Today I am thankful for...
many opportunities for finding peace.
-My new favorite pastime is duckling watching. Sitting in the grass or puttering in the garden to the sound of soft duckling noises is a new type of homesteading heaven. They preen a bit, fluff up their feathers, which are still a mix of soft downy baby feathers and darker smooth adult ones. They dabble in their water tub and find interesting things to eat in the grass. The only problem is that once they are out of their pen, I have to stay in their sight. If I forget something in the shed, I can't go back to get it because they'll come running after me, peeping loudly and alerting the dogs. I don't think they have quite bonded with us, but they do like to be near us, much more than the ducks we've had in the past, which would frantically run away from us.
-Last year I ran with the little babe in the jogging stroller, but I don't think she would be as content to sit in there for an hour now. And honestly, I don't really feel like pushing 35 pounds of babe and stroller if I don't have to! So I try to fit in two shorter runs during the week before my husband goes to work and then on the weekends I go for one long run. I have really been enjoying these early morning runs. This past Sunday morning was perfect - a blue sky, perfect temp, a good mix of sun and shade to run in, the quiet of a Sunday morning - I felt like I could have ran forever (or at least half a marathon, but I kept it to an hour since we had other things to do.) I think I am lucky in that it doesn't take me long to "shut off" the outside world and stresses. As soon as I head out the door, I don't think about the "to do" list at all. And I am always amazed at how much wildlife I see while running through the suburbs. On Sunday I saw a Killdeer, Red-winged Blackbird, Goldfinch, and then the normal suburban birds - Robins, Crows, Starlings, etc. I return home with a feeling of peaceful satisfaction.
-I have been reading a lot of books lately and really enjoying it. I've missed that feeling of getting sucked into a story, staying up later than expected to read just a bit more. When I put the little babe to bed in the past, I've always had to turn off the light and so couldn't read (and normally fell asleep myself). But several weeks ago, I really wanted to read a book and so left the light on while she nursed and she actually fell asleep! So with this extra time for reading, I have since finished several books, some new ones and some that I've pulled off the bookshelf to read again. If you're interested: Running With The Kenyans by Adharanand Finn, Born to Run by Christopher McDougall, The Town That Food Saved by Ben Hewitt, and The Good Good Pig by Sy Montgomery.
What are you thankful for? How do you find peace?