Bless Her Heart

Wordless Wednesday: At my mama's...

:: 30 Days with a Grateful Heart - Day 30 ::

Day 30 - 2011

I didn't really intend for this last gratitude to be so encompassing or so cliche, but as gratitudes have been swirling around in my head today, I just kept settling on thoughts of this year.  For me personally, there's just no denying that 2011 has been a year of change and adjustment, a year of new friendships, new work, and lots of growth. There have been years in the past that I've met the new year with resignation or kicked the passing year to the curb with a tongue lashing and good riddance. I'm not so naive to believe that tough years won't come again, but it just doesn't seem right to not acknowledge when things are groovy. I realized today that I'm looking forward to 2012 with curiosity and optimism and that's a pretty damn good feeling.  So thanks, 2011...it's been real fine. Real fine, indeed.

:: 30 Days with a Grateful Heart - Day 29 ::

Day 29 - The Camera...

This tool that keeps me learning. It keeps me chasing light, keeps me seeking, allows me to create an image when words are failing me.  It's a simple, little gratitude, but one that is oh, so important to me. 

:: 30 Days with a Grateful Heart - Day 28 ::

Day 28 - Music in the house

Music as self expression. That's what we've got going on over here. Lots of it. The teenager has headphones almost permanently inserted in his ears. It seems like he is discovering new music daily. He's very definitely at the age where he feels like his music choices help define who he is to the wider world, but at the same time he's excited to share all of the music he's finding.  The girl? Well, the girl, she sings and strums and writes and sings some more.  When she's upset, she goes to her room and sings.  When she can't sleep, I can hear her in her bed singing. The only way I can get her to take a shower some days is to remind her that she can always sing in there.  I love that we've reached an age where the kids are actively searching out what music means to them. It delights them. It comforts them. It moves them. And that moves me. Truly.

:: 30 Days with a Grateful Heart - Day 27 ::

Day 27 - Local Provisions

Every Wednesday, a beautiful basket of local produce (see above) appears on my doorstep from Farmhouse Delivery.  Most Saturdays, The Girl and I travel to the Farmers' Market where we pick up our other provisions from local growers and purveyors. We make the rounds, usually grabbing Tacodeli for the girl's breakfast and Pad Thai from Thai Fresh for mine. After breakfast we stock up at Dai Due, which we love, love, love. I crave their bread and butter pickles, pimento cheese and fresh condiments for the vegetarians in our family, and I buy their locally sourced meat for our omnivores. We visit Tecolote Farm, Johnson's Backyard Garden and Engel's Farm booths to round our our produce haul. We might need goat cheese from CKC and eggs from Milagro Farms. We often pick up preserves from Confituras (Can you say salted caramel pear butter?) There are so many incredible local products available for Austinites that I feel downright spoiled even typing this out.  I love that we can connect with the people who provide us with our food even though we live in a typical Austin-style suburban neighborhood. That Austin is excited enough about supporting local farmers that there are several Farmers' Markets in the area every week. That my children are learning that it's unnessary to have your food flown in from halfway across the country when you already have the best options right here at home. So, dearest local food growers and providers...my family and I are grateful to you.