What I found out...

If you followed the last month or so, you know I was posting excerpts from my Gratitude Journal. I did not post every day, as some posts were just to personal to share...nor did I share my whole note :).

It was interesting to me, as every day when I thought about "What am I grateful for?", I basically came up with the same things.

My kids, my husband, my dog, my house, my garden, my art, my friends.......I had to dig deep to get past them.

What I do realize now is that I have more in my life than I could ever need. We recently had a big storm, and I realized how lucky I was to be in my cozy house as the wind whipped against it. My kids are awesome, even if they rub my last nerve sometimes...ditto for the husband.

I am going to contemplate on these 30 days more; I am grateful.

Attitude of Gratitude ` Day 30

So today is my "official" last day of the the Gratitude Journal.

I am grateful for my hands. They create, work, stroke, write, nourish....without my hands, where would I be?

I am not a glove wearer. I hate gloves. Since I work with paints, gardening, etc, a lot, my hands get a beating. Recently, my hands became so rough that I could not make my Kitchen Witches. "So?" you say? :)

Making Kitchen Witches lifts my spirits. They make me laugh. They are also provide $$'s for me, this is really a labor of love.

My hands were so rough that every time I touched the fabric, they pulled and got snagged. It was so frustrating, I finally gave up and stopped making my witches for about 2 months!

Crazy, eh? It made me realize how important my hands are not only to "nourish" us in a practical way, but also in a spiritual way.

Wearing gloves.............

Attitude of Gratitude - Day 26

I am grateful for my dog. Actually, for all my dogs, as I had to give one away, and had to let one go after living together for 17 years.

There is nothing like the love of a dog. My dogs, I must admit, are always a little stubborn, weird, challenged, different, spirited....and not one comes back on command. I am sure it is me. Yet, each one has saved me from disaster, each one is loyal to the core, and will instantly react to any sign of distress (even if it is a bad dream!), each one has been a monster protector of my children.

Take Rex, my wolf :). He is the most fabulous dog, rescued from a back yard breeder, comes with several issues that are getting milder as he grows older. He loves us in his dog way, he is a constant challenger of the Alpha hierarchy :).

He walks with me no matter what the weather, or the terrain. He never says "No. I don't feel like it now." A little game of "searh & rescue" makes his day. He knows when I need his calm dog energy, he lays next to me, with contact. Even if I move :)....he moves with me.

I am grateful that he chose our family, and that we stuck it out with him.

Attitude of Gratitude - Day 19

I am grateful for my mother.

Best friend, supporter, savior, ear, sounding board......

I regularly throw her out of bed with utmost important and immediate needs :).

She is the best.

Smooches.

Attitude of Gratitude - Day 15

Whew...

I had to think long and hard about this today. Don't get me wrong, I am grateful for things all the time....but singling them out and writing them down, that's a whole 'nother story.

It has been a crap week, quite frankly. Both of my kids are sick, and have been for 7 days, which NEVER happens. We are all stir crazy, since we are basically in quarantine. That does not make us a happy bunch. We need to wander......

At the same time, we are looking for a car. Talk about a downer. I want a specific model of Volvo...and they are not to be found privately. Dealing with car dealers is a real adventure in bull shit. Yesterday, we drove 1 hour and 45 minutes to look at a car that looked FABULOUS on the computer. We called to get details, etc, and decided it was worth the drive. I packed us portable dinner, and as soon as my hubby came home, we hit the road. We get there, and the car has low miles, but it has obviously been in some kind of accident. It has all kinds of defects inside. My gut instinct from the first time we accelerate is: HELL NO! So we drive back home.

Today was just an overwhelmed, overstimulated, and under moved day. Every time I tried to start a project, I was interrupted.

Whine, whine.

So, as I was scrubbing the gook off my prized wooden board left behind from a forgotten doughnut in a bag (yech. I will never eat one of those eclairs again. You do NOT want to know what it turns into after 2 days), I thought: "What am I grateful for today??".

Silence.

Then my daughter, who is so sick, came stumbling out of bed almost in tears because the roof of her mouth is irritated and swollen from her illness. "Mama, do you have anything for my mouth? It hurts so bad."

Yes, I do. I cram in my herbal treasure cabinet, take care of her. Immediate relief, no chemicals, and now she is sound asleep.

I DO know what I am grateful for.

I am grateful for the knowledge that has been passed on to me by all those wonderful wise women, herbalists, alchemists, and kitchen witches.

Grazie.

Attitude of Gratitude - Day 12

I am grateful for my hands....

these hands that create, cook, write, soothe....

Day 9 - Grateful for the revelation: My shit stays when I am gone....

Today was a pivotal moment. After testing the law of gravity a week or so ago with my car, I am having quite a few moments. We made it ok, but my car succumbed :(.

Anyways, I was driving up my street, and screeched to halt! ESTATE SALE! (Sadly, I did not even realize the sweet old lady had crossed). We left with a pressure cooker, lots of wooden knitting needles and crochet hooks, lots of linen, a woolen cardigan, a funky polka scarf, and a typewriter for my little man.

This lady was a seamstress, and a had a treasure trove of needles, buttons, threads, etc...all lovingly sorted & stored in boxes and bags. Bags and bags of wool, and many finished sweaters, handmade (unfortunately, with acrylic yarns :(...why?) She had her linens pressed, lots of little trinkets, lots of jewelry, pressed hankies (!!!)

You could tell this lady took care of her things, she loved to create.

Now her kids are selling her things for a few cents.

I had a revelation, and all of a sudden I have no problem "purging" to make space.

No matter how much I love my stuff, no matter how hard it is for me to let go of things that are attached to memories, no matter what I paid for it, no matter who gave it to me, no matter how much it is worth....

It does not matter. If I leave tomorrow, someone will sell it all for a few cents.

Attitude of Gratitude ~ Day 7 & 8

Yep, I have condensed two days.

I am grateful for the healthy food I have access to: free range chicken eggs from a neighbor, raw milk, lots of veggies & fruit....I look out into my back yard, and know that in a few months, we can get food from our land.

I am also able to help my kids through this bout of "feverish ickiness" with herbs, instead of having to rely just on chemicals. Yes, it takes longer, as their bodies are healing themselves. Yes, the gratification is not instant, but long-term. I am able to protect myself from all the rampant germs in the house by brewing my own potions :).

So, there it is. I am grateful for germs & their keepers!

Attitude of Gratitude - Day 7

I am grateful for my home.

This little house of mine. It keeps me warm, and cozy. It is small, but big enough. It is colorful, meeting our every creative whim.

Attitude of Gratitude - Day 6

I am grateful for my children.

They are just fabulous. They are funny, smart, brave, adaptable, curious, alert, aware...and they constantly drive me up the wall. One at a time, they tag team :).

I watch them sometimes, and I could just cry, they are so wonderful. I am often in situations where I thank the Universe that I was gifted with THESE two children. They are so different, yet they have a strong root of ME in them.

That in itself, can be scary :).