30 Days of Gratitude Day 6 - My Computer

Yep, without my computer I would not have the ability to creatively store my thoughts in writing and share them with all of you. I would not have access to the internet that allows me to explore the world and reach out to family members that live far away. My computer is my morning "newspaper". While drinking my coffee I check my email, my Pinterest boards, my Facebook pages and my Twitter feed. When I am in a hurry to find a recipe, I am forever grateful for "google" so that the recipe is literely at my finger tips. A quick phone number or map to a place yep you got it right there on the screen ready to print. I worked for years on an old hand-me-down computer of my husband's that had the keys all worn out and might have needed duct tape if I had tried to travel with it. Still, I was blessed to have it. A year ago he surprised me with my very own, brand new laptop and I am forever loving it. Would my life still be blessed with out it? Absolutely! But I love all the extra blessings having one gives me. I'm jus' sayin'!

"Computers are magnificent tools for the realization of our dreams, but no machine can replace the human spark of spirit, compassion, love, and understanding."
~ Louis Gerstner


"Computers are useless. They can only give you answers."
~ Pablo Picasso

30 Days of Gratitude Day 5 - Coffee

I'm thankful for coffee because of the memories attached to it. I have great memories of watching my Dad make his pot of coffee every morning and pour it into his silver thermos before leaving for work. I can still hear him telling me how "Coffee is the fuel that starts his engine." I laugh about that now because I really thought he was only speaking about waking up. He would take a thermos of coffee to work with him and then at night or on the weekends, when the pot was empty, I would make him a cup of instant coffee. I distinctly remember him showing me how to make the perfect "instant cup". "Not too much and not too little and you have to know the size of your cup," he would say. In the two years before he passed, he came over to my house every morning for his "morning cup" and we would talk about what was on the plan for the day. I have no doubt that he drank his first cup of the day at home with my Mom but it always made me feel special that I was included as part of his morning ritual. I still miss him everyday and especially our "coffee talks".

When I was younger and had my first child I would jump at any chance to run over to my girlfriend's house. She always had freshly brewed coffee and while our kiddos played we would enjoy some much needed "adult conversation". Thank you Karen! I'm not sure I ever told you how important those coffee times were. My husband was never a coffee drinker and I'm not sure when it was that I converted him. I am very thankful that he shares in my morning coffee now. I am also thankful when he preps the coffee the night before. I know this sounds silly but one of the sweetest pleasures of being on vacation is when I get to have someone else pour me a cup of coffee. Now that there are coffee houses on every corner, it is almost too easy to have those cups by yourself. I also know that there is a bunch of concern about how coffee effects one's health, ranging from it being a death drug to having a cup a day keeping the doctor away. As much as I would hate to, I know if I ever had to I could quit drinking it in a minute. Until then, every time I lift that steaming cup to my mouth I am not only inhaling the sweet aromas of Juan Valdez, but I am also taking in sweet memories as well. I'm jus' sayin'!

"But I love New York. I used to set my alarm clock when I was there, and get up at 4am and get a coffee, just because I could."
~ Gail Porter

"I have measured out my life with coffee spoons."
~ T. S. Eliot

How to brew the perfect cup of coffee!