#10 - I am thankful for grocery pickup
My local grocery store has a pick up service, it saves me time, money and irritation.
I "shop" on their website, choose a time for pick up, "submit" my order and show up at the designated time.
It costs me a $2 fee - no waiting - no tipping - no headache - no crowd - no impulse buys.
WIN - WIN
11.11.2015
JAVA
#9 - I am thankful for coffee
I love it hot, I love it iced .... sometimes I drink it for the caffeine, sometimes for the smell, sometimes for the heat from the mug.
I started drinking coffee late by some standards, around 30 ... I got through college on Classic Coke and Mountain Dew .....but I've really grown to appreciate it.
My favorite thing to do is brew a cup on a Saturday morning and sit on the couch snuggled under a fleece throw and watch something on the DVR while the rest of the house sleeps.
I love it hot, I love it iced .... sometimes I drink it for the caffeine, sometimes for the smell, sometimes for the heat from the mug.
I started drinking coffee late by some standards, around 30 ... I got through college on Classic Coke and Mountain Dew .....but I've really grown to appreciate it.
My favorite thing to do is brew a cup on a Saturday morning and sit on the couch snuggled under a fleece throw and watch something on the DVR while the rest of the house sleeps.
Long Wooded Walks and Naps
#7 - I'm thankful for long family walks
Last weekend there was a rare occasion in our house .. we had NOTHING planned - no birthday parties, no Church dinners, no Thirty-one Parties, NOTHING. IT WAS HEAVENLY!
After lunch we decided to walk the Fairview Resevoir. It is not a walk for the faint of stamina but Paul and I have walked this many times before. It would be the first time for the girls but they are the Energizer Bunnies ..
Off we went, climbed over the stone wall, cut through the neighbors yard and down to the Res. There is a path around the whole thing, about a car's width and it is relatively flat.
We walked for a ways and then Kristen started in that she was tired. We were in too deep at that point so we started distracting. We got around the back side from where we started and we could see Moriarty Magnet School through the trees and the bright new colored slide. The we searched for the water tower, threw some rocks in the water and looked for the "emergency" boat launch.
I noticed things I don't remember seeing before - like this amazing fence with Fleur de Lis finials on it.
It was overcast but warm so, perfect weather for a long walk. We found interesting rocks and vines.
Everyone pushed through .. about 3.25 miles later we were back home ... where we all settled in for a NAP!
#8 - I'm thankful for naps
There is something to be said for a quick 30 min nap on a Saturday afternoon. The funniest part of our walk was when Kristen announced "when we get home I am going to need a BIG drink and then a pepe" .... I'm not sure how or why that started at our house but we call little naps like that in the middle of the afternoon a "pepe" .. We earned that nap on Saturday!
Last weekend there was a rare occasion in our house .. we had NOTHING planned - no birthday parties, no Church dinners, no Thirty-one Parties, NOTHING. IT WAS HEAVENLY!
After lunch we decided to walk the Fairview Resevoir. It is not a walk for the faint of stamina but Paul and I have walked this many times before. It would be the first time for the girls but they are the Energizer Bunnies ..
Off we went, climbed over the stone wall, cut through the neighbors yard and down to the Res. There is a path around the whole thing, about a car's width and it is relatively flat.
We walked for a ways and then Kristen started in that she was tired. We were in too deep at that point so we started distracting. We got around the back side from where we started and we could see Moriarty Magnet School through the trees and the bright new colored slide. The we searched for the water tower, threw some rocks in the water and looked for the "emergency" boat launch.
I noticed things I don't remember seeing before - like this amazing fence with Fleur de Lis finials on it.
It was overcast but warm so, perfect weather for a long walk. We found interesting rocks and vines.
Everyone pushed through .. about 3.25 miles later we were back home ... where we all settled in for a NAP!
#8 - I'm thankful for naps
There is something to be said for a quick 30 min nap on a Saturday afternoon. The funniest part of our walk was when Kristen announced "when we get home I am going to need a BIG drink and then a pepe" .... I'm not sure how or why that started at our house but we call little naps like that in the middle of the afternoon a "pepe" .. We earned that nap on Saturday!
Man's Best Friend
#6 - I am thankful for Man's Best Friend
Last Friday, Facebook's "On This Day" app popped up this picture of Paul and Bradley.
Storm had left us almost a year before and our house was different, there was an emptiness that was hard to describe.
Bradley arrived by plane from Austin, Texas on a stormy, Friday afternoon. He had a layover in Atlanta and then an unexpected diversion to Philly and then back to Hartford.
We knew little about him and after Paul and I agreed that he could come to join Romanskiville, we wondered what we had done. Would he try to eat our kids?
After several back and forths to the cargo terminal because of weather delays, finally a crate was loaded into the back of the pathfinder. We drove to the farthest end of the parking lot away from other people, cars, and noises.
We opened the crate, helped him down, and Paul knelt beside him ... that picture is that moment. When I saw Bradley immediately take to Paul and lick him up his whole face I knew it was all going to be OK.
He quickly adjusted and has become an absolute love! We needed someone to fill that void that Storm had left.
There was a plan bigger than anyone could have imagined ... who imagines that a dog abandoned in a gas station parking lot in TX would end up in CT spoiled to death.
I'm never really sure who needed who more .... but we were all supposed to end up together. I'm SO thankful that we did.
Last Friday, Facebook's "On This Day" app popped up this picture of Paul and Bradley.
Storm had left us almost a year before and our house was different, there was an emptiness that was hard to describe.
Bradley arrived by plane from Austin, Texas on a stormy, Friday afternoon. He had a layover in Atlanta and then an unexpected diversion to Philly and then back to Hartford.
We knew little about him and after Paul and I agreed that he could come to join Romanskiville, we wondered what we had done. Would he try to eat our kids?
After several back and forths to the cargo terminal because of weather delays, finally a crate was loaded into the back of the pathfinder. We drove to the farthest end of the parking lot away from other people, cars, and noises.
We opened the crate, helped him down, and Paul knelt beside him ... that picture is that moment. When I saw Bradley immediately take to Paul and lick him up his whole face I knew it was all going to be OK.
He quickly adjusted and has become an absolute love! We needed someone to fill that void that Storm had left.
There was a plan bigger than anyone could have imagined ... who imagines that a dog abandoned in a gas station parking lot in TX would end up in CT spoiled to death.
I'm never really sure who needed who more .... but we were all supposed to end up together. I'm SO thankful that we did.
11.05.2015
Family
#5 - I'm thankful for my Work Family
Today, in a meeting, we were asked what it was like to work there. One of the meeting attendees said that we were a family, that we supported each other and did what was needed to get the job done. I couldn't have said it better myself.
I started this new job in February after 9 months of upheaval, uncertainty, and stress. I was nervous to start a new job - I had been with my previous employer for 18 years. You know how things work and how to get things done when you are at a place that long but you also know PEOPLE. You've built relationships and friendships. People who laughed and cried with you, vented with you. People who supported you through a divorce. People who shared in the joy of your wedding and the arrival of your kids. That didn't just happen, it took time.....and I wondered and worried.... that it would be hard to be part of a "work family" again.
I still have much to learn at this job. There are things that take me too long, there are things I have to ask for help with that I should probably be able to handle myself. I'm still learning how to "get things done" and working hard to build name recognition .. ya know so when people see Romanski, H on their phone display they will actually pick up. However, in a relatively short time, I have a work family again.
I have people who go to bat for me, people who, without reservation, throw me a life ring when the water gets a little too deep. They've taken the time to get to know me, my professional background, as well as, me personally. We walk together at lunch, people save Box Tops for the girls, and send them trinkets and treats all the time. People who call and ask for professional advice or insight because they trust in my experience.
I'm so happy to have this Work Family and I hope that they are happy to have me!
Catching up
Per normal, I'm running a little behind in the Thirty Days ...
#1 - I'm thankful for Daylight Savings Time.
Sunday, Nov 1st at 2 am we "fell back" and when I got up at 6:10 feeling refreshed and full of energy I was so thankful that for that "extra" hour. I get that is mostly psychological but that works for me. Before we headed out for Mass and a Baptism 4 people were showered and dressed in our Sunday best, food had been cooked and some laundry washed and folded. I'll take that feeling of accomplishment even if it is short lived.
#2 - I'm thankful for kind, thoughtful and hard working neighbors
On Halloween morning we gathered together with a handful of neighborhood families to do a Fall Cleanup on the yard of an elderly neighbor. One post on Facebook Monday evening with the plan and Voila we had a crew. One neighbor made an apple crisp, another a small cake and everyone brought a rake and their enthusiasm. In 90 minutes, we were done and it was actually FUN! I was so proud of what we accomplished and how special we made our neighbors feel by doing this small thing for them.
#3 - I'm thankful for Indian Summer
We are experiencing an unusually warm and mild Fall. I am enjoying not having to scrape my windshield in the morning and leaving for the day in a light jacket. The leaves are gorgeous reds, oranges and yellows and when the sun hits them just the right way it looks like they could be on fire. Fall is one of the reasons that I love living in New England and these extra days of warm temps and bright sunshine are making this one an extra treat!
#4 - I'm thankful that both girls go to dance on the same night
Last year Brooke danced on Tuesday nights and Kristen on Saturday mornings. It was doable and Paul was around to help with the Saturday stuff but we "lost" 1 weeknight to dance and most of Saturday. This year they both go on Wednesday - one at 5:00 and one at 7:00 - which is kind of a pain in the rear but at least it is on one night and then it is over, done, finished. Saturday is open for errands, chores, birthday parties or social invites and sometimes just for relaxing!
#1 - I'm thankful for Daylight Savings Time.
Sunday, Nov 1st at 2 am we "fell back" and when I got up at 6:10 feeling refreshed and full of energy I was so thankful that for that "extra" hour. I get that is mostly psychological but that works for me. Before we headed out for Mass and a Baptism 4 people were showered and dressed in our Sunday best, food had been cooked and some laundry washed and folded. I'll take that feeling of accomplishment even if it is short lived.
#2 - I'm thankful for kind, thoughtful and hard working neighbors
On Halloween morning we gathered together with a handful of neighborhood families to do a Fall Cleanup on the yard of an elderly neighbor. One post on Facebook Monday evening with the plan and Voila we had a crew. One neighbor made an apple crisp, another a small cake and everyone brought a rake and their enthusiasm. In 90 minutes, we were done and it was actually FUN! I was so proud of what we accomplished and how special we made our neighbors feel by doing this small thing for them.
#3 - I'm thankful for Indian Summer
We are experiencing an unusually warm and mild Fall. I am enjoying not having to scrape my windshield in the morning and leaving for the day in a light jacket. The leaves are gorgeous reds, oranges and yellows and when the sun hits them just the right way it looks like they could be on fire. Fall is one of the reasons that I love living in New England and these extra days of warm temps and bright sunshine are making this one an extra treat!
#4 - I'm thankful that both girls go to dance on the same night
Last year Brooke danced on Tuesday nights and Kristen on Saturday mornings. It was doable and Paul was around to help with the Saturday stuff but we "lost" 1 weeknight to dance and most of Saturday. This year they both go on Wednesday - one at 5:00 and one at 7:00 - which is kind of a pain in the rear but at least it is on one night and then it is over, done, finished. Saturday is open for errands, chores, birthday parties or social invites and sometimes just for relaxing!
30 Days of Thanks
A few years ago I started to do "Thirty Days of Thanks" in the month of November ... sometimes the things I am thankful for are funny and sometimes they are serious. Regardless of which one it ends up being I know that I have stopped to think, at least a minute or two, that day to find something that brings me joy, comfort, or gratitude. I think about what it is that makes that something I cherish.
A teacher at Moriarty Magnet School does this with her 3rd grade class every day ... they grab a post-it note and they write their what and why. She's written about the changes that she has seen in her classroom and in her students since she instituted this. She has seen more kindness and thoughtfulness. In a world full of entitled and selfish young people, what a life lesson she is teaching those 8 year olds. Something that isn't part of Common Core or Magnet Standards, but, perhaps, something of far greater significance.
It is "easy" at first to think of things and why they are important. The longer you do this it might get a little more challenging and the "why", well that makes it a little more thought provoking.
If you've never done "thirty days of thanks" .. consider it .. you don't have to blog or Facebook or Tweet them ... lay in your bed for a minute after your alarm goes off and think of one thing that you are thankful for and WHY ...
I promise you it it will change your perspective ......
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