Friday night grateful moment

This week was one of those long-short weeks. Wednesday felt like Thursday, but I also was concocting extra days between Thursday and Friday to try and pack it all in. Yes, one of those weeks. What joy, what bliss, to be at Friday night, with peace and quiet, screen door open, pups napping, husband beside me, all peaceful and well.

It is spring, there is no doubt about that. Well, there were some people on the East Coast who seemed to doubt it for a minute or two this week, I think. But, we had the whole gamut this week--rain, wind, rain, blue skies, clouds, the gorgeous smell of rain. This week I learned what that word is, the smell of rain: petrichor. Cool word, eh? It's one of my favorite smells, and makes me so grateful for spring, whenever I am outside after a rainfall and inhale, big. Deep breath.

With spring comes color, which is always a favorite of mine. I looked out our dining room window one morning, and saw orange fish in the pond, purple lilacs, pink on the flowering weeping almond tree, greens of every shade. That scene made me smile quite happily, gratefully. I am in a bit of denial that it's actually Easter this weekend--how did that happen already? Not having the nieces (and their parents) here for the Egg Hunt Extravaganza, I have opted to just ignore it. That and eating less sugar means, what? huh? candy? chocolate? whatevs. ;) (I'm saving it all up for May!)

I love the way the seasons work with flavor too. Here comes the asparagus, in all its local glory. The strawberries are blossoming, and while it feels a little far away, I am already pining for fresh produce from the garden. Basil, tomatoes, peppers, potatoes... now we just need to keep the nights above frost level for a bit!

I learned of a friend's cancer diagnosis this week, and have been thinking of her and her family and lifting them in prayer, many times over each day. I am tired of cancer touching the lives of people I care about. Tired especially for them, and wishing for healing, in many places, tonight. I am grateful for the love and support that I know my friends and family with illness have surrounding them. Very grateful indeed.

Tonight I'm also very grateful for the path of this past decade, where I am now, with the love and support in my life. I try to pause every day and reflect on it, really feel the gratitude and focus on keeping my eyes open and aware of what's going on. I believe it as much now as I did 10 years ago--when you have a major life transition, there's a wakefulness to it, a super-alert mode that only lasts if you focus on not letting the noise of the world lull you back asleep. No thanks. To me that equates to taking things for granted, and I work pretty hard to not do that.

I love that sentiment. I think I need it tattooed somewhere. Or, at the very least, close by so I can refer to it nightly. I think I will go sleep in peace now. I wish the same for you.

Small stone: Jan. 20

Missed a day of small stone writing (Saturday), but rather than trying to make it up, I'm calling it a lost small stone. Some day I'll find it, I'm sure.

For today:



Flat, gray, somber,
winter Mondays stretch
out, hour after hour, Eeyore plodding
through Hundred Acre Wood.
Where's the sunshine bouncing
off my walls, energy
to spare? Where is Tigger
to see me through to spring?

#small stone

Thirty days of gratitude: Day 16

The word for day 16 is weather:

The weather has been really lovely this fall, for the most part. I've been very grateful for the sunshine and blue skies, even if the day starts out gray. The wind generally seems to sweep out the clouds and bring in a little sun by the end of the day.

I missed a few foggy days a couple of weeks back by being out of town, and while storms do come and go, I see them as just part and parcel of autumn. They certainly haven't been extreme, yet, though that may come. I see snow sneak down the hills toward the valley, and I can't help but wish for a few flakes in my backyard, but no luck there yet.

When I thought of how to illustrate this word, this song immediately came to mind. I really do believe you bring the weather with you. Make it sunshine.

Friday night grateful moment

 How quickly the week has flown... I wish I could say that blogging (or the lack thereof) has been weighing on my mind, but alas, right now, it has not. I have thoughts and ideas about blogging, and on the weekend I actually cook (shocking!), but thankfully don't feel guilty about the lack of time to get it all down onto "paper." That time will come again... but I will not abandon Friday night!

I'm grateful this week that my family is safe--from my aunt who is in flooded Calgary, Alberta, but able to stay in her home without evacuating (so far); to my parents on their gallivant around Europe; to my brother and family in sunny California; to my beloved in-laws across the pasture. All safe and accounted for. This is not to be taken for granted, indeed.

Seth's home.

My husband bought me a flower. In spite of my dismal track record with orchids, I came home to a beautiful specimen this afternoon, and his thoughtfulness touched me.

Last weekend I spent a little too long in the sun/yard. Not in an overt, holy-cow-she's-sunburned kind of way, but just in a worn out, bedraggled fashion... I got really into it, and as much as it makes me smile when I think of my childhood yard-avoidance issues, I really love getting things ticked off the list. And, once you're hot and dirty, you might as well stay hot and dirty, right?! I am grateful for a fairy quick recovery during the week, and no lingering sun effects.

The rain came in and took over after the sunshine of the weekend. Odd to have rain to this extent in June... but rain it did, and plenty of it. The poor wheat has those trampled marks like a big giant has been stomping around in the field. I hope with some sun and less rain, it will stand upright again, but who knows. We went to bed in the rain, woke up in the rain, and looked out windows at rain during the day. It was weird, but refreshing.

I'm thankful for music. I had some fun in iTunes last weekend, getting ready for my big yard day. Music, podcasts and audiobooks always make my hours outside fly by. Straight No Chaser has a new album and I really enjoyed listening to most of it (got a little acapella fatigued by the last few songs...) as I bopped around the yard on the mower.

I'm especially thankful tonight for laughter. For the ability to see the humor, even in sometimes less-funny situations. It's a sign of my adoration for Jimmy Fallon that I find this video so very amusing, even though it has Brad Pitt (who I am somehow less fond of) in it. Who thinks this stuff up?!



I'm also thankful for tears. Tears are so, so good, sometimes. Like a mental clearing away of cobwebs. I'm not one of those chronic criers, by any means (a la Holly Hunter in Broadcast News), but every once in awhile... even an ad can set me off.

So this:



Can turn me into this:

I'm grateful that it's summer, and that these long days of light will go on for awhile longer. Since we are just solstice-ing now, it will start to tip back toward shorter days, sadly. But at least it takes awhile, and we can have beautiful sunsets and early sunrises and evenings by the firepit between now and the 4 p.m. darkness of winter. Love this time of year!

And I am grateful for all the usuals: the colors of summer, the flavors of summer, the sounds of summer. The birds are having a heyday in the twilight outside our open slider windows, and I love hearing them!

I'm ever-so-grateful it's the weekend. Sleep. Bliss.

My friends make me grateful; for their laughter and love and sharing, I am glad.

Wishing you a peaceful weekend.