Giving Thanks in Winter

I was going to do another entry on why I like winter, then realized that they're all reasons I like THIS winter, which is quite mild and quite the anomaly. So it wouldn't be fair. And then I realized that some of the things I like are actually ANTIDOTES to winter. So I'll just list them as things to be thankful for. We're told to give thanks in all situations, so here are a few things I'm thankful for:


1. Down comforters. There is nothing cozier at the end of a long cold day than crawling into a bed topped with a down comforter. Honestly, we could open the window in the dead of winter and still be warm. I wouldn't do it, but I'm happy to know I could.


2. Flannel sheets. Especially nice ones that BestestHusband gave me for Christmas. They're extremely soft. And warm up very quickly.


3. A BestestHusband to warm up the bed before I get into it. He's very good at this. And I'm extremely thankful for him.


4. Cashmere. It's extremely warm. And soft. And light on the skin. You can't have too much cashmere. And as I don't yet have much of it, I can't imagine ever wishing I had less.


5. A Job. Heat in the winter is not cheap. A snug and well-insulated home is not cheap. Adequate food and clothing is not cheap. Being adequately employed in this economy is not easy. For the paychecks we bring home, I'm extremely thankful.


6. Slush storms. I'm going to be wild and crazy and give thanks for today's snow/rain/slush storm. Because of it, I got to work 30 minutes early. (I had to leave earlier to catch the bus.) Good thing. I had back-to-back evals that I had to prep for and start at 8am. Then I had to travel to another work site. Because I took the bus, I didn't wear boots and pack shoes. This made my bag lighter. Which was helpful when schlepping around town for work.


7. The harpist at Government Center in the morning. The train doors open at the station for maybe 30 seconds on a normal day. This is long enough for harp music to float in and make me smile. I frequently hear people getting on the train humming the music that was playing. What a gift for morning commuters!


8.  Goals. I'm going to find 10 things to be thankful for. I might have to dig deep. But it's good to find joy and thankfulness in the small things.


9. Travel coffee mugs with good seals. Mine frequently upends itself in my work bag or diaper bag. But the coffee stays inside and the bag stays dry. Thank you Lord for good coffee mugs!


10.  Today, my pen fell onto the floor next to the toilet instead of IN the toilet. I carry a pen in my back pocket at work. Sometimes it falls out. Sometimes it falls in the toilet. That's not my favorite part of a day. But I do enjoy picking out new pens.


What are you thankful for today?

Show Me Some Love!

It's Valentine's week. I introduced some girls that could really use a demonstration of kindness and love. I shared pictures of my anatomically correct gummy "Cupids" that BestestHusband gave me. I talked about the humiliation that parents accept from their children in the name of love. Now I will continue the Valentine's theme. 


Do you love me? Or even like me a little?


Yesterday was my 50th blog post. Some of you tell me in person, emails, and FB posts that you love reading my blog. I'm honored, flattered, and thrilled to be a good part of your day. That's my goal, to highlight or share a bit of joy and encouragement every day. We all have days where it's hard to find. Some of us get in ruts where we don't see it for weeks. And certainly we know of friends or family who could use a bit of joy in their day. 


So I'm entreating you to show me some love and share some Joy. Share my blog with others. Go to your favorite post right now and share it on Facebook and Twitter, or email it to everyone you know. Or just the people you think will like it. And every time I write something that makes you smile, pass it on.


I have delusions of becoming a Blogging Bazillionaire. Getting a book deal or 4. Getting flown around the world to visit you and do book signings. Oh wait, Pioneer Woman already did all of that. (Quick Digression:  Pioneer Woman's coming to Boston in March!!! I can't wait!!! I'm totally getting my copies of her books autographed!) So far I've earned 13 cents on the ads to the right of my blog posts. That's just from page views. (I'd get more if people checked out the ads.) I'm on track to earn a dollar by the end of the year!


I also have delusions of being a global phenomenon. I apparently have readers in Russia, Ukraine, Germany, France, Burma, and the Netherlands. Have friends in other countries? Please feed my ego and get them reading my blog. Blogger keeps track of it, and checking it is a favorite form of procrastination. 


So please comment on my posts. I'll comment. And show my love right back.


Love,
Joy

Magical Scarf

I have a magical scarf. Ok, technically, it’s a shawl. I wear it as both a scarf and a shawl, but mostly a scarf. It is a much-loved Christmas gift from BestestHusband:  incredibly soft, incredibly warm, and bright cranberry in color. Cashmere. And apparently magical.

So after church today, we had a congregational lunch and meeting where we discuss business matters and vote on decisions to drive future activity in our congregation. We discuss incredibly exciting matters such as budgets, replacing windows, electing people to district advisory boards, etc. The necessary stuff that doesn’t require a pastor to do it. Anyway, enough about the incredibly exciting event that kept us 2 hours after church…

The kids usually run around in the Sunday school rooms, requiring occasional shushing and intervening, but largely entertaining themselves while we parents do business stuff. The meeting typically runs right through nap time, which can cause a fair amount of misery for our family. But today the scarf worked its magic.

MeToo was starting to look a little sleepy and was rubbing her eyes, and came over and climbed up on my lap. So I wrapped the scarf around us like a blanket to keep her warm (it’s chilly in the church basement). And she immediately cuddled up against my chest and fell asleep. Deeply asleep. She took a nap in my lap. This is a truly rare thing; I don’t think she’s done it since she was about 9 months old.

This has happened once before. HeyMama was sitting in my lap during an evening concert. As soon as I wrapped the scarf around us, she cuddled up against me and fell asleep. She never naps in the evening! And hadn’t napped on me since around 9 months old. But she too took a long cozy nap in my lap.

Now I’m not a nap-in-my-lap kind of Mama. Sure, it was necessary when they were tiny, but I was happy to transition them to sleeping in a crib. The constant physical contact is just too much for me, and I didn’t want them to be dependent on me for sleeping.

But once in a while, especially now that they’re older and generally good sleepers, the naps are kinda nice. Especially when we’re in a quiet place and them being awake would likely be disruptive. It’s nice to feel their constantly increasing weight and size wrapped up in my arms. To have them melt into my chest like warm toddler goo. I like to breathe in the smell of their hair and kiss the top of their heads. It reminds me of the long-ago days when they were tiny little creatures that didn't throw tantrums or openly defy me. 

Except that I get more sleep.

It's just magical.