moments and gratitude

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So very grateful for...

The gardens. The rain. The storms.

And now you see how wild this corner of our garden became this year. (Or was it last year that that happened...?)

Just hours after taking these (yes, more) photographs of our beloved Swiss chard, a huge hailstorm pounded down on our gardens. The chard actually held up quite well. But oh the poor collards!!!

And then there was the second hailstorm. That pretty much wiped out the rest of the chard.

Gallons of ragged greens were harvested. A giant pot of harvest stew was prepared and enjoyed all week.

Grateful for it all.

Grateful that only the gardens suffered damage.

Grateful the squash are in the greenhouse.

Grateful that the girls made it indoors safe and quickly enough when that last storm came up so very suddenly.

It was not a usual storm.

We saw water flowing on our land where it has most likely not flown for decades.

Oh yes. Grateful to know where the water flows.

Many good life lessons brought to us this past summer.

Grateful for it all.

Grateful that our cat is not 18 years old. That's what I came up with yesterday when I counted the years. Fortunately I counted wrong. I was relieved to figure out that he is only 15.

Grateful for the hawthorne that gave such beautiful berries this year, bigger than I have ever seen. The brilliant red, the glowing gold of the wild sunflowers gathered around, the soft blue of the chicory. I  see out the window the colors now faded, but I will remember.

Grateful for this day.
I wake each morning excited for what is to come.
I go to bed each night with a tingly thrill, knowing that my life is full of love and so very good.

Oh, and one more for now...
Grateful that you all will forgive me when I post way too many baby photos later this week. (Even though I did that last week too...)


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