Gratitude*Monday

I'm joining Taryn at Wooly Moss Roots and several other lovely bloggers in honoring the things for which we've been grateful for throughout the week. A quiet, weekly practice of appreciation and positivity. A time to breath and reflect.

If you would like to join us, just click the image at the bottom of this post.

This Week I am Grateful For:

* Music that moves the heart and soul.
* The amazing amount of support that's poured in for my family after announcing on Facebook and Twitter Friday afternoon that my Sister-in-Law is getting a lung transplant and needs some help with expenses. I'll be blogging about it in the next day or so, but in the meantime, if you want to read Tara's story, share it and help out if you are able (every share, prayer and penny helps!) you can visit the link in my sidebar or click here.
* Finding a new vet who is much more attentive and kind than our previous one.
* A few sunny days and a spectacular sunset or two!



* Turning out a piece of custom art for a friend's project and having her LOVE it! It's always an amazing feeling when someone lets you run with your gut instead of trying to tell you exactly what they want and the finished work be everything they hoped for. :)
* Homemade fried okra that we grew ourselves! Also, fresh homemade salsa with more veggies from our garden. Yum, yum!
* A few nights of solid sleep. That doesn't happen to me often, so when they occur I am so, so thankful.



* Gifting myself with an entire day to attend a virtual retreat with Connie at Dirty Footprints Studio and a group of women from around the world. I spent the entire day painting, sketching in the Moleskine, doing a puzzle, taking walks... doing the things that nourish me and not worrying about anything at all. As an added bonus, Joe was so sweet to me while I did so; he made sure I wasn't hungry or thirsty so I didn't have to stop what I was doing and took care of the furs and the housework so when I ended my retreat and re-emerged in to the real world I wouldn't lose that relaxation I had gained.
* That said, I'm thankful for my awesome husband!


The painting I did while in retreat. I'm going to blog more about it on Heartroot Studio, because you won't believe where this started. (I still don't!)

* That despite the horrible weather my garden is still kicking; while most of the plants have died off from too much water and not nearly enough sun my tomatoes, my okra and green peppers are still trudging on. The zucchini is trying, but I don't know that it will make it. We shall see. I'm going to start new seedlings for my late summer/fall planting.
* A new addition to my collections. This one spans my addiction to witches as well as vinyl toys (have I mentioned that I collect those before? I can't remember.)




To join in Gratitude Sunday, click on the image below! Happy Week, lovelies.