It seems that 2015 has come and almost gone in the blink of an eye. Could it be because I have had a full year… And that time really does fly when you are having fun?
Every morning I start my day with gratitude. A simple moment to stop and remember what I am fortunate to have. However, Thanksgiving seems to bring up the “big picture”…. A years worth of events, changes, improvements and the wonderful surprises that I could never have imagined in my life a year ago.
This year I’m thankful for people and places most of all.
When it’s 82 degrees everyday in March, you know you are in Hawaii. When you share that experience with good friends (Greg and Chris) and your sweetheart (Mark) well that’s just perfect!
A new friend and the best accountant on the planet (Chris Latino) helped me get through tax season without losing my mind. Then he advised a “tax recovery weekend” with Mark in small town Wyoming! It worked and the weekend was a fun adventure in flight, romance, dinosaurs and hot springs. But it was Chris himself, that I was most grateful for adding to my life.
After that I found myself in San Diego with my parents – the people that taught me that if I applied myself I could do anything and go anywhere. So I did. I am grateful that their sense of adventure, independence and plain old common sense, rubbed off on me and I was even more grateful to spend 5 action-packed days with them in June. How could I run away from my clients and business in the busy season? With a lot of help from fellow Realtors and friends, Katie Patterson and Jude Herr! (I closed 4 transactions by calling into Land Title from a cellphone on the USS Midway!)
July was my 40th birthday and I asked Mark if I could spend it in northern Wisconsin with him. The north woods is quickly becoming a summer favorite of mine and I’m grateful for the chance to fly over one of the great lakes this year as a birthday treat…. Then to spend days canoeing and picking wild berries at the cabin on the lake.
Then there was the chance to fly to Texas for the weekend this fall. I added 2 more states to my list of places I have landed and learned what 100 degrees and high humidity felt like 🙂
This fall also included awesome trips to Snowmass and Aspen (3x). There is nothing like the smell of leaves or the first rays of sun hitting the Maroon Bells to make you grateful for planet earth and the quiet moments in conversation with Mother Nature.
What did I do in between? I worked on my house, garden and business. There was hiking and day trips to national parks… chocolate and neighborly gatherings and a yard full of baby wildlife. My “kids”, Smokey Joe and Marley are happy and healthy and I’m grateful every day for their wee souls in my life.
Mark and I cooked, flew, hiked and did projects together all year long. I’m grateful for my best friend/sweetheart and know I’m very lucky. (Plus, there is no-one I’d rather be flying the plane when the propeller starts to malfunction – so I’m grateful that our aborted Xmas trip to Nevada ended in a safe landing, new friends and a Utah adventure – and not us “camping” on the side of a rocky mountain somewhere!)
This year I have also met and worked with buyers and sellers that have added so much to my life. New friends who also teach me something new with every transaction! It doesn’t get much better and I couldn’t be more grateful.
And finally… Thanksgiving itself. Another “managed pot luck” success! A sit down dinner for 17 people that included 2 turkeys, all the fixings and 5 different pies. Thanks to Heather and Chris, Ali and Laura, Greg and Chris, Robin and Chris, Mark, Pat, Kathy and Mike, Pastor Bob, Charles and Kris and Wendy and John for all their help and friendship and making Thanksgiving exactly what it should be. People. Memories. Gratitude.
