.:we often take for granted, the things that most deserve our gratitude:.

back to the grind after a refreshing 4-day weekend...

it's monday morning (grrr) after thanksgiving and i'm sitting in my cubicle thinking about how many things i have to be greatful for. do you find it easy to just go through the motions of 'thanksgiving' with all the traveling, food and family? what happens to your gratitude after all the events die down and you're not 'forced' to think about it?

i have many things to be grateful for and most of them are simple and basic...

1. FAMILY--this seems to be the default answer for everyone when asked what they're thankful for....

we're supportive, dysfunctional and FULL of love! let's be honest, there are times when everyone else turns their back on you and all you have is family....old pic, but a good one, love you guys!

i don't remember the last time almost all of the cousins were together! we have moved, got married, graduated, moved again basically grew up and forged our own paths, but getting together never changes. it's time filled with making fun of each other, eating too much food and catching up on all we have done since we last saw each other.

2. FRIENDS--also, another default, but who are we without friends and those memories that we make with them? friends add character to our live, they help create our personalities, they enrich our lives in ways that family cannot. i have always said that i don't have one best friend that i get to see on a regular basis, but i have a lot of close friends and i am thankful for each and every one of them and the fullfillment they bring to my life.

  

3.MY HEALTH-- this may be debatable after 5 knee surgeries and a bout of shingles when i was a sophomore in college...

on a serious note, i am able to run, do yoga and workout (almost) as often as i'd like and i haven't had any serious diagnosis with my health, i will call that win!

4. my two guys....

guy 1.....

   

guy 2....
                             
seriously, these two can brighten any day. i'm happy to see them at the end of the day and bummed when i have to say goodbye.

5. my degree! after many late nights and exhausting mornings filled with school work and last minute studying, i never thought i'd reach this point with B.A. after my name, no more homework and where my opportunities are endless. my opportunities have led me into a cubicle. but i know that this degree is great head start to my career. speaking of my cubicle, it leads me to my next blessing (in disguise).....

6. my job....i know i make jokes out of being trapped in a cubicle, but there was a point when i was jobless and concerned about where my next rent check was going to come from. i may not be rolling in money, but my bills are paid and i am able to stay financially independent, which is VERY important to me. i was also able to celebrate good news regarding my job....i received FULL-TIME status at my job!!! yaay!!! this means a couple key things:. benefits (insurance, paid-time off, vacation) and more money (and salary pay may i add). although i am extremely grateful for this opportunity to happen very quickly after starting, it is a bittersweet feeling. sweet because it is what i worked for and puts me one step closer to going back to school and bitter because it means i should only get more comfortable in my cube....

like i've said before, i'm poor and i'm anxious to get a move on with my life plan, but i'm happier than what i ever thought possible and i have many things to be thankful each and every day!

what do you have to be thankful for? anything that you've neglected lately that needs a little appreciation?

appreciate everything that you have because if you don't, someone else will...

always striving for more,
dee b.

what is the point???

hello friends:.


here i am starting my first blog! i have followed various blogs, some religiously, some in passing, always wondering if i would ever be interesting enough to start my own blog. well, here's a leap into the unknown world of blogging with fingers crossed!


what is the point to this blog??? well, i guess i'm not sure, a little bit of this and a little bit of that! i am a recent college grad trying to find my way in this crazy game of the "real world" unsure of where i will end up. here is what i am sure of, i am a yogi, runner addict, cooking and baking extraordinaire (perhaps more of a wanna-be), germ-a-phobe, member service rep (what up ucare), basketball coach, 'that's what she said' joke expert, momma (to the naughtiest cat), coffee-phene, animal lover and recently added, blogger! along with many more and not necessarily in that order. :) 


i do hope to accomplish a few things with this 'virtual journal':. 

1. help keep in touch with friends, family and whoever has an interest in following events in my life
2. organize my thoughts, aspirations and maybe, a recipe or two. my brain is always working and as a result, i am always having a random thought or writing a 'to-do' list (which my boyfriend and friends can attest to). this seems to have become worse after finishing college as my brain doesn't quite know what to do with the extra energy!
3. to inspire and be inspired. my life has consisted of obstacles, triumphs and more obstacles. i hope my experiences may bring hope those who are facing adversity and in a selfish way, feed off my 'followers' in my moments of weakness. 
4. to decompress. although this time in my life is very fresh and exciting, it is also stressful. i am young and educated, poor yet happy, anxious yet laid back. 
5. last, but not least, to cherish the simple things that happen day to day. i have never been one to live in the present moment and here is my modest attempt to begin that today.

i am a big fan of goal setting. my motto=if you don't chase your dreams, who will? shout out to my mom for always reminding me of this in times of uncertainty and despair! by her stashing this quote on post-its around my room, bathroom and car, it has helped make me who i am today and even inspired me to get it inked along my side so i will never forget where i've been (i may post of pic of this tattoo, if you're lucky....). i'd like to share with you a few of my goals, some short term while others are long term (again, not necessarily in this order) and let you get a better feel of who i am:.

• **run the boston marathon-which means i must qualify, which means i must run another marathon, which means my knees have to cooperate for training (at the rightful age of 22, i have expensive knees that still suck, more on that later....i suppose)
• get up tomorrow morning at 6:15 and go for a run. 
• start practicing yoga at least 3 times/week 
• figure out what the heck i want to do with my life (career-wise), more on that later as well....i suppose. 
• clean my room
• be a good momma and tame my kitten somehow.....
• become a certified yoga instructor 
• volunteer 

i'd love to hear anyone and everyone's goals!

with the much needed prelude out of the way, i'd like to share my first recipe with you! after sitting in my cubicle all day long, i decided to take my night of no plans and cook with the acorn squash that my grandma gave to me fresh from her garden (thanks grandma!). after work, but before i got to cooking, i rushed to a yoga sculpt class at the local Corepower and got my butt kicked! not only was it HOT, but the speaker system was broken which made it harder to play music at the appropriate level. for any of you who have not taken a yoga sculpt class, that means LOUD! inevitably, i left the studio sweaty and full of gratitude for all my body still allows me to do even with bad knees (still not ready to talk about those). 

and the cooking began.....here is what i started with....

....and this is what i ended up with, acorn squash bisque! although the process to achieve these results may seem daunting, it was extremely easy and included ingredients that almost every kitchen has! another bonus, it's healthy for you! thank you everydayhealth.com for this recipe ---->http://www.everydayhealth.com/health-recipe/acorn-squash-bisque.aspx 

this bisque is very savory and sweet, but does include onions. i enjoy onions, but in moderation, so maybe next time i'll try it without onions and more brown sugar and/or cinnamon!

well friends, to avoid turning this first blog into a novel and setting the bar too high for future blogs, all this must come to end for the evening. i am off to attempt 2 of my goals, cleaning my room and getting up before work to run (which means bedtime must be soon), thank you for starting this journey with me, i will be back for more!

always striving for more, 

the 'dee' list