Choosing Gratitude

It is the first thing I do when I wake up in the morning, I express my gratitude for another day to spend with my girls. Grateful for the opportunity to make more memories that will hopefully turn into epic stories, they tell their children, the same way I tell them the stories about mine with Abuela. Our Thelma and Lousie moments of being serenaded at a folk festival by a group of musicians from Spain, being seated at a reserved VIP table at a jazz club, driving to and from Florida with her husband that had Alzheimer's. Who thought he was being kidnapped and tried to jump out of the car in the middle of a busy highway.  No matter what was happening or had happened, they were all life lessons.

Lessons that taught me to look for the silver lining because each experience contains wisdom, sometimes its the most minuscule of wisdom dressed in stupidity but it could be life-changing. These lessons also taught me that life has a way of working itself out regardless of what you do because what is meant for you will never pass you by and what is not meant for you, will not stay either. Much like the flowers that decided to sprout in this tiny flower pot. Not caring about the flower pot's capacity to hold them, they grew trusting that it would.

It is all about perspective, if you look for the bad then that is what you will see because that is what you're looking for. That's why I choose gratitude because I don't want to take anything for granted. Even the 7 deer flies and 3 carpenter bees I had to kill the other day because, with each kill, my aim only got better.  

There is so much joy and beauty in the smallest of details, being grateful helps me see them.

Like finding the initial of my grandmother's first name sitting on top of a tray of fries, 

driving behind a truck with 2 sets of the number 66,

watching a glorious sunrise paint the clouds, 

noticing a rubber band shaped into a heart on the ground, 

hanging out with a dragonfly,  

finding this last bouquet of flowers in the store,

and watching the moon rise against an ombre night sky.

I am grateful for every single thing and especially the hard times because the toughest steel is forged in the hottest fire. 

That the energy I put out will always make it's way back to me one way or another, 

and choosing gratitude will only attract more things to be grateful for.

Serendipitous stroke of luck

It seems like every day blends into the other with no real definition of its parameters aside from the progress made in certain blocks of hours. The past couple of weeks turned into a painting marathon that was kicked off with my oldest requesting her pink room be repainted black. The custom pink colour that she insisted had to be the exact same pink as her Hello Kitty purse. This beloved colour had now been outgrown and it was time to say goodbye. So I painted over the colour that will forever be associated with the pre-teen years of her life. The love of Monster High, fancy headbands, Barbie, and nail stickers. With every stroke of the brush, these memories were covered to make space for new ones. 

Like Vans, skateboarding, simplicity, and a rather adult sarcasm that comes from watching alot of great 80's movies. Just like that my firstborn walked into her teenage years during a pandemic and it started a chain reaction. After seeing how good her room turned out, I decided to repaint almost every room in the house.  Three rooms short to be exact because one can not simply paint one ceiling, so this became my work station or makeshift hardware store.

That helped me get through those little moments when things don't go according to plan and you gotta improvise. Or when you get covered in paint, whatever comes first.

The painting filled the gap in between the courses I am taking and kept my mind on the future, away from the chaos of the present. Then halfway through this marathon, a serendipitous stroke of luck came my way. Photowall contacted me asking if I wanted to do a collaboration with them. Note to self, check for horseshoe later.

Photowall, incase y'all don't know is a Swedish company that has amazing wall murals, photos, and wallpapers. Check out Photowall's Instagram page or go to Photowall's wall murals to see the greatness in action. It is truly amazing how wallpaper can transform a room. Something I knew very well because I grew up with several wall murals in my home. The living room had a forest, my brother had a sunset beach and I had a river run right next to my bed. My father had the exact same forest mural back home in Venezuela in his living room and my parents had been divorced for quite some time. Guess they still had alot in common but apart. 

Will admit a forest scene was one of my first choices too but then when I came across the picture of the Aurora Borealis, it was love at first sight. Adding to the serendipity, was that is was a photo taken by one of my favorite vloggers, Jonna Jinton. Here is the picture from the box, sorry for the poor quality.

It arrived rather quickly considering it was coming from Sweden, within 3 days or so.

Photowall was not kidding around but it big should read HUGE improvement.

 Super easy and clear instructions, well packaged with nothing missing. I know, it's just too good to be true but really it is. So I prepped my walls and just as I let go of an era in my daughter's life, I let go of one in my own.

 Stripping the room down to nothing and started a new, only this time I was the one choosing what was going to happen instead of making the best of what had happened. I got to decide how it would turn out, fate was in my hands and not just figuratively. As there was no one available to help me, I hung the mural by myself. The panels were just the right size and were super easy to work with. The picture below was taken right after I was finished and you can still see the wet paste underneath but just look at those colours. Next best thing to actually being there, which is on my bucket list once this pandemic is in the rearview mirror.

No more boring and uninspiring walls. This is my new view, the first thing that greets me in the morning and the last thing I see before going to sleep.

It inspires me and reminds me of the power we have to control our reaction to external things because time waits for no one. That letting go is sometimes the best thing you can do for yourself and that wonderful things can happen when you least expect it. Things die because they need to make way for the new and that can be a very good thing, not something to be feared.

Thank you for my serendipitous stroke of good luck.

Your inspirational ripple had made a huge wave in my life. Kicking off a new era with the most incredible view and the irony is that I don't even have to leave my bed to enjoy it.

I do however have to leave my bed to seize the day and take the steps necessary to accomplish my goals. Some days there are giant leaps forwards and other days are spent enjoying the journey. 

However, you seize your day, carpe it up.  Life is not a dress rehearsal, if it doesn't bring you happiness, let it go. Don't like it, change it. Take that chance, let go of the past and let a serendipitous stroke of luck happen.  

Why not seize today by taking advantage of the 25% discount on all of the products at Photowall.com by using the code adventuresatgreenacre25  before June 23, 2020.  

Remember,  don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today.

Quarantined Easter

In light of all the pandemic chaos, Easter is the furthest thing on my mind. Since my grandmother's death, holidays lack the luster and joy they once held. I find myself on autopilot and muster as much joy as possible. Unlike the egg and bunny explosion of decorations of previous years, this year is the least I have ever decorated. I just don't have it to give and I am okay with that. Part of coping and dealing with circumstances for me is acceptance. I can't change what has or is happening, only how I react to it. 

I haven't learned a new language or decluttered my house but I have been busy learning about things that I love. Things that I want to do when this is quarantine is over because it will be over, just a matter of when at this point. Right now we are only half-way through they say, stuck between a way of life we all can't live and an unknown future that will be completely foreign.

One Christmas when my grandmother became so ill, the emergency doctor told me that if she didn't respond to the antibiotics, they would put in palliative care and make her as comfortable as possible. I had just started decorating and despite the terror of losing her, I soldiered on and finished putting up the Christmas decorations. My mind wandered to a million places with every decoration but the constant movement helped the time pass quicker, as I awaited fate's outcome.

 Never thought I could ever live through that kind of pain before. The agony of knowing that I could lose her and the pain that would cause my girls who would forever associate Christmas with her death left me gasping for air. My mind played out every scenario and my body felt the emotion of every one of those possible outcomes, but nothing was in my hands. I could do nothing but accept how the cards we're dealt. Either way, I would have to continue because not even Christmas or life stops for no one.

 Time marches on without even batting an eye or pausing so one can catch their breath. So it's up to you to do what you can, with what you have, however that is to get you through. Lucky for me, she responded to the antibiotics and we shared a few more Christmases but it taught me about finding resilience within myself.

Pressing on helped me cope with the possibility of her death but with her passing, holidays just don't hold the same meaning. It doesn't mean I won't be throwing the house out the window in the future but right now, I am choosing to spend my time on other things. Things that bring me joy and happiness despite however small the amount might be. I'll take it because every drop eventually fills the glass. 

COVID-19 managed to bring the world to a halt but it can't stop the passage of time or the Easter bunny from hopping through. No more than my grief can but you and I get to decide how to spend that passage of time. There are no right answers, only whatever works personally for you. Don't fret about what other people are doing, if you don't feel like doing nothing, DON'T. Lay up in bed if that is what helps you cope. Bless those people that are deep cleaning their homes while learning a new language and homeschooling their children.  That is awesome, for them who you are not. So do you and know that its all good either way. Super productive or super relaxed, don't matter.

Here are some links that might help your passage of time.

 A virtual visit to Butchartgardens

Visit Paris Museums and Art

Crusie on by the Van-Gogh Museum

Check out apartmenttherapy.com's garden virtual tours

Grab a coffee and see if edx.org has any free courses that interest you


Maybe listen to sage advice from those who have come before us.

Take a little spin around the globe to check out the scenery.


Easter is in a couple of days, why not use my free Easter egg hunt printables to keep the kids occupied longer. You enjoy your coffee while they look for their baskets. A win-win.

Stay safe, sane and well. Wishing y'all a very Happy Easter!