Thankful Monday-Thursday: Zumba, Shopping, Election, Classes, & ...Ants?

My first regular Zumba class that's *all mine* at the premiere prestigious gym went so well on Monday! I was a little nervous - this is a big bucks location. [People who are members at other locations (like the also-really-nice one by our house) don't even have reciprocity there, it's so elite.] I know I'm good at what I do, but I was nervous I wouldn't be as hard core as these members were maybe used to... Fears unfounded! It was a relatively small class, but they were all so sweet - no snobbery or looks that insinuated, "You call that a workout?" :-P It felt great, and I can't wait for next week there!

Speaking of the elite location... I was SO thankful when, the next day, after doing outdoor gazebo-over-the-lake yoga with my neighbor friend (that was also completely divine under a stunning blue sky w/ a gentle breeze,) my BFF Donna called & asked if I wanted to lunch over there. Dream afternoon! It was so much fun to explore that incredible outdoor area I now actually teach around. Most dangerously amazing find: Sweet has amazing macaroons & BUBBLE TEA!!! (Dangerous = I'll be there every Monday!) I had *salted caramel milk tea*!!! Holy heaven... Y'all remember my signature perfume quest; well, I found a new ♥ fragrance at Anthropologie: Tocca's Stella. We also browsed Lululemon (eh, I just don't get the hype for the $) and Sur La Table - Ina Garten is coming ♥, but we can't go; and they have a great selection of my beloved blown glass Christmas ornaments, (my ornament style of choice :-)) but none that spoke to me. I *really* need a Texas one...and - I know this will be a rare find, but - a bubble tea one!!! (I know that sounds obscure, but you wouldn't BELIEVE the random blown glass ornaments out there!!! I'm thinking I need to do a dedicated post on this soon... ;-)) I got home in time to walk to school to pick up the kids = CANNOT BEAT 80°F in November!!! Praising God I could wear sundresses this week... So thankful God moved us here! :-)

My election thoughts...are many. But b/c above all, I am about pure positivity, peace, & as much unity as possible for our country, I'd like to share what The Birthday Project said Wednesday morning: Good morning friends. All I've thought about for the past week is how half of America would be feeling (today.) What I want to say, from the bottom of my heart, is don't lose heart. Don't be disillusioned. The sun is still shining. Take your kids to school, work hard at what you do. Focus on what YOU can do to make a difference in your community, this country, our planet. Work to stop hate, fear, and gloom. Do something good, loving, & kind for someone as often as you can. It's a good life and I'm glad to be sharing it with you. ♥

Work to stop hate, fear, and gloom.
So important, I typed it twice. :-D

Warning now of a change in tone...

Late afternoon on Wednesday was horrifically nightmarish: Annelise screamed from upstairs - she was being BITTEN BY ANTS ON HER CLEAN LAUNDRY PILE!!! WHAAAAAAT?!?!?!?! No idea where the wretched creatures came from or why they were swarming the CLEAN laundry pile she was trying to hang up, but I killed those suckers with ant spray like I was wielding a freaking machine gun. I felt like the last soldier standing after the whole platoon has fallen back, firing for their life & the lives of their comrades...with ant spray. I DON'T DO ANTS!!! It was like a horror movie...

I rewashed all the clothes - BTW: shaking dead ants out of clean clothes from the washer before the dryer is JUST as disgusting as it sounds! - and PRAISE GOD that JB got home to help really work through & secure her room. There was no errant candy, no apparent cause...but that place was totally hosed down with pet-safe ant killer. I may need therapy after this... They definitely were NOT fire ants - thank goodness - but they still bit. I *did* use a fragrance in that wash for the first time - maybe that sucked them in? Apparently ants : TX :: gnats : GA :-P and lots of them sense the coming cool (it's still 80° during the day but dipping below 50° at night now) so they want in. NO FREAKING WAY. Not in THIS house! We were told by everyone we've talked to: TX + ants = inevitable. It's the #1 reason why even though we are physically capable of mowing the lawn, we have Jorge. :-P

I'm still completely grossed out that it happened; but now I think it was a freak divine prompting from God to make the kids actually clean up the mounds of clutter from moving in their rooms! ;-) For the first time since moving into this house, we can see the floor in the corners of their rooms! :-P :-D So, yeah, ummm...thank you, God?

(But I am all about hiring quarterly pest control like everyone else here does now...just in case!)

This week I also went back to school online. Well, sort of... I had to take 12 online certification courses for the new gym on everything from harassment, to OSHA safety practices, to stuff at the spa & café. Was it fun? No. I dreaded starting it like the plague. (Imagine the horror of this grade monger/overachiever not getting perfect scores on online corporate gym tests?! *shudder*) But even though it chewed up a ton of time, I breezed through. So thankful to have those done!!! ...For now. They add new ones every month, apparently. My weird apprehension to start those courses highlighted an uncomfortable reality check for myself re: age - I graduated from college over a decade ago before online classes were standard! I may be a photoshop-proficient, FB-addict blogger, but the thought of getting actual grades w/o going to class & listening to a professor with whom I could defend my answers in person stressed me out a bit. :-P I know, I'm officially a dinosaur. :-D But yay for advancing, anyway! THANKFUL!!!