Thursdays Are For Gratitude

(I'm grateful every day . . . but in November, I blog about it, too.)

Most years, here in my corner of the world, we have lovely, lingering falls that last well into December.  We get our leaves raked up and into the streets by Thanksgiving, and the city comes around a few times in November to pick them up.  We use the nicest November days to put up our Christmas lights and prepare the outsides of our houses for the upcoming holiday season.  We have plenty of time to finish all the garden chores and plant spring bulbs and gather in the last of the still-thriving parsley.  There is plenty of time to locate your ice scraper and get it into your car.

But this year?  Not so much.

And I made a pact with myself . . . that if winter really IS here already . . . that I'm going to roll with it and Not Complain About It. Even though the snowplows did a real number with all those leaf piles in the streets, waiting for pick up.  And, in fact, half of the trees still HAVE their leaves, which are now falling and mingling with the snow.  And . . . you probably guessed it.  My bulbs didn't make it into the ground before the cold snap.  (That is not really complaining, by the way.  Those are just facts.)

Instead, I'm finding gratitude.

• After a day of snow, I'm grateful for the return of sunlight - even just for a minute - and especially when I stumble onto magic sunlight patterns in my bathroom.
• I'm especially grateful that I have a car designed to handle well in the snow and ice of a Michigan winter.
• And I'm so grateful to have a warm house to return to after being out in the snow -- with enough heat and light and down comforters and love to get me through the longest winter.

What are you grateful for today?

 

Comments

[Juliann]

I am grateful all around today. I am practicing leading with gratitude because grumbling is not an attractive trait.

[Vicki]

Oh yeah. Yes to all the pacts and the facts that you're not complaining about! Haha. I second every one. I love the emails that our city sent out... "we interrupt this year's leaf collection for snow removal!!" Who'd have thought that leaves mingled with snow could make such a mess?

[Patty]

I am grateful for much of the same. The warm house and snow worthy vehicle and the little prism that shows on my upstairs bedroom mirror when the light sneaks in on a Saturday morning. I've been a little grumpy this week and truth be told...about not one important thing.

[Bonny]

I'm grateful for your photo of the magical sunlight patterns and Christmas cactus buds, along with my own budding (and flowering!) Christmas cactuses!

[Dee]

Time ........................I'm grateful to not be running around doing chores. Able to have a nice slow morning this morning and read blogs, maybe knit a bit.

[Margene]

I saw the Christmas cactus buds right away! Mine is in full blooming mode! The magic of that happening push my heart into big gratitude mode! :) We have the opposite weather and while some of us feel a little panic over the lack of snow, we are grateful for the sunshine. (Even if the dreaded inversion is on the doorstep).

[Sarah]

We are experiencing the same kind of weather here, in contrast to what is typically a milder November -- we actually broke a 100-year record low yesterday! I'm not doing as good of a job not complaining about the cold, but I am very grateful for having reliable heat in my house, for hot coffee in the morning, and for all the woolly handknits that have been keeping me warm on my walks between home and work.

[Vera]

I'm grateful for good doctor visits, a pot of Cafe du Monde coffee at home this morning and herbal tea at work. Also seat warmers!!

[Carole]

I'm grateful for this reminder that winter won't last forever even when it arrives earlier than we'd like. Bummer about those bulbs, though. I hope you'l get a November thaw so that you can still plant them!

[Kat]

I am grateful that it is not as cold today as it was yesterday! A small thing, but boy does a few degrees make a huge difference!

[Chloe]

Time, for me also. Ever since my days as a working mother I have come to appreciate - and be grateful for -Time.

[Mary]

Oh that photo with the light and the cactus blooms - pure magic! I'm grateful I had the flexibility to take a day off yesterday ... much needed R&R time!