Sunday, February 1, 2015

Sunday Gratitude

What a week it has been!!! Lots and lots to be grateful for!


1.
Our friends Denice and Jake welcomed their first child, a sweet little girl they called Eva Jean. I'm pretty sure she will be a real "drama queen" considering that both her parents are actors! It is lovely that there are more babies and toddlers in our circle of friends. I love to have friends of all ages, it really enriches our life and I feel deep gratitude for all of them.

2.
I finished my online photography course including all the assessments. This was the first online course I actually finished on time with all the work done. It's quite an achievement for me, and I feel I have learned a lot, especially about the technical side, but also about ideas and the philosophy of photography. It was different than I expected, but I enjoyed every single bit of it. It also helped that it was free!


3.
Finally I started to take walks in the neighborhood again - it feels so much like spring here, it seems to put a new spring in my step (no pun intended). I know, the photos don't really go with that, right? (They were all taken in Utah during our trip over winter break.) Usually I pick up Kaefer from school and then get out of the car at the Safeway to walk home from there with little detours (so I walk about 20 to 30 minutes) while Kaefer drives home. It's amazing how these short walks lift my mood and energy!

4.
I'm so grateful for our lovely neighbors. The front yard needs more of my attention, and I'm often out there. My neighbors stop by and we chat a little bit. Or I meet them while walking - we always take time to talk a little bit. It's a good community feeling in our neighborhood.


5.
It has been a good week in my shop as well. This is not always the case. I often go by week after week without a single sale, sometimes to such an extend that I think of giving up. However, I am not really a quitter and it takes a lot for me to finally give up. Instead I'm ready to face the challenge and put more work into my store.

6.
Yesterday I had a date with my husband. You know, it's way to seldom we have that, it usually is sent to the back burner among our daily routines - which is a shame. However, yesterday evening Kaefer volunteered at the Schulz Museum (Schulz as in Peanuts) - there was a big Girl Scout (Brownies) event with a sleep over, and since she and her friend are some of the regular volunteers in the education room they worked that event as well. Which gave the Geek and myself the opportunity to go to a nice little restaurant in the neighborhood and have a delicious dinner. Honestly, we should do that more often.


7.
Temperatures this past week were unseasonably high and I could enjoy some downtime outside, sitting in my favorite little corner under the photinia. I read, watched the birds and enjoyed their happy chatter and songs. I find it incredible relaxing.

8.
I'm immensely grateful that I have kept my sense of wonder. It still hits me out of the blue that my daughter is a mere miracle for me, a gift that I often ask myself what I did to deserve this. To see this little girl growing into a sweet teenager and becoming an amazing young woman. The same sense of wonder I get when I enter our home - I still enjoy it so very much and haven't felt any regret about this purchase. We have owned this house for almost three years and the enthusiasm about it is still the same - perhaps even more so since we have turned it into a real home. We already have new ideas for it that we want to realize this year.



I feel very blessed, to say the least. What about you? Did you have a good week?


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Spring has arrived in my Etsy store!
Catch the magic of spring 
with words written in an altered journal


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18 comments:

Tammie Lee said...

your week really does sound wonderful in so many way. i am so happy for you.

it was lovely to see your photos also. congratulations for finishing your course. completion and learning can be such a good feeling!

Laurie said...

Wonderful photos, as usual. Sounds like you had a very nice week....hope you enjoy this coming one just as much. Take care.

Elephant's Child said...

A gorgeous post. The wonder, the gratitude and the joy are almost palpable.
Long may they continue.

EG CameraGirl said...

I enjoyed reading this wonderfully positive post. You sound truly grateful!

KB said...

I loved this post, so upbeat and optimistic. I'm glad that you had such a great experience with an online photography course. We have terribly slow internet so I haven't been able to do any online education yet.

Your photos are wonderful and inspiring.

Unknown said...

Freut mich, dass Du so eine schöne Woche hattest :)
Meine war dank Computer nicht so toll...
Ich liebe das erste und das letzte Foto, ich mag Gräser sehr :)
Der knorrige Baumstamm ist auch nicht zu verachten :))
Liebe Grüße
【ツ】Knipsa

Jeanne said...

Your photos are just beautiful, and so great that you finished that course! I am taking a photo course at the University here, but have learned just as much from online courses. They are great and can be completed on your own time which is great . That sense of wonder is a true gift in live, and for me Photography has added so much to this sense of seeing beauty where I might not have noticed it before. No wonder we love this hobby! So glad that you are loving where you live!

John's Island said...

Hi Carola, I do feel blessed and one blessing I will mention is finding your blog. I really enjoyed this post. Great photos … my favorite is the puddle with ice forming an almost perfect image of a leaf with stem. Your writing is encouraging. I especially like the mention of walking and how it can improve one’s outlook. Neat post! John

La Vie Quotidienne said...

Your photos are wonderful and I am so pleased to here that you are continuing to enjoy your new home and garden.

TexWisGirl said...

beautiful shots, carola. love the light in those grasses!

Catherine said...

The golden quality in your photos and the feathery lightness of the foliage is so beautiful. What a special landscape you have found....

Barb said...

I like the shots of the grasses against rock and snow and the etched ice. We also unseasonably warm temperatures last week. However, now we're back to gusty wind and snow.

denthe said...

So much fun to read about your week and all the things you are grateful for. Your photos are amazing, you really are a class photographer!

windrock studio said...

Good friends and neighbors, mild weather, an interesting online course, nice walks ... and a date! It's no wonder that you sound like a very happy girl! Your images here are just so amazing, Carola.

gina said...

It sounds like you had a wonderful week, with so much to be grateful for. Appreciating all that life offers us really does bring one joy.

Magic Love Crow said...

Beautiful! Truly beautiful ;o)

Bethany Carson said...

Congrats to Denice and Jake, and congratulations to you on finishing the photography course!

Going for walks and bike rides in the spring is a great activity! We still have a bit to wait here in Iowa as we're under about a foot of snow, but it's encouraging to hear that spring is coming to your area.

All the best to you in your shop! Owning a small business can be quite the challenge, but I'm grateful for all those who have the fortitude to persist.

It is very special to have a wonderful family.

May the Lord bless and keep you!

Maria Ontiveros said...

What a lovely list. Is Kaefer a junior? If so, she'll be going through the college application process as my daughter Clara. I read your citizenship post recently and thought you'd mentioned that. Sonoma State is a great school. My son almost went there.
Rinda