MauldenNews July 2011

The notable book of the month was One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are by Ann Voskamp. It's a good reminder to practice mindfulness (and gratitude) in the midst of ordinary life, and I must give kudos to this author for being able to do this with six kids AND write a book about it. So, in the spirit of acknowledging the gifts I've enjoyed most recently, here are a few.


For friends old and new...

For time alone with nature...

For the fun of making a big splash...

For a man with the remarkable patience and skill to set 2 fishing lines - and untangle them repeatedly...

For the beauty of the earth...

For snow in July!!!

For more beauty...

I'm grateful.

Other notable events of this month -

- We really enjoyed "stay-cationing" in Park City for our 20th anniversary. The cool mornings and evenings and clear, crisp air brought back memories of summers at Donner Lake. We explored new hiking and biking trails, soared above the trees in a gondola, swam in a pool with a waterfall and soaked in the hot tub. The kids went fishing for the first time and we got a few nibbles, but the only thing we snagged was Sam's shirt. I went poking about with my wildflower book and discovered alfalfa, Utah sweet peas, Showy Milkweed, Woolly Mullein, Nootka roses and Wasatch penstemon, among other things.  Bryan managed to eject himself over the handlebars of his mountain bike on a difficult trail and banged himself around on some rocks, but he's OK. (Hey, another reason to be grateful.) We reached our goal of >10 for our "critter count": squirrels, dragonflies, butterflies, ladybugs, hummingbirds, turkeys, cows, horses, dogs, cats, magpies, quail, California gulls, and turkey vultures. Didn't see any deer there, but there were two in my backyard this morning, and I often see them on my morning runs in the neighborhood.

- 3 weeks before her 7th birthday - Alex lost her first tooth! She's pretty happy about that. Her classmates kept losing them all year and she waited a long time for her turn. She left a note for the tooth fairy asking if she could keep her tooth, and the tooth fairy obliged and gave her a golden dollar coin.

- Speaking of Alex, she has decided she wants to be called "Allie" (spelled "Ali"). I wonder if this will be permanent, or how many other variations of Alexis she might experiment with.

- Sam smacked a bee with his bare hand and it stung him on his palm. He didn't complain too much, but I hope he learned from the experience. We shall see.

- Last but not least - my run/walk log shows 96.5 miles in July - the highest ever! I think I'll go eat some chocolate-covered blueberries.

Write me and tell me what you are grateful for. :-)