Thursday, April 7, 2011

A Lovely Evening

For the past week I was house and pet sitting for some friends. They live in a really neat house, in a really pretty area and it was fun times. Plus their pets are cute and hilarious. However, I was surprised to discover how much I missed my home, my tiny little studio apartment in NW Portland.

I think I might be a NW Portland snob. I've lived in SE, NE, and now NW Portland and NW just fits. I adore my neighborhood. In my imagination it almost feels like I live in NYC or something - lots of apartments, lots of walking, always busy, lots of shops and places to eat, it's very, very fun.

So last night I went over to my friends' to walk the dog one last time and clean up the house before they got back. Then I loaded up my car and headed back home. My first stop was Trader Joe's because I didn't have any food...and because I will make up any excuse to go there. Trader Joe's sells toilet paper? Then that's where I buy it. Ha. As soon as I got out of the car (it's only 2 blocks from my apartment) I was so happy, I couldn't stop smiling.

I wondered around in a happy little daze and picked out a few things. The few things that I live on. I pretty much subsist entirely off of hummus, pita chips, olives, yogurt, chocolate (dark & milk), and wine. Oh and coffee and water, but that's stating the obvious.

Anyway, as I was checking out my groceries the checker (which I pretty much know all of them) asked me how my week was.

Me: oh, it was good. I just got finished house-sitting and I'm so glad to be back home in this neighborhood
Him: So, which part of East Portland were you in?

This cracked me up. I personally like East Portland just fine, but I thought it was funny that if I was glad to be home then I must have been in the East side of town.

When I got home to my precious little apartment I ate my delicious hummus & wine based dinner and watched a little bit of When Harry Met Sally. I could watch that movie over and over and over and over again. I think it makes me instantly happy and relaxed.

Being back in my apartment, back with my routines made me realize what a brat I am. I've always known I had a tendency to be a brat, but really, I don't know how the good Lord (or anyone) puts up with me. Maybe it's the melancholy-phlegmatic personality type, but I have a tendendy to be ungrateful, unsatisfied, and whine.

You know how when you're reading through the story of Israel in the Bible, you keep thinking those ungrateful brats, don't they know what God has done for them and how much they have to be grateful for?! I would of fit right in with the Israelites.

As many things in life are, gratefulness is a choice. A lesson I must learn over and over and over and over again. Most of us probably have a whole lot to be grateful for. Sure, we all have crappy, difficult, stressful things in our lives, but we also have heaps of good things that bless us on a daily basis. On a daily basis. Like comfy beds, stable jobs, friends, family, coffee, food, homes, cars, parking spaces (this is a very personal one), beautiful trees, nice weather, books, TV shows, dogs (and cats I guess), laughter, clothing, cities, intelligence, ice cream, ETC!

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.
Colossians 3:15 NIV

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