i'm taking the rest of the day off. i wrote #4 today . . . meaning i'm just over half done. but most of the biggies are over with. i'm thankful for that. i'm not sure what i'll do exactly. maybe curl up on my bed with a book. it's been far too long since i've read for pleasure.

i was reading carly's new blog this morning. and i've just been thinking today about how thankful i am to have been blessed with such wonderful men in my life. i've been surrounded by amazing guys my entire life - my dad, my brother, grandpas, uncles, friends. as carly was saying, so many girls don't have that, and sadly, are often taken advantage of by the men in their lives. i'm so thankful that i've had positive male role models and friends. so, this is just a shout-out to all the guys who have played a role in my life and helped to shape me into the person that i am today. thank you!

i got off the bus early after my exam, and walked up the street back home. i'm glad i did. the air was crisp - but not too cold. i saw two mallard couples standing together on lawns. i saw red tulips and irises starting to come up. i saw about 20,000 squirrels. i saw a dad and about 7 young boys out playing street hockey.

i would have missed all of these things had i not been looking up when i was walking. too often i walk looking at my feet - literally and in life. and if i just took the time to look up, instead of down, i would see the beauty in the simple things, instead of just being overwhelmed with the greyness and bleakness of this world. true, there are bad things out there - but there's a lot of good too. i want to work against the bad, but not be so concerned with it, that i miss out on the beauty surrounding me.