2.15.2011

Sunshine

There is something about sunshine.
It is such a blessing to live in Calgary where most days are sunny.  Particularly short winter ones.
I sat down at the kitchen table this morning to read my scriptures and the sun was pouring in the window.  It was bright and I felt warm.  It helped to cast away the glumness that I was feeling up to that point today.

"Sonshine" will do the same for a person.  We just need to let Him in.  His light will cast out all darkness, and His Spirit will warm our hearts.

2.14.2011

Love Day

I am grateful for my wonderful family.  To show my love for them today, I made them a Valentines Day Dinner.  It was so fun to plan the menu and decorate.  I worked all day, and it turned out great.  Unfortunately I forgot to take pictures of the spread before we started eating :(

Menu:
Butternut Squash Soup &/or Tortellini Soup
Homemade Breadsticks
Caesar Salad
Cannelloni

Red Velvet Cake for dessert!

I made little treat packets for them all, filled with chocolate and candy.

Sam would have liked me to have served ice cream cones.  That is actually ALL he wanted.

2.11.2011

The Chinook

The temperature is hovering between 6 and 8 C today.  It is hard to believe I spent a good portion of my day on Monday shoveling snow.  I am grateful to live in Calgary, where we get chinooks to make winter bearable.  (I am also grateful for washer fluid!)

2.10.2011

My Own Warm Bed...

Today I am very grateful that I didn't have to sleep in my brother-in-law's garage/barn last night!

I went out in the country to "box dive" with my hubbie last night.  It is NEVER one of those things I look forward to, especially not twice in one week.  We use part of the garage for storage of closed files.  Once in awhile (twice this week) he has to go out to find an old file.  He asked me to come along.  I grumbled, but went.  When we went out there a couple of days ago, it was hard to get in.  There was snow and ice right up to the door and it was stuck.  My  nephew came and helped us get it open, and then we went inside and got what we needed.  Fast forward to last night.  They needed a couple more boxes at the office, so out we went again.  It was dark.  The snow was deep.  I nearly fell a couple times.  We had to use the flashlight on the iphone to be able to see.  We got down to the barn, and the door was stuck again, but we managed to get the handle turned and got in.  We quickly found what we needed and headed out.

The door wouldn't open!  It wasn't the snow and ice that was causing the problem, it was the handle.  It was toast.  We turned and turned and turned, but the mechanism was broken.  We tried prying it, but that didn't work.  We thought if we had someone on the outside to push on it, that might help.  But no one was home at the other brother's place.  We tried the big overhead door.  IT was frozen shut.  We searched around for tools and found a screwdriver and took the door handle apart.  It fell apart all over, never to be used again, and still the end was stuck--it wouldn't slide in.  Finally, after more prying, we got it open.  It took great imagination to get it closed again, but we managed it.

I was proud of myself for not panicking.
I was glad we had the iphone with a flashlight.  Came in handy when trying to get the door closed again.
I was glad we had a phone, even though no one was home.  I don't even want to think about being out there with no phone and no one knowing where we were.
I was extra glad to sleep in my own bed and not on the icy floor of the garage.

Nothing like a little adventure and adrenalin to brighten your day!

2.09.2011

New Blog Focus

I feel that I need to have a focus for my blog, to make it meaningful for those who read it and for myself. I am going to use my blog as a means to vocalize my gratitude for all I have been given.


"We need to be more grateful. It's one of the marks of strong character, to have a feeling of thanksgiving and gratitude for blessings that are ours. We need more of that spirit in our homes, in our daily associations, in church, everywhere. It's so easy to cultivate the spirit of appreciation."
Ezra Taft Benson