There is a calmness to a life lived in gratitude,
a quiet joy


...ralph h. blum

The house has been quiet since the family
...left to return to California
...four birthdays celebrated
...a birth-day rejoiced in
...an anniversary given thanks for...
...Tuula was Christened
...the Christmas decorations all put away
I slept 9 hours

Many years ago I started a gratitude journal
heard of it on Oprah
Sarah BanBreathnache's book....Simple Abundance
......A literal journal of five things everyday that I was thankful for
I found that it was not much different than the daily prayers
I prayed
...insight....I have learned from childhood to be thankful
for everything given me
But Sarah was right...it is the simple things
that lift you up with joy
Like my garden
the birds
the bugs
the toads
the sky
the wind
heat on my skin
seeing cold in my breath

By late summer I am done with the garden
but oh good Lord
I am desiring it by early January
I guess feeding my birds and critters outside
is a way of gardening though
They fluff their fur or feathers
wait at my door or window
for my tending of the feeders
This garden connection continues
and I am grateful
The sight of the Cardinal against the snow
....pure joy

Oh it was so cold this late December
and snow was wet and heavy

The snow is a welcomed thing as far as beauty goes
it is beautiful and wonderful
...but it gets old quickly

Now it is early January and the weather
is not too bad...20
a few flakes yesterday after much of the 10 inches had melted
The garden covered in heavenly white is welcomed
but today the dirtiness of melted snow is present
ying and yang in a way
joy sorrow


and I rejoiced
when I saw the squirrel trying to hide from me at the gutter
You survived little guy...yeah
It was a few bitter bitter nights


My feral cat Handsome is long gone
I shall write about him someday and what he meant to me
but I want to tell you that another cat has arrived
A large, dirty, scraggly old orange and white striper
another scaredy cat

And butterball Ms Kitty O'Shea
doesn't like it