halloween

Friends painted and carved pumpkins with us. We roasted the seeds and handed out candy and all took turns taking our niece out trick-or-treating to a couple houses at a time. We slurped potato soup and grape jello and enjoyed cake donuts from my husband. Everybody was partaking and sharing, cooking and cleaning, like family. Community is great.

thank You, God, for Your good gifts and the heart to see them.

Today I am thankful for getting to work in my fleece at home, watching the snow twirl and fall and build.

I'm thankful for two different girlfriends who are so delighted in the snow, and chose to share their delight with me. A couple nights ago, a friend spoke about how it is sometimes scarier to reveal the best part of your heart, rather than the broken pieces. Because what if you share your best part, and it is not recognized, or is rejected? And so, I am grateful that friends are entrusting me with their best parts and delights, believing that I'll recognize that and rejoice with them. It is an honor to be a friend.

I am thankful that today is another chance to conquer the dishes.

I am warm, and cozy, and thankful.

october

October has almost come and gone, and where have I been? Not on this blog.

But much good has happened...

We got up to the mountains at what happened to be the peak of fall season. A week later, everything was bare. So thankful that I got to witness the beauty in the nick of time.

My good news from the last post has blossomed and settled in to my heart. When I shared the news with friends, their delight increased mine, and for that I am particularly thankful.

An old friend came to visit for a weekend, bringing happy memories and making new ones.

The snow from earlier this week didn't stay for too long, and so the leaves are still on the trees, red & yellow instead of frozen & brown.

A friend offered to take pictures of husband and me. We caught the last warm day of fall, and some lovely light with the mountains in the background.

I'm anticipating more good...

Getting to see those new pictures next week, for example.

And getting a pumpkin, to scoop out & roast the seeds. And then carve if I get around to it. But the seeds are the best part!

Thank You, God, for Your good gifts and the eyes to see them.

my week

Fair of Face
- Good, sort-of unexpected news
- A late night walk

Full of Grace
- The Melting Pot; dipping sauces are my favorite part.
- prayers at night
- family & friends enthusiastically supporting my organization

Full of Woe (nah, just full of autumn)
- thrift store fall skirt
- cooler weather for husband

Far to Go
- yes this will be true tomorrow

Loving & Giving
- we'll be with friends, heading toward an outdoor weekend

Thank You, God, for Your good gifts and the eyes to see them.

deep down

Tonight I'm simply thankful for a new gathering of people that fed us dessert and tea, spoke openly about their lives and marriages, and asked good questions. Earlier this week, at a retreat, I stood up and shared some things about the crappy state of my heart, and people acknowledged that and loved me...this is how I feel about the whole larger group of people we are getting to know:

"Deep down there was an understanding, not of the facts of our lives so much as of our essential natures." (May Sarton)

People here love broken people. Thank You God.

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And after that thoughtful thought, I just have to add that my husband just walked in with a fart machine app on his new iPod, and I am in tears I am laughing so hard. Yeah. Almost nothing has made me laugh so hard in a long time, don't know what that says about me. But, Farting Preacher, anyone? Now that is some humor I am thankful for.

i say, you say, i wanna an icee juic-ay

1) My husband found a juicer at a garage sale, and got it for free! It is virtually brand new, and it is SO much fun watching newly pulverized & dehydrated beet/carrot/lemon/kale/apple fibers shoot out the back in bright colors. The juice that came out the front was, hmm, interesting. I think I'll leave the beet out next time. But check out the cool color:

UPDATE: Carrot/apple juice is much better. Next up, green lemonade.

2) Got to talk to three college friends in different states/countries this weekend. Beautiful.

3) Yesterday, I called in to my favorite radio program on the way to work, told a funny story about my neighbors, and won $100 in gift certificates! Sweeeet!! I don't think the neighbors heard, either, because we haven't had any angry knocks on the door yet. But really, who puts a unicorn in their front yard without expecting to get a few laughs?

right, here

Not even 70 out.

Windows open.

Grey autumn light from all sides, all windows.

Library books in a stack.

Steaming Mayan chocolate in a mug.

Garden zucchini re-warmed, reminiscent of its adventure with olive oil on the grill last night.

Sunday, with no place to be but right here.

This feeling reminds me of mornings in Peru or early noons at L'Abri. How life is supposed to be lived.

home things

Well, here I go posting about food again. Can't help it.

First, I'm thankful for the memory of sweet, farm-fresh creamed corn made by my great-aunt months ago. And thankful for the occasion to try to recreate it myself. My version went way overkill on salty butter tonight, but I can always try again.

Second, I'm thankful for the bread maker my husband picked up at the thrift store for $4.99! He's already found the manual on the net, and printed it out for us. First up, a simply honey whole wheat bread, assuming the machine really works. If it does, I'm sure I'll have a post on the warm, cozy result.

Third, I'm thankful for the motivation--whatever it may be, I haven't quite figured out--that is prompting me to actually wash the dishes after dinner every night. Who knew a clean(er) kitchen could bring such satisfaction? Not me, until now.

Thank You, God, for your good gifts and the eyes to see them.

fall is arriving...

and that is all I need to make me happy today.

Thank You, God, for the softer lighter and cooler air, and the senses to enjoy it all.

the other good things

The other good things from yesterday that I didn't get to mention:

- watching a movie outdoors with thousands of others, cheering and singing and booing at all the right parts. And glancing up every once in a while to see the stars clear overhead.

- the opportunity to win a VitaMix on Jessie Hawkins' blog. She has written a book on herbal medicines for the family, and has a great natural, holistic perspective on life. Green smoothies are my favorite way to get a full bag of spinach in my body--in one sitting, no less--so I'm really hoping to win!

- being almost finished with a big house project, just in time. And with that, the anticipation of a long-awaited relaxed weekend. Woohoo!