As I treadmill this morning, I am grateful for~
1.   the slowness of the sunrise
2.  Nature’s routine
3.  a busy blue bird (i don’t know if it is a bluebird, but it is a bird that is blue)
4.  tiny American flags pointing out of boxwoods
5.  diamonds of dews on exhausted grass
6.  hydrangeas and crepe myrtles
7.  the collage mural I created to stare at while on the treadmill
8.  remembering that creating this mural was also an exercise in avoiding the treadmill just a little bit longer
9.  The Gifts of Imperfection–seemed appropriate warm-up reading material for the treadmill

“I get enough exercise just pushing my luck.” (on my t-shirt)

1. The Continental Congress resolved to break its ties with Great Britain on July 2, 1776.
2. Two days later the Declaration of Independence is approved.
3. Our freedom and our independence did not come without a cost, then or now
4. Our greatest treasure is freedom
5. The corollary of freedom is individual responsibility.
6. Our women and men in uniform who serve for our freedom, especially those who are forward deployed
7. Their spouses, children, parents, siblings, extended family and friends who count the days
8. Naturalized citizens like my friend Vincent Agor, featured in the OC Register. Mr. Agor said, “When I became a citizen, in that moment, it’s a free choice to see that the name American is mine,” http://t.co/lsVr5fd
9. Veterans who are home and at home in heaven


“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Today I am grateful for:

1. A nice long conversation with Donna, a childhood friend
2. Finding out that after a twenty-year separation she and the man she loves  have reunited
3. Her happy plans for a wedding on the beach
4. Seeing in pictures how her eyes soften and how she leans in to him, trusting
5. True Love
6. Being invited to a party called “50 is the new 30”
7. The consistency of Kimberley and Randy to keep our classmates together after all these years
8. a new idea for a series of blog posts
9. James Taylor, started thinking about him after an email from Garrett…(so excited for you, Garrett!)
    “It is healthier to see the good points of others than to analyze our own bad ones.” ~Françoise Safan

I am grateful for~

 1.   Typos
 2.   Looking for them reinforces my need to pause
 3.   Finding them reinforces a chance to fix things
 4.   Overlooking them reinforces the skill of others who find them
 5.   Being told about them afterwards reinforces my need for humility
 6.   Ackowledging that Spellcheck doesn’t catch all reminds me that I cannot control everything
 7.   Seeing them years later in previous copy reinforces that despite best my efforts mistakes happen
 8.    Finding them in copy that is not my own reinforces efforts at gentleness to others
 9.    Reading them in published copy by AP reinforces that mistakes are a universal constant
10.  Attempting to type again, acknowledging their shadow, reinforces my journey of resilience :)

The night never wants to end, to give itself over
to light. So it traps itself in things: obsidian, crows.
Even on summer solstice, the day of light’s great
triumph, where fields of sunflowers guzzle in the sun —
we break open the watermelon and spit out
black seeds, bits of night glistening on the grass. Joseph Stroud, Night in Day

Happily grateful for

the delicious tastes of summertime
grapes
peaches
cantaloupe
watermelon (with seeds)
basil olive oil
strawberries
zucchini
blueberries

“Who satisfies your mouth with good things.” Psalms 103:5

Pushing through a low-tide mood
The *just-right* message of this song
Reassurances from Karen
Pressing on
Rolling with it
Breathing through it
Smiling despite it
Caramel cheesecake
Tiny red rose plant; a thank you gift for speaking

It’s not your job to like me — it’s mine. ~Byron Katie  :)

I am grateful for~

Everyone was recovered from the scaffold accident
The quick response of the rescue crews
Donna, who supports our firefighters single-mindedly
DeeAnn, who is kind to everyone at the office
Talking through a conflict
An unexpected gift for Amelia
A kind comment from Beth
Amanda’s honesty and expression
A vacuumed floor
The summer night is like a perfection of thought. ~Wallace Stevens

Today I am grateful for

1. This first day of summer
2. Janet, who reminded me
3. Being awakened by a rain storm last night…yes, RAIN!
4. The electricity, which went off for awhile and then remembered to start back up
5. 68 degrees this morning!
6. The smell of rain all around
7. Opening the windows hoping the smell of rain would wander inside!
8. An early morning walk with Ruby
9. A big turtle by the lake—in 17 years here I have never seen one by the lake
   10.  Contrary to what I thought, turtles can haul shell amid the threat of inspection by gangly puppies like Ruby


Every day may not be good, but there is something good in every day.

Today I am grateful for~

A morning walk instead of driving
Burritos with Sissy
The promise of lower temperatures tonight and maybe…
Rain!
So much delicious fresh fruit
Laughing with JudyV
Time for reading a good book
Air conditioning in the car on the way home from work
A new recipe to try!

There is way, and I’m still learning, to keep my heart open without being swamped and without resorting to dissociating or armoring my heart. ~ Jen Louden

Today I am grateful for fathers I know:

~Uncle Leon
~Uncle Enloe
~Cousin Richard
~David
~Scott
~Carl
~Garrett Eastman
~Tom
~mine :)

“We relish news of our heroes, forgetting that we are extraordinary to somebody too.” ~Helen Hayes