Friday night grateful moment

One of these days I'm going to do better than posting once a week. (Remember that month, not that long ago, where I posted every single blippin' day? Ha.) There are drafts in my folder at various stages of... drafting, I guess. But between now and that magical time, when I have a few more moments than currently available to transfer photos, fiddle with them, and compose more than just a sentence or two... I will make do--and I hope you will too--with Friday night grateful moments.

A week with a holiday smack in the middle is a good thing. It makes you think that this should be the way weeks always are. Of course, the 4th wasn't exactly *smack* in the middle of the week, falling on Thursday and all. It made Friday just a blip on the map, but that's not a bad thing. All that is to say: quick week!

This week I found myself grateful for many things, which isn't unusual. But it felt-extra grateful, for some reason. I don't argue, I just go with the grateful.

Grateful for communication, for the ability to share thoughts, ideas, notions, whims even, and be heard. To process with my safe person (husband) and even if we don't arrive at the same place at the same time, we're on the same train. I know, not the most solid of analogies, but you get where I'm going.

Grateful for the son. He's a precious one, that Seth. Texted me mid-morning during his last day of work while at our place, and asked if husband and I wanted to meet for lunch downtown. He's been in the habit of a solo lunch break, which I think he really likes most days, but he knew I was wanting just a little more time with him before he's off for the coming week and a half, and made my day so much brighter with that text. We had a lovely visit before he was off to his second internship job (unpaying, but still good experience...).

Grateful for organizational skills. Whenever I feel like I need to get things done, it always always always helps me to get my stuff organized (don't look at my home office right now!). I moved work offices at the end of last week to make room for some training and doubling up for a couple of months, and took the time to get re-organized in my new space. I'm a little chagrined to realize (and admit) how much I still need/value/require paper to do my job. It's all in the computer, why do I need to hold it in my grubby little paws? I'm unclear. But will ponder. Regardless, I'm grateful to be able to put my stuff in order (translate: recycle/shred a bunch of old papers) and be able to move on to the getting things done part of work!

Grateful for laughter. I love, especially, making husband laugh. He's got such a good laugh, and many days don't hold enough laughter for him, with the pace of decision-making and go-go-next-meetingness of work life. Getting a chuckle out of him is a great deal of fun for me. Poor guy.

Grateful for sunshine. Just the right amount--meaning, not 110 degrees! We've settled into a nice mid-80s hum, now that we moved past the quick heat wave, and it's lovely. Lovely working in the yard, lovely watching sunsets and not sweating, lovely waking up and seeing the pups romp in the grass. Sunshine is so good.

Grateful for each new day. Every morning as I go down the stairs to make coffee, start breakfast, get going on the day, the sun is just coming up (yep, early bird gets the worm!) and I am filled with joy for the day ahead. I know, such a dork. But it's true. It's a new day, there's lots of interesting work to do, interesting people to do it with, and there are bound to be a few surprises along the way. What's not to love? I'm also grateful that, in the words of Emerson, I can...

“Write it on your heart
that every day is the best day in the year.
He is rich who owns the day, and no one owns the day
who allows it to be invaded with fret and anxiety.

Finish every day and be done with it.
You have done what you could.
Some blunders and absurdities, no doubt crept in.
Forget them as soon as you can, tomorrow is a new day;
begin it well and serenely, with too high a spirit
to be cumbered with your old nonsense.

This new day is too dear,
with its hopes and invitations,
to waste a moment on the yesterdays.”

I have always enjoyed pieces of that poem, but had no idea they were all together... at least that's what Goodreads told me! But I do love the sentiment--let yesterday go, move on to today. If there were mistakes, just don't make the same ones again. Learn, grown, move, don't be encumbered by old nonsense!

And too, the obvious: there are some for whom the morning did not dawn. This fact is not lost on me, with friends of friends going through extreme and dire health circumstances. It makes me cherish the new day even more, when I remember that for some it could be their last new day.

Greatly grateful for summer flavors. Had my first tomato and basil combo from the garden this week. Earliest tomato we've ever had, it surprised both husband and I when we were out in the garden earlier this week and spotted the lovely red hue poking out from one of the Early Girl tomato plants. The salad (I will share soon, a twist on caprese) was as good as I always remember fresh tomatoes and basil being. As well, blueberries are here, in droves, and nectarines and watermelons too. I'm a little sad that our fruit trees bore zero fruit this year. Zippo. Can't really remember that happening before. We had a pretty aggressive (and overdue) spring trim this year, but we also had frosts that were timed just so, to zap the flowers at the right moment to eliminate the promise of fruit. Boo. But I'll make do with the markets and farmers and whatever highways and byways I have to travel down to find my fruit! What is summer without fruit? It's like winter without Christmas, I tell you! Narnia before Aslan. Not good.

I'm grateful for sleep. Knock on wood, that's been going better lately. I'll take it, and add a nap to boot. Yeah for a good night's sleep.

Ever grateful for the weekend, for this time of rest, praise, recuperation. Time to recharge for the new week.

What are you grateful for tonight? I hope the list is long!

Peace.