Finding The Joys, and Giving Thanks...

Journaling simple joys of these days... 

*I'm so thankful for this new place to sit and do my bible studies and read and play in paint 

and pens.  I love every moment here.  

*a garden chock full of bloomers and sitting in the middle of them 

to read the living word of God Almighty. 

black eyed susies, morning glories, roses, cosmos, zinnias, four oclocks, day lilies, tiger lilies, oriental lilies, sunflowers, shasta daisies, petunias, geraniums, gladiolas, trumpets, oxalis, zebrinas, marigolds, ... and more so many bloomers all at once.  

*blessed with time I get to  come here and sit at His feet awhile

*walking into a well watered garden first thing of the morning and feeling and smelling

the fresh coolness inside.  

* for my patient and very understanding  husband

when lately tears would stream from somewhere deep. 

*That he's learned my love language and knows how to listen even

when I don't have the words.

*That he insisted on digging Addie's hard,rocky,rooty  grave while

I wrapped her in her blankie and picked mint and flowers

to line her resting place.  

For Olaf who had to be in the thick of things and somehow

this white rabbit lightened a darkness. 

* And that our little friend is now buried right here where she liked  to lay in the shade 

of the Pines.   

*I'm thankful for friends who reach out and pray for me. 

  

*for Francois and that he's still in pretty good health 

even though he's a little old man and also  13.  

*that he's starting to follow me around a little more instead of 

being in a sad slump missing his sidekick.  

*for a new mercy... every morning.   

* For the first tomatoes of the season... they aren't so pretty but taste really good.

*pulling a bag of homemade bread out of the freezer.  

*walking barefoot on clean floors.

*crawling into the most comfortable bed in the world. 

thick featherbed, down comforter... 

sheets dried in pure sunshine.

*his squeezing bear hug after a hard days work. 

Not letting go til he does first.   

*my friend with cancer and the  long note she wrote even though it hurts to sit up and write. 

*sharing her uncertainties ... and feeling the fleeting...ness of life and reminder 

how every day is this great gift. 

*the joy of  this very ordinary, Tuesday. 

This beautiful ordinary 

extraordinary day.

I will rejoice and be glad in it. 

 *That lots of new chicklets hatched. Sooooo  much chirpy cuteness.

Watching around 20 chicklets sit ontop of their Momma and stick out under 

her breast and wings.  Momlife.

*This adorable vintage, St. Catherine arrived in one piece. 

Can't wait to bring her to the greenhouse and find a special place for her in

my shabby olde garden sanctuary.  

*So much richness and goodness I'm enjoying and finding reading about the saints and 

digging deeper and deeper  into my Catholic roots.  

*and this cool leather, Latin theology book.  

 Of course I can't read Latin but I can photo copy pages to add to my 

 art journals. I sure wish someone could read the first few pages

to me... I'd love to know what it says. 

*the joy found holding a book in my  hands from 1776.. the year our nation

became a nation... crazycool.  

   

 *walking across the yard and doing a double take.

Turning around to photograph parasol fungus.  

They look like you could just pop one into an adult beverage. 

What a wonderful, glorious world we get to live in.  

*Butterflies everywhere.  Dragonflies everywhere... 

My camera is chockful of bugs and flitters. 

The ones with tattered wings have my absolute heart.  

Such beauty in imperfection and endurance to run the race set before us. 

*Inspiration to paint today.... 

*Because our Creator lavishes us with so much beauty.

Leaonie, look into the flowers.  They are your glimpse into heaven, she said. 

* He is truly everywhere ... 

Thank you God for all these things.. thank you for my every thing.  

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