Sept. 25: Fall soups!

Yesterday I had my first cup of butternut squash soup (with coconut milk!) of the season. It was delightful. The night before, I made potato-white bean soup, with red potatoes from our garden, which is also quite lovely. The weather has turned so quickly, and the darkness at both ends of the day is creeping in without regard for my love of light and sunshine. But, it is fall, and my love for autumn weather is well noted, so I'll just zip it (my mouth!) and keep making soups.

Here are a couple more that I am looking to make very soon:

chili

minestrone

Don't those soups just shout out, "Fall!"? I think so.

Besides soups, I am also looking forward to roasting vegetables more--the root ones and brussels sprouts especially--and enjoying pomegranates and various citrus fruits too. (Trying to look on the bright side, as I am already mourning the fresh fruit, berries and waning tomato crop... sigh.)

What autumn food are you looking forward to making? Do soups make your list?

Jen and I (and now my mom and Lisa too!) are blog challenging throughout September. You can catch her blog over at Stuff Jen Says. If you want to write along with us, give me a shout and I'll send you the blog prompts.

Sept. 21: Changed forever by blogging?

Blogging challenge for today: Discuss the ways that blogging or social media have changed you.

I started blogging as a way to record a few things specific to me: recipes and gratitude. Back in the day (2008), the blog tagline reflected that: A little food, a little gratitude. Jen served as inspiration--she'd been blogging for nearly a decade by then. My brother has also blogged off and on over the past few years, and he helped me through some early technical snafus.

While I wouldn't call this blog an online journal--I would be more transparent there--I do share what's going on in my life. I'm very sensitive to husband's privacy, and Seth's too, to a lesser degree--he used to like being featured, now he's neither here nor there about it; Mom blogs? Whatevs.

What I am mostly conscious of, and pay the most attention to in my tone, is presenting a "la la" view of the world. I mean, hello?! The blog name is Sweet Tea & Sunshine. If I could tell you how many times in the past five years a girlfriend has sweetly but mockingly said, "Well, yeah, Sher, but you ARE Sweet Tea and Sunshine." I get that. In many ways, the blog name is a nod to an almost-45-year history of my sunny disposition. Thankfully, though, I long ago gave up thinking that I had to choose between being my sunny, optimistic self AND being a "serious thinker." Who knew? You can be both?! Awesome.

But, as is often the case, the sunny comes out first and is much more marketable--does anyone really want to know when I'm feeling down or crabby or had an argument with my son or husband, or what I'm pondering about gun control or health care or...? It is certainly not my first inclination to share that line of thought in this venue--or anywhere, really. So I'm cognizant of that--that I'm sharing mostly the pretty and yummy. I know bloggers who do a great job with relaying their trials and tribulations, their highs and lows, their bitchy days as well as their happy days. Whenever I have tiptoed out there, it just feels inauthentic. It may be a muscle I flex at some other time, in some other setting, but for right now blogging about what inspires me is what makes the most sense, to me.

One of the best parts of blogging, and social media in general, are the connections. I have "met" bloggers that I would never meet otherwise--Janet and Chel both come quickly to mind, and Lisa has become an IRL friend too, having met initially through our blogs.

As for Facebook, there are countless examples of people who have come back into my life that make me smile (and Jen is one of them). Just when I think I couldn't possibly dig up a past connection, another one finds me, and I'm blessed for that. (Famous last words, I know. Knock on wood.) And for those who I see regularly, Facebook still provides a keep-in-touch aspect to our busy lives, little windows into what's happening even just three pastures over, or across town as kids grow up and people change jobs.

I am occasionally annoyed by Facebook, by the changes that don't allow me to see updates from those that I really want to see, or by posts that irritate me. But I remind myself that I can easily just turn it off, and having a busy work life certainly keeps it to a lower level of interaction than it used to be when I was home during the day and more easily distracted.

Twitter is Twitter. I like it well enough, but am not ambitious enough to actually USE it to an end. I continue to see it as a wave to be ridden, coasting along on top of a massive swell of information. Dipping into it on occasion has worked well for me, and I understand that some people really appreciate the pithy microblogging platform. For me, it's a side dish, hardly the main entree. (Let's see how many different metaphors I can stuff into a paragraph, eh?)

Pinterest is a joy, pure and simple. It's social enough, with existing friends, but not a place to meet people (in my experience). I will follow anyone who shares my interests, but striking up a conversation is a whole other ballgame. I just pin, and am content with that.

Instagram is my newest joy, and I've really enjoyed playing around there the past year or so. I have met people there in a way that Pinterest doesn't facilitate--commenting on someone's picture is a much more common experience than with Pinterest, and getting followed back is natural, and conversation just comes from that. There are amazing photographers on Instagram, of which I am not one. I just love to document various aspects of life, and then share the images elsewhere--Facebook, Twitter and the blog. (And I love to see what my niece Maizy is up to too!)

What am I missing? Foursquare? No thanks. Snapchat? Not for my generation. Vine? Not for my attention span. What else? Who knows. I'm sure something new is being invented even as I type.

Connections. Sharing. Being shared with. It's (generally) all good.

Or, we can hear what Louis C.K. has to say about things in this vein... which is worth a listen. (It's mostly about texting, but you know that half of the people he's talking about texting and driving are really Facebooking and driving. Or tweeting and driving. Or Instagramming... You get it.)


How do you feel about social media/blogging? Any changes to your life because of it?

Jen and I (and now my mom and Lisa too!) are blog challenging throughout September. You can catch her blog over at Stuff Jen Says. If you want to write along with us, give me a shout and I'll send you the blog prompts.

Sept. 12: Long overdue cookie joy!

This summer we had our annual summer picnic at work, with the theme of a country fair. My husband's sister does an amazing job of planning the company gatherings down to the smallest detail; she is really quite gifted at events. I was in charge of cookies--blue ribbon state fair winning cookies, to be exact.

After a fair amount of research,  we arrived at the following cookies:

Snickerdoodles with white chocolate chips (Utah)

Molasses cookies (Ohio)

Chocolate chip cookies (Island County Fair)

Peanut butter cookies (Maryland)

Ultimate dark chocolate chip cookies (Wisconsin)

Healthy oatmeal cookies (Virginia)

I have to give big props to Pinterest once again (what else is new?). It was a very valuable search engine for finding official blue ribbon recipes, better than Google in some regards. And, of course, a handy way to save recipes for making later!

I am not a big molasses fan, but I heard more compliments on that cookie than any other. The snickerdoodles were good but had a tendency to dry out (crisp) rather than stay soft as I had hoped. My absolute favorite was the ultimate dark chocolate chip cookie, as it had craisins, dried apricots, two kinds of nuts AND chocolate. A really packed cookie, and very flavorful.

Husband's favorite was the healthy oatmeal cookie, which was similar to the dark chocolate, except not quite as packed with fruit, and only one nut. And healthier. :)

My big takeaway from the cookie making extravaganza (I made upwards of 300, just to cover my bases) was that I'd forgotten how easy cookies are to make! I remarked many times, "I need to make cookies more often!" And have I? Um, no. But still, it was a good reminder that when a sweet tooth hits, warming up the mixer and throwing in some ingredients is not a bad way to go!

What's your favorite cookie recipe? I'm always up for a new one!

Jen and I (and now my mom and Lisa too!) are blog challenging throughout September. You can catch her blog over at Stuff Jen Says. If you want to write along with us, give me a shout and I'll send you the blog prompts.

A-Z blogging challenge: Y is for Yellow

sunshine

nature

flowers

kitchen

dress

dress

coat

wreath

cookies

If you know me, at all, you know that green is kind of my "thing." I have countless green items--shoes, coats, hats, bags, scarfs, skirts, shirts, dresses, sunglasses, jewelry, nail polish, coffee mugs--you get my drift. I even have a Pinterest board devoted to the color.

So, yellow? A whole post filled with yellow pictures? Doesn't seem quite right, especially since I didn't devote G to green...

Truthfully, I have a kind of love-hate thing with yellow: there are shades I adore and want to inhale, but there are shades I wish could be banished from the universe. I remember the first time I saw 100% yellow come off a press, ink to paper, and I thought--horrors! that's awful! too bright, too garish! And I still do have that reaction, when I see many of the more "wow" shades of the color. But when I see yellow in nature, and the more mellow tones, then I am in love with the color.

And, whether there's any significance to it or not, pretty much every dream I have that is happy and memorable, yellow is a part of it. Yellow kitchens, yellow clothing, yellow fields, sunshine... If you read dream interpretation stuff (and/or take it seriously, a whole "other" matter), that's a good thing, it seems. 

And remember my One Little Word for 2013: Light? Yep, that word has yellow written all over it.

So today, I am yellow, and all that suggests: light, intuitive, clear, hopeful, happy, harmonious and wise. Yes, especially wise. That's the thing with interpretations, right? You get to take the stuff you like and ignore the rest!

What's this A-Z business about? Check out my kick-off post. And stay tuned for the random joy and nonsense I concoct during the month of April!

Monday morning inspiration

ere's Monday! (Say that like Jack Nicholson in The Shining. Go on, I dare you. Your family will think you're as nuts as mine thinks I am!)

This weekend we had one day of fog, one day of mixed (gray-sun-gray); some rest, some work, some joy, some ho-hum. Usual weekendness... nothing too out of the ordinary. Just what I needed!

And while we all scurry off to another week, I thought I'd share few lovely odds and ends I collected over the weekend. It seems to be a new tradition with me; since I did it last Monday, I'm rolling with it for week 2. (Remember, Seth and I both come from the school of "once is a habit, and twice is so ingrained you couldn't possibly NOT do it.")

When I saw the video below, I was a little dumbstruck by the talent in the room. I can honestly say that the chances of our family and friends--much as we love them--singing thusly at a wedding, well, it just wouldn't be possible. But if you happen to be so blessed, I say go for it! So very very fun.

 

I have followed the blog of Jay and Katherine Wolf for some years now, always inspired by their strength and courage in the face of obstacles to Katherine's complete recovery. Katherine had an undiagnosed AVM burst about five years ago, and her resulting stroke changed their lives completely (understatement alert). I found this new PSA that Katherine is a part of, which warns of the signs of a stroke, quite engaging.



This blog from an Australian writer is one that consistently causes me to pause and reflect on all things leadership and "inner life." Her post this weekend about an individual who "...gives her giant kaleidoscope a quarter-turn and sees possibility" was no exception. Loved it.

I spent some time in Pinterest this weekend and naturally came away with 16 new craft ideas, 33 new recipes and a bundle of pretty outfits to pine for. Such is the life of a pinner. But here were a few pins in the "just because" category, that made me smile or sigh.

taste

bottle

pinata

airdog

hummingbird

For this week: If you haven't been feeling well, I hope you beat whatever bug's been ailing you. If you aren't especially energetic, I hope you find that perfect cup of coffee with an extra shot (or a nap)! And if you need a word of encouragement, my tip of the day is to offer a kind word to to someone else and see if that does the trick of coming back around to you too; it often does for me. Not rocket science, but it's amazing how often I forget that...

Have a great week!

Thursday 13: So cold. So so cold

keep my scarf on, in the house. I grocery shop with my mittens on. The car never warms up enough on the drive to and from work. Yesterday was foggy all day, with these teensie little snowflakes... or was that freezing fog? I'm grumpy.

Yes, it's January. Well and truly past the holidays, but spring feels so so far away. Time to dream of tropical vacations, short sleeves, skirts without tights, open-toe shoes. At the very least, have lunch with a friend who just returned from a tropical vacation and (not) think stabby jealous thoughts the whole time you're with her. I may be grumpy, but I'm evolved. Evolved grumpy.

I am also needing, desperately, to break my blogging slump. I'm feeling caught in these busy weeks with the only must-write posts being the Friday gratefulness moments. Somehow I have a deal with myself regarding those. Must. Happen. Seriously. I don't want to overstate it, but if you don't see a post when you wake up Saturday morning (because I know you, you look, yes you do, thank you very much dear reader), give husband a call. Order flowers. Come visit the hospital. Well, check visiting hours first, but do order the flowers.

So here's my stab at a not-Friday-night post, whooo! Thirteen things that help cut my winter chill.

1. Seed catalogs! The promise of spring, and sprouting little plants and warm earth makes me very happy. I don't think about August and the weeds, just the happy spring planting times!

2. Looking at my Instagram feed from summer months. Color and warmth.

3. Pinterest. Run a search for "sunshine" or "yellow" or "babies." You will smile with the results.

4. Laughter. Just a big old gut bust. Get it where you can. Tonight for me there was a line from Modern Family: "Please don't turn my marrying my daughter into something ugly." Hilarious. (I know, you need context. Trust me.)

5. Music. The Christmas music is long gone; I'm usually done with that by the day of Christmas, easily. Now is the time to get on the upbeat new music, and luckily my dear music friend Jen has provided a lovely sampling for the new year, which I'm able to listen to as I come and go in the car. Happy music is a great way to cut the fog.

6. Pomegranates and grapefruit (not necessarily together, but that can work too). Two winter fruits that I only get to enjoy for a short season, so I REALLY enjoy them. As in, most days I will have one or the other. And my favorite method for hacking a pom? Check it out:

7. Lights. OK, here's where I confess that the Christmas tree is still up. (Husband is embarrassed, a bit, by this turn of events, but I just haven't been very motivated to take it down. I have a feeling this coming weekend will be the golden moment...) Aside from Christmas lights, I'm a big fan of all lights (more or less--flourescent, well, they're not on anyone's love list, are they?)--candles, SAD lights, a little strand of twinkle lights to cut the cold...

8. My Uggy boots. Soft and white and I always warm up when I'm wearing them.

9. Hot chocolate. I have not made nearly enough hot chocolate so far this winter... must work on this!

10. Read recipe books with summer recipes, and fantasize about summer cooking. I can't wait to make summer salads and cobblers and fresh vegetables sautes, straight from the garden.

11. Hot baths. There are times when only a hot bath will warm me all the way up. Glorious!

12. My house uniform... I guess the Uggs could fall under this, but they are truly their own separate warmth generator. For me, coming home and getting into my comfy pants, long-sleeved T shirt and '70s-style tie-wrap sweater is just so rejuvenating at the end of the day. I know, odd to use the word rejuvenating when talking about the end of the day, and relaxing, but it really does give me a second wind to change my clothes and make the transition into the evening. On those rare occasions where I hop right into making dinner and don't take the time to change, my whole evening is less relaxing.

13. Color. Anywhere, anytime. Wandering a fabric store, popping into the flower shop, even browsing spring clothing--though that can be somewhat depressing if I then have to go back and warm my car up to get home... maybe that one should be online only!

What helps you break the winter chill? Tell me. I'm always up for new ideas!

For more Thursday 13s, go here!

Friday night grateful list

ver have one of those weeks where it just hits you, that you are profoundly lucky? From the moment of your birth through whenever you kick the bucket, just by dint of where and to whom you were born, you are fortunate? If you're reading this, you're probably one of those lucky ones, even if certain circumstances of your life haven't quite patted you on the back with the amount of gusto you hoped for. And, even if certain aspects have downright plain-old sucked, other pieces of the pie have (probably) made up for it. (I'm guessing, yes, and I'm sure you'll tell me if I've guessed wrong for you!)

This was one of those weeks for me. And in my case, feeling lucky can sometimes have equal parts gratitude and guilt. Sometimes I feel a little heavy with the responsibility of being born lucky--have I given back/paid forward enough, loved hard enough, forgiven quickly enough, worked hard enough at the important things, encouraged/supported enough, kept my chin up/not complained, etc. You know the drill... typical first-world guilt. Gah, quite trite. But, it's MY trite, right?

So, where does this leave a girl who has been lucky, knock on wood? Incredibly thankful and willing to say so. Every week. This weekly gratitude list tradition has been going on for 3.5 years so far, and while (if you're a regular you know this) the list can be a little routine at times (I'm just not THAT unique and thrilling, it seems), the discipline of remembering my blessings in a concrete way, even in the most mundane or (worse) nasty weeks, is something that I'm ever so grateful for. And for those of you who have come along on this grateful ride with me, I'm grateful for you too.

This week I...

...was able to be productive and work through some questions and issues at work, for which I am grateful.

...got to exchange ideas with individuals who care about making this world (and more specifically this state and this community) a better place for children, and that always leaves me humble and grateful.

...heard my husband say he loves me (many times) and returned that sentiment (many times), and I am grateful as all get-out for that love.

...saw Seth briefly in a week where I wasn't "scheduled" to do so--TWICE!--and that was just the kid-fix this mom needed.

...connected with friends over meals and cups of coffee and a little pool time; even a teacher and his wife from my middle- to high-school years, which was an awesome blast from the past. I am grateful for the good sense to appreciate where I came from, and the people who were a part of that.

...caught up in person with my brother, sister-in-law and nieces! Over cheesecake, of all things, too!

...enjoyed sunshine. Every. Single. Day. And only a couple of thunderstorms. (Enjoyed a wee bit of fog yesterday morning in Seattle, too. Variety!)

...was reminded that my devotional and prayer life isn't where I want it to be, and mulled ways to make it better, more consistent, more meaningful. I'm grateful that I can feel that reminder and be glad of it, not shamed.

...was reminded that I am not where I want to be with my activity level (ie, exercise), and mulled ways to make that aspect better, more consistent. This, alas, I was less grateful to be reminded of, and more shamed. Ha. But if it motivates me, I'll take it.

...saw the completion of one major house project, and another part-way there. House projects are one of the many joys of summer. I'm grateful for the progress!

...picked blueberries at a local berry patch and a great deal of produce from the garden, saw the end of the cherries and the beginning of apricots. I'm in love with the seasonal eating, always. (Well, always except for January, February and maybe a bit of March!)

...arrived at Friday very ready for the weekend, and for a little extra rest. I am grateful in advance for naps!

A few of my favorite images this week, with color. I am always grateful for color in my world.

rainbow doughnuts

carrot cat

dress

rainbow nails

orange cake

I hope your week was full of things to be grateful for, as well, and that the weekend brings you naps!

Peace.

Friday night grateful moment

s it really Friday? Doesn't seem possible!

This week has felt odd and out-of-sorts--Seth and I came back from Canada on Monday; Tuesday I worked a few hours (precious few, then home with Seth); we all know what Wednesday was about (yard work); Thursday I spent the entire day convinced it was really Monday, referring to Wednesday as "the weekend," go figure; and today I worked from home while waiting (in vain) for a delivery that was supposed to come in the morning but really arrived at 3 p.m. I know, that's more about my week than you really care to know... but still, it was a good week, if a bit off.

Seth and I had a great trip to Canada last weekend. We enjoyed our time with Grandma Kandt, my mom and Aunt Bobbi. And road tripping with Seth has always been a fun adventure--he was born a good traveler. Now that he can pick up some of the driving slack, he's an even better traveler! We listened to a bit more of the Steve Jobs book (I know, at this rate, we'll finish it in 2015, but I'm not really INto it, so bits and pieces work for me), discussed various life philosophies, and of course, listened to each other's playlists on our respective iPods. Seth has a new crush on Regina Spektor, and I think I got a few points by casually mentioning I had her most recent album. I am so grateful for my son. I have often remarked that God blessed me with the exact right son for me; I'll say it again!

We came home to a missing-us husband, which is always nice. It would be pretty sad to come home and not have been missed... Seth often remarks on our luckiness to have husband in our lives, and I wholeheartedly second that sentiment. Grateful grateful for my man.

Summer is HERE. It's supposed to hit 100 degrees this weekend, which is fine, I guess... as long as I don't have to be out in it. I've watered and watered and watered, so the weeds should be back up to neck-high by the end of the weekend. I'm grateful for underground sprinklers. They really do make life better for those of us with too much lawn and flower beds!

Another sign that summer is here? We have eaten quite a bit from the garden already... in some ways it feels earlier than usual, which doesn't really make sense given how slow the weather has been to heat up... but, I won't question it; we'll just enjoy enjoy enjoy! Potatoes, kale, onions, cabbage, zucchini, summer squash, lettuce, arugula... yum. Add to that the cherries, strawberries (now done until August when they'll come back around), blueberries (we have our first blueberries ever, and we've been trying to grow them for years!), and there is a orangey tint up on the topmost apricots, so those are coming soon too! It's a little heaven on earth around here, and I'm so grateful for each item I harvest.

I'm grateful for an interesting project at work, that keeps me learning and growing. And I'm grateful, too, for the flexibility I have with my work hours. When Seth's been here, I can do a bit less; now that he's away for a few weeks, I can get more accomplished!

This is the Regina song that Seth and I listened to A LOT on the way to Canada and back. It's a bit of fun!



I have not been pinning enough lately. It's a situation that needs to be remedied! But, I haven't stopped completely... here are a few recently-pinned Pinterest images that I'm grateful for:

 twain

refining

sun

friends

running

I'm grateful as well for my family and friends beyond husband and Seth. I am fortunate to have some pretty fabulous people to play mini-golf with, have lovely lunches with, exchange texts with, pick cherries alongside in the cool mornings, etc. I learn, I grow, and am better because of them. (You.) Thank you.

I hope your weekend is wonderful. I hope that you find a cool respite when you need, but that there is definitely a lot of sunshine in your world.

What are you grateful for this week?

Peace.

Thursday 13: 13 links re: Pinterest in the news

irst off: this is not an opinion piece. How you use or have used Pinterest (if you do) and how you feel about copyright issues isn't my business--until you take a photo of mine or a recipe of mine and claim it as your own. Then we'll talk!

But with the general vibe on the interwebs the past month or so, and the posts getting pinned around Pinterest as well, I felt like I needed to do a bit of investigation. (Work tends to get in the way of daytime pinning, go figure, and evenings I've been trying to disconnect a bit more, so I definitely feel a little late to this whole conversation.)

Second, the whole thing seems a bit anticlimactic now, anyway (see #11). Maybe. We'll see if the developments in recent days really do to protect the copyright of those who want it protected, in the way they want it protected.

However, what with my overt proselytizing of the gospel of Pinterest, I felt that I should, at the very least, share some of what I found.

This past weekend I finally read and researched the latest in regards to Pinterest's Terms of Use and how various artists are handling the issues that have come to light most recently, namely:

1. This is the first article I read: A Lawyer Who Is Also A Photographer Just Deleted All Her Pinterest Boards Out Of Fear. My mom forwarded it to me from a friend who had posted it on Facebook. 

2. Which led me to: How Pinterest removed all my pinned images in minutes (#1) (There is a follow-up #2 post you can link to from #1). I understand this artist's perspective that she doesn't want her stuff pinned, and was hopeful when I read it that Pinterest would GET that and assist her and other artists.

3. And then there are a few people who disagree about how big a deal this whole copyright conversation is, as this TechDirt article details.

4. That opinion is shared in this post: Copyright isn't the issue, you are.

5. And of course, the TechDirt article (in #3) pointed to a couple of posts by the copyright librarian at the University of Minnesota Libraries. Her articles are here: Using Copyrightable Materials and A few clarifications on Pinterest/Copyright/TOS worries.

6. I appreciated these tips on: How to use Pinterest without breaking the law.

7. Pinterest, change your terms or we're leaving. Pretty straightforward.

8. My favorite sentence of this post, The genius of Pinterest's copyright dodge: "...the most likely outcome of this saga is not a Grooveshark-like end to Pinterest, but an admission by many publishers that they simply don't care what anyone does with their images, as long as it helps drive users back to their sites."

9. What people are talking about: Pinterest and copyright issues. Even more on the topic. Tired of it yet? I was getting a little filled up with it all!

10. Visual inspiration from Pinterest. This post doesn't address specific copyright issues, but I learned a bit about how to better use Pinterest, and by the time I got to this piece, I was tired of even thinking about these issues! (Specifically: Skitch, and I second her ideas about private boards--can I get a holla, Corinne?--and RSS feeds.) (My gifted florist friend Corinne has competitors follow her and glean ideas from the places SHE gleans ideas from, and so there's this feeling like she's doing all the work, and others are benefiting. Private boards would be great!)

11. Finally, after weeks of controversy and not really meeting the issue head on, Pinterest addresses issues with a copyright infrigement legality statement. And another piece on the same topic, but from CNET here. We'll see if the artists that don't want their work on Pinterest will be pleased with this outcome. And I'm curious to see how big the clean-up is to the past pins... will our boards be depleted? Probably not mine, as I rarely post to my Pretty Pictures board. Most of the bloggers/sites I pin from are asking you to pin and spread the word on their craft, recipe, etc.

Which leaves me with two more items to fulfill my Thursday 13, and I'm sick to death of this topic. What to do?

Oh, I know! How about two images from Pinterest that I found recently, and adore... seems only fitting. Both are crocheted items, and made me smile.

etsy shop

etsy shop

That's all from this peanut gallery today! I hope you're having a lovely Thursday, and if you're not a Pinterest fan/freak, I doubt you've made it this far. But if you are, I hope it's been at least a little bit helpful. What with the last post, Pinterest's statement and resolution to the issue, it might all be moot. But still, the more you know, right?

For more Thursday 13s, go here. Happy Thursday!

(We have snow. Just had to mention that. On March 22. How nuts is that? My poor apricot tree with it's frosty blossoms...)

Friday night grateful list

eaceful and twilight as I begin my list for this week... the three of us, cozied up for the weekend. I've said it before: that sentence alone pretty much sums up my gratitude. But of course, there are indeed other things to be grateful for...

Laughter. Yesterday I came really close to losing it with laughter (at work, yikes), and today had a few good laughs as well. I'm lucky to get to work with some funny guys. At least I find them humorous... so far! (Except, yesterday I was laughing at myself... and not in a good way. Must curb.)

Music. There's a song that's been going through my head ALL WEEK. I'm really in love with it, have been since I first heard it years ago, and then this version tipped me over again... I have enjoyed so many different iterations, I think I feel a mix CD coming up... the All Hallelujah CD. Sounds about right.

Here's a version that YouTube let me actually embed, also a big favorite of mine!

 

A good chat with my hair stylist. And, an actual sit in the chair at said hair stylist, complete with foils and a trim. (I know, you were thinking this was all natural. Sure you were.)

Speaking the joys of Pinterest. I seem to spread the Pinterest gospel wherever I go... wondering if there's a commission in it at some point? But then, they'd actually have to have a money-making model, wouldn't they? Still, I do so love to share my love for all things pinning!

IM with my oldest and dearest Corinne. We haven't seen each other in too long... thankfully we can Google chat through the awards shows and catch up briefly at odd points during the week. Being known and loved by someone for so long is really something that I do not take for granted.

My guys. I am blessed in my home life, and I know it.

Words, words and more words... always grateful for the power of words.

everything

soft

 movement 

inconvenience

beautiful

overwhelmed

And so, on that note, I leave you to your weekend, and go begin mine! What are you grateful for this week? I hope the list is long!

Wishing you lots of rest and peace in the coming hours.