I am grateful for bug spray.

I am grateful for emails from Nanette, Geri, Lisa, and Erin that just make me feel very loved.

I am grateful for Maureen and Melinda, two young women who work at Menards in Topeka. Melinda is a department manager and was so helpful and friendly to us, and Maureen is a pre-med student beginning her senior year at Washburn and somehow makes the time to work because she is saving money for her mcat test and to go to med school. Wow.

I am grateful for awesome foster parents.

I am grateful that I had enough books to send to three people who responded to my offer – Ann in Hutch, Stephanie JOY in Oregon and Grace in Las Vegas! I am grateful that they took the time to respond and want to read the book.  Offer still stands if you want to accept my challenge to be interrupted…

I am grateful that my day is constantly interrupted with pictures like this:

 The most beautiful children in Texas.

I am grateful for the reminder this morning in my devotion to think before I jump to conclusions and become angry without hearing the whole story. Think before I speak, because words are powerful.

I am grateful for peanuts in the shell all bagged and ready for Bingo prizes tonight.

I am grateful for good tires on the car, not around the middle.

I am grateful that we will get to see our Army boot camp graduate in two days and grateful that Dad is spending the weekend with us!!

I am grateful for cinnamon.

I am grateful that I have finally caught Royals fever.

I am grateful for women who are conscientious about their jewelry making noise when they walk and choose to take it off so the rest of the world isn’t annoyed. Yes, I’m annoyed. Yes, I am being very shallow and secretly unkind. Yes, I am wrong.

I am grateful for tech-y people who know tech-y things and make our office internet LIGHTNING fast. What’s faster than lightning?

I am grateful for the smell of fresh paint, varnish, and fresh sawed wood – something wonderful is being created in the office across the hall.

I am grateful for Linn today. What a remarkable person she is.

And I am grateful for dogs who love unconditionally and can’t wait to see their owners at the end of a hard day. Ahhhhhh, that is a great feeling. Snuggling with a canine who loves loves loves and adores adores adores. If only everyone could experience what that feels like.