Five, five, 'n' five

Gratitude Journal:

1. It's Friday! It's a long weekend! We have no plans!
   
2. I found a very cool self-tanner by Jergens, called Natural Glow, made especially for very fair-skinned people like me! Wa-hoo! I no longer resemble the color of snow, and for that I am grateful.
   
3. My co-worker just brought in Hot Doughnuts Now from Krispy Kreme. I had one.
   
4. I made mashed potatoes last night and they were not lumpy. (Elbow grease, baby, not an electric mixer!)
   
5. My birthday is only 8 days away! I'm grateful for another year, but having a birthday around the corner just makes me happy. I'm goofy like that. ;)
   

Friday's Feast:

1. Appetizer -- Approximately how many hours per day do you spend watching television?
   I'd say 1-2. The TV is ON at my house for about 4 hours a day (ugh, that makes me sad), but during most of that time I'm doing other things like cooking dinner or playing with AJ; it's just background noise. If I were the only one living at my house, I think this would be different... I like me some peace and quiet.
   
2. Soup -- Which colors decorate your kitchen?
   Hmph, "cornflower" blue is the paint and wallpaper color. With a floral border that the previous owners chose. Not my favorites, but they look okay. The cabinets are (horrible) off-white formica.
   
3. Salad -- Name 2 brand names you buy on a regular basis, and what do you like about them?
   Squeeze Parkay, which I like because it's convenient as all heck; and Crystal Light, which I like because it is a much more delicious way to drink water. (And serves up all the aspertame a girl could want.)
   
4. Main Course -- What is your biggest fear? -- That something is going to happen to completely change the general good fortune of my family. We've had our share of stuff, I mean -- jobs lost, grandparents dying -- but I mean like, a dreaded disease or a horrible accident or unexpected tragedy. We have always been so richly blessed, that the frightened part of me wonders when will the odds turn against us, and something awful change the course of our history? That's my (somewhat irrational) fear. It hides in the corners of my heart and sometimes bubbles up to worry me.
   
5. Dessert -- If you could wake up tomorrow and find yourself in another location, where would you want to be?
   At the family's beach condo for the next 3 weeks. Only 22 days 'til we're actually there (for 1 week), but that is NOT SOON ENOUGH.
   

...and finally... Five things I want to buy Right Now:

1. new swimsuits for me, AJ, and hubby
   
2. spray-bottle sunscreen
   
3. shovel and pail for someone's first beach trip
   
4. brightly colored summer shorts and tops for me
   
5. about 4 new pairs of sandals
   

You can't tell what I'm dreaming about, can you?