Gratitude Monday - Simple Beauty

We have a bit of snow. It's not much, but it helps the small animals whose coats turn  hide from predators. I am grateful for it, but we need more.
The weather has been warmer than it ought for this time of year. All we can do is enjoy what we have.
Yesterday we went for a walk in the Cheddarville Natural Area south and west of town. We found a trail to walk on through the woods. It was sunny, not too cold, and a quadder had seen to it the trail was fairly easy to walk on. I am grateful for easy walking.
Snow-capped trees and grass are beautiful and silent.  It was almost too quiet with only a chickadee here and there to remind us we were still in the world.
There is much to be grateful for in the world and snow is included.

The simple beauty of snow on a rose bush.

Gratitude Monday -- Birthday Edition

Yesterday was my birthday. This makes me 57 now and grateful for many, many things.
I'm healthy, happy, secure, and well looked after.
I love and am loved.
I get to do stuff I want.
Life is good and relatively easy in that the house is warm, potable water is available at the turn of a tap, the fridge, freezer, and cupboards are stocked with good, healthy food as well a few treats that are good in only a few senses of the term.
If there's more that one could ask,  then I am not aware of it and therefore do not need it.
Life is good.

Gratitude Monday-- Unicorn Guide Edition

My unicorn guide came to me yesterday.

I felt unicorn energy around me Saturday evening. It impelled me to research them. 

The next morning she came by, and she brought a herd.

Encore, the lead unicorn, said her name was a hint.

She showed me a key in my mind and guided me to unlock a door, similar to a bank vault.

In it were shelves marked Skills, Abilities, Talents, and a few others at least one of which referred to specifically to those things I used to do but put aside,

I expect she told me to call her Encore because it means to come back out and offer a bit more.  I believe it means get back to doing what I used to do.

That may refer to many things from hypnosis and energy healings to occasionally speaking in rhyme,  or even living in my imagination.

I liked to work with my hands. Is still do, but it was different then.  

I used to take things apart to see how they work. When I was much younger, under 10, I liked to tinker around with stopped clocks and watches. I made them work. I have no idea how I did it, but it was fun. It felt good and right to do it.

Whatever the message means I am grateful for it, and grateful for Encore and the other unicorns coming into my life.

Gratitude Monday- My Husband Baked Edition

Yesterday my husband baked and for it I am grateful.
He made Povetica, a Croatian yeast-based coffee cake with walnut filling.
It took a few hours as there's rising involved.
It tastes really good.
No photos as he was not pleased with the look.  It's strudel-like, but with gluten free flours that can be a challenge.
It was a grey day yesterday with the promise of snow ever present, but never fulfilled.  It was the perfect day for baking.
He did the dishes afterward. I am grateful for that as well.

Gratitude Monday--Repurposed Writing Edition

I've abandoned manuscripts here and there. Some part way through and others after a few rewrites.
Generally I keep them in one form or another as one never knows when a character, turn of phrase, or even a story bit will come in handy.
You can bet I am grateful I do it.

Yesterday such a thing happened.
I clicked on an abandoned manuscript and ended up reading a recast excerpt from a different manuscript. I'd made it fit with very few changes.
This particular manuscript still needs to rest. It may never see the light of day. But the excerpt might.
Either I can recast the original or recast this recast and make it a standalone story.
In fact, I've left myself a computer sticky note to do just exactly that.

I'm eager to get at it and will know shortly if it is workable. Whether it is or not does not matter right now. What matters is I have the material to play with and for that I am grateful.