10 December- CRAFTS!

Can I just say colorful paper and I are good friends?! I spent the evening making presents by creatively cutting and pasting paper. I really do need an artistic outlet, it was refreshing to do quiet service with the built in anticipation!

9 December- Time with James Ladies

Today I had an adventure to Park City to meet up with my sister and mother. We went to dinner, went shopping (which my mother detests) and had a lovely time together. I really do love my Mom and sissy. I feel spoiled to have them so near and that I actually get to do things with them other than a few times a year at holidays. Also, I found the CUTEST coat at Banana, that is just good times!

8 December- Choices

At times I am grateful for my opportunity to make choices, and at times I am not. In retrospect I wish I would have gone to FHE, I didn't because it seemed no one else that I knew would be there. LAME. I missed out on an opportunity to serve, I hope to learn from this experience.

7 December- Baby Blessings

I have such a gratitude for the simple ordinance of blessing a baby. What comfort and hope it gives to the near and dear ones of precious little one. I am also grateful for the tenderness and connection it provides to be in attendance and to know that you will be a part of this precious child's life. Lydia Elaine McHenry was blessed today.

Football Season and my Mother

My Mother LOVES football and she is very vocal about it. I am grateful for the opportunity I have to keep her in check while she intensely watches the beautiful game.

Friday's Happiness for Creative Outlets

If my phone happened to work at my home, maybe I would be grateful for attending athletic events with my sister, instead I am grateful for the opportunity to take a plain piece of paper and make something beautiful out of it. I have never really sent Christmas cards, but I am changing my ways!

Thursday's Gratitude for Classes Ending

Although I am grateful that I have professional development opportunities, I am also grateful for their end. My second ESL class has now ended, and I have a month break! Thank the heavens, a break from posting and writing papers on second language acquisition, and going to class every Thursday evening! Yippeeee!

Wednesday's Gratitude for Professional Development

I love the vast knowledge I collect at teacher classes. I am grateful that requirements of meetings and classes to push myself to be more academic for my own benefit. I really do not enjoy writing essays, as much as I used to, but it is good to keep up on those skills. I am grateful for the extra push to be a little better.

Tuesday 2 December 2008

I am grateful for roommates and the calming influence they have. The opportunity to have so many different opinions and insights that disagree on aspects of life, yet agree on many essential elements of life. Late night talks, when I should be sleeping, are the most influential power of my roommates.

Today I am grateful for my job!

As I awoke this morning, nothing but delight filled my soul. I truly love my job. I love the challenge of educating today's youth, I love the subject matter I get paid to teach, and I love my impressionable students who trust me. I feel spoiled.

Sunday's Gratitude for Roommates

At times I am frustrated with my life situation, being educated yet single and penniless. I am blessed though to live with patient and kind ladies in similar circumstance. What a relief to not live in hostile environments that make me feel uneasy and anxious! I have four roommates, who are such a delight!

Saturday's Gratitude for Cleanliness

I love the feeling after just laboring to de-clutter and clean. I LOVE being organized, but understand that it is human nature to fall off the wagon here and there. I really do enjoy the satisfaction of mustering up the drive to start again, and not just give-up! Cleanliness is next to Godliness!

Friday's Gratitude for Time with my Mom

I often feel I do not express enough love and admiration for my Mom. I love her so much. I love that she taught me to enjoy making things beautiful. She has talents with cloth, me with paper. I love that we can balance each other and always strive to glean from each other. I love my Mom.

A Day of Thanksgiving

I enjoy cooking on occasion, as long as lots of people do not rely on the product to be spectacular, too much pressure. So naturally helping my Mother bake and create miracles of culinary goodness on Thanksgiving helps me overcome this fear. So I might have won a turkey at work, but then rubbed it incorrectly, well live and learn. I am positive it will all turn out! I am grateful for life experiences to add a little spice.

Gobble, Gobble. I just love it when national holidays land midweek, nothing like it in the world, okay except maybe a two week Christmas Break!

Boober!

I wish to express my thanks for my "little" brother Josh, aka Boober! He is delightful and more than willing to help anyone, especially me at any moment. Love that kid, well I guess he is 23, so maybe not a kid, but he might argue the opposite.

Yup, today I dedicate my item of gratitude to my little brother.

Thanksgiving Goodness

I attended a ward Family Home Evening last night, I'll admit it was delightful. I was dolled up and feeling ready to conquer the ridiculousness that accompanies Singles Wards. Anyway, at this gathering my Bishop issued a challenge, to record one thing we are grateful for each day until the new year. I wish to record my gratitude here on this new blog, here goes nothing!

I am grateful for diverse celebrations throughout the world. I am grateful that France has a holiday to pray for unmarried women over the age of 25 to find a husband. Yes, it is St Catherine's Day in France, mother of mercy... pray for us!

Ok, so maybe I really will start now...

So, why a blog, why now, why me? Valid questions. My name is Darlene James. I live in Salt Lake City, I teach high school history, and live a basic and insignificant life. But, silly and entertaining events happen along the way. I am starting a blog to strive to communicate the positive and uplifting events of my life. This blog will help me communicate the goodness, and remember it in times ahead. I travel a lot, mostly to try to see family I never ever get to see, sharing those times with others will be worthwhile and motivating to get out and see others. Publishing my thoughts with my adventures will help me to get my voice in the big vast void of cyberspace. I feel this blog will help me define and develop myself.

So I am starting a blog....

I feel really silly about the whole idea, but I am pluggin my nose and jumping in! I have often been asked if I blog, and honestly the answer has always been a stern NO! But lately with my move to Salt Lake and a feeling of disconnect from all things Darlene, I have decided it would not hurt to attempt to better communicate with my dear friends and family!

So here goes nothing!