Weekly Photo Challenge: Thankful
For Thanksgiving last year, I wrote out a list of 100 things to be thankful for. This year, I decided to turn it into an annual tradition. It fits nicely into the weekly photo challenge from WordPress of “thankful”. I’m enjoying the weekly photo challenges – I’ve made new friends, seen a lot of very good work, and had a place to showcase some of my photography.
My family is (again) on the top of the list. Although my favorite boy toy and I are having typical health issues due to our age and weight, we are nonetheless overall pretty healthy. My daughter continues to be happy with her job and is currently dating a really nice guy. My niece graduated college and we continue to be penpals.
My photography is mentioned frequently. I upgraded my software to using Lightroom 4 as well as Adobe Photoshop CS6. I’m now shooting in raw and have experimented with night photography. My post processing skills have improved a lot as well. I am also thankful for the field trips I took for photographs and the variety of things I was able to photograph.
It just doesn’t look all that good.
Food got listed several times. My favorite boy toy and I tried new foods this year, from green smoothies to homemade pizza to cheese courses for dessert. We hadn’t done that before our vacation last week and it was quite good!
Work continues to go well. My employer is profitable, tax season went smoothly and the quarterly / annual close continue to improve. Although we still work a fair amount of overtime, it’s nothing like it used to be. There’s less drama, less hand wringing, and the stress has been much more manageable except on the very worst of days. Previously, the stress was terrible each and every day. That’s a huge improvement.
Possessions usually get a mention, not because I’m materialistic but because they often make my life easier or more enjoyable. I am thankful for my camera (I know, not new, but I love it), our new bed, and some new small appliances in our kitchen. It’s made food preparation much easier.
Six months ago, I shared about my struggle with gratitude. A number of you gave me some really good feedback, which I took time to process and write out in a series of posts about discouragement. Since then, I’ve found gratitude to be much easier. I also picked up a new word to use in my life – serene. Both words are helping keep me centered and much happier.
It’s pretty and interesting!
Thankfulness is not just for Thanksgiving. It’s an everyday thing and the more I practice it, the happier I am. Writing it in my journal and creating a record in my blog gives me something to review on days I need encouragement.
Whether you share it or keep it private, I’d encourage you to create your own list of 100 things to be thankful for. It’s a snapshot of your life at this moment and a record of what is right in your life. How much better does it get than that?
Richmond Virginia Weekly Photo Challenge gratitude list of 100 Richmond thankfulness weekly photo challenge
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I am a backyard adventurer, philosopher and observer, recording my life in journals and photographs. Visit my blog at www.livingtheseasons.com.
Living The Seasons 
A 100 things list. Great idea. It is a good way to start the holiday season and end the year
It really is. I do the 100 things to be thankful for at Thanksgiving, and 100 accomphlishments at the end of the year. It really helps me see that I did get things done, both big and small.
Here’s where I did my accomplishments:
https://livingtheseasons.com/2012/01/02/accomplishments-from-last-year/
Thanks – as always – for your encouragement.
Topaz Labs makes your photo look like a painting. I like the color it adds throughout. An attitude of gratitude is a winner!
It really did perk it up, didn’t it? It really improved a mediocre picture – thanks for the feedback of what you liked. That helps. The gratitude is getting easier with practice too!
What a wonderful post. I can almost hear you talking as I read!
That’s a WONDERFUL compliment – thank you! Which reminds me that I saw your post in my e-mail about you finishing your class. I need to make it over to you and leave my congrats.
Oops. That was lizziejoy who finished the photo course. I was a little behind reading your blog, but not THAT much.
:)
For one, I am thankful that I met you in the world of blogging. I love this idea. I had to remind myself today as I struggled up 7 flights of stairs in an air cast, that I should be thankful I have my eyesight and can see my way up the stairs. I am sure I could easily come up with 98 more things to be thankful for.
I’m glad I met you too! It’s a great idea, but you’d be amazed at how you start to run out of ideas somewhere between 50 and 70. I can usually make it to 100, but sometimes it takes several days to finish off the last few.
What did you do to your foot?
I broke my ankle on both sides and had to have an operation to bolt it back together again. I now have 7 screwws in my foot. I guess I could be the next bionic woman!
Eeewww! Hopefully you’ll be able to walk normally when this is all done. Sorry to hear about that. Did you post it in your blog? Sorry if I missed it.
I agree. I think it is a healthy practice to recognize things you are thankful for. This is especially true in the midst of a crisis. There are things to be thankful for no matter what life is like at any given moment. You sometimes have to stop and look.
It really helps me on bad days to reread this posts and remind myself that it’s all very good no matter how feel at the moment. Thanks (as always) for stopping by.
Wonderful… have a great wrap up to the year. ;-)
Thank you!