After a long day of travel to corporate headquarters in St. Pete and straight meetings soon after arrival, my colleagues and I were treated to a delicious gourmet French dinner at Cafe Ponte.
After an amuse-bouche and calamari, I actually had room for the special – panko-crusted hog fish with fingerling potatoes and smoked Gouda mac & cheese. Oh. My. Word. It was all so extraordinarily tasty. I’m so grateful for such a delectable meal after a very long day.
Ava’s behavior is something I’m typically not thankful for but today she was so good while I picked up dinner and ran last minute errands before heading out of town for a couple days.
I’m so thankful she was so well-behaved, even keeping her whining to a minimum when the “Buddy Buck” machine didn’t work. My baby girl is growing up!
One of my co-workers gave me a Black & White cupcake from Delish as a thank you today. This unexpected chocolate-Mexican-vanilla-buttercream-goodness was sinful. I’m so grateful for thoughtful treats!
I’m thankful today for the very rare treat of watching a movie at home with Alexa. We put Ava to bed and watched The Devil Wears Prada while Donovon was out with friends. We used to watch it together when it first came out so it was fun reliving our “pre-Ava” times. I’m grateful for these rare moments with my Big Girl.
Today I thought a lot about my dad. We had a really busy weekend and I guess as all the activity slowed down, the missing him settled in. I didn’t talk about it to anyone, but just thought about him a lot and the reality that I can’t just give him a call when I want anymore.
Somehow, someway Ava must have sensed it. Tonight she brought me a drawing and said, “Look Mama, here’s my Lolo and you and Auntie Tina.” At first, there was a tug on my heart, but then I couldn’t help but smile at this precious, precious drawing. I’m so grateful for my baby’s artwork making my day.
I don’t know what exactly the high was today. At one point my car said it was 104. It was a scorcher. Barton Springs was a welcomed relief. I’m so grateful for a 68-degree watering hole and hanging with awesome friends.
Rosebud is my nickname for my friend Rose. We’ve been friends for about 20 years and have only lived in the same city for 2 years of those 20. She lives in Dallas and if we’re lucky we get to see each other a couple times a year.
Somehow our friendship stands the test of time and distance. I attribute it to a connection based on love, laughter, lots of good times. Just about every memory of the times we’ve spent together causes me to crack up over some crazy mishap or silly antic.
I admire Rose’s sincerity, her authenticity, and her love of life. She always brings me joy, and I’m so grateful for our friendship and that she’s here this weekend sharing more good times with me.
I love you, Rosebud. Thank you for being my friend.
Donovon and I went to see Soundgarden and Nine Inch Nails at the 360 Amphitheater tonight. I like Soundgarden a lot more than I like NIN, so I enjoyed their set a lot more. But we had a fabulous time nonetheless, and I’m so thankful for getting to see Chris Cornell live again with my hubby!
I can’t tell you how much it helps to have a teen driver in the household. Alexa can run an errand for me, take her sister to get ice cream or pick her up from day care if Donovon and I want to grab a drink after work. It’s a godsend.
Today, I forgot something at the store when I went grocery shopping. It was so helpful to be able to text Alexa to pick it up on her way home. I’m so thankful for my teen driver!
I’m very fortunate that I get to work with a group of women that are smart, caring, fun, and so incredibly sharp. These women impress me everyday. One of my mentors once told me that it’s easy to be a good leader when you’re surrounded by people who are better than you. That is very much the case with My Work Sisters. I’m beaming with pride as I write this. We work hard and we play hard. And beyond that, their concern and support throughout Daddy’s illness and death has given me such solace.
I’m so incredibly grateful for this group of women. They make my work and life that much more enjoyable.
Gratitude Daily 