G r a t i t u d e  *  S u n d a y

-The sweet fragrance of apples every time we are on the front porch (since we are storing some apples there.)

.

-Starting a brand new gratitude journal. A few bucks (a composition notebook with recycled paper) for something that brings me so much joy each night.

.

-Bundling up in wool and walking around out in the rain. It’s lovely how dry wool can keep us. 

.

-The three of us laying in bed a little longer than usual one morning, because the electricity was out and it gave us an excuse to have a slower start to our day. (And then it came back on as we came down the stairs and that was great too because we had lots to do.)

.

-Doing dishes at the sink while Bracken stood at the kitchen table playing with lids, containers, and everything else he could gather in his nearby surroundings. Watching him pick up pumpkin seeds with tongs was very entertaining.

.

-A friend sharing warm rosehip hibiscus tea with honey on a rainy day.

.

-Seeing things in the world that inspire our dreams: instruments we’d like to play and  amazing farms that remind us of things we’d like to grow.

.

-Getting settled back in home at the end of a day spent away.

.

-Bracken creating his own sign language for things and teaching it to us.

.

-Closing my eyes with my face towards the sun. We appreciated the bit of sunshine we got that day.

.

-Sitting outside, nursing Bracken, while looking out at the mountains and listening to the river.

.

-Finally pulling up the cucumber plants in the garden. 

.

-Still seeing hummingbirds flying around the yard and drinking from the fuschias. I keep being surprised by their sweet presence (that they haven’t gone south yet.)

.

-The little legwarmers I made for Bracken really coming in handy. He wears them all the time. (I made them with the arms from the wool sweater I felted for his birthday vest.)

.

-Afternoon light shining on the winter squash in the pantry. The sight gave me a feeling of contentment. 

.

-All of us making silly faces in the mirror and laughing. Jeff started it. Then it spread, like many good things do.

.

-Hours spent in the kitchen with an enthusiastic little assistant by my side.

.

-Becoming more patient. Being a parent teaches that again and again.
.
-The smell of the Pacific Northwest Soap our friend Christelle makes, with pine, fir, and cedar. Mmm.

.

-A bath, followed by clean jamis. 

.

-Eating the best pork belly I’ve ever had in my life. It was beyond description.
.
-Our family spending a few moments barefoot in the rain, feeling the cool earth. Wow, that was invigorating.
.
-A night with a much earlier bedtime for all, which felt really wonderful.

.

-A little quiet at the end of the day.