“All the gold in the world cannot buy a dying man one more breath

– so what does that make today worth?”

Og Mandino

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!!!

In the spirit of giving thanks, the theme of today’s blog is gratitude.  I have so many things to be grateful for- not least of which is a second chance at a HAPPY life.  Escaping a bad (dangerous, and potentially fatal) situation can give you a new outlook and appreciation for life.  If I had any idea how much happier and fuller life could be when I was in the abuse, I think I would have gotten out a lot sooner.  There is no reason for anyone to settle in this life.  There are no do-overs.  If you want to make something happen for yourself, don’t wait.  Go for it now!

I am so grateful for the life I have now- my supportive boyfriend, family, friends, coworkers, fellow boot campers, the CT-ALIVE members, and the Arch Angels.   I am also grateful for this blog and bonds it’s allowed me to develop with other bloggers.  There are so many inspirational individuals out there, and I truly enjoy reading their blogs and feeling connected to many of them.

I would like to extend my sincere thanks to Sweet Simple Living for nominating me for the Versatile Blogger Award.  It was a very pleasant surprise. 🙂  Although I’m not sure if it’s appropriate to accept twice (this being the second time), I thought this would be a good opportunity to say thank you and share some of the recent awesome blog discoveries I’ve made.

I would like to nominate the following wonderful bloggers for the Versatile Blogger Award:

Tina Running For Freedom:  This blog is bran-spanking-new.  It belongs to a close personal friend of mine, and fellow CT-ALIVE board member.  She is a survivor of domestic abuse, thriver, and hosts a network TV show called Beyond Violence to raise awareness about abuse.  She is currently running in an effort to lose weight and raise money for victims of abuse.  Today she is participating in her first 5 K!  I am SO PROUD of her!

The Healthy Push: I would recommend this blog (and Facebook feed) to anyone interested in working out.  They have great images, recipes, exercise tips, motivational quotes, etc.   Conveniently, there post today is tips on how to avoid over stuffing (bad pun intended) yourself on Thanksgiving.

Heikewrites:  Heike is a talented writer, an optimist, and also a survivor of childhood abuse.  She is very open about her own struggles and always has something interesting posted and I definitely recommend checking her out!

The Everyday Warrior:  Well, she is just that- an everyday warrior (better known as a super woman 😉 ) She is a wife, mother, and runner who happens to be training for a half marathon and Tough Mudder.  She is also tirelessly working to raise money for the Wounded Warrior Project and could use our support !:)

Cerridwen’s Cauldron: “Wit, Wisdom, Humor, Nonsense, Rants and Raves, Brewed With a Pinch of Individuality Since 2009”- that pretty much sums it up!  I especially appreciate the wit. 🙂  She’s already been nominated, but I’d like to recommend visiting her blog anyway.

Remember the H:  A fellow marathoner with an awesome blog to get you motivated off the couch. (or maybe I’m the only one you wants to run a marathon after reading someone else did it- either way it’s worth the read!)

Thetortoiseruns: This blog seriously cracks me up- on a regular basis. Love it!

Soles of a Mom: “shoe addict, workout queen, wife & mom celebrates motherhood one shoes at a time!”- my kind of gal. Plus she’s a runner!

Rules of the Versatile Blogger Award:

1.  Thank the person(s) who shared the award with you by linking back to them in your post. 

2.  Pass this award to 15 recently discovered blogs and let them know that you included them in your blog post. 

3.  List 7 things about yourself.