Feeling Abundant

There are several things that really make me feel abundant. 

One is Starbuck's Italian Roast ground for my French Press.  It used to be their lattes but after drinking this strong, thick wonderful coffee, I find the lattes too milky.  I love the ritual of boiling the water, counting out the six scoops, pouring and then stirring the water, and finally setting my iPhone timer for 4 minutes but knowing that a little extra dawdle time is needed to get the perfect brew.  The little chime goes off and then the slow, resisting plunge.  A little half-n-half and then the perfect start to any day.

Another thing that makes me feel abundant and almost decadent is good bread.  I love the crusty bread that we can sometimes find at the farmer's market and the yummy bread at Broadway Daily Bread.  Going there is always a treat because they always have samples.  Good-bread-still-warm-with-butter just doesn't compare to HEB-bread-that-has-those-plastic-seals-that-I-can-never-get-off-without-ripping-the-bag. 

In our new economy, as I choose to call Chuck's and my latest adventure, we have a pretty tight grocery store budget.  I have allowed us $200 per person per month, which is what I heard on NPR is what single people on food stamps get.  I don't know how accurate it is, but that really isn't important.  It is a lot less than we have been spending, but seems reasonable if we are mindful.  I feel it is just as important to feel abundant as it is to save on dollars.

I wasn't feeling very abundant this morning, though, when I was ordering dyes for the studio.  I calculated my checking account balance and subtracted out my rent that hasn't hit yet and next month's rent and saw a much smaller number than what I had expected, so I ordered smaller quantities and skipped a couple of colors--and was feeling pretty poor. 

I had to really stop and regroup and ask my brain what was true right now in this moment.  Right now in this moment, my bank account is pretty fat.  Plus we still have one more big check coming in from Chuck's job.  I have receivables from lay-a-way purchases.  What is true, is I have abundance all around me--in this moment!

I was able to relax and go on to have a great day in the studio, where I was presented with an amazing and potentially very lucrative opportunity.  It pays to feel abundant!