...a thankful heart on thursday!

ooooo!

today i am so thankful for...

* the few extra moments i found to embroider on a "work in progress".

* all the heartfelt comments i received for zane.s mom yesterday.

thank you.  honestly.  thank you.

* a clean microwave.

* the color orange.

* friends who dare to dream with me.

* my mistakes.

because i really do learn what not to do from them

* my 2nd grader barging through the front door just now and hollering...

"stockton is home!"

* the awesome "old" library book checkout cards i found at the local thrift store.

hmmm.  any ideas?

(my children don't even know what those are!)

* the 7 chocolate chip cookies the above "stockton"

just brought to "share" with me.

ya.  right.

* oh.  and caffeine.


so, peeps...what goodness is in your life today?

...a thankful heart on thursday

... so i started this little segment right after thanksgiving of last year in an effort to keep the spirit of gratitude alive in my life all year long.  i like the idea that the little things really are the big things in life sometimes.
have you ever met one of those people who become an "instant" friend?  you know, the type of girl (ok..or guy) you feel you've known forever?  it's such a cool experience.  my beautiful friend kolleen of heartwingsisters is one of those little blessings in my life.  talent, sass, style, good taste in music, creative, caring, good listener, good mama & wife, good friend and on and on...all in one amazing body.  that is kolleen.

she recently gave me this little award.  (i loved her before this i promise!)

i'm suppose to name 10 things i love at the moment,

 & then  pass it onto 10 blogs i love to visit.

since it's a thankful heart on thursday i'm going to combine the two ok?

ready, set, jump...

1. i love my amazing family.

2. i love meaningful conversations with friends who really care and listen.

3. i love that they have antibacterial wipes at the grocery stores for your nasty carts now.

4. i am loving this song i found by donavon frankenreiter called "beautiful day"...you're gonna love this one K!

5. i love seeing all 5 of my children bundled up and swooshing down the hills all together for the 1st time in 17 years.

6. i love this new sitcom my friends turned me on to last week. (because i don't watch t.v.)  it might say a lot about my sense of humor...yikes! so dang funny though.

7. i love the tetons in jackson hole, wyoming.

8. i love my new mac computer.

9. i love fingerless gloves, all chunky and knitted.

10. i loved the ENTIRE box of enstroms almond toffee from denver that i stole (from my dad) hid and ate over the holidays.

(okay, he actually KNEW i was going to eat the whole box, but i didn't share)


hmmm...im gonna start with 7 blogs i love right now
1. tangled sky studio beth phillips is a new artist i have come to LOVE.
2. heartwing sisters if you love music, you'll LOVE k's taste.  it rocks.
3. creating freespirit i LOVE everything about this gal.  gloria will make you smile!
4. the creative beast this girl is brave. no new clothes OR fabric in 2010? seriously?
5. kelly rae roberts duh!
6. tims sally wish you could actually hear miss mindy's voice in all it's southern yumminess and give her some love for being in the new issue of "cloth.paper.scissors" yippy! love ya mindy!
7. allison dayton best friend jewelry designer extraordinaire. why i jingle everywhere i go.

so thursday, there you have it.  lots of stuff to chew on.

peAcE yA'll

...a thankful heart on thursday!

...this thursday i'm thankful for "heartsurprises"

& a friend named marilyn brown!

my friend kolleen inspired me to get a bit more structure to my blog, so in an effort to continue cul*ti*vating gratitude in my life, always, and not just in november, i am going to instigate "a thankful heart on thursday!"  why thursday?  i don't know really.  maybe because it's one of those days that is overlooked because everyone is looking forward to friday and the weekend.  it just seemed like a good day to see what blessings in my life are being "overlooked" as well.  so here it goes...it's official (and you should hold me to that!)

A THANKFUL HEART ON THURSDAY!

as a child i watched "mr. rogers" on occation. (if my big brothers didn't catch me and mock me and change the channel before i could scream!) i remember him talking about gifts and how they make you and others feel.  in a book i found titled "life's journey's according to mr. rogers" he says this...

"the best gifts are often wrapped in the most unspectacular ways.

you've probably had many fancy wrapped-up gifts-gifts which dazzle the eyes and impress the neighbors;

nevertheless, isn't it the

"heartsurprise"

that lingers in your memory and serves to nourish you from year to year?"

yesterday i found a little white envelope addressed to me in the mail.  the writing was cute and i was excited to open it.  a simple card with a bird and a heart and the words, "love is all you need" were accompanied by two little sheets of paper full of words. words from a new found friend.  yet words that seem to be born of a friend i've had for life.  words from the heart.  words of love.  words of encouragement.  words that my own mom might tell me if she were alive.  words of comfort.  words of wisdom.  words of endearment.  words of marilyn brown.

me, marilyn & patty

the beautiful shining soul in the middle above is ms. marilyn.  (she doesn't like to have pictures taken of herself, but i mananged to sneak this one in) marilyn has the biggest heart you will ever find in a person.  i met marilyn at my "unearth retreat" i keep blabbing about and how grateful i am that i did.  i felt immediately drawn to her light and her love.  marilyn has been through some rough times in her life and is such an example of perserverance and bravery to me.  we all watched marilyn blossom in manzanita.  she is so incredibly talented and i have no doubt you'll be seeing her creativity somewhere, sometime!  the art she created there was AMAZING! but what i love most about marilyn is her laughter, her ability to laugh at herself, her wisdom, her honesty,  her encouragment, her love she freely gives and her hugs! you give the best hugs EVER marilyn brown.

i can't tell you how much your "gift" in the mail meant to me marilyn! it came exactly at a time when i needed it most.  how you knew that i'll never know, but i want you to know i am truly grateful for your "HEARTSURPRISE".  like mr. rogers said...your gift will linger in my memory and your heartfelt words are going to nourish me from day to day and year to year.  i treasure this letter and i treasure you!

...so who could use your words of love and encouragement today? let sweet marilyn brown be your example...get going!  what are you waiting for?