Gratitude Lists

~ patwdoyle11

In November, there were many “what am I grateful for” lists in line with the Thanksgiving holiday (here in the USA).  I always enjoy reading these lists and they inspire my own list thinking/making. Gratitude is also one of the positivity practices that I am working on using more often to help with my negative reactive spirals. I’d like to share a few of my gratitude lists over the past few weeks:

In late November I wrote: I am grateful for creating a full turkey dinner complete with my mom’s stuffing recipe; getting everything ready to bake Christmas cookies for the first time in years; buying yet another pair of unique earrings at a craft show; pulling out comfy yoga pants and top on a rainy Sunday afternoon; every glorious sunrise I see out my window over morning coffee; making yard art, more artsy bottles, and holiday button earrings; buying even more plants; and hubby being willing to do things with me when no one else will.

A recent Sunday review took a different spin in my journal with the question, “How many fun experiences did I do this week?”  There was finally shopping at a not-so-local Farmers Market, which is going to become a regular event!  And going to the huge after-Thanksgiving Small Business Festival, but this year with a girlfriend tribe, a first time experience. We spent hours shopping as we realized we all had different shop interests! There was also going to the local “Saigon Night Market” which was another long-term thing on my Possibilities List. And lastly, making a full turkey dinner for the first time in this house (new induction stove) and not stressing about getting everything ready – it all came out fine.  Thanksgiving Day also included watching The Macy’s Day Parade “with” my siblings via text and then March of the Wooden Soldiers on TV – a childhood flashback!

Mid-December’s gratitude list included all kinds of holiday activities.  There was walking through the lights at the local Botanical Gardens, watching a local Holiday Light Boat Parade, going to three different holiday musical shows at our local theater, decorating gingerbread houses at a friend’s house, exchanging Christmas cookies with our neighbor’s, doing a dolphin cruise during my sister’s visit, dressing up as an elf to help Santa at our park’s tree lighting event, putting up our Christmas tree (I didn’t really think through size when I purchased it… it’s way too big for our house!) and enjoying the memories sparked by various ornaments, and of course biking the neighborhood to look at lights including hubby’s lights up on our house.  Here’s some pictures of these holiday fun times:

In December I am also very grateful for all the comments on my blog posts, which helped me through a difficult situation.

And lastly, tonight I am grateful that the most recent local storm surge flooding spared us once again with only water in the garage and a mess in the yard, but no water in the house. I think storm flooding is going to be the new normal; not something that was common in the past 25 years here.

I have so much to be grateful for, including all my blogging buddies – readers and commenters. Wishing you all an amazing holiday season.

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Published by patwdoyle11

Life is a series of transitions and my blog captures my retirement transition journey.

21 thoughts on “Gratitude Lists”

  1. Hi Pat, what a great collection of photos and you as the elf steals the show! You sound like you’ve had a lot of fun things happening and have been making the most of your talents – gratitude is always a winner in my book! All the best for 2024 and thanks for joining us for #WBOYC.

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  3. Certainly plenty to be grateful for in December. I love that pic of you dressed as an elf and the one of the dolphin leaping. As for your tree being too big for the house … is there such a thing? Happy new year.

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    1. LOL. Well, when the tree takes up the entire conversation area so no-one can sit in the chairs….yep. But it’s just for 3 weeks, and I love the lights and ornaments! I really adore Christmas lights…we did another neighborhood drive through this week. Amazingly about 80% of the houses decorate! They put up arrows so you can wind your way through to see everything and not get lost or re-loop. And donation buckets for a local charity. Loved it!
      Happy New Year to you!

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  4. Hello Pat, certainly much to be grateful for in your life and thank you for sharing. Love the Gingerbread House and your Elf hat. It is wonderful that many around Australia decorate their homes with lights. There is a wonderful walking tour you can do for those who have really gone the extra mile with decorations and it is so joyful. Thank you for joining us for #WBOYC and I look forward to you joining us again in 2024. Happy New Year to you and your family x

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    1. Happy New Year to you Sue! I don’t often stumble upon the #WBOYC in time to load a post, or I don’t have one that fits, so I was happy to find both this month. Something else to be grateful for.

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    1. Nancy, They have predicted a “wet winter” here in Florida; we are hoping it’s more rain than storm surge going forward. Of course, lots of rain is bad for others. I know we can’t control Mother Nature… just manage what she does to us in the best way possible. Hoping you’re drying out a bit and maybe having a bit of white Christmas? Wishing you and yours a happy holiday season!

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    1. Fran, I’m thinking of trying to do more gratitude posts going forward as this one was fun to put together. I’m not much of a picture taker in general, so would need to start there. Happy Holidays to you and yours!

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    1. Janis, Merry Christmas to you and yours! I’m spending some quiet time this holiday looking back on 2023 (which was a tough year in total) and thinking about 2024, with some positive anticipation. Hope you have a great holiday and here’s to 2024!

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  8. Hi Pat, I love how the pink flamingo looks like it is sitting on your shoulder in the selfie. That photo along with you as an elf defines cuteness. It was brave of you to do the Turkey dinner thing. I gave up on that years ago. Cheers to a beautiful December.

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    1. Suzanne, You’ve probably realized I’m not much of a picture taker…that flamingo on my shoulder was unplanned but so cool! It’s been a wonderful lead-in to the holidays, which will be quiet in our household. I’m looking forward to some quiet days – reading, Christmas music, maybe some reflection on a WOTY for 2024. Wishing you and yours a wonderful holiday! Merry Christmas!

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  9. This was an inspiring post Pat. Lots to be grateful for. I’m thankful for you being in the blogging world. I enjoyed all the photos, especially the one of you as the Christmas elf helper. Wishing you happy holidays and a flood free 2024.

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    1. Kathy, Yes to a flood-free 2024! Nothing I can control of course. I don’t often do photos, so had fun with this post.The elf one is certainly getting comments – both here and on other social media sites. It’s been a lovely lead-in holiday season, although the actual holidays will be quiet in our house. Merry Christmas to you and yours. And may 2024 hold something special in store for you!

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  10. Wow! Looks like a full schedule for you!!!! And tons of fun!!! Congratulations on the the Turkey dinner – that is not an easy thing to do but knowing your scheduling skills I bet you had it all timed out perfectly! Enjoy!! And Merry Christmas!!!

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  11. Hi Pat – I love you as a Christmas elf! It gave me a smile and so did the gingerbread house. Congrats on cooking the full turkey dinner – something I couldn’t pull off anymore without a fair degree of stress! Have a lovely Christmas and keep the gratitude rolling – life really is pretty darn wonderful when you’re this age. x

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