Katie Krueger

This morning I had to wake up at an ungodly hour and somehow managed to get up the first time my alarm clock went off without the normal pain of fatigue that mornings bring.  I picked a favorite work outfit,  declared today a good hair day, and had enough spare time to drink a cup of soy-milky coffee.  In my two-hour drive to Oshkosh, I enjoyed my latest audio book and arrived early (!) at the Rotary Club meeting where I was to speak.  I measure all speech success by the number of  spontaneous group laughs I get and today’s count was more than I could count on one hand - a great day (especially for a morning crowd).  I drove from Oshkosh to Fond du Lac along Hwy 45 with lake views of Lake Winnebago and arrived early (again!) enough to sit in my new favorite locally-owned bagel and coffee shop and blog.  I just ate a locally-grown apple that tasted like fresh cider and steam is wafting from my cup of coffee in a way that seems too perfect to be real.  All of this goodness before 9am - for that I am grateful!

Somedays (especially Mondays) I find it difficult to motivate to get work stuff done.  I thought this old habit would die when I went into business for myself, but as it turns out it makes absolutely no difference to me whether or not I am losing money for myself or an employer while reading newspapers online, facebooking, incessantly checking my email, and/or doing real estate related research: I still spend time doing that crap when I know it would be better for me to do work stuff.

The beauty of working for myself, I discovered, is when these moments hit, I no longer have to pretend to be doing work stuff.  I don’t keep an meaningless excel document open in windows to “Alt+Tab” if my boss walks in, so I can appear busy.  I can just move to the couch, turn on the radio,  and decide to edit some photographs.  Which is exactly what I did on Monday afternoon.

If you ever have a chance to spend time with a friend doing exactly what s/he loves the most, take it.  Its good for the spirit.  A few weeks ago I spent an afternoon at Harmony Horsmanship farm doing just that.  I was taking pictures (and loving it!) and Bonniejean was flagging horses (and loving it!).  I am grateful for what a great day that was and for the great photos that came from it.  And for my new love of horses and their soft noses and poodles and their friendly demeanor.

(Click on the photo mosaic to check them all out in Flickr.)

The first guest arrived at the Snippets of Gratitude birthday party so I got to do some baking, which always makes me happy.  Other good things of the day:

• starting small business development classes
• friendly people in the class who want to chitchat during the break
• new audiobooks from the library
• hanging posters on the eastside for the Wisconsin Book Festival
• the way you feel when you wear a new shirt for the first time.  sharp, fresh, hot.
• talking with a friend whose helping me market my online grant writing course
• iTunes U, where you can learn for free!
• a postcard from my cousin, which inspired the Birthday party
• facebook fun

When I heard the footsteps move from the front door to the staircase up to my apartment, my heart started pounding.  I lept up from my desk chair, grapped the closest weapon I could find (it happened to be a half-full coffee mug - not gonna save me) and tried to look tough so that whoever was coming, uninvited, to my apartment/office would know who they were messing with.

The door opened and it was Diene!  A rare visit home on the lunch break.  What a great break in my work day - even if it only allowed for a few minutes of conversation, it was wonderful.  I am grateful for him forgetting whatever it was that he came home to get.

My blog, Snippets of Gratitude, turns 1 year old on October 16th and to celebrate I am throwing a party!

GOOD NEWS - YOU ARE INVITED! AND THE GIFT BAG HAS COOKIES IN IT!

If you send me (snail mail) a postcard with a list of the things that you are grateful for, I will send you some homemade vegan cookies.  I am not kidding.  (This is how desperate I am to get mail.  Anyone who works at home may understand how the mailman can start to feel like a quotidian Santa Claus)  If you don’t want cookies, I’ll send you a favorite photograph of mine instead.  But I have to ask - who doesn’t like cookies?

Even if we haven’t met yet, I’ll exchange cookies for a postcard of gratitude from you.

It does not have to be a mind shattering list.  In fact, I’d be most happy to read a list of whatever you are grateful for the moment you sit down to write. You can lie if you want.  I mean, how would I know if you are actually dating the model/poet you write down the list, or have a byline in the New Yorker the month, or actually found what you’ve been seeking all these years?  If the thought of it fills you with gratitude, write it down. But don’t overlook the ordinary.  New toothbrushes, favorite melodies, a smile from a stranger.  I want it all.

The Only Rule:   Postmark it by October 16th, 2008.  (And don’t forget to include your return address - so I can mail you the cookies.)

I can’t wait to see what you write.  Tell your friends.  They’ll like my cookies too, and then love you more for being the friend who hooked them up with delicious treats.

Mail it to:

Katie Krueger

525 Miller Ave #2

Madison, WI 53704

Last night, it frosted in Madison.  For those of you who, for whatever reason, are sweating while you read this, take a minute to think about that.  While I slept with socks on, outside it was the temperature at which water turns to ice.  This is autumn in Wisconsin.

I am not going to lie - I was relieved the frost killed half of my basil plant.  The leaves turned from bright green to a dark purple, the color of a deep bruise.    I used to go to the garden and wonder how I’d ever be able to capture the abundance; save the basil for later consumption.  How many jars of pesto can a girl reasonably expect to make in just one harvest? (I am at twelve and counting.)

I am grateful for the frost and the power of autumn to force you leave somethings behind, undone.