Taking Thyme

20{4}40

Posted on March 23, 2011 by Marcia

Taking the thyme to be grateful…

141. pulling weeds out of the flower bed

142. Tanner spotting the 1st butterfly of the year

143. a cold beer in the driveway

144. a hardworking husband

145. an anxious daughter to be out and driving

146. a daughter that is daring enough to drive to other parts of town

147. cell phones

148. my dishwasher running

149. clean tile floors

150. the sun shining through to remind me to clean the tile floors

151. eating leftovers

152. staying on budget for groceries ~ see # 151

153. enjoying the season change

154. my mephisto shoes ~ this is my 2nd year wearing them and I love them!

155. dirt on my feet

156. hearing my daughter’s voice Pray along with the Rosary

157. ceramic pieces Emily made in class

158. drop leaf table…love love love

159. hearing the piano being played, it’s not a song, but I am still enjoying it

160. hot tea in the morning with agave nectar

Posted in 20 {4} 40, Lent | Leave a comment

Working on counting the things I am grateful for, 20 things a day for 40 days…I am not always right at 20 things, and I certainly am not perfect about listing every day, but I am grateful ~ so very grateful!

113. towels hanging on the line

114. finding that our new drop leaf table is perfect for working in the evening time

115. St Joseph’s dinner at Church

116. sweaty boy in the van after the dinner

117. Emily so ready to help out

118. a driving daughter

119. using a hoe to weed the flower bed

120. seeing how the ordinary things in my day truly are extraordinary

121. work

122. plucking eyebrows and laughing

123. water ~ who knew that I would be grateful for that

124. being tired at night

125. looking forward to family coming for the weekend

126. a hardworking husband who doesn’t complain

127. having a Priest give a homily that is good for our souls

128. having a Priest

129. my home

130. daffodils

131. Tanner collecting worms

132. little girls playing with hand shovels in the dirt

133. fresh eggs, smoked turkey, and zuchinni for lunch

134. learning to plan better ~ I am trying to take after my husband

135. the want for a great book ~ Nourishing Traditions

136. playing science over the phone with my sister

137. my green dining room walls

138. Emily’s long hair

139. a tired boy after a morning of playing outside

140. finally beating Tanner at Trouble after his long winning streak

Posted in 20 {4} 40, Lent | Leave a comment

20{4}40

Posted on March 20, 2011 by Marcia

My list is longer than 20 as I try to remember all the things over the past few days that I am grateful for. Even when I have been too busy to stop and write down the things that I am grateful for, knowing that I am writing down my grateful thoughts, has kept the little things that have brought joy to my days in the front of my mind. So my list continues…
81. a date with my husband
82. music outside and a margarita
83. Tanner’s clean room
84. bags of stuff being donated
85. praying the Rosary
86. Friday night Mass that speaks to my heart
87. daffodils and hyacinths blooming
88. smelling hyacinths in the kitchen
89. celebrating St Patrick’s day with friends
90. cabbage on the gril
91. corned beef
92. potatoes with rosemary and olive oil
93. quiet evenings
94. water ~ I had no idea I would drink so much of it
95. Pepsi as a treat rather than my drink
96. having barbecue chips with my stir fry dinner – not eating between meals creates some crazy meals at times
97. a glass of wine
98. long talks with an old friend
99. the Catholic faith
100. playing with budgets
101. returning unused things that add up to $65
102. planning
103. blankets folded and put away for awhile (hopefully)
104. Chris cleaning the kitchen while I give Tanner a bath
105. a husband that will clean the kitchen
106. hearing our windchime
107. boys playing together, bumps and bruises and all
108. laughing at buying 16lbs of butter
109. a trip to Sam’s and not giving in to eating a pretzel that I normally splurge on, even when we got Tanner one
110. Sacrificing in such little ways when Our Lord sacrificed so much more than I ever could
111. Baked Soaked Oatmeal ~ YUM!
112. Counting all these little things that have created such happiness

Posted in 20 {4} 40, Lent | 1 Comment

20 {4} 40

Posted on March 15, 2011 by Marcia

Continuing counting my blessings ~
61. good conversations with women who love educating their children
62. Listening to ladies talk of Jesus
63. cold evening standing outside talking
64. a fast food night
65. my daughter getting her license ~ they grow up way too fast
66. Emily’s smile ~ simply beautiful
67. hearing Tanner sing over and over “Emily’s got her license” – the love for a sibling
68. talks while driving
69. knowing without question that God guided our family to the Church our family needs to be in
70. My Faith
71. tulips on the bar
72. daffodils out front
73. thinking about my garden
74. soft glow of the lamp in the living room
75. kisses to a sleeping boy
76. having a sister in law that is willing to help when needed
77. brief conversations with my oldest friend finished over e-mails later
78. taking time for friends
79. patchwork pillows
80. my blue sweatshirt that is worn inside out and has been around longer than my children ~ so comfy

Posted in 20 {4} 40, Lent | Tagged catholic, grateful, gratitude, lent | Leave a comment

20 {4} 40

Posted on March 14, 2011 by Marcia

41. beautiful drop leaf table polished up and ready for some wear

42. piano tucked into the studio waiting for someone to learn to play it

43. an afternoon with family that makes me laugh

44. an afternoon with family that makes me think

45. turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, salad, and a pepsi on a Sunday afternoon

46. my husband’s eyes sparkling and seeing his smile

47. Emily~ I truly enjoy spending time with and listening to her

48. a week with Houston and watching two brothers play

49. folding fabric that was brought home from Grandma’s months ago

50. having an excess of fabric – overwhelming at times, but feeling blessed

51. sewing lists…so many things to make. So thankful for my sewing machine

52. waking early on a Saturday to enjoy Mass

53. the pull to attending Mass as often as possible

54. smells of Old English on wood

55. Kisses from Tanner fresh out of the tub and snuggled in a towel

56. Tanner giggling from hiding spots before bed

57. Chris having a trailer

58. still loving the jambalaya – now in the freezer for another day

59. a cozy bed to curl up into

60. great friends to share dinner with as kids play and adults visit

Posted in 20 {4} 40, Lent | Tagged catholic, gratitude, lent | Leave a comment

20 {4} 40…

Posted on March 8, 2011 by Marcia

Continuing the list…

21. delicious smells of jambalaya cooking that a New Orleans friend of my husband’s shared his recipe

22. looking forward to an evening spent around awesome people

23. sleep

24. new books showing up in the mail

25. thoughts of planning my garden, so far just thoughts, no real plans

26. enjoying the babies that families share with me while they provide for their families

27. helping to provide for my family by playing all day

28. pepsi…I really do enjoy it! Thinking about giving up my unhealthy drink for Lent. My family might want a place to stay during Lent.

29. awesome magazines shared by my sister

30. having a project going with my oldest son ~ mixed media art is really cool

31. our cozy living room

32. my piles…lets me know I am me

33. the smell of clothes out of the dryer

34. rechargeable batteries

35. twirly skirts to wear

36. a gray day to be thought of in the summer

37. dishwasher

38. organizing a shelf ~ many more to go

39. my family

40. all the things tucked here and there that bring memories to mind

Posted in 20 {4} 40, Lent | Leave a comment

20 {4} 40…

Posted on March 8, 2011 by Marcia

I am joining many as I make my way to being grateful for 800 things at the end of Lent.

800 things that I took the time to be grateful for!! Can you imagine???

So, I begin today (in case I miss a day or two) of recording 20 things for 40 days that I am grateful for.

1. waking to a home filled with 3 of my children at the same time

2. pumpkin roll bought at Church

3. work, I am grateful…even on days when I have to remind myself to be grateful

4. knowing that spring is on its way

5. books to read

6. listening to my 5 year old show me he knows his letter sounds and names so he can skip the writing and just go right to learning to read

7. an awesome daughter who doesn’t show her disappointment in an ungrateful way

8. hearing a little one tell me that when he is a Priest he will give me communion

9. a husband who collects Blessed palms from all through the house to drop of at Church

10. late night writing of what I am grateful for

11. hearing my windchime

12. Chris turning my side of the bed on to warm up for me

13. the ability and strength to work

14. a husband who does so much without complaining

15. Love

16. sugar cookies that are way to sweet

17. neighbors

18. planning what to take to enjoy at a Fat Tuesday dinner

19. a nice soft bed

20. children who are respectful even when it is hard

Posted in 20 {4} 40, Lent | Tagged catholic, grateful, gratitude, lent | 1 Comment

{this moment}

Posted on February 11, 2011 by Marcia

Joining Amanda @ SouleMama ~ {this moment} – A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.