Week 44: I've chosen retirement and the freedom that comes with it as my blessing for this week. It's one of many stages we all go through in our lives, often without pausing to reflect on how these changes affect us and how we feel about them.

Where are you in the stages of your life and how are you coping when those changes occur? Some welcome the idea of an empty nest, not because they don't love their children but because they look forward to focusing more time and energy on the couple relationship; others are distraught at the prospect of their children leaving home. Some resist the idea of becoming a grandparent, saying they're just not ready to be that old; others long for the special relationship that come when a generation is skipped. And some vow never to retire, fearing they'll be bored with all the extra time; others long for the day they can throw the alarm clock and work uniform out the window.

Each stage has its own rewards and problems, and we learn about ourselves when we can take a step back and examine exactly what those are for each state and how they've shaped the person we are today. This week I'm encouraging you to look at where you've been and where you are going in these stages of life. I hope in doing so you'll find there is much to be grateful for in the current stage and that there is a blessing in anticipating the next stage of your life.

Our travels prevented me from completing a layout for this blessing. I'm hoping this merry-go-round called life is ready to slow down a bit as I've fallen behind in more areas of my life than I would like. Hopefully, I can catch up soon.



Week 43: This week I'm celebrating an aspect most people probably don't associate with fall...colorful sunsets. Here in the South we don't have the awesome colors of changing leaves so we find those hues where we can, and the cooler, drier air of fall seems to provide them as the sun sinks in the west.

We've already had one prompt based on the seasons, but if you went in a different direction then, you might want to consider how the change of seasons plays into your evaluation of the blessings in your life. Another avenue would be to look at color and how you're influenced by it.

From the bright blue of the autumn skies to the hues we select to decorate our homes, color plays an important role in our lives. It can attract our attention, affect our mood and even influence our body's metabolism. What role does color play in your life and how does it make you feel? Maybe you're drawn to red, the color of hearts and flames, drawing energy from this "Hey, look at me!" shade. Perhaps you gravitate to the other end of the spectrum, choosing the mellow shades of blue and green for their calming and natural tones. Or maybe the rich, earthy shades of brown catch your eye. They suggest richness, either in terms of fertile soil or opulent hardwoods. We take color for granted because it is everywhere, but we all have a favorite color. Examine the reasons why a particular shade has captured your heart and whether it deserves a place in your gratitude project.

My layout is in the gallery and, as always, there's more on my blog.




Week 42: I'm multi-tasking these days...creating gratitude pages, designing a new 2010 planner and thinking about old photos and the stories that go with them thanks to the Big Picture Scrapbooking class I'm enrolled in. My brain may be about to blow a circuit but I'm loving it.

That's why I've chosen one of those creative endeavors as my blessing for the week: my old photos. I am so grateful for the connection to the people and places in my past that they provide as well as the emotions they stir inside me as I look through them and remember. It's likely you have old photos that do the same for you, and you may wish to make them one of your blessings as well.

But there are other connections to yesterday that do much the same thing. Maybe you inherited a piece of furniture, some silver or stemware from your mother or grandmother and when looking at it in your home, you recall in your mind's eye exactly how it looked her her home. Or are you lucky enough to have some crocheting, embroidery or tatting delicately made by hands you've adored and seeing it reminds you of the love that went into these works of art. Perhaps it's a piece of jewelry either given as a gift by a loved one or passed on to you after their death that is dear to your heart, and wearing it conjures up a host of happy thoughts. All of these things hold far more value than their physical worth; they are tangible evidence of our past and the connection with the people we shared it with who are now gone. So the prompt this week is to look at these items in your life to see if they deserve a place in your gratitude project.

My page is in the gallery and there's more on this idea on my blog.



Week 41: Another week...they seem to be rolling around on the calendar faster than ever. This week I've recorded my joy at finding my favorite flavor of sparkling water back on the shelves of my local grocery store after a six-month absence. It's an insignificant thing in many ways...I managed just fine without it during that time; but seeing it there made my heart happy. Blessings come in all sizes and shapes, and I want my finished project to include the profound as well as the frivolous.

So what little treat brings a smile to your face? Do you have a hidden stash of something rich and chocolaty that you dip into from time to time? I'm convinced there are creative powers in chocolate so you won't find any criticism from me. Or maybe your indulgence is of the frozen variety. What would you do for a Klondike bar...or some other creamy treat? Perhaps you're more health-conscious and find your tasty reward in frozen grapes or the little packages of yummy popcorn clusters from SmartFood we've recently discovered. Treats like these say a lot about us and where we are in our lives right now, and they also provide an emotional lift. Isn't that what a blessing does too? My prompt this week is to encourage you not to overlook insignificant things like treats when evaluating the blessings in your life.

My layout is in the gallery. I've used a mini label for the title and am sharing a sheet of similar labels as a download on my blog. It's another insignificant thing that's made me happy this week.



Week 40: I'm celebrating the concept of lifelong learning in my Gratitude Project entry this week. I've just finished taking the Me: A to Z class over at Big Picture Scrapbooking and am about to embark on Yesterday & Today, but my love for learning goes far deeper than that.

Where have your life lessons been learned? Can you look back on your life and find a particular event or experience you feel taught you a valuable lesson and made you who you are today? Or perhaps one of your children provided you with an assortment of parenting challenges while you were raising them but when all was said and done, you learned patience, faith in your judgment and that you can accomplish more than you ever expected. Maybe you're like me and can't resist the opportunity to sign up for an interesting class, as much for the opportunity of a challenge as the exposure to new ideas, and you want to interpret learning in the classroom sense of the word. Lessons come in all forms; examine your life to find the sources of your learning and whether they deserve a place in your project.

I've uploaded my page to the gallery and talked a little about the creative inspiration behind it on my blog.