gaiagranolaranger

... T’s company for the rides down and back
... feeling better today than the past several days. I am not accustomed to emotional swings; this was unusual in an unpleasant way.
... C’s cheerfulness and companionship this evening
... the opportunity to go watch V’s BMX event tonight, and his mom’s invitations to do so.
... D’s devotion
... strawberry shortcake

... for seeing D’s relatives and friends this weekend
... for the sun coming out this evening, glowing off the landscape
... for a lovely sauna with D
... for the Vs
... for dinner fresh from the garden

Today I feel gratitude for …
... having spent most of the day in the field
... L’s excellent presentation & a lovely sandwich, both enjoyed at the FR
... a copy of Richard Dawkins’ book, discovered while @FR
... a night to myself

Today’s loan added the Phillipines to the list! My “thing” on Kiva is to make loans to women with agricultural projects. Here’s the current tally:

azerbaijan
bolivia-3
cambodia-3
costa rica
democratic republic of the congo
ecuador
kyrgyzstan
mali
mongolia
pakistan
paraguay
peru
phillipines
senegal
togo
uganda
vietnam

I read Omnivores Dilemma a couple years ago, and before that Fast Food Nation. Eating more locally grown foods has been something we have strived to do for several years. But I am ready to draw more lines in the sand, to try harder, after tonight watching Food, Inc. Much of it I’d already read about. But tonight what struck me (and ticked me off!) was the segment about the seed saver man, who was hunted and subdued by an ag/chemical giant. One of the points that rolls across the screen is that today, at least 90% of all soybeans planted in this country contain genetically modified seed and are therefore AUTOMATICALLY OWNED not by the farmer, but by the seed company!?? WHAT?! And if a farmer chooses to participate in the ANCIENT farming practice of saving seeds to plant for next year, the company can sue him AND WIN! WHAT?!

So. My resolution is to reconsider consumption of soymilk and other soy-based products. I need to research to confirm that they contain GMO soybeans. And if they do, I need to stop using them.

moments of yearning regarding this goal, so motivation is definitely not a problem. Usually these moments come after long days of work, when I have come home tired and look at the stiff rocking chairs in the living room and think, “Damn, it would be nice to lie back on a soft couch and read/sip wine/nap/whatever!”

Once I complete the “Pay off bill to C” goal, this one will be tops on the list (though other family members are making noise about getting a wash machine, so I’ll have that objection with which to contend…)

paid last Friday. Three to go.

I feel gratitude for …
... this beautiful evening! I enjoyed an energizing walk in the warm, still, bug-free summer air!
... the way the extra-plentiful rain has made spotted knapweed so very easy to pull, tap-root and all.
... leftover broccoli/cheese quiche.
... the will to think positively about work the past couple days, despite some seriously “sucky” stuff.
... C’s safe arrival at MSU and her call letting me know.
... our good fortune to live where we do …

... C on her 15th. Happy birthday, baby!
... the happy party kids
... P & T, for arriving safely from their long drive
... D & M, for joining us for dinner
... D’s excitement for the upcoming fishing weekend.

... for work that takes me outdoors to beautiful places for wholesome reasons. It may not be perfect, but I am so thankful that my job does feel like “right livelihood” most of the time.
... for this rainy day. It felt good to be out in the rain. As naturalist Enos Mills is quoted: There is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing.
... for the list of things to do which guided me this evening. I feel ready for C’s party tomorrow and for D’s guests arriving tomorrow, too!
... for Cr’s continuing progress in the shop. D and I went through the salvaged windows and chose those we thought would fit in the east and south wall. Cr chose one for the north wall, too, which will help with airflow with stored firewood.
... for the pair of loons that have been hanging around the dock lately. It’s unlikely, but we wonder if they are looking for a place to nest on the bay.

... C’s walk/talk with me. I like that she feels so free to tell me what she thinks, even when it’s difficult.
... Lots of laughs w/C this evening.
... D’s sense of humor
... Piano
... Q … even though I still miss him

... for a weekend that involved almost no driving. I love being at home with my peeps!
... for how lovely the lawn looks when freshly mown, even though we seem to have lots of “projects” sitting around the yard still!
... for the re-landscaping D & I were able to quickly & easily re-accomplish in the front yard. Seems like this will do more to drain the water around the house than anything else we’ve done. And it was CHEAP!
... for Sauna!
... for Friends

I am grateful
- for the release I feel when I write to Q … I miss him so.
- for vision, so that when I awakened this morning I could look out over the water and think, “What a lovely view…”
- for D, whose kind love endures & inspires
- for a slow Saturday morning
- for C’s happiness about her new hairdo
- for my computer and photos, which combine to make lovely letters …

—for a lovely sunrise, especially the pillowy pink clouds
—to wake up at home, with my sweetie beside me and my baby purring in her bed
—for the cheerful sounds of the birds, an auspicious way to begin the day
—for the work that will be done at home today
—for my job, which in many ways feels like “right livelihood”

- cell phone conversation with D this morning; excellent to catch up with my dear
- knowing that C is in good hands
- an informative session
- delicious lunch @ the BC
- upcoming long walk into town to meet co-workers for evening meal
- also, for yoga in my hotel room last night and tonight … ahhhhhh!

I feel gratitude for
- safe travels for both vehicles
- dinner and conversation with my parents and my daughter
- C’s lovely chatter for hours and hours :-) She is so dear!
- Time alone
- Black Cat, Books, and Thoughts

... for the beautiful, relaxed feeling I had this morning as I woke up. Wish I could feel that way every morning when the alarm goes off at 5 a.m.!
... for the successes we had at work today.
... for T’s decision to ask A to lead the project.
... for this lovely evening sunshine, which I about to go out and enjoy!
... for homemade bread and soup for dinner … mmmmmm.
... and for D’s dedicated love, commitment to our marriage, and friendly demeanor. ILY

Today I feel gratitude…
... for D’s help with hauling stones today
... that we got our #1 job done in the yard today
... that the birds are enjoying our new feeder arrangement, so that we can now enjoy them even more!
... for fresh-baked rhubarb pie! The crust is especially tasty this time, and the fresh orange peel adds a lovely zest.
... for the rain, all day, while we worked in the mud and gravel—and now for the appearance of the sun!

Recently we have had several accomplishments in being frugal with what we have.

On the one hand, we emptied all the “stuff” out of the old garage in preparations to do some repair work on the foundation and to fix up the interior a bit and make it easier to organize. In the process of cleaning stuff out of the space, there were many opportunities to decide what we will keep and what we will get rid of. And we ARE getting rid of (wasting??!)things—as I write this D. is taking a 3rd load to the dump.

But, we are also finding ways to “use it up” and “wear it out.” We’re keeping old cabinets and shelves to use in organizing the space into a shop and woodstorage. I found several old cans of drywall screws which we have almost used up already with putting up the fence. I snagged an old wooden board with peg hooks for future use in the sauna change room. I saved two screen doors and an exterior door from going to the dump—they’ll be perfect for the garage and sauna.

We’re also striving to stick to the “make it do” approach with the renovation of the garage. We don’t want to spend too much on it, just solve the problem and make the space meet our needs.

I’m less certain what I can say about “do without.” When I see the poverty in our world, I know that we are so fortunate. I sometimes feel ashamed, for instance, that in my life “do without” might mean waiting a couple years for a couch that I want NOW. But eventually, I’ll be able to afford it. Clearly, that is not really what “do without” means.

1. Today I feel thankful that I was able to keep myself focused on a several daunting tasks at work. I didn’t quite complete them all, but worked on them religiously. If I can do that for one more day & get the input I need, I know it will be done at last.

2. I felt so thankful this afternoon to see C’s happy face and to spend a few minutes with her friends and their family. They had such fun camping, despite the rain and muck!

3. I feel thankful for the lovely vegetable wraps D. made for dinner tonight.

4. I feel thankful for the bread dough I had made, ready and waiting in the fridge. How lucky we are to live comfortably and to be able to pop dough out of the fridge, let it raise, and bake it in an oven. And best of all, to eat it!

5. I feel thankful for our comfortable bed … It’s been a long week and I am ready for rest!