Sharing Thanks

Thankful that my husband planted daisies in our front garden and they have begun to bloom. Looking at flowers brightens my day. They also remind me of my mother-in-law. The daisy was her favorite flower because they lasted a long time when you cut them and put them a vase to brighten the kitchen table. In my yard I have roses, lavendar and hydrangeas all in bloom. Seeing the different colors always brighten my day. When they are watered and nourished it is wonderful to watch them bloom in their time every year. It is a reminder to nourish the relationships in our life in a similar way. What is your favorite flower? I love to hear what you are thankful for in the comments. I have been posting more on instagram where you can follow me @sharingthanks.

Sky watching at Jones Beach West End   I adore skywatching! The sky is constantly changing. I love the colors right before sunset when its magic hour. I love the deep blue shades before the stars come out. Total is World Kindness Day! Small acts of kindness can elevate any day.  We can all choose to Be Kind. Kind words, kind deeds and then pay a kindness forward! And now for my daily TOP 4 Gratitudes! Thankful that the rainy skies cleared and the sun came out as I arrived at one of my favorite state parks! Thankful to visit the greenhouse at Planting Fields today and enjoy all the orchids, cactii, and amazing birds of paradise in bloom. I love spending time alone in nature. It helps me think and provides clarity. I enjoy the variety of flowers and the fleeting beauty they provide. Walking in the woods is a perfect place to daydream.  Thankful for my husband who finished up some laundry for me. We also enjoyed sitting down to a good home cooked meal. Thankful to meet a new...

  It's my favorite month to jumpstart my gratitude habit! I began this blog to share what I am thankful for and encourage people to start and share their own gratitude journey. I also share what I am thankful for on my Instagram account at @sharingthanks where I post my daily joyful moments. You can also find some gratitude inspired quotes to get you started thinking about what and who to appreciate in your life! Gratitude like music is a practice. When you get out of the habit, just decide to start again. It helps to practice everyday to become a master. This month I am getting back to basics and will be posting just 4 moments I am thankful for.  A beautiful sunny warm day in November! A bonus when yesterday poured and I thought today we were instore for more rain!  I am thankful for a little technical assistance for fixing zoom audio from a big sister who helped my student fix his audio settings, Thankful my husband moved my wash along. Its the small kind acts that give...

Sunset at Jone's Beach af Field 10 So thankful to have a beautiful day on my birthday ending with this colorful sunset at bayside at Jones Beach.  An added bonus was seeing a seal's head pop up in the water and then take a deep diveBeing outside in nature always refreshes my soul. Makes me feel like I am on a mini vacation.The water was so calm the other night. I love watching birds flock up and take flight together. Do you have a favorite sunset spot on Long Island? I would love to hear about it.  I have a few spots that I drive to regularly to take advantage of this free display of color every night. I will post my favorite spots next week. I am sure sunrises are breathtaking as well but I am more of a night owl then an early bird. When I started this blog I enjoyed sharing my daily gratitude with the idea that sharing my daily simple joys would help other people start a gratitude habit and have a spot to share what your grateful for in the comments. I have found myself shar...

     Thankful to @standoutandgrow challenge to give me the courage to make this video.  I am so thankful to spend time in my reading nook. My favorite books and momentos surround me. It's a sanctuary, a place I can curl up with a good book and my cat! I have been doing Gretchen Rubin's . read 21 minutes in 2021 challenge: #read 21in21 on Instagram!    I have been reading more books and loving it.   My book recommendations are heartfelt. I do not receive and income or sponsorship for the books I am reading. Please share a book that you are thankful to have read!     

  Celebrate Random Acts of Kindness Day! I was so thankful to get this surprise in my mailbox yesterday. I teach private violin and piano lessons via zoom now to keep everyone safe. Two of my students made me this sweet valentine note and yummy homemade brownies.  This brightened my winter day. I love teaching students to love music and create beautiful melodies! Small acts of kindness go along way to send ripples of more pay- it- forward good deeds. Today I went over to my parents house to shovel out ice from their driveway. It felt good to help someone out, especially my parents who give me so much unconditional love. Sometimes to encourage and give a beginner reader a thrill I have gone into the children's section of the library and put a dollar bill with a post-it note that says keep reading!  I have also put money in parking meters for people so they don't get a ticket. Tell about a random act of kindness that you have received and are thankful for or an act of kindn...

My little gratitude night journal Make your own gratitude journal My husband gave me this small notebook for Christmas as a stocking stuffer. I decided to decorate it with some small doodles. I keep this on my night table, and am channeling the great Oprah Winfrey by writing down what I am grateful for each night. My gratitude list includes kindnesses I have received from family, friends or even strangers, simple joys I have witnessed, a home cooked meal, letting go of something that was not right for me. Its big ideas and small observations. The sky is the limit to what you can be grateful for even on a bad day. I list 4 gratitudes for the day! It helps you focus on what is good and possible in your life. If I miss a day, I just start again. Tips for starting new habits for 2021! I was inspired by Gretchen Rubin's #read21in21 challenge! I love reading and its been fun following the tag on Instagram to read short book reviews of what other people are reading for fun and inspiration...

  I was so thankful to be able to celebrate Thanksgiving with my immediate family in my parents country house in the beautiful Adirondack mountains. Our small gathering of 6 reached out to family celebrations over zoom. We enjoyed playing games, eating turkey and watching the fire from the wood-burning stove, I enjoyed taking quiet social distanced walks in the sleepy historic ski town of Northcreek, NY. When you are in the Adirondack's you can spot a fair number of adorable dog rock sculptures. I enjoyed seeing this rock dog on Main Street in Northcreek over the weekend.  Love the creative folks that find the rocks to build them. They bring a smile to anyone who sees them. There is a fantastic public art mosaic project that was designed and completed by artist Kate Hartley recently. It features all of the wonderful adventures that await you in this mountain area, white-water rafting, hiking, fishing, skiing, and snowshoeing. Ms. Hartley had the idea to transform a blank concr...

  Lilly pads from my walk at Norman Levy Park Finding new ways to adapt and pivot I am thankful to be able to get outside and walk in beautiful town, county and state parks on Long Island. I like to go during the week when there are fewer people to be socially distant from. I enjoy watching the butterflies and birds flights. I love feeling the breeze on my face while soaking in the sun and listening to birdsongs. I am thankful to be able to gather with friends from all over the world for weekly Friday night cocktails and game nights. Laughing and sharing stories with friends have helped me weather these trying times. Its wonderful to hear how people are coping in different states and different countries. It helps me realize the commonality we all share. I am thankful to participate with my music virtually.  To keep everyone safe I have started to give violin and piano lessons over Zoom. It's been a learning curve on how to manage being able to see, hear and coach the students....

Thankful for a new year and decade! Wow, its 2020! January is such a great time to reflect and restart. I read in Arianna Huffington's Weekly Thoughts Newsletter that tiny changes can lead to big results. She recommends reading B.J. Fogg's book Tiny Habits. Fogg a Stanford behavioral scientist writes, "To be effective, change doesn't have to be hard at all-and it shouldn't be. Tiny adjustments that come easily and make us happy are the ones that work best." So I have decided to set small monthly goals in 2020 instead of resolutions that last until about the first few weeks of January. I am an avid reader of fiction, nonfiction, and yes self-help books. I love going to my local library and discovered and took out a book by UK author, Marianne Power called "Help Me!" The pink cover with a stack of books caught my eye at our New Non-fiction display at the library. The title of the book did not disappoint me. I put my books in the backseat ...

A great TED book I just read. It's the 4th book I have read this year on my quest to read 60 books in 2019. What Gratitude Journey will you take this year? I recently turned 60 and decided to set a goal to read 60 books this year. I am always thankful for a good book and love to read a variety of genres. I love learning, and enjoy using my imagination as I read eloquent words to transport me to different worlds and discover characters.  I loved A.J. Jacobs idea of setting out on a gratitude journey to thank everyone involved in making his morning cup of coffee that he buys from Joe's Coffee. This leads him to thank over 1000 people and takes him on a journey starting with thanking his barista to visiting cup manufacturers, along with coffee farmers in Columbia. The books also highlights the gratitude research that has been done by positive psychology academics affirming the benefits of gratitude. Gratitude can help you sleep better, lift depression, heal faster and ...

Daffodils starting to Bloom at Bayard Cutting Arboretum  I am filled with gratitude after the past three days of glorious Spring weather. Temperatures in the 60s, clear blue skies, and soft breezes. I am thankful to see sunny daffodils gracing my neighbors gardens. Magnolias in bloom. I am trying to go back to the roots of this blog and just share four moments I was thankful for yesterday. I am always thankful to wake up and try to start my day by thanking all the people who are going to help me today. It's a lovely first thought in the morning. I find when I remember to start my day in this way I notice all the little kindnesses that are generously given to me. Someone holding a door for me, or letting me go ahead in line at the supermarket because I just have three items to pay for. These niceties really brighten my day. I was thankful to see Rocktopia on Broadway with a good friend. I am a classical violinist and music teacher and was so happy to see so many p...

Decorations at the Oak cafe at the Bayard Cutting Arboretum I have been finding joy in unexpected places during these dark December days. We all need some extra light in our lives. I am grateful for the bright lights and decorations that are popping up in my neighborhood and discovered during my adventures to my favorite state parks and cultural experiences in New York. I have been tweeting @sharingthanks with the #TistheSeason some of my favorites. I hope my photos brighten your day. What I wish for most in the world is Peace , kindness, abundance for all, and tolerance! You can join in the fun by sharing your gratitudes and pictures on Twitter @sharingthanks with the #TistheSeason hashtag. I will be retweeting your gratitudes and snapshots of joy. You can also join in the fun by sharing something your thankful this season in the comments. I love hearing about what your grateful for. This week I am grateful for taking a walk at the beautiful Bayard Cutting Arboretum ...

I love sharing beautiful spaces with fellow friends who appreciate the impact of art fused with nature. So thankful to my friend Liz who invited me to go see the current Chihuly exhibit at the New York Botanical Gardens. I loved how Chihuly's pieces enhanced the beauty of the main greenhouse exhibits. We were blessed with a crisp fall day with blue skies. I took this video to capture the wave of colors undulating that looked like painter's brush strokes in the water. Below is the glass work that made these beautiful reflections. If you live in the New York area I recommend you go to the New York Botanical Gardens to enjoy this artist's brilliant work. The NYBG also has some fun fall displays. My friend and I enjoyed posing with pumpkin man. Below are a few more pictures from the greenhouse that illustrate how well this artist's work merges with nature. Hope you are enjoying this autumn season. Please share a fall activity that your thankful for! If ...

Strike a yoga pose while watching a sunset! Wonderful roadstop along the Taconic during a recent Adirondack trip with good friends. I have been on a health kick and am very grateful to have lost over 20 pounds in the past 4 months. I am so grateful to friends who have become my exercise buddies. It is incredible to feel lighter and less winded. I have not posted in a while so I am getting back to basics and sharing my four gratitudes with you today. I love hearing what your thankful for. Tell me about a friend you have that helps motivate you to get to your 10,000 steps a day or try a new actvity! Thanks to my friend Sejal, who woke up today at 5:45am so we could register for aqua aerobics at our county pool. This will be a new activity that I am excited to try. I love swimming and this will help me get to the pool once a week! Thanks to my friend Margaret, who met me for tennis earlier in the week. I had not played tennis in over 5  years. It felt good to know I can still...

My daughter the blogger of Book to the Becky My daughter Becky started her own blog this year and in honor of Mother's Day asked me to co-write a blog post:  Top Ten Books My Mom Thinks You Should Read  on her great blog  Book to the Becky Her blog is dedicated to all the books she loves to read. I am thankful that I have encouraged her to become an avid reader. I still love reading and learning from books. Is there anything better than a good book, a cup of tea and soaking in the tub? I love reading a wide variety of books: fiction, non-fiction, biographys, memoirs, fantasy, summer escape, philosophy, self-help. I also love discussing great books with people. I have enjoyed being in book clubs and sharing ideas with my friends and family. Thanks for clicking on the link and enjoying our mother/daughter guest post and enjoying my favorite book's list. What is a book that your thankful for? Summer is almost here and I love getting recommendations for book...

Long Beach, NY Boardwalk A lovely 80 degree day on Long Island led me to drive to one of my favorite places to walk: the Long Beach Boardwalk. Last year they rebuilt the bathrooms and you can find small restaurants to get a cool lunch, drinks, or coffee peppered along the 2 mile stretch!  I love that it is not overly commercial on the boardwalk. There is also a food truck alley next to the boardwalk. The boardwalk is 2 miles in length so I usually park near the beautiful hotel Allegria which is a great place to have a drink and watch the waves! There are some public art installations and a driftwood artist Mitch Van Duff Atlanticdriftwoodllc.com has some fun sculpture displayed. There is also a Home Sweet Home community art project on display lead by West End Arts! Surfer Sculpture by Mitch Van Duff Part of Home Sweet Home community tile art project I love getting some sand between my toes and getting my feet wet! This time of year the beach is still free...

Pink blossoms from my morning walk I love walking during the Spring and enjoying nature's burst of colors! Sunny daffodils, red tulips grace our neighbors gardens. Everyday something new is in bloom which makes me feel anything is possible in Spring. I enjoy being able to open the windows and hearing a chorus of birds, Soft breezes on my face accompanied by the warm rays of the sun on my back energize me. It's great to enjoy the outdoors this time of year. My dog Oreo loves taking a longer walk now that the weather is nicer. Its also nice to see more folks outside and catching up with neighbors with front lawn conversations. What are you grateful for this Spring? I love hearing about your #springjoys! Please share what your thankful for in the comments or tweet @sharingthanks with #springjoys.

Sasha basking in the sunlight! Find your sunny spot! I love observing my cat in the winter who can always find the warmest sunniest spots in my house. What can we do during the winter to bask in the light available to us? How can we steal a few moments of calm and get into that relaxation mode? Here is my top 10 list. I love to hear what you do to let some sunshine in to warm up a winter day. Sit next to your cat and enjoy the sun's ray of light while you gently pet her.  Soak in a hot bath with a good book and a hot cup of tea. Pull up your blinds and draw the curtains and let the light shine in your home. Curl up on the sofa in your living room with a blanket. We have a blanket bin in our living room to enjoy cuddling up while we binge our favorite shows. Fire up the crock pot and make a delicious home made stew or soup. Plant an indoor herb garden.  Just breath! Breathe in energy. Exhale and release all your stress energy. Pour yourself a cup of c...

It's January 7th and we will be taking down all of our Christmas decorations today. I am thankful to have our Christmas tree's lights and that wonderful pine smell! Today I am thankful for getting to spend some time with my daughters. I am also thankful to be feeling better after having a cold for the past few days! Thanks to my daughter Liz who brought some hot tea with honey and lemon. We enjoyed watching the dvd Spy. I managed to laugh and sneeze through the movie under a comfy blanket on the couch. Thanks to my daughter Becky who brought me to work and picked me up! Feels good to be driven around after being a taxi mom after all of these years. Thanks to Becky and Liz for joining me for lunch out today. We had fun sharing a meal and good conversation. Thanks to my daughter Liz for making dinner tonight while I was working. It was so great to come home to spaghetti with meat sauce. Yum!! Love a home cooked meal from my daughter. It may be one of the best simple joys...