Friday night grateful moment

Ah, the long weekend. Finally here, with peace and quiet and sunshine.

This week I'm grateful for:
* The fact that we're staying put for the weekend, more or less. Maybe a day trip tomorrow, maybe another one on Sunday... OK, so maybe we're not "staying put," but we're not headed out on a major road trip. There is a small difference!
* Catching up with old friends. I had a lovely afternoon coffee catch-up with a friend I haven't seen in a few years, only occasionally talked with and Facebooked with... it was very nice to see her and hear about her world.
* Sunshine still in the forecast! Did I mention that already? Probably will a few more times...
* The ability to sleep in tomorrow. I probably won't do it, but just the fact that I could if I wanted to... ahh, sweet bliss.
* The summer approaching fast, with end-of-school activities for Seth and then, joy-of-joys, summer vacation! We went to a fun band concert this week that combined both middle schools and the high school. It featured different movie theme songs/scores, and it was quite entertaining. I can't decide if my favorite was Raiders of the Lost Ark, or Star Wars. It definitely wasn't Under the Sea... the 6th grade band got a little lost in the middle of that one... but it was heartening to hear how much the middle schoolers have improved this year!
* My husband and all he does to keep our lives sane and stable.
* My childhood and all that it prepared me for as an adult. I am daily reminded of the life lessons that one's upbringing prepares one for... or not. Makes me mindful of raising the boy...
* Crochet lessons. A new-er friend gave me a crochet lesson this week and I'm off to the races. I have always had the basics (sort of) down, and apparently I even have made up a stitch or two over the years... who knew? So I'm unlearning some old bad habits and learning some new tricks to add to my crochet basket. Very fun.
* Color. In my wardrobe (gone are the gray and black, ugh), in the flower pots, it seems like it's finally colorful everywhere. So thankful for that. It's like we've been in Narnia (under the White Witch's rule, when it's always winter and never Christmas) for too too long.
* Seth's thoughtful nature. He's a gem.
* Energy to get things done. My energy is good right now; I feel like the effects of eating more cleanly and lightly are paying off in many ways. Now I just need to get to bed a little earlier, and the energy should increase even more!




* Babybel light cheeses. Have you checked these out? Major yum.
* Great old music. My friend Jen posted a status about The Carpenters on Facebook today and how her love for them took away "cool points"... oh, Jen... I can un-cool you under the table. Harkening back to the aforementioned childhood and all I have to be thankful for, Roger Whittaker and Anne Murray and John Denver all played a big role in my musical "foundations." Here are some great clips of each of these dear old musicians. Dork alert: When I first started watching the Roger Whittaker one I actually got a little misty. Yikes.



This clip of John Denver on The Tonight Show is just precious. It's sweet to see these two men who have since passed, talking so naturally. It seems like a kind of television that doesn't exist anymore. Wow, that makes me feel old.



And to prove how much the husband loves me: he went with me to an Anne Murray concert a couple of years ago. I loved it! Such an evening of nostalgia for me. Of course, we were absolutely the youngest couple there, but it was so fun for me to get to see and hear her live after loving her voice my whole life.



* Last but definitely not least, I'm thankful that So You Think You Can Dance Season 5 is on! Seth and I stayed up last night to watch the first round of auditions, and only one piece was really painful and we had to fast-forward past it... we're wimps, what can I say? It's hard to watch really pathetic dancers. We like the real dancers; there were some great auditions! Popping is definitely getting more widespread--there were a couple of freaks trying out! Scary and kind of gross joint manipulation... not really dancing in my book, but hey, express yourself, whatever...



Happy weekend! Don't burn yourselves too badly on the barbeque!