4-24-2012 Chocolate Chip Cookies

After work, in the evening after all she had to do, Jenny had time for one more thing, to whip up a batch of from scratch chocolate chip cookies.  There are fancier cookies, and there are healthier cookies, but chocolate chip cookies to me are the best especially when the chocolate is still a little bit melty.

I'm not sure why exactly, I guess it is the comfort cookie for me.

I'm grateful for chocolate chip cookies and as well as the people that make them.

4-23-2012 My Hygienist

Today was semi annual dental cleaning day.  I used to really dread going, but now I am only slightly apprehensive.  My hygienist has a good mix of praise and pointing out what I am doing right and what I am doing wrong, is mostly pleasant and generally makes the time go by pretty quickly.

I certainly don't dread going any more which means I might get to keep my teeth for a long time.

So, for those and maybe some other reasons I am forgetting, I am grateful for my dental hygienist!

4-22-2012 Spring planting

I had the urge to buy a few plants and plant them.  Where last years plants used to be were just the brown remnants and some weeds.  I made some room, pulled out the old stuff and some more weeds, including the wild vines that were starting to cover the back fence.

I just put in a few things, some raspberry bushes, a pepper plant and a new tomato plant.  But, while doing this discovered some wild blackberries growing behind the fence.  I cut a path back there and was able to pick a few, hopefully I'll get some more.  I hope to get some more plants put in , little by little.

Spending time in the back yard, putting in these new plants and clearing out the old stuff felt, for lack of a better word, good.

I'm grateful for spring planting.

4-21-2012 Garlic

Jenny took the boys out to their Parkour class.  She left out the recipe for dinner, so I thought I'd see if I could prepare it.  I kind of chickened out (pun intended, it was chicken), but I did separate the garlic into cloves and peeled each one.  Just getting this far filled the house with a pleasant garlic smell.

When Jenny cooked the dinner, the smell was even stronger and brings back memories of so many good meals featuring lots and lots of garlic.

With this dinner, the cloves turned soft and had a mild taste. 

So, today I was grateful for garlic.

4-20-2012 Tomatoes

I am grateful for tomatoes, from the store, or the back yard, from a can, or made into spaghetti or pizza sauce. 

Jenny's dad gave us a hanging tomato planter which I've put new plants in the past two falls, so there have been fresh tomatoes right outside the back door. 

It started falling apart, so I didn't replant it this spring but found a big huge tomato plant in a basket at Walmart for just 5.00 which I've hung up and have already eaten a couple of the tomatoes with more on the way.

Sometimes I pick these tomatoes and Thomas likes to snack on them.

4-19-2012 Rain

It has been a bit dry around here compared to what we usually get, but there is some rain on the way.  Florida depends a lot on rain, like most places do.

Rain also refreshes and cools us.  It helps to dampen the pollen which is at a peak right now.

Good clean, cool water falling down from the sky, something to be grateful for!!

4-18-2012 Vultures

Yes, that's right vultures.  They get a pretty bad rap.  And metaphorically speaking, are not well liked.  But, real life vultures are pretty amazing.  They are quickly on the scene to clean up the unfortunate deer, racoon, or other animal that didn't quite make it across the road.  Someone would have to clean up the mess if the vultures were around.

I don't think they are creepy or ugly, I think they are pretty amazing.

I'm grateful for vultures every time I see them out doing their job.