Coping With The Blahs

Got a bad case of the "blahs" today. Feeling unmotivated, restless, and even a little depressed, with a headache on the horizon. I've been sitting around a little too much this morning, so I'm attributing my condition to that, as well as hormones (they make the "blahs" so much worse) and some ongoing family drama (it's feeding negative thought patterns). I've been making it a point to get up and move around, putting things in my own way so that I get them done and make some progress for which I can feel proud. It's helping somewhat but I need a boost, something to transform the negative thought patterns into positive ones. I've decided to create a list of good things that have happened since the beginning of this year. I think that if I can write those down, look at them, and remind myself of how much good fortune I've had in such a short period of time, I can change my day and make it better, even if I can't change the weather (the gray skies outside aren't helping matters).

1) I've been in good health since the beginning of the year. I had a really bad sinus infection made worse by a case of pinkeye shortly before Christmas but I've been doing well since then. I am always grateful for good health.

2) I became an aunt again recently to a beautiful, healthy baby girl.

3) I read a pretty good book called "The Aviator's Wife", a historical novel by Melanie Benjamin.

4) I am reading another historical novel by Tara Conklin called "The House Girl".

5) I received advance copies of two other books I will read soon ("The Painted Girls" and "Calling Me Home").

6) I had a wonderful 33rd birthday with some great gifts from my family. My husband upgraded my mp3 player to 16gb, my daughters got me Sonia Sotomayor's new autobiography (another book to read - I can never have enough!), my mom bought me a really nice, really warm coat, I got over $100 in Amazon gift certificates, a favorite Mary Kay product got replaced that I had to throw out last year when I got a case of pinkeye (what it is with me and pinkeye I'll never know), and I'll be having lattes from Starbucks for a while.

7) I got to have a night out with my husband for our birthdays while my in-laws watched our kids.

8) I paid off some lingering medical bills.

9) I broke out my sewing machine, taught myself how to use it, and took care of some sewing projects that had lingered for MONTHS (replacing buttons, mending torn seams, hemming pants) in just a few days.

10) I started AND finished writing a story. For the first time. EVER. It felt SO GOOD. And I did it two days ahead of a self-imposed deadline. I got a great response on it from the people in my writer's group and was urged by more than one person to publish it. I have researched upcoming writing contests with the intention to submit it.

11) I took a hambone from a HoneyBaked ham that I purchased for a birthday dinner with my in-laws (one meal) and made the best batch of navy bean soup I've ever made (another meal). Two meals with one ham. And my dad was able to eat with us. He brought me cornbread mix on his way home from work so that I could have the cornbread I so badly wanted to have with that bean soup. My dad is the best.

12) I continue to be blessed with a wonderful family.

13) My husband brought me home a few cans of Coca-Cola and a Butterfinger candy bar because he knows how much I love them. He's so sweet.

14) I got my cracked windshield in my car replaced and my dad was able to cut me a great deal on the price. Did I mention my dad is the best?

15) I am currently making a batch of homemade chicken soup, a favorite of mine growing up. It is yet another fantastic recipe handed down to me by my mom (the above-mentioned bean soup is too). My mom is such a wonderful cook. I learned from the best.

16) This year I resisted my antisocial tendencies and took my eight-year-old daughter door-to-door in our neighborhood to sell Girl Scout cookies. She sold 20 more boxes than last year and raised over $150 for her troop.

17) Made a delicious dark chocolate layer cake with my eight-year old using the new Cuisinart food processor I got for Christmas and made chocolate buttercream frosting with my five-year old to ice the cake with. We had sliced strawberries with it. It was delicious.

18) I got my five-year old vaccinated against the latest nasty flu strains almost two weeks ago. She was supposed to be vaccinated back in November but was running a fever at the time, and I kept forgetting to reschedule. She'll have full antibodies against all strains by tomorrow.

19) My daughter had a minor procedure; everything went well.

20) My husband was recognized for his efforts and tenure at his job.

21) I got an Amazon shipment a day early.

22) A school project that my daughter and I worked on for two weeks got a good response.

23) A man held the door open for me and my daughter at Starbucks the other day. Small kindnesses never fail to make a great impression on me.

24) A cashier at Kroger wished me a good day. She didn't even wring me up for anything. Just said it as I walked out the door. Again, small kindnesses.

25) I got a phone call from a good friend.

26) My five-year old lost her first tooth.

27) A new season of one of my favorite shows (Downton Abbey) started.

28) I taught my daughter how to do a straight stitch.

29) The fifteen-year-old cousin of one of my friends went missing...and then was found, safe and sound, less than a week later.

30) My daughters and I all got a "thumbs up" from our respective dentists.

Thirty things. That's one good thing every day. And I bet I could come up with more if I thought about it really hard.

Now I feel better. Except for that headache. But I have ibuprofen for that (another good thing!). Relief is on the way.