Inspiration and Gratitude

This is one of those mornings when try as I might, nothing seems to inspire me! One would think there is something wrong with this old gal that she can’t compose or create on a morning like this. I awoke to the sound of warbling birds with the sun streaming through my bedroom window as its rays were just beginning to break over the horizon.  At this point in the year, the earth has rotated so that I can lay in bed and watch the sunrise, my favorite time of the day.  It was a glorious awakening.  But no inspiration is percolating.

Once out of bed, I meandered into the kitchen for breakfast and now sit here nursing my first cup of coffee for the day as I review the flurry of activities from the past few days.  Time to plan my itinerary for the next few days and consider my next endeavor.  Mundane activity.  That’s all.  So, what has kept me so busy lately?  Here’s a rundown:

To begin with, I am now running three blogs!

https://ceceliafutch.wordpress.com — This blog is for whatever strikes my fancy.  Mainly I write about life and lessons learned, but I wander off that path whenever I choose.  This was my first blog, my favorite blog.  This is the one on which I cut my blogging teeth.  This is where my thoughts, memories, and blogging networking takes place.  In time, I hope to develop the other blogs to this point.  If you haven’t subscribed to this blog, then by all means do!

http://crogowfutch:wordpress.com — I began this one as a more private blog, one where I could write more about my spiritual and religious learning.  I found however, that with the rigors of graduate school competing for my time, I wasn’t able to do with this blog what I had originally intended. What to do?  I did not want to abandon it, but there just wasn’t the time to give it the required attention.  In a “light bulb” moment, I posted a photo and accompanying verse from one of my notecards creations.  Aha! An answer to my dilemma!  Since then, many but not all postings at this site are notecards photos accompanied by an inspirational verse. This blog’s followers are small in number, but the blog is special for me as I continually seek spiritual and religious growth.  If you are interested in a short, inspirational verse in your email from time to time, I invite you to subscribe to this blog, too!

http://perpetualgratitude.wordpress.com — This blog is fresh off the presses!  Recently I read about the “365 Gratitude Project” where the mastermind encouraged people to begin finding ways to express gratitude each and every day.  Some people journal daily, others began quilt projects with each square depicting something for which they were grateful.  One person has a tablecloth on which she, and whoever happens to be her guest, writes something for which they are grateful on the cloth itself, and then she goes back and embroiders over it to make the gratitude a permanent part of her tablecloth.  Imagine sitting down to eat every meal on a table covered with thanks and gratitude!  I didn’t take long to decide how to participate in this project.  Everyday, sans Sabbath and religious holidays, I will, with G-d’s help, post a photo of something that I am grateful for.  Many times I will include a short blurb about the depicted gratitude, many times not.  Personally, I think great things can happen when we cultivate an attitude of gratitude.  I invite you to join in this project (http://www.365gratitudeproject.com). Maybe you would like to participate, too. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to get our kids involved in something like this?  Just think of how their lives would be impacted if they were encouraged to express gratitude each day of their lives!  They could change the world!  Really!!!  The “Perpetual Gratitude: A Daily Photo Diary” is two days old as of this writing.  So, come on by and check it out.  Subscribe if you like.  I’ll be updating it daily.

In addition to photography, blogging, and creating notecards, graduate school is relentless in its demands on my time.  Reading, writing, academic discussions, papers, papers, and more papers are the determining elements when Richard and I schedule our days and weeks. This quarter won’t end until mid June, then I’ll get a three-week break, then I start another 10-week quarter.  I’ll be doing this until the year 2013.  Fun.

This gal may not feel inspired this morning, but there is certainly a lot of inspiring stuff to keep me busy!

As an addendum, I had intended to run a contest to help me name this blog.  But with the activity of the past week, “Inspiration” seems appropriate.  I am not married to this title, however.  Do you have a better idea?  Can you think of a title that better fits this blog?  If so, please feel free to share it in the comments section.  If I get a lot of input, I’ll put it to a vote!  Then (ta da da dum!) if I use the name you suggested, I’ll send you a set of my new notecards!  I look forward to hearing from you.

Have an absolutely inspiring day filled with gratitude!