h happy Friday! You're finally here! Yeah for that.This week I am grateful for so many things...
Our tree. I know I'm early (earliest EVER), but I can't help it.
My men. And our dinner discussions, which are especially lively when Seth returns home from being away a bit. Live-ly! I'm sure we solved at least two world problems tonight, with some input toward a third. I'm sure the President is just waiting for our call!
The prospect of family time this coming week. Yes, I'm even grateful just in anticipation. Games, eating, napping, reading, more games, more eating, more napping. It will be a lovely time! Thanksgiving, Christmas, birthdays, a little citizenship celebration and an anniversary? What's not to celebrate?!
For music. This week it's been almost entirely Christmas-focused as I've made various holiday mixes for gifting and trading and enjoying... Happy music, for sure. (Though I did make one mix that's pretty much guaranteed to bring you to tears, but I've been avoiding that one so far. Yeah, so, why did I make it? For when I want to have a good cry, doh!)
For pretty decent weather. As much as I do want snow, I want it to wait... just a bit. Maybe the first week of December, snow gods? Right now it's just great being able to move around outside, go for a walk, etc., without freezing to death. By death I mean the -6 F that my aunt MJ just relayed from Calgary, Alberta. That's just insane (no offense, Albertans).
For a-ha moments. I took the tree out of it's big bag (yes, it's not real, get over it. I like the fact that my tree didn't give its life for my enjoyment and can stay up until New Year's without being a fire hazard!) yesterday afternoon and saw pretty ribbons attached to each end of the plug-ins and said to myself, "What genius came up with that plan?" Apparently the cursing and swearing I did last time I put up the tree actually compelled me to think ahead and put like-patterned ribbons on each end that plugs in to each other! Bo-nus. I had a good chuckle about the fact that I have zero memory of doing that. But as I'm typing, I remember that one year ago we were in house destructo-zone from the water damage from a leak, and Christmas decorating did not happen. SO. Two years ago, that seems more understandable as to why I would have no memory, right? Not just that I'm getting old...
Which leads me to a lot of gratefulness that our house is in good working order (knock on wood), and that State Farm did such a great job of taking care of our costs in getting it back to that condition. Really. Every penny. I am thankful for that, and the fact that we had a good crew doing the work, too. A distant memory at this point, and I'm grateful for that too! Just a lot of general gratitude around the house situation, are you getting that? And that there's a warm roof over our heads during the winter months. Not something I take for granted.
For skype, and technology in general. Love the staying in touch factor, even if some texts just never do get returned... (sorry, couldn't resist). (I'm mostly joking. Mostly.)
For energy (and caffeine when the energy needs a little boost)! It is amazing what one can get done between 5:30 and 9 a.m. (and also amazing what good an afternoon nap does when the crash happens at 2:30 p.m.!). I love being a morning person, so much.
For inspiration. I was giving the Pinterest spiel to someone today (I think I converted her, too!) and was reminded that even when I'm busy and don't spend a bunch of time at it, it's there and it's a really great resource for new ideas. Here are some really clever ideas that I've found recently.
I'm grateful for friends, near and far. For the connection we've made, newer or a very long time ago. The world is an amazing place--one where a lot of pain and suffering go on, a great deal of the time. I find the human connection to be one of the best and most tangible ways to feel God's presence, here on earth. The love that people show to each other through the mundane and the horrible and the sublime... that's the stuff, baby. I feel so blessed to be a part of it.
I hope your week has ended well and that wherever you are, you're as warm as you want to be, and feeling blessed. What are you grateful for this week?
Peace.
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Don't think I didn't catch that slam on my poor text-returning habits of late! ;) Love the new header, love the early tree, love the gratefulness. Love you.
ReplyDeleteI love your tree. I bought a ton of ornaments (well, bells....) tonight but still don't know what I am doing for the actual tree.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry I am so rotten at replying to emails in a decent amount of time. It's a really really bad habit- I always think that I will have a chance to sit down, read them, ponder them over a cup of tea, and formulate a thoughtful response with my whole heart but that time NEVER comes. It sort of eats me alive that I keep doing that, waiting for "perfect email time", but it always feels so awful to dash of some sort of instant response to an email, so I just can't get myself to do it! Of course, it would be better than what I do wind up doing... dashing off a response weeks later because I feel so terrible about not responding at all.
The things I do for your attention... Love you too. xo
ReplyDeleteChel, I totally hear you on the emails. They get lost in the bottom of my inbox... that's my excuse, anyway!! And yes, I have these deep replies I am always formulating... In fact, I still have some thoughts on one of your Bliss Habits posts I keep meaning to share!! There's always the idea that while we're on vacation next week it will be more mellow? Why do I think probably not...
ReplyDeleteHappy tree decorating, whichever tree you end up actually adorning!
Love your list, as usual, so much to be thankful for, as usual.
ReplyDeleteI have also been telling some young girls I meet in town as cashiers, here and there, about Pinterest. It is a lot of fun and I will spend time on it when I am on the road again.
This morning when I saw the snow on the ground I had to run outside and take photos and check on my little apple trees. I talk to them and pray over them and wish for them a fruitful new year!
See you soon.