Friday night grateful moment

In a true step of springtime faith, I bought some primroses last weekend with the intention of putting them in our window boxes out front. That has yet to happen. Thursday they were a ray of sunshine amidst the hail and snow: At around 3 a.m. we woke to a big hailstorm that lasted loudly for five minutes or so. When we woke at 6-ish, there was snow on the ground and all the way down the mountains. Then it got sunny, everything melted and seemed springy again. Midafternoon Mom and I were deep into a Jane Austen flick "Miss Austen Regrets" when I sprang up remembering that we needed to get Seth from school. And what's going on outside but the thickest and loveliest snowfall. It lasted about an hour, and though not much ever stuck, it was so pretty to drive back and forth to school in (and back and forth; ask me about our trumpet remembering sometime!).

Today, it was sunny and clear. So that's the first thing I'm thankful for. Sunshine. Lots of it. Blue skies. Snow on the mountains, not in the yard (by noon, anyway...).

I'm also thankful for:

* Mom and Dad came on Monday and stayed until this morning. It was a lovely visit with lots of Mexican Train dominoes, lots of MSNBC (Dad) and crazy Mad Money Jim Cramer (Grandpa and Seth), and lots of Mom time for me. I abandoned work (more or less, thank you understanding boss!) and we had some lovely visits, a wee tad of shopping and yummy plentiful food!

* Seth's band concert on Tuesday night was fun (as fun as wooden bleachers for an hour can be!) and it's great to see him enjoying learning the trumpet so much. I can tell you here (since he's not a regular reader!) that his band teacher thinks he'll be great in the advanced jazz band next year, and I'm tickled for him and that opportunity (I haven't told him what his teacher said as I want him to work for it and not just assume this opportunity is coming his way). You can see above that he was thrilled to have Mom and her camera out snapping away prior to the concert!

* Family time: Wednesday we had a hookie day for Seth (teacher approved, of course, even though he has had quite a few absences lately!) and even Alan got away for an afternoon off, so that was a great midweek break.

* Haircut. Wednesday I also got a "trim," although my hairdresser informed me years ago that there's no such thing as a trim... it's always a haircut. I think she says that because some people think they should pay less if less hair is cut... anyway, it feels good, looks good (if I do say so myself) and I can wear it down easier without feeling like it's a mop. I feel springy!

* Crafty time: I am fiddling around with decopauge glue and rose petals and mostly making a mess, but maybe just maybe something pretty will come of it. Right now, I'm just thankful I had some time to experiment with it this week and my cheerleading Mom to rah! rah! as I got all gluey. I may have mentioned before, but I just love crafty time... more crafts and ideas than time to see them through...

* Chocolate and peanut butter milkshakes from the IceBurg. I know all their milkshakes are special, but to me this flavor is the best, and has been my go-to for many years. I could rave on about the onion rings and the housemade tartar sauce, and there is something about that salty-sweet thing... but the flavor I want to end on is the chocolate and peanut butter. And how.

* A return to health for all members of the family. Coughs have diminished, snotty noses disappeared, more or less. It's good. A little prolonged sunshine and we might just think we're in heaven. (And yes, Kim, I'll knock on wood as I say that. I almost feel a fever coming on as I write this!)

I think that's it for this week. I feel like I'm forgetting something important and extra-thankful-for, I'm sure it will come to me as soon as I hit the publish button!