Gratitude

I'm grateful for so much tonight.

I'm grateful:

that Mary made it to Las Vegas safely, and has wonderful friends to stay with;
that Mary was able to come home for two weeks, and to spend so much quality time with her - she's such a hard worker, I'm grateful she helped me organize and clean so much! Yahoo!!

that Mary is so healthy and doing so well at this vibrant 22 years of age!~

that Mary is having so many travel opportunities at this time in her life when she doesn't have other pressing obligations or commitments (i.e., husband, children, career, bills).

I'm grateful to live in this part of the world, without natural disasters hitting and destroying ....

that I live in weather so temperate (only 60 degrees today!!). It suits me just fine at this mid-life point of 52 years.... I can't imagine hot flashes in Las Vegas temperatures!!

I'm grateful to be born human and not animal -- for my five senses:

taste: coffee, cilantro, olive oil, garlic, jalepeno, LEMON, whole grain, pure maple syrup, extra sharp cheese, tomato

touch: Turns and all his scratches on my itches, the cool breeze through my office window, warm salt baths, all exercise - stretching, and rolfing, which I've just had my fifth of ten sessions;

sight: green, green Washington! Just add a little yellow, light blue sky...nature. Sight is my least used sense, but when I focus on it, WOW -- life is filled with color and shape.

sound: FM 104.9, FM 104.3, music. I'm thankful for the Italian language - Andrea Bocelli would love me if he met me. I'm intoxicated with the sound of foreign language, especially Italian songs sung my Andrea..

smell: By my bedside I keep a container of Lavender Hand and Body Lotion, from Pelindaba Lavender Farm on San Juan Island. It is a ritual - I squirt a portion for each arm and rub it in, putting my arm to my nose and drowning in it's intoxication before falling asleep. It is invigorating and rich, and drives Turns crazy, because he does not appreciate the smell of lavender....

I'm grateful that I have such a faith in life beyond this material world, and an interest in mysticism.

I'm grateful for:

hired help - thank you Joe for all your nailing, sawing and screwing today (no dirty minds..)
fax machines
ice cubes
reverse osmosis water
CD players
Costcos - It's my get-away!!
organic food
food coop's
food network channel
Oprah
thumb tacks
rain, rain, rain
Allegiant Airlines
democrats
weed killer
MBT shoes!!
nail clippers
dentists
bird songs
roofs on houses
Honda's
pens and pencils
early mornings and quiet
coffee and irish cream
yeast
flannel sheets
silk pillow cases
intellectual conversations
love
tender moments
neighbors
the four seasons
being snowed in with an excuse to go nowhere...
hot tubs
saunas
sweating
red wine
white wine
domestic beer
foreign vodka
low glycemic sweetner (agave)
german shepards
cedar
Ernest Hemingway
reading glasses...

I'm thankful for:

rock and roll
the Beatles
lawn mowers

I'm truly grateful for:

phone books
cast iron skillets
Norwegians....geez...I had to get that in there
fish oil!! YES< YES,
Jan VanHorn - I Love You Jan!!
purple -- isn't purple wonderful?

Without saying, my gratitude extends to:

Elliot, Allison, Mary and Paul, Kari and Chris -- I am yours!
Little Siri, you are the Best = I pray I live long enough that you will really know me...(my joints are creaking, so I'm not taking anything for granted now.._)

Neil Diamond - You are the Son, I am the Moon, you are the Words, I am the tune, play me...

I'm grateful for:

Gramma Pat: Don't you LOVE her?

I'm grateful for Bjorn Oddvang and Joseph Bettis. They both helped shape me profoundly from 2002 - 2004. Wow!

Turns to The East. Who could ask for more? (well, sometimes I could..), but really I am So Thankful For Turns...I Even Have To Capitalize Each Word Because Turns Is So Wonderful..

And to finish, I am even grateful for tenants..

Wendy Joy