Childhood Memories

When I was little my family had a dacha in Belarus, where me, my then non-working mom, my brother and my grandparents used to spend all summers long (my father would visit us whenever he could get away from work and make his way to basically another country). Our piece of land there was prosperous and the soils were rich - all sorts of nature's creatures lived and growed there in abundance. Nearby we had ponds with water lillies and frogs, and we had woods with numerous kinds of trees and all sorts of wild forest berries and mushrooms waiting to be picked up, and wild forest animals waiting to be discovered or maybe even hunted down... On our own lot we had various juicy fruits and garden berries that we would eat right from the trees and bushes, we had luscious flowers of all colors growing there too - I even had a beautiful pink rose planted in my name (my brother had a little oak tree planted for him). So many living things were there for us to enjoy also, I remember my favorites were friendly little grass snakes, the harmless kind with bright yellow spots on their heads - I was always fascinated with them and would touch and gently poke them on the head with my fingers, and they wouldn't mind that at all!

It all sounds just like a fairytale, doesn't it? Most of my childhood memories have to do with this amazing place, and maybe its wonderfullness is what deserves all the credit for making me remember myself and my surroundings so well since I was about 3 years old.

This is what I'm thankful for.

Be Smart & Have the Balls

On my way home from work yesterday I got caught in a pouring rain. And if you've been thankful with me for a while and remember those other funny work related things that happened to me this year (like this one time I ended up being bare legged at work or had my butt covered in chocolate), I'm guessing you anticipate another funny tale. You're not going to be dissapointed, and this time I even have a picture!

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So, I got caught in a pouring rain and I absolutely couldn't bear a thought of my shoes getting wet, so I just bought two plastic grocery bags and put them on my feet and walked home like that... making quite a few passerbies smile, as you can imagine!.. Thanks universe for putting me near a grocery store at the time when it started raining heavily!

Good Morning

I'm thankful for the amusing thing that is mornings. Mornings, when our minds are so fragile... Have you ever noticed that you have a completely different flow of thoughts when you're just waking up? Something that seemed like a solid idea the day and even nigth before may just easily stop making any earthly sense... Yet the morning hours pass and it all gets back to what it used to be. What an unusual and magical time - just makes you wonder what is really real for a moment or two.

Got So Thankful, My Mind Crashed On Me

I'd been thinking about it all the time while getting ready to go to bed yesterday, then I woke up in the morning still thinking about it, and I was still thinking it while having my breakfast too. It had something to do with hearty conversations, time, memories, changes, realizations... And it had something to do with the current visit of my friends from furher lands, which seemed to provoke all the thinking. I remember I felt very thankful while thinking it, but, that's all I remember. So, until I can get it back out of the back of my mind again, I'm going to be thankful for this thoughtfully thankful experience. I take it I felt so thankful that my mind made all else disappear.

Most of My Life Isn't Real

I'm thankful for the days and nights that feel so good and real that all that was before feels just like a haze before your eyes and the bad stuff in your past just really doesn't matter - all that matters is you truly live in such a moment and the future seems so bright.

Inspiration Management

I swear this blog project of mine has helped me learn the art of inspiration management. Sounds unbelievable, I know, but how else to explain some of the posts that were written on the most uninspiring days ever? Never before could I just sit down and start writing because it was time to write something as opposed to obsessively repeating something over and over till I could get my hands on a piece of paper or my keyboard... Turns out, on most days even inspiration can be managed. Or maybe we're always inspired, but we just don't know that. Could this be?

Desire

You know what, regardless of what THEY say, I am thankful for having desires and for wanting things. We only desire beautiful things when we are healthy and feeling good. Once you get sick, really really sick, all you want is either die or get back to life, but you certainly don't wish for new shoes or a sports car - suddenly all fancy things don't matter any more, and all you want is health. So, all of the aforementioned makes me think that wanting things is healthy, therefore good for you. But just like with any thing out there, everything is only good in moderation though.

Long Distance

As much as distance can make people grow apart, it can equally make their bond grow stronger. I can really say that some of my most valuable friendships wouldn't be possible if they didn't have to stand the test of long distance. Miles and kilometres between put a friendship to the truest test, helping you see another person under a whole new light. It takes some wholehearted dedication to keep such friendship alive, and if friends go all the way it sure means something.

Have a Seat

I've noticed the other day that human legs bend in ways that let us sit in various cool positions, and not many mammals are that blessed! So here's to all the fun sitting positions our human legs let us achieve, ha.

Empathy

I'm one very empathetic person. I know what's happening between people before they know it, which is a lot of fun sometimes. I even sometimes know what I myself am going to feel soon, which I don't always realize right away. When I spend more time in a room full of people who are being nervous, I start getting nervous too - for no real reason other than my body getting those nervous vibes, and this one is never too much fun. But all in all, I am thankful for being that, because it looks like it's quite rare, and I believe with time I'm learning how to use this to my advantage.

Care 2

There are people who care about you, and then there are people who also care about your feelings. I realize those are two different things. A true connection isn't possible without the latter, so I am thankful for people who take the time to know you better and do or say things taking into consideration your distinctive personal qualities.

Taste Sensation

My brother thinks that all the food in the world can be divided into two categories: the kind that is absolutely disgusting and the kind that can be tolerated. I guess I should really be thankful that, unlike him, I do find lots of foods to be tasty and well worth the time spent eating them.

To People That Were

Maybe sometimes it's just high time certain people in our lives go or be let go of. It's not always easy to part ways with those who were once dear to you or see them drift away, but I guess it's just the way life goes. Not all friends are meant to stay close forever. I still believe that everything happens for a reason, and for the good times and genuine moments that were, I am thankful.

I Miss You

It's not always easy to find something good about missing someone when you have no idea when you'll see this person again, or if you're going to see them at all. But as I have to find something to be thankful for and document it on a daily basis, I realize that very having someone to miss at all is a blessing in itself. After all, we only miss the good times, and having a person to miss I'm reminded that I'm the type who is able to have genuine feelings.

No One Lives Forever

Or no one ever really dies? Glass half full or half empty? It's definately always half full for me, but let's get back to the topic! So, No One Lives Forever is this cool, now very old-skool though, video game I used to beat everyone's ass in! Actually, it's the only PC game I've ever been really good at AND finished (I played their second one too, but got stuck somewhere in Japan - in the game, not the actual country), so I'm definately thankful for it! I loved it because it was a perfect combination of a good shooter, a really good spy story and the character you were playing as was this super hot chick! Any video games you shine at?

Like Chocolate

Even though it might look like it, this post is not solely about Lindt chocolate, but about chocolate in general. I've done a post on Lindt before anyway!

So, I'm a well known chocolate addict who came out to the world with my confession long ago. I eat chocolate every day. When for some reason I get deprived of it even for a few days, my eating patterns change dramatically - I would either eat anything and everything chocolate flavored within reach or would just start eating too much of everything. So yeah, basically, chocolate is one of the reasons I stay fit, ha. I know my chocolate well too - I can always tell when my body's craving a 70% cocoa treat or a 85% chocolate bar, and I try to keep all kinds of brown goodness at home at any time. To tell you the truth, it used to be even worse - all my passwords used to include the word "chocolate" in them... Not any more. Oh, chocolate, how I'm thankful for you!..

One of the Things I'd Like to See Disappear Forever

I am so thankful I am naturally anti-racist. No one ever tought me that and I consider it a good thing that no one had to. And I don't know about you, but I am hopelessly in love with the world's diversity and definately not ashamed to admit it! The same is boring. Period.

Art Galleries

Huge national museums are definately cool, but there's just something about these small boutique-like art galleries. They feel so exclusive, charming, homey, cozy, sophisticated. I attended one such gallery's exhibition opening night yesterday and what touched me the most was how everyone interacted so cheerfully and seemed so friendly, even though most saw each other for the first time. It felt a little like an extended family gathering, which can be a little awkward but still feels comfortable. Everyone was saying hi and smiling at each other, nodding heads at the new arrivees from afar and making eye conact. The event was welcoming, sweet and warm, despite the glamorous appeal of wine and champagne glasses, appetizers, neatly dressed public, security guards and very expensive pieces of art right in the midst of it all. Definately the kind of experience to be thankful for!

Killer Whales Have a Thing for Me

In my dream that night a killer whale licked my hand. In fact, it sucked half my arm and I was told it did that because it liked my smell... I'm thankful for the funny dream because all of that felt quite real and I've never experienced anything like that or even gotten that close to whales. Ah, reminds me how much I want to go to a seaquarium!..

Fair Play

I've always been very concerned with everything having to be fair, ever since I was a little a kid. To feel comfortable and at peace, I need to know that people in my life put an equal amount of effort and energy into our relationships, I like to know that if I did something for someone I can count on them and expect the same treatment back... It's not because I like taking or like it more than giving, but because I was born with a fairness obsession. See, even I myself have no problem admitting it. It's not the easiest quality to live with, and maybe it's not something people should aspire for or value, but I'm thankful I have it, because at the end of the day, what matters is that I know my conscious is clear.