Gratitude #53

If every cloud has a silver lining, then this month we've all been awash in precious metals - if we've been looking hard enough. I wonder if we've topped the records yet for amount of rainfall and cool, cloudy days in June - or as the pundits are calling it Junuary?

No matter - the more clouds, the more silver - that's how I choose to see it. Yes, I adore warmth and sunshine, but this weather has its upsides. The lettuce, kale and chard are thriving. I don't have to water my little seedlings - they are growing beautifully. I'm picking lettuce by the bucketful every day.

And weather like this gives me much needed downtime. For most of my life I have been the first one to say, "I'm bored! There's nothing to do!"

In other words, I've been a human doing rather that a human being. And I think that's because I am in constant pursuit of feeding my achievement drive. You don't achieve much by just being. But I'm getting better at this (as long as you don't make me sit down and meditate). Today J called to suggest we cancel Mount Benson and do a shorter hike. Sure I said and suggested Extension Ridges. So we did that - three hours. Plenty of time to get back for lunch and a nice post-prandial nap and a complete lazy rest of the day.

I'm getting it that being lazy and doing nothing are okay. Nothing wrong with it. Good for the soul actually. The grey weather acts as a perfect excuse. Not for one minute do I feel guilty or like I "should" be out weeding the garden. Later today - a bubble bath - yet another silver lining.

Gratitude #52

So these are the new watercolours I had framed at Gallery 223 - they did a really superb job!

I hung them in the bedroom and they completely finish off the new decor! Perfect. Beauty is such a high value for me - and I get extreme satisfaction every time I walk into the room now and see how wonderful it looks. It's a serene and pretty space.

So I'm grateful that my home re-decorating project is complete. I even framed another watercolour for the main room and it too works beautifully. Here it is -

Completely different but it too gives me immense satisfaction.

In fact, let me just say that today was filled with satisfaction. It was the kind of day I like - a day when I madly and efficiently tick things off my to-do list and it's going so well that I get even more ambitious and drunk by the sheer accomplishment of it all that I move into the next day's list and start ticking that off too.

I love, love, love that feeling. It's called achievement on steroids. I know I am a high achiever - have been all my life. Knowing how to meet that need constructively is a true gift.

I feel so ambitious I'm even considering moving on to cleaning the house - but no - let's save that for tomorrow. It's enough that I went to the chicken farm and got Abby's dog food for the next month or more, got all my grocery shopping done, got my invoicing done, met deadline on my stories, booked my next three assignments, ordered my office supplies - and I'm sure there were a few other things that I can't even remember. What I do remember is taking out my daytimer - check, check, check....

Gratitude #51

Sometimes it's just enough to be busy.

The past two days have been hectic to say the least. It's one of those weeks with lots and lots of work. And then, there's nothing that beats the feeling of having it all done - to be followed on Friday by the excellent feeling of invoicing for the work done - to be subsequently followed by the even better feeling of receiving a cheque and depositing it to the bank account.

Yup - I am crass enough and material enough to enjoy all of these stages of work - in fact, I enjoy them so much that I can't see myself giving them up any time soon.

I sometimes wonder what the difference is between now and a year ago. I was working then and I'm working now but officially I retired last September. I suppose the real difference is that I can say no to work I don't want to do. There is tremendous freedom in that - or, I should say - autonomy. I thrive best when I am autonomous.

And so, life is good. I am spending more time in the garden where I am reaping heaps and heaps of lettuce and eating a bucket (literally) of it every other day - or even more often. I am also harvesting kale and chard and soon the peas will be ready. My strawberries are amazing. What a blessing to live where I do and to have this bounty right outside my front door.

I am so blessed.

Gratitude #50

Two things to be grateful for today: the farmers' market - and not just my own Cedar Farmers' Market but for all farmers' markets. You can't beat fresh, local produce, often organic - always tastier and healthier than stuff trucked in over thousands of miles. Going hand in hand with that is my enormous gratitude for having my own organic vegetable garden. There is a simple pleasure in spending a couple of hours hoeing weeds, thinning seedlings, picking lettuce, sowing more seeds. tidying up - and then standing back and admiring the results of all the hard work.

I imagine making a living as a small local farmer must be very hard work but intensely rewarding.

So the following is my ode to our local farmers (in photos).

Gratitude #49

I'm madly grateful that my home re-decorating project is completed - and not only because I love the new look. I am also madly excited that I got a chance to clean every nook and crevice that I never get around to - mainly because I can't reach them.

So I got all the dust bunnies (more like jack rabbits actually) out from behind the bed and the fridge (and retrieved many of Abby's long lost toys) and I vacuumed everywhere - even those wee cracks between the floor and the baseboards.

So - here's my happy picture gallery:

Gratitude #48

I love my new bedroom - I love everything about it! I love the white on white on white with a touch of green in the duvet cover. I love the white lace curtain and the freshness of new paint and new Egyptian cotton sheets. I love that I had the chance to vacuum where I never can reach - behind the bed and along the baseboards etc. etc. - Sucked up all that dog hair and other dust jackrabbits (bigger than bunnies by far).

I even love the hectic and chaotic day I had - and the fun I created around the fact that I was "homeless." Visited with friends, did my shopping, hiked with Abby and had a fabulous lunch at Powerhouse Foods - such good food!

One more "Homeless" day tomorrow and then my home will look lovely and everything will simmer back down to normal.

Oh yes - I'm also grateful for shorts weather today. Do I love shorts weather? Do Great White Sharks like flimsy fishing boats off Cape Cod?

Gratitude #47

So much to be grateful for today. First for a sunshine filled summer solstice with early morning mist hovering over the fields.

I'm grateful for a productive day with good writing done and appreciated.

I am grateful - and tremendously excited - that the painters come tomorrow. All I have to do now is take everything off the walls and de-clutter as much as possible. This is a challenge in a small space. Somehow we will make it work. The chief thing is for me to disappear for two days - well for the most part anyway. Lots of walking and hiking for Abby and I.

Lastly, I am hugely thrilled about my first two ripe strawberries picked today. I shared, of course. Paul and I agreed they were the best strawberries ever!

Gratitude #46

I love ordinary days like today - even when it's a Monday. Today presented a combination of all the best everyday things. I had a good interview this morning after taking Abby for a walk. Loved my lunch while reading the paper. Savoured my afternoon chocolate. Put in a good hour working in the garden and with all the weeds gone, I really had something to show for the work. Picked another bucket of lettuce for dinner tonight. The kale and chard are ready for picking and I'll be adding them to tomorrow's dinner.

Came back in to find two new assignments waiting for me.

So it's all these little things - each one feels like a win. And now I get to kick back and read a good book and generally have a wonderful evening - anticipating a super day tomorrow. And my worries about the bed skirt and pillow cases have disappeared. Being obsessive about these things (oh yes I am) I drove back up to Woodgrove yesterday and exchanged the cream coloured ones for white and now I feel ever so much better.

Yes - home decorating is an obsessive/compulsive disorder in my world. When I have my vision in my head, I will agonize until it manifests. I've been known to wander about a room for an hour looking for the exact best place to hang a picture. And trust me, it has to be perfect and there is always only one perfect place. There you have it - another of my deep, dark secrets.

There's only one thing left to do now - the painting - then I'll hang new curtains, put on new sheets, hang new pictures - it's going to look beautiful!

Yup - it's been a good day! And tomorrow is Tuesday - new movie, book and music day! Exciting!

Gratitude #45

Father's Day. I am grateful for my father. While my mother modeled the things I did not want to be, my father gave me the blueprint for living a life based on optimism, guts and gumption.

He wasn't perfect - not by a long shot. But he loved me and his mantra was "No worries!"

A few years before he died - and this is going back a ways now - I flew out to Toronto on Father's Day to surprise him. I remember walking into the den where he was chatting with a friend (who was in on the surprise) and he looked at me first in disbelief. Then he started to cry. That was the second time in my life I saw tears in his eyes. The other time was when Sparky, his dog, died. If he held me in as much esteem as Sparky, that's saying quite a lot.

By today's standards, he wasn't a "great" dad. He didn't take us to soccer games or get down on the floor and play with us. But he built a doll house for me, even making all the tiny little chairs, tables and sofas. And he even did the upholstery and installed a battery so that the house had real lights. It was a dream house.

Best of all, he set the example: nothing could stop him. There was always a silver lining. Twice he was told by doctors that he would never walk again. Both times he said, "watch me."

He loved his family.

He was a good man.

Gratitude #44

I have so much to be grateful for today - but most of all, I am grateful for my worries.

Let me explain. Today was shopping day - I'd finally researched everything I needed to buy and had made up my mind about what to purchase and then where to go.

I started with John's Bedroom Barn because dogs come first. Now look at that photo. Is this a happy dog? Just look at the size of that bed? And then the plushness and softness of it! It's probably more luxurious than any bed I have ever slept in and I got two of them for Abby. Yes, Abby has two beds: one for the great room beside my desk and one for the bedroom. This bed actually lets her stretch out without bits of her hanging over the ends - which is what happened with her old worn-out beds. I had actually called John's Bedroom Barn to see if they could make new covers for her existing beds. Then, when they told me they sold pet beds and when I heard the price! Well, say no more! These best dogs beds I have ever seen are less than half the price of any you will find in a pet store.

So that was happiness number one. And Abby has been lying on (in) this bed since I brought it home over two hours ago and refuses to leave.

Next stop: Sleep Country where I bought two sets of sheets in white - 800 thread count Egyptian cotton. Yup - I also need to be indulged.

Next stop (well technically the next stop was in the parking lot outside Sleep Country when I realized that I forgot to buy extra pillow cases and scraped my bumper on some stupid median I didn't see - sigh - and so I decided not to go back in. I know - huh?) Quilts etc. in Woodgrove for a new bed skirt and pillow cases. I bought cream - not white - and I have a green duvet cover. White, green and cream all seem to go together - but there you have the source of my worries. I am worried that I should perhaps have stuck with white. No, really - I am really, genuinely *worried* about this. And that's why I feel grateful and blessed - that this is the greatest source of my anxiety!

It falls right in there with my gratitude about paying taxes. How lucky I am that I make enough money to pay taxes. And the more I pay in taxes the more grateful I am. Really! Think about it!

Okay - onwards with the fun. I shop so rarely that it really was a special occasion. Fabricland was my last stop where a lovely lady helped me pick out some non-fray (I won't have to sew any hems) lacy white fabric for a new window scarf.

Then, on the way home I realized I was short two pillow cases - to be picked up next week I suppose. (another source of anxiety - what if they're out of my colour?)

So - I bless my worries and I am grateful to the really terrific sales people who helped me today. Every one of them made my experience far more enjoyable. Special mention to John's Bedroom Barn and Sleep Country.

Now - if I can unglue my dog from her bed, we might take a hike down to Boat Harbour. Then - my next chore - start cleaning the tops of things (bookcases, ceiling fan) and moving stuff around in preparation for painting days - likely to happen next week.

Oh - the other piece of great news - all that money spent and I am right on budget! Hurrah!

Gratitude #43

The excitement has begun - I love this kind of excitement - things moving, happening, changing. Today I took my watercolours to the framing shop - new decoration detail. Today Cathy came and gave me a great quote for painting and we picked perfect colour samples. Painting will take place within two weeks. That means I'll be shopping this weekend for new sheets, window treatment, bed skirt, dog beds - all the new stuff I need. This weekend Paul is cleaning my windows (I don't do ladders).

So it's all coming together. Hurrah!

Very exciting. I'll take photos when it all starts to happen. I'm not sure I like the chaos of the process - but I do love the end result. So bring it on!

Gratitude #42

I am deeply, deeply grateful to political activists. If not for these brave people, I doubt very much there would be such a thing as democracy - tenuous and fragile as it is today.

It's funny how the "system" hates activists, forgetting that it was born that way. The original tea party in Boston - that whole lot - nothing but a bunch of rabble rousing political activists.

Today, if government truly had its way, we would once again be living in a feudal system. You and I would be working while the folks on the hill reaped the profits.

Oh wait - that's already happening. Yes it is, and that's why need activists. I probably don't get active as much as I "should." But at least I add my name to the online petitions and every now and then I make my voice heard much more strongly. And I vote - every single time.

I will not allow Enbridge to build a pipeline to the West Coast - I will not allow Harper to turn our country into a facist dictatorship. Happily, there are many thousands of us who feel this way and we will make our voices heard. This is our country. It does not belong to Harper and it does not belong to a multi-national oil company. It may seem that way - it may seem that money is everything. But it is not. History proves us right.

The power is with us. All we have to do is exercise it.

Gratitude #41

I'm not sure if my gratitude is for the creativity of home decor or the fact that I enjoy it or the fact that I can afford to do it - all I can say is that I am slowly working myself up to a fine sense of excitement over the changes I am about to make.

I notice a pattern when I am about to make a major purchase/change. First I think about it for quite some time - could be up to a year. Then I get busy on the web and look at ideas and prices etc. Then - the stage before things happen in earnest (today) I go out to look, feel and compare. And finally, after all that prep work - I go ahead and do it.

I started at Home Sense looking at bedding. I migrated to Sleep Country where I adore the service and where I discovered, much to my surprise, a fine selection of high thread count Egyptian Cotton bedding. Then on to Woodgrove where I toured Quilts and Things and The Bay.

Tomorrow Alison from Sonshine Girls is coming to give me a quote on painting the place. I now have a very good sense of what I want to do and buy and how much it's going to cost - and I'm getting excited. I think the new look is going to be good. I think I'm going to paint the whole place white/ivory with perhaps one or two accent walls in suede. New bedding in white/ivory - I'm going for the sort of gauzy/rustic/romantic look if that makes sense.

I've always loved decorating. I've gone from modern to Mediterranean to country with a few stops in-between.

Oh yes - there's one other real bonus to changing the decor - it means that the place gets a really good cleaning. And goddess knows, it needs to happen.

Gratitude #40

To say that I am grateful for having Abby in my life is a ginormous understatement.

It wasn't always this way. My lab before Abby was Lizzie and she left large paws to fill. As Sylvia, my vet. put it, "Lizzie was a star."

She died too soon - bone cancer. And it was awful. I held her in my arms as she sighed out her last breath. The pain was expected - but unexpected in its immediacy and intensity.

I didn't wait to get another puppy. Within six weeks I brought Abby home - seven weeks old. And as a puppy she was nothing like Lizzie. Lizzie had been a calm, sweet, dependent puppy who wanted to do nothing more than be where I was and cuddle up. Abby, on the other hand, saw the entire world as her chew toy. And she had a huge streak of independence. On the first night, I expected the usual - puppy whimpers, needing to go out - etc. etc. I was prepared for several nights of interrupted sleep. I placed Abby in her crate and put the crate right beside my bed where I could reach out my hand to reassure her of my presence whenever she woke up.

Abby settled in and went to sleep. The next time she woke was when I did at about 6.30 a.m. And she slept through the night every time thereafter - well, expect for that one time a few weeks later when she'd eaten something in the field that she shouldn't have. When I heard a whimper in the middle of the night I knew it was something serious. I pulled on a robe, opened the crate and grabbed her. Of course, Abby was hugely relieved - she wouldn't have to mess her bed - but as I rushed her to the door to let her out, she left a trail all the way from the crate......

Yeah, I know - too much information.

Abby and I went to puppy classes and then the next two levels of classes. Her chewing and biting were awful. She threw temper tantrums when she didn't get her way. She fought me. There was one time when I was about ready to give up. This is the wrong pup for me, I thought.

But I didn't give up. I kept loving her and then - she started loving me back.

Today, four years later, I can't imagine a life without my girl. We walk for about two hours every day. On weekends she comes hiking with me - no matter how high or hard or long she walks with her tail wagging. She is my best friend. We take road trips together and she is an awesome road dog.

In other words, she's my dog. There are many like her, but Abby is mine. And no, she's still not perfect. She never did get over the habit of stealing things - anything. If we come across a group of picnickers when we hike, they are bound to lose something - food, hats, gloves, cameras, mugs - it's all the same to Abby. She has stolen fish bait and an entire freshly caught fish, which she swallowed complete with the plastic bag it was wrapped in. She has stolen countless gloves, empty beer cans and take-out coffee containers. She has run off with tools and cleaning rags, bits of horse harness and dressage hats. She has stolen baby blankets. The list is obviously a long one.

But she's still my dog and I love her - I am her forever home.

Gratitude #39

I think that at some point I mentioned that I am grateful to my mother for showing me all the things I don't want to be or do in my life.

Today I realized something a bit deeper than that. I called this morning and instead of asking her "How are you?" which inevitably leads to a litany of all that is wrong, I told her some exciting news. I had been reading about various advances in science - like being able to upload your memories to a computer and then possibly downloading them to a new body - like printing a heart - like taking skin cells, making stem cells from them and then growing any body organ from the stem cells. My mother shared my wonder and excitement and the conversation evolved from there. We had a terrific talk.

So I'm grateful that at age 96 my mother is totally brain alive (as opposed to brain dead) and can grasp so many ideas and concepts and can talk about them intelligently. For the first time in dozens and dozens of phone calls with her, I felt good when I finally hung up. And it wasn't because she had changed - my mother is exactly the same. I had to change.

And the lesson has to be learned over and over again - if I want different results, I have to do it differently. I am the only person in any of my relationships who must change.

That's the good news. It means that all the power for the results in my life are in my hands. And for that I am very grateful indeed.

Gratitude #38

"Anticipation"

That - in my humble (arrogant?) opinion is one of the best words in the English language.

My earliest memory of anticipation is centered around Christmas - that delicious feeling on Christmas Eve when you know that something very mysterious and magical is about to take place. Is anything quite as wondrous as the anticipation of a four-year-old?

Today, my anticipation may be more mature (read "muted) but it's still quite yummy. For instance, I am happily anticipating my coming month-long road trip that is less than three months away. More immediately, as soon as I finish writing this, I am going to pack my rucksack (still love that old word) and head out to Maple Mountain for a day hike. The clouds that poured endless rain on us all week long have completely vanished. The sky is cerulean and unbroken - a vast azure dome. And so Abby and I will set out, do a very steep climb to the top, drink in the views, soak up the Vitamin D and throw aside all our stress. Well, I will - Abby doesn't have any stress as far as I can see. Smart dog.

Gratitude #37

I admit I'm not shouting my joy about our current weather from the rooftops! I'm not hurrying outdoors to play in the rain - no, make that "relentless downpour." Rain is too kind a word for what's falling from the sky. It's a bit like the Queen's Jubilee jaunt on the Thames when they had to cancel the flyby - only worse.

But I am, oddly enough, also rather grateful for a day like today - and not because I'm a masochist either. First, the grass seed is sprouting like mad and the field is going to be lush in a matter of days. My lettuce is producing a bumper crop and the peas are happy too. In fact, the kale, chard, radishes and even carrots are thriving. We're conserving water, which is always nice at the beginning of summer.

But here's the best part about a day like this in June (otherwise known as Joctober) - and especially today because I have no work on the agenda - I can stay in as much as possible (except for the fact that I have a dog, I would curl up on the couch all day.), Still, I don't have to feel guilty about not weeding, pruning or otherwise tinkering with the garden. I don't have to feel guilty about anything at all. I can vegetate, read books, even take a hot bubble bath. I can have lunch and nap afterwards for as long as I like and I can taste test my newest collection of organic dark chocolate purchased just this morning.

Now that sounds like a day to be totally grateful for.

Gratitude #36

Today I would like to say thanks to the caveman who decided to toss a hunk of meat at the dog that had been slinking close to his campfire for a while, thus beginning one of the most beautiful relationships in our lives.

I was going to write about my own dog, Abby - and I will one of these days, probably ad nauseum. But today I just want to write about all dogs - to sing praises, so to speak. I have shared my life with dogs for most of my years on this earth and my life is richer because of it.

Dogs love us and we love them. Dogs prove that you don't need words to be able to speak volumes. You don't need well developed facial muscles in order to express emotions. You don't need arms to hug. You don't need excellent table manners to be welcome at public gatherings. All you need is a huge heart and constant devotion to someone outside yourself. You need to be willing to be in service to the one or ones you love.

Dogs are the most philosophical of creatures. They stoically, and often ecstatically, take what life delivers and they embrace it. They live life in this moment - right now. They risk their lives for us. They comfort us when we are sad. They are our companions when we are lonely. They'll follow us anywhere - road trips, mountain tops, river rafting - it doesn't matter where, they'll be there for us. And all they ask in return is a sip of water, a bit of food and a loving pat now and then. Even if those things aren't forthcoming, they'll stick by us anyway.

I love dogs. I've had big dogs and small dogs, mutts and purebreds. It doesn't matter what breed or size, when they're yours, they are only one thing: the best dog in the world.

Gratitude #35

I'm grateful for small things.

Keep your monster trucks - I'd sooner have something, small, economical and maneuverable.

Keep your monster McMansions - give me a little bungalow where families actually run into each other and get in each other's ways now and then.

Why do we live in a society where bigger is better? Take flowers. I love wildflowers. The fields are a riot of nodding white daisy heads. Some years ago people began to hybridize daisies until they became the size and weight of dahlias. One heavy early summer rain and they're all decapitated on the ground. Not the wild ones - they dance on.

I admire the wildflower garden at Morrell Nature Sanctuary. It's full of ferns and daisies and coral bright wild columbine. I much prefer these delicate little columbines that never need watering or deadheading to the big hybridized version.

Why do we need to buy an entire bucket of popcorn at the theatre? I remember when I was a teen sharing what would now be called a midget bag of popcorn (the large size in those days) and it was perfectly adequate for two. And those monster sodas? How can a stomach even hold that much liquid and sugar? Obesity? Diabetes? Hello? Do you think there's a correlation?

So I'm all for the small. I'll take the small every time - flowers, cars, homes, portions - this has a wonderful effect on planet earth. When we think in terms of small consumption we leave a smaller footprint. Heck, we even start wearing a size small and that can't be all bad.

Gratitude #34

I am eternally grateful for my body's ability to heal itself.

My shoulder has been hurting for weeks, but every day, a little bit less. I pity people who rely on pain killers, anti-inflammatories or other drugs whenever something hurts. Pain is an educational tool. If we stop and listen to it, it can tell us something. Where have we mis-used our joints or muscles? Can we adjust how we perform a certain action? What needs to be done in order for the body to heal naturally?

I'm not even tempted to take a pain-killer, not even when it's bad enough to interrupt sleep. I know that by letting my body use its inherent wisdom, I am doing the best I can.

Not only is my body healing, I have also learned what may have been the cause of this pain and inflammation and how to prevent it in the future. This is great stuff. I also believe that by leaving it alone I am doing it more good in the long run.

Our bodies are miracles - I admire my body tremendously - love it dearly and plan to take great care of it for many more years. That means the best diet I can feed it, lots of good exercise, good water, fresh air and minimum stress. My mother told me many years ago that if you don't have your health, like is not worth living. I suspect she's right. I believe long term health is possible and age be damned!

Gratitude #33

I finished another book or two on my iPad and began to browse through my book stores - iBooks, Kindle, Kobo - oh the choices!

As a confirmed bookaholic, the iPad is like pure crack.

And I found so many books I wanted. Downloaded a free Hans Christian Anderson - all my childhood fairy tales at my fingertips.

And then found Divergent - something dystopian again - and that is so unlike me. And yes I really enjoyed The Hunger Games - so I bought Divergent and will start it later today.

I have to admit that ever since Harry Potter, I have not been discounting teen fiction. It's very good stuff.

What I'm trying to say here is that I love technology - I am grateful for my iPad - and for the fact that I can always find something good to do with my "used" technology. After restoring my laptop, I am going to give it to a friend who needs one. I have always found someone to give a used computer to. And that's great. I love that they don't end up in a landfill somewhere.

My new book is calling me...

Gratitude #32

Remember those bathtubs that were about four inches deep and if you wanted to have a bath and filled it right to the top, you might get your hipbones wet?

Yeah, I know, those stupid tubs are, unfortunately, not in the past. Most people still have them. So - a question to the person responsible for creating them: what were you thinking? I mean, the only way to have a bath in a tub like that is to lie down flat and even then, your tummy or boobs are bound to be floating above the surface of the water.

So I think to myself, maybe the point was small hot water tanks and people made tubs just big enough for one tank of water. Fair enough. But what's the excuse these days when hot water tanks are pretty adequate?

I remember, not that many years ago, moving into a brand new house with a huge soaker tub in the ensuite (a definite selling point). The first night I climbed in, turned on the taps and let the tub fill. The water got to hip level and the hot water ran out. The next day I checked in the mechanical room. Now why - oh why - would a builder stick a huge tub into the bathroom and then install the smallest hot water tank in the world?

And then there was the time I was staying in a house with a tub the size of Lake Ontario. Hell, you could have had a party in that tub. I was ready. I'd checked - ginormous hot water tank. I turned on the tap. A trickle of water came out. It was the tiniest tap on the face of the planet. An hour later, the tub was still only a quarter full and I gave up.

When I moved into my apartment here on the farm, there was no tub - just a shower. After I'd been living here about five years, I mentioned to Paul (landlord) how much I loved it here but I sure as heck did miss a soak in a tub. Next thing I knew a crew of framers was on my deck building an addition and creating a new mud/laundry room and Paul installed in my (now much larger) bathroom a huge soaker tub. Big hot water tank? check. A gusher of a faucet? check.

And ever since then I indulge in a bubble bath about once a week with hot water up to my chin and I am so so grateful. I love the indulgence, especially after a hike. It's pure heaven. In fact, a hot bubble bath is almost up there with dark, organic chocolate - not quite, of course, but pretty close.

Gratitude #31

I hate cleaning. Maybe "hate" is a rather strong word. Let's just say that once a week I get out the old cleaners and rags and the vacuum and make the place acceptable. Because, you see, here's the rub (no pun intended - which reminds me that I told 10 word play jokes to a crowded room hoping to make everyone laugh. No pun in ten did.) - where was I? Oh yes - the rub: I like a clean house. I really do. And I even like the feeling once I'm done - like right now. I have just finished cleaning and it feels as wonderful as a Friday at 5 p.m. when work is packed up stowed away for the weekend.

So here's where today's gratitude comes in: I live in a small (and charming) apartment above the stable: great room, bedroom, laundry/mud room and bathroom - maybe 700 square feet. It's all the space I need, especially given that I'm not one of those people who collects "stuff." My weekly cleaning ritual takes thirty minutes at most. I've lived in much larger places - two hours and maybe even three to get the place cleaned. Back in the day I hired someone to do that whenever I could.

So I am extremely grateful that cleaning is only a thirty minute chore and that being done makes me feel this good. I admit, it's not exactly a spring clean. I don't climb a ladder to dust the blades of the fan and the windows only get a thorough cleaning once a year. As for the inside of my non-self-cleaning oven - you don't want to look.

Still - the dog hair is disposed of and the bathroom sink taps are shiny. That's enough to make me a happy camper.