As If A National Holiday Weren't Enough To Celebrate - How About Some Minutiae? I Present You With The Gratitude Labor Day Edition. Please Keep Your Expectations Low. I'm Still Finding A Rhythm And Better Words.

September 3, 2016 - Day 3 Grateful

I'm grateful for mornings on the patio with a huge stack of books. And a laptop, because hello, it is the 21st century and I have a serious Google addiction. I like to read lots of things simultaneously. This is weird because I try to limit multi-tasking my activities as much as possible. I've heard that kind of behavior takes us out of the present moment and doesn't really lead to increased productivity - but I turn a deaf ear to those lessons when it comes to my reading time. Let me explain my stack as I'm sure you're dying to know.  From the top and working down we have Jacques Pépin's new and trés adorable cookbook, Poulet et Legumes. It's basically a bunch of chicken and veggie recipes but we eat a lot of those things and I need some new material. Plus, he's French so it's instantly more wonderful. Next up, A Course In Miracles Made Easy, by Alan Cohen. Because I always have to have something from the Spirituality/Self-Help category. And finally, Glory Over Everything by Kathleen Grissom. The sequel to The Kitchen House - just fantastic. Read them both if you have not.

September 4, 2016 - Day 4 Grateful

I'm grateful for these chimes.  When we vacationed as a family this summer in Santa Barbara (one of my spiritual homes), chimes like these hung on the patio outside the door of the master bedroom in the little VRBO cottage we rented. It was such a fantastic time for the four of us, so we bought our very own set. The chimes serve as a constant auditory reminder of all that vacationy goodness. Of course, when I hear them I want to immediately drop whatever I'm doing, pour myself a glass of wine, and sit on the patio. I fight the urge constantly with varying degrees of success.

September 5, 2016 - Day 5 Grateful

I'm grateful for my morning coffee and taste of sweet. This is how I start every day. After a lemon water, I jump right into a cup of joe and a little nummie.  I love the routine of it and I find the little bit of sweet in the morning makes me feel like I've already treated myself to something special.  Today I had a chocolate chip cookie my mother-on-law brought us. But I've used a sliver of pumpkin pie as a taste of sweet, a Christmas cookie, a Reece's Peanut Butter Egg, and a spoonful of rhubarb crisp throughout the year with equal enjoyment. Because it's important to eat foods that are in season.

Happy Labor Day!!

Thanks and Love.