Grateful Friday

Today I give thanks for...

The feeling of accomplishment one earns after hard work. This weekend Mike and I deep cleaned 2 of our 3 cars, and it felt so amazing. Teddy’s been driving the van. It was starting to look and smell like a locker room and I couldn’t take it any longer. Believe me, if I could have I would have because he should have been the one taking on the task. I won’t be doing it again fyi. He knows this too and is aware that using my van is a revocable privilege. Mike pulled sharp weeds and I trimmed trees the next day. We were sweaty, scraped up and full of twigs and sap, but it was actually fun. Yes, fun.

And I'm only getting started.

My sun rash flared up after a full morning in full sun, but it calmed down after a couple days. I think I’ve finally turned the corner with my uv threshold.

Sunday mornings. These are some of my most cherished hours of the weekend. It’s such a treat to be the first one up. I sit in solitude with my book and my coffee and the day feels like it could and should last forever.

Broken River was good. I put Into the Water down after a few chapters.

Reaching that point in a novel where I want to read all the time even if I only have time for a page or two. I’m halfway through The Riders and fully invested in Scully and Billie.

Baking bread. I’ve become slightly obsessed with this peasant bread recipe, but it’s not necessarily the consumption of the end product although that is quite something…it’s the mixing of just a few ingredients, waiting for it to proof, smelling it bake and then seeing the smiles it evokes when you deliver it fresh and warm to someone you want to know how very much you think of them.

Michigan Gladiolas. This time every year, I buy them whenever I see them because they’re so stunning and their season so short.

I am a sucker for all the colors.

Trader Joe’s whole wheat pizza dough. Mike’s homemade dough is best, but this dough was nutty and wholesome and perfect for quick calzones after a long day.

Working it.

Calzones. I think they may be on next week’s rotation again. What we love about them is that they are made to order and unlike pizzas, they can all go in the oven at once.

T & L...personalized by pepperoni.

Photo contests. Candace and I dropped off our entries this week. It was a little adventure. We thought we were being piggy by submitting 6 and 7 each, but there were many participants with 35, which is the max. My thought is that if you have 35 photos you think could be award-winning, you ought to be taking pictures professionally. Only amateurs are allowed.

Lily’s having a fun time at acting camp.

Balance. She’s enjoying a summer with just the right amount of to dos. She has downtime sprinkled in between camps, activities, volunteer work, games and work. She has 3 new clients for her dog walking, flower watering business, and I’m so proud of her. I think I convinced Ted to pick up some more hours at work too after suggesting that he set a goal…something to save for, and work towards. 

Summer fruits. We’re all about the berries and cherries at Casa Wags, and I am crushing on plums too. Lily would eat watermelon for every meal if I let her.

Stormy skies. Fog. The chalky smell of petrichor when it rains. Waking up in the morning to skies like night.

 The Calling and the Calatrava.

Lake Michigan miasma.

The fog rolls in. 

 A night at the salon. Jess and I had piggyback appointments. It was a nice surprise. After we were finished, we had a spontaneous GNO.

 Red for the brunette (her) and white for the blond (me).

Tuna poke and goat cheese bruschetta.

A fresh haircut and a new pandora station thanks to our hip hairstylist. 

Sweet little braid.