FINALLY. I finished an editing job this morning, and now I’m waiting for Charlie to take a look at it.
So midafternoon, I turn my mind to blogging. With one problem: I don’t know what to write about. It’s rainy and dreary here today. The kind of day you want to spend sound asleep under a quilt (or Snuggie, as the case may be).
But I said I’d get back to the routine of regular blog posts. So I guess I’ll copy somebody else. Today Marni participated in a blog meme that I’ve seen before called “Things I Love Thursday.” Simple enough: list some things I love and am thankful for. This is the kind of day when a conscious expression of gratitude is good for the soul.
Things I’m loving right now:
The sound of thunder. In spite of how it turns my dogs into pacing, hyperventilating, trembling nuisances.
I woke up at 2 a.m. today to faint thunder in the distance and hail clattering against the bedroom windows. I stretched and put one foot out of bed and stepped on a dog (Bob). Wandered into the bathroom to find another dog (Callie) hiding by the shower door.
I understand a healthy respect for the weather. (After all, I did spend 30 minutes channel surfing for any local weather alerts.) But really, how much protection do these dogs think my legs or the space behind my chair will offer if the Thunder Monster actually attacks?
Callie’s strategy for dealing with thunder is twofold: 1) Hide in bathroom. (Apparently bathroom walls are impervious to the evil thunder.) 2) Pant really really really REALLY loud. Oh, and did you know that dogs shed when frightened? It’s true. During a thunderstorm, Callie resembles Pigpen from the Peanuts cartoons.
But with fur.
Online friendships. Didn’t even know these existed a year ago. And now I’m a member of a club of wisecracking, sarcastic, hilarious and kind people. And I somehow manage to be laughed at, mocked, complimented, encouraged, and prayed for – all by the same individuals. Usually all at once.
Life in the country. Yesterday before dusk, I wandered down the hill behind the house to look for more mushrooms. (Found six big morels!) The back door to the screen porch was open, so I could hear the TV news that Charlie was watching as he cooked. For a moment, I thought about how it would disturb nearby neighbors. Then I remembered that we don’t have any. The peace and solitude even make up for all the mud.
The rhythm of Creation. I’m warming up just a LITTLE toward this gardening thing. My new attitude, combined with our recent mushroom foraging, has reminded me of how little control we have over nature.
Both gardening and foraging require faith. Trust. A willingness to flex. For this all-or-nothing girl who would like to plant/water/gather/weed ONCE and be done with it, gardening and foraging are good exercises in discipline.
What are you thankful for? Or ATTEMPTING to be thankful for?
9 responses so far ↓
1 Screwed Up Texan // Apr 2, 2009 at 4:09 pm
I am thankful for my children and the family I have. Even if they are currently tipping the couches on their sides and yelling and fighting. I am thankful for the new Laundry Monster created in the last three days, because that means we have enough money to buy clothing and laundry detergent and water. I am grateful for the food we have in the refridgerater and the pasta primavera I made…even if the kids will only eat ramen. And I am really, really, really thankful for this coming weekend when we are going on a mini-vacation and enjoying some time together as a family.
Screwed Up Texan’s last blog post..Cookie Pops and the Oreo Song
2 faemom // Apr 2, 2009 at 4:31 pm
First off I love the sound of thunder. Second off, I’m doing this project where you write 999 things your thankful for to turn around your luck. So I’m thank ful for my boys, my family, caffiene and chocolate.
3 Helen // Apr 2, 2009 at 4:36 pm
I love my online friendships, too. Who mocks you? I can’t imagine who *coughKatdishcough* would do such a thing.
4 katdish // Apr 2, 2009 at 5:44 pm
I only mock the ones I love….and Joel Osteen.
And I am also grateful for online friendships — even if certain geeky pastor types make me want to open the occasional can of whup-ass on them for making others worry. (Even if it was only for a brief time.)
katdish’s last blog post..Songs about Home
5 Helen // Apr 2, 2009 at 6:12 pm
Katdish, what did Pete Wilson do to cause anyone to worry. I don’t understand…
6 Jo@Mylestones // Apr 2, 2009 at 7:37 pm
Steph, I’m thankful for you and how you just made me laugh out loud as I read about the twofold ways in which Callie deals with thunder. I think I may have told you before….but I have a dog named Calli as well. And my Calli told me to tell you to tell your Callie that she “totally gets it” and that “yes, bathroom walls ARE impervious to evil thunder, so the strategy is perfectly legit, thankyouverymuch.”
Love it!
7 Nick the Geek // Apr 2, 2009 at 8:09 pm
I love tricking my friends but not mocking them like some other people.
Thunder is awesome too.
8 elizabeth channel // Apr 3, 2009 at 12:23 am
I’m thankful for indoor egg hunts during the rain, our new pencil sharpener that actually works, fat-free popcorn, goat’s milk hand lotion and high fructose corn syrup-free ketchup. (And most of all God’s sense of humor, which is quite keen these days with all the rain and mud!)
elizabeth channel’s last blog post..GF/CF Friday Review: Arico Chocolate Chunk Gluten Free Cookies
9 the domestic fringe // Apr 3, 2009 at 7:58 am
I’m thankful I turned in my son’s science project today. This project almost killed me.
-FringeGirl
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