1.  Recently when I was feeling overwhelmed, I got an email from tut.com that said — It’s not that you worry, Carol — it’s that you care!

2.  That really helped me look at worry in a whole new way!

3.  Worry implies that you might be doing something wrong, or that you haven’t done well in the past, and might not succeed this time, or that you’re afraid of failure, or that you don’t have confidence in yourself, etc.

4.  Really caring about what you do is all good!

5.  It means that you want things to turn out right, and are going to do what it takes to get the job done well, or help to make the relationship better, or get the assignment finished on time, and that you are a person who is in a positive zone of caring!

6.  I got my PowerPoint done for the conference I was working on two days early because of that little sentence!

7.  Aren’t words amazing?  They can beat you down, uplift you, or set you free!

8.  The thousands of grateful words that are posted here are so powerful to read.

9.  The posts here make me laugh, cry, smile, think and grow!

10.  I am abundantly thankful for all of us loving gratitude and for creativespiritualwomen.com — hooray!

1.  I was transferring files from a computer to a flash drive, 15 at a time, over 6 years worth, and it took over 3 hours.  But a wonderful thing happened!  It gave me a glimpse of many of the things I had accomplished in that time!

2.  As I thought about it, I realized that I often rush from one task to another without pausing to appreciate the completion, satisfaction and joy of accomplishment.

3.  So now I am going to try to mindfully Pause and Appreciate – PA!

4.  SARK planetsark.com mentions the “joy of completion” — a term I enjoy, but have not always but into practice!

5.  I am also learning to dedicate chunks of time to one endeavor.  My tendency is to have a scattered approach and hope that some things eventually get done.  lol

6.  Pausing and appreciating meant that when my husband Tom left for the golf course this morning, after our usual kiss good bye and good wishes, I ran outside and yelled, “I LOVE YOU!” as he was getting in his car.

7.  It also meant that, even though I am running far behind schedule, I remembered to pause and appreciate the value that “We Love “Gratitude” has for me.

8.  Posting here helps emphasize the undercurrent of gratitude and appreciation that runs through my life.

9.  I am up to 191 fun things to do on celebratepossibilities.blogspot.com — taking my time and having lots of fun!

10.  Check out the blog for a fun way to take kaleidoscope pictures that definitely made me pause and appreciate!  The application is Kooleido —

1.  Getting out of bed before the alarm goes off!

2.  Remembering right away that my PowerPoint for my presentation for a conference next week is finally done

3.  Waking up without a headache!  Hooray!

4.  Remembering to laugh to “Roll Out the Carol” — lolololol

5.   Checking my blog celebratepossibilities.blogspot.com since I posted last night and for no reason, looking back at old posts and finding a wonderful comment from a terrific woman in Brazil (Brasil) where I used to live as a child!

6.  Finding the perfect sock monkey card to send to a dear friend who is having a tough time.  Sock monkeys always make it better!

7,  Being able to get onto post here right away — sometimes my password is denied.  Yahoo, I’m here!

8.  My message from tut.com – quirky, fun, and unusual wisdom from the Universe.  Yesterday it said that it’s not that I worry — it’s that I care — well, hooray for that!  I always worry about worrying!  Now I can just stop and know that I am just caring!  Yahoo!  Yippee!

9.   Knowing that I am the back-up lunch date for my 94 year old Dad — that is unless he is out on an afternoon adventure with his 64 year old girlfriend — gotta love the guy!

10.  Last week when I was looking at people’s blogs from all over the world for the fairy Zentangle challenge at iamthedivaczt.blogspot.com , there was an “I Love Gratitude” link on one of the blogs!  Hooray!

Have a great day filled with gratitude — prayers for those in need, blessings to everyone!

1.  Just got home from vacation at Ocean City last night

2.  Beach, pool, boardwalk — family, friends (especially Nate and Andrew — grandsons!)

3.  Rocking chairs, sunrises, making altered books with the boys, creating bracelets with beads

4.  Time with Tom to relax, be silly and romantic

5.  Time alone — oh my!

6.  Reading!  precious reading time!

7.  Found a bargain book store, and a bead store going out of business!  Wowee!

8.  This was the week of the Zentangle Fairyland Challenge at iamthedivaczt.blogspot.com

9.  I got to be the guest Diva!  Hooray!

10.  If you click on the list of names, it will take you to the blogs of people who entered (some from around the world) — you will be in a fairy paradise of fairy rings, fairy ballrooms, fairy swings and more — delightful!  In a couple of weeks, there will be an even larger showing of entries in a slideshow, including people who entered by email.

1.  Last night my Dad told my friend Jean that he fakes speaking Italian.

2.  Then he paused and said, “It works better when the person I’m speaking to doesn’t know Italian!”

3.  My Dad is the best conversationalist in the whole Universe!

4.  I never know what it going to come out of his mouth.

5.  I always make sure that I keep pen and paper handy to record at least some of his witticisms.

6.  There are far too many too catch.

7.  He told me once that his secret to longevity is his appreciation of good looking women!

8.  He was a Glider Pilot in WWII, and at the Fourth of July party, two different younger men sat with him for very long periods of time asking him about his adventures and listening with great respect.

9.  My Dad’s girlfriend is 64 years old, and is feisty and wonderful — they’ve been together over 3 years!

10.  At 94 years old, my Dad has a huge vegetable garden, lives on his own, drives his own car and is the amazing patriarch of our family.

Hooray for Sherman Bailey!  If you want to see a picture of him, go to celebratepossibilities.blogspot.com

1.  What a blessing to live in a country like the United States

2.  For all our differences, and disagreements, at least we are free to express them!

3.  Across our country, we have all kinds of cities, towns, mountains, valleys, deserts, lakes, oceans, farmlands —

4.  so much diversity and so many interesting places to visit.

5.  There are so many kinds of people here, from all kinds of backgrounds, so many cultures.

6.  If you travelled through all 50 states, you would be dazzled by each one!

7.  We are so privileged to be here and to celebrate on the Fourth of July!

8.  My son and daughter-in-law hosted the Annual Barbara Hiney Memorial Fourth of July Bash

9.  There was a parade around their block with babies, kids with their faces painted, adults, dogs, laughter, shouting, 200 red, white, and blue balloons and cars honking.  It was darling, amazing, fun, and exuberant!

10.  When we celebrate our country, we celebrate who we are, where we live,  our loyalties to the U.S.A. and to each other — hooray!  yahoo!  yippee!

1.  a big bowl of brussel sprouts

2.  in a big red fiestaware bowl

3.  what a fun and silly breakfast!

4.  a big bowl of Mediterranean salad

5.  in a take-out container from my favorite fancy grocery store

6.  at the baseball game last night

7.  shared with my 6 year old grandson, Andrew

8.  bite by bite — so companionable and  delightful!

9.  bowls full of memories

10.  I guess you could say I’ve been “bowling” but not at a bowling alley — lol

1.  A surprise party to honor my dear friend, Carol #1

2.  I am Carol #2 because when we met over 25 years ago, she declared she was #1!

3.  She turned 60 and retired almost all at the same time.

4.  I am so happy for her to have an easier life — she delivered for FedEx, which was a good, but tough job.

5.  Even though she thought she was only going to a family birthday party, she showed up with two huge boxes worth of home cooked food!

6.  Later was our son Kevin’s and daughter-in-law Dyan’s huge blowout luau, with lots and lots of Hawaiian shirted people and lots and lots of food!

7.  1/3 of a glass of that yummy pink lemonade punch, and I knew I better not be drinking it any more!  I am silly enough!

8.  There were lots of kids having a blast in the hot tub, on the swing set, playing all kinds of games.

9.  Fun conversations here and there.

10.  Tom and I took our grandsons Nate and Andrew, and their friend Vince, home with us.  The three boys were running around catching lightning bugs in the front yard — what fun to participate in their enthusiasm.  I appreciated that they were careful not to hurt any of them!  Hooray!

1.  thanks to Helen for inspiring me with her list of “Pushing Through and Pressing On”

2.  sometimes when I get to feeling bogged down, I feel like everyone else out there is moving along merrily!

3.  it’s good to remember that we all need to inspire ourselves in various ways!

4.  when I get overwhelmed, I don’t perform very well, but when I keep on moving forward, I do much better!

5.  I like the idea of spiral out (which came from a Zentangle challenge) because it is rare that we move swiftly from one point to another

6.  I was just getting to the point where I have so many things to do that my “to do” lists are getting lost!

7.  I know I am blessed to have such an active life, but sometimes I want to sleep in, read a bit, take a walk, and chill out!

8.  Yesterday I started fixing up the balcony at my office — black-eyed Susan vines, hot pink geraniums, begonias, and in process — a delightful fairy garden!  Hooray!

9.  Taking time out renews my energy.

10.  Tomorrow is a huge luau party at my son and daughter-in-law’s, so that will be festive, fun, and silliness!

1.  Even when things get tough, like my sister Sally having a stroke, I am still grateful

2.  I am grateful that she has stabilized

3.  I am grateful that she is in the hospital where they can watch her closely

4.  I am grateful that her husband is keeping a close eye on her

5.  I am grateful that she can still talk, even if it is with difficulty

6.  I am grateful that she still has some use of her right side

7.  I am grateful for the therapy that will help her coordinate better

8.  I am grateful for Doctors, Nurses, Physical Therapists, Nurse’s Aides, and all the people who help us when times are rough and scary

9.  I am grateful that we live in a large enough community so that we have big hospitals with lots of excellent equipment

10.  I am grateful to have this community of grateful and loving people — a place where every single thing I post doesn’t have to be happy and cheerful!

On a lighter note — this is a link to a kaleidoscope website that is thrilling — http://inoyan.narod.ru/kaleidoskop.swf (move your cursor around slowly)