Friday night grateful moment

Ahoy there, Friday night! Where did you come from so quickly? And why do I remark upon your speedy arrival every week? I should be used to it by now...

This week was a good one. Full of all things summer... and so much to be grateful for.

*So grateful for a husband who is patient and kind (I lost a thing of some monetary value this week. Right now we're calling it misplaced, but I really can't think where it's gone. I think it's really gone.) and will only remind me of this a few (dozen) times. Aside from that bugaboo, I am truly a lucky woman, and Seth is a fortunate boy to have him as a stepdad. The bonus is that we know it!

*Thankful for a good week with Seth. He did another basketball camp for a few days--and he's up for more of that next week too--and did well, got some good recognition from his coach and won a few pizzas. (I just love how all these fitness camps feed the kids pizza and McD's. Classic. Next they'll be bringing in the coffee...) Thankful to have such a wonderful son with a real maturity and thoughtfulness, really growing into a young man.

*Grateful for friends and bike rides. Seth and I went out for breakfast with friends this morning and took a lovely bike ride around our lovely town--I especially enjoyed biking through Pioneer Park and those giant sprinklers with their overspray... heavenly. It was only in the 90s, so we weren't boiling yet... when it got to the 100s, we went to the pool and dipped our hotness into the coolness and order was restored.

Seth and his spoons at breakfast... his version of "hear no evil."

Smell no evil?


See no evil? Or maybe smile no evil, as he really had to work to not crack a grin while posing for this shot.

*Thankful that the summer picnic at work went reasonably well... we had it catered by a local burger joint that is of some reknown, but they don't cater... did it as a favor to me... Catering is tough, tis true, and it's really only with practice that it comes off as looking effortless... So it was hot (like, 115 by the grills), the deep fryers didn't work as promised, and there were lines for burgers... But in the end, everyone got fed, enjoyed it, and most important... it's done! (And I think the burger-makers will go back to their previous statement of "no, we don't cater." And I don't blame them!)

*Thankful for health. I've been feeling illness and death quite close and real and not limited to that shiny land of Hollywood of late. Attended a funeral on Monday for the dad of a friend and it really was a thoughtful and lovely celebration of a life, but the loss for the family was so palpable, especially the grandkids. Grateful for them for the years they had to know their granddad, and that they heard from others how much he'd accomplished, what he'd meant to people, in his lifetime.

*Thankful for my audiobooks. I can't tell you what a difference it makes to have something going on besides my own thoughts rattling back and forth while I'm out in the yard. I mean, there are times when I'd rather be with my own thoughts, but while doing repetitive manual labor? Not so much. Right now I'm finishing up "Belong To Me," by Marisa Des La Santos, after listening to "Love Walked In" by the same author. I got them last summer, I think, with my audible.com credits, but hadn't listened to them... but then I got the prompt from my friend Jen that she had just finished "Belong To Me" and it got me all revved to go. Good prompt, Jen! I am in agreement re: the author's writing style. I often pause and say aloud one of the phrases I've just heard, letting it roll off my tongue--she has a real lyrical way with words. I know, a little odd, me and my yard chat. But I'm generally alone with the doggies when I do this, and they feel most edified by it!

*Thankful for my ice cream machine! I have no idea why it takes me until July to remember that I have one of those happy ice cream machines, but it does... so I finally hauled it out and made a happy, healthy strawberry fro-yo today that we all lapped up in the heat tonight. Quite lovely. There will be more where that came from. (And pictures too. I took a few in a rush tonight and they are all blurred... like someone was moving too fast to eat, and couldn't bother to take a proper picture. Don't know who that could be...)

*Grateful for all I've been able to accomplish in the yard, and for what's to come next week--lots on the list! I know it won't all get done (though I do love me my deadlines), but progress is progress; I'll be hoping for temps closer to 90 than 100. The high temps really limit my mid-day activity... I'm a little nutty, but I'm not heat-stroke nutty!

Happy weekend all. May you feel the peace and joy of the weekend, whatever your particular activity or non-activity!