I've done it in the past when I was feeling less than stellar about things, and I thought now was a good time to dust it off and bring it back out again.
The gist of my task is this: I make a point of taking stock of my day every evening & picking out the best part of it.
The day's "best" could be something simple or silly or fun or trivial. Sometimes it's more serious or weighty. Just whatever strikes me as the highlight of the day.
So without yammering on any more about it, here's my list of the best part of my day for April, 2015. Maybe it'll serve as a catalyst for a gratitude reboot for some of you. I know everytime I take the time to do it, that's exactly what it does for me.
April 1st:
Experimenting with a new recipe for dinner I'd never made before. It was a delicious, hearty salad of minced kale, chick peas, Kalamata olives, feta, garlic, olive oil, & red wine vinegar all tossed together. Had a little crusty bread along with it and it was fresh, light, tasty & memorable!
April 2nd:
Breaking a solid sweat doing Tony Horton's mixed martial arts P90x3 workout. Gotta love exercise endorphins.
April 3rd:
Finally, finally capturing the elusive close-up shot of a bald eagle I've been unsuccessfully pursuing for almost 2 years. - And then later, catching sea lions in the harbor at sunset. So satisfying:
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| How 'bout that light and those vibrant colors? Couldn't be happier with the shots! |
April 4th:
Relaxing into a long, hot shower while listening to and frightfully belting out Kenny Rogers at top volume after our 6 hour, 10 mile hike of the entire Termination Point trail. An absolute and welcome unwind from the day.
April 5th:
Sitting at the kitchen table with the hubby and enjoying a fresh cup of coffee and a delicious Easter morning egg casserole with some of the over 2 dozen free-range, farm fresh eggs given to us from both of our co-workers. Delicious!
April 6th:
Climbing under the covers into bed at night to read The Poisonwood Bible with the hubby & pooch snoozing beside me and the biting rain and wind pounding on the window outside. Snuggly!
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| Photo credit: Giuseppe Crespi [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons |
April 7th:
Curling up on the couch with some popcorn and tea to watch a cute little late night movie I stumbled on called The Rewrite with Hugh Grant and Marisa Tomei.
April 8th:
Taking a long, leisurely walk around base with Cheety on one of our seemingly few and far between sunny afternoons. The clear, bright, blue skies and easy breeze taunted of the spring weather I'm hoping is right around the corner.
April 9th:
Having a long overdue, satisfying talk catching up with my sister on the phone.
April 10th:
I don't know what it says about me - or my day - that this was the best part of it, but what can I say? Some days it's a goat video that gives you the biggest laugh for the day! And truth be told I watched it more than once. Laughed out loud every time. If you don't at least have an internal chuckle, there's something wrong with you:
Awww this made my day!
Posted by Hit92.9 on Tuesday, July 1, 2014
April 11th:
Listening to music, laughing, chatting & having few beers with the hubby while we grilled some halibut & made a spicy pineapple salsa for Saturday night fish tacos.
April 12th:
Perching on the cliff side above Fossil Beach at Narrow Cape watching the annual gray whale migration. Dozens of spouts, a tail, and my first in person whale breach. It was sunny, beautiful, and unforgettable.
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| Narrow Cape whale watching |
April 13th:
Meeting a friend at a local pub for a few drinks and a few laughs. Having a couple of hours to catch up and chat is vital.
April 14th:
Exploring a few slices of Kodiak's history in the Alaskana Collection during my volunteer shift at the library. I discovered some unique primary source photos and documents that really highlighted some of the unique aspects of Kodiak history.
April 15th:
Finally seeing the northern lights in Kodiak! It was as good of a show - or maybe a little bit better - than when we saw them in Fairbanks. I stood in my driveway for about 15 minutes at around midnight staring up at the sky in complete awe. It was fantastic.
April 16th:
Watching the latest episode of The Big Bang Theory. Those nerds crack me up.
April 17th:
Opening a bottle of wine with the hubby, laughing together & catching up on our day, grilling up some Friday night steak, baking a giant sweet potato and sauteing a top notch green bean caramelized onion balsamic side dish that's out of this world. Can't beat good company and delicious food. It's my favorite.
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| Steaky-steak! |
An afternoon nap with the pooch. Nothing quite like spending a few hours on a cold, rainy Saturday burrowed up under the blankets with Cheety curled up next to me.
April 19th:
Our traditional Sunday (or sometimes Saturday) pizza night. My favorite vino and a homemade veggie pizza made by the hubby - it was extra good this week!
April 20th:
Sitting on the backyard patio in the rare afternoon sunshine enjoying an ice cold Alaskan White.
April 21st:
Getting completely sucked in to watching the first season of Breaking Bad. A little behind the curve on that one, I know. (2-4 years behind the curve!) I'm totally fixated on Walter White. And yes, I know he dies in the end. Can't wait to see how the series plays out!
April 22nd:
Relaxing and stretching during a P90x3 yoga session, followed up by some back & shoulder work for my tweaked shoulder blade muscles using a foam roller. Getting old sucks. - But that foam roller? Can't beat it for in-home muscle therapy!
April 23rd:
I made some kick-ass baked eggs for breakfast that started my day just right. I seem to have a lot of food related bests, no?
April 24th:
Tweaking my peppermint tea just a tiny bit to bump it up to outstanding. My favorite is Harney & Sons peppermint and I add a tiny bit of honey and just a touch of whole milk. Heaven after a cold, rainy dog walk!
April 25th:
Nestling in on yet another cold & rainy afternoon (GAWD will they ever END??) to start my next book - a promising mystery I discovered on one of the many book blogs I read called The House at Riverton by Kate Morton. Pretty good so far!
April 26th:
Getting totally busted by the hubby while I indulged in a little Sunday afternoon laundry folding dance party courtesy of Bruno Mars. That would be a little Uptown Funk.
April 27th:
Getting together with a friend for lunch for some venting and some laughs.
April 28th:
After a full week of rain - but it felt like much, much longer than that - my best today was basking in the sunshine and blue skies while sitting on our back patio & enjoying an icy cold beer.
April 29th:
Two sunny days IN A ROW. Unheard of. So my best today was getting out in the yard to do a little spring clean up on the patio - sweeping out the leaves, getting rid of the spider webs, scrubbing down the siding, hosing off all the outdoor furniture, accessories & patio, and generally getting the yard ready for SUMMER!! You know, all 2 months of it.
April 30th:
Cooking up a little Chicken Cacciatore dinner, chatting, and listening to music in the kitchen with the hubby.
How's that for a little pick-me up? It worked for me - especially after reading the list in its entirety. Although, there did seem to be a steady food theme. Can't help it. The love of food is deep and pervasive!
I have to say, April turned out to be Alaska-tastic. Between the bald eagle and sea lion close-up shots, the gray whale migration, and the northern lights - it was a uniquely Alaskan month!
What was the best part of your day today?
Sometimes it can be the simplest moment in a day that makes a positive, powerful impression. - You just have to open yourself up to noticing. I think we can all use that reminder every so often.
Ta-ta for now.
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