Gratitude

February is going to be about gratitude for me.  I've been feeling a little negative for the following reasons:

1) I received some news that affects my ability to get a permanent job with the Park Service and that is out of my control,

2) I watched Food, Inc. which reinforces my desire to avoid food that I don't know where it came from and it makes me depressed when I see people eat large amounts of food that come from "evil" sources (or what I view as evil), and

3) my allergies are out of control - my head is stuffed, my nose runs all the time and I have a sore throat.

* * * * * * *

So, I've got to change my thought process and maybe my eating habits.  Okay.  Definitely my eating habits.  But it's hard.   Starting tomorrow, I'm going to eliminate dairy from my diet for 2 weeks to see if that will help relieve my constantly stuffy nose.  It was about last year at this time that I went through this same issue and we got a new vacuum, which has helped immensely, but something new has to happen for me because I can't breathe comfortably which means that I don't sleep.

BUT, at least I'm still breathing and I have the opportunity to make a change to try and figure it out.

I read "The Jungle" by Upton Sinclair many years ago and couldn't eat meat for a LONG time.  And then my memory of the book faded.  We hardly eat meat now, but after watching "Food, Inc." I find that I am disgusted by the thought of eating meat that I don't know where it came from.  I don't want to eat meat that processes sick cows along with healthy cows and then get worried when there is an E. coli outbreak.  There are a few farms around here where we can buy their meat at some of the grocery stores, so that is what I'll do when we need to eat meat.  We are getting chickens this spring because you really don't know what kind of life the chicken lives unless you see it for yourself...even if it says organic and cage free.   We also have a nice empty shed in a backyard that has been screaming "PUT CHICKENS HERE" since we moved in, we've just been ignoring it.

So, I'm grateful that we live somewhere that is going to allow for us to try this experiment and that we have friends who have all ready done it! I'm also grateful that I live somewhere where I can purchase organic food products which means that there are not any GMOs in the food and that I have a big yard in which I can continue to cultivate my gardening skills.

So, enough of my jabbering about what I've been thinking about.  Luckily, I have an awesome husband who enjoys to get outside as much as I do and we have a sweet baby girl who doesn't mind spending that time outside in a pack.

We've been waking up crack of dawn early for Mat's job - really, before the crack of dawn, as it is still pitch black - and that is taking some adjusting to.  But last week I had the opportunity to enjoy a beautiful sunrise right from my living room.  I've also been able to practice some yoga before Brie wakes up for the day, which is lovely.

So, my goal is to be mindful and aware of all the many things I have to be grateful for in this month of February!