Category Archives: gratitude

Pay it Forward – Take II

3 Replies

Have you seen the movie Pay it Forward? It came out back in 2000, based on a novel by Catherine Ryan Hyde. In the story, the teacher assigns his class to do a simple, good deed for someone without any expectations and in return, only ask that they pay the kindness forward, ideally for three other people.

What better way to share what we have, be it big or small with others. And by expressing our gratitude through sharing and random acts of kindness, we’re letting the Universe know that we are open to prosperity and good things for all involved.

If you’re looking to get more involved or to help others to help themselves, check out the Pay it Forward Movement – they’ve got a slew of projects going on around the world. You can also get involved in The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation, SixDegrees or VolunteerMatch.

Or just practice your own small, random act of kindness and ask nothing more in return than for someone else to pay it forward. And for a fun little personal twist on this movement, why not take a moment and check out my Pay it Forward post. It’s all about the warm & fuzzies and a little fun, right?

Sometimes You Just Need to Show Up

2 Replies

Nothing merely shows up in your experience. You attract it – all of it. No exceptions.*

With that, let me just say that I’m attracting two marvelous things…

A new home – THE new home, complete with separate office in the backyard. To help ease the manifestation process and visualization along, I took a photo – complete with my car parked in the drive, of course. It’s a step up from parking spaces and flowers. But I know it will be done.

A new career – Now that my site pretty much trucks along of it’s own accord, I’d like to get back to working. So I met with a friend for dinner and she gave me just the nudge and confirmation that I needed. Talk about gratitude and being open to what life throws your way. I can’t wait to see where this ride takes me!

*Law of Attraction: The Basics of the Teachings of Abraham by Esther & Jerry Hicks

A Thought About Thoughts

Leave a reply

I found this in a friend’s journal a while back and had been holding onto to it knowing that when the time was right, it would touch me.

“It isn’t the things that are happening to us that cause us to suffer, it’s what we say to ourselves about the things that are happening. That’s where the suffering comes from.”

Now I don’t, by any means consider myself to be suffering or even to woe is me, have suffered. Looking back, even through the stumbles, the challenges and the losses, I’d never say I’ve suffered. I don’t have any regrets. I figure that life is what you make of it. As far as I know, I might not be the person that I am if I hadn’t experienced all that I have; the ups and the downs, the highs and the lows. But strangely, this weekend at book club (The Usual Rules by Joyce Maynard) this message reached out to me on some level.

I lost my mom when I was young. I’m sure it was a very painful experience. In fact it must’ve been painful enough that I’ve blocked out 6 or so years of my childhood (3 years old through to 3rd grade). But I can also honestly say that I really didn’t miss my mother all that much. I mean, I’m sure that I did miss her, just in ways that I didn’t realize at the time. But really, it’s hard to miss something that you never had, you know? I really don’t believe in a heaven or a hell, I strongly believe that my mother has always been a part of my life and was and is always with me.

I honestly believe that I am the strong, nurturing, caring, confident person that I am because of my loss. I’m sure, that while I may not remember my early teachers, I can remember the impact that my teachers had on me during those years and they’re influence is one of the reasons that I went into teaching. I’m also fairly certain that I went into the mental health field because I wanted to be able to help people to help themselves. I don’t want anyone to ever think that they can’t overcome anything that life throws at them. There’s just no need to suffer when you can create whatever life you want.

So instead of focusing on the challenges and stumbling blocks that life throws your way, take a moment to see the opportunity. There is power, much power in both your thoughts and beliefs. So think it, believe it and be it. I don’t know about you, but I’d much rather think myself in a happy, joy & love-filled place than think myself in a place of pain and suffering. Choose wisely and don’t be afraid to help yourself (or to ask for help) in creating the life that you want for yourself.

Wow, this went to a totally different place than I had originally planned to go. Guess I had something on my mind afterall. There just might be an edit waiting to happen in here so don’t be surprised.

Pay it Forward

4 Replies

I will send a gift to the first THREE anyone who leave a comment here requesting to join this PIF exchange. You will receive it within 365 days (actually probably less than that). The only thing you have to do in return is “pay it forward” by making a similar agreement on your blog.

The “gift” you send doesn’t have to be handmade, but it can be – it can be something written, something drawn or designed, something that reminded me of you, icons, photos, goodies, whatever.

Just so you now that you’ll be safe, I highly doubt that I’d “write” something for you, so no poetry or fanfic sort of stuff. Nor will I serenade you with song, but that’s just me.

Just make sure you comment with a legit email account (which I believe is the only way you can comment) and I’ll contact you for an address. What a great way for strangers and lurkers to come out of the closet and let me get to know you.

Better Late than Never – Thursday Thirteen: Friends & Gratitude

Leave a reply

Today is Thursday and that typically means that I should be doing a Thursday Thirteen, but I decided late last night to skip it this week. Instead, I was going to write up a poignant post on friendship. But you know, just now as I started writing this, I figured I’d combine the both. So here we go…thirteen reasons I’m grateful for my friends…

1. filled our freezer with food when my father-in-law (FIL) passed away
2. sent donations to the American Cancer Society in my FIL’s name
3. drove an hour+ to attend my FIL’s funeral, burial and wake, all during a visit with family to be by my side
4. allowed me to live rent-free for a month
5. let me move in with her when I was at a financial low point
6. bought me my favorite WW-friendly, ice cream from Baskin Robbins
7. hosted a full on dinner party for me, my hubby and my two other friends when we were back in Albuquerque visiting
8. passed along baby clothes that they no longer needed so I could pass them on to my sister-in-law since she didn’t have local friends of family to pass things on to her
9. sent me a priority envelop stuffed full of convention freebies and deluxe hotel toiletries (more than once!)
10. snuck home a piece of chocolate cake, squished into a pilfered coffee cup from a work function
11. convinced me to fly to LA and attend a Memorial Day party where I wound up meeting my husband
12. shared a vacation rental (not once, but twice) and opened their home to us – even though some folks may think it’s weird that we’re such good friends with my hubby’s ex
13. were there to support me financially, emotionally, lovingly during any one time or another

I could go on and on, but really, I’m just so grateful for my friends and would do anything for them (and they know it!)

I Think the Universe Has a Message For Me…

Leave a reply

And it’s not to eat tostada pizzas all day long. Sadly, it’s not. Earlier today, I met up with Megan Crane to interview her for my website’s blog. I brought the recording equipment with me so we can hopefully run it as audio and not have to transcribe it. So we’re sitting at CPK, chowing down on our salad pizzas (tostada pizza YUM!) making small talk, just fine and dandy.

The waitress comes and clears away the plates and we set up the recorder and the mics. I through it on to do a test to make sure the controls are right and boom, we’re off! We’re talking, we’re laughing, we’re getting some really good, really casual, really breezy, quality stuff. Then I look down to get a time check and fuck a duck! I managed to re-pause the machine so nothing, and I mean NOTHING recorded!

Then, on the way out (here’s where I really go “what the fuck?”) I get into my car and realize that I can’t find my cell phone. Now obviously, I know I had it considering it rang mere seconds before we started the interview. So I tear apart my pockets and my backpack and then run back upstairs. Of course, it’s no where to be found. So I head back down to the car, check my backpack again, reach into a pocket that I already checked at least twice and there it was (boy am I grateful that it wasn’t gone).

So obviously, the Universe is trying to send me some sort of message through my cell phone. For those of you counting along, this is like the 4th time I’ve misplaced or forgotten my phone in less than a month. So what’s the message? Disconnect? Communicate by not speaking? Don’t talk on the phone any more? I have no idea, but it’s something. And I better figure it out before my phone disappears for good!

One Boy, Two Boy, Three Boy, Love

Leave a reply

Today was one of those days that when the hubby left I was just bursting with love and gratitude. Maybe it was the way our cat was scared of the lawn guy’s blowers and was crying and hiding behind my hubby’s legs. Maybe it was the way that our dog was barking at the lawn guys trying to keep them away from us. Maybe it was the way that my hubby just looked at me before he kissed me goodbye as he left for work.

I don’t know and can’t rightly say for sure. All I know is that I love all of my boys and today, all day long, my heart was bursting with love. As I’ve said before, sometimes, all you need is love.

What is Lost is Found

1 Reply

I believe the Universe has a message for me. Thing is, I haven’t quite figured out yet what that message might be. While I had a blast running around Chicago this weekend meeting new friends, I also seemed to have had a pattern of misplacing things. I’d call them lost, but really, as I’ve learned, what is lost, can be found. Just ask, believe and ye shall receive.

So basically, it all started before I even really left LA. I found out on the shuttle to the airport that I’d left my cell phone in my car. Of course, there was no way I was able to go back and get it. The challenge here is that I don’t know my husband’s cell phone number and I didn’t have his business card with his cell number on me. So I called my girlfriend in NM (a number that I did have memorized) and asked if she had it. So I was able to call from the airport and leave him a message that I didn’t have my phone. Luckily, I’ll basically talk to anyone, so on the train from the airport into the hotel, I borrowed a gal’s phone to let him know that I was on my way. No harm, no foul. Continue reading →

Fits Like a Glove

Leave a reply

And it was on sale to boot!!!

Out here in the Valley, it gets hot in the summer. I mean really hot – and I’m sure I’ll be posting about that quite a bit from here on out. And me, well, I work from home in our barely air conditioned apartment (thank God it’s on the bottom floor!!) that also gets hot inside with the AC on! And working from home, well, there’s never much of a need to dress up – unless you count running to the grocery store or visiting with the UPS guy (yeah, like we’re buds). So I’m always looking for comfortable clothes to lounge about in.

Since I’ve started working out some months ago, along with our hour+ evening walks, I’m just blowing through my sports bras. *There’s a connection here, keep reading* I keep buying new ones, yet I never seem to have enough. The other day I decided to stop by Old Navy and check out their rockin’ summer sale (they’re losing their in-store plus department and everything is bargain basement cheap). While there wasn’t all too much for me that I needed or wanted (again, it’s not like I need the perfect outfit to sit in our office and mess around on the computer all day), I decided to pick up a new sports bra.

I wasn’t really expecting much, but man, I’m in love! So much so that I ran out yesterday during our crazy day of furniture shopping to hit up a different Old Navy and picked up two more. I have a feeling I will be living in these all summer. So much more comfortable than my more bra-like sports bras. It doesn’t rub, chafe (not that mine ever did), or move around. It’s long enough that it sits super comfortable on my back and doesn’t cut into my ribcage right under the boobies. It’s great for working out as well as for lounging about.

So while this is a strange as hell topic to blog about. I just have to say…I’m just so damn comfortable that I just don’t care! Stay cool!

Off to a Good Start

3 Replies


Alison Krauss & Union Station @ the Greek
Originally uploaded by katysabrat.

You know it’s going to be one helluva night when it starts out at Denny’s! Yeah well, they hubby figured it was closer to the ATM and wouldn’t have a huge crowd like anything in Silver Lake would have.

We got to the show a little late, but that meant for easy breezy parking. Luckily, since he’d won the company box seats through a work raffle, it also came with premium parking. So we were able to slide right into a parking space and cruise right on in to our seats. Let me just say, box seats at the Greek are nice! And you’re not nearly as cramped and crowded as you can get at the Bowl.

The show was fun. Alison Krauss has an incredible voice. And I had no idea that her bandmates (Union Station) were those Foggy Bottom folks from that weird George Clooney movie. They put on a very entertaining, and very blue grassy show.

Their last song of the evening before heading off stage was Oh, Atlanta. I’ve loved that song since the first time I heard it. Sadly, the band decided to mess with her and played it so slow it just sounded awful. She kept trying to do it, and wound up laughing. Eventually, she just told them to stop. It’s a shame because that’s such an awesome and fun song.

And their first encore was When You Say Nothing At All. That has to be one of the prettiest songs out there. I get goosebumps or tear up whenever I hear it. Again, it was a tad slower than usual, but not nearly as noticeable.

So now we’re home briefly before heading out to the Hotel Cafe for that super secret Hanson/Rob Thomas show. It doesn’t even start until midnight, so we have plenty of time. I’m interested in who their target audience will be. I mean, they’re all married with kids now (I think) and they’re not quite those Mmmmbop boys anymore.

So now back to my chilled glass of Pinot Gris (Valley of the Moon – bought while on vacation) YUM!