Friday night grateful moment

ello Friday night.
Hello end of another week.
Hello beginning of rest and relaxation.
Hello beginning of my 44th year. (Yikes.)
Hello November (more or less).

A quick, good week, other than a tummy bug that has plagued the household a bit more than we'd like. Still, even with the bug, so so much to be grateful for.

Still eating produce from the garden, and it's almost November. How is that possible? Also still enjoying fairly pleasant fall days, with a touch of frost in the mornings... so grateful for our autumn days. (Especially when I see what the Northeast has in store this weekend. Yikes.)

Grateful for a lovely and stretched out birthday week (or two, to be honest...). I have such wonderful family, and pretty amazing friends too. Thank you all for the birthday good wishes and affections.

My men. All I really need to feel grateful is my guys. And having them here and celebratory with me, just makes the weekend all frosting. Well, all cake AND all frosting. We even stepped out for a couple of late-afternoon errands (bold moves for those with a tummy bug, in my opinion, but we're nothing if not bold--and on the mend), which is incredibly rare around here. Ah, the family that grocery shops together...

I'm grateful for late-season figs. (I'm sure that shocks you.) I had to pick through them pretty carefully to get the good ones, but it was worth it--yum. I'm also grateful for all the fall flavors--I'm on a butternut squash jag at the moment and finally made butternut squash mac-n-cheese last night. (Will post, I swear. I know I've been pathetically pathetic with the recipes of late...) It was delightful. I had some of that today for lunch, with additional roasted butternut thrown in. Yum. And pomegranates... those are here, and wonderful. And artichokes. And black grapes. Good thing I'm an all-season food girl, eh?

As we're all relaxing in one room together on this Friday night, I am reminded how very much I enjoy the early sunsets of winter (on the weekend. I feel the need to state that caveat!). Peaceful Friday nights. The fireplace. The hot tub. Supper together as a family. Reading. Catching up on my online feeds. Writing my grateful list. Ahhh. I am very grateful for a day of rest, indeed.

I went on a crochet jag on Pinterest this week. Decided I needed to go check out some of the people who were following me, and browse their boards... and how! And you know what I'm most grateful for? People who take the time to turn their projects into tutorials--that is no small task, to say the least. I have learned so much by crocheters putting their instructions online, it's just fabulous. Here are a few of my favorites, lately, in the crochet world.

angrybirds (hats for Christmas, Goerlitz Jr. clan?!)

pansies

waterbottle

coffeecozy

pillow

chevron

afghan

squares

bows

I will stop there, but believe me... I could show you fun crochet stuff ALL NIGHT. Silly, crazy, yes. But fun and colorful, for sure.

Remember how I've mentioned that I have been feeling a little less than inspired in the kitchen lately? I think I figured out why: haven't been browsing my cookbooks enough. Rather a "doh!" moment... what seems to inspire me and feeling like cooking new and different things (or even busting out the old favorites) is to look at recipes, be reminded of dishes, etc. I think there's a bit of a difference between online and a book, for me. I sat down with a couple of my favorite cookbooks the other day--you know, the ones that have gorgeous pictures in addition to yummy recipes--and definitely felt inspired to cook more than I have in ages. I'm very grateful for that. I don't like it when I'm feeling uninspired and blah in the kitchen, no way.

I am grateful, on this eve of my birthday, for another year of living. I know too many people who have had illness or passed away in recent years to take that for granted, ever. (I have a faint memory of being young--like, really young--and taking for granted that I'd be around another year. The folly of youth, eh?) Physical health, mental health, spiritual health, emotional health... it all matters, and I appreciate the chance to have had another 365-day spin around the sun to work on my stuff. I am blessed.

And I'm grateful for you. If you've wandered here accidentally, or you're here because you actually know me, either way, I'm grateful. For your encouragement in these three years of blogging, for your emails and Facebook posts and letting me know when I see you that you like this or that, or you tried this recipe or that recipe, thank you. I really had no idea when I started what this blogging thing would be like, could be like... and it's been a most enjoyable pastime, to say the least!

I hope your weekend is filled with joy and love. What are you grateful for this week? Tell me! (Please.)

Peace.