Friday, September 01, 2017

Every Day Gratitude Edition

Every Day Gratitude

Gratitude doesn't have to be reserved for magnificent announcements.  It isn't only 'real gratitude' when something amazing happens.  Gratitude is an every day occurrence, an every day habit.

1.  Sometimes, gratitude is simply part of a normal every day kind of life.  Case in point.  Every morning, when my husband hands me a cup of coffee made just the way I like it, I am thankful.  I'm thankful for the coffee, and I'm thankful for a kind, caring and faithful husband. That's simple, every day gratitude.

2.  What prompted this rabbit trail of simple daily gratitude was the thought that I am thankful for air conditioning.  We poke our finger a couple of times on a gadget attached to our hallway wall, and presto magic-o, a machine starts working and the air temperature in Willow's Cottage returns to a comfortable level.  I'm thankful that I have air conditioning in my house (and my car).

3.  This week has been HOT (at least hot for us) and some of my neighbors don't have AC.  World's Best Neighbors are waiting for the AC guy to race through his work list and get theirs installed.  In the meantime, we've told them that our house is open for them ANY TIME to drop in and cool off.  Chocolate, wine or tea will be served.  We've enjoyed the impromptu conversations.  Who wouldn't be thankful for congenial neighbors?

4.  Another every day habit I am thankful for is our evening walk.  Most evenings, right around sunset, if you were to pass through my neighborhood, you'd find us out walking.   We have a nearly perfect place to walk--lots of challenging hills, a paved nature path (maybe 4 blocks?), access sidewalks to golf course paths. Our walks are usually about 2.5 or 3 miles.  I suppose that is really two things for which I'm thankful.  A pleasant place to walk and the ability to walk.  These days when it's just too hot to hike our bare mountains, it's lovely to have a way to exercise in the cooler evenings.

5.  This is supposed to be a knitting blog.  The subtitle of my blog is "Life and Knitting at Willow's Little House".  I realize that I write mostly about life, not knitting.  However, I knit every day.  Sometimes I think that it's boring knitting.  Fortunately, this week I finished this hoodie for a baby boy in our extended family.


AND...I'm working on another shawl.  This one is for me.  I admired one a friend had knitted but the pattern is no longer available.  So I found a similar pattern and have been adapting it a bit to match what I want.  Particulars are size US 6 circular needles, double strands of a made-in-France 100% acrylic fingering/sock yarn.


I am grateful that I have an every day activity which brings me such joy.

[I made good on my pinkie promise to post the Indonesian peanut sauce recipe.  If you missed it, you can find it HERE.]

13 comments:

ellen b. said...

Wonderful things to be grateful for. Love the little hoodie sweater! Have a great Labor day weekend. Glad you have air conditioning and that it's a blessing to your neighbors, too.

Susan said...

I printed our the peanut sauce recipe an have it on the menu for this week. I am looking forward to that meal!
I love the colour of the yarn for your shawl.And the hoody for the baby is adorable. I am glad that you post such things. It is fun to see what others are up to.
I really like that you wrote about simple every day pleasures. I am also grateful for AC and evening walks. Although my daughter and I walk round and round through our apartment complex.
And how lovely to be reminded every morning of what a faithful companion you have.
Have a good long weekend.
By the way, the link you posted at Susanne's blog doesn't work. But I knew how to find you!

Karen said...

Lovely everyday things to be grateful for. I love how you've opened your home to your neighbors. AC has been a gift to us these past weeks, too! And my hubby is the coffee maker in our house, so I can definitely relate to #1.

nikkipolani said...

I like that everyday thankfulness, too. I think it's one of the reasons roomie and I have gotten along so well over the years. We thank each other for so many of the daily chores.

Glad your days are filled with good things to be thankful for. Especially that your home is comfortable enough to even consider coffee, tea, and knitting!

Mereknits said...

Sometimes it is nice to be reminded to be thankful for things we take for granted. Thank you for that. My blog is supposed to be about knitting too, hm...... wonder when was the last time I picked up those knitting needles?

Faith said...

Lovely list of faves. I love that you and your hubby walk every evening. I"m trying to get mine to join me more!! The only time I don't walk is when the winter temps get below 25 degrees. I just can't stand it that cold!! And sometimes the snow is treacherous in our neighborhood as we have no sidewalks.

LOVE that little sweater.....just sweet. My oldest gal taught her self to knit and she is making me a Harry Potter scarf while she watches netflix movies. :)

Enjoy the rest of this long weekend and I love that you invited your AC-less neighbors into your home.....i am thankful for being on the receiving end of hospitality and also for the ability to be hospitable. It's important in today's society for sure!!

Susanne said...

We've been very thankful for ac this summer. It has been so hot and hasn't been cooling off much at night either like it usually does here. So good to have a habit of thankfulness.

Tracy said...

Sooo MUCH to be thankful for, blessings every one... and knitting too! ;) Lovely projects... Taking time to say thank you is among the best ways of praying, I think. ((HUGS))

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Barbara H. said...

I agree about being thankful for the little everyday things - the everyday manna, not just the sea parting. Many nights as I nestle into my comfortable bed in a comfortable room, I thank God for them. I've marveled at and been thankful for AC and heat at the push of a button, too.

It's great you have a nice place to walk. We just have a cul-de-sac - so it's ok if you don't mind going in circles. :-) There's a sidewalk nearby but on a busy street, and I don't want to breathe in car fumes - though I do see people walking and running there a lot.

That hoodie is SO cute, and I love the color of your shawl.

UplayOnline said...

I just can't stand it that cold!! And sometimes the snow is treacherous in our neighborhood as we have no sidewalks.


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Jocelyn said...

I'm late to comment, but I just love this list! I, too, have been grateful recently for so many of these things, including the perfect morning cup of coffee from a loving husband, and the place and ability to walk near my daughter's school after I drop her off in the morning. And air conditioning! Wow, I don't think we've ever used it so much!