A January Monday: day famous for dimness of joy-light, for difficult getting-going.

“Rise and shine!”

But the rising takes more effort, the shining groans yet harder, on January Mondays.

Attitude maker = gratitude. Start there…

…and give the thanks to the Giver of all good things.

But even the thanksgiving seems weighed down with inertia. Haven’t I named it all, already, through my years of thanking (stretching back, how long now)?

Then I read this (explained more here), and the prompts get me going, through the week. And writing this review on Monday morning gets me rising, even shining.

…

Starting all over with a brand new counting of His gifts and graces, #1-27, truly new ones every morning.

Thanking Him…

for putting in me…

encouragement, to pass on to others

understanding of His Word, to savor and to share

skill and health for my hands to work, uncrippled.

For a gift outside:

first star appearing bright above the trees (see above)

For a gift that runs from outside inside:

water from the faucet, fresh and pure,

 

For a gift now inside:

tomatoes red and bright, and striped in sun mist on the window ledge, last “crop” from the now-chilled greenhouse. 

 

Praise for pleasure on a plate (a new way with pounded chicken, with country ingredients procured close-by).

From overheard graces…

on blog comments,

on the phone, 

in a Twitter Tweet.

One gift old (and blue):

the threadbare grace that must be replaced: my navy long coat, presentable publicly no more, but still my warm companion on winter woodland wanderings. (It is well loved, that good old coat, like the Velveteen Rabbit, in its faithful service over long years.) 

 One gift borrowed:

books from the little public library (right next door to the clinic where I wait for allergy shots, then wait some more till time to be checked — and read).

One gift new:

warm wool coat to replace “Old Blue.”

Something I’m (re)reading:The Pursuit of God

Something I’m making: warm handspun yarn for socks or scarf

Something I see…

oh, almost everything I see!

(simply thankful that I can see…

especially the delicate,

like moss on rocks, and lichen patterns bluish green

and leaf folds frosted white.

One thing in my bag:

jewel-like fabrics to dazzle a quilt…

And another:

for kitchen wall, new calendar — complete with pockets to tuck things in

And yet another:

a new Moleskine (my favorite kind of journal).

In our fridge… good fresh local milk and cream, from our favorite family dairy, finally rebuilt after fire destroyed their store-restaurant).

“In my heart,” 

warm feelings for the man who took me out and sat and waited, so I could “play” in the fabric store, shop in the clothes store, browse in the book store (though this last doing he loves, too).

Light that caught me: the surprise of moon, shining bold through the pre-dawn window. 

A reflection that surprised me:

(new light on an old scripture, and pondering on it)

Shadows that “fell lovely:”

some that curled across the lawn,

some that striped the frosted ground,

some that played tricks across stone walls.

Three sweet graces from people I love:

son’s latest beautiful picture tweet

husband’s clearing away after dinner

friend’s gift of a flower that draws so strongly toward the light, as it prepares to bloom, it sets me an example…

(Continued next Monday.)

*****

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