Double-decker, it is!
Finicky internet is better than no internet, yes?
For yesterday:
I remembered how much I love little bars that are too crammed and dirt cheap. I went to a dive with some of the gals from my team after practice... and I loved it. Grateful for the experience and many two dollar grilled cheeses to come!

Today I love making connections across what seem to be insurmountable barriers. I have a lot more in common with a well-intentioned conservative than a trash-talking liberal. Here's to the folks I spoke with today, and to respect amongst disagreement. So grateful for the experience.

I love beginnings. I am starting a new job this Thursday and am excited for a fresh start.
I am grateful for the new job.

I love grass roots activism.
I spoke at the city council meeting tonight (my third time addressing the council in the past 4 years).
I was one of many who spoke on making our city a more welcoming place by taking a proactive stand on immigration policy.
Much gratitude and love to all who attended!

I love my post-derby shower.
I am so grateful to not be sweaty.

The hardest part of this blog is limiting each day to one (or one-ish) thought.

I don't remember if I have said this before... but there are no rules about posting about this twice.

I have talked of re-occurring themes, and clearly love and gratitude are part of this category.

I am so grateful for love.

I am thinking of one person in particular right now.

She is showing me so much about life, is so kind I stop in the middle of my day, and is such a light I can feel her glow no matter where I am.

This is for her, and how grateful I am for her love.

I love you.

I love poetry.
And I love reading my poetry aloud.
I am grateful for these opportunities.

Today goes to my beautiful and talented friend, Sara.

We met right before we turned sixteen and have managed to remain friends for the six plus years between then and now (not always an easy task, I might add). Sara is a wonderful person, and a true inspiration. I am so grateful to have in her in my life!

Happy Birthday, Sara!

I love you!

--Mariposa.

My blizzard didn't happen, seems like the snow hit the rest of MinSNOWta, but Duluth got left out. We certainly have had plenty of wind today, though, to make up for the snow's absence. If one bit of weather doesn't show up, a substitute needs to show up, right?
Anyway, this wind made huge waves on the lake. I didn't get down to the shores at all (and didn't really want to), but viewing the waves from up the hill was gorgeous.
Grateful to live in a beautiful city that I love.

I love blizzards, and although today is March 22nd, there is one on the way... Happy living in Duluth! Here's hoping for a snow day and lots of hot chocolate! (I would be very grateful).

I am grateful for picnics and poetry.
I love being outside and I love words.
I love the person I shared these with today.

I am grateful for slowing down.

And speeding up.

I'm grateful for energy.

And even restlessness.

I'm grateful for tomatoes.

And kisses.

I'm grateful for baking.

I'm grateful for beauty.

I love.

Here's to love.

I love all the different forms love takes on.

To all those I love, in all the ways I love: I love you.

And am so grateful for you.

(all together now: awwwwww).

"Fear is only a verb if you let it be."
--Andrea Gibson.
Words to live by, huh?
Life is hard right now.
Trying my best to listen to Andrea... this quote has become a mantra of sorts for me.
I love being me. I love my life. I love taking ownership of  my life and my actions.
p.s. My Christmas Cookies just happened! Made my first-ever batch of Russian Tea Cakes! Yum!

I love possibilities.
Right now I have so much up in the air: looking for a new place to live, looking for a new and/or additional jobs, looking for what I want to do with what I'm learning, looking-as always--to learn more about everything... I am delightfully searching.
And I love being okay with that.
I've always loved possibility when I knew what was coming next... these days I have no clue.
And I think that's delicious.
I'm loving the surprises life and I are creating.
To me! To those I love! To 2011!
(Plans for making Christmas cookies tonight are in the works!--perfect St. Patty's Day celebration? I think yes!)

There's a sign to how my March has been going: my last post was February 28th.
Seriously, though, life is awesome. I love being busy...  and right now I am learning so many lessons in balance.
So what have I been up to for the past 16 days (We'll call it  March 16th, as my clock say 12:35 am--I need to figure out how to change the posting time!)?
A lot of loving and a lot of being grateful...
1. I love my family. Easy to say, but hasn't always been like that. I am one to speak my mind, and that doesn't always go so... well. But these days I am finding ways to love people I disagree with... a huge step. And get this: I am grateful for them, too.
2. I love my chosen family. There are so many people who I have decided are family over the years, and all for different reasons, but the bottom line is they are awesome. And I am so grateful to have them in my life.
3. Peanut butter... I was waxing mushy already. Peanut butter with chocolate. Peanut butter with strawberry jam. Peanut butter by itself. I love peanut butter.
4. Rainy days have always been my favorite kind of day. I feel so inspired by cool air and fog... kind of contradictory to my sunny personality, but nothing gets my noggin going like the sound of rain hitting the roof above me.
5. When I was younger (recent younger), I would loathe people attempting to take care of me. And now that I am pretty far into the real world and very much so take care of myself, I am so grateful when people take the time to do something special for me. (I am ridiculous in the number of times I say thank you if someone cooks me dinner!) I never understood how nice it is to be taken care of, and now I do! Thanks and love to those who take the time to take care of me.
6. I love pillows, especially in the moment when my head first lands. The deep breath in of "finally" and my head sinking lower. I love how peaceful that moment is between me and my pillow.
7. I love surprising people.
8. I do not love making mistakes (who does?), but I love recognizing that I have made a mistake and working to fix it.
9. I am a loyal person. And I love this about myself.
10. I feel really strongly. No matter what the topic is, I have an opinion or a thought or a feeling. Sometimes, I get irritated with myself for this, like "REALLY? Can I just let this one go?" I don't always feel the need to comment on my feelings anymore (thank goodness!), but I have also come to appreciate my passion. I love embracing myself in this way.
11. I  love hot tubs. Done and done.
12. I love being unapologetic in my beliefs. I think owning up to our thoughts is key to being happy.
13. Cleaning can be so good for me if I'm stressed. I feel less stressed after I clean and I have a clean room. Win-win situation: Love it!
14. This sounds funny coming from a gal with a blog, but blogs are way neat! I've been following galadarling.com and I don't always agree with what she has to say, but I really like her (Especially how unapologetic she is!). I love having a fun moment reading her and looking at the photos!
15. I'm all about going with the flow these days. I love not making a big fuss and just enjoying myself. Sounds simple, but it's a new concept to me. And I think I am developing an appreciation for simplicity along with balance.
16. Keeping up with the news makes me feel empowered. I love knowing I can make a difference, and the first step is knowing what is happening.
So there you have it: 16 days worth of the so-aptly-named March Madness.
To Love and Gratitude and Balance and Year-Round Christmas Cookies (I have yet to make good on this promise to myself!) and Simplicity!