Scene & Story - September 2017

Each evening as the day wears down, I sit and reflect on the events of the day and then write in my gratitude journal things I am grateful for. Sometimes the list is long and other times it may be only a few items. Always at the top of the list are my God, my family, my country, and my health, but many days there are things added that seem trivial, maybe even silly. I recently went to a museum that was full to overflowing with antique items and took this picture. Reflecting on just this one picture, I realized how much I have to be grateful for and that nothing is too trivial to write down. On this day I was grateful for . . . 

electric stove,
butter in a tub or stick,

vacuum cleaner,

washing machine,
dryer,
ready made clothes,
sweet smelling soap,
and a large bathtub.

Rarely do we give modern conveniences a second thought, unless they break or we're out of them! Seeing how those in past generations lived and what they had, makes me grateful I live in this century, in this place, and have what I have.

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This is a day late, but i'm linking with Scene & Story hosted

by Sarah and Lee.

Join us each month as we choose a photo and tell a story.

Blessed Beyond Measure!

 

This past week "Gramma's  Guys" went from four to five. Five precious grandsons!  Isaac was born on Wednesday, April 17. He weighted in at 8 lbs and 6 ozs. We've been a little busy around here welcoming this newest addition to our family. His cousins came to meet him and as you can tell, they were full of excitement and smiles. Big Brother, Aaron (in the brown) has been beyond excitement. So much so that he's just worn out. Although, there's not a smile on his face right now, I can assure you that he is very glad that his new brother is finally here!!  He's sad in this picture because his cousins are getting ready to leave for home. They all have such great fun together and he just wants them to stay longer!

This is the "new guy."  He's less than 24 hours old in these pictures. Before you say "your pictures are beautiful," I will say "I didn't take them." They where taken by a professional photographer at the hospital. How cool is that!!  My kids first photos were in  hospital shirts against a solid background and compared to these, pretty boring!  Not my kids, just the photos. I treasure their first photos, but wow, these are so much better!

I wish there were new, special words that I could use to describe my feelings of the past few days, but there aren't. These feelings aren't new, many of you know exactly what I'm feeling and it's just indescribable!

 

I feel blessed that we have five healthy grandsons.

I feel awe when I hold this new precious life.

I feel love, abundant love.

I feel responsibility to be an example for our grandsons.

I feel joy, overwhelming joy.

I feel grateful that Isaac is safely here.
My heart sings!!

 

 

For you make me glad by your deeds, O LORD;

I sing for joy at the works of your hands.

How great are your works, O Lord

~ Psalm 92:4,5 ~

It' Sometimes Just The Little Things!

It all began with a simple exercise to make a list of what I was grateful for. I was then to close my eyes, land my pencil on one word I'd written, and write a letter of gratitude to that person, object, or whatever it may have been. After two minutes of quickly jotting down what I was grateful for, I closed my eyes and my pencil fell on the word "rain."   I had written it down because it was raining and I was glad. I know to some of you it's strange to be grateful for rain, but I am!  Here's my note.

Dear Rain,

I know this sounds odd, but I am grateful for you today. After the extreme drought and heat of the summer, I still smile every time you come. I'm thankful that you fell as rain and not freezing rain or sleet. I'm thankful that the added moisture and warmer temperatures brought fog this morning. I took a lovely walk in the woods through the fog with you lightly falling on my head. I listening as you fell from the trees and splashed in the creek. You soothed me as I took long, deep breaths and smelled the damp, wet earth and trees. All days can't be sunny and bright, our earth needs you!
Singing in the rain,
Cathy

Then comes the second part of my day. The rain quit for a while in the afternoon and I decided to get my grocery shopping over with.  I parked the car and there was a grocery buggy pushed up to a post nearby. That's a pet peeve of mine, I don't understand why anyone would leave one sitting on the lot and not push it to the store or the buggy return. Obviously, they have never seen one caught by the wind, begin to roll, and crash into the side of someone's car! Okay, I'll get off my soapbox now and get on with the story! Oh, my, as I began to push this buggy to the store, I realized I had just touched the cadallic model of a shopping cart!  Seriously, never in the over forty years of grocery shopping have I ever pushed such a smooth buggy. She  (yes I think it was a she) didn't have a dent or a ding, her handle was smooth and her chrome was shiny. Her wheels...perfect, all four of them, black and smooth with just a small amount of dirt on them. She was silent, not a sound did she make. No squeaks or pops, no annoying thud as a wheel rotated. She was brand new, I know she was! She sailed down the aisles, smoothly negotiated the corners, and glided to the checkout. I'm sure I must have forgotten something at the store. I spent so much time marveling at my buggy. I wanted to stop other shoppers and let them have a chance to push this buggy. They would have been filled with envy! After I loaded my groceries in the trunk, I pushed her into one of the buggy returns. I wanted to take my key and etch my initials in her handle so I could find her again. What are those chances?  Zero to none!!  As I left her I patted her handle and bid her fair well. If anyone had been around I would have said "here take this buggy, you will love her!"

 

Being grateful doesn't always have to be about the big things. Sometimes it's the silliest, smallest things that can bring us joy!

If you want to turn your life around,
try thankfulness.
It will change your life mightily.
~Gerald Good
 

Fuel Your Creativity Gratitude Exercise

with Kat Eye Studio