33 years, 33 things

I'm an odd number person.  I prefer them over even numbers.  I like the shapes of them more than I do their even colleagues.  I like the feel of them, if that's such a thing.  And I guess it must be, because I've long had this preference.  So, I like the sound (and feel) of 33.  Today is my thirty-third birthday, and going along with what has become a tradition of mine, I have a list to make:

and so here we go, in no particular order~ things for which I am most grateful


slippers

salted dark chocolate

tulsi tea

the abundance of firewood in the wood shed and driveway, which will warm our home and our bodies well in the upcoming (hopefully cold and snowy) winter

the man who splits it all, for so many things

most especially, for being the recipient of his love and watching him tenderly father our daughter

nights spent sitting around the fire pit with my people

our local tailgate market

her ballet class, and teacher

friends, true and good

family, of course

the bags of blueberries down in the freezer

the honey, maple syrup, and many jars of jam lining the pantry shelves

my new boots

having had my photos published in a magazine (twice!) after taking a risk and submitting them

for newly fenced-in chickens, and the return of enjoying our back yard fully, with no poop involved and minimal worries over just-sprouted seedlings getting gobbled

our local library (and a couple awesome librarians in particular)

booksbooksbooks

our neighbors, and neighborliness & community in general

wellness, for myself and my family

occasional cups of strong coffee, with lots of half and half

for my grandpa's fiddle, the one lesson I've taken so far- and many more to come

having a job that I love, where Claire can come with me

her amazing imagination

Pandora

our home, which is becoming more and more ours each year, inside and out

the giant bag of wool roving recently gifted to me by a friend who was downsizing her studio, which has resulted in a new and fun hobby for me

hand-me-downs

our upcoming beach trip, and the salty ocean air that will fill my lungs for a few days, the seafood that will fill my belly

Claire's opportunities to get to know some of her great grandparents

slow + easy mornings

our proximity to mountain trails and waterfalls, some of the best medicine there is

birdsong

there we have it.  I never peek at the previous years' lists while making the current one, though I know there are certainly some repeats....  it feels good to just sit and say 'go' and fill up the page with the first 33 (or 30, 31, or 32) things that come to mind and make me smile..... looking back, that list from year 30 was part of my second blog post, almost four years ago.  I was a new mama and wanting an outlet for some words and creativity and thought I'd give it a go here.  so glad I did.

these lists bring to mind one of my favorite quotes, one that made it to the top of the quote wall:
"wear gratitude like a cloak, and it will feed every corner of your life" - Rumi