construction

Will it fly?

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Thursday challenge

Next week: GARDEN (Flower, Vegetable, Herb, Container, Window Box, Rock,...)

the luxury of sunshine (#590-605 of 1000 gifts)

"Hold out your hands and feel the luxury of sunshine." - Helen Keller

Oddly, sunshine does feel like a luxury this summer here on the 'wet coast.' A few days ago the weatherman reported that the number of hours we had had temperatures above 25 C. so far this summer was two (that's hours, not days)! After today that's no longer the case, though. This day (I'm writing on Sunday) has been untypically hot and sunny (32!) — and I am digging the luxury of it for sure. That's my gift #590 to start this week's list. And I continue...

591. Pink - hot enough to hurt the eyes.

592. Red poppies blooming in the city boulevard.

593. Yellow sunshine for our cloudy summer.

594. Playful critters.

595. A birthday lunch with friends I haven't seen since April.

596. Burns Bog fungi...

597. ...and lushness!

598. Look at the size of these skunk cabbage leaves.

599. Pasta salad, savoury bread, and rhubread pudding, served with love and wonderful conversation. Thank you Mel & Jill!

600. Our new blanket. We've needed a new light summer quilt for several summers since the one we got from my aunties for our wedding wore out. We picked one up at Sears the other day and though I didn't consciously choose it for the design (of course I liked it), looking around our bedroom the other day, I realized what a perfect match it was. 

601. The other day on our walk through the park, we came across these two grannies, sitting on their walkers, sketching the foliage. I love to see people pursue their passion!

602. A bald eagle sighting (I think these are juveniles).

603. Bargain Kindle downloads like this and this.

604. Spirea flowers that look soft as plush.

605. Interesting discussion of Luci Shaw's Breath for the Bones at High Calling Culture. My little blurb about Chapters 3-4 is here.

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If you'd like to join me and many others collecting One Thousand Gifts, please do. Some members of this gratefulness community post their gifts on blogs, while others list them in private journals. Instructions on how to join are here.

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yellow

Yellowlegs 

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Thursday Challenge

Next Week: CONSTRUCTION (Business, Residential, Street, Bridge, Sidewalk, Lego Bricks,...)

keeping my nose to the joy trail (#579 − 589 of 1000 gifts)

"You have to sniff out joy. Keep your nose to the joy trail"- Buffy Sainte-Marie

It's been a summer week of getting a few things done, and waiting for the sun...

579. Historic sight on the river — a canoe full of coureurs de bois? It was definitely French we heard, drifting across the water.

580. A secret garden (not mine; I wish it were).

581. Quiet days for getting stuff done.


582. Lots of rain. No need to water the garden.

583. These are out. Does anyone know what they're called? They bloom in abundance along the river flood plain and smell of fresh laundry.

584. Platz - made for lunch with friends on Saturday (the recipe is here in case you're interested in making this dessert that uses almost any fruit you have on hand). For this one I sprinkled a layer of frozen cranberries over thawed peaches and nectarines to give the filling a wonderfully tangy edge. It's so good with ice-cream.

585. Coffee with friends in the charming atrium of a square of shops in Fort Langley. Saturday was a rainy day so we had the place to ourselves.

586. Frogs. These cuties seem to be loving the weather.

587. A birdhouse that gives new meaning to the verse:

"Blessed are those who dwell in Your house;

         They will still be praising You" - Psalm 84:4.

     

588. Vivid lilies seen at Driediger Farrms, to which we found our way quite by accident on our rainy day drive. Besides these photos, we went home with flats of fresh strawberries and raspberries!

589. Inscribe Christian Writers' Fellowship. It's a Canadian writing group I'm so pleased to be a part of. I blogged about them today at Line upon line. If you're a Canadian Christian writer and not a member, come on over to see what you're missing.

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If you'd like to join me and many others collecting One Thousand Gifts, please do. Some members of this gratefulness community post their gifts on blogs, while others list them in private journals. Instructions on how to join are here.

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vehicle

White Rock, BC - mural

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Thursday Challenge

Next week: YELLOW (Flowers, Vegetables, Sun, Clothing, Vehicle, Toys, Blanket,...)

reunions etc. (#564-578 of 1000 gifts)

I've been away — did you miss me? We flew to Saskatchewan over the Canada Day long weekend to attend my high school reunion, returning on Tuesday (5th) to lots of catch-up and house guests. It's been a busy start to the summer. Here are some of the gifts I've counted in the last two weeks.

564. A safe trip to and from Saskatchewan.

565. Driftwood surrounded by blooming flax.

566. My brother's creatively decorated house. It's like visiting a family museum.

567. Critters seen from a distance.

568. A wonderful high school reunion.

569. A house to "sit" while away from home (thanks so much Gilbert & Anne!).

570. Golden canola under gorgeously big prairie skies.

571. Finding myself beside a cousin in church last Sunday — leading to lunch and a great catch-up visit.

572. Lovely walks over rivers and along banks.

573. Discovering a sculpture cemetery (along the river just west of the U of S campus in Saskatoon).

574. Rhubarb and strawberry pie with ice-cream.

575. Getting reacquainted with old friends and meeting the handsome Skipper.

576. Going on a walk with some real birders who alerted us to a Cooper's hawk, mourning dove, and many lovely goldfinches.

577. Living in a place where there are relatively few mosquitoes.


578. The Bible — such a storehouse of Other Food (with something new to share every morning).

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If you'd like to join me and many others collecting One Thousand Gifts, please do. Some members of this gratefulness community post their gifts on blogs, while others list them in private journals. Instructions on how to join are here.

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