1. God

2. Cassie saying “thank you” to the garden, as we cleaned after a hard frost. Quite a bounty this year and many last fruits including eggplant, peppers, and tomatoes, we never had so many before.  It is a delight to cook a meal and say it came from our garden

3. People in my life are gifts

4. Experiences in my life are gifts

5. Gift of now

6. Talking to Andrew, my brother, he has two young sons Alan and Simon.  I spoke to them both on the phone, which is seldom.  They live in France so I haven’t seen them much.  Alan asked Andrew where is your brother?  He may know that I am a voice on the telephone, for now.

7. We would visit Hannah and David’s grandparents in Minnesota. Once, Hannah was not yet two, not long after we’d returned home, she softly carried the phone to me and said “Granny.”  So I called her grandmother who spoke to her. Hannah didn’t say anything but I will never forget how wide her eyes were with happiness – maybe she thought it was magic.  She didn’t have to say anything.  Imagine if we’d had Skype then or something like that.

8. I told Andrew that story, commenting it felt like another lifetime ago, and I suppose it is, Hannah’s.  Nevertheless, the days are long and the years are short.

9. Potting the herbs

“I am confident and vulnerable.”  Crystal Andrus

1. Finishing knitting a hat just in time
2. all-natural trick-or-treat
3. Cute kids in costumes
4. Rescuing the one who was crying
5. The family who dressed as incredibles- hilarious
6. Clementines
7. Lil pumpkin bags
8. A farm with pigs and chickens and cows
9. My daughter’s delight
10. This

1. God

2. A great conversation with Laurie

3. Hannah’s continued success at school

4. Apples

5. Acknowledging gifts

6. Good questions

7. The pumpkin treats at the bakery

8. Greens

9. David’s delight with Spotify

10. Cassie and I talking about dreams

11. The 31 Benefits of Gratitude

• Heat
• Edits taken well and agreed to
• Hons and Rebels, Jessica. Mitford, can’t put it down
• Ice water
• Seeing frost across the low grass
• Looks of understanding
• Organization
• Letting things go
• Lots of things, really
• Now

Very Grateful for

God’s gifts

The lit candle by my computer (becauseican)

Coffee for sipping instead of gulping (becauseican)

Cinnamon toast (becauseican)

With a bright, sunflower cloth napkin (becauseican)

Time to read the unread devotionals because I operated under the illusion of being “too busy” (becauseican)

Putting the towel in the dryer to grab after showering (becauseican)

A morning walk with Ruby instead of an obligatory evening constitutional (becauseican)

A rare (first-time) morning off with unscheduled time (becauseican)

A gift from the boss (because-he-can)

“To be left alone is the most precious thing one can ask of the modern world.” ~ Anthony Burgess

1. Realizing that it’s only growing pains…

2. Being in agreement

3. Working things out

4. Getting a massage

5. Books

6. God

7. Friends

8. Love

9. My dog

10. Mint tea

1. God

2. Beverlee – what a difference she has made, and helping me acknowledge how far I’ve come, by willing to accept help

3. Grateful people

4. Christa’s amazing and enticing new site

5. I always enjoy talking to Charles on the phone, his warmth and laughter and rich southern accent

6. Compassion

7. Feeling sad about changing plans with David and telling him I needed to because of another obligation. OK dad, he said, but I hope it doesn’t turn out to be a Cat’s in the Cradle type of thing.  Evidently he’s discovered Harry Chapin.

8. Fall colors and clouds

9. Story within a story

10. Neither

1. People who do the work- toil for months, years, decades to realize their dreams
2. Stick-to-it-iveness (I know there are more concise words, but this ‘sticks’ with me)
3. Acknowledging what is luck, and what is lots of hard work
4. My life has been mostly luck,  I think, and I’m grateful for it- but also ready to do some work
5. A husband who inspires me to be a better person, by example
6. Looking up and around to decide what to work hard on, and then sticking your nose to the grindstone and doing it
7. Even when it’s absolutely no fun
8. The way humans have the ability to delay gratification- amazing isn’t it?
9. Purpose
10. Now, the moment when anything can happen, and everything does

The strength of my mom’s choices for her well being

Dave’s strong love for my mom

The strength of my mom’s body through this process

My mom’s strong will to keep moving, going forward, no matter how high the mountain seems

My strength in letting only positive, helpful people be around me

The strong friends and family that lift us up when things get tough

Our strong hospice team, they all work together and make it seem effortless

My mom’s strong love for Dave

My sisters motto of “Dig Deep” (copyright Thibodeau, haha) when you need a little more strength

Good, strong laughter

Wishing you the strength of diamonds, silk and pure love

-Today being better than yesterday.  And that I gave myself a break last night when reviewing my day.  I will have a cruddy day from time to time, everyone will.  I am grateful that today I can have those days and be much less of a tornado in my life and the lives of those close to me.

-Giving myself a break on needing to be perfect.  This also gives others around me a break.

-Friend Willy treated me to racing go-karts this afternoon.  It was fun.

-Mom bought new shoes for the twin daughters.

-Upcoming vacation.