grateful today

* Grateful, so very grateful, that the sun is shining.

* Remembered to take 10 minutes of quiet time before starting into the day.

* The snow that fell overnight is light and fluffy, and was easy to shovel off the path.

* Perfect cat pawprint trail coming from behind the barn, curving around the house, reappearing by the patio, and off again towards the barn. The night watchman was on duty last night.

* Under-snow tunnel made by a chipmunk? Or vole? I love the secrets that the snow reveals.

* I have plenty — firewood for the stove, leftover leek and potato soup defrosting in the fridge, materials and tools to make the jewelry I want to make today.

- Estyn

I dropped M off at the train early this morning, and driving home over the ridge it struck me that I feel a sense of awe every time I crest and look out at the valley and mountains beyond.

Each time it is different, and each time it is itself, unchanged.

When my paternal grandmother slowed way down, my mother often took her for drives into the country. Granny could be repetitive in her budding dementia, but I think of her repeated comment about the Pentland Hills with great fondness, “Isn’t that a lovely line of hills.”

I love my newly adopted ridge. It’s a lovely line of hills.

- Estyn