It made me smile

I was in Barnes and Nobles yesterday, sitting at the cafe and studying. Side note: I LOVE bookstores....the smell of books just makes me happy and I really wish they could bottle that smell into air freshener or cologne. Anyways, a mom and her two children sat down in the table next to me and what happened took me back to my childhood. The girl, who was obviously a few years older than her brother, pulled out a book and started to read intently. The younger boy looked at his book for about a millisecond and then pulled the straw out of his drink. The straw become a light saber complete with sound effects and he obviously was annoying his older sister. This little scene took me back to well over a decade ago....when this scenario was replicated in my house on a daily basis.  I know this is a random story but it made me smile.

Giving Thanks

I have been pretty cranky lately. Part of it is stress from Grad school, as I always seem to be behind. I admit..that's totally my fault and despite loving my classes this semester, I seem to be lacking in the motivation department. The other part is just a culmination of small things, that separately are not that bad, but as they begin to pile on, the weight becomes more and more apparent.  The combination of some embarrassing moments, stressful deadlines, and overall humbling experiences has just made me feel pretty blah. As a result, I decided to make a list of things I have been thankful for in the past week. ( I know, a list...it's what I do.)

• SNOW. Yes..I LOVE snow. The slightly over hyped  "snowpocalypse" was the highlight of last week. I bought my groceries, moved my car to an advantageous position, and hunkered down with a mug of hot chocolate. The best part by far was having MSU cancel classes for only the 3rd time in history. They canceled before a single flake of snow even hit the ground, so I knew I could sleep in the following day. Amazing. We only ended up with a bit over a foot, maybe 13 inches (which by my standards is not an outrageous amount) but it was lovely.
• Classes which I love. 
• News that a  job ( for spring and summer) which I really want (and need) may possibly be available. More to come on this later.
• Coffee and study time with a friend. Awesome conversation and productivity = Happy Emily
• Good friends who let me call and vent my frustrations when needed. If you are reading this...Thank you (again). It's appreciated. 
• Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens. But seriously, remembering what you are thankful for is important and something I need to do much more often.