Six things that are bringing me joy in small ways and in big ways
on this beautiful Monday morning:
cozy, stripey socks
a cart piled full of fresh fruits and veggies
a new book group and new acquaintances (literary and human)
winter blooms and morning light
having squeezed every last drop of goodness out of a holiday
and most importantly, the joy of new life, the strength of a woman,
and the beauty of them both
Back home and getting my head around all there is to say about the community in Esfuerzo and this year's SOMOS/DASV efforts. Right now, I'm catching up on sleep and snuggles (both were in short supply for me in the DR) and appreciating many things about my normal life, as well as many things about the 1/52nd of a year I spend outside of my normal life.
:: I'm grateful for fresh, clean vegetables. I'm grateful that even if I don't wash my grocery-store veggies, it's unlikely that I'll catch a bacterial or parasitic illness. I'm grateful for the luxury of worrying about pesticides and BPA.
:: I'm grateful that my trash is taken away from my house weekly by a big truck, and that I don't have to think about it at all. I'm grateful that my government maintains our community's infrastructure (roads, sanitation systems) well enough to keep this running smoothly.
:: I'm grateful for cool, sweet, healthy water that I can drink straight from the tap. I'm grateful for toilets that flush reliably.
:: I'm grateful that my period decided to wait until 40 minutes after I returned home to start, so that I didn't have to deal with it without reliably flushing toilets and clean water for washing hands. (I know this is TMI to some people, but y'all will have to get over it. Women menstruate and management of menstrual flow is a very real issue for women in developing countries.)
:: I'm grateful for relatively unpolluted air, and for emissions standards that prevent unlimited diesel exhaust from clogging the airways of the people in my country. I'm grateful for albuterol and antihistamines.
:: I'm grateful for the hospitality of strangers and the exuberance of children.
:: I'm grateful for being shown some of the universal things in life.
:: I'm grateful for a sense of adventure and the human mind's ability to soak in new languages and new customs.
:: I'm grateful for pharmacies that always have antibiotics, anxiolytics, cold remedies, blood pressure medication, and so many other things in stock. I'm grateful that all I have to do is go to the store, and I can be certain I can get what I need, when I need it. I'm grateful that these things are in such ready supply that I can keep stock in my home so that it's ready at a moment's notice.
:: I'm grateful for techology that fosters and supports connections between people via GPS, telecommunication, digital imagery, and so much more.
:: I'm grateful for the ability to document life via photography, and for the many ways in which my ability enables me to connect with people.
:: I'm grateful for a community of friends, both new and old, who find great fulfillment in digging deep into weighty topics, and who can also be completely silly.
All these things and more are in my heart and mind today. Thank you, my friends here in the States, and also to those of you in Paraíso. I am grateful for you.
(reviving this category for November)
:: good health (having come through the dreaded preschool stomach bug with only one case in the whole family, and it didn't go too badly for him)
:: hand-me-down yellow mums on my front steps
:: tiny tooth marks left by squirrels on our pumpkins
:: friends who can pick up your kid when his younger brother has a bladder explosion at home right at the moment when you need to leave
:: the knowledge that the three-year-old stage can and does end... eventually
It's Thankful Thursday on Twitter, and I'm in a grateful kind of mood, which made it a good time to bring GIST back. Here's some of what made me happy today:
:: fresh berries at breakfast, on the back porch :: solving the mystery of the bell-ringing neighbor :: seeing a fellow driver dancing and singing in her car :: discovering a chipmunk living under our patio :: picking up two pieces of gum in a parking lot so that they didn't mess up somebody's shoes :: a summer weekend invitation :: receiving unexpected admiration :: two toddlers, in Target, wearing batting helmets and wielding tennis rackets :: the color yellow :: silver flip-flops :: cold water :: banana ice cream (not for me, but for the kid who suddenly announced a desire for "banilla") :: lens-fogging humidity :: Scarleteen's sensible approach to teen sexuality :: Griff's new cat's-cradle-style tricks with SillyBandz and a truly elementary schoolish chant :: being one day closer to a long weekend :: a shaded, breezy patio near wind chimes :: clever snark ::
Today I am thankful for...
⌘ the farmers, field hands, factory workers, truck drivers, grocers, clerks, bankers, bakers, municipal workers, gas station attendants, teachers, writers, custodians, seamstresses, lab scientists, artists, craftspersons, and so many other people who either make my daily life possible or vastly improve its quality
⌘ my husband for being a good friend to me, an engaged parent to his children, a necessary breadwinner for our family, and an endless source of humor
⌘ Lady Gaga's new CD, which the aforementioned husband has been playing on repeat
⌘ the freckles on my shoulders that remind me of summer adventures with friends
⌘ my in-laws, who are really connected, attentive grandparents to my children
⌘ the midwife who comforted me after the birth of my first child, the friends who heard my frustration after the birth of my second, the midwife who attended my third child's birth (and, in a way, my own).
⌘ the many, many people who put their ideas into the world and who have shown me so many new things that have become important parts of who I am
⌘ the internet, that lets me do big things like stay connected with far-flung friends and little things like find a new interesting chicken brine recipe at the last minute
⌘ the store employee who pointed out how gorgeous yesterday evening was
⌘ the opportunity (brought by illness) to spend today alone with my immediate family instead of traveling
⌘ relatively good health, all things considered
⌘ candied ginger that happened to be in the pantry when I wanted it
⌘ the awesome Alton Brown brine recipe that made me want the above
⌘ glorious sunshine
⌘ the fun of pushing a Reddi-Wip nozzle and delighting kids by spraying tastes on their fingers
⌘ a really amazing local "tribe" and a sense of belonging and being connected
⌘ celebrating a year in a house that I love, in a neighborhood that I love⌘ pop music stations that play dance music at 9pm
⌘ brothers who adore each other
⌘ Arlo Guthrie⌘ nearly perfect homemade gravy and somebody at my table who appreciates it
⌘ a family walk that turned into a lot more fun that we had expected
⌘ pumpkin pie helpers and kids who want to make a tree of gratefulness
{warm sun and cool breezes}{lunch at the park}{friends who remind you to be grateful}{metal patio furniture and slate tiles blanketed in dry leaves}{colors flying in front of the leafblower}{the smell of mint and basil disturbed by a rake}{children with pruning shears}{yellow ginko leaves in the dark, backlit by a streetlight}{distant train whistles}{couch cushion forts}{dirty knees}{the ache of an afternoon of yardwork}{hot showers}{somebody who gets dinner for you}
