blessings...

Last weekend my youngest sister was down with her boyfriend for his old friend's wedding to a woman who grew up here in Pincher Creek. It was, of course, good to see her and her boyfriend, and their huge Great Dane puppy, Jackson. Talk about dog lovers! We went out for lovely long walks together with Jasper, our family pet. He's a Golden Retriever, so we vacuum a LOT, but he has the sweetest temperament... I enjoyed the simple pleasure of walking out in the wind with people I love (whose company is always a treat), and watching our big dogs gallop around, obviously enjoying themselves too. Thank Heaven for the little things, like big dogs and younger sisters. (She's taller than I ;)

I was out walking yesterday afternoon and saw a wooden painted sign on someone's front door, which said "LET US GIVE THANKS"... I am so grateful to live in a place where we stop and celebrate how blessed we are! And what a holiday for us; this long weekend is the final harvest and clean-up of our vegetable garden. In this blessing, I am thankful for our kind friends who share with us their large garden plot on an acreage at the other end of town. There is a deer fence, and an irrigation system which involves collecting water from a pond at the edge of the creek. I always feel rich and bountifully blessed whenever I go down there. I love walking down the hill through the long green grass and opening up the gate into our wonderful shared place. We couldn't enjoy any of this without the generosity of good friends. My favorite part of our veggie garden is Kirby! He's the man who grows it, works it, and without him we definitely wouldn't have any of this earth...

I really enjoyed practicing the piano today... even though I spent most of my time and energy on technique! It feels so good to sit and think hard, concentrate, and push myself to remember and improve these scales, chords, arpeggios- in all their variety... I like using my brain. A lot of the work I do is housework (clearly not an intense use of my mental capacity!)... and social; family, church, etc. Outside of reading, this is my big intellectual activity! And music, unlike literature, is an uphill climb... It feels like work. My hands are slow, and feel a bit awkward at times, but I keep going, and the times when it all comes together are worth it! I am blessed to have a brilliant teacher, and a supportive family. Kirby is always more than happy to see me do anything for my personal development and pleasure. He only wishes I would take more time for these things. Maybe as time goes by I will. Perhaps I will even take up art again one day. One thing at a time, Leah! I think I'd b...

I know I'm not alone in feeling Friday afternoon pre-weekend relief! It's close enough to smell, and I can hardly wait. My little ones here are all happy making pictures and playing while solving Busytown mysteries with Huckle Cat on TV; it's quiet time.   :) School is out, and Emma is home. Jack is working up at the pharmacy, and Mary is off to a volleyball tournament. Kirby is at an appointment in town, and the sun is shining through the crisp blue sky. And yes, there's a bit of a breeze. I like how I can feel a bit of a Friday afternoon buzz humming in the freshly blown in air around here on days like this. And it's a good thing, because I think we're all ready for it!

My right wrist is swollen and sore, giving me nerve pain up my arm and tingling in my hand. A bad flare-up of an old case of tendonitis. As you can imagine, this is a bit of a challenge in looking after my little dayhome children, among other responsibilities. I think there are a couple layers of silver lining to this cloud though... My left hand writing is improving, for one! And having a relatively useless dominant hand is highlighting how caring and helpful my husband and children are! Jack especially. During the workday, he does things like sippy cups, peanut butter sandwiches, and some heavy jobs, especially with little Kash! He's a two year old that's built like a little man, and hefting him around for a diaper change is not light work! I know that not every 16 year old boy would be so willing to help out with little ones, but my heart was warm with maternal pride yesterday as I snuggled an adorable little two-year-old girl after lunch. I asked her, "Who loves you...