the friday pilates gang

I started doing pilates as part of my rehab post shoulder surgery.
I kept doing it because it was a great complement to aerial -- working core strength and flexibility in a much gentler fashion.

Along the way, I stumbled into a small group (class size is capped at 5) of folks who show up every week.  Who make me smile and laugh, even while we're holding crazy poses and E. is telling us to breathe and to drop our shoulders.

The camaraderie is part of the fun. It's why I keep that weird Friday slot in my workout schedule.

post-workout hot shower

Today's gratitude? Nothing profound. Nothing verbose.  But 3.5 days after we lost our hot water, we have a new hot water heater.I came home tonight after a hard trapeze class with a few new tricks and running my act a few times. I must say, having a hot shower, in my own home rather than the gym?  Pretty darn awesome. It'll be a while before I take that entirely for granted again.

today's text messages

We're on day 3 of no hot water. Monday's gratitude for clean water hasn't entirely deteriorated, but the annoyances of dealing with less-than-reality-based landlords and lack of hot water in our homem shower have gotten old already.

Today was full of annoyance.  Mixed with a little fear and trepidation, thanks to a bit of  health-related news that wasn't entirely optimal. Nothing major, but still not the sorta thing you really want to hear or deal with.

But I got a handful of texts from a small group of folks who'd been waititng to hear the news.  Full of support and genuine caring.  Sometimes, this short-attention-span, digital-theater, crazy snippets of technology world?  Sometimes, it allows people simple and quick connection.

And after circus time and dinner and margaritas with a good friend, I'm no less appreciative of those messages of love and offers of assistance.

the old workhorse

There's pumpkin pie in the oven right now.  Over Thanksgiving, I made an excess of pie crust, trying out gluten-free crust for the first time, since El Bandito has been having some nasty reactions to wheat.

I'd frozen the extra crust, but then moved into the fridge on Sunday with grand plans. Today was sort of the last chance to use it.  I didn't actually make pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving. I made pumpkin cheesecake and cranberry-meringue tart, but no pumpkin pie. Seemed like the thing to do with the remaining crust. So after my run, and eating some of the delicious soup El Bandito made, I pulled out the KitchenAid...

The KitchenAid just makes baking easier. Minimal dishes, minimal cleanup -- I love my kitchen scale, too, for the way it has simplified the measuring cup situation.

El Bandito's parents gave us this KitchenAid mixer for a wedding present -- they spoiled us with it and with a Cuisinart, which is probably El Bandito's favorite kitchen appliance. Well, that, the mandoline, or the immersion blender. The man likes his gadgets.

But this? This is my workhorse.  With an extra bowl and an extra paddle, for those days I end up making complicated pastries and am too impatient to wash and dry.

So, it's nothing drastic or profound, but today, I'm simply thankful for the things which make life easier, and for the smell of pumpkin pie starting to drift through the house.

hot water

The hot water heater quit this morning.

Pretty strange thing to put in a "gratitude" post, eh?

I admit, it made us pretty grumpy -- especially because our landlord isn't the easiest guy to deal with.

But we managed.  El Bandito has the flexibility to work at home today; I can work at home tomorrow if necessary to accommodate the plumbers.

And frankly? we're pretty lucky. We *have* hot water, the vast majority of the time. We have resources if something goes wrong. We have schedule flexibility. We can always shower at the gym if necessary.  We can heat water on the stove to wash dishes if necessary. Annoying, but not really that bad.

Sent off a little extra to charity:water when I finally got to work. Because I may not have had a hot shower this morning, but I have clean water to drink. And the opportunity to help a little bit for those who don't.

eating ice cream in the rain

Much of my weekend is filled. (actually, most of my MONTH is filled). With fun things, but without lots of room to just say "hey, let's _____."  I'm starting to actually run my trapeze act getting ready for a show mid-month; I'm training for a half-marathon in February.  So yesterday's goals were: drag self to circus gym, run act at least twice.  later, go for a 5-6 mile run. Goals accomplished.

When I told El Bandito my plans in the morning, I stated them in short declarations.
And added "then date." He obliged.

It's pouring rain over here on the left coast. Nowhere near cold enough for an outdoor ice rink. Sloppy and sloshy. We didn't skate. (photo by El Bandito)

But we wandered around downtown with the bustle and the holiday shoppers and the rain.  Ooohed and aaahed at the cuteness of the adoptable kittens and puppies in a joint venture between the SPCA and a large department store.  Ate ice cream before dinner, with rain dripping on us, while we watched small children wobbling on their skates in the puddled ice.  It's not the first time we've eaten ice cream in the rain.

Stopped for dinner on the way home. Sat in the car for 10 minutes after parking at home to finish the rest of the short story being read on the radio.

I'm grateful that we can fit an hour or two of just hanging out time into a busy weekend. I was grinning watching the ice rink.

it's December, y'all

Said with the closest thing to a Texas accent that I can muster.

and I have so many stories to catch up on, so many thoughts I'd like to share here, not because I think there are that many people who want to read them, but because it's a bit of a way to keep track.

This isn't that post. And maybe those posts will never happen. 

Instead, I'm reposting something from just about a year ago, updated.

Three or four years ago, I found a lovely blog in December, which actually belonged to an old friend who is Texan through and through, in all the best ways, far as I can tell. She had started a project called "30 days to a grateful heart" -- to consciously find, for the busy holiday season, things that made her thankful.

Two years ago, she invited people to join her. Last year the circle grew.

The exercise made me more aware of the little things, and the big ones, that make up my days. And made me think about *why* I'm grateful for those things.

Most days, I do know how awesome my life is. But it's easy to get caught up in the details and the annoyances. Sometimes, I need to stop and think about all the things that make my life so awesome.

So, today, I'm starting another month of recognitions. 

And I'm starting it simply, just like I did last year.

Thankful for the reminders.  For this idea, and the community I've seen grow around it.

Happy December, y'all.  I'm glad my path crossed that of a fabulous Texas lady so many years ago.