I’m a little short on time for getting this post done because meetings so today I’m just going to share 3 memes I love about reading. Here we go . . .

Those just might be 3 of the truest memes ever!

If you wrote a post for today please share your link below. Thanks and Happy Thursday . . . it’s almost the weekend!

Ooof, what a week, am I right? For me, and I suspect for some of you as well, this has been the first week back after the holidays. After the merry making and the down time. After all.that.cheese and after days of not having to put on real clothes. On the one hand it feels . . . good . . . to return to a routine. On the other hand it feels like I’d rather be home by the wood stove, reading a great book.

Here are three things that have helped me to cope with having to leave the house (the horror) and go to work this week:

1. Changing out of my work clothes and into my flannel pants as soon as I get home. Now. It’s not like I wear a power suit to work, I typically wear jeans and boots and a sweater, but still. Flannel pants are so much better than jeans and they bring me right back to those post Christmas days where I was able to lounge around all the time.
2. Seeing my co-workers. I work with some really incredible people who truly care about me. It’s good to collaborate on work stuff with them. It’s also good to have someone besides Dale to talk to about . . . stuff. While he and I are both grieving, his grief is sharper and deeper than mine and I try very hard to be supportive for him and not dump my own sorrow on top of his and expect him to help me through it. Having work friends ask about the holidays, ask how I’m handling the stress and change facing our family, ask how I’m feeling, it’s really a gift.
3. Today is payday. Of course, I have direct deposit so I don’t actually have to come to work to collect a paycheck. But still. That paycheck is a sweet reminder of why it matters that I show up and do my job. Simple but true. And very motivating.

How are you coping with the return to normal life? I hope you’re finding things that make it easier for you!

If you wrote a post for today be sure and include your link below.

You know when I’m writing a Three On Thursday post that I’m truly back to a blogging routine . . .

Today I’m sharing three things I’m feeling grateful for right now.

1. My Gratitude Journal Practice. I started this back in August and every morning I sit down with my gratitude journal and quickly write down 5 things I’m grateful for while my coffee brews. The things I write are typically 5 things that happened the previous day, sometimes it’s sharing a dance with Dale or having quiet time to myself, sometimes it’s being grateful for a sunny day or time with a friend. On the morning after Randy died I sat down with that journal and thought, girl, you’re going to have to dig deep to find gratitude today. And that day was probably the hardest one so far but then something magical happened. In the days that followed, my gratitude practice became more meaningful. I found myself writing that I was grateful for a friend that brought a meal, for the arrival of flowers from friends who live far away, for the support from our community. The grateful things to write about came to me so easily and I was blown away by that.
2. All of you. This blog has gotten some extra attention lately, especially on my Facebook page, and I think that’s wonderful. Not because I want  fame and fortune but because it means I’m making connections with readers. It means that the words I write are resonating with others, are perhaps helping others, are showing others what it’s like for a family to move through a terrible time.  Those connections help me in a profound way and I’m grateful that I have this venue for processing my feelings and telling you my stories.
3. A new year. I’m not one for resolutions but I am finalizing my 20 in 2020 list and it feels good to set goals, both fun ones and serious ones. Yesterday I set up my new passion planner/bullet journal and I did some brainstorming as part of that process. I was surprised at some of the ideas that came up and I’m grateful to have a way to track those ideas and find opportunities to make some of those dreams come true through planning and prioritizing how I use my talent, allocate my time, and spend my money.

Those are just 3 of the things I’m feeling grateful for today. I hope you are also feeling grateful, too, because I think it’s one of the best feelings there is.

The other day I alluded to discussing more about Christmas music today and that’s just what I’m going to do. True confession: I start listening to Christmas music on November 1st. Yep. And I have no shame about that because it makes me happy and I don’t force it on anyone else. (Well, except for Dale but I don’t think he really minds.)

Here’s the thing, though. I’m not talking about . . . mainstream . . . Christmas music. I’m not over here listening to Jingle Bells and Deck the Halls, I’m listening to songs that are far less traditional. And sometimes (okay often) sort of sad. (Dale says no wonder people are depressed during the holidays if they listen to the stuff I listen to but his favorite Christmas song is Holly Jolly Christmas so what does he know about being sad at Christmas anyway?)

Here are my 3 favorites right now:

Coldplay, Christmas Lights.

Brandi Carlile, The Heartache Can Wait.

Van Morrison, Celtic New Year.

What kind of Christmas music do you enjoy?

If you wrote a post for this week please include your link below. Thanks for joining us!