A is for Appreciate #atozchallenge

View of Granada from La Alhambra Spain

I can not believe that it is April first!   Today begins the Blogging from A-Z challenge.  I have read many posts about how people attack this project.  Some do a theme for the month while others pre-write their posts in advance having thought ideas out well ahead of time.  Myself, I need a deadline, always have and this is no exception.  Last year when I completed my 100 happy days, I did not pre-plan, I just wrote each morning over my coffee before getting the kids up.  I am hoping to attack this much the same way.

We returned in the wee hours of Thursday morning from Spain, and were welcomed back to greening grass and thunderstorms that included hail!  The farm greeted us with the first wood violets beginning to bloom, and all of the animals happy to be outside.  Today we headed back to work and then I spent some time this afternoon tidying up and smudging the house, a seasonal ritual of mine that I missed out on as we were airborne the first day of spring.   Now as I collapse here this afternoon I am reflecting on the last couple of weeks with my jet lag laden brain.   I feel a deep sense of appreciation not only in how fortunate we were to be able to take this epic trip, but also that we so fully immersed ourselves in the adventure.  We are seasoned travelers but most of our travel with the kids has been visiting family around the country.  So going on a trip like this was a completely new experience and we learned a lot about likes and dislikes and how each one of us approaches learning and enjoying another culture in a different way.

I gaze out at our property and am full of appreciation for the lifestyle that we have chosen here.  Our journey toward the simpler things also made me glow with appreciation for what we observed in rural southern Spain making it a beautifully rich experience all around.


[@ajcray] from Tilting at Windmills

Thankful Moments~ Thanksgiving Comes First

Today is November first and a Thursday so it's only fitting to begin the month with a Thankful Thursday.  With this being the month of Thanksgiving, and since Thanksgiving does come first, I'm going to challenge myself to a month of posts. This time of year retailers are looking to boost holiday sales, and are beginning to shove down our throats, inundate us with advertising. I couldn't believe that Halloween was down and Christmas up in many of our local retailers this past Sunday.....before Halloween  AND  what happened to Thanksgiving?  I thought that I'd take this month to do a short daily run down of those things that we appreciate.  Try it!  Learning to recognize and enjoy each moment is not hard, it is just a matter of slowing down long enough to recognize what is happening around you.   I have found recently that I'll quickly reach for a piece of paper to jot down some gem that one of the kids comes up with while we are out and about, just so I can remember it. So, here goes, a month of  Thankful Moments.  If you decide to try it too, comment and let me know so I can follow, and link back here. Maybe we can start a chain of Thankful Moments.

Favorite Moment:  Ironically as I was composing this post and thinking about Thanksgiving Comes First, I checked my email and I had a message from Suldog, inquiring as to whether I was going to participate this year.  The synchronicity of this moment, ignited my day with a little extra energy.

Today's Charlieism:  While waking up Charles, I asked "how are you doing?"  he mumbled:  "I'm getting my bed head on." and rolled over.

Food For Thought:  "Local food is about getting the freshest and best tasting food.  It's also about connecting to and strengthening your community.  The more that you buy locally, the more that you contribute to your local economy."  Anna Lappe  www.nourishlife.org

Hope for the Day:  That those on the East Coast can take one moment at a time, work toward recovery, begin to heal, and find some peace.  Much love sent to my Brother and family in New Jersey.

Today's Song:  Just Breathe done by Willie & Lukas Nelson...if you  haven't seen or heard it, it is well worth your time!

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#reverb10 ~ Day 14 ~ Appreciate

Appreciate. What's the one thing you have come to appreciate most in the past year? How do you express gratitude for it?  #reverb10

I appreciate the simple beauty around me.

I am grateful for the risks that we have taken so that we can work really hard in order to:

Relish a nightly stroll to look at the garden and what little landmarks of growth that have been surpassed.

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Marvel in the crazy social order of the chickens out for an evening scratch.

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Find solice in the light at different times of day and how it can completely change my perspective.

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Gaze with pride at our children who can run free, and just play.  As a result of joining us for strolls they can spot many a variety of bird and name most trees on the homestead by name.

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I appreciate being able to bask in the simple beauties around me and am so grateful that I get to share them with those I love.