Thursday Gratitude

1. The way the beautiful golden sun was warming the frost off the fields on my drive into work today.

2. Aretha Franklin at 6 AM! Damn, can that woman sing! She made the start of my day wonderful.

3. For the sounds at the lake on our walk. The birds and the ducks.

4. For autumn. The reds, golds and browns and the smell of leaves burning.

5. My new pink computer mouse! It rocks. :)
Really it does! Remember I told you it's the little things in life...and when they are PINK they are just that much sweeter.

Wednesday Thanks

1. For the beautiful golden sunset tonight.

2. For a warm home. Yes, We finally broke down and turned the heat on in the house. I'm not sure why since I sleep with a window open! Seriously, I realize how blessed I am to be able to afford to keep my home comfortable. I know some can't do that.

3. It's Wednesday...I'm thankful that in this insane economy I have a job and a paycheck again this week.

4. For my health.

5. For dreams....where ever they take me.

Tuesday 5

1. Waking up to find something I listed on ebay last night around midnight, sold at my "buy it now" asking price!!

2. My lunch time entertainment of an adorable red headed woodpecker nestled in the colors of fall trees.

3. The feeling that comes from letting go of stuff.

4. Laying in bed at the end of a long day and watching a movie.

5. Berry colored freshly pedicured toes!

Monday Thanks

1. For answered prayers.
A reader, who has become a friend, asked for prayer for one of his friends. She was having a biopsy. Today he shared that the results came back good.
God is good...all the time.

2. For the yummy Thai shrimp I had for dinner. What a great recipe find!

3. Coming home to find the ark residents hadn't destroyed my bed today! Usually in the exuberance of daytime play, pillows end up off the bed and across the room, and the quilt ends up jumbled. Today was cloudy and overcast. Lazy furbags must have slept all day. :)

It's really the little things in life, ya know!

4. For my unwavering faith.

5. The way my favorite apple cinnamon tea warms my body after a walk with the Sweet Pea on a blustery fall evening.

Friday 5

1. The feeling that I really accomplished something at work today. So many days I'm just spinning my wheels.

2. The very simple concept that we control our own destiny. We can write our own chapters in life.

3. Knowing I can sleep in tomorrow morning! yeah!!

4. Organic peanut butter and honey on multigrain bread. Heaven. :)

5. The happy thought of going to the pumpkin patch with my son tomorrow. We've done it since he was a baby, and each year I look forward to it. This year especially, since it may be the last year we can go together.

Thursday Thanks

1. The feeling of power when eating my lunch.

2. A very late phone call, that left me leaving for work with only an hours sleep but a full heart.

3. A sweet nap after I walked Pea.

4. The way my big orange kitty stretches up his paw to me when he wants love.

5. My silver heart shaped locket, and what it means.

Monday thanks...

1. Walking in the rain under a beautiful pink umbrella!

2. Fresh apple cider. :)

3. Seeing my son in his uniform, and knowing that what he does touches hearts, even though it sometimes breaks his.

4. Cuddling under my big down duvet with the window open and the cool fall air chilling my bedroom.

5. The feeling of being covered in prayer.

Sunday thankfulness

No pictures yet. My son ran off with the camera! :(

1. The sound of leaves rustling under our feet during our walk. I love that sound!

2. The beautiful display of color that is happening all around me. I loved how the sun was hitting one special tree as the Pea and I sat in the gazebo and read for a bit.

3. Sleeping in until 10:30 this morning. Blissful. :)

4. The nice basket of apples my son went out and picked for us. They are so pretty and will be great for a dutch apple pie!

5. Seeing the swans at the lake. They have been gone for such a long time, but today they were back!

Friday 5

1. I'm posting this at 4:45 because it's been a day from hell here at work, and I'm thankful that I am out of here in 15 minutes and don't have to come back here for TWO DAYS! I like my job, I really do, but we deal with people's money, and deadlines, and the stress can just get to me somedays.

Ok, so I've calmed down a bit since 4:45! Actually I cried the whole drive home, and considered skipping life (walking Pea, the gym, friends) for the evening in favor of getting in bed with some sleep aids. 5 minutes with Pea convinced me to take the walk after all. She can do that to me. :)

Obviously, I feel better after my walk!

2. My Sweet Pea. The sweetest pea in the pod. I don't know what I'd do without you.

3. My son. For his amazing hug when I walked in the door all teary eyed and sad. For his "it's ok Mom."

4. For my lake. My 2nd home. For it's smells, and sounds and the feelings of comfort it gives me.

5. Feeling my body work hard. I love the feeling a really good workout gives me.

5 for Thursday

1. A beautiful crisp sunny morning, making a wonderful drive into work.

2. Another new friend we met at the lake. She is a 4 month old Golden Retriever. Oh. My heart. She was sooo pretty. Such a typical happy golden puppy. She made me smile and remember happy times with The Goose.

3. Some new wonderful Iranian recipes to try from my sweet blog friend! I'm so excited to make them soon! I will post some food porn pics!!

4. Pumpkin Pie oatmeal! Yeah, I know I was thankful for that yesterday, but it rocks and I'm thankful again today!

5. My unwavering faith. My promise. The knowledge in my heart that is soon.

My Wednesday 5

1. Seeing my blog friends list what they are grateful for. Jesse and Inside My Mind your lists were great!

2. For that adorable little face that didn't want to wake up on this rainy morning. I went to make the bed, and had to pull the quilt off her sleepy little face. She wanted none of it, so the bed went unmade today, while Cali slept in!

3. Pumpkin Pie oatmeal. Yummy.

4. Knowing that I can fall asleep tonight lulled by the sound of the gentle rain outside my open window.

5. A new Michael Connelly book. I can't wait to start it in bed tonight.

Tuesday thanks

1. For the stunning full moon tonight. It was reflecting off the water in such a beautiful way during our walk.

2. For a cozy puppy tummy to warm my hands on after our walk!

3. For the ever changing state of nature. This morning on the way to work it was 82. On our walk this evening a balmy 51! It's suppose to be in the high 40's over night.

4. Passing the pumpkin patch everyday! I love seeing the big orange globes in the field. I think this weekend we will head out and get a couple for the house.

5. A new box of crayons! Nothing in the world better than new crayons! So many possibilities. :)

My Monday Thanks

1. Another beautiful fall day. This weather is spoiling us. Of course I live where we have been known to have 40+ degree temperature drops on one day. Around here we just embrace the day!

2. The sound of the Sandhill Cranes flying overhead. Right now it tells me that winter is approaching.....but I know in a few months I will hear them again, letting me know spring is here!

3. My pink grapefruit body wash! I love the smell of it every morning!

4. Great music and an open sun roof on the drive home.

5. Meeting new 4 legged friends on our walks. Pea romped with a cute male boxer today. He had such a handsome face! They said they plan on coming daily, so hopefully we have new friend for play dates! His people were really laid back and cool too. :)

My Saturday 5

1. The blissful feeling of sleeping in. I know I say it every weekend, but y'all have no idea how I much I truly enjoy it!

2. The lovely pink sky at sunset! I know this was personal gift to me from God. Welp, I mean it being PINK and all! :)

3. The way no matter where the Pea goes, she makes friends! On our walk this evening, there was a group taking family pictures at the lake. They were such a sweet bunch, and they all wanted to show Ms. Pea some love. Should I mention that they were all wearing black pants...and the Pea is white and blowing her coat?? I kinda tried to keep her away, but they would have none of it. They said a little fur wouldn't hurt their pictures! Gaaaa dog people are the best. :)

4. The way really good blues music can so completely relax you. Body, soul and mind. Ahhhh and when it's live and being played by friends it's even sweeter!

5. Dancing with the only guy close to eighty years of age in the club! Dancing to the point where your friends start warning you that you will be the cause of his heart attack! He was so cute, and I love old people with spunk who don't stop loving life!

Thursday 5

1. The little white baby burro I pass each day on my way to and from work. He is absolutely adorable, and makes me smile each and every time I see him! Today he went from nursing to bucking around his pasture. One of these days I'm going to stop and ask his family if they would mind if I got a few pictures of him!

2. The beautiful fall day, and a little bit of time on the little lake that feeds my heart.

3. PINK M&M's!!! I mean come on.....what else needs to be said about pink and chocolate. :)

4. Good friends who keep my heart filled with laughter and my life filled with love.

5. The ladybugs that are everywhere! They are sooo cute!! Some see them as a nuisance, but they are just looking for a warm place to spend the winter.

Wednesday Thanks.....

1. The sun coming out just in time for me to leave work, after a rainy morning and afternoon.

2. Delicious, sweet, dirty late night phone calls, that wake you from your sleep, and send you over the edge.

3. A paycheck! Yeah!! With so many people out of work, I am thankful for my job, and the paycheck I get each week.

4. The way the sky got so golden as the sun set, leaving even the air feeling golden.

5. The stillness of the lake, like a sheet of black glass. Stunning.

Monday 5

1. My son, because when I mentioned I was craving General Tso's Chicken, he offered to drive 20 minutes away and get some for us, despite it being almost 11:00 pm!

2. Sitting at the shore of the lake and just enjoying the beautiful evening air. Watching Pea chase frogs, the ducks swimming around, and the lovely moon. The best part...NO mosquitos. Dare I hope they have all finally hatched from our rain and lived their entire little life span out??

3. The tri-colored grilled peppers I had for lunch! They were sooo yummy. I could seriously exist on sweet bell peppers.

4. My ipod. To this day I still get thrilled at the thought of my entire music collection fitting on something so tiny!

5. My job. Despite having some bad days lately, I really do work with some very talented people. I try to remember that when the shit is hitting the fan in huge globs!

A Sunday full of thanks

1. Sleeping in until 10am. I love to let my body wake up slowly, instead of to an alarm.

2. A gorgeous afternoon on the lake. The water was so calm, perfect for a few hours of reading and relaxing.

3. The beauty of a late blooming fall rose. Every year, this special tea rose amazes me with it's display of blooms long after the other roses have stopped. It hold special meaning to me, and no matter where I live, this rose will always be moving with me.

4. My Sweetest Pea. No matter what we do, she's always the best company. She was so happy to run errands and spend some time on the lake with me.

5. Mint chocolate chip ice cream. Mmmmmmm.

My 5 for today

1. The beautiful clear blue sky and the sun shining brightly. It made for a beautiful hike.

2. The amazing sunset. My words could never do it justice.

3. My son, for making the best grilled chicken in the world! Not only making it, but actually leaving me a couple of pieces!! He's a manchild. He occasionally forgets himself and under estimates his appetite. :)

4. Walking late at night, listening to my favorite music and having a beautiful moon watching over us.

5. Falling asleep listening to Cali purring contently snuggled next to my tummy.

Today I'm thankful for

1. Watching Pea chase squirrels. She gets this look of pure joy on her face when she spots one and sets off on chase!

2. Walking at twilight. I love to walk after we watch sunset. The sky becomes the most lovely shade of lavender-blue-grey.

3. The crescent moon watching us as we walked.

4. Flowers. Wild and untamed.

5. Padding around barefoot at home, my fall vanilla-pumpkin spice candles scenting the air, my favorite music playing, a glass of wine and the knowledge that the rest of the evening is all mine. I can stay up all night like I love to do reading, and not have to wake up to an alarm. I can roll out of bed whenever my body feels ready to. Complete and total relaxation!

*My little camera took and unfortunate swim, so while it's drying out I'm using photos that I have previously taken. :(

5 for today

1. The incredible sunset today. The Pea and I sat on the hill by the lake and watched it unfold. It was stunning!

2. My son, for getting the lawn cut, so I didn't have to this weekend.

3. For old friends and lunches of seafood enchiladas! I ate way tooo much today, but I can't resist them when we go there!!

4. For the crisp fall air and the sun glowing golden on my ride to work today.

5. For another harvest season underway. I love watching them bring the corn in on my way to and home from work everyday. Farmers rock!