ell, for such a short week, this one has felt mighty long. Why is that? Feeling a little grrrr-y about it at the moment, but also the big "ahhhhhh" of gratitude for so many things. How's that for a little yin-yang, eh?I'm grateful for my home and my men. And my men in my home. And all of us together. Very grateful for that.
I'm grateful that even though we seem to be about a month behind, seasonally (as in, it's still August-hot out there!), luckily our planet keeps tilting as it ought and we ARE approaching fall--the mornings and evenings give happy testament to that!
I'm grateful that we aren't quite done with summer fruit. I picked up some fresh-from-the-tree apples, which have that amazing new-apple snap and tang to them, and also found nectarines, watermelon, blueberries and, yes, wait for it, FIGS again this week as well. Mmmmm, the granola is much improved with my fresh fruit!
I'm grateful for the grateful list. I know, whacky circular logic, but hello, have you met me?! I just am. Grateful for grateful. I'm grateful that even when things are less obviously grateful-y, I know where to look and how to look and under which rock to find gratitude. It makes wallowing a little less enjoyable--kinda shortens the whole experience, which some days you just don't want to do! (I know you know what I mean!)
I'm grateful for family. Even if we don't talk every day or get to have lunch like SOME of my girlfriends get to with their moms (you know who you are!), we can still skype and chat and email and text. Hurray for technology! And I'm grateful for ALL my family, near and far...
This week I'm grateful for our dogs. They are such loving and attentive creatures. I know they are ready for fall too, I can tell. But I know they'll miss hanging out in the garden with me--I love having my little doggie audience while I'm harvesting. (Above is Chief, the only one who will really sit still for a picture. He's special like that.)
The bunnies are still around in full force... Owen the Owl woke me up around midnight last night and hooted for about a half hour. Between you and me, I don't think that's the most brilliant method of catching bunnies, but whatever, Owen. Do your thing. I love having the bunnies in the yard, and enjoy trying to get as close as possible before they scamper off.
I've spent way too much time sewing this week. You'd think that would translate into way too much stuff actually MADE, but I'm not quite at that corollary yet... But I DO lose track of time down in the sewing cave, which is kind of cool. I'm grateful for hobbies that I enjoy (even if sometimes I feel like I need to narrow it down) and also grateful for the patience and problem-solving that seems to have come with age. I'm much less apt to throw down that stitch-ripper now than I was in my 20s! Can't say the product looks much better than my 20s, but I'm going to stay with it for a bit... you know what they say about practice, right?
Customer service stories abound, it seems. Bad ones. So good customer service stories are the kind to be grateful for. I had a great interaction with a helpful guy named Levi (like the name too) at Nordictrac today as he helped me figure out what an E21 error REALLY means. Apparently it means we need a new controller. But he was helpful! And here's what I really appreciated--when somehow we got disconnected, he called me back! It goes to show how pathetic most customer service is that I really noticed that. I thought he was gone for good and knew if I called the 1-800 number again, I'd get whichever operator picked up and have to start from scratch... but he CALLED. BACK. Yeah for Levi, even if it's going to cost $$ to fix the problem... ($$ but not $$$, so that's something to be grateful for too!)
Prayer is always a comfort to me, and this week I've been especially grateful for it. There have been many in need of extra prayers, and I so appreciate the time I get to spend in this way. The occasional morning that I run off to the day without it--boy do I notice. The tenor of my day is different and I miss it.
What is a grateful list without cheese? I am still loving a blue cheese/jack combo that I use in sandwiches/paninis, and the meltable joy of this particular flavor is fabulous! I had a caprese salad just yesterday at lunch, and the fresh mozzarella was so lovely and seasonally joyous!
And what is a week without laughter? Just in case you're in need, or have forgotten what a gut-busting laugh sounds like...
LAUGHS! from Everynone on Vimeo.
Some of those old guys were my favorites!
On this eve of September 11, I am especially grateful for the men and women who gave their lives to save others in the wake of the horrible attack 10 years ago. They rushed up the stairs when everyone else was rushing down, and many lives were saved because of their efforts. Heros, for sure. And I'm also grateful that we haven't had another attack of this severity in the decade since. Wherever you come down on issues about security, it has been a different world since Sept. 11, 2001, and I'm pretty sure we'll never go back to a less tense, less watched, world... A lot has been made of the hoopla that surrounds this anniversary, but I have to say that remembering the pain and heartache of that day is completely appropriate in my mind; I want to never forget, in honor and remembrance of the ones who lost their lives. Will I watch commemorative shows and spend the day in tears? No, not so much. But my mind will not be far from the families and loved ones, all day.
Look, a dahlia! Finally getting some blooms in my dahlia bed! So grateful the bulbs came up and are behaving as they ought--late, but that seems to be the theme of the summer anyway, right?
Well, for a long week, it's a long list! That makes a bit of sense, right? I hope you have a great weekend, with lots of good things coming your way...
What are you grateful for this week?
Peace to you and yours.
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I love these lists so much. Your doggie is SO cute- he looks like the kind of dog you could go up to and give a big hug. I love that!
ReplyDeleteMy Dahlias have not had much success... I had two plants come up from seed and do a few flowers, but they were super droopy and when I attemtped a transplant, they died. The next batch of seeds never came up- too rainy. I may try again in a few weeks.
I am over the summer. Like you, i am so grateful for the hints that fall is on the way- my favorite new thing is staying outside on the swing AFTER the sunset and reading in the dark with my new booklight. I just got the light this week and it's another instance of a tiny thing making a huge impact on my happiness- I love reading out back, in the dark, listening to the night settle in around me.
What a lovely photo of Chief...can I borrow it? ...the photo I mean, not Chief.
ReplyDeleteYour bunnies are so sweet and I am grateful that you have them in your yard. It seems to me a sort of comfort I get knowing you have them around you. Always about me, right? No, it just brings back the memory of the sweetness of your tender heart as a young girl.
And I am grateful for every time I hear your voice, your laugh, see your face. I am grateful for Skype where I can see the faces of my kids...it really is a good thing.
Just grateful ...it is a good thing.
And the laughs...at first I thought we may just see babies giggling, which I love, but the laughers got older and older and yes, the old guys and gals were the sweetest, dearest laughers of all.
ReplyDeleteIt was so good.
My sisters and I, in years gone by, used to get on laughing jags and we would just split and keep each other going and end up with face and stomach aches, we laughed so hard. But sad to say, somehow life has put too many filters in our way and now it takes more for us to really take off.
Of course, Marilyn could tell you about my laughing in Paris when I didn't get enough sleep. Everything was decidedly funny one morning in particular and Marilyn thought she may have to go off on a different direction that day. It was good.