10 Joy Tuesday

Tuesdays are not usually my favorite days. It's trash day, which means if the noisy trash trucks don't wake me up, then Mocha's barking does the trick. Then, as the neighbors are pulling in their trash cans throughout the morning, she announces each one like she's getting paid to.

However, today I decided to not only find joys, but to do things joyfully even though.

27) I really didn't want to clean my house today, but I needed to because I had a friend coming over. What she doesn't know is that she was really coming over because I needed to clean my house. :-) So,  even though my bed was comfy and my iPhone was providing me all the activity I wanted, I got up and joyfully started a load of laundry. It worked as usual to get me on the productivity train and my house was cleanish by the time she got here.

28) John has been doing his own laundry for the past few months to help lighten my load, literally and figuratively. He left some in the dryer this week, though, so I took it upstairs. Usually I just leave the basket in his closet, but today, I joyfully folded it, even though I didn't have to. It's not a big thing, but it's one of the thousand little things I will miss being able to do for him next year.

29) Living in a four-story townhouse is getting really old at this point in my pregnancy. My joints feel rusty and everything is squished and stretched. I still joyfully vacuumed the stairs (my absolute least favorite part of cleaning) even though it completely wore me out, because I still can. It's hard, but not impossible. Again, trying to get my mind in "I can do this!" mode for what's coming up very-too-soon.

30) I joyfully took my dog on a walk, even though it was super cold and windy and she'd have done her business in the back "yard." I'm trying to be nicer to her and complain less about her as a way to express love to John. I am also trying to convince myself that I really will be a better mom to my child than I am to my dog.

Then, other things I found joy in today:
31) The postal workers at the overcrowded post office were very cheerful. They are not always so. They must be doing the Joy project, too!

32) I discovered the knock-off North Face coat that I got in Kyrgyzstan four years ago fits perfectly over my belly and was the perfect shield against the wind today (thus enabling Mocha's walk).

33) I treated myself to a peppermint mocha while I was out doing errands. I wait all year for these to appear and then feel guilty for spending so much on a drink. But today, I needed it!

34) I received an unexpected email from someone I really cherish and miss, and I'm still smiling about it hours later.

35) John called me at lunch from the lobby of the hotel where he's doing some training to tell me, "Just because they give you a robe in your room, doesn't mean it's ok to wear it down to the lobby." At lunch, mind you. Some people!

36) You! I sometimes wonder if anyone is reading, then someone leaves a comment or a "like," and I know you're there.