I love your level of gratitute, Constance. It is always inspiring to me. I want you to know that reading your gratitude posts always makes a big difference in my day.  I especially love # 5 about good dirt, and #6, because the ability to make joy in the everyday is truly something special. 

Thanks, always.

Sooz

I wanted to say that I also really enjoy reading your gratitude comments, Constance.  It has helped me get back into the flow of a daily gratitude practice. 

This week I started using Marney's "Accounting Your Blessings" process again, which I first did a couple of years ago.  I swear, I was never happier or healthier or more productive that when I was actually engaging in Accounting Your Blessings - it's really a miraculous process.  I hate to admit it, but then I got lazy and stopped doing it.  But now I'm starting AYB again, and I already feel better. 

Thanks for the inspiration!

 Today I AM grateful...

1. ... for Sooz and tara -- for encouraging me to encourage them as they encourage us all!

2. ... for Mother's Day -- that I am a mother, and that my children are parents.

3. ... for Bobby's daughter Robin and her incredibly touching, beautiful poem of love and respect for her mother!

4. ... for colleague Irina and her patience, willingness to collaborate, and sweet helpful spirit!

5. ... that I get to go to my favorite real high desert restaurant today, Idle Spurs!  The waiter staff are friendly and casual and attentive, with heavenly food!  Covered with flora inside amd out -- here are a couple of pictures:

The exterior walls are covered with ivy, and the lattice over the walkways is covered in white Lady Banks roses.  Inside, the interior-most area is like a cowboy terrarium -- rustic walls, a little bridge, big growing things in the ground -- like outdoors, indoors -- and who would guess to find this in the middle of the desert??

My husband tried to get me to go here when we first moved to No Darn Where -- "Idle Spurs".  He had "heard great things" about it -- a great steak house.  I just looked at him.  It sounded like a tavern to me, and indeed, from the outside, it looks like it.  I'll try to take some interior pictures when we're there today.  I'm thankful I'll get to do that!

Today I AM grateful...

1. ... for yesterday's wonderful meal!

2. ... that, for the first time in recorded history, my youngest son MAILED me a Mother's Day card! And it got to me ON TIME!!!

3. ... for the card and loving personal note from my oldest son!

4. ... for the phone call from my daughter, who no doubt made my grandson tell me "Happy Mother's Day".  (I made him say, "Love you too, Gramma.")

5. ... for "old" friends (from the 1950s! and 1960s! and 1970s-2000!), for "new" friends (from Artella, especially), and for reconnection with "lost" friends!

6. ... for sugar-free/fat-free popsicles! (billions and billions and billions of them... we eat the orange ones first, then the red, then choke down the purple) 

 Today I AM grateful...

1. ... that after two days of horrific wind, today is warm and mellow and still!

2. ... that my husband modified our expensive last-season air cooler so that it is really efficient!

3. ... that I get to go down the hill for appointments this week and see family and friends at the same time!

4. ... for my wonderful little digital camera, so I no longer pile up thousands of rolls of undeveloped film!

5. ... for people with a quick and easy sense of humor!

6. ... being pain-free at this very minute!

7. ... for my father-in-law's birdfeeders: not only do I get to see and hear birds, but sunflowers are ready to burst into bloom in a fairy circle beneath the feeders!

8. ... for gazanias -- those powerful little happy-faced, long-lived orange, yellow, purple ground-cover flowers that throw their hats off and say YAY to the sun!

9. ... that my hubby and father-in-law got my tupperware-type composter assembled and shored up and I can USE IT!

Hi Constance,

Here's an Artella artist waiting for more "Contance Comments".  They are so uplifting, humorous, and inspiring.  All's well, I hope. 

- chameleon

 Today I AM thankful...

1. ... for Chameleon, for immediately lifting my spirits Sky High at her comments and concern!

2. ... that there are no problems that left me unable to Constance-Comment in the last few days -- just cheerful neglect!

3. ... for a safe greatly anticipated trip "down the hill" for appointments, to see my grand-daughters, and to visit with a delightful friend!

4. ... for the beauty in every direction while staying at Dianne's home!

5. ... thick slices of raisin French toast with butter rum sauce for breakfast at Yucaipa's Copper Kettle!

6. ... for Frugo's kiwi tart frozen yogurt!

7. ... for the cactus at our place that is bursting into blossom!

 8. ... for hours of hilarity playing table games (with colorful dice and much counting) with adult friends!

Hi Constance....

As I said before, I missed you and I'm glad you're back!  What's even better is that you've been having a grand time visiting friends and grandkids, snapping lots and lots of sensational photos to share with us and munching all kinds of decadent goodies.  Oh, I forgot....playing games with friends.  Sounds like life is good and while I don't want you to feel that you can't take a holiday from Artella land, we all dearly love your 'Constance Comments'.

chameleon

I smell a metaphor !  With apologies to constance for near-plagiarism, I offer:

"GRATITUDE: CONSTANCE"

 Constance! -

powerful, peppy, happy-faced

long-living, strong

telling us like it is, raw, ornery, vital...

Blossoming in the high desert, dirt and wind. 

Her words popping up

into our days with laughter, humor and inspiration;

always reminding us to of the gratitude of being alive --

of the glory all around us. 

Sneaks into our daily lives in our daily print,

disappears mischievously ... only to pop up again, brazenly!

Delight at each days bright light

turns her face to the sun and hollers YAY!!

a new day's begun!

~with gratitude for a good woman

sooz

Wowzers, Sooz! 

First of all, let me say that we are lucky to have within our community a couple of very enthusiastic, connected, inspiring individuals.  What continues to fascinate me is both Constance and Sooz have the envious ability to take a daily ritual; say, walking the dogs or enjoying a scrumptious meal, and with the language of words, remind "us of the gratitude of being alive."

Your interpretation of Constance's 'Gazanias' is simply priceless, Sooz.  My thanks to both of you --- Yay!

- chameleon 

(Image:  Brenda Bradshaw)

I MUST pipe in my two cents worth on this string and agree with Sooz and Chameleon. Constance your positive attitude and enthusiasm shine all over Artella.  And for that we are all very, very grateful. It is a joy to know you. 

 But I would be remiss if I didn't also express my gratitude to Sooz and Chameleon for their vigilance in encouraging, commenting, creating, sympathizing, caring, and exuding the spirit of all that is Artella. I always check the posts in Today's Brew after they've been featured in the Daily Muse to see if the feature has sparked any comments or activity, and invariably it is you, Chameleon, or you, Sooz, (or both of you!) that leave comments of encouragement. 

THANK YOU! 

Oh, I get my inspiration from Chameleon and Constance...THEY STARTED IT!!

 Today I AM grateful...

1. ... that while another (more classy) person might smile charmingly & benevolently and immediately dash off a perfectly-worded note of thanks on monogrammed hand-crafted paper, I just laughed -- out -- loud, repeatedly -- feeling RIGHT AT HOME with these INCREDIBLE Artella cohorts, colleagues, and cosmic sisters and and High Praise for me and one(derful) another!

2. ... that when the ferocious winds broke the string on one of my most pleasant chimes, it didn't take the whole thing down, but just removed one (hardly noticeable) rod!

3. ... for the promise of a little rain after a couple of over-100-degree days!

4. ... for collaboration!  Aren't we simply MORE WONDERFUL together than apart?!?

5. ... that pretty soon I'm going to meet my beloved friend Aunt Bobby Face-To-Face!

6. ... for a waxing wonderfully, crafted colorfully, too-tailored poem (for ME?!?!) -- a Sooz 'tude that suits me to a Tea -- (ornery? brazen? Say it ain't SO!)  -- and here, all along, I thought we were all saxifrage!

7. ... for a chameleon heART that, as all her art does, WOWs with its dimension and color and complete how-the-heck-does-she-do-that-iveness!

7. ... for the delights of the day, that they are worth sharing, that I have a place to share them, and people to share them with!

7. ... (I promised myself I'd do just seven.)

7. ... that Georgie and Maggie didn't forget me, and only pouted a little when I returned!

(Maggie, stock-still, thinking she sees something...)

 (Yup -- one of those annoying white cabbage moths! She's trying to HERD it!)

Hi Constance!

And Sooz, Barb, and all of my Artella friends. I don't have a lot of words today, but I do have a lot of thanks. Thank you, Constance for leaving such lovely comments in my Gallery and for having this wonderful spot in Constance Comments where I can come and share my gratitude.  Thank you Barb and Sooz for being such a huge presence in the Artella Community and being such hearty and jubilent cheerleaders for the rest of us.  Thank you to all of the Artists in Artella that share their ideas and techniques. And, Constance, thanks for sharing the photo of your darling Maggie. She brought a smile to my face this morning.  She reminds me very much of a long lost furry friend of mind.  His name was Blackie and he went from being a junk yard dog to being the love of my life.

Hugs,   Julie  

 Today I AM grateful for...

1. ... Julie, and those she mentions: for ongoing kindnesses, mercies, thoughtful gestures, and meaningful words, and the vast bridge of support between us!

2. ... this forum -- and the spirit-minder that says, "You're getting frustrated with (whatever) -- go to your Gratitude Journal!"

3. ... Maggie the Mischief-Maker, that despite her unruly sheer nosy-ness and voracious pica appetite (she EATS wood, metal, rocks, the fireplace hearth, paint, plastic, glass, styrofoam, pillow foam and feathers, blankets, ribbon, lace, vegetable bag ties, chicken wire, bolts, bugs, books, palm fronds, one of my amaryllis corms, and stuff that's unrecognizeable once we peel it out of her sweet precious jaws), she's still alive!  (-- after being adopted at one week old as an abandoned pup, and bottle-fed, and into God-knows-what before WE got her, and with white wet-paint splotches all over her fur and nose this minute!)

4. ... the Somebody out there that God is going to send who can make AVG scan my Vista Windows Mail, tell me what plug-in to use and where to find it, and will not reference, as within the FAQ and tutorials, things that when you search for them in the exact same words cannot be found, and do all this before Saturday!

5. ... the folks who will email me their AVG suggestions and not post here, because this is after all a place to be Grateful!

6. ... being able to hoist the huge water-&-paint-filled container (that An Unnamed Someone I happen to be married to left on the ground) up to a table!

7. ... that the paintbrush my father-in-law lays claim to was only gnawed a little here and there and not a total loss!

8. ... disliking the current 40-year-old carpet enough that I don't feel the need to clean the water-and-paint puddles from it!

9. ... feeling better already, just sharing my gratitude!

10. ... the children's books with the Grandpa who always told his grandkids, "Could be worse..." and launched off on these stupendous tales -- from 25 and 30 years ago, I still remember our guffaws and my little ones miming his escapades!

11. ... the baseball coach who, with their first place standing secure, played untried kids in new positions, allowing our 8-year-old grandson to wow them with his pitching!

12. ... the regular super-pitcher, a ten-year-old, who was in the emergency room in a neck-brace from being tackled on the school playground, and told the E.R. doctor, "You got to get me out of this -- I have to pitch!" -- that he was not severely injured, and that he was gracious and grown-up enough to go to the game afterward (still in the brace) to watch and cheer.

13. ... the way thinking about all the beautiful, wonderful, isolated incidents of wonder surrounding me daily cheers me right up!

14. ... traveling mercies when I drive to another state to meet my soul-sister Aunt Bobby face to face Saturday!

15. ... my boss Tony -- helpful, knowledgable, loyal, innovative, tech-savvy (no, I haven't asked; not gonna; he's a new dad), problem-resolver, has his priorities straight, open to new perspectives, tremendous sense of humor, quick to spot the bottom line, great teacher, and navigator of the good ship Artella and all that it is that makes me say I'm a proud Artella staff member!

16. ... roses!  Any color, any hue, musk or tea, big or little, thorned or hybridized out of thorns, all their names both precious and precocious, and their unmistakable sweet, spicy, or sensuous scents!