Ten Things of Thankful: Spring Might Be Coming!

 

a backyard and mountainside covered in snow

Monday, we woke up to more snow on top of the snow we already had.

A very snowy Mt. Timpanogos contrasts with a deep blue sky

On Thursday, the sun came out and I took the photo above of a deep blue sky above a very snowy Mt. Timpanogos.  Rain is in the forecast at our elevation this coming week, though the mountains should receive more snow. The break in the snow and the sun coming out reminds me that spring will come sometime. 

1. I'm thankful for the seasons. Contrast is nice. 

While I've been mostly inside this week, I've gotten some things accomplished.

2. I'm thankful to have taxes done and filed. 

Have you read the children's book, "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie"? In it, a mouse gets a cookie, but then needs other things (glass of milk, etc.) Sometimes I feel like that mouse! 

3. I'm thankful that we will be getting fiber internet installed soon. It will be faster and cheaper than our current internet.

Because the installers are coming this week, I wanted to get the office cleared out. We rearranged the furniture a bit and shredded a lot of papers. My desktop is clear at the moment, and that is a great feeling!

4. I'm thankful for a clean office.

Even though we now have extra items sitting outside the office door that need to be moved someplace else, 

5. I'm thankful I have a place to put the big bookcase. Yes, I will need to then figure out where to put the littler bookcase that the big bookcase will replace, but, 

6. I'm thankful for problems that aren't really problems. 

7. I'm thankful for friends who reached out with questions that I could easily help with. Sometimes I think it's easy to feel like unless something is difficult, it doesn't really count as helpful, but that's just not the case. I was reminded of the "lift where you stand" theory, or "the parable of the piano." Years ago, Dieter Uchtdorf told this story: "Some years ago in our meeting house in Darmstadt, Germany, a group of brethren was asked to move a grand piano from the chapel to the adjoining cultural hall, where it was needed for a musical event. None were professional movers, and the task of getting the gravity-friendly instrument through the chapel and into the cultural hall seemed nearly impossible. Everybody knew that this test required not only physical strength, but also careful coordination. There were plenty of ideas, but not one kept the piano balanced correctly. They repositioned the brethren by strength, height, and age over and over again. Nothing worked. As they stood around the piano, uncertain of what to do next, a good friend of mine-- Brother Hanno Luschin-- spoke up. He said, "Brethren, stand close together and lift where you stand." It seemed too simple. Nevertheless, each lifted where he stood, and the piano rose from the ground and moved into the cultural hall as if on its own power. That was the answer to the challenge. They merely needed to stand close together and lift where they stood." 

8. I'm thankful I was also on the receiving end of the "lift where you stand" idea. A friend shared some chocolates with me that she brought back from a recent vacation. Talk about a sweet surprise! And a total stranger stopped me in a store to tell me my hair was beautiful. "Beautiful" implies more poise and sophistication than I feel I have--did I mention I cut my thumb on a measuring tape this week? Don't get me wrong; I love my curly hair. It suits my personality, and it's cute in its own wind-swept way, but to be told it was beautiful brought a smile to my face. 

9. I'm thankful I was able to get more seeds planted indoors this week. Hopefully by next week I'll be able to report that there are leaves popping up. 

10. I'm thankful for John. Whatever we are doing, whether it is an inherently fun event like a vacation or a not-so-fun task like taxes and cleaning, it is more enjoyable because we are together. 

How about you? What are you thankful for today? Come join the Ten Things of Thankful Blog Hop!