Katie Krueger's Snippets of Gratitude

A botanical garden is a magical place.   One of my favorite places in Madison is Olbrich Gardens.  We got married there.  I danced the polka at two friends  wedding reception at Olbrich.  I saw a favorite artist’s exhibit there.  My horticulturist husband volunteers there.  And two weeks ago, we enjoyed Cocktails in the Conservatory, where despite the snow and winter outside, we were transported to a tropical rainforest with two full service bars.  Amazing!  Grateful for Olbrich.

Drinking in the Jungle

Sunny Skies over our Olbrich Wedding

I feel like somesorta badass ballerina when I leap across puddles at the intersection of sidewalks and roads.  Its extra awesome when there’s a car nearby; I can imagine that the passengers say to each other: “Holy shit did you see that runner leap across that HUGE puddle?”  Actual size of puddle notwithstanding, I am impressed with myself.

I just want to go for a quick run; get it over with, no matter how much it hurts.  But the snow, slush, water, and early darkness all slow me down.  This makes everything less painful and allows me to run further than usual.  I finish the run next to Starkweather Creek.

I hear a familiar sound.  Who who who whoooo whooo.  At first I think its just an illusion from the traffic on Atwood Avenue.  But I hear it again.  Who who who whooo whooo.  I cross the street and creep along the eastern shore of the creek.  I see the silhouette of a great horned owl dive onto the very top branch of an Olbrich Park tree.  There’s no mistaking its size against the grey winter night sky.

We stare at each other for a while.  Then it flaps its gigantic wings, the white underfeathers blending in with they sky, and it disappears behind the tree. At that moment, I feel connected to something larger than myself.  I feel the rush of 4 miles of endorphins.   Most of all, I feel thankful that the owl came to pay me a visit.

Photo by MyAngelG

A while ago, I listened to a great audio book that addressed the issue of steering your life in the right direction.  What is “right” is very subjective: only you can know.  However, sometimes the real problem is knowing — am I the only one who is still asking, “What do I want to do with my life?”  Getting to the next question, “How do I make it happen?” isn’t always straightforward.

My biggest takeaway from the book was the following: If you find yourself asking what you want to be doing with your life and are fairly busy already doing something (either a  job, school, volunteer, family etc) the best way to find the answer to your question is to do what you are already doing, but better.  Do the best you can with what you have, where you are.

I took that to heart and…BAM…so many opportunities started coming.  My role at Spill became more defined, my book got picked up by two colleges, and I got invited to teach Marketing Communications at University of Wisconsin.  The amazing thing is that I didn’t even try to make these things happen – they all just happened.  The only thing I did was to do better at what I already was doing.

Turnarounds come, and I am grateful for that.

Meanwhile, I’ve been close to two men who knew exactly what they wanted and worked very hard and very long to make it happen.  My brother, the Marine Corps Second Lieutenant and my husband, the new American citizen.  While I was floundering, these two were focused and working hard.  Inspiring, to say the least.  I am very proud and grateful.

Midday walks are key to survival.  Especially if you work from home, as I do.  Its good to get fresh air, a new perspective, and let some of the morning’s work settle in you head while you look forward to the afternoon.

My neighborhood is extremely walkable, and I am grateful for that.

Lake Monona shoreline

There’s no better mark of a midwesterner than an inclination to talk about the weather.   And these days, there is so much to talk about!  Last night, a group of friends and I rode our bikes around town under the light of a nearly-full moon.  In January!  I didn’t even need to wear a neck warmer; which is remarkable.  Today, dudes have been spotted running with their shirts off.  In January!  The lakes still have large patches of open water.  In January!  Its amazing.

The bike ride was memorable.  And fun.  No better way to get a little exercise than cruising on bikes (in January!) I am grateful for having people in my life who think night bike rides are fun.

It’s like Spring break outside; not Winter break. 44 degrees! And NO SNOW!

Some are blaming global warming.  Others a cyclical fluke.  And yet others “just my luck.”  Either way, it’s probably a warm enough winter that we’ll be telling our grandkids about it.  “When can we train for the Birkie?” worry all my fit athletic friends.

Warming up the kitchen with long stretches of baking remains enjoyable this winter; it just doesn’t seem as necessary when I can crack open the window comfortably.  But being able to do so is definitely something I am grateful for.