grateful days: cara from hide & seek

today i am grateful for...

1. the ducklings on our walk this morning.
2. the big bear at his turntables. ohilovehim. <3
3. welch's grape juice & english ale cheddar.
4. saturday crafts & sewing.
5. baby smiles from my mae girl & her receding hairline.

thank you cara for your gratitudes. if you ever need a babysitter...

petals and rosehips...

ooh it is blisteringly hot outside. let's just say i am not grateful for the heat. oh well, nothing to do but sidle up to my fan with my sketchbook and a glass of lemonade.

i revisited some old fibers techniques and began hammering my withering zinnias onto scrap fabric. also works with limp herbs. and it smells delicious.

how do y'all survive the heat? i might have to flee to the nearest swimmable body of water later this eve...

grateful days: gracie from wool gathering & miscellany

today, i am grateful for...

1. sitting across the desk from my husband. we're both in the same graduate program and he has to wear glasses on the computer. it's SO adorable. sometimes, i stick my feel on his lap under the table and he'll rub them. as i'm typing this, he's on a conference call eating a handisnack, but turning the phone upside down so his teammates won't hear him chewing. heehee! after 5 and a half years of marriage & 10 years together, this man never ceases to amaze me.
2. handisnacks. who in the world came up with these? i would grab their ears with both hands and kiss them on the lips. i used to pretend the little red plastic cheese spreader stick was a clarinet reed. thank you, kraft foods, for indulging my love of fake cheese.
3. sun-warmed pups. my little furry one loves to sunbathe. i love the way she feels and smells after one of her sessions.
4. cobblers. i'm so grateful for cobblers because they can fix my favorite shoes over and over again, saving me from the heartbreak of sending them to shoe heaven. i'd also think this is good for the environment. reuse, instead of buy!
5. being able to see and hug my parents almost everyday. they're slowing down and i'm savoring every single moment. i feel extremely fortunate to live in such close proximity. i'm slurping up every hug and kiss and filing it away.

i would give anything to experience 2 & 5. those are two very, very good things. my husband would agree. thank you gracie for sharing and i hope everyone has a really fantastic monday, with at least 5 noteworthy gratitudes!

by george...

i think we've got it...

the cover of a deadstock notebook. gifted by a lovely lady at the flea.

my sweet man set up the scanner so it is now compatible with my computer(fingers crossed). i have never had a scanner that i've been able to fully take advantage of. and i love new toys...

extra prize: our wedding date in the fine print. only a few years earlier. aww.

i think i know what i will be doing tomorrow...

she flew back...

today i am grateful for...

one of my nearest and dearest gal pals, haylie bird, came back to nyc! we gossiped over hot coffee, croissants, and strawberries. hot coffee on a blistering day in august... i am always full of swell ideas. but we mosied on over to the flea, ate corn and blackberry popsicles, and scavenged for items to outfit our new homes. i found a few shiny things, a good wooden butcher block, smushed panama hat and a new apron.

and we caught up and she is living in new york and there is a whole mess of folks real happy she moved here. she is one of my favorite people and she brightens my day when i'm around her. she's a keeper.

market flowers and herbs. zucchini flowers, basil, mint, and cilantro. mmmmm.

the sweetest pile of glistening goodness. an instant mood lifter.

happy sunday and i hope everyone is surviving the heat. at least my new hat will shield me from a serious august sunburn. hopefully. ok, i'm off to eat fruit soup with my sweet man...

grateful days: old ladies summer...

thank you ileana from clicky overload for submitting your wonderful gratitude list.

today i am grateful for...

1 the light of late summer. i am already looking forward to "altweibersommer". that's how we say "indian summer" in german. it means "old ladies summer" because the many white spider silks seen at this time of the year have been associated with the hair of old women.

2 my new clip-on earrings from the flea market, they go clickety-clack the whole day.

3 things that first went wrong and then turn out just right.

4 reading gloomy books in the sunshine while...

5 ...listening to C. playing the ukulele on the porch.

how i love the way you describe indian summers. the light is changing and soon, so will this season. thank you very much for being the first to kick-start "grateful days".

grateful days and new traditions...

today i am grateful for...

summer's sun-scorched flowers. i like imperfections. a whole lot.

thank y'all for posting your gratitudes. i kept smiling to myself throughout the entire day. i would like to start "grateful days" where i post y'alls gratitude lists with a photo of your choosing (or i can dig through archives and pick one, if preferred) and a link to your blog or website. i was going to assign this to a specific day, like every friday... but i think i would rather show gratitude love all week long.

if interested, please email your 5 things and photo to me at ginnybranch(the "at" symbol)gmail(dot)com. sorry to spell it out this way... i've just heard it thwarts all those unfortunate spammers.

merci beacoup, sweet folks out there!