1000 Gifts-Week 18

We spent some time at the beach with our friends from out of town this week. There are some really nice beaches around here. It’s always fun to go and explore again and show people around who haven’t been there before. It was a long exhausting day, but we enjoyed all of it. At low tide there were some spectacular clear tide pools, full of interesting things to look at. My pictures of tide pools never turn out but I take them anyway. At one point we were all very close to a baby sea lion. It’s mother was up on a rock, but the baby couldn’t get to her because it was low tide. So it kept swimming around below the rock, and the mother kept barking, and it was all very tragic. Except the tide was coming in and soon the mother seal would be able to reach the water, and the baby seal would be able to reach the rock, and all would be well again. I found myself thinking how many of my dramas are easily resolved with the passing of a little time, and the exercise of a little patience.

It was cool to be that close to a baby sea lion though. Here’s a picture.

• a naked toddler bottom chugging down the hall toward the bath.
• kindness
• a day at the beach with dear friends we haven’t seen in a really long time
• That the snotty, coughing kids aren’t puking. (sometimes it’s the small mercies that matter the most.)
• People who show that they care by their actions.
• They way that Little opens her mouth wide and looks sideways at me full of mischief when she’s about to try something funny.
• How well the Boy is growing up.
• Lunch that I didn’t have to make.
• Snuggles that make everything almost better.
• A spectacular sunset over the ocean. (My camera doesn’t do it justice, especially the colors.)

• I didn’t need a sweater this weekend, it’s warming up.
• Hermit crabs, such funny little things to watch.

• Fresh blueberries.
• Green all over the hills.
• Rocks, also all over the hills. Very cool in contrast to the green.
• This guy. I really like him.

The gratitude community is here.