Gratitude Lounge

Good morning lovely people:

It is “the morning after” here in the Northeast and our landscape is white as far as the eye can see….but at least we can see! Yesterday the conditions were blizzardy and visibility was close to zero. Today, the wind has thankfully died down and temperatures are expected to be up into the 40’s. The skies are a solid grey and more precipitation is expected ….starting with rain and then changing to snow again tonight when the temperatures drop.

But, the birds are back at the feeders and, although we lost our power during the storm, it came back within the hour. We lost part of our fence but our house is untouched and we are safe….and for these things I am grateful.

I am heart sick over my beautiful sugar maple. We have been nursing this tree since we moved here 2 years ago and I have been saying blessings over it. I so want this tree to survive!!! Like all trees it has a beautiful spirit and it sits right outside our sun room windows with its leaves draping like a blanket over our skylights. It gives us lovely shade in the summer and in the fall the leaves are a stunning vibrant orange. Many species of birds visit this tree and find rest in its branches. I heart this tree with all my heart!! We will continue to give it all the loving care that we can. Perhaps I will ask St. Francis for help

I am supposed to be volunteering at Meals on Wheels this morning but so far there is no answer at the site….I am thinking of all those who depend on us for their daily meal and am remembering them in my prayers. Grateful for the opportunity to be a small part of their outreach to those in need.

I have a little white board in my kitchen and each month I put a quote on it that relates to the time of year or perhaps a special holiday that occurs during that month. Here is the quote that I chose for March….thinking of St. Patrick’s day and my Irish ancestry, it is from C.S. Lewis:
“You are never too old to dream a new dream”

~Blessings to you all as I dream of Spring!

Good morning lovely friends, from the Northeast US where the weather just keeps on doing its thing!

They say that March “comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb” and so far this has been true for our little corner of the world. I was hoping that we would have a gentler March after such a tough winter but alas….winter has decided to stick around a bit longer.

And so…I have more opportunities to practice gratefulness. And I truly am grateful for that…even though the grumbles are right underneath the surface and threatening to erupt! I’m thankful for my hygge practice this winter. It was a gift to myself when I offered up that intention….and a gift to those around me too!

I am sitting at my kitchen table next to the fire in our wood-burning stove that my husband (who is working from home today because of the weather) had waiting for me when I came downstairs. Coffee was made too! Grateful for these first-thing-in-the-morning gifts!

My trip to the library yesterday hit a snag because it was closed due to power outage from the last storm. I was disappointed because I wanted to stock up on reading material but then I remembered that there is an independent book store right around the corner. Although libraries are my favorite, I do love to support local indie book stores as well. This one is called “Twice Told Tales” because it is full of used books of every kind imaginable….so fun to browse! And it speaks to my “reduce, reuse, recycle” sensiiblities.
I ended up buying a fun paperback that I’m looking forward to diving into. Libraries and indie neighborhood bookstores….magical places!

Sending warm and cozy hygge blessings to you all this day…with love and gratitude.

Good morning lovely gratefulness friends

This morning I found find myself once again grateful for the slow and easy morning that I have been given. My substitute assignment does not begin until lunchtime…..I am soaking up the solitude, the sound of the mourning doves, the smell of the incense, the warm cozy blanket as I sit in the sun room and look out over the farmland.
I have been reading from my “Anam Cara” book on Celtic Spirituality lately….and am being made more aware of the gift of our senses.

So very grateful for this time of rest and reflection that I have had these past 2 mornings. Yesterday I was so refreshed that after my job I had the energy to drop by and visit with 2 of our elderly neighbors. Although they are always clearly happy to see me…..being with them is always a joy and gift to myself as well!

I am grateful for the contact I have made with a distant cousin via the DNA ancestry website I participated in recently. I recognized his name immediately from my childhood and we have started to correspond and put together some pieces of our shared ancestry. This is so meaningful to me because it is a connection to my beloved Nana…my Italian grandmother…and her husband, my French/Swiss grandfather who died before I was born. I have always regretted not inquiring more about my European relatives while my Nana was still alive…she lived with us and helped to raise me. I had no interest as a young person…alas. It was not until I have grown older that I have become curious about my heritage….this seems to be the case often, sadly.

Grateful for the new day, and the new month! I am hoping that March will be a gentler, kinder month weather-wise than January and February. This winter has been a rough one and I am looking forward to the warmth and delights of spring. My husband recently affirmed what I already knew….my anxiety and depression seems to kick in about now when I have just had enough of the cold, dark winter. My hygge practice this time around has surely been a help and a blessing….but I’m finding it harder to embrace those sensibilities as the winter drags on. So…..here’s to March and to the spring equinox that is right around the corner!

~Wishing you all a day filled with sunshine no matter what it looks like outside! Blessings.