Tammy Tutterow

Today ' s gratitude-

Today, I am grateful for the combination of technology and good tunes, specifically the iPod.  I absolutely love my iPod!  I love that I can have my entire music library in the palm of my hand.  Today as I sat in my studio/office working, I listened to a little of this, a little of that, all at the quick ease of my pod's click wheel.  Gotta love that. And that cute Volkswagon, yup, it is sitting on my desk.  It is actually a docking station and speaker system for my pod.  I have been wanting it forever and finally thought to ask David for it for Christmas.  Yay!  I am thrilled to report that I got it.  You know, I know it is an absolutely frivolous thing but it sure does make me smile every time I look at it.  I kind of day dream sometimes of a mini me sitting in the bug with the top down with my music blaring.  A mini me, you know, I need to make one of those for my bug with my scrappy supplies.  Check back for that one another day.  I am giggling to myself just picturing it!!

My daily gratitude-

Wow, you know, thanks to this challenge, I am blogging more than I ever have.  I know my ramblings aren't as interesting to look at as maybe  pictures of my project may be, but hey, I am kind of enjoying being so chatty. Today I had my pre-op appointment for my surgery next week.  That leads me to my daily gratitude.  I am grateful for kind and caring people who give of themselves to others.  The nurse I had today doing all of my pre-op stuff was just so very kind and genuinely concerned about my all around health and wellness, above and beyond what I was there for.  I know that I am not like that and I admire people who are. I tend to think that a lot of things about my job and the people I deal with daily there have killed a lot of mycompassion for others and my desire to help others.  People, for the most part are just down right stinky to deal with.  It just doesnt' seem to matter how nice you are to some people (the ones calling the police), they cuss and yell at you and act like their life problems are your fault.  I don't usually take it personally, I think it comes with the job, but still, I think after a while it takes away some of your interest in being nice to the people you don't know.  Gosh, that probably just sounds awful to read but it is the truth. After a long night at work and dealing repeatedly with some lady who was fighting over beer with the father of her child who in turn was throwing her clothes out the front door of their trailer house (no joke, not making that up) and being cussed at and screamed at by her, I just didn't feel like being overly nice.  So needless to say, after working all night, dealing with people who can't get along, fasting all night for my tests while being awake (it is so much easier to fast while you are sleeping), getting sent by my doctors office to the wrong hospital for my tests, and being so tired I could throw up- I just wasn't in an overly friendly mood this morning when I got to the correct hospital for my tests.  I was tired, crabby, irritated, and of course sick of my stupid gallbladder. But then in walks my nurse for the day.  She was so kind and compassionate and truly interested in me and what was going on with me.  She was thorough and dug deep.  She talked about more than just what I was there for and talked with me about some of the other health issues I have.  They didn't so much pertain to what boxes she had to check off, but she was interested and gave advise and suggestions.  She cared about my big picture.  She will probably never see me again but that didn't matter to her, she didn't just push me through and try to hurry on to the next person.  That was refreshing.  By the time I left I was smiling and joking and satisfied with my care. So today, I am grateful for my nurse at St E's in Belleville that gives of her self to others and really puts the "care" in caregiver.  I am not only grateful for her kindness, I am inspired by it.

Gratitude today-

Today I am grateful for paper and glue and for getting to do something I love so much and call it work.  Assignments are starting to come in for the upcoming trade show in California.  I am so thrilled and grateful for each and every request to  participate and work for companies that I truly love. 

Grateful today for-

You know, this challenge is going to be hard to get used to!  I am so used to just letting each day pass by without stopping and thinking much about it.  I guess I have in my mind that each day I should choose something deep and profound to enter into my gratitude journal.  Something witty and insightful or deeply introspective thoughts. . . but you know, some days just aren't deep or profound.  Today I slept off and on all day trying to get adjusted for my rotation to night shift.  So hmm, what to be grateful for in a pretty uneventful day?  I guess I could say that depsite being grumbly about going to night shift that I am grateful to have a job.  I guess I could say that despite trying to sleep during the day that I am grateful to have a comfy bed in a warm home to lay in.  I guess you could say that as I pumped gas into my car in the blistery cold air that I am grateful that I have a car and that I can afford gas for it.  You could say all of that. . . but it sure isn't very profound.  Oh boy, this is going to be hard!

Happy finds-

I love happy finds!  I was checking out Joy Madison's blog and followed the link she had a link to Lisa Leonard's blog.  Lisa makes the most amazing silver jewelry that is hand-stamped.  I don't mean like ink stamping, I mean hammer stamped in silver.  I am hoping to order the family tree necklace: And with my think for hearts, am completely in  love with this one: And am hoping she makes these available soon: I would love to have one that says "David" to wear with my wedding ring. Thanks Joy for sharing such a wonderful link!

A year of gratitude-

I posted this on the blog at HHS, but I wanted to share it here also: Happy 2008 to all of our HHS friends! You know, life is just busy! I remember when I was a kid it seemed like a year lasted forever. Now as an adult it seems like years pass with the blink of an eye. I am certain it was just yesterday that my oldest daughter was a baby in my arms and yet this year I will watch her graduate from high school and see her go off to college in another state. Most days I feel like I am on the run every moment of the day, I barely take a moment to breathe, let alone stop and reflect and be grateful for this day or this life. I am so fortunate and so grateful, but yet most days I don't prioritize the time to remind myself of that. Sadly it takes seeing a tragic moment in someone else's life to stop and reflect for a moment that I am indeed very blessed and that I am grateful for that. In our forum we were discussing goals and resolutions for the year. Each of us seemed to be sharing the same thoughts, to slow down, step back, and to appreciate more. If you are like me, it is easy to say I *want* to do this or I *want* to that, but even easier to get caught up in life and forget what we *want* to do and get lost in what we think we *have* to do. It is easy for me today, on New Years Day, to say I want to do more things to nurture the inner me, but quite a bit harder to do it and stick to it each and every day. I suppose it seems kind of silly that I need a reminder to be grateful every day, but I do. I guess it is the same with any healthy lifestyle change like better eating and exercise, we need reminders and community support until the habit is formed and the new activity becomes second nature. Jen K. shared a link with us to Emily Falconbridge's blog where she shared a gratitude journal that she started for Thanksgiving. Jen shared with us that it had inspired her to keep a gratitude journal as well and that she planned to begin hers for the New Year. Several of us jumped on board with the idea and decided that we wanted to do the same. . . so a year long HHS community project was born. Each week Jen plans to share inspiring thoughts, quotes, or inspirations to keep us going. If you would like to join us, we have a new forum set up dedicated just to this project {here} as well as gallery {here}. I hope that as you begin this new year, you will take a little time here and there to reflect on what is right and what is good in your world and express gratitude for all that you have. I wish you all a happy, healthy, and blessed year.