grateful today

Had a lovely summer Sunday.  Heard live music outdoors last night.  Slept in.  Happy went swimming at the river (and for once was not the worst behaved dog in the park).  A little cleaning and cooking and walking in the woods.

My brain stayed pretty busy all day – offering up items to panic about, suggesting that perhaps I was forgetting to think about something key to my survival.  It actually grew more desperate, and wondered if I wanted to rehash five year old conversations and decisions. Sigh.  Already Thought Thoughts.

But they didn’t stop me from also being present in the day.

-Katy

I shot a few little movies of Noola playing with cardboard and didn’t realize I’d accidentally set the camera on time lapse. They came out super short and very fast and are ridiculously entertaining to me. The 3rd one is my favorite, hands down.

They sort of need the Benny Hill theme as musical accompaniment.

- Estyn

Certainly, I hope no one was injured.  But it was really super cool as a midwesterner to experience my first earthquake today.  A 5.0 or 5.5 on the Richter scale.  The epicenter was north of Ottawa in Quebec, but apparently people felt it all the way to Chicago!  I found this cool Did-You-Feel-It-Map where you can view how far the trembling went, when I googled “earthquakes today.”

And tonight a tornado’s been sited in the county.

I am grateful to have lived a life free from natural disasters.

-Katy

I’ve probably said this before but can I just say again how much I love my library?

They have a searchable catalog online and I can reserve whatever I want, and they call me at home when it’s time to pick up. The times when they haven’t had something I’ve wanted have been few and far between. And the whole thing is free! My ravenous desire for gardening and home decorating books is satiated without breaking the bank. Brilliant.

- Estyn

I love the idea that I can start the day over at any time.  I’ve been noticing how even during discomfort, or anger, or fear – there’s often an opportunity close at hand to feel gratitude, or pleasure, or serenity.

I got to spend a week at Michigan State University recently.  They’re famous for their agricultural school and botanical gardens.  Just deciding to walk there for 20 minutes completely rearranged my experience of the moment.

They can grow all sorts of plants you’d never believe in this climate.

The happy, thriving green bush in the first photo?  That’s the very indigenous poison ivy.  The staff said they have to basically wear a hazmat suit to prune it.

-Katy

This week I’ve been watching a fawn in my back yard. I can’t help thinking that inside, our souls are as tender and gentle as that little being.

- Estyn

I’ve been saying a loving kindness meditation in the evenings.  Sometimes it’s rote and I feel in a rush to “get through” the list of people I mean to pray for.  Sometimes I’m suffering and can’t open up enough to say it for anyone except my poor self.  Sometimes I can only say it for my dog.  But I’m grateful for each moment of practice.

May we be filled with loving kindness.

May we be peaceful and at ease.

May we be happy.

May we be well.

-Katy

I’ve been picking snow peas from the garden and they are delicious. Stir-fried according to a Maddhur Jaffrey recipe, it’s like eating the freshest, most delicious homemade Chinese food. Yummy.

- Estyn

Continuing the Fatty Lumpkin theme…

Last week I was driving past an old farmhouse. I glanced over as I passed and there, centered in front of the open barn door, was a fat groundhog standing up on his back haunches, looking out over the valley below. Farmer Lumpkin, surveying the fields.

I am grateful that my very own Fatty Groundhog has not been in my vegetable garden. I feel like I’m tempting the gods by writing this.

Also grateful that I saw Fatty at the opposite end of the yard, leading me to believe that s/he is satisfied with the plethora of weeds growing along the woods.

I just had to get up and look out the window to confirm that s/he’s not in the vegetable patch, eating the kale as I type.

I was driving this morning and saw a baby groundhog ambling in the road. I’m grateful I saw, and did not run over, him. Very cute little guy. Also grateful he lives miles away from my garden.

- Estyn

I’m grateful it rained all night long, the woods are full of new streamlets and swampy bits for Happy to explore, and everything feels fresh and green.

I’m enjoying the audio version of Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome -  hilarious British humor.  And reading Connie Willis’ To Say Nothing of the Dog, loosely based on it, at the same time.

The sun came out while I was taking pictures.

-Katy