Friday night grateful moment

lways ready for the weekend, for sure. This week it feels like spring just might have arrived. Finally. And I'm ever so grateful for that.

I'm also grateful for a few other things:

We had our first "summer storm," you know, that heavy feeling in the afternoon when the clouds come in and then the wind picks up quickly, bringing dust and rain. At least, that's what a summer storm looks like around here... and even if it didn't get much above 75 degrees, it still qualified as a *summer* storm, in my books. I'm thankful for the warmth that we're finally getting a piece of...

I'm grateful for my men. They know how to make a momma feel loved on Mother's Day, and every day. I'm giddy with our extra weekend time with Seth this weekend. Poor boy, having to deal with the masses of mom-affection. I don't know how he'll make it through!

I'm grateful that our strawberries have taken off, like crazy! I transplanted them from another berry patch last year, making room for blueberries (which subsequently died in the winter horrors) and voila! We are going to have major strawberries this year!

I'm grateful for garden starts. I'm sure we'd figure it out to get seeds started earlier, but it is nice to be able to put plants into the ground a few weeks ahead of the game. And the variety too, it's lovely. The garden is almost completely planted, and so far it's got: cabbage, onions, kale, lettuce, tomatoes, potatoes, squashes, pumpkins, green beans, radishes, carrots and peas. Peter Rabbit would love to hang out with us.

And speaking of rabbits, I am so grateful to live in an area with so much wildlife. I took about 200 pictures of bunnies yesterday afternoon, lying about in the sunshine and sneaking up to get pictures; it was another sign that summer is truly on its way. I was *supposed* to be weeding, but when there are four baby bunnies, at least, and a momma, and upteen pheasants, and hawks and dear Owen the owl to look at? (I did get a little weeding done, eventually.)

I'm grateful that Blogger got back up and going. Did you notice? Things were definitely whack there for a day or so... Ma and Pa actually pointed it out to me when we were chatting on the phone ("Sher, there's a funky blue border at the top of your blog, what's that about?") and from there it was straight downhill for I don't know how many users... lost posts, lost comments, it was wild I tell you! I tracked it a bit in the news, and felt bad for bloggers who might be impacted in a financial way, but I bet most people who actually make coin off blogging use something a wee bit more polished than Blogger. At least, that's my hope, for them. Anyway, grateful that they're back, but probably not as grateful as they are! I imagine a few folks didn't get much sleep last night!!

Have I mentioned I'm grateful for sunshine? And flowers? 

I'm also grateful for friendship. For friends who are finding their way out of a dark patch (yeah for that!) and for friends who can see the possibility of miracles, big or small, in their everyday existence. I'm going to start participating in a bloggy thing called Common Miracles, that my bloggy (and very creative) friend Chel just started last week. I love that she stepped out in this way, and encourage those of you with blogs to participate too. Click on the Common Miracles link and check it out. I'm also grateful for the group of women I've met with on Tuesday mornings the past few months as we've studies the fruit of the spirit and realized how desperately we're in need of a little patience, gentleness, self-control. Um. Yeah. There are a few others, but those are the ones that stuck out. Love, no problem. Joy, in spades. Kindness, most days. But self-control. Hm.

I'm grateful I'm a woman. I don't mean that in any kind of an anti-man way AT ALL. I love men (well, a few in a particular, but in general I do enjoy men). But I love BEING a woman. And all that goes with it, from the crying (happy and sad) to the girly girl stuff to the support of each other. When I hear of someone who feels like they were born in the wrong skin (male or female), my heart breaks for them and I hope they are able to find peace. For me, being a girl is grand.

I'm grateful for cheese. Specifically blue cheese, today. Yesterday it was cheddar, but today it's blue. Tomorrow it might be chevre or feta... or mozzarella, ricotta, parmesan... I made a big big lasagna today for the weekend... that should help with the cheese love, for sure.

I'm grateful that I was raised in a house that was warm and homey and where meals were savored and enjoyed. Maybe (just maybe) sometimes we enjoyed them *too* much, but still, I think I'd rather swing to that side of the pendulum... we did/do know how to celebrate!

  
I'm grateful that Seth has finally agreed to a haircut. It took someone calling him Justin Beiber to do it, but I'll take that. Hair appointment is being made, and I am looking forward to seeing those eyes again! (I'm making it sound worse than it is... it isn't that bad! Sorry for the blurry pic, I just couldn't resist...)

I'm grateful it's that time of year when all the balloons are in town. That, to me, says spring, and sunshine, and color. (Of course, thunderstorms are predicted for tomorrow, as can happen when the balloons come around...)

Hope your weekend is filled with all good things. Peace.