G is for Gratitude

Several years ago, I was living in a basement apartment in the home of a lady I’ll call Annie. She was single and about a dozen years older than me. Whenever I saw her in passing, I’d ask “How are you today Annie?” and she’d always answer with “Oh I’m grateful”.  After a while, it was like 'oh come on, nobody is grateful ALL THE TIME', but as I got to know her I came to realize it was true. She was always calm and pleasant, able to see the positive side of whatever I was griping about. One evening over glasses of wine, I was voicing my frustrations over my current romantic situation. I exhaled an exasperated “Why does this keep happening to me?” to which Annie replied “It’s because you keep allowing it to happen”. I said “Huh?” She lent me a copy of The Secret on DVD and I put off watching it because I thought the whole thing sounded hokey. I finally watched it one night when I was home bored and my life has never been the same since. I’ll admit the presentation is cheesy but the content is solid. There are some interesting, charismatic speakers and by the end, I was practically standing up cheering for myself and the great changes I was about to make! A few months later, I went through a bizarre, messy relationship/break up and that’s when it occurred to me that situations such as this were happening for me and not just to me. My heart was broken and my world was upside down for a short time but I was still standing and I still lived in a beautiful place. Eventually I was able see all the good things that came out of the experience and look back on that time in my life as a transformation phase. It’s when I started to see how much there really is to be grateful for in each day. I started by writing in my journal at the end of each day and listing three things I was thankful for right then. If you've never done something similar, I suggest you give it a try. I moved out of that apartment that same year. It was time to move on for several different reasons. I believe that everything happens for a reason and that Annie crossed my path so that I could finally learn what The Universe had been trying to teach me. 

F is for Food

I get teased at work for being so serious about food, almost like it's a disability. My co-workers once left a moldy container of leftovers in the fridge, thinking it was something of mine and fearing my response if someone threw out food I later went looking for. I certainly can't help the fact that if I'm hungry for too long I lose the ability to function properly. I also see it as a blessing that I get so much joy from a favorite food, because sometimes during a long hectic work day that's the only break I get.

I know some people who just like to eat, no matter what it is. For me, it's the specific food itself that satisfies me, physically and emotionally. For example, if I'm wanting home made macaroni & cheese a store bought substitute won't do. If I'm starving, just about anything will fill that actual need for food but typically I'm still left craving something.

I find a lot of comfort and happiness in making and eating foods from my childhood and the region where I grew up (Pennsylvania Dutch Country). I enjoy cooking with my partner and the fact that we make    most of our meals from scratch with fresh ingredients. I also like to indulge in junk food every now and then because let's be honest, sometimes simply nothing else will do.

I've heard other people use the word "hangry" so I know I'm not the only one who experiences these feelings. We all have to eat to survive so I'm glad I get to enjoy it, even it means I get crabby when I can't eat what I want!

                             

E is for Elephants

When I was 18 I got an elephant tattoo, and that was the beginning of my elephant collection. Why? Because I really like elephants. They're beautiful, extraordinary creatures. When I was younger, my dream was to work with elephants and other large mammals but that faded a bit when I discovered how much I enjoy working with smaller pets and also realized how much less likely it is that my smaller patients could kill me during the course of a work day.

So ever since I was a teenager, people have given me elephant things as gifts. I have most of them gathered in one room as a collection but there are little ones stashed here & there; an elephant candle holder or plant stand being put to use in the living room, an elephant mug in the kitchen cabinet and lots of elephant jewelry. Out of all the elephants I own, I have purchased very few of them myself. Many of them have come from people who aren’t in my life anymore and I like having that connection to them, knowing there was a time when that person cared for me enough to give a thoughtful gift.

D is for Dave Matthews Band

I know I've written about this subject before, but there really isn't a better D topic for me! I have a hard time finding the right words to describe how I feel about Dave Matthews Band. I think it's just one of those things there aren't really words for.

Some of today's post is copied & pasted from a blog I posted in May of 2012 when doing a "First Loves Challenge".

 Anyone who knows me at all can tell you I’m a pretty big fan of Mr. Matthews and his band. Actually I don’t usually like referring to myself as a fan because it reminds me of people who say they’re a huge fan of cheeseburgers or chick flicks and it’s just not the same. The best comparison I’ve come up with is to say that Dave Matthews Band’s music is like religion to me. That may seem blasphemous but I don’t mean it that way at all. These men and their music have been in my life for 17 years, which is exactly half the time I've been alive, and they have provided me with a soundtrack through some of the most wonderful and terrible times of my life. They've been a constant in my life during many years when everything else was changing. I’ve seen them in concert 24 times. The most fun I ever had at one of those concerts was when I went by myself and was in the 2^nd row. I’ve met them once and have their FireDancer logo tattooed on by back. Many amazing people have come into my life through a mutual love of DMB’s music and I'm grateful for that.

Me with Dave Matthews and Boyd Tinsley in May 1998

C is for Candy

I really like candy. I have for as long as I can remember. As a child, I once ruined a very pretty Easter dress by attempting to eat a melted Cadbury Egg in the backseat of a car. Anyone who has spent any amount of time around me knows that I'm the one to go to if you need a sweet treat. In high school and college, it wasn't unusual for someone to whisper to me during class "Pssst...do you have any candy?", knowing I'd be able to discreetly dig in my book bag and produce a handful of Lemon Heads or a roll of Sweet Tarts. Now a days, even my boss' three year old knows I stash hard candies in my desk drawers.

The best thing about candy is that there are so many different types. There's a candy for every mood, season and holiday. There are some candies that compliment other foods and some that can practically be a meal all by themselves.

Yes, I've made myself sick by eating too much candy (those little orange pumpkins)

and yes, I have had a lot of dental problems. I have, in fact broken a tooth while eating Nerds (my favorite). I just have to be a bit more careful now; no more Laffy Taffy and I do have to make my boyfriend hide the leftover Halloween candy so I don't binge.

When it came time to pick my roller derby name, I only debated for a short time before finally settling on Candy Coma. Most people think
it's a cute/funny choice but anyone who knows me well usually responds with an enthusiastic "Oh Yeah! That's perfect!"

B is for Books

I refer to myself as a book hoarder. 

I’ve loved books as long as I can remember. My mother likes to tell stories of me walking around the house as a small child (before I could read) carrying my favorite books and talking aloud to myself, making up stories to go with the pictures. Reading is probably my all time favorite hobby. It serves so many purposes: entertainment, education, enlightenment. 

I happen to live with another book hoarder. My boyfriend is the only romantic partner I’ve ever had who loves books as much as I do (both of his parents were librarians). During one of my first visits to his house, I saw a copy of Great Expectations lying on an end table and I knew it was yet another sign that we were meant to be! Living with another book lover is great most of the time, but sometimes overwhelming. There are stacks of books on pretty much every flat surface in our house, in our cars, in bags we carry everywhere we go, not to mention the multiple book shelves we have plus more boxes in the garage...

There are definitely worse things we could have piled around our house, I suppose. To be honest, I often think of how lucky I am that I can stumble across something that gives me as much joy as finding a favorite book at a yard sale. I like to think I'm rescuing them, from being unappreciated, to a lucky spot in one of my many beloved stacks.


         My work space

A is for Ambitious

Today is the start of the April A to Z Blogging Challenge. I’ll be posting a new blog entry every day in April, with the exception of Sundays. One of my friends participated last year and I was disappointed that I didn’t discover it in time to sign up. I’ve thought about it a lot since then and it has pushed me to think of creative new things to write about. When my friend told me the challenge was happening again this year, I didn’t hesitate and signed up immediately.

Blogging for 26 out of 30 days is an ambitious task for me. I write regularly in my free time, but it’s not always fit for the public!  Working on entries for this challenge has already pushed me to think of the stories I’d like to share and the things that are most important to me.  I have spent the past couple weeks jotting down ideas for each letter and penciling out essays. It’s a lot to take on but I’m very excited to be part of the challenge and to see what I come up with!