What's your bright side?

I tackled yet another thing on my "Thirty by 30" list -- making my own place mats and napkins. Place mats are done. Napkins are next Friday's project. Of course, this feat was not tackled alone. My mom set me up with her sewing machine and gave me a thorough step-by-step tutorial. Most important take away: starch is your friend. Check.

On the way to my folks' house to re-enter the world of sewing, Henry and I listened to his Music Together CD [again]. Now, I do enjoy this music. I really do. And I enjoy it even more when I can hear Hen sing along in what *almost* sounds like the lyrics. Despite all this, I wasn't really up for nursery rhymes for the ride home. WCCO trumped "Jumpin' Josie". I tuned in just in time to hear Esme Murphy take calls from listeners about their "bright side" of the day. The first few I heard were, um, well..."eh"...not to judge or anything, but I was like, "Really? That's your bright side?" But then almost as if Pollyanna Eric were in the car with me, I was reminded that the small joys and triumphs are really what do get us through our days...or our lives for that matter. Yes, it's cliche. But it's cliche because it's true.

This has me thinking about how I've been seeing the glass half empty lately. I have never considered myself a pessimist. I actually always thought that I was dangerously optimistic ("You want that quarterly report done in a half hour? With added supplements? And 1,000 bound copies? Sure! No problem! I should even have time for a cup of coffee too!"). But my mindset has shifted to the dark side lately. And I think it's high time for it to shift back to where it belongs and is most comfortable. So here it goes....

My bright side is that Eric and I have a date tonight:  a one act play at the Northfield Arts Guild Theater (free!) followed by filthy dirty martinis on the rocks.

Take that Mr. Negative Nelly.