Monday, February 08, 2010

Thankful Monday

A few months ago I decided to begin making regular "gratitude lists" -- lists of specific things I'm thankful for. The idea is to do this on a regular basis, preferably weekly. I got the idea from Ann Voskamp's Gratitude Community/Multitude Monday on her beautiful blog A Holy Experience.

I've been more conscious of counting my blessings, but it hasn't always translated into actual lists on the blog each Monday. Mondays seem to get here so quickly, and to move past in such a blur! Maybe that's part of the challenge, actually, to move into the new school/work week (following a day of rest) conscious of new blessings.

So here I go again...so thankful on this Monday for...

30) Light on snow. Is there anything more dazzling than early morning sunlight on pristine layers of white? It sparkles like a carpet of diamonds. Breath-taking.

31) Snow on trees. Especially as it was falling, falling, falling. At midnight, as Friday turned to Saturday, I peeked through the blinds in our front room and looked out the window, just in awe over the white and silver and pink that had turned the ordinary world of our urban landscape into fairyland. The midnight sky was pink, truly, pale and and luminous like the inside of an oyster shell, and snow poured onto the branches of the nearby sycamore trees. Their limbs looked drenched in beauty.

32) The delight of a child playing in snow. My little girl had never had so much snow to play with, in her seven and a half years. She was astonished by the piles, amazed by how easy it was to build a *really big* snowman with her Daddy (we named him Sebastian, and he's still guarding our front door, carrot nose and all -- not at all one of the little mini-snowmen we usually have to content ourselves with each winter) and giggled over trying to walk, in her unwieldy layers of clothing, through the heavy snow.

33) A warm home. Oh how thankful we were that the power, after a very brief outtage in the night as the snow poured down, came back on.

34) A day when no alarm clocks were set at all. Our church had to cancel services yesterday, and though that was unfortunate, we truly enjoyed a day of rest. We all slept in, and the sleep was delicious, especially after so much time spent playing in the snow and digging out the car (the grown-up version of snow playing isn't nearly as much fun!)

35) Midsummer picnics in Mr. Knightley's strawberry garden and on Box Hill...in February. Yes, I decided to re-read Emma last week. I do love reading Austen anytime, anywhere, but winter reads are forever my favorite.

36) Time to finish listening to a story. My husband and I have been listening to the wonderful audio versions of the Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander. In recent weeks we'd slowed to a crawl, just so busy we hadn't had time to listen (except late at night when we were too tired). But being snowed in for two days has so many advantages. We finally finished The Black Cauldron (I was so eager for him to hear the finish, which is so different in the book than in the awful movie that bears so little resemblance to the book). If you've never heard James Langton read these books, you've missed out. I especially love his Eilowny voice!

37)The safe return of my sister and her husband from their vacation in Puerto Rico. I'm so thankful they were able to take some beautiful time away.

holy experience

2 comments:

Erin said...

Another great list! Snow is so magical when you're little - especially if you don't get to see much of it! Hooray for prime snowman building conditions that linger just long enough to remain welcome...

Beth said...

Yes, and the prime conditions were short-lived. It's been so cold since Sunday on that all the mountains and piles of snow on the ground have gotten hard and "crunchy" and we're expecting more snow and some sleet on top of it later today. But Saturday it was just perfect for snowman construction!