I am Thankful.

I realize I haven’t updated my blog in like a month and I apologize. I would like to make a Thanksgiving resolution… (Can I do that?) I hope to update this blog a lot more regularly…

Anyway…..since it’s thanksgiving… I started thinking about how incredibly blessed I am and how I should be thanking God for everything… All those little things as well as all those in-your-face things. So I made a list…. These are 100 things, in no particular order, that I am thankful for…

I’m thankful for…

1.     The splendor of autumn

2.     Sister Mary Joan’s authentic Italian Cooking. (so yummy!)

3.      Freshly baked cookies straight from the oven.

4.     Sweaters…the warm and cozy kind.

5.     Pumpkin Spice Lattes from Starbucks

6.     A phone call from a friend

7.     Chocolate 

8.     Community Life.

9.     A phone call from my family where I get to talk to ALL of my siblings in one sitting!

10. That genuine laughter that erupts from the bottom of your soul.

11.  Really great, heavy blankets

12.  Inside jokes

13.  Baking. Anything.

14.  Watching a really great movie and discussing it afterwards.

15.  Warm, clean piles of laundry straight from the dryer.

16.  Being in the chapel first thing in the morning.

17.  Reading and being inspired by the writings of amazing, holy people like Blessed James Alberione.

18.  Hand written letters

19.  Postcards sent from all over the world!

20.  Learning to iron… for real.

21.  Being taught how to make REAL Italian meatballs and tomato sauce. mmMMmm…..

22.  When Sr. Noel makes Asian food.

23.  Sr. Mary Joan’s hilarious sayings…

24.  People who come into our bookcenter

25.  Benefactors!!!

26.  Technology

27.  Those moments when the sky is that perfect shade of blue and you feel like there’s not a care in the world…

28.  The smell of dryer sheets

29.  COFFEE

30.  Sr. Rebecca’s patience

31.  Music. Good music.

32.  My favorite bright green Mount 2000 sweatshirt.

33.  St. Arbucks. (The postulant’s favorite “Parish”-- take away the period in the name.)

34.  Playing Piano at St. Elizabeth’s.

35.  Calla Lillies (My favorite)

36.  A really GOOD church musician…

37.  Yellow… not the highlighter yellow, but that warm-makes-you-wanna-smile-forever-sunshine-yellow. that color.

38. Candles

39. Those puffy white clouds that look like you could take a plane up and just step right out and take a nap on it’s fluffiness.

40. Difficult moments

41. Home

42. Cushioned kneelers

43. My croc flats

44. Crisp morning walks to Mass with Sr. Noel and the other postulants.

45. Kitchen talks with Sr. Mary Joan about the founder, and Italian food, and vocation stories and life….

46. Fr. Edwards’s sung consecration on Wednesday morning Mass

47.  Apple computers… and iPhones and iPads…

48.  Sharpie Markers

49.  Raspberry-Lemonade… I could drink this everyday and be ok with that.

50.  The Black Hymnal

51.  My incredible friends in MD that have been there for me my whole life. 

52.  My New Balance Sneakers

53.  Scarves….the warm hug-your-neck kind that you just want to leave on, even inside. 

54.  Waking up AWAKE! (easier said than done)

55.  Sunshine pouring into my room.

56. Book exhibits

57. Chocolate Care packages from Maggie 

58. Drawings from my siblings.

59. The way the carpet looks when it’s freshly vacuumed

60. The smell of Tuesday morning (aka- floor washing day!)

61.  Beethoven (playing it and having it played to me)

62.  My skirt that never wrinkles…which means I never have to iron it!

63.  Not having to think about what I’m going to wear in the morning…. Blue and white. Biggest decision is which blue sweater I’m going to use…. Beauty.

64.  Not having to wear make-up anymore!

65. Mistakes…. Because I learn SO much from them.

66.  The smell of Theresa’s bread baking

67.  That feeling you get when you receive a really great hug.

68.  Hearing my sisters laugh from down the hallway.

69.  My grandmother’s recipes

70.  Creativity

71. Our back yard grotto

72.  Sr. Noel’s cupcakes...they’re like heaven in your mouth.

73.  Crazy moments

74.  The quiet moments in the chapel when it’s just Jesus and me.

75.  Long leisurely walks

76.  Prayers

77.  Those moments when you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are loved.

78.  Did I mention COFFEE?? 

79.  Tea with milk and honey…. Mmmm

80.  Panera

81.  Silliness

82.  Artistic inspiration

83.  Prayer Requests

84.  Retreat Sunday

85.  SLEEP

86.  How everything…(I mean everything) is labeled here at the convent.

87.  Post-it-notes.  I use them for EVERYTHING!

88.  Lemon and honey in hot water

89.  Sr. Mary Joan’s homemade tiramisu

90.  Community Recreation nights

91.  Photography and my camera

92.  The way light falls on things and takes your breath away

93.  People’s patience with my ridiculousness.

94.  The fact that I live with amazingly talented people.

95.  Rain…good steady rain

96.  Color

97.  My community here in St. Louis… I am SO incredibly blessed to live with the most amazing people. Everyday I become a better person because of them and their example.

98. My family… I am so blessed and eternally grateful for the wonderful gift of my family, who are so extraordinarily precious to me.

99. My mom…She is such an incredible woman. This is so generic of me, but I can’t even begin to describe how amazing she is and how blessed I am to have her as my mother.

100. GOD…. I mean really…who am I kidding? Without Him, my list wouldn’t even exist, much less me. I am indescribably thankful for the gift of being able to thank HIM! 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!