Bring on the gratitude, I say.

I wanted to take a moment to say how I got started with gratitude Friday, since a few of you have asked.  Last winter, during a particularly rough patch with Ella, I read an article in the wonderful Yoga Journal about keeping a gratitude journal as a way to open your heart to gladness, even a way to battle depression.  I think my simultaneous reactions were “Wouldn’t that be nice!” and “No way this will work, no way it can be that simple.”  Well, I decided to give it a try, even though I’ve never successfully kept a journal.  You would think I would learn, eventually, that the simple things are always the ones that work.  Long story short, I still keep that journal, I love it, and it provides a wonderful antidote to stressful or gloomy times.  I discovered Gratitude Friday posts on Shelley’s blog a few months back, and thought it would be a perfect extension of the journal.  So here we go!  (One of my favorite things about listing gratitudes is that, even when it’s hard to start, soon they come pouring out.  It really is an amazing exercise.)

This week, I’m grateful for all of you who’ve joined us for the Ten Steps.

Grateful for the community we live in, our neighbors and friends (old, new, and ones we haven’t met yet!)

Grateful that we get to go visit family next week for Thanksgiving – my favorite holiday!

Grateful for Bill McKibben’s Hundred Dollar Holiday, which I just finished reading.  It has a totally fascinating history of Christmas – not what you’d expect at all .

Grateful for the chance to make our special cranberry-pecan sourdough, pumpkin tarts, and cranberry-caramel tart next week.  Yummy!

Grateful, always, for the chance to work with my hands and my heart.

Grateful that we (and our animals) are all healthy.

Grateful for the chance to dance in the living room with my girl.

Grateful for the chance to count my blessings.

Have a great weekend everyone!