1. Lots of time outside
2. My persistent husband
3. My daughter’s health
4. Compost
5. Petunias
6. Hydrangea planted, my first ever (outside)
7. Mint coming up
8. A book that’s blowing my mind- Parenting Without Borders
9. And the friend who recommended it
10. This

1. God

2. Fourth dimension azaleas steeped in sunlight

3. Cassie filling pots with flowers

4. Dinner on the patio (asphalt, actually)

5. Company

6. Tammy’s watercolors

7. Good advice

Abundant gratitude for the enormous quantity of wonderful books in our house!

1.  family and friends are my #1 gratitude

2.  a car full of gas and a garage to put it in

3.  a big wonderful yard to garden in

4.  a playful kitchen full of great memories and good food

5.  closets full of clothes

6.  many shelving units full of art supplies

7.  Zentangle supplies galore

8.  thousands of sentimental photographs

9.  TVs

10.  a homey living room and dining room

Thank you for this life and all the privileges in it!

1. This post. Though a bit vulgar, it sums things up beautifully.

• Military Appreciation Day
• A few suggested items for care packages for our deployed troops…
• …coffee, nuts, beef jerky, granola/protein bars, instant oatmeal in pouches, soap, lotion, shampoo, sunscreen, and among many others, let’s remember Mom’s chocolate chip cookies! :)
• Snow drops mixed with our rain drops…
• …we had the studded snow tires removed anyway…must be Spring!
• Popular baby names: girls: Sophia, Emma, Olivia, Isabella, Ava…..boys: Noah, Liam, Jacob, Mason, William :)
• Sol-u-guard botanical products
• Creek fishing season opens today :)
• GPa’s new riding mower…and the smile on his face while he happily buzzes around the yard :)
• Our neatnik neighbor, Harry, who actually vacuumed his driveway :)

1. God

2. A kind dentist, willing to consider alternatives, and helped alleviate David’s pain

3. so he could enjoy his birthday today

4.Hannah singing at her college’s graduation

5.and a successful completion of her first year

6. Hard rain, no need to water plants right away

7. Basement appears dry, good work by Pierre and Tony

8. Paul stopping by to share information I wouldn’t hear otherwise

9. Dancing with Cassie. We had an argument the night before,  “How am I going to dance around you tomorrow,” she asked rhetorically.  Instead we danced together.

10. Being whole and being held

1. Sleeping baby
2. Moving, pushing, yet-to-be-born baby
3. Cold enough for a fire again tonight
4. Taking time to sit when I needed to
5. Forethought
6. Nice feedback
7. Gentleness
8. Slowly unlearning bad habits
9. Identifying a situation I would’ve been sucked into before
10. Now

1. God

2. Azaleas in different colors

3. Mouth

4. Throat

5. Digestive system

6. Kind letters from Julia and Lindsey

7. What it is

“Gratitude turns grief a different color.” Katrina Kenison

1. A day so full we were barely home (and I’m REALLY grateful that rarely happens)
2. Seeing friends new and older
3. A beautiful memorial for Mayra’s dad
4. Seeing the Blakelock though we didn’t have time to view the rest of the museum
5. A friend connecting with a potential client serendipitiously, was so lovely to see
6. Studying an artist I love
7. The way the light shines at twilight when there are storm clouds- a sort of hazy, surreal gold
8. My little one was an angel all day
9. Staying connected with (and ahead of) her needs
10. And sometimes my own