Share Something Positive
 

So it seems like I've gotten nothing but bad news for the past couple of years of my life. Bad news from every possible angle. I need to hear some good things going on in other peoples lives.

Tell me about something that's currently making you happy. Something that gives you hope. An accomplishment maybe. Or something you see happening on a larger scale that's good for humanity. I'm damned determined to go into 2010 laughing, and with a big smile on my face. So let's start here. What's making you smile today? :D

I will start out. I was having a tough day yesterday after a neighbor plowed into my car. It's not the fact my car was crunched that upset me... it's simply another straw tossed onto the camel's back. 2008 and 2009 have both been very bad years for me.

Anyway, upon hearing the latest news, my Mom decided to surprise me with a visit... and bring my niece who I haven't seen in nearly 6 months :]. Due to my brother's separation with his wife, I haven't been able to see my niece Carlee since this past summer. She's my only niece or nephew, and she's so very special to me. And not the mention, the single coolest, most fun baby I've ever encountered (I am biased ;) ). Getting to see her yesterday sure did help remind me of what's important in life, and to not fret over stupid stuff. :D

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...00/carlee2.jpg

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...00/carlee1.jpg

I'll share somthing positive. Ive lost some weight, 25 pounds to be exact although Ive gained some back during the holidays (DAMN XMAS M&MS!:mad::lol:) It was incredible having Lindsey make that comment on how I looked like Id lost weight. Oh and Louie, getting to talk to you and become friends is another highlight for me. Youre such a good guy you really are:)

2008 and 2009 were kinda crappy for me as well. I always try to be positive about the new year though. It's got to get better at some point.

Here's something positive...
I'm going to get vacation time back next month.
I'm going to get my tax check soon and pay down the car. When the car payment's gone, I'll be debt free.
I was able to spoil the girls rotten for Christmas.
It's not cold enough (right now) for this rain to freeze and make my morning commute hell.
I just found Sara's bag of candy from her school Christmas party... MMMM!!!!

I know these are all little things, but if you don't have the little things, life can look bleak sometimes. Keep your head up, Louie.

Louie, your niece is so adorable! Just precious.

she is beautiful louie!!!~

i m blessed because my husband's wrk has really picked up~ the past year w/ the economy was really rough on the company he wrks for~ i was also blessed even tho hours were cut because of lack of wrk, he wasn't one of the many who lost their jobs all together~ but so far, everything is back in swing & i am so very thankful i was able to pick up the slack & keep us afloat~

Louie, your niece is so cute. She looks like an angel. :angel: I have a pretty hard year behind me. My bf and I were separated for 11 months. He was in Australia, and there was a chance he would never come back. I had 2 surgeries, and a terrible fight with my father after 3 years of not speaking. Luckily my bf's back, and we are planning a wedding in spring. I even managed to straighten some things with my father. In January I'll be recording a few new songs of mine, and tomorrow we are visiting my family, and I am really looking forward to that since I haven't spent time with them in months.

Let's see this year I am very lucky to have a job again after being laid off last year and I am very happy to have such a wonderful, caring husband and awesome cats. I am also blessed to have a another niece that is about 3 months old now as well as a great family!

Louie, this is an awesome thread idea. The last two years have been difficult for me, as well.

I got to visit my horse last weekend. It's always bittersweet to see him because I know that I will probably never ride him again and instead, my parents will just give him away when I leave for school... but instead of focusing on the bad, I was really able to just enjoy him on Saturday. NOTHING makes me happier than seeing Sebastian at his fattest, happiest and healthiest. When I first walked up to his pasture on Saturday, he whinnied at me and started stomping at the ground. He was legitimately excited to see me (and the huge bag of horse cookies I had with me). It was amazing to just get to hang out with him again, even if our future looks bleak.

Also, I just want to say that people can be AWESOME. I've developed two extremely strong mentor relationships within the last three years and the tiniest things that they say and do remind me of how blessed I am. Seriously, people can be awesome. I forget it sometimes, but I think we all need to start looking for the little moments that we take for granted all the time. I learned to appreciate them, and my life is honestly so much more fulfilling now that I can find the greatest satisfaction out of the acts of kindness I used to ignore. :thumbsup:

Thanks for sharing everyone! Let's keep it going! The world needs more positive energy! :thumbsup:

My little ray of sunshine today came from a blog I was reading earlier. A guy was saying his Christmas tree was pre-lit... just like George Jones! :laugh: Something about that random line sent me into peels of laughter, and totally changed my day. I just live for the kooky sense of humor which emanates from humanity. :D

That's funny about 'George Jones'... :lol:
Needed the Laugh here...


Donnie Wayne ~

:xoxo:

Other good news? I'm home in Pittsburgh, which means we've got to get lunch sometime in the next month. :laugh:

I can second everyone on a rough last two years. In that span of time, my mom and my abusive stepdad divorced, I moved in with my best friend, and my mom moved in with friends who turned into enemies when she was mauled and nearly killed by one of their dogs. When I came home last summer from college to see her, we were sharing one small bedroom, she was an emotional wreck, and I didn't know if I would be able to come home again because I just couldn't take the toxicity.

Flash forward to this Christmas- My mom is engaged to a wonderful man, we're living in an actual home where we don't have to worry about anyone hurting us, and I'm even typing this in a room of my own...the first I've had since my junior year of high school.

Glad to hear all of these things about you guys. What a great idea Louie!

Some positives this year- of course the FM concert, and nothing beats meeting David. You're such a cool guy, we haven't talked in ages!

Also, I've been hypothesizing about Grad schools and being successful in my life as a choir director- so that is exciting. I've had the chance to be lucky enough to talk to a couple big names in the field recently, so it is all very exciting. I know whatever I end up doing, I don't want to be an also-ran.

Well, I saw Fleetwood Mac 15 Dec in Brisbane. That wasn't too bad... :lol: :rolleyes: (If that isn't the understatement of the decade, what is? :laugh:)
The prospect of sending Christine McVie a letter is making me especially happy and optimistic at the moment! :nod:
Also, now that Christmas is over, I'll be able to start relaxing a bit more for the next few months before uni starts again, during which time I'll be sure to catch up with friends a lot (even my best friend, who doesn't like FM, :mad: :laugh:), and read various books that'll keep my brain ticking over (e.g. "The Ancestor's Tale" by Richard Dawkins). I'm already enjoying some of the benefits of having the chance to slow down my life, and am liking it! :nod:

Well it has been an interesting year to try to find the positives in, but the positive for me is that my wife and I found out she was pregnant last week. Haven't told the family yet as she is only about 7 weeks...but still very exciting times...

Congratulations!!

Congratulations!!

Hmmm...
 

considering how much I have been through since THAT night of October 22nd of 2008, I am still alive, somewhat healthy, debt-free and I am STILL going forward in this crazy game of life.

That is positive in my eyes...

Congratulations! :)

This is a great thread....we all need something positive to think about. I don't think I've had it as bad as some of you....but we all have our moments....I'm thankful for my job but it has been stressful this last yr and next yr will be also. The Drs office I work at were going EMR next yr in April...though the whole system will be totally new/appts schedules etc. We all have to learn new ways of doing things so I am concerned about getting used to the new way of doing things esp the Records dept were I'm at. I just hope I can grasp it. I am going to keep a positive attitude that this will all be good in the long run for all of us Dr's to all of us in the office....I've done my job this way or like this for almost 20 some yrs so it will be 'new' but the pulling of charts for like 9 drs is kinda hard/theres alot to do so I am hoping this will help in the physical aspects/esp with my feet issues. I just have to have patience with myself....and take things one day at a time.....God willing it'll all be good. I need to tackle my weight also. Its so easy to gain....but I won't ever stop. I can't ever just give up.....so I"m so happy for all of you in this thread.....lets do this thread again & see how everyone is doing next yr ok.....Lets have the glass half full instead of half empty.....I'm with you all....Best wishes for the New Year and the rest of this one!!!:nod:

I made it through another year without punching some of my
friends in the face for being so stinking cheap.

Words of wisdom, don't I repeat don't take drinks and snacks to
a party and dine on shrimp and gumbo, and then stick your greasy
sweaty palms on the bottle(s) of soft drinks and opened bags of M&M's
to take them back home with you. You might get punched in the face
if I'm the host.

Also wanna offer congratulations to chriskisn and all yer family, even if I don't know ya. :woohoo:

You should teach them about lagniappe.

I have something pretty positive to share. About two months ago I moved up north to Wyoming from Texas and it's been pretty isolating, what with the weather being somewhat severe (to a southerner like me anyhow), and not knowing anybody here in this tiny town of 800 people, but they've all been quite welcoming! And the town itself is a gorgeous little settlement thats perfect for just strolling around and enjoying the scenery. Buffalo scattered all over hills, beautiful wild horses, and antelope just casually traipsing about town, barely noticing the cars and people around them.

Maybe it's 'cause everything's new to me, the snow, MOUNTAINS, all the wildlife, but it's been very awe-inspiring. Wyoming's really an amazing countryside.

And right before I left Texas, in prep for the roadtrip actually, was when I bought Rumours, my first FM album. They've really provided a fantastic soundtrack for this whole experience. :D

Wow you are very lucky. I have traveled all over the USA many times in my life and I agree with you about Wyoming. It is such a beautiful State. And it still very much gives off that old west feeling. I remember the wild horses in Lusk, Wyoming roaming freely thru the rolling hills. Crisp, clean fresh air, oh yes.
Just curious though what got you to move there? Most people would consider going to a warmer climate.

Also when you get a chance please visit Jackson Hole which is a quaint little town right near Yellowstone National Park. You'll love it in Wyoming!!

:eek:
:blob1:
:nod:
:xoxo:

^^ a conversation in nothing but smileys.

Just a thought -
 

I'm sorry to start a response to such a great thread with
something that's kinda sad; but I think that this is worth saying:

The bomb didn't go off.

I had to look that word up.

Definitely still has alot of western elements going strong here, and not in a tourist-y way, people really seem to respect the heritage. Checked out an old Pony Express stop today, neat stuff. And, yeah, I already had plans to head to Yellowstone too, so I'll look into Jackson Hole, thanks for the heads up!

Anyway, I really didn't have a great reason for moving up here, my parents relocated for my Dad's job -he's in the oilfield industry, and he'd asked me if I'd wanna come along (they hate having an empty nest, tried it for a year and then moved back to the same town as me :lol:) and I wasn't gonna go at first. Then I got to thinking about my 60+ parents being up here all alone, without family anywhere nearby, and I said what the hey, why don't I come along and keep the old folks company. I'd had the same job since I was 17 and didn't have any real plans so it just seemed like a good opportunity for a change. I'm really glad I did it, though I miss my buddies back in Texas. So, yeah, that's the story, nothin' too spectacular.

It's like, my favorite word. Wish it was universal!

Well, I think the practice itself is pretty widespread, so that's good.

:thumbsup:
:eek:
:shrug:
:]
:xoxo:

It's sad that I had to edit this because I thought something was missing.

Humira is a wonderful drug! I gave my oldest daughter Humira injections for a few months for her psoriasis. It was the clearest we've ever really seen her skin, and she could tell the difference in her joints. (we just had her tested, and she doesn't have RA, but it still helped). What made me sad is that when she was on it, her immune system was awful. She was sickly all the time, and I decided to stop giving her the injections. Once we stopped the medication, the psoriasis and joint pain came back, but not with a vengence. I know that it'll help your RA, but just make sure to do everything you can to keep your immune system up. Good luck!

People are still listening to Christmas music, keeping their decorations up, etc. So I think that's something positive. :)

I'm giving my cheap friends one last chance to redeem themselves
at the big party this coming Thursday night. We will see just what
they bring to the Tide Victory Party.

Odds are 100 to 1 that two of them will disappoint.