Friday night grateful list

There is simply nothing quite like the Friday night that precedes a long weekend. I'm practically giddy with the idea of that mythical extra day between Sunday and Monday being a reality. Short week next week? Don't mind if I do.

But for all my giddiness, this was a pretty good week. One of the teams I work with set some records in the workplace (boo-ya!) and beat some deadlines--one quite resoundingly. That felt good. And in general, there's a summer happiness in the air. Seth is enjoying his work at Walmart, cashiering it up at all hours of the day and night--he had one shift end at 11 p.m. this week, and another start at 7 a.m. (though luckily not the morning after the 11 p.m.!). I bet you can't guess which one he liked better. Heh.

I spent a couple of summer evenings in the yard this week and fell back in love--not just with the peacefulness of the setting, but the work itself, and how good it feels to be out there with my hands in the dirt. There is a special magic to those end-of-day hours in our valley, where the light hits everything just so, and it's not so hot you can't breathe. Though, honestly, I'm not sure we've gotten over 100 yet--I should say yet again, we did have that odd first weekend in June hot spell. I can do 85, 90, even 95, quite easily. But working outside in 100 degree weather takes a particular grit that I'm not currently embodying.

One of the things that has always made yard time go more quickly for me is when I have a book dialed up on my iPhone and I am interested in knowing what's going to happen next. Right now I have Eligible playing, and it's a rather delightful listen. It's a "modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice" and is every bit as filled with the witticisms and annoyances (Mrs. Bennett, anyone?) as the original. I have also recently listened to Anna Quindlen's Miller's Valley, as well as My Kitchen Year by Ruth Reichl, Happily Ali After by Ali Wentworth, and Padma Lakshmi's Love, Loss and What We Ate. 

My biggest misstep there (in terms of what's good to listen to rather than read) was the Ruth Reichl. I didn't really read much about the book other than to know it was her telling of the year after Gourmet shuttered, and I knew she'd had a rough go of it. But I just skimmed past the whole "136 recipes that saved my life," and listening to someone read recipe ingredients doesn't really do much for me--except put me to sleep. So in a way, it's been a good book to fall back to sleep to on those nights I wake up with to-do lists bouncing around my head.

The Ali Wentworth I got because I just love Ali Wentworth. I do that with celebrities and their books, it's one of my People-magazine-reading personality shortcomings. I most enjoyed Ali when she had a web series called Head Case that was only 12 minutes per episode. I found it hilarious. Anyway, the book is fine, and mildly funny. Also not bad for falling asleep to. That's my bar--can I work in the yard to it? If not, how about fall asleep to it?

This week, as always, I am ever so grateful for friends. Had the joy of meeting up with this dear one tonight and getting our toes painted. As is Sara's effervescent way, she made friends with a pup in the salon who was dressed (yes, that's a dress--and a bonnet) up and smelling fine. And by fine, I mean hair products. Who knew? My poor pups are lucky to get brushed. Product? That's for poodle pups, apparently. But catching up with Sara, sharing stories and laughing--that's always a good time. And, because she won't tell you this, I have to: she's a good wife. I know few women who are as supportive of their husbands as she is. 

This week I am grateful for color. Oh, color. You knew that would come galloping back to the grateful list sooner rather than later, right? See this project below? Swoon, baby. Swoon. I must make this. Now. Going yarn shopping. This. Weekend. As I say when I wear that scarf, or those gloves, or these shoes: how can you have a bad day around color like that? (Seth said something to me recently about my favorite color being rainbow, and at first for some reason I objected. He just looked at me, like, "Really, Mom?" I just saw this post as I was looking back for links, and laughed. He's right.)

I am grateful for the berries. Always with blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries. If there's a "berries" on the end of it, I'm all in.

The apricots are ripe. I'm grateful to have an apricot tree.

I'm grateful for shows like Orange is the New Black, even though they make me sad.

I'm grateful for my thoughtful husband.

And so grateful for my sunshine boy. I will say this every Friday night this summer, I bet: having him home is a gift. Now, when he woke me with a mini-crisis at midnight Wednesday night, did I feel that gift in my heart? No, I did not. But come Thursday morning, well, maybe Thursday afternoon, the gift was back.

Picked another fig (teeny tiny, miniature--but oh the flavor!) off the one fig tree that HAS figs. Grateful to be actually growing figs!

I'm grateful for laughter. I do love a good laugh.

I'm grateful for sleep, which has been better of late. (Well, except for that one night where I ate a bunch of watermelon before bed. Skip that night. OTHER than that night.)

I'm grateful for my pups. Such love.

I'll end as I began, with gratitude for this weekend. I have big plans to do nothing part of the time, and something the rest. It's a little more formed than that in my brain--but not much! Looking forward to seeing what joys the weekend holds, and wishing you the same joy.

 

Peace.