It’s the last day of November, and therefore, it’s also farewell to my nut-ball experiment:  Post Every Day for the Month of November because I have Issues and Must Write About Them.

NaBloPoMo was thought up by Blogher – a lovely group of women who blog and then make other women blog too… and the love keeps spreading.  Sorta like a rash.  I have been posting every day this month and I tell you… there are days when coming up with something of interest has been…  interesting.

Here were some possible posts that did NOT occur this month:

Do I really, REALLY need to go to the dentist?

Where are my keys?

Do you need to go potty?

Do I?

There is a strange smell behind the couch; what do you think it could be?

If you give a mouse a cookie, will it die?

Is it possible that “losing my marbles” is painless and maybe even… pleasant?

Where are my keys?

Instead, I decided to go for something really creative.  Something that’s never been done, I am pretty sure, on the old interwebs before.  And we all know, if it hasn’t been here on the interwebs, it didn’t happen.

My Gratitude List:

(What, you say people have done this BEFORE?  PREPOSTEROUS! But, here’s the catch:  I’m gonna post about this AND cutifie it somehow, perhaps with a MASON JAR? And then post it on Pinterest!)

I know. I am on fire here.  Truly an original, Momsie.

Here’s the thing:  Gratitude lists are important.   Every morning I text three of my dearest friends things that I am grateful for – it’s kinda a calibration for my day.  Gratitude and practicing it is like a daily visit to the chiropractor.   Readjustment is key.  Attitude is key.  Life is hard.  Chin up and stay grateful, even if it’s for things as small as:

1.  Coffee.  Fresh ground.  Because it pairs well with this:

2.  My family back home.  My mom, my dad, my sisters, my brother.  They are my rock, and my foundation.  And they provide loads of material for this blog.  They are all mine, I tell you, and I love them.

3.  Daily runs on my treadmill in my scary basement.  Our basement is where crickets go to die.  But the treadmill don’t care.

4.  My Ipod WHILE I run.  And: Abba, the Bee Gees, Queen, a little Olivia Newton John (Xanadu soundtrack, anyone?) and possibly a smidge of Supertramp.

5.  Jars of Clay, Mandisa, Plumb, and my other Christian groups that I also rock to while running.  It is disconcerting to lose ones footing while shouting “Amen! Yes Lord!” but so far Jesus has kept me upright.  Amen!  Thank you, Jesus!

6.  My boys’ ability to show up every morning, jammied,  mussed and adorable.  They smell like puppies.  The cuteness really is overwhelming for about forty-five minutes, SOLID.

7.  Oh, and this guy:

8.  Key Lime pie.  It’s important.

9.  Furballs.  This one visits us every day and puts his fat furball paws up on our front door and stares inside, all accusingly, like “Why do you not come and pet me? I am adorable!”  (I imagine this all in a French accent.)

10.  Christmas music.  Pretty much any type, style, and flavor *

11.  (British accent now):  Masterpiece Theatre.  Crikey Moses.  It’s blooming brilliant.  (Cringe.  I know. I am not British.  I apologize if you are and you are now reading this shouting something at me in your beautiful accent.)

12.  Hmmm…. did I mention this guy?

13.  And this one?

14.  And well, all of ’em.

*I draw a line at this one.   And you do realize I had to sit through the whole thing to make sure it wasn’t weird, so I could post it here.  That’s dedication, my friends.