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As a new periodic blog feature, “grace notes” will occasionally capture my jottings of incidental gratitude for sacramental moments in the shards of daily life. My hope is that this practice will make me (and you?) more aware of the constant flow of amazing good we are perpetually steeped in, which we are surrounded by all the time. It is here only asking to be noticed and amplified. See how all of life is poetry?

So this Thanksgiving, I am furthering my ongoing goal of appreciating such a continuous, overflowing abundance of random good. My list continues with the last blooms of autumn:

• the last blooms of autumn
• lightening bugs over the meadow in early evening
• warm days of indian summer
• serving others graciously
• golden leaves floating to the ground
• waving to the person that stopped for me to cross
• cherry tomatoes ripening in the sun
• confidence and assurance
• hugging a toddler
• the rattle of dry leaves in the breeze
• a pile of purple peppers
• a husband coming home
• lunch outside late in autumn
• a friend getting to swim with deep sea turtles
• a huge collection of pre-columbian ceramics
• staying home and doing little
• fresh parsley from the garden
• virtuoso recorder music
• a mound of mulberry mums
• a katydid in my lap
• leaves chasing each other down the pavement
• leaves calling out to each other in chattering conversation
• solitude that is not lonely but instead full and sweet
• the squeak of a large knife cutting a fresh cabbage in half
• lying in bed on a rainy Saturday morning not needing to get up
• a glass of cold water after a long hot walk
• Brussels sprouts on the stalk
• rounded beach stones
• a clean refrigerator
• mail in the mailbox
• safety from oppression
• huge piles of homegrown butternut squash in my foyer
• having friends over and not needing to clean up beforehand
• when colorful leaves stay on the trees after a pelting rain
• brunch out with friends after church
• the joy of a naturally lit gallery space
• clean toilets
• living in a state that recycles
• our nutrient rich compost pile
• reservoirs with sufficient water
• hand knit socks
• a perfectly poached egg
• a friend making me breakfast
• driving at night in the beam of the headlights
• hugging people you have never met
• rejecting fear
• bridging the gap
• defending minorities
• a table full of people enjoying a meal together
• the last time to mow the lawn before winter
• interfaith dialogue filled with solidarity
• willingness to make allowances for others
• pizza when you don’t feel like cooking
• a productive meeting heading in encouraging directions
• handmade blankets given at a baby shower
• a full church
• sautéed garlic
• quick recovery
• public television
• crisp sweet potato fries
• asking intelligent questions
• babies bathed in the sink
• diverse perspectives
• fresh sheets on the bed
• the first snow of the season
• phone calls from children
• meditative chopping
• holiday plans
• eggnog
• many hands helping
• gentle poems
• doodling with colored pens
• forgiving them for “they know not what they do”
• bumping into acquaintances at the grocery
• offspring with great salaried jobs
• textural paintings
• a garishly chartreuse Honda Civic
• lab science proving universal laws
• vigorous health
• nurturing mothers
• faithful fathers
• online searches
• buying local
• a freshly baked almond croissant
• a picture book collection
• a new twist on an old idea
• homemade pottery vases
• a new friend
• citizen engagement
• a skyline view
• fuchsia next to orange
• giving advice to people that appreciate it
• generous hospitality
• glorious receptivity
• nocturnal animals
• police officers and fire fighters
• road trips
• toothbrushes
• cell phone navigation apps
• walking buddies
• backlit fall foliage
• diligent ancestors
• dark rainclouds ready to weep
• waking from dreams
• cooking for others
• no football on in my house
• relatives returning
• feeling appreciated
• swans at dawn
• percolating with ideas
• unexpected provision
• learning to knit mittens
• movie marathons
• peanut butter ice cream
• refreshed organization
• a conclusion following directly from a premise
• sabbath resting
• eye contact with an infant
• mountain sunsets
• hope unfurled
• captivating grace
• honest longing

To be continued… meanwhile feel free to add some of your own in the comments below.

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