Attitude of Gratitude: Day 50

Well, here it is. The last day of the gratitude challenge. All along, I've felt this final post needed to be pretty significant. Actually, it wasn't hard to decide what to say. Next to my family, my friends, and my testimony, there's one thing I cherish more than anything else. It's a gift my Heavenly Father gave me, and I'm grateful for it all the time. No matter how insane it sometimes makes me.

I'm grateful for my passion to write.

Now, I'm not saying I'm a genius writer. I'm not saying I'll ever be published (though I sure hope I will be). I'm not even saying I'm grateful for my talent for writing. I'm saying I'm grateful for my passion for it. Which is an entirely different thing.

Writing lights me up like nothing else does. It sparks something in me nothing else can. Sometimes when I think about all the stacks of books I have around my house, I'm a bit alarmed by the way I hunger after them. Until I remember what's behind it. It's not the reader in me that hungers after those books as if I could never get filled. It's the writer in me. Every book, regardless of genre, regardless of quality, is a lesson. The reader in me likes them too, but I want to be the best writer I can be and that's what drives it. Those books are my university.

Writing drives me crazy sometimes. If you doubt it, ask my husband. He'll tell you. A writer's life is full of self-doubt, fear, frustration, and legitimate lunacy. I thought getting over the hurdle of writing my first real book would cure me of it, but no. There are days when I'm so frustrated with whatever storyline I'm wrangling that I'll think to myself "I can't do it! I just don't know how to write a book!"

Never mind that I've already done it.

Apparently, this is normal. I follow a few author blogs and read many author interviews. More than once, I've heard another author say they struggle with the same thing. Honestly, it wasn't very comforting to realize that this fear and self-doubt pretty much never goes away. Even after publishing a book. Even after publishing several. Every book is a new battle to fight.

So why do it? And why be grateful for this madness?

Oh man. Because the exhilaration when everything is going right is pure, unadulterated ecstasy. The creation of a character you can't help but fall in love with, the turn of phrase that reflects real life with shimmering perfection, the plot twist that surprises even the writer who created it... these are the moments for which we writers live.

When everything's clicking, the world falls away. Even the room I'm in and the desk I'm working on disappear from my awareness. The only thing that exists is the pure act of creation.

Pure bliss.

The Lord blesses each of us with talents. I'm a firm believer in this. We each have something unique to contribute. For some it's the ability to be a good leader or to puzzle out a scientific problem. For some it's the ability to see the good in everyone they come in contact with - to make others feel that unconditional love and acceptance. (I've known a few people like this, and it's the most godly talent I know.) I try not to envy others their talents, because I think the Lord gives us exactly what we need. Exactly what will give us the most joy.

I love to write. I love that nothing stands in the way of my writing except myself. I don't have to leave my kids to the mercy of day care or have a ton of money to do it. If I can afford a notebook and some pens, I can afford to write. If I can carve out five minutes in a day, I have time to write. If I can become a better person by learning to face my fears and keep writing anyway, then I'm okay with that too.

It all comes down to the joy of the process. That's something I've always had, and will always have, no matter what happens.

It's something for which I am deeply, profoundly grateful.

Now I want to hear from you. Following the spirit of "nothing obvious," tell me, if you were to do a gratitude challenge and it came to the last day, what would you write about?

Attitude of Gratitude: Day 49

Well, I'm going to keep it really simple and try not to get too "Mother's Day sappy." I just finished reading my Mother's Day post from last year. While I still have a bit of a love/shrug relationship with Mother's Day, today I'm grateful for the growth I've made as a mother over the last year. I don't torture myself nearly as much as I used to.

Oh I still manage it from time to time. More than I should, I'm sure. But this time last year my feelings of inadequacy as a mother weren't just huge, they were debilitating. I'm still not a perfect mother, but I know I never will be and I'm grateful for the peace I've made with that.

Attitude of Gratitude: Day 48

Ah, this close to the end of my challenge, I hestitate to go with something so light-hearted and silly. But I'm doing it anyway. Truly, the point of this challenge was to remind myself that the little things in our daily existence have the power to infuse our lives with joy. So long as we stop to acknowledge them.

Today I'm grateful for this pic, and blurb, from Amy's blog:

"Van Gogh's self portrait with my foot!
Just for you Donna!
Side story: I searched the whole place for the most famous painting I could think of so that it would be just right for this picture. I had to have Lindsey hold my camera so I could HEFT my leg up that high then try to hold it still in mid-air! This thing was pretty far off the ground! Note: I am NOT flexible! So I pulled some major hamstring trying this, and it still didn't get very close to the painting! HAHAHAHAHA! That's as good as it was going to get!!!(For those of you who are confused, click on Donna's blog on my sidebar and start reading under her "My Foot" label. Or just know that she has a little tradition of doing this and I find it utterly, awesomely hilarious.)"

Who's not going to like someone thinking their foot tradition is "awesomely hilarious" instead of "insanely dorky?" I mean, really.

Attitude of Gratitude: Day 47

I've expressed before my gratitude for the modern age. Modern medicine and modern conveniences pretty much rock. The invention of the washing machine is not something to take lightly! ;) (Hmm, nor is the invention of the hot water heater, now that I think about it.)

Still, in my mind, nothing beats the beauty of books. Thanks to the printing press (no, I'm serious, I really am grateful for the printing press) we modern folks have the most amazing access to books. As most of you know, I've been having a love affair with books my entire life.

I decorate with books:

(See the token candle there? It only gets to stay until I acquire more art books - then it's all over for the candle.)

On my nightstand I keep a well-stocked pile of books waiting to be read:

(Actually, this picture is old. I've already finished The Reader. Three stars. Worth reading. In case you want to know.)

I usually have another to-be-read pile in the office:

Sometimes I have another pile on top of the bookcase in the first picture, but I try not to get carried away. (Ahem) Actually, that's where I stack books ready to go back to the library.

Speaking of the library, what's not to like about the library? I mean, really. Mine is even across the street from my kids' school, so it doesn't get much more convenient than that. All the books I care to read, for free. Unless you count a few dollars annually in late fees.

Which I don't.

Books inspire, inform, entertain, and sometimes change our lives. The only thing that makes me sad is the thought that I'll never live long enough to read all the books I'd like to read.

Is it bad to hope Heaven has a library? Because I do. I really, really do.

Attitude of Gratitude: Day 46

One of the things I love about our house is all the trees on our property. We have a total of 11 trees, nine in the front and two in the back. Some are little, some are great big, and some are in the middle. My favorites are this one, right next to the house in the front:




And this one in the back. It's huge, and I love the way its droopy branches sway in the wind. It makes a great sound then too, even more so during a storm:

I forgot to take a picture of the flowering tree next to our bedroom window, but I love that one as well. I'm not crazy about the little pokey ones in the front yard (yes, "little pokey one" is the scientific name for those trees - Google it if you don't believe me), but I still like them because then I can say we have 11 trees instead of nine. ;)

We also have a well-established orange tree, that only continues to thrive under our care because it gets water from the run off from our washing machine. Otherwise, who knows?

But Brian has managed to keep our (his) little peach tree alive, and this year, there was even fruit the birds didn't eat:

First peach fit for human consumption!

Yum!

So that's what I'm grateful for today. :)

Attitude of Gratitude: The Missing Day

I noticed awhile ago that I'd inadvertently skipped day 19, but I wasn't sure if it bothered me enough to fix it.

I guess my analness is winning out. (Analness is a legitimate word, right? My spellchecker doesn't seem to think so, LOL.)

Anyway, here's a post for the missing day.

I said I couldn't post about anything obvious, so I'm not going to say I'm grateful for family (even though I am). I'm going to say I'm grateful that so many of them are so close by. Brian's parents and several of his siblings live close by. My mother lives five minutes from here (a relatively recent development, for which I'm extremely grateful). My sister is clear across town, which seems far sometimes, but that's a lot better than half-way across the country (Eric and Ann!) or out of the country altogether (Blake and Leeanne!).

For a lot of years, the only reason we lived in Arizona was because we have so much family here. I have more reasons to like it here now, but even so, family is reason enough.

Attitude of Gratitude: Day 45

Today I'm grateful that John has such a great scout leader. (He always has, for the record. Nylene and Anna rocked too.) Chris is the Bear leader and I greatly appreciate him giving John such a good experience. Chris is a dedicated leader we can count on, he's great with the boys, and he comes up with really fun things for them to do each week. Scouts is not an easy calling, but it's an important one. John benefits so much from the example and dedication of his leader. It really means a lot to me.

Attitude of Gratitude: Day 44

Today was EASY!

I'd never had a pedicure before. The thought of someone touching my feet just creeped me out. But for Christmas Lisa gave us ladies in the presidency a pedicure at her salon. I finally took advantage of it today and it ROCKED!! Check out these pics of my very first pedicure:

(It's no surprise I went with red, right?)

I'm not too crazy about this pic of myself, but I love Miss Lisa so here it is. I absolutely love working with her in the Primary. She has to be one of the nicest people I've ever met. I had a great time chatting with her (and meeting one of her clients, Sharon, who recently got back from a cruise to Australia and SE Asia - niiiiice!).

Apparently, one picture of my foot wasn't enough. I was reading in the van, waiting to pick up my munchkin from school, and the sight of my freshly pedicured feet (pedicured is a legitimate verb, right?) made me so happy I had to take another picture.

And then later I thought, well I should probably have the "toe-ring version" too:

Good thing I never get carried away with things. Ahem. But I bought this toe ring at the Taste of Greece festival so I had to get a picture of it!

And that's what I'm grateful for today. :)

Attitude of Gratitude: Days 41-43

Gee, the blog has been awfully quiet, hasn't it? Turns out I had a busy weekend. Busy with lots of stuff which I'll soon talk about, and busy with some pretty intense personal growth (which I won't). ;)

Day 41: Saturday

Saturday pretty much rocked. First Elyse and I went to the Taste of Greece festival at Tempe Town Lake. I'd never been there before, and I'm definitely going again next year. It was...

delicious...

exotic...

and tons of fun.





Regarding the food, we purposely picked food we'd never had before. Most of it (except the baklava) I'd never heard of and couldn't pronounce. Almost all of it was incredibly delicious. The weather was perfect, and the booths tempted us with beautiful hand-painted art (oh man), pretty jewelry, and the most gorgeous skirt I'd ever seen in my life. It was comfortable too. I'm telling you, this thing was a skirt in perfection. I'm saving up my money and buying it next year!!! ;)

Afterwards, we went to Fashion Square Mall (which I almost never go to) to try on clothes we couldn't afford. It was pretty fun, and solidified in my mind that the difference between a $15 t-shirt and a $109 t-shirt simply isn't worth the price. Or the envy. Yes, I actually tried on a t-shirt that cost $109, but Elyse tried on a dress worth $300 so she had me beat. I wouldn't even want to touch a dress worth that much, for fear I'd "break" it and have to buy it! LOL.

Then she took me to the movies there and we watched X-Men Wolverine. Aside from one part that made me think "oh give me a break" it was a fun movie and I can't wait to see it again with my hubby. :)

After that... (done? No, we weren't done. Heck, we were just getting started...)

After that we met my friends from California at Fleming's restaurant in Scottsdale. I'll back up a second and give you a quick run down of Friday night - a little easier to do now that I've had some sleep.

My friend Lynn from California, who I'd met through Sparkpeople, came to town for a vacation. I was so stoked to be able to see her again. I just love Lynn. :) She came with her best friend Polly, who I'd met while I was in California. She's the kind of person you like pretty much immediately. She has that effect on people. So even though I'd only seen her one night in California, I was excited to see her again too.

Anyway, while in town for this visit, Lynn and Polly had gone to Fleming's their first night there (Thursday) and made friends with Scott the owner, Michelle their waitress, and I don't know who all else. They had such a good time that they decided that's where we'd have dinner together on Friday (which they so generously treated me to - a good thing too because I couldn't even afford a tip there, let alone the dinner).

Dinner Friday night was amazing. The food was fantastic (I had seared ahi for the first time). I had a great time seeing Lynn and Polly again and enjoyed talking to Scott and Michelle too. They'd requested Michelle as their waitress again (she showed us pictures of her little girl, and she's adorable), and Scott spent most of the time sitting with us too. He's super nice and it was fun getting to know him. He had to get up periodically to take care of whatever it was he had to take care of, but he always came back. He pretty much ordered for us, had us try more than one appetizer and dessert, and more or less treated us like guests of honor. It was awesome.

In return we teased him about his pet peeve - water glasses that need to be refilled. "You should never have to ask for more water," he said. At that moment, I realized I'd been drinking water that whole time, never even noticed it being refilled, and there it sat in front of me. Full.

So, naturally, Polly dumped my water into her empty wine glass and we watched poor Scott go crazy while we waited less than a minute for this lovely busboy to come swoop my glass off the table and fill it with water. It was pretty funny.

Late in the evening, Scott came back from wherever he'd been that time to say his friend Perry had just come in. "Where's he at?" Polly wanted to know. "At the bar," Scott says. "Why didn't he come join us?" Polly asked.

Who on earth is going to come sit down with perfect strangers, right? But I think she was genuinely perplexed as to why Perry was at the bar instead of with us. By this time, I'd gotten to know Polly well enough to know that it wouldn't be long before Perry came to his senses.

Sure enough, despite Scott's explanation that Perry was in a grumpy sort of mood, Polly marched herself over to Perry and got him to agree to come over. In about 30 seconds.

I don't know how she does it. This is so NOT my personality. Once I get to know people I'm open enough, but for the most part I'm pretty reserved. I had a ton of fun watching Polly pull people into our circle that night and the next. I enjoyed meeting these people so much, it made me want to be more outgoing. I can see why Polly and Lynn are such good friends, because Lynn is very open and accepting of people too. I remember being nervous about staying at someone else's house in California, but she put me at ease right away.

But I digress.

Polly came back to the table, and a few minutes later Perry scooted himself next to me and joined us. He's a 54-year-old man in the "adult beverage" industry (read: liquor), who's a 14-year survivor of a rare and fatal kind of cancer. He's pretty rough around the edges, but nice and very inspiring too. After telling us about his divorce, his cancer, and his return to his dream (the drums) he expressed amazement that he was sitting there telling us his life story. We all opened up a little and it was a touching experience.

I really wish I'd gotten a picture of all these people. They were so fun to talk to. (Although actually, if you care to see a picture of Scott you can go here. He's the cutie-patootie with the goatee. Now I remember that Steve came by to introduce himself as well, but we just saw him the once so it wasn't really the same.)

Hmm. Did I say the run down for Friday night was going to be quick? Silly me.

Anyway, back to Saturday. By the time Elyse and I were done with the movie, it was about 8:30 and we had a couple hours to before our next activity with Lynn and Polly. I knew they'd be at Fleming's, and I had a funny feeling they wouldn't mind us coming and hanging out with them, so that's what we did.

Fortunately they were done eating - that would've been awkward to sit there and watch them eat. We certainly weren't hungry, between Greek food for lunch and movie theatre popcorn for dinner. ;) So Elyse got to meet Scott and Michelle. We both got to meet yet another new friend Lynn and Polly had made, Eli. He works at Fleming's too, and has only been here about a year after spending seven in Maui, and various other years in various other parts of the country.

Anyway, the reason Lynn came to Scottsdale at this particular time was because her divorce was finalized this weekend, and Polly insisted she had to do something fun to mark the occasion. It may sound a bit morbid, but I totally understand. Divorce, even when it's for the right reasons, is painful. Who wants to sit at home thinking "gee, my marriage is officially over today." No, no, no. I totally get the reason behind doing something fun instead.

Along those lines, Lynn wanted to have a toast in her wedding glasses and then smash them. Polly didn't want to see the pretty glasses ruined, which kind of surprised me. I was all for it. Poor Lynn had to explain her reasons over and over again, but she finally got to do it. Scott said she could use the firepit on the patio, so that's what she did.

Hooray!

You know, since this is my blog I have to insert an aside here. It breaks my heart to see marriages and families broken up like this. I'm not passing judgment on Lynn or anyone else. Not at all. But whether right or wrong, divorce is hard for everyone involved. It makes me that much more committed to my sweet husband and our family. Marriage is hard work. You have to love each other "intentionally", as Lynn's parents would say. You have to deliberately nurture that relationship and remember that above all else, you're still sweethearts. Sometimes it's hard to do that while you're dealing with kids and bills and all the lovely pitfalls of real life, but it's worth it. And necessary.

But I digress again.

So with glasses smashed and goodbyes said to our Fleming's friends, the four of us went to see Rock Lobster. Well, we didn't say goodbye to all our Fleming's friends. Eli actually met us there which was pretty fun. We tried to get Scott to go too, but apparently he has a family to get home to (whatever) and we tried to convince Perry to skip out on his plans to go to Sedona, but that didn't work out either (double whatever). ;)

Anyway, Rock Lobster is a fantastic 80's cover band and it was so much fun watching them play. Even though I felt a little self-conscious at first, I danced my heart out and ultimately had a great time doing it! We had a blast.

Here's a picture of the four of us, back at the hotel before saying our goodbyes. They thought I was crazy for suggesting a picture at 3:00 am, but you can't tell we're exhausted.

Can you?

Polly, Elyse, Lynn and me

So what was I grateful for Saturday? The whole day. And it may not make sense for me to say this, but I'm also grateful for the courage it took me to have this kind of day, and completely be myself while doing it.

Day 42: Sunday

1st item on the agenda: sleep in.

2nd item on the agenda: get up, go to the bathroom, get a drink, then go back to sleep.

Was that too much information? ;) I think this was the first Sunday I was glad for 2:30 church.

Sunday was an amazing day too, but since pretty much everything about that day involves private, personal growth stuff, I'll just say this. I'm deeply grateful for the Lord, and for the way He's helped me through difficult trials in my life. There have been so many people who have touched my life in one way or another - people who have been there for me during the last many months and weeks. I've needed it. Sometimes it's been something as seemingly small as a hug in the hallway at church. Sometimes it's something as huge as someone taking hours out of a busy schedule to talk to me, help me, strengthen me, and be the Lord's mouthpiece on the earth.

I have a testimony of the Lord's love for us. Of His love for me. Sometimes life hands us a pretty, little trial that simply knocks us on our rear, but if we can just keep our hand clasped tightly in His, He'll help us up and we'll be okay.

Day 43: Today

Honestly, I'm still so grateful for the life-changing nature of my entire weekend that I have to really stop and think about something specific to today.

Oh gee. Now that I have it, it seems obvious. Tonight we had one of those FHE's where the spirit was so strong. That just doesn't happen all the time and I'm always grateful when it does. We followed that up with a fun game of Sorry and some chocolate chip cookies.

What more could I want?

Attitude of Gratitude: Day 40

Tonight I had an experience that, frankly, I'm still digesting. Even if I had more than eight minutes left in the day to post this, I'm not sure I could do it justice. So I'll continue to think about things and sum up by saying this: today I'm grateful for old friends, new friends, good food, and words of wisdom from the most unexpected sources.

Attitude of Gratitude: Day 39

(Like how I so subtly changed my title?) ;)

Well, today's post almost breaks my "nothing obvious" rule. Almost. Today I'm grateful for good friends. I've been blessed with many, but there's one in particular I don't know how I would live without.

Elyse and I have been friends for about a decade now. She's smart, funny, caring, and generous. She's an excellent example of a great mother and a righteous woman. Several years into our friendship, when I already thought she was the greatest friend ever, I discovered a bonus. She understands the nuts and bolts of writing and is a good writer herself, so she makes a fantastic editor. Not to mention a willing editor. And she helped me find the courage to write a novel to start with, so without her I'm not sure there ever would've been anything to edit anyway.

We can talk about things of deep importance, things of inconsequential importance, funny things and sad things, all in the same conversation. We can call each other for any reason, day or night, and we have.

Last but not least, she makes the best chocolate chip cookies in the world. What more could I want, I ask you?

I believe this friend was a gift to me from my Heavenly Father. We met because I was her visiting teacher. Nine months before the most difficult trial of my life, I received counsel through a blessing to turn to her in my time of need. This was a sober blessing, warning me of something difficult to come. When the reason for this warning became manifest, those words returned to my mind and I knew I could call on her. I wouldn't have otherwise, and would've walked through that trial alone. The Lord was with me, don't get me wrong. I wouldn't have been alone in that sense. But we need people here too. I needed a friend, and He knew that. I'm grateful to my Heavenly Father not only for giving me this friend, but for giving me the push I needed to be open about my difficulties when my tendency is to keep them to myself. She was a lifeline to me then, and is still a lifeline to me now.

Friends like this are hard to find, and I don't take this blessing for granted. I count her as one of the greatest blessings of my life.

100 Days of Gratitude: Day 38

Yesterday, when I asked if people were getting sick of these posts, I think what I really meant is that I'm getting sick of these posts. Not that I haven't enjoyed them, or that I don't think it's important to look around and be grateful, or that having an attitude of gratitude isn't important. I have a firm belief in the power of a positive attitude.

However.

I'm sick to death of these posts. Okay, maybe not sick to death. Maybe I'm exaggerating. What I mean is, I'm itching for some variety and the idea of doing 100 of these posts does not make me happy.

What does make me happy is the idea of cutting that number in half.

I still have more things I'd like to talk about. I'm not ready to just stop. But my new number is 50.

Having the courage to make that decision is what I'm grateful for today. ;)

(And no, the image doesn't have anything to do with this post.)

100 Days of Gratitude: Day 37

Today I'm grateful for the schools my children attend. I love the curriculum, the positive atmosphere on campus (particularly at John and Ben's school), and most of all I love their fantastic teachers. They each know and care about my children, and it shows. That makes such a huge difference to me. I'm grateful for the education they're receiving, and try not to take it for granted. The schools are one of my main reasons for staying in the East Valley.

100 Days of Gratitude: Day 36

Well, this is a wee late in coming, but I'm very grateful for all the people who helped and are helping us with our vehicle "crisis". I was grateful before too, but I just felt like complaining. It felt pretty good too. ;)

.

Anyway, we've been able to borrow cars, we've received recommendations for trustworthy mechanics, and more. It's uplifting to know people care and want to help. You know who you are. THANK YOU!!!!

100 Days of Gratitude: Day 35

I'm grateful for my Bishop.

100 Days of Gratitude: Day 34

Are you guys getting sick of these gratitude posts yet? I'm starting to think I should've done a month of gratitude instead. Ah well.

Anyway, today was a great day for a lot of reasons, not the least of which was the fact that I got to have some alone time with my honey. We've had a date night for two weeks in a row! Oh so exciting! This time we decided to stay in and relax at home and it was really nice.

But that can't be my official gratitude item for the day because I already used that last week.

So today I'm grateful for the beautiful weather we had tonight. Here it is April 25, we've already had several days of hot weather and summer is just around the corner. Yet, tonight it was pretty enough that we could have the doors open while we ate dinner. We have french doors that open from the dining room to the back patio, so we had a lovely breeze coming through. I love opening up the house and nights like these (so close to summer) feel like a gift. I'll take as many of them as I can get.

100 Days of Gratitude: Day 33

In contrast to yesterday, today is EASY. Easy, I say! Last night at the Spring Sing, the principal announced that the district decided to fund all-day kindergarten.

Oh happiness! Oh joy! Oh rapture!

Never mind that I am (generally speaking) opposed to all-day kindergarten. It is not something the state needs to fund, and I voted against it. Never mind that if the district had asked my opinion, I would've said that given the current economic crunch, I'd rather lose all-day kindergarten than do things like cut staff.

But they didn't ask me, so it's not my fault, and I get to be completely, totally, deliriously happy. Why? Because even though my oldest two went straight into kindergarten without any kind of preschooling (which I'm a big advocate for when you can get away with it), my Christopher has been a different story.

First of all, he has that tricky December birthday. I could've started him in kindergarten this year. Or not. Last year I didn't know what I would want to do, so I decided to put him in a pre-K program so I could see how he'd do and hopefully be able to make my decision a little easier. Plus, without brothers at home to play with, that poor child needed something to do besides follow me around all day. It was only for an hour and a half a day, just enough.

By the time the pre-K year was over, I knew he wasn't ready for kindergarten. I wanted him to have another year to grow up a little more. Enter the YK program. That's what he's been doing this year. For half the day.

So it's been two years. Two years of this child going to school for half a day. Two years of me driving to two different campuses two times a day. He's ready for full day and SO AM I!!

This Fall, Christopher goes to the "big school" and my life as a parent enters a whole new phase. From 8:30 until 3:00, five whole days a week, my house will be child free.

Child. Free.

I love my kids, don't get me wrong. But right now, all-day kindergarten is a beautiful thing to behold.

100 Days of Gratitude: Day 32

I'm grateful for my water heater. (My functioning hot water heater.)

Thanks Roccy! :)

100 Days of Gratitude: Day 31

(Either everyone missed Day 30 cuz it was buried under the Quiz, or no one thinks my window is as cool as I think it is. Cuz it's cool people. C-O-O-L. ;)

Anyway, today is Earth Day, so my gratitude post is easy. I'm grateful for the Earth, and the hands that made her.

100 Days of Gratitude: Day 30

This is sort of related to yesterday's post, but deserves it's own glory. I love my bedroom window. Not just the window, but what that window gives me. (It's such a generous window. Okay, I'm kidding.)

Our bedroom window faces west, so in the mornings when the sun comes through (not in the dark dead of winter, ahem) it's a nice, soft light. Just outside our window, close to the house, is a flowering tree. I would tell you what kind of tree if I knew, but I don't. All I know is I love this tree. We can lie in bed and watch the birds hop from branch to branch, or watch the pretty pattern it makes through the blinds as the wind shuffles through the leaves. At certain times of the year, the sun is at the perfect angle in the morning to throw a fluttering shadow of all this on the opposite wall.

It's so relaxing to watch. Brian and I have commented about it to one another many times.

So today, and many days, that's what I'm grateful for.