Gratitude Makes Me Happy

To be perfectly honest, as I write this I don't have a very happy feeling about the last three days.  There were things I wanted to do and unfortunately they all had to be done within a short period of time.  I would like to have spread them out, but cancellations happened, two things were re-booked, and didn't have much choice in the matter of the dates.  And to top it off I am suffering terribly from either spring allergies or a cold.

By coincidence it's Gratitude Monday, and I can't think of a better way to remind myself of the enjoyment I got out of those busy days and what I accomplished.

138.  I'm grateful that I didn't have to go to the Golf Tournament Saturday night, and instead attended the UBCO BFA grad show to see my friend and award winning artist Laura Widmer's latest works along with other up and coming Okanagan artists.

139.  I was grateful to be asked to review the cooking class at Poppadoms on Sunday.  I love Indian food and learned some great ways to make it more healthy.  The restaurant owners are dedicated to educating people about traditional Indian food and making their recipes accessible to people with many types of food restrictions.  They use very little oil, no sugar or ghee, and make many vegetarian and gluten free options. 

140.  I'm so very grateful to the people in my photography course for their flexibility.  We had to make up a class Sunday and it was supposed to start at 1:00.  My cooking class ended at 1, and even though I was the only one that would be challenged by the 1:00 start, they were happy to wait until 2:00 so I didn't have to rush between classes.

141.  I'm grateful that the WSET director said no.  I was supposed to take a wine tasting course today and I'd been sneezing since Saturday, my nose was totally plugged up, I had a splitting sinus headache and I could barely smell anything, never mind taste it.   I was told I couldn't get a refund or take the course at a later date because they needed at least three weeks notice  for cancellations.  How thoughtless of me not to plan ahead to feel like crap today.  It turned out to be an interesting bunch of people, a good instructor, and though I may not have been able to taste every little nuance, I do have the wine list so I can taste at my leisure!

142.  I'm grateful for all the things I learned about wine and food pairing today.  I'm very motivated to have a dinner party with multiple courses and wines to pair with each course. 

142.  I'm grateful for the fact that Valoroso is near The Landmark buildings where the wine tasting course was held.  Picked up a few things for dinner tonight and some great cheeses to try with some wine and  Port in the near future.

143.  I'm grateful that today was Gratitude Monday to show me that though it was a busy few days, it was fun and fulfilling as well.