An Abundance of Blessings

iPhone photo from last summer

Each day during the month of November I am finding 3-5 things I am grateful for and posting photos of them on my Facebook page or in this blog (which gets posted to my Facebook page).

I try to be grateful for the abundance of the blessings that I have, for the journey that I’m on and to relish each day as a gift. — James McGreevey

On the third day of this practice, I am already feeling an abundance of blessings! So many things to be grateful for!

This morning I awoke well-rested and ready to leap into my day

Gratitude #1. Gratitude for a good night’s sleep and waking up feeling great!

The big fall retreat that I had been helping plan and put on for the women’s group at my church was a huge success on Saturday. I am still feeling the glow of the beauty and joy of the day.

Last night I received an email from one of the presenters at the retreat that warmed my heart and reaffirmed my sense that my intentions for this retreat were manifested with more magic and grace than I could have planned.

A lot of magic and synchronicities in my life

Gratitude #2. Gratitude for all the wonderful synchronicities that occurred during the retreat, all the help I had creating it, the participation of 75 wonderful women, and the email I received last night that actually brought tears of joy to my eyes.

Although the skies are gray today the temperatures are still above normal for November in Minneapolis. I spent an hour putting my container garden to bed for the winter. While I was working in the yard, I had visitations of cardinals, chickadees, a downy woodpecker, and a sparrow.

This is a photo from November 2011 at Carver Park

Gratitude #3. Gratitude for feathered friends that bring so much beauty and joy to so many people and for a beautiful fall.

I love getting my hands in the dirt and working with plants. Today was my day to put my container garden “to bed” for the winter. I pulled out the dead or dying plants and got the containers ready to move into shelter before the snow flies. While digging in the soil, I remembered the lovely salads and vegetables I ate from this container garden and the flowers that attracted the hummingbirds to visit last summer.

A phone from my Friendship Group (giving and receiving foot massages)

Gratitude #4. Gratitude for hands and feet that are able to dig in the dirt, fertile soil that grows good food that sustains me, and the beauty of flowers.

Remains of the day – soil and gnomes getting ready for winter sleep

After digging out all of the dead and dying plants I carried them down to my composter so that they could continue the cycle of life by creating fertile soil for growing more plants, vegetables, and flowers. Every time I work with the compost pile, I think of my dad, who was a farmer, saying “Manure is money in the bank.” Things that are unpleasant and smelly transform into blessings and abundance. If you are finding it difficult to feel grateful at this time in your life, hang in there. We all experience suffering, we all have difficult times, and if we continue to feel gratitude, seek beauty, forgive ourselves and others, the difficult times can transform into joy, learning, growth, and new understanding.

The compost pile takes old plants and leaves and creates fertile soil

Gratitude #5. Gratitude for the cycles of life, for failures that turn into abundance, for friends and loved ones who have stuck with me through cycles of illness and health, good times and bad. What a blessing each one of you have been in my life!

Did you notice that I snuck in far more than 5 things to be grateful for today? Yup!

An Abundance of Blessings!

May you walk in beauty (and experience an abundance of blessings).

iPhone art from last summer

iPhone art – still life with flowers, candle, pens

iPhone art – ordinary miracles – tea with a friend