Love looks different

We walked into Ralphs the other day, into a blast of red heart balloons, bouquets of roses and gift plants -- red, red, red. At church yesterday, at least half the women were wearing red, some of them very, very red. I appreciated the concept and the celebration - Happy Valentine's Day to the world!!

But sometimes love looks different. This year, it was quiet. Understated. And much appreciated.

• daughters wanting to return home for a day or a weekend
• daughters bringing friends and boyfriends home with them
• a feast of a dinner Saturday night, shared with family
• a husband who spent Valentine's Day afternoon under the kitchen sink, clearing a nasty clog in the drain pipe and replacing an old piece of pipe.
• the same man's creativity in using a car jack to wrench the pipe out
• tools
• take-out Valentine's dinner, ordered on-line (they must have designed that just for me)
• a text message from an absent child, wish me a happy V-day
  
• sunflowers
• 80-degree days with birds singing and pansies blooming
• my temporary handicapped-parking pass
• Friday morning coffee with friends
• a goodbye visit at the office from our middle child, who didn't want to go back to college without a last hug
  

Something to write home about

I don't have much to say. So there.

• Eucalypus trees in silhouette; always one of my favorite things
• farmers' markets
• football & knitting with friends
• catch-up talk with daughters and friends
• new makeup
• aisle seats
• my Dymo LabelWriter
• Berry-flavored sparkling water
• a new blank book
• an old, well-thumbed and read, book
• Google ;-)
• walking in winter sun
  

Still so very thankful

I don't update this often, mostly because I write it as an exercise for myself and I'm not sure anyone else has ever read it. ;-) But I find that perfectionistic part of me really doesn't want to post something publicly unless I am sure it is wonderful, witty, or at least entertaining. And usually what I want to say isn't.

I am thinking regularly about all the little gifts in my life, the ones that I want to record here, and the meaning of the "1000 Gifts" Gratitude Community. Sometimes I smile at a small gift, thanking God for showing me the squirrel running up the orange tree or my husband pointing to the small bird singing loudly to the world. Sometimes I bluster my way through my day, not paying attention to anything but my to-do list and the rumble in my head. I hope to change the ratio of those days.

• the icemaker we waited many years to plumb and the sound of the cubes plunking out at all hours
• text messages, especially from the girls
• soup
• audiobooks
• a friend who says "yippee-do" in gladness to be together
• an office with a window
• the new-to-us cherry cabinet that a friend wanted us to have
• built-in nightlights
• the little bird who sings in the front yard
• hot water
• my new clunky shoes that are so so good for my feet
• friends who are glad to see me even when I am at my crankiest
• my husband cleaning the litter box without being asked or reminded