Oftentimes I find myself thinking of all the things I’d like to write about. But they go out of my head sooner than I get to sit down and write – which frustrates me. I’ve been frustrated a LOT lately. The weather, the finances, the back pain, the foot pain, the headaches, the whining, the puppy leaping and biting, etc etc the list goes on and on as I’m sure it does for everyone.
This morning as I was trudging through our back forty lake to put some hay into a drenched and muddy lean-to for two ponies I asked God why he ignored my prayers last night for no more rain. I was annoyed.
And though it sounds trite and sanctimonious I took note of my surroundings and the frown on my face and decided to turn it upside down.
I am grateful, I thought. I AM GRATEFUL. That the land and thus the rain goes downhill. I am grateful for the one muddy lean-to we have managed to build in the last four years. I am grateful for my raincoat even though I can feel the rain coming through the back and getting my shirt wet. What the heck? It’s a raincoat! It’s old but seriously, WHY is the damn thing leaking?!
Wait. Oh yeah. I’m grateful. Um. For my barn which has lights and nice big stalls and 5 of 7 horses are comfy and dry. I’m grateful for my new, non puppy chewed, rain boots and the fact that I can wear pajamas outside to feed, and that I can take off my soaking wet and muddy pajama pants on my front door step and nobody will see. I’m grateful that I wouldn’t care if they DID see. I am grateful for my new blue washing machine that I was forced to buy after the old one tried to catch fire multiple times. I am grateful the dryer still works and that I have a mismatched set because honestly who needs matchy-matchy anyway?
I am grateful that Baby Girl finally went back to sleep this morning after trying to get me to get up 1500 times from 5:30 am until 6. I am grateful that I did actually go back to sleep and that I did not have to go to a horseshow in the rain at 5 am. I am grateful that I do actually still get to go. Later. Because who doesn’t love a horseshow in the mud? Builds character.
I am grateful that the oversized puppy chewing on my foot no longer seems to have leathal pointy baby teeth. I am grateful for big sisters who will take little sisters to birthday parties when Mom has to be at a horseshow, knowing that the big sister has plenty of other things she could be doing. I am grateful for tolerant, supportive and loyal clients who deal daily with the fact that I don’t have a covered arena and still seem to like me even though I’m cranky a lot.
I’m grateful that the rain means plenty of grass since we are running out of hay and at this point the hay people won’t get into their fields to cut until the middle of August. I’m grateful for Grandpas that love their little fu-fu’s to the point of agreeing to help finance a bounce house for her 5th birthday party in June. Grandpa who goes to Walmart when you’re sick to get your antibiotics and crackers you requested and instead of one Diet Coke buys a whole six-pack. Where we would be without Grandpa?
I am grateful for the peace and quiet I get at night to sit and read and relax after the sometimes 2 hour long battle it takes to get Baby Girl to go the EF to sleep. I am grateful she sleeps through the night 90% of the time now on the crib mattress I borrowed from my cousin five years ago and still have which is on the floor in my bedroom even though I returned the actual crib three years ago. I am grateful she does not sleep in my own bed although I will be even more grateful the day she decides to stay in her OWN bed the entire night. She’ll probably be 12 but I’ll still be grateful.
But most of all I am grateful for the time to sit down and write this blog.