30 Days of Thanks – 16

For almost 15 years I have had the great fortune to work from home, and I am so grateful for the freedom and flexibility that has afforded me. Since my office is in the kitchen there are often distractions to be tuned out. But the sunshine and space here is lovely, and I won’t consider moving into the unused bedroom. My husband has worked from home for 20 years, so our children had the luxury of always having at least one parent, if not two, available to help in their schools, assist with after school running around, and taking time to listen to their stories. We appreciates this wonderful work environment. How rich I am!

30 Days of Thanks – 15

This weekend I was fortunate to drive to Corpus Christi with a friend for a day-long meeting with a group of like-minded, spiritual men and women. I opened the door to my room at the hotel and discovered that I had a gorgeous deck that overlooked a marina and the gulf – just across the street. The 12th floor view was breath taking. I left the drapes open in order to enjoy the lights at night and see what the morning would bring. Waking at first light was spectacular and as dawn approached we were walking along the water and watched the sun rise.

I am so grateful for the amazing spiritual weekend and look forward to returning next year.

30 Days of Thanks – 14

If you have the good fortune to live in Louisiana, you are probably grateful like I am. Although I wasn’t born here, I have spent almost all of my life in this state. We have suffered at the bottom of lots of lists, but we truly are a fabulous place to visit, as well as live. While everyone knows about New Orleans and many have vacationed there, you likely have not gotten to know the real New Orleans. It’s more than the French Quarter and Bourbon Street.

You might have missed all the antebellum plantations along the Mississippi River up through Baton Rouge and St. Francisville. You may not have toured the Tabasco plant or seen the salt domes. Did you know we have amazing swamp tours all through the state and boast some of the best fishing in the country? Not to mention the shrimp, crab, crawfish and oyster farms. We are home to Creole, Cajun, and French cuisine. (Yes, we truly have the best food in the country.) Our festivals are known far and wide – not just Mardi Gras. The people are warm, friendly, and hospitable. We have a large number of refineries here. Our universities have many nationally ranked programs in academics and sports.

“Come as you are. Leave different.”

30 Days of Thanks – 13

Two years ago I had not even heard of the coaching profession. Today, I am living proof of the huge differences that a coach can bring to your business. I’ve had the distinct pleasure of personally working with 3 outstanding coaches – each the top of his/her game. They have helped me see me as others see me, and they have also shown me how to build my business by leaping up the ladder instead of taking each rung at a time. Today I had a lengthy phone call with another coach – this time just sharing some ideas about marketing and finding clients. Her patience and professionalism showed me again that there is so much to be gained by working with a coach.

If you have been reluctant to invest in a coach, think about this. If you won’t invest in yourself, how can you expect clients to invest in you? (I got that from several coaches. They are right.) The money you invest will come back to you many times over when you implement the ideas they help you with.
I am thankful for my coaches!

30 Days of Thanks – 12

I’m grateful for the handy men in my life! Yesterday we had a new dresser delivered to our home. My husband had been using an old dresser that we finally sent off to fill up a guest room at my daughter’s new house. So, moving the dresser showed us the baseboard that had been damaged due to a water leak and the subsequent issues that caused. At the time the damage occurred we just put a dresser in front of it and forgot about it. Time passed. New dresser coming in. So what does my handy husband do? He got out his crowbar, pulled the old baseboard off, ran to our favorite home improvement store and bought a length of new baseboard to match. Got out his trusty miter saw and cut the board to the right length. Slapped a couple coats of paint on it, then took his air compressor and attached it to the nail gun and we were back in business. He loves this stuff. He comes from a long line of handy men. And so do I.

My dad is an incredibly handy guy, too. Therefore, it never occurred to me growing up, nor when I got married that people actually hired other folks to do this kind of work. Need a toilet moved and reseated? We do it. Need to replace a garbage disposal? No sweat. Over the years my hubby’s handy nature has saved us thousands of dollars. And made him happy in the process. I’ve told him he can retire and go back to work doing little things like that all day long.

Glad I am raising handy children, too!

30 Days of Thanks – 11

On this Veteran’s Day I am supremely grateful for all the service men and women through the years who have put their lives in harms way so that we might be the great country that we are. We live in a military town – there is a very large Strategic Air Force Base here. Every day we see B-52 bombers circling the skies. If you go out to lunch, you are likely to see groups of men and women from the base in the restaurant. It’s a marvelous, patriotic feeling to be surrounded by amazing men and women like that.

I talked to my Dad this morning for a long time about his service in WWII. He was fresh out of college and just thought it was a job to do, then you come home and get on with your life. (That’s so like him!) He was a pilot in the Army Air Corps and flew cargo planes in Burma, China, India and Egypt. His squadron was the very first one to develop the means of parachuting supplies to the troops. He flew “The Hump” many times, wearing an oxygen mask and coaxing his plane over the very high mountain peaks, all in his duty to ensure the soldiers had the ammunition, gasoline, and supplies they needed each day.
I am so proud of my Dad. And so grateful.

30 Days of Thanks – 10

Today I am grateful for the many experiences I have had in my journey as a business owner. The things I have learned and done in the last couple of years were not even on my radar when I worked for someone else. I didn’t know this world existed, these job descriptions, these software products, and all these amazing people. It never occurred to me that work could be this fun. Every day is full of amazing potential and I want to share that with everyone I know. If you are within ear shot, you’ve probably heard me “gush” about what how great my life is and how much I love what I do.

Thank you, if you are someone I have met in the last couple of years! Thanks for sharing this time, and your knowledge, support and expertise with me.

30 Days of Thanks – 9

Today I am glad for my clubs! Book club, garden club, and my knitting group. Each of these fills different spots in my heart and soul and leaves me happy and content after we meet. My book club has been going on since 1994, and I am proud to be one of two remaining original members. Our members have slowly changed over time, and we have built some deep and wonderful friendships. The only requirement is that members live in this neighborhood. It’s understood what kind of member we need, so when openings happen, someone usually has a new member to throw into the mix. There are 15-20 members at any given time. We always meet at 11am on a Monday, and we chat about everything that has happened over the last month, before getting to the book discussion which lasts about 45 minutes. The hostess serves lunch and we continue to talk. Today is Book Club day, and it will be the highlight of my Monday. I love this quirky mixture of talented and brilliant women who are my neighbors.

My garden club is also a fun mixture of people from across the city. We are composed of lots of master gardeners and lots of wannabe’s. This is always a Saturday morning during the month, and consists of breakfast, chatting, and then a tour of the hostesses’ garden. (food and talk – see the pattern?) So goes the knitting group: food, talk, knitting.  I hope you have great, fun groups to enrich your life, too!

30 Days of Thanks – 8

How grateful I am that on Sundays, everyone in this country can worship as they choose. Serving my church and attending services twice each week, is a big part of my life. I know it is a big part of other people’s lives, too. As I drive down the road each Sunday morning, I pass by quite a few other churches, all denominations, welcoming members and visitors alike. Some are traditional, more formal church services. Some embrace a newer, contemporary feeling. No matter – God is in each place, for each person.

As youngsters we are taken to Sunday Schools and churches with our parents. As we grow older, we can choose to continue in that tradition, or seek out another faith or church. How great is that? Join me in giving thanks for this amazing country that was founded on religious freedom.

30 Days of Thanks – 7

Today I am thankful for life long friends. Last night my husband and I went to the LA Tech/Boise State football game in Ruston – a town about an hour away. He and my daughter are Tech alums. Anyway, we met up with 3 other couples my husband has grown up with over the years. Some since middle school. They all live within a few hours drive, so we see each other at least once or twice a year. The guys may meet for a golf day; as couples we vacation together. Our children have friendships with their children. We have been to weddings, funerals, baby showers and parties for each other. These are the kind of friends that would drop anything in the middle of the night and drive to be with you.They know our good news and our bad news.

It’s such a blessing to have friends who you can grow up with!