Thankful Thursday!

Feeling grateful or appreciative of someone or something in your life actually attracts more of the things that you appreciate and value into your life. - Christiane Northrup


I sure hope that you had a happy week and that you found yourself grateful no matter what (if anything) you celebrated!


The five winners this week are...


Target - Yeah, the store. I don't care what you think. I find great comfort in Target. I've been there more than I have been anywhere else since I have been home (besides my mom's). I love that I can find whatever I need there and that many of the people know me. I said that I missed Target while I was in Liverpool and I am already missing Target for my return. I might not stay in the UK just for Target and....

Victoria's Secret - I don't care that she is one of those girls who carry a secret and tells everyone that she has a secret just to get attention! I love her and her secret! (Do you know the real secret? I'll tell you if you don't.) I love that stinkin' store! I have been there a lot too since I have been home. There is one opening in London in the fall of 2012 and I am super excited about that because it will just be a matter of time before one opens in Liverpool. I have "clothes" that fit me now. And her perfume is quite amazing too! So to you Vickie, I send you some gratitude and a request to be a bit cheaper. I'll blackmail you with your secret.


Pinterest - It's really just Myspace's bumper sticker app on a website but I still think I might enjoy it. I am grateful for it because I have been distracted by it for the better part of an hour as I have been thinking of what to be grateful for this week. I don't recommend you get an account going as it really seems like a mindless waste of time.


Scranton Cultural Center - I am going to get about 14 hours of work next week. That's 14 hours of U.S. dollars. That is 7 hours of British pounds. Bam!


Liverpool - I am quite grateful that the city exists and attracted me to it with it's alluring history/roots of the best band in the history of the entire world. I've met my flatmates and my other friends in the chaos of the city and I met Dan. Seems like I owe Liverpool a pretty huge thanks. They're not kidding when they say "You'll never walk alone!"




What are you thankful for?


I'd be thankful if you posted something.

Thankful Thursday!!

Be grateful for the home you have, knowing that at this moment, all you have is all you need. - Sarah Ban Breathnach





As Christmas is fast approaching each one of us are doing our own preparations in order to make this holiday even more enjoyable than last year. Jacob wants a PSP, a dog, and for his Auntie Autumn to come home. I can’t convince Debbie to get a dog and I am not sure about the PSP but I knew that Old Saint Nick and I could work something out to bring Jacob’s favorite aunt home for Christmas!



The journey from Liverpool to Scranton was exhausting, annoying, and, at times, downright rude. But, if you think that for one second I didn’t find something to be grateful for then you can just consider yourself to be a stranger to me!



And the five winners this week are…



David from Croatia - ended up to be quite a helpful person on our 8 hour plane ride from London to NYC! The flight wasn’t full and there was a seat in between us. We shared it for the snacks and for our belongings but then there was the old man in front of me. This gentleman had no consideration for my personal space on this flight. He pushed his seat back farther than it could go. For real, seat 42H on this plane is not a place you want to sit.) I know I am not the skinniest gal in the land but I am also not the biggest and this man had me squished between a plane seat and, well, a plane seat. So I turned to David and I said in my kindest American voice, “Do you mind if I take up two seats?” Kindly David said, “No, go right ahead,” as he rolled his eyes at the gentleman lying in my lap. In typical Autumn fashion I spent the six hours taking up two seats and leaning on this guys shoulder. I would say I am embarrassed about this but I am not because it is the first time I have ever slept that long on a plane. When I woke up we chatted about why he was coming to America. It turns out he is a dentist(!) and his fiancé is living in NYC and he comes out to visit her twice a year for two months. David, thanks for letting me sleep on your shoulder. Universe, thanks for sending him along! Now I know there is such thing as a tourist visa which is super important for Dan.

Old Friends - I didn’t realize how much I would miss these people when I left Scranton in August. I saw all of my best today for the first time (without computer assistance) in four months. We all went to Fratelli’s for dinner and it was great to see everyone. Krissy was late; Katie was trying not to spit soda out from laughing so hard; Stefanie read my face like a book when the jet lag finally hit me; Donna was the one to light a fire under the waiter’s butt (I have no idea who this guy is but I don’t ever want him again); the rest of the staff at Fratelli’s made me feel like Britney Spears for the whole night (because I am B. Spears). Oh, Liz greeted me with a Backstreet Boys t-shirt (stoked). I was just so grateful that I have these awesome people in my life. I miss everyone in England so very much but having these guys around helps me realize that there is no place like home. So for all of the friends that I have seen today or have tried to see today, I am grateful for you.



A Blue Blanket and Purple Scarf- It’s really interesting to leave your life in America for England and it’s also interesting to leave your life in England for America. As soon as I was getting comfortable, I upped and left! So before my journey Dan gave me those two items to bring with me to America. Of course they remind me of him (as they are his) but they remind me of my flatmates for different reasons too. It’s amazing that four months ago I had no idea who these people were and now I find myself missing them every day. These two items makes missing my second home a bit less missful. (I made that word up.)



Home – not just the roof over my head but everything that is around it! The roads, the workers at the different stores, the familiarity of the accents, I am grateful for all of it. Scranton is kind of like Cheers. The last 24ish hours have been full of hugs and smiles and sometimes you really just want to go where everybody knows your name. Scranton, I am grateful for you (don’t get too excited about that one though I am probably still suffering from exhaustion)!

My Prince, Danilo! - Nilo is my godson and I swear I do not know how my heart hasn’t burst between loving him and Jacob so much! As I mentioned earlier the travel home was exhausting. But when I got to Fratsmelli’s and Nilo had a smile brighter than the summer sunshine when he saw me, it was all worth it. I went to him and gave him a big kiss and he said “Hi, Auntie Autumn!” My heart melted when I heard/saw him say that and I knew that coming home for Christmas was the right choice! I am particularly grateful for Nilo this week as he made my journey from England less tiresome as soon as I saw that smile.





What are you grateful for this wonderful week?

Thankful Thursday!

When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around.  -- Willie Nelson

My bed - I know that most people are probably grateful that they have a bed, but no one is as grateful as I am for a bed that is 3,500 miles away from me.  The bed I am currently hibernating in is smaller than our twin beds.  Seriously, I don’t even think this bed has enough room for Jacob.  Many nights, I think of my $75 queen size bed that I bought from a woman whose daughter moved out before she could have used it.  For anyone who wants to know what it is like to sleep in Heaven, I have your ticket. I cannot wait to sleep in that bed again. I don’t know when that will be as it is in my mother’s garage right now. But I know it is as grateful for me as I am for it.

Kraft Mac & Cheese – You wouldn’t imagine that you would be grateful for something as simple as Kraft Mac & Cheese until you realize that it isn’t as simple as you thought! The M&C here is not so great.  I’ve tried many different brands and nothing does it for me like the cheesiest M&C in all of the land.  The American store in town gets it in once in a while and when they don’t have it I get extraordinarily sad.  Last night, I woke up in the middle of the night and I was starving.  Lucky for me, Dan bought two boxes on Monday while I was in class! Nothing is better than M&C at two a.m.  So to you Kraft, you’re the best. Dan, you’re not so bad yourself.    J

Guitars – No joke.  I think guitars are something that I am most grateful for!  Imagine my life without guitars!  How empty it would be!  I go to The Cavern Club every Sunday to see The Shakers and every week I find myself just staring at their hands as they play theirs guitars.  I claim I am a fan of words in songs but I believe I am an equal fan of guitars.  I mean, without a guitar, who would Mr. Lennon be?!   

My Ability to Work under Pressure - Some people crack under pressure.  Some people see deadlines and they freak out with anxiety even if the deadline is three months from the current time.  But then there is Autumn Rose!  I am awesome under pressure!  I am so grateful for that!  I had to do a presentation today. Although I have thought about it for the last two months, I didn’t really start it until today and it was due at 5:30 this evening.  I am freaking awesome!  So for you, ability to work under pressure I am thankful. Procrastination, you will never make it in this blog.  

Alex in Flat 2C - makes me smile a huge smile!  He is so funny and kind.  If I ever need a laugh he is the guy to call!  Alex is kind hearted and whenever I may be upset, I know I can call him and he will listen to me.   He is very kind and accepts everyone for who they are.  The world could use more people like him.  So, Alex, you are the honorary person I am thankful for this week.

What are you thankful for? 

Thankful Thursday!

Gratitude is the music of the heart, when its chords are swept by the breeze of kindness. ~Author Unknown


Today is an unusual day for me to try to be grateful for things as today is the 31st anniversary of the day that the music died, the dream ended, and the hope for a return of Beatlemania was crushed. But, I will find things to be grateful for… read along.



Here we go…

That I am not Piglet – Do you remember Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day? Well, that was definitely set in Liverpool. It is the windiest place I have ever known. Chicago is nothing compared to this place. I am just extraordinarily grateful that I am not Piglet or someone like him. When I am trying to sleep and the wind howls as if it has no manners at all, I just picture poor Piglet being tossed around the One Hundred Acre Wood and I happy I am not him.

Lola- No reason to go in to detail here. I’m quite glad that her type exists. She does what I need her to do. Not glad I need to know her, but I am glad I do.

Stefanie – is my oldest and truest Beatle friend. We also displayed proudly our love for BSB (we still do) and we didn’t care who had what to say about it. For most of middle school and all of high school, Stefanie and I found ourselves in the most interesting trouble. They are times I still laugh at today. I wish I could share with you half of the silly things we did but it’s still just a bit too embarrassing. Stef, duck!

But even now, I can text Stefanie from the other side of the world (and it’s even better this week because she is in Texas) and she will be there to make me laugh, lend an ear, offer support or just remind me why I am not an idiot for feeling a certain way. And to confirm that what I am experiencing is indigestion and not a gall bladder attack, this is more important than one person may think.

Back to The Beatles. I don’t even know if we began liking them together or separately. I just knew one day I liked them and then I knew she did. So for this week, that is why I am most grateful for Stefanie Susan. Not many kids liked The Beatles when we were in school; I suppose they didn’t know any better. But because one other person understood why I loved The Beatles so much it made it much easier for me to embrace The Fab Four and not care if anyone else thought they were cool.

The Beatles Anthology - I owe too much gratitude to all of the people who put together Anthology. It originally aired in November 1995. If you want to see the full story of how I was introduced to The Beatles you can read my blog about it here Chasing Dreams. If you haven’t read that then why in the world are you reading this? If it weren’t for Anthology, I might have never known The Beatles and if I never knew The Beatles, I might not have the awesome friends, beliefs, outlook on life, living arrangements, or joy that I have now. I was talking to Dan last night and mentioned how it amazes me that because two guys met at a church picnic 54 years ago, I am living in Liverpool, England. Strange how history really does affect  the present. Don’t get me wrong, there are many other factors that helped me get to Liverpool, but there is only one reason why I chose to come here.

John Lennon – I have decided that I am not going write sad things about Lennon’s death 31 years ago today. Everyone has done that. I am thrilled that this man came along. I am well aware that I probably wouldn’t know who he or the other Beatles were if he was still alive or I wouldn’t like them as much, if I did. Obviously I would trade not knowing of him at all if it meant he would still be breathing, not because he is John Lennon, but because he is a human being. But it is thanks to him (and my mom) that I think that way. I put others before myself because I believe in peace and goodwill toward men. I know he wasn’t always perfect. Nowhere near perfect actually. He was complex, rude, and mean. But we are all that way. We are human. He was also witty, smart, caring, talented, wanted to see a change for better in the world and tried to make it happen. That last part isn’t something that many of us do, myself included. We are human.

I am grateful that he existed because there isn’t a question that can’t be answered by some song of his, whether it is while he was with The Beatles or during his solo years. Sometimes, I can even find it in his books. My friend was bumming before and said that he wasn't sure if he made the right choice in coming to Liverpool. What did I say to him? Exactly what I would say to you: there’s nowhere you can be that isn’t where you’re meant to be. My friend thanked me for that. I told him not to thank me but to thank Lennon.

So yeah, many might think that the day the music died is December 8, 1980. I disagree. Things that Lennon sang about still ring true today. We cannot say that many musicians, poets, writers etc. words are timeless. He was a man of peace and love.   He and Debbie have turn me into the hippie that I am today.  So for Lennon existing, I am forever grateful.  So are Dan, Bianca, and Shani.

What are you thankful for? 

Thankful Thursday!

"Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn't die; so, let us all be thankful." -Buddha

I bet you all thought that I wouldn't do another post this week!  How little faith you must have in me!  Of course I would do a post this week as the last post was the very delayed but extremely long Thanksgiving post! 

So this week I am grateful for... 

Blankets -  When the heater in your room decides to fail you there is no better time to be grateful for your blankets. Although, my blankets are quite pitiful compared to the ones I have at home, they were enough to keep me warm last night. I was incredibly grateful that I lugged one of them all the way from Target in the States to my wonderful Liverpudlian home. 

My iPod - Although I am mostly an agreeable and approachable person nothing pleases me more than detaching from society for a while by putting those little ear buds in my ears. I thoroughly enjoy prancing about town with music flooding my ears and alienating myself in public. That kind of sounds rude.  Sometimes you just need to get away from everything and I am grateful for my iPod that can assist me in doing that.    And I am also sort of grateful that is a limited edition Beatles iPod.  You can be sort of jealous if you want to be.

Heat Patches, Icy Hot, etc -  How grateful I am for the inventions of items like these is extraordinarily ridiculous!  As many of you know my arm often aches from a car accident a few years ago.  When my arm isn't hurting my back hurts. When my back decides to leave me be, my legs remind me that they exist. You can imagine my excitement when I stumbled upon Liverpool's Icy Hot and heat patches!  I was so grateful to smell that awful medicinal smell again! In just under 30 minutes of putting the cream on my arm, I was relieved of said pain.  You laugh but nothing says easy fix like these items.

Winston, the giraffe - He isn't a real giraffe of course. He is a stuffed animal with lavender in his belly. He smells wonderful. He's the best cuddler in the whole world.   So I am grateful that I have him to cuddle with!

Sam - is my flatmate in room 1C.  I am grateful for her because she is very helpful around the flat.  Her family was so kind to me for Thanksgiving.  We all went over to hers and they made us a Thanksgiving dinner. It was so kind!  I am grateful because Sam and her family made my Thanksgiving in Liverpool awesome.