I Am Grateful

It's been a very long day, and a very good day.

I left home this morning about 10am. Late for my TOPS meeting. Not a good start to the day, though the shower and time with my animals sure was a good start to the day. As I drove, I wrote a poem in my mind and got it down on paper as soon as I got the the meeting. No one seemed to mind that I was late. I gained 1/4 pound since last week, going in the wrong direction here, but I felt like my body was swollen today so am not surprised I had a gain. This happens occasionally, well, more often than I'd like, where I my body feels swollen... and other days when I feel much slimmer. I guess we all go through this.

After the meeting, we all went out for lunch, as we do each week. I don't always eat with them, I sometimes take something to eat in the truck, then go in and join them for tea. When I do eat, I pick the cheapest thing on the menu. Vet bills come before eating out these days, and that's okay. After lunch, Pat and Pauline were going to a thrift store to shop, so I decided to go along. I had slopped some lunch on my blouse, so figured maybe I'd get a 'new' one. I usually wash any clothes I buy, new or previously loved, before I wash them, but there are extenuating circumstances. They were having a half price sale, so that was a bonus. I got 4 nice 'new' blouses, much needed I might add. The gals were going to Dairy Queen for ice cream and invited me to join them, but I said no, I'd better get headed to Mom's.

As I drove out of town, headed north to the town where Mom lives, I remembered I'd left my note book in the restaurant, so turned around and went back for it. I'd not have been a happy girl if I'd lost my notebook.

After a short visit, Mom & I got into her car and drove to another town, larger than where she lives, about a 15 to 20 minute drive. We went to a thrift shop too, lol. I rarely go shopping, though when I do it's usually a thrift/2nd hand store. This way I can get nice clothes and still have money for food too. Often many of the clothes are new, even thought they are in a second hand store, or they're in good condition... depending on the store you go to. At the one Mom & I went to, they had a $2 bag sale on, so I stuffed that bag so full it was incredible. By the time I got out the door to Mom's car, the bag was already ripping apart. We also went to Zellers. Mom was looking for a pair of pink earrings to replace the ones she lost, but we didn't find what she wanted. We went to McDonalds and got a small ice cream cone each.

Back at Mom's, we enjoyed a wonderful dinner. Spinach salad with cantalope, strawberries, raspberries and raspberry vinegarette dressing... mmmmm. Also green, red, & yellow peppers, brown rice, and a delicious chicken dish she'd cooked. Mom is a great cook, unfortunately I did not inherit that gene, though both my sisters did. (I bet neither of them has ever changed her own oil or brake shoes in her vehicle, or crawled underneath to tie up a muffler. We are very different.) A little later, before I left, we had tea and a small slice of her homemade apple pie. (I so wanted a big slice, with ice cream, but I didn't go there.)

I left Mom's just after 8:30 and got home about 9:05pm. Watched Gray's Anatomy & Private Practice, taping ER to watch tomorrow. Now I'm blogging and have done a bit of surfing to read friends blog posts.

When I got home I got a real scare!! I couldn't find Paco!! When I'd left, he and DW were sitting on top of her cage, and now he was gone. The cat was sleeping on my armchair and DW was still on her cage, but no Paco. I looked and called and called and looked, then finally he came out from where he'd been and got onto the budgie cage. I didn't see where he came out of, but it must have been among some plants near that cage. I was sOO releaved to see him.

- I am grateful Paco is safe and well
- I am grateful for a good meeting at TOPS this morning
- I am grateful for the growing friendships with the ladies from TOPS
- I am grateful for the beautiful, warm, sunny day we had today
- I am grateful for the new clothes I bought today
- I am grateful for a couple books I got at the thrift store too
- I am grateful for the book Mom gave me, "Eat And Heal"
- I am grateful for the time I spent with my Mom
- I am grateful for the food I ate today
- I am grateful I wrote a new poem again today
- I am grateful the words are starting to flow again, both in poem form and in short stories
- I am grateful for the beautiful cat asleep on my chair, looking so huggable and kissable
- I am grateful for all my critters