Monday, October 18, 2010

Multitude Monday

holy experience

This is a great day to start this new gratitude endeavor ... because it wasn't a great day. Know what I mean? The kind of day when it takes some firmness of will to breathe out the words, "Thank You for ..."

Here goes. 

I'm thankful today for these gifts:

1. The beautiful outdoors -- the sound of the windchimes and the rustling leaves, the sunshine, the invitation to play outside and build bowers under branches. 




2. Enforced rest time this past weekend. A yellow jacket stung me during my Saturday morning run, and the pain became excruciating, lasting all day. I had to stay home from a wedding, which meant I didn't get to dress up and dance with my date (the Professor, who went alone). And I love weddings. But the kids went on their prearranged playdate, and after swallowing my disappointment, I decided to embrace the unexpected quiet time. To read, to watch a Jane Austen movie my sister brought me, to dine alone on the patio. All while icing my hand (and sending whiny texts to my brother, an anesthesiologist-in-training). Sorry, not quite at the point of  being thankful for a bee sting. 

3. A neighbor who thoughtfully dropped off a box of hand-me-down craft books for my girls. For them, this is sustenance to their souls. (Dr. Dobson, I see, has a book out now called Bringing Up Girls: Practical Advice and Encouragement for Those Shaping the Next Generation of Women. Would you like to know my practical advice for raising girls? I can sum it up in two sentences: 1. Validate their feelings. 2. Do tons of crafts. Do some together, and let them craft on their own by providing plenty of inexpensive supplies. There you go. That'll be $Free Ninety Five, please.) 

4. Pumpkin-scented candles that put the "homey" in "home."




5. Thrift-store bargains. Hello, GapKids jean skirt for $3.50! Hello, boys size 10 cargo pants in perfect condition for $4.00! So glad to have met you!

6. A God who keeps telling me, when I moan, "I'm not the right person for this," where "this" means "homeschooling and parenting a child with learning differences" ... "no, but I AM -- and I'm making you the right person for this."

7. Peanut butter chocolate-chip cookies, gluten-free and fresh out of the oven. 

8. Project Life by Becky Higgins. Yes, I'm weeks behind on my journal cards, but no matter -- I love seeing the chronicle of our ordinary life unfolding, and my kids already love reviewing it. Hooray for that. 



4 comments:

~cjoy said...

Oh my....the Great I AM. Now that you mention it, I've heard this echo and not quite understood what I was hearing....now I know. Thank you.

LOVE me some thrifty/secondhand prices.

Sorry for the sting.....I would have hard time feeling thankful as well. But at the same time, a bit of kid-free moments are still to be savored. ;D Hope you're better.

Jenny said...

Just the thing I needed to read today. Thank you for the inspiration.

Julie said...

I hope your sting is better! I love thrift store bargains! our latest..osh kosh bogosh overalls size 5 perfect condition $1.50 used to put together a super mario outfit for birthday boy:) Scooter $3.99... helmet .39 cents (becuase mama's a spass and politely argued with the lady that that's the price written on there, even though the lady said it was supposed to be 3.99) and old navy cargo shorts size 6 boys for next summer 1.50..sorry to share that all...why is it so satisfying to get a good bargain?

KTG said...

I got stung by a yellow jacket in my neighbors yard this summer.They ran to get a credit card to remove the stinger.I had never heard of this.However the arch of my foot was very sore for a few days.Apparently some people react worse to bee venom,including me.
Chocolate peanut butter cookies would make it all better though!