April started and the Afthead life ramped up to a new level: gardens to plant, soccer games to play, school and work chaos to wrangle, and why not throw in a construction project to top it all off? Things are busy, not passive aggressive whiny busy, but filled with things we love to do. Today as I rode my bike home from dropping my car off for an oil change I thought about all the things I’m grateful for right now:
- For the computer glitch that allowed me to book an oil change appointment even when there were no slots available, and for the kind man who said he would fit me in.
- For the ability to ride my bike home past Craig Hospital where two people were outside in their wheelchairs enjoying the beautiful weather.
- For the stunning flowers this spring made more precious by the snow forecast this weekend.
- For soccer season, the girls on our team, the parents of those girls, and my own daughter’s growth in skill and friendship and enjoyment of the game. Also, because she’s learning how to “suck it up” when things don’t go her way – a life lesson she desperately needs.
- For unexpected bravery ignited by soccer friends which has led to my daughter desperately excited about going to sleep away camp this summer. My baby at eight wants to go to sleep away camp? How does that happen?
- For warm cats in sunshine and remembering how much her brother loved sunbeams.
- For having the means to do this to our basement just because we are tired of having no outlets and two sad overhead lights. It just feels decadent to get rid of the old dropped ceilings and flickering florescent lights and build a real grown up basement…just because we want to.
- For a free cinnamon roll!
- For amazing colleagues who leave mysterious tiny unicorns on everyone’s computer and can be counted on to creatively find a way to keep us going even after losing a huge chunk of funding.
- For the patience to believe my writing is only in hibernation while the rest of the world is waking up and that it too will return after this season of fullness ends.
- For friends, which is a whole series of posts coming. I am so grateful right now for friends.
Happy Thursday readers! I am so grateful for you too!
Afthead 
Very nice Johanna! I’m grateful that you’re one of my blogging buddies. Those purple flowers are amazing, by the way.
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Kathy you should smell them! They smell even prettier than they look. Hyacinths welcome me every morning as I walk out the front door. I’m going to miss them when we get 18 inches of snow this weekend.
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What in the world??? So glad I live in FL lol
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Yeah, cause you have pterodactyls and bugs the size of small pets!
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lmao – true true
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You should start including insects in your “inspiring image” posts!
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Unicorns!!! They are magical!
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Totally magical…
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Oh, loved the gratitude list and those pictures! Especially before our snow this weekend. It made me grab my special journal, the one that looks like an Italian vineyard with its leather spine (a gift from one daughter)…and make my own gratitude list:
1. The gift from nature to water our land, even if it is snow. I shall NOT complain
2. My husband. Today, anyway. He awakes each day, with a grin and usually some goofy statement while he brings me coffee. And he is NOT a morning person. I find this extraordinary.
3. My kids and grandkids. They rock. ‘Enuf said.
4. The ability for me, at this (of a certain)age to return to textbooks, assignments, complex processes, critical thinking and not only enjoy it, but UNDERSTAND IT. …genetics, though…hmmm. I shall NOT complain.
5. Refrigerators. Because they house my yogurt, my favorite fruits and the homemade juice I make without complaining.
Oh! And my working plumbing! in this old mining cottage (130 yrs old), the status is always iffy!
Keep me updated with your basement remodel! oh the joy, but it will be so worth it!
Happy week ahead!
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Yes, the beautiful hyacinth is completely snow covered right now. Not a tip of purple is visible. I guess those weather dudes were right again! You are so right about the water though. My flowers and early veggies will drink this up and be thankful for the moisture. Enjoy all your gratitudes on your list and have a lovely week yourself! Thanks for the amazing comment, and I’m glad I inspired you to make a list too.
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How is your gratitude list this weekend? I am watching a very determined bad squirrel ride my bird-feeder for the umpteenth time today! Making me crazy nuts to figure a way to save the birdseed for the BIRDS!
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The unicorns are awesome!
I like the expression “season of fullness.” So many things to be great full for.
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Really, we are busy, but busy has such a negative whiny sense, at least when I say it, so I tried to come up with something more positive. We are full, occasionally uncomfortably full, but even that’s good sometimes. So great full, you are right!
And yes…aren’t the unicorns awesome?
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Ha ha, I just realized my phone said great full instead of grateful. Oops. But great full does work, doesn’t it?
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Shhh. You made a meaningful and purposeful phrase using my gratitude for a great and full life to come up with great full. It was genius, not a mistake.
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I like your reasoning 🙂
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