ToT Gets Personal

To my dearest cotton-headed ninny-muggins husband . . .

I don't say "Thank You" enough. Sometimes it's because of the busy-ness of life, sometimes I'm being too thick to see you well, sometimes you're being thick and I'm rolling my eyes, sometimes 9 years of wedded bliss get taken for granted. Sometimes I think of how I could never possibly thank you enough for everything you do and and for being who you are.

So . . .

Thank you for talking me into getting a second cat. And having a baby.
Thank you for cleaning out the cat box nearly every day for 7 years.
Thank you for minimal complaints about being in charge of the gross stuff.
Thank you for loving me through major grief, grad school (twice), and post-partum drama.
Thank you for taking care of yourself and working hard to grow and learn because you value our marriage.
Thank you for your campaign to be sure I learn that farts are funny. (Eww.)
Thank you for frequently demonstrating the importance of moving to a house with a second bathroom.
Thank you for your patience.
Thank you for making me more patient. Often out of necessity. :)
Thank you for finally asking me on a date, 10 years ago. After multiple hints.
Thank you for helping me slow down sometimes.
Thank you for speeding up sometimes because I want you to.
Thank you for frequent last-minute trips to the store because I'm in the middle of cooking and ran out of an important ingredient.
Thank you for taking care of me when I am sick (like right now).
Thank you for listening well, to me and to others.
Thank you for keeping your promises.
Thank you for being the world's best daddy.
Thank you for wearing the 'Best Man in America' shirt I made you on our first Valentine's Day, even if it was in secret.
Thank you for watching ridiculous food and dance tv with me, just because you like me.
Thank you for making things more fun.
Thank you for getting me to like avocado.
Thank you for indulging my silly side.
Thank you for finding your silly side when no one is looking.
Thank you for driving me crazy on a regular basis, giving me ample opportunity for character growth.
Thank you for challenging me when said character growth is lacking.
Thank you for loving my family and my friends as if they were family.
Thank you for sharing your family with me.
Thank you for calling me out and expecting my best when needed.
Thank you for cleaning like a neat-freak.
Thank you for relaxing when necessary.
Thank you for going all in when you let go and laugh your heart out.
Thank you for a pretty great courtship and proposal story.
Thank you for letting me be sentimental.
Thank you for being my home.
Thank you for loving your neighbor, at home and far away.
Thank you for following your dreams, but reshaping them to suit our family.
Thank you for going on adventures with me.
Thank you for knowing what I need, sometimes even before I say it.
Thank you for your loyalty.
Thank you for persistence.
Thank you for working hard every day as a sexy and mysterious historian.
Thank you for being solid-as-a-rock reliable.
Thank you for knowing I need a clean car for a road trip and the door closed when I shower.
Thank you for having good hygiene.
Thank you for making me laugh.
Thank you for being smarter than I am.
Thank you for being the strongest man I know.
Thank you for teaching me how to love generously, even when I don't feel generous.
Thank you for the hours of talking and sharing ideas.
Thank you for getting baby boy to sleep.
Thank you for reading stories.
Thank you for always, only being yourself.
Thank you for letting me be myself, all the time.
Thank you for remembering to get the crock pot down without my reminding you.
Thank you for reaching all the tall stuff.
Thank you for playing music with me even if it makes your head hurt.
Thank you for having handsome eye crunkles and silver hair:).
Thank you for taking my calls 30 times a day when I have something cute or silly or exciting to tell you.
Thank you for understanding that sometimes, I just have to get past the mood, and that's OK.
Thank you for being my best friend.
I love you.
Me

Check out the other bloggers this week! Charlotte, Danielle, Erica, Leah, Michelle, Nancy, and Trish

Wednesday Wisdom

"The days are long, but the years are short."

--Gretchen Rubin

Ain't it the truth.

ToT: A Day in the Life

I wish I could tell you what a typical day in our home is like. I wish we had a typical day. In my work, my days are shaped around everyone else's day . . . court, meetings, school, work, you name it. So my best efforts at predictability are thwarted regularly. I wish I could say I was used to it.

Songs for Changing the World

I thought in light of this week's Together on Tuesday topic I would share some songs that inspire me to make the world a better place.

Some of these are by artists I love, and some are one hit wonders in my catalogue, but all lift my spirit, remind me of beauty in the world, and help me see my neighbor differently.

ToT: La Musica

How has music impacted my life? More like how hasn't it.

Music is as integrated into my life as food or sleep. Sometimes it is glorious, sometimes it is a responsibility, sometimes it is hardly noticed. It has been a long time since I really reflected on music. Now, I'm thinking of all of my musical memories, experiences, and aspirations . . . oy, this could take awhile.

Wednesday Wisdom

"The end of a melody is not its goal; but nonetheless, if the melody had not reached its end it would not have reached its goal either. A parable.”

--Friedrich Nietzsche

ToT: Then and Now

I finally got around to reading The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin.  Fascinating stuff, I think.  One interesting idea Gretchen encountered on her quest to become happier was that we are happiest doing the same things we did for fun when we were children, say age 10. In theory, as adults we are either too busy to worry about being happy or we're focused on what we think should make us happy, while as kids, we just lived it. I'll buy that, and it got me thinking . . .