Friday night grateful list

 

hat was quite the full week! Lots going on with the family, so of course, a lot on the list of thankfulness...

Seth had a good first week of school. He is happy to be back with his buddies, and enjoying the wider circle that middle school has offered. He's done really well at managing his time and priorities this week (homework, already?) and so I'm super grateful for that! I'm hopeful that his strategy with his daily planner will really work for him this year.

The weather has been just about perfect, with the exception of one really nutty warm and windy day this week. But the cooler mornings and evenings are right up my alley, with sunshine all day long. I'm really grateful for this season, and I want to stretch it all the way to December.

Every new watermelon I cut up and then bite into, I think, "This is the BEST watermelon of the season." I swear, they just get better and better. I'm sure that's possible, don't you think? And I'm thankful for the flavor that only vine-ripened fruit has.

See that pretty rainbow picture above? My mom painted that this week and featured it on her blog. I love that piece (big surprise, right?!), and I'm very grateful to have such creative and artistic parents. They are both gifted in a variety of art forms and are always an inspiration to me.

I'm grateful for my thoughtful husband, who calls me up during the day with ideas for our Labor Day getaway.

I'm grateful for my sister-in-law, Kim, who is celebrating a birthday today. I love our little texts and phone calls and appreciate that she has put the time and effort into our relationship lo these past dozen years. You're the bestest, Kim, and I hope your birthday was wonderful.

The garden has devolved into a wild and weedy place these past few weeks, but I'm still grateful for all it puts forth in the way of squash and cucumbers, green beans and corn.

As I've picked up the running again lately, I'm grateful for the stamina and energy to get out there and put one foot in front of the other. I am hopeful I can achieve some consistency here this fall... I'm also grateful for the beautiful scenery all around me while I'm running... today I just wanted to stop and take it all in, but that's also partly because I just wanted to stop...

Grateful for memories, both good and bad. The good ones, for the warmth and glow they bring to mind, and the less good ones for, well, contrast, really. There's a saying about the sweet not being as sweet, without the sour. Makes total sense to me. One of the last essays in the book I finished today, How Did You Get This Number, was about a love affair that ended quite horribly and how finally she was able to say that during her time with this man she did not have what would be the worst day of her life, nor did she have the best day of her life. And that helped put things in perspective for her. That really resonated with me; kind of an a-ha moment on the lawn mower, if you will. (No, I wasn't reading and driving. Audiobook.)

Grateful for the weekend with my men. Not sure what adventures it will hold, but I don't mind that, just so we're together.

For those in pain and those in limbo and those for whom it all just seems a bit much lately, lots of thoughts and prayers going out for you tonight. May the sour soon turn to sweet.