Blessed beyond measure.

It’s that time of year again. Time to review one’s blessings and for those of us that blog, to blog about them and for those who have facebook to post them every day.  It’s really uplifting and refreshing to see what people are thankful for. It reminds me to appreciate things that I may have taken for granted.  From before I left for Bali I have been counting my blessing almost daily. While in Bali it was a breeze counting my blessings. All I had to do was open my eyes and look around me and see how blessed I really am. So for 3 weeks I just glowed in awe at how blessed I am.  I saw miracles being performed around me daily.  At times I felt like the most blessed girl in the world.

Bali is between China and Australia and labeled with the Red A

Bali was amazing. The trip was better then expected. I had an amazing time. Everyday we greeted the morning with yoga. As I cleared my mind every morning I was left with the feelings of pure bliss. I would just glow as I reviewed my growing list of blessings. I continually praised God for all my many blessings.

My list of blessings grows by the minute.

Nov 1: I had the most amazing roommate.

Nov 2: I was in Bali. How many people get to spend 23 days in Bali or on vacation? For that matter before they are retired? My guess is not that many, thus I feel extra lucky and blessed to have this opportunity. To add to it earlier this year I climbed the Eiffel Tower and visited Stonehenge. And I got to visit the Paddington Station. It’s not very impressive, but I grew up reading the Paddington Bear books so it was a place I’ve always wanted to visit. I am so very blessed.

Nov 3: My boss loaned me his iPad with an international plan so I could keep in touch with family and friends.

Nov 4: I used Skype for the first time and it was so cool. I was able to call home and talk for free. That sure beat the alternative of paying around $1.45 a min if I used my cell phone.

Nov 5: My boss also loaned me his Bose headphones for my long plane trip.  On my trip to Europe I didn’t have noise canceling headphones and now I have a new appreciation for them. They are amazing.

Nov 6: I am an independent and strong woman. I have always been afraid to travel on my own. Now that I have done it and it was a success, I have so much to look forward to. Next year I plan on going with the same women who led our group to Thailand.

Nov 7: I didn't get sick or mugged.

Nov 8: I got a massage nearly every day.

Nov 9: I relaxed and lived in the moment. I put aside all of my cares aside and enjoyed paradise. (No, I am not perfect. At moments thoughts crept in, but like a flowing river I was able to let them float by. I even got a scathing email from my husband. I have to say I was pretty proud of myself because less then an hour later I was even able to let that go.  That was also thanks to an amazing mother who called him up for me and set him straight.)

Nov 10: I was blessed to be part of an amazing group. We all came from different walks of life, each on our own separate journey. I was the youngest by far. People’s ages ranged from there 40's, 50's, 60's, and 70's. Thus said we all got along great, laughed a lot and had fun together.  I can’t wait till next May. I’m going to Oriental, NC to visit one of the members.  Oriental is a cute and quaint fishing town. From what I heard and pictures I have seen it reminds me of Nova Scotia.

Nov 11: I was able to find and afford an allergy test. I got the results back and now I’m crossing my fingers that with the diet changes I’ll start feeling better.

Nov 12: I’m thankful for amazing parents that I visited this weekend that made me 2 pots of stew with all the ingredients that I could eat.  Now I have a freezer full of meals for upcoming lunches.

Nov 13: I’m blessed that I can stay with my friend.  It's the perfect environment for me right now. The house is always filled with friends and family. This forces me to be social, which is really good for me. This is an amazing blessing.  I also have my puppy with me. It is so nice to come home to such a loving little girl. She is always thrilled to see me and greets me with a smile all of the time. She is so loving and always has plenty of kisses to share with everyone.

Nov 14: My amazing roommate has been cooking me dinner every night and making meals I can take for my lunch.   This was really helpful when I moved in because I was so burnt out that it took all my energy to just get out of bed every day and the rest of my energy was used up at work. This is so great since now I’m on a new diet and he said he’d grill me fish every night so I can stick to my new diet.

Nov 15: I came home and still have my job and it’s been going great. My boss has really been stepping up and helping me out with additional hours and expenses. I am so blessed to have such an amazing boss.

Nov 16: I am so blessed to have the strength and intellect to get out of another bad relationship as quick as I did. I know everything happens for a reason and my vow to not endure what I did with my horrific neighbor and some other life experiences motivated me move quick. And I am so blessed to have such a supportive family and friends.