Every week (whether or not I participate in this awesome blog hop) I feel grateful for so many aspects of my life. This week/month, I’m thankful…
1) for friends and family, near and far. Whether we see each other often or rarely–I’m so glad you are part of my world. And even though I may not tell you all (enough) how much I appreciate having you in my life, I do. Every. Single. Day.
2) that my writing friend from Pennsylvania, Becky DePorte (and her husband, Cooke), flew west for a four-day visit. During their stay, Becky and I stopped by Willamette Valley Vineyards and did a little wine tasting before checking out rows of ripe grape clusters hanging on the vines.
3) that I’m not a member of congress. (And that is all I’m going to say about that.)
4) for Lindsey and Nick’s upcoming first anniversary. The newlyweds are wearing celebratory smiles as they plan for their one-night stay at the Oregon Garden Resort next weekend. And even better, the giddy couple has offered advice on how to have a happy first year of marriage–giving me another story to share with all of you. (The post is coming next weekend in honor of their special day. You will not want to miss this.)
5) for our proximity to Silver Falls State Park. We live within sixteen miles of Silver Falls (fortunately, a park that is not affected by the ridiculous national park closures.) This state park has waterfalls and foliage and walking trails and wildlife and old growth fir. Last weekend, I spent three hours with Becky and Cooke,
showing-off its lush, green beauty and natural wonders. Every time I hike the forest trails or walk under a cascading fall, I’m internally invigorated. And next weekend I’ll be staying at the falls conference center for the first time ever! For a three-day writing workshop. For all of this, I’m incredibly grateful.
6) for my husband’s kind and generous nature. Last Monday morning, after a rain and windstorm Sunday night, we woke to find our elderly neighbor’s mid-size tree had fallen in front of her house. John was the first to offer his assistance. Soon, two other neighbors pitched in to help John remove the tree and haul it away in three oversized pickup loads.
7) that the sun is shining in our little Willamette Valley community. Californians and Floridians and residents of other southern states might not appreciate this treasure as much as Oregonians. After several days of clouds and rain and dreary skies, rays of sunshine now brighten our town. Immediately, I felt my mood elevate. A smile passed my lips. My heart skipped a beat. Mount Hood and Mount Saint Helens and several other snow-capped peaks decorate my horizon. Sunshine, clear skies, mountain views….all these increase my spirits exponentially!
8) that when our upstairs toilet sprung a leak, we found the fist-sized puddle before it caused any water damage. Yay!
9) for laughter. John still makes me laugh every single day (even after thirty-one years together).
10) for the two free author-autographed books I received (Twelve Tribes of Hattie and Wild) Thursday evening when I attended Wordstock’s opening event at the Mission Theatre in Portland: A Conversation With Ayana Mathis and Cheryl Strayed. These two authors were great conversationalists. But I love free!
And I’ve added two additional Things Of Thankful since I missed the last few weeks:
11) for the leftover pizza in our fridge. I was out and about yesterday, so John brought home a pizza for his dinner. He ordered a giant peperoni and onion and green peppers, knowing I’d want a couple slices for today’s lunch. Yippee! I cut a fresh tomato and stacked the thick, juicy fruit on my slices. Yum, yum. I could eat pizza seven days a week. I don’t, but I wish I could. I love pizza that much.
12) that I was able to attend (a portion) of my cousin Karen Evan’s retirement bash. She worked over 30 years for Clark County Community Services. I know Karen will smoothly transition into this next phase of her life. Congrats, cousin. And the big bonus? I was able to visit with even more cousins and aunts and an uncle who were attending but I don’t get to see as often as I’d like. Right now, life is good. Very, very good.
My first book, Loving Lindsey: Raising a Daughter with Special Needs will be out September 26, 2017. If you would like to learn more, click here.
