Things I am Grateful For

Okay I'm having a crappy couple of weeks. When Charlie Brown says "Everything I touch gets ruined"-- I really really sympathise. The dress I spent hours sewing to wear for Christmas is probably not going to fit because I'm expanding too quickly; we're completely skint after our two day holiday from Theo (because we couldn't face taking the bus and decided to pay to bring the car on the ferry at the last minute) and as a result I had to return half the presents we bought; work is going to be scarce over the holiday because the office is shut down between Christmas and Theopany; I lost my only winter hat--just in time for the freezing weather; my coat doesn't fit over my massive belly; and the lovely snow we were all excited about (especially me) made the tiny crack in our windshield into a HUGE crack and now we have to spend $200 to replace it. Oh and I burned my hand making breakfast yesterday.

So I'm trying really hard not to be negative and spend the week crying and ruining everyone's Christmas spirit because it isn't their fault I'm having some really bad luck. But being positive in the face of misfortune is really not a pregnant woman's forte. So I thought I would make a list of things I'm grateful for and see if that helps.

1)Christmas is STILL Christmas
2) WE are still married, even though many people we know called it quits this year
3)We have a terrific family that will keep us from freezing and starving
4)-- neither of which we are close to doing
5)The above people are also not sick or dying or injured
6)--and they're paying for Christmas dinner
7) We've agreed that we will make an exception to our "no visa purchases rule" to get Theo a present
8)We've also agreed that a tree is a necessary purchase
9)I haven't taken a hammer to my sewing machine yet
10) --Or the car
11)I made some very pretty gifts, even though I couldn't afford to buy them for people
12)We have our own place with no one above, below or next door to object to Theo's prospective Christmas present of bells from his grandparents.
13) I do not object to bells from his grandparents
14)If I DO object to bells they can live with his grandparents and said grandparents will not be offended (they promised)
15)My Christmas decorations don't suck
16)One glass of wine on Christmas day is perfectly acceptable even though I'm pregnant
17)I don't suck at cooking (which is really good if you're too skint to buy meat very often)
18)I also don't mind going vegetarian if we have to
19)I don't think we pay the gas bill, which is good because it's damn hard keeping the trailer warm
20)I can bake cookies today
21) I might not have a pretty dress to wear but I don't have to wear sweat pants either
22)I have fuzzy pink slippers
23) Non-alcoholic beer doesn't suck
24)--and we might be able to afford it...for Christmas anyway
25)My husband works outside his home office on Fridays which means I can still play my new Loreena McKennitt cd at least once a week

There are so many more, those are just the things that came to mind right now-- not necessarily in order of importance. Hm. I DO feel better. Well--better enough to get up and make another cup of tea and start thinking about those cookies...