Day 30: B.

I've pretty much wanted to post this photo since day 1 of my thirty days of thanks (OK OK, I've pretty much wanted to post it since it was taken 8 months ago) but held off until now. Play it cool, Trish, play it cool. It's a perfect, sweet little ending to a month full of all things gratitude related.

I am extremely grateful for B; for his kindness, patience, generosity, affection and playful disposition. I am thankful for how hard he makes me laugh every day, for his support and listening skills to pay the bills (seriously, B, how do you remember everything I say?!). I am thankful that 11 years of friendship have given us a foundation of trust that makes 3,000 miles much more manageable...though still not my favorite. I am so proud of, and inspired by, him for changing his life course and following his heart in going back to school--I have no doubt he will be an amazing physical therapist.

If I have learned anything about life-so-far it is that, in the end, we truly have no idea how it will play out for us. We should thus treat every day as a blessing and continue to move forward with gratitude, faith, love and kindness. We should open our hearts, keep saying yes, follow our bliss and trust the process. In so many ways I feel like B has helped solidify my beliefs in these ways. He is my proof that the secret to attraction really is just being yourself. Even when yourself is as quirky and weird as we are!

I'm thankful for how he has made the last 8 months so sunny and healing...and I'm oh so very excited for our adventures (down under!...meaning Australia, for all you gutter minds...) to come.

Thanks, Beebs, for being a match to my weird :)

love and light,

Trish

Day 29: Penn State.

I am super proud to be a Penn State Alumnus.

I love my school for dozens of reasons, which I won't make you read right now. But, I will say, it still is kinda cool to think about how I wouldn't have my current gig at Weebly had I attended another University...I wouldn't be living in San Francisco...I wouldn't have half of the amazing friends I do...and my life from 18 years old until now would have been so drastically different for a million and one reasons which means *I* could be different for a million and one reasons.

Life, man. Crazy how it all plays out.

Love ya, Lions.

-Trish

Day 28: Lipstick.

Instant glam upgrade to any ol' outfit. Heck, while I'm giving thanks for lipstick, I'd like to throw a little love to gloss and chap stick, too. If there is one thing I absolutely cannot stand, it's dry lips. Yuck, ick, barf, woof. I've heard it's possible to get "addicted" to chap stick (i.e. your lips stop producing their own moisture), but even with this looming threat I will never not have at least 2 lip balms with me at all times.

I proclaimed 2012 the year of red lips...I wonder what cosmetic trend I'll adopt for 2013?

Glossy Smooches,

Trish

Day 27:   Airplanes.

Ahhh yes, the miracle of human flight. My life would be so drastically different without it.  I am forever grateful for this technology (and still, hundreds of flights later, completely in awe of it). The world is full of adventure possibilities thanks to the ability to fly....and more importantly, my home back east is never more than just a few hours away.  Phew, so amazing.

In Gratitude,

Trish

Day 26:  The rain.

I'm grateful for the way it nourishes our planet, brings a calming quiet to the city and reminds me to slow down. I also like how it provides the perfect excuse to stay indoors, snuggled up with a good book (or TV remote, depending on how mooshy my brain is that day)...

In Gratitude,

Trish

Day 25: The holiday season.

The movies, the music, the cocktails, the festive nature. It is all just so.freaking.good.

The Weeblies and I did a bit of early holiday celebrating last night and now my spirit is feeling even more ready to rock December....

For an awesome batch of Mulled Wine, use Williams-Sonoma spices!! SO DELICIOUS. I also add a bit of honey to the brew for a little more flavor. I recommend using a percolator, if ya have one. Let it all simmer for 2 hours and the entire house will smell like a Christmas miracle that just makes ya wanna dance to jingle bells....

George agrees with me :)

Cheers to the holidays!

In Gratitude,

Trish

#crazysf

Day 24: Learning sweet little tips and tricks to make life easier but still super pleasurable......

...like microwave cake in a mug! Being a grown up means sometimes, when stress tries to wiggle its way into your days, you just need to have cake in a mug for dinner, amirite? Life can get so busy that we neglect to treat ourselves in a quiet moment of simple bliss. So that's exactly what I did tonight--treated myself. I love learning little shortcuts that yield big, happy, fluffy results!

I regret nothing.

Le recipe:

6 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons cocoa
1egg
5 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 big ol' coffee mug you love

Mix dry ingredients in mug.
Add egg and mix.
Add milk and oil, mix.
Put in microwave and cool for 2 little minutes!!

Enjoy :)

Day 23: My best friend.

Would not be who I am, where I am, as happy and as love filled as I am without her.

It's as simple as that.

xo,

T

Day 22: Dear friends including me in their (deeeelish) Thanksgiving feast. I am so grateful for the family I have created for myself out here in California--they are so kind and generous; authentic and loving. They make this great adventure more special every day simply by being a part of it. 

Jeff and Courtney, my t-giving hosts, are absolutely included in this grouping. I am blessed to know and love them! 

Who needs turkey when your plate is this full of hearty sides?! Shortly after eating I almost fell asleep in my chair and thus had to send myself home early to bed. No complaints here. Just a really full belly and slightly too-tight pants....

In Gratitude,

Trish

My brunch date.

Day 21: Lucy.

Like you didn't all see this one coming, right?

I'm grateful for how my little meatball niece will find any excuse (and position! how is such a butterball so flexible?!) to snuggle...

Thanks for all the lovins, Lucy!

In Gratitude,

Trish

Day 20: Music.

If you are a frequent reader of The Grateful Life you are well aware of my intense girl crush on the amazing, beautiful, super rad singer/song writer Tristan Prettyman. And if you're not a frequent reader, why hello there! My name is Trish. I wish I were friends with Ms. Prettyman so badly that my very best friend recently said to me "I'm actually a little scared of you for her...." So...that's probably not normal, right?

I digress.

TP's newest album, Cedar + Gold, was released last month and I'm completely in love with it from start to finish. I am also totally biased in this opinion due to aforementioned girl crush and you know what? I don't give a hoot---home girl's latest is just so good.  The reason why this particular album is so lovely is because it's her story. It's her truth. It's her authentic self bravely sharing her heartbreak with anyone who cares to sing along and for me, it embodies the reasons why music is such a beautiful and important part of life.

I am contacted fairly regularly by you, my incredible readers, with questions about life, love, relationships, careers, etc. I am always deeply humbled to know there are folks who feel my own (unfinished) story perhaps can help shed light on some truth within their own.

While mulling over my gratitude for music in context for today's post, my thoughts kept circling back to this:

There are thousands upon thousands of books, articles, songs, blogs out there aiming to help make love, romance and relationships "easier", "better", more "successful", etc.. I love that as humans we strive to try and make life more manageable for our fellow earth dwellers by sharing our thoughts, opinions and experiences in this way; that we seek to ease the path for one another by taking the opportunity to connect.

But isn't the plethora of varying advice at our fingertips also sort of proof that there truly isn't one concrete answer to how-to-do-it-right? That we are complicated creatures, unique beings in unique situations every step of the way? That what works for one person or one couple may not work for another and that...let's be honest....if someone had the be all end all answer to happily ever after there wouldn't be so many broken hearts out there?

For me personally, there are moments (though they are fewer and further between) when the weight of my past mistakes...years later...still come crashing down on me so heavily it feels quite like drowning; gasping for understanding of how I could have possibly let anything painful happen to myself and people I love. How I could ever be so destructive, selfish and outside-of-myself at times while I struggle to make sense of how it all can shift so quickly; while I once tried to understand where my courage and spirit ran off to, leaving me to fumble and fall for months on end.

I don't know that there will ever be cut and dry answers to these questions (and many more). But I do know that my mistakes are, whether I like it or not, a piece of my story. They are a chapter in my tale that has shaped me to become the woman I am today. And I know what is most important to remember is that they are just one piece. One piece in a (hopefully) long and love filled life. I am grateful for what I learned and how I grew--how everyone in any less than sunny scenario learned and grew. And presently? Presently I am grateful for how my trials allow me, much like a song that is written and sung from the heart, to connect with folks who may choose to read my blog.

So today, out of love and gratitude for music, I encourage you all to keep connecting. Keep sharing. Keep hair brush singing until your spirit's lighten, our judgements of self and others lift and our authentic selves feel strong enough to rock the life we're blessed with.

Because after all--like our dear, brave, cooler-than-I'll-ever-be TP says, who knows--maybe the best hasn't happened yet.

love and light,

Trish