother, coworker, sister, friend, scientist – whew this list could get long – there is a lot of talking in my life. I am a story teller and story lover so usually I will listen to anybody or anything. But some days, when I am feeling tired and overwhelmed, silence is golden. These are the days that I hunker down in my cubicle. Load up my podcast and consider if I really have to go eat lunch ( I mean I think the grapes and yogurt in my bag can hold me!). Silence is golden. Silence makes way for stillness and for me this is peace.

Writing connection: I am blogging my 30 days of gratitude, as I do revisions to my novel, because I want to think of more human attributes to add to my MC. I think gratitude is a great human attribute that we overlook because so often when we are chasing the superficial we forget about the small stuff.

30 Days of Gratitude: Day 3 and 4

What color are you grateful for? 

This is such an easy question for me to answer – black. Black is such a versatile color. It is forgiving when we need it to be. It pairs well with everything. And when I need to dress for an evening out or a big meeting, its the first color that says “classy” in my mind

What food are you most grateful for?

I actually have a few foods that I’m grateful for.  When I’m having a bad day, ANY type of comfort food hits the spot. Fried chicken, meatloaf, turkey and cornbread dressing, and a heap of mashed potatoes, hits the spot and melts away my blues. This food makes me think of time spent in Mississippi with my grandmother and just feeling safe.

Currently, yogurt is a morning must have for me. It is a breakfast I can easily throw in my bag on my way out of the door.  I can easily add fruit, nuts, or granola to it. I can even leave it as is. With my busy schedule and recent health conditions, I am always looking for something quick and easy that will get me over the morning hump!

Writing connection:  I am blogging my 30 days of gratitude, as I do revisions to my novel, because I want to think of more human attributes to add to my MC. I think gratitude is a great human attribute that we overlook because so often when we are chasing the superficial we forget about the small stuff.

 

30 Days of Gratitude: Day 2

What technology are you grateful for?

I am grateful for laptops (and just computers in general)!

I am an eighties baby, so I clearly remember using microfilm for school research, going to the resource desk to ask for an “M” from the Encyclopedia Britannica, and how expensive computers seemed to my family when they burst on the scenes in the 1990s.

As someone who thought they were going to be an old school author, I purchased a typewriter once so I could hand type each and every page. After page 10, I realized that I was NOT that author! I generously gifted that typewriter to someone else.

With computers, we can quickly research things (and order takeout) with a few keystrokes. Also, with my laptop, my novel and writing needs go with me as I travel endlessly for work or have a write date with friends!

Writing connection:  I am blogging my 30 days of gratitude, as I do revisions to my novel, because I want to think of more human attributes to add to my MC. I think gratitude is a great human attribute that we overlook because so often when we are chasing the superficial we forget about the small stuff.

What technology are you grateful for?

30 Days of Gratitude: Day 1

What smell are you grateful for today?

Expensive perfume. So it sounds really weird but I grew up incredibly poor and one of the most awesome things I remember my mother and aunts spending money on was Elizabeth Taylor’s White Diamonds (which back in the day, cost a pretty penny). Even when I would go to friends’ houses, their mothers would have like a special area for their perfume and kids knew NOT to touch the good stuff unless you were going to a special occasion (prom, family wedding, etc.)

Writing connection:  I am blogging my 30 days of gratitude as I do revision to my novel because I want to think of more human attributes to add to my MC. I think gratitude is a great human attribute that we overlook because so often when we are chasing the superficial when forget about the small stuff.

What smell are you grateful for?