Day 10

Day 10 I’m grateful for service. I was going to wait until the day of service to post this but since I’m playing catch up all over the place I’m going out of order too.

Being on the receiving end of service blesses you in obvious ways. Wood to burn over the winter, knowing that others care about you and are aware of you, etc. What never fails to amaze me is how many different ways giving service blesses you. I’m grateful for the sidewalks and driveways Michael and I shoveled yesterday for those who couldn’t themselves.

Day 9

I know I complain about the snow when I’m driving in it or when it’s accompanied by that bitter cold wind. Outside of those conditions I like the snow, it covers the earth in a blanket, protecting it until spring appears.

If it could just stay off the roads when I’m driving we’d be best of friends.

Day 8

I know I complain about the snow when I’m driving in it or when it’s accompanied by that bitter cold wind. Outside of those conditions I like the snow, it covers the earth in a blanket, protecting it until spring appears.

If it could just stay off the roads when I’m driving we’d be best of friends.

Day 7

Day 7 I’m grateful for education and for me with it came knowledge, a degree, then a license, and a job.

I’m grateful to be able to work doing something I enjoy with people I enjoy doing it with. To have a job is wonderful, but to enjoy that job is something I am very grateful for.

Day 6 — Soul warming faith

Day 6 — I had planned on doing today differently than I’m going to end up doing it. I wanted to get a picture of a fall seed and talk about how I’m grateful for what comes when nurturing a seed of faith and so on. I’ve not felt well and didn’t get my weekend bank of pictures that I wanted to so the seed was gone, possibly never to be had under all the snow we keep getting.

I was set on talking about faith though. Faith in yourself, faith in your beliefs, faith in others, faith in God, and as Bels put it a few posts down, faith in faith itself. I had the whole post planned out it was just needing a picture of a seed. A picture I won’t get this month (most likely)

Last night I was sitting inside feeling the warmth of the fireplace and realized that fire was warming my front room, sending a beautiful flickery light around (while I had the doors open) and made sitting through a cold evening much more pleasant. Something my furnace never does (I am grateful for it though, don’t get me wrong)

Faith does that for me. It doesn’t change what I have to go through, it doesn’t take away the dark cold night but it makes it more pleasant. It warms my soul and refreshes my spirit the way nothing else can, especially when I’m strong enough to have faith in myself.

Day 6, I’m grateful for the warmth faith brings to my soul. Sometimes it’s a raging fire and others it’s long lasting and slow burning embers.

{Photography question, what should your WB be for an inside but lights out picture of a fire? I lost my WB card to do custom. This was set on my tripod with a time delay, metered off of the glowing embers, WB set to fluorescent}

Day 5 — Nature

Day 5

Another shot from inside the warmth at Mom’s (can you tell I didn’t feel wonderful?) I’m grateful for nature and the calming peace that being around it brings you. These deer are friendly, will even come up and slobber on Mom’s window peeking inside as they steal the food from the bird feeder at her window. It’s nice to be able to sit inside with warmth from a furnace while wrapped up in a blanket and have a little bit of nature come find you.

Day 4 — I’m grateful I’m “from” somewhere

Day 4 (yeah, I’m already playing catch up)

I’m grateful for a place to “be from” It’s a lot like the Cheers theme song where everybody knows your name, only it’s most of the town and not just a bar. I’m glad I grew up eating wonderful cheese, drinking excellent water, and having great friends. I was there yesterday and today and driving to Mom and Dad’s house so many places I passed brought very specific memories — playing in the big ditch, the old slide at the elementary school (did anyone ever get seriously hurt on that thing? If not I don’t know how), toilet papering, night games etc.

{Picture taken from Mom’s front steps, just a quick snap}

Day 3 — Flowers (it’s tomorrow somewhere, right?)

I work all day tomorrow and I don’t want to get too far behind so I’m working ahead tonight (just don’t get use to me being early)

I’m thankful for flowers. In the spring tiny crocus are the first sign of warmth coming, they add beauty and color in all but the coldest and darkest of months.

I’m always a little sad to see the last flowers go for the winter, but I know they’ll return next year

Day 2 — Fall leaves

I’m grateful for fall leaves. They make for a perfect walk for sensory seekers, a bed for jumping in, and compost for my garden.

There is something unique about going for a slow Sunday walk through leaf covered pathways

30 Days of Gratitude — Day 1

I love my neighborhood. A few blocks that is it’s own little community within the city. Friends who step up and are there for each other, people who care individually for each other just because and not because there are a lot of conditions attached or because they have to get along because the kids are involved in the same activity. I don’t know that I’ve given as much to what it means to be a part of this neighborhood, but I am very grateful for what I have received.