Seven Small Things #197 - 203

197. That I did not design this billboard. Whoever that designer is, s/he is having a bad day.

198. That when Delilah threw up on the bed this morning Ali was in it and I wasn't!

199. I'm thankful that people in our community who need assistance often have a case manager who goes the extra mile, even though it means that this evening it's just me and the mutts.

200. For cruising past two hundred with no repeats!

201. For a project that's pushing me to learn more. I'm much better at Photoshop than I am at Illustrator.

202. That there are Coconut Hershey Kisses. Just a couple will satisfy a chocolate craving.

203. For a new book waiting to be started right now!

Seven Small Things #190 - 196

190. The difference in our poppies between this morning and this evening. {see below}

191. Dinner on the patio.

192. Someone to put antibiotic creme on the cut on my arm I can't see.

193. An afternoon in the 70's.

194. Iced tea.

195. Scheduling vacation days ahead of time.

196. Pulling weeds out of the big patch of mint and coming away smelling so sweet.

Seven Small Things #183 - 189

183. Homemade breakfast sandwiches :: one toasted everything bagel, one fried egg, two pieces of bacon, one slice of cheddar cheese. . .better than anything at any fast food restaurant I can think of!

184. A slight sunburn on my face and arms. I got my dose of Vitamin D today.

185. Our valiant attempt to keep Delilah from being able to jump the fence. It isn't pretty, but it sort of seems to be working. {not holding my breath though}

186. Ali's first softball games of the year. A double header. They won both. She made the play of the game diving and making a rolling catch in left field.

187. A really, really good weekend.

188. That trees suddenly have leaves they didn't seem to have even yesterday.

189. For laughter. And giggles. And simple smiles.

Seven Small Things #176 - 182

176. The first flea market of the season in Tiffin. I love shooting the flea market because there is such a wide variety of subject matter. For some reason I am drawn to things that just touch the edges of creepy. {more of these to come soon. . . i heart these!}

177. Amish fried pies you can only find at the flea market. I got lemon and raisin!

178. Playing in the dirt and getting all our annuals planted. The front of our house looks really good right now!

179. Helichrysum italicum a.k.a. Curry Plant. We found some at the greenhouse yesterday. It isn't what curry is made from, but just brushing up against this plant makes my mouth water!

180. Waking up before dawn and quietly listening to the birds singing in the trees before getting out of bed.

181. That it rained very gently just after we finished planting yesterday. Nothing like not having to water your new stuff!

182. That my cold is finally making it's exit. Slowly but surely.

Seven Small Things #169 - 175

169. McDonald's coffee when you've run out of cream at home.

170. Fridays!

171. The grace found in laughter, even when a mistake has been made.

172. The library calling to tell you that a book you requested is ready to be picked up.

173. Doing a favor for a friend.

174. Milkbone Sundaes x 3 = much entertainment!

175. Wondering why dogs don't get brain freeze!

Seven Small Things #162 - 168

162. Sun flare in my camera lens. Because it means there's sun!

163. That the trees in northwest Ohio are getting leaves.

164. Families.

165. Dogs with big ears.

166. Birthday boys who turned 11 today.

167. Steak on the grill to help the birthday boy celebrate.

168. My camera.

Seven Small Things #155 - 161

155. That in spite of a headache, sore throat and general malaise, I got a big project mostly done and off my desk at work today.

156. For the grace of skipping Bible study when you're sick, even though you can't skip work.

157. How happy dandelions look, popping their heads up all over the yard.

158. Hearing the first ice cream truck roll down our street tonight playing Music Box Dancer.

159. Remembering that I played Music Box Dancer at my fifth (?) grade piano recital.

160. Hearing J. Vernon McGee on the radio in the guardhouse tonight. When I was about 12 my mother would make us come inside during summer vacation and make us listen to Thru The Bible with Dr. J. Vernon McGee on the radio. It was pure. torture. to. listen. to. that. when. you. were. 12. years. old. and. the. sun. was. shining. and. you. wanted. to. go. play. That radio program made me hate Christianity for a long, long time. {I got over it. Hearing it on the radio tonight made me smile.}

161. Watching our dogs eat frozen carrots. They spend more time watching each other than they do enjoying what's right in front of them. Just like some people I know!

Seven Small Things #148 - 154

148. That feeling conflicted means I'm thinking.

149. The smell of lilacs on my desk at work.

150. The way robins, hopping through your very muddy garden, don't seem to mind that their feet are just a mess.

151. Lunch dates that give you something to look forward to all morning.

152. Just enough caffeine in one cup of coffee to keep me going in the early evening.

153. A freshly mopped kitchen floor.

154. Goodwill hunting. . .and finding things that fit!

Seven Small Things #141 - 147

141. Playing with photographs. And bleach. Together.

142. That God is bigger than my whining.

143. Tiny little bottles that make seriously cute flower vases for violets.

144. That I don't have jury duty tomorrow.

145. For sandwiches on toast, where the cheese gets all melty.

146. For the doldrums. Without them I wouldn't remember what energy and life can feel like.

147. The flash of blue I just saw on our feeder and the happy squawking of the jay in the tree above the garage.

Seven Small Things #134 - 140

{carside dinner at the rootbeer stand :: that's two Spanish dogs, french fries, onion rings and two old fashioned rootbeers :: and yes, they still hang the tray from your partially open car window :: and no, they don't serve you on rollerskates}

{the tin roof, over our car}

{since 1949 :: if you take your own gallon jug they will fill it with rootbeer for $2.90}

134. Dinner at the rootbeer stand

135. The local herb society's plant sale this morning. We came home with lavendar, basil, several varieties of oregano, eucalyptus, sage, rosemary and some poppies.

136. Black and white, spotty dogs who nap in a puddle of sunshine.

137. Girls named Ali who also nap in puddles of sun.

138. Going to the butcher store today. There is something reassuring about seeing exactly where your food is coming from and remembering that not everything should come covered in plastic and styrofoam.

139. Singing in the car.

140. How dog armpits are always warm.

Seven Small Things #127 - 133

127. The cardinal on the roof next door.

128. That it's Friday evening. I wasn't sure I had enough in the tank to make it through today.

129. I vacuumed tonight while Ali mowed the yard. That's two tasks off the weekend to do list that leave more room for fun!

130. Offering of myself, even when it's not taken. At least I offered.

131. The possibilities that feel so real on the eve of the weekend.

132. That in the state of Connecticut, two very dear people to me are getting married this weekend. Married, for real. . . and they are both girls. They keep hope alive for the rest of us.

133. For farm eggs. Those pale, white things in the store are just an sad imitation of the real thing.

Seven Small Things #120 - 126

{the birthday girl! happy birthday carol!}

120. Surprise birthday parties!

121. Finishing Rob Bell's new book Love Wins. Ought to be recommended reading for everyone who has opinions on Christianity and Christians. Ought to be required reading for every one who calls him/herself a "christian." {don't even get me started on how Baptists ought to read this one. . .}

122. For the sound of the wind in the trees.

123. Finding one piece of gum in the car when you desperately need it.

124. Getting the go-ahead from the doctor to try again. His words of warning – you were extremely lucky to get pregnant on your first try. Don't assume it will happen again.

125. Coffee.

126. That Gabby Giffords will be there tomorrow to watch her husband take off in his final mission on the space shuttle. You go girl.

Seven Small Things #113 - 119

113. It's well documented that Samson hates thunder. It's also well documented that Oliver is possessive of what's "his." This morning we had thunder and lightening. Samson needed a place to go. This is Oliver's crate. . . That is Samson's stress drool all over Oliver's back. . . Oliver doesn't seem concerned about anything. . .

114. Lectio Divina and interesting people to share it with.

115. Pizza when you don't want to cook.

116. Sitting down together and compiling a list of questions for the doctor, mostly because I can't go along for the appointment.

117. Tiny flowers, in tiny vases, picked from your garden.

118. A benadryl, for when I need a little extra help sleeping through the night.

119. The dog hair on the floor, the dirty windows, the mud and the dust. . . because it means we have a home.

Seven Small Things #106 - 112

106. That giant yellow orb in the sky. . . I think it's called a sun??

107. Being so busy at work today I completely lost all track of time.

108. Drinking the first mint from my garden steeped in a tall glass of iced coffee.

109. For all the good memories I have of spending time with R. He's going to be staying permanently in the nursing home so my time with him is finished. My heart hurts.

110. That I didn't get caught wearing my flip-flops to clean the warehouse tonight. I forgot to take my closed-toed shoes so I just acted like everything was hunky-dory. And it was!

111. For little dogs who retrieve. Until they are worn out.

112. Taking the long way home tonight just so I could take a picture. It will be here in the morning! =)

Seven Small Things #99 - 105

99. For rainy mornings in the car. I like to hear rain on the roof of things.

100. As I sail past 100 with this small gratitude journal I am grateful for the change that 100 small things has brought to my soul. I look at the world differently. I find myself expecting to find things to give thanks for. How might I feel after 1,000? Maybe we will see.

101. For a break in the raindrops just long enough to grill our dinner.

102. For the power of memories. Happy birthday Mother!

103. For little arguments that clear the air.

104. The profile of one little fat cat, curled up on the kitchen table placemat.

105. Big, comfy chairs paired with good books.

Seven Small Things #92 - 98

92. My great-grandmother Lily used to say, "If it rains on Easter Sunday it will rain the next seven Sundays." I guess we're about to find out!

93. For the encouragement that comes from this morning's sermon – "Why do you look for life among things that are dead?" When the Easter baskets are empty and the hunt is over, I still want to be filled with you.

94. For our biggest purchase of the weekend – more of Donor #11306.

95. Church was so full this morning we were forced to "save seats." What a great problem to have!

96. For bunny tracks someone printed all down the sidewalk of our street. Some of the tracks led up to front porches where I assume small children live.

97. For dogs who need baths, getting them.

98. For the fresh start that Monday mornings bring.

Seven Small Things #85 - 91

85. One huge, bigger than expected, amazingly fun Easter Egg Hunt at Journey.

86. The quiet contemplation and expectation that is Holy Saturday.

87. An impromptu lunch with friends.

88. Spring mud between your toes. That grass at the Easter Egg Hunt only looks dry. I finally just took my shoes off to shoot yesterday and nearly had mud to my knees!

89. Finding relatives you didn't know you had. Ali met someone at church and it turns out that they share brothers who were their great-great grandfathers!

90. My hostas are beginning to sprout for the season. They are my favorite group of garden plants.

91. My new Kindle! {I caved. . . I couldn't stand it any more. . .}

Seven Small Things #78 - 84

78. A week full of rain ~ surely it will eventually lead to some spectacular springness, right??

79. For lessons in patience ~ after a week of being Kindle-less I'm miserable. We went to the two places in town that sell them and they are both out of the cheapest model.

80. For late night movie dates ~ The Conspirator was worth the lateness.

81. Being able to comfort shaking dog during a thunderstorm. All it takes is to let him up on the bed.

82. That bad moods pass.

83. That I don't have to go to the laudromat any more. Muddy dog feet x 4 feet each x 3 dogs x 1 week of rain = a lot of little white shop towels to wash every week.

84. For the smell of bleach.

Seven Small Things #71-77

71. Celebrating Passover - what a meaningful way to make the story come alive all over again.

72. Pansies

73. Matzoh

74. A table full of friends to celebrate with.

75. All the grape juice you care to drink.

76. Sacrifice

77. Cheesecake!

Seven Small Things #64 - 70

#64. Sleeping through incredible thunderstorms.

#65. Trying Black Bean Veggie Burgers for the first time. Verdict - not bad. . .not bad at all!

#66. The forsythia on the corner of our house blooming with such a yellowness it almost makes your eyes hurt.

#67. Piles of dog food in the middle of the kitchen floor because Sammy refuses to eat out of the bowl.

#68. The process of embracing reading glasses, when every instinct in my body says "just pretend you can still see!"

#69. Sharing.

#70. How, in the process of creating, everyone has the same instructions and everyone makes something unique and beautiful.