Friday night grateful moment

ust last Friday night I bemoaned feeling a bit like I'm in a rut with my grateful list. (And then on Monday I celebrated the Common Miracle that is my rituals. Anyone get that lovely contradiction? Yeah, me either. Until just this moment!)

Anyway, tonight I was looking through some photos on my iPhone and thought... I'll share these. A couple I took tonight to round out my list, but most were taken throughout the week as life happened. It's a picture of my grateful life...

I'm grateful for exercise, to work muscles and move my body. Even when I think I'm too tired, it totally picks me up!

I'm always grateful for my computer. It works like a charm and is pretty to boot. I'm also entirely grateful for technology and the possibilities it opens up. Yeah for possibilities!

I'm SO grateful I took the time to learn how to read crochet instructions. Most obvious statement of the day: it's taken my crochet skills to a whole "other" level. It's so much fun to be able to follow along and know what I'm doing--even if I do sometimes get all distracted and have to pull out a row or two, it's still great.

Ever-so-grateful for my men. And that I get a peaceful weekend with the husband. Cabin fever? Not us.

I'm grateful for a bit of spring in the middle of this winteriest of weeks. Thanks, Melissa, for my paperwhite! The timing of the bloom couldn't be better.

For mittens to protect from the cold, I have been most grateful this week. (And a sweet gift from a sweet friend, as well.)

This week I was grateful for hot chocolate! With whipped cream. In the most appropriate mug!

I was tickled to get to play with this wee pup at a meeting at the Blue Mountain Humane Society this week. I admit, I was a bit distracted by the unbearable cuteness, but I'm grateful my meeting mates didn't object to my distraction. After some serious play time, pup then fell asleep under my chair. Extra-cute!

Here's what I've been wishing for all winter. Well, I was actually wishing for snow; this is actually frozen ice bits pretending to be snow. I am actually grateful we got some white in our view... and that it's supposed to warm up again soon.

That actually does look like snow I'm standing in, doesn't it? Must have caught that picture in the five minutes before the freezing rain started... I'm grateful for my boot collection, which, though small, got a serious workout this week.

I'm grateful for love, and that I'm blessed to know it in such abundance. I'm also glad and grateful for those in my life who have found love again, the second time around, so to speak. (I respect and admire all you long-timers too, but to find it, better than ever, when you thought you might not again? Pretty sweet.)

I'm grateful for color and texture and the joy of creation.

I feel rejuvenated, just busting out of my text routine with some pictures! Must remember that for the future...

What's on your grateful list this week? I hope it's a long one!

Whatever your weekend holds, may it bring you peace.

Thursday 13: Thirteen reasons I wish it would snow

1. It's January. It only seems right.

2. Snow is beautiful. I love watching falling snow.

3. I haven't had a chance to break out my new x-country skis that I bought last winter during the massive snow storm. By the time we got back from the holidays last year, the snow was gone and we just haven't had enough since.

4. Snow would cover up stuff in the yard I'd rather not see.

5. If it was snowing, I bet the wind would stop. The wind has been nonstop this week and is driving everyone nuts.

6. All the plants seem fooled into thinking it's spring, which just isn't right. Snow would send them back into their winter mode.

7. Plenty of other places in the country have snow; why not here? 

8. Snow makes everything so quiet and peaceful.

9. I haven't gotten enough wear out of my boots this winter. I do love my boots.

10. I want to take some pictures of snow. It's just not fun taking pictures right now with the grays and browns outside.

11. It's beautiful waking up to freshly fallen snow. Have I mentioned that already? I think it deserves another spot on the list. That, and I'm running out of reasons...

12. I like seeing the birds at the feeder in the snow, and all their little tracks on the front walk.

13. I could really use a snow day with Seth. I love snow days. This one is probably the top of the list!

I know I will get comments about how nutty I am, how snow is bad bad bad and I should be thankful not to have any, but I just can't help it. I want snow! If you have snow and don't want it, I can feel for you... sort of. Spring is coming, but I am still hopeful that between now and then we can see a few flakes. Forecast says maybe we'll get some this weekend... I will be doing my snow dance!

For more Thursday 13 participants, go here.

Winter wonderland

We have lots of birds right now in the feeders outside the living room window. They are happy and chirpy and I love that we feed them.

Who has to snuffle around in the snow and get cold? Bad Dog Ruby, that's who. She's sweet and loves the snow like the crazy dog that she is, but doesn't really know when it's time to come in and get warm. Doesn't she just look so huggable, though? She really is, in spite of her bad dog ways...

Chief, looking like a prison dog there behind the wire... he was watching me come in from a little xcountry ski jaunt this afternoon...

I don't know if you can tell what this is, it didn't photograph well, but all over the fields there are these patches where hawks have come down into the snow to grab some rodent or something, and there are beautiful marks where the claws scrape the snow before the big grab. Anyway, it seemed picture-worthy at the time, made me wish for better photography skills... but I wish that most days anyway.

There's an idea of how much snow we've gotten. This sweet and wonderful birdbath was a gift from Corinne five years ago. I remember it showed up on a very particular day (sadness and joy, and the slightest glint of possibility for romance...) for me (Dec. 18, also sweet Lucy's day of birth), and it has meant a great deal to me over the years to look at that birdbath and think of our dear friendship.

He may look like he's guarding the property, but what Chief is really doing is watching the sheep at the neighbor's place. He turned his head back for me at just the right moment.