Thankful IV

After a long, boring Saturday spent working at home, I thought I should search my soul for something I am thankful for today.

Day 4 of Thankful Andrea: November 13

I am thankful for Annie!

Enough said!

Thankful III

I really wanted to write a regular post for once, since I am really trying to be non-lazy this week! But I am committed to this 29 days of thanks thing. So I guess I will combine the two.

Day 3 of Thankful Andrea: November 9

I am (somewhat) thankful for the ability to run. While I find myself really hating running, I can't help but think that a little over a year ago, I never thought I could be a runner. I started gasping for life with any minimal amount of exercise. I had diagnosed myself with exercise-induced asthma. The treatment for my self-diagnosis: Don't exercise.
Little did I know, I COULD run. I could run with a friend. I could run by myself. I could run 5Ks!! By March, I could run an 8K!!! Crazy.
But still this summer and fall, I find myself really not wanting to run. I think RAGBRAI ruined me on running for a while. Biking is so much more enjoyable for me, and the amount of biking I did before and during RAGBRAI left little time or motivation to run.
I am now forcing myself to run in hopes that it will become habit again. As I was struggling through my run tonight, thinking about a what to write in my next post, I thought about this thankfulness idea. We recently received an email at school, asking for the teachers to make cards with their class for a soldier who has lost both of his legs while serving his country. Wow. What on earth am I complaining about when I have to drag my butt off the couch to go for a run. That soldier would probably love the chance to run. Or the chance to complain about a run, because his world is not encumbered by anything else. Perspective, here, Lazy Girl!
On day 3 of Thankful Andrea, I am thankful that I CAN run.

Thankful II

After a very long, exhausting week, I find thankfulness difficult. However, this makes me think it would be a good time to dig deep to find some thanks!

Day 2 of Thankful Andrea: November 5

I am thankful for fall. It is my favorite season, for several reasons.
1) All my favorite colors signify fall. Purple, red, brown, gold....now that I think of it, most of my house is decorated fall-ishly.
2) Sweatshirts and jeans. That's it. Love it. I hate that I had to get my winter coat out this week. My denial of the approach of winter is coming to an end.
3) Crunchy leaves that have that certain fall-y smell.
4) It's just so darn pretty. Dubuque Bluffs. That's all I'm going to say.

Summer's great, but I am always ready for beautiful, comfortable fall. Spring....new life and all that, okay, I get the appeal. But I mainly see rain and mud as the symbol of spring. And I don't even want to talk about winter. Winter is something I really have to work hard to get through every year. I do not like winter. But fall.........that's where it's at!

On day 2 of Thankful Andrea, I am thankful that I live in a region where I can really enjoy the best season there is.

Thankful

Since this Thanksgiving is extra special this year (it is also my 29th birthday), I have decided to write everyday about the things that I am thankful for. 29 thanks for all 29 years of my existence! This is my attempt to be more introspective. I must warn....I am not so good at this self-contemplation, so don't be surprised if I end up discussing my thanks for things like pizza.

Here goes.....

Day 1 of Thankful Andrea: November 2

I am thankful to live in a place where I can vote. I am the second person to tell you that I am not involved enough in politics. (The first would be my friend Beth, who is pretty well-informed in her politics, and who yells at me all the time about it.) I have had a really hard time trying to get involved this year. I want to learn more, especially being a teacher. But, man. I can't handle the negativity that has overtaken the political world. It's almost enough to keep you away from the polls. And actually research is showing that young people (am I still included in that demographic?) are not voting because of the negativity surrounding the political races. And I get that. But still, today I walked into the church down the street from my house in order to cast my ballot on something I knew much less about than Beth. As I walked in the door, I saw my sister, Wendy, sitting at a ballot box, so intently reading her ballot that she could not hear me saying her name. I was three feet away from her. As I was sitting down at my box, with an enormous piece of paper with a lot of names I did not know, I heard the elderly volunteers voicing their hope that they would get 300 people by 3:00. They seemed to think it was not going to happen.
After turning in my ballot, I thought about the importance of what I just did. Granted, it was not as huge as picking out our president. However, if the people living without the "basic" right to vote, were given the chance, they would FILL that church basement today. They ALL would be concentrating as hard as my sister was. Just to have their voices heard. What a gift we have! Yes, our system is FAR from perfect. Really far. But who are we to say "hmmmm....this right I've been given.....the one so many people around the world wish they had....that people fought for us to have.....Nah, no thanks, I'm gonna sit at home and complain about that very right."

Wow. This was deep for Andrea. Ask Beth. Who knew this midterm election would spark this attitude, and this 29 days of thankfulness? I'm thinking maybe it's time to start learning some politics!
On day one of Thankful Andrea, I am thankful for the right to vote.