The Gratitude Project Day 2

For the Gratitude Project, I'm posting three things I'm truly grateful for, no matter how silly or small every day for 30 days.

Day Two: 1. A great neighborhood in which to walk; 2. yummy salmon; 3. my books.

And perhaps today, for a special reason, I will add another: whipped cream. Here's to you, Penny!

Gratitude Project

When I checked in this afternoon and looked at the sidebar of the recent blog posts, I knew that something had happened that had reverberated throughout the dog blogs. Dear Penny had gone to the Rainbow Bridge. And while I had never met Penny and had not followed her blog for too long, I always associated her with her beloved whipped cream. Even at a very sad time, the thought of Penny and her whipped creamed face made me smile. And just in case I was feeling too sad, my friend Mary Anne Kirwan had posted a status update at Facebook that spoke to me. It's the Gratitude Project. I had heard of it quite a while ago, but her reminder had me quickly Googling it. And here's what it said:

In January 2009 we set out on a creative adventure, vowing to look for and record the everyday blessing in our lives. We were hopeful that the experts would be right..that focusing on the good things that surround us would make us happier, reduce our level of stress, and allow us to cope better when difficulties arose. Those of us who participated found those benefits and many more we didn't expect. We learned about one another, and more importantly, we learned about ourselves. And in the process, we made great friends and created an album of our blessings we are sure to treasure for years to come.

So why not in this very sad time among the dog blogs remember our blessings, remember the good things in life, remember that even though there is sadness, there is also joy. I decided to follow the lead of my friend Kir and for 30 days list three things for which I am grateful. Won't you join me?

Day One: 1. A beautiful blue sky sunshine day. 2. Great online friends and getting to meet some in person. 3. My soft comfy blue microfiber down alternative blankie on the couch.

How Dogs Are Affected

Even animals are affected by the way we humans are treating the environment!

A Few Words Wednesday

So, weekend before last I drove and drove and drove (ok, it wasn't that long but it sure seemed like it at times) and ended up in Hagerstown, MD where I met a couple of friends from the Boston area. We went hiking in Harpers Ferry, WV. It's where the Shenandoah River meets up with the Potomac on its way to Washington, DC. We also went into Washington one evening to go to the Terra Cotta Warriors exhibit at the National Geographic.

Spring Days

Since the weather has been so nice lately (and of course today is cold and blustery!), I've been going for walks in the neighborhood. On these walks I've met some pups who were also enjoying some exercise. Some were large, some were small, and some hadn't grown into their paws yet! The city is once again coming to life with people and pups everywhere. And you don't find dogs just at the city parks -- no, they're walking down busy streets, they're trotting past restaurants and bars and trying to enter (but being persuaded that they're not old enough to enter all establishments); they're sitting on balconies and enjoying the sun or playing in front yards and in the case of one little Yorkie I met recently, slipping between the iron gate bars and running down the sidewalk.

Are you getting exercise this spring? Are you walking or running or playing? There are so many new possibilities every spring and so many new adventures to find that you just need to get out and get moving to be a part of it all. I hope all pups and peeps are getting out and enjoying this very special time of year.

Wordless Wednesday

I Am a Part of All That I Have Met

Spring and rebirth are in the air. The sun is warmer and starting next week the days will seem longer as we "spring forward" to daylight savings time. The Canadian geese are out and about in fine form -- including the one that stopped traffic on the ramp to Lake Shore Drive by just meandering across and hopping up on the guard rail. And baseball is back -- I caught part of the first spring training Cub game on the radio and today they are televised! It is a time to clean out the cobwebs and get a fresh start on life. But as we desire that fresh start and want to start anew, there are threads interwoven in our very fabric that will always be there from the past, for everyone we've met, everyone we've encountered in our lives has left a mark on us, left a little piece that we carry with us always.

I have a friend -- and, yes, I still say that in the present tense -- that I haven't talked to for nearly five years. She was an internet friend first, one that was in the chat room with us on Sept. 11th, one that I exchanged cards and packages with, one that I'd stay up late chatting with. She ceased being just an internet friend when she came to visit in 2004 and then again in 2005. We laughed and talked and hugged, not just virtually, but in real life. She went back to England and vanished one day. I understood her reasoning to a certain extent, but she did not know that the virtual life she was trying to leave was not what we now had. Our friendship wasn't virtual anymore, it was real. I sent emails, I sent notes, but there was no response. So why do I still consider her a friend? Because I understand her, even her leaving, and I know there is a part of me that will always carry a little bit of her.

Spring cleaning is in full force in my home, organizing, decluttering, dedusting (I never really understood the term 'dusting' -- why would I want more dust around?), but there are parts that will stay the same, parts of the past that are now a vital part of me and I can't rid myself of those pieces anymore than I can rid myself of my heart. My friend, and the other internet friends I've met in real life, have woven their way into me, as has Rainy. Though we may all never meet again at least in this world, they will always be a part of me. For as Tennyson's poem Ulysses says, I am a part of all that I have met.