Sharing Thanks

     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 kindness th

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 concrete w

  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. I en

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