Grateful Friday

Today I give thanks for..

The cricket carcass in 3 pieces on the kids' bathroom floor.  It means the cats caught the loose bug after Big Ben changed her mind about eating it and spit it out.  Then said bug ran away only to escape in a heating vent.

The end of the school year purge is complete.  The notebooks, projects and leftover supplies had taken over the kitchen table over the last couple days.  I always hem and haw over what to toss and what to keep thinking that maybe they'll finish this workbook or that.  Then I found the bin I filled from this same time last year.  I hadn't opened it in a year.  Not once.  Not for a thing.  And that realization prompted me to recycle it all save for the art pieces, some writing samples and a few prized projects.  I felt positively giddy and my kids...well they were all smiles too.  Go figure!

Reading through T. Bone and Miss Bit's journals.  Some of the entries had me in tears.  Funny tears and sweet ones too.  Those I kept, of course.

Going halfsies with Coach when I could not decide what to order even if after doing so we both wanted the whole burger.

A new summer haircut.  I said, Cut it all off, but leave enough so I can still put it up.  She did.  I'm so happy.

Finally perfecting my Caesar dressing.  Blend one large egg, 2 T. Dijon mustard, 2 cloves of chopped garlic, juice from one lemon, t. salt and t. pepper.  Then pour 1/2 c. of EVOO in as blending until thickens.  Stir in 1/2 c. fresh grated Parmesan.  Anchovies purely optional and to taste.

Impromptu guests for Sunday night dinner.  It was nothing fancy except for that Caesar salad with the homemade dressing, fresh baked croutons and aged Parm. 

Tis' the season of graduation speech wisdom.  The tidbit that's staying with me is from Jonathan Safran Foer's address at Middlebury College.  He said, I worry that the closer the world gets to our fingertips, the further it gets from our hearts.  Me too.  That's why his words struck a nerve.

A reliable, energetic childcare provider.  He was just as sweaty as the kids when I walked in the house after work yesterday.  Today he and Bit explored the Audubon and went out for lunch.  T. Bone had other plans for the day.  When I told S. about next week's agenda, he was giddy.  I think he likes this job!  I would too.

Good chi and strong intuition.

When you meet someone and you just know right away that you like him/her, and also when someone you already know and like says something that makes a light bulb burn bright in your head.

Dinner with girlfriends Saturday night.  All I had to bring was the wine.  Before we knew it, we talked and talked into the start of the next day.

Friends who are easy to be with.  No pomp, no circumstance, no masks, no bull*#@!

My verbena plants are reflowering after somebunny ate all the pretty and obviously tasty blooms.

Time for a workout this afternoon.  It is extremely difficult for me to be motivated at the tail end of the week, but I pushed myself today and it felt great.

Baseball tourney this weekend.

A mostly favorable forecast too.

Dads.

Coach...the #1 Dad!

My Dad...the salt of my earth.

My FIL... a man of wisdom and wit.