Monday, November 3, 2008

Thankfulness--Day 3

Today I am thankful for my home. I love my house. If I could change anything, it would only be to add a "crap room", er, I mean craft room for all my crap/crafts. And I would spring for the self-cleaning feature...what? That's not an upgrade option? Well, ok then. Seriously, when I quit working, I had grand plans for getting my house back in tip-top, clutter-free shape. (I know at this point, Big Joel is wondering when it was ever in tip-top, clutter-free shape. Remember Honey? Those first few weeks when we moved in 4 years ago?) The thing is, I have a difficult enough time picking up after myself. So I really hate it when I have to pick up after everyone else. Now I must say that BigJoel is every woman's dream when it comes to a man: he does not leave his clothes in the floor, he does not leave the toilet seat up, and for all intents and purposes, he's the neatest member of our family. Unfortunately, the other people who live here took after their mother. *ahem*
This post is supposed to be about thankfulness though. FlyLady has a wonderful take on housework. She calls it Weekly Home Blessing. I like that. Now it is no longer about chores, but about the outward manifestation of inward thankfulness. So I'm thankful for dirty dishes, because it means we had food to eat. I'm thankful for piles of laundry, because it means we have plenty of clothes. I'm thankful that I have to scrub the toilets, because it means we have indoor plumbing (ok, that's a stretch, but if you've ever been to Peru and experienced a "squatty potty" then you'll understand). I'm thankful for the girls' things that are left in my bedroom, because it means we have spent time together when they could have been holed up in their own rooms. So now, I must go and "bless my home" because there are a ton of opportunities for gratitude awaiting me. For this and so much more, I am very thankful.


As a little side note, last night Hallie (the inspiration for Thirty Days of Thankfulness) wasn't feeling well, so she went straight to bed before writing down what she was thankful for...I know, only 2 days in and we're already slacking. Anyway, this morning I found her in the living room hanging her blessing on the line (I'll post a pic later). I said, "Oh good I'm glad you're catching up from yesterday. What were you thankful for?" To which she replied, "Pepto Bismol!" Baby steps, my dear, baby steps.

6 comments:

Queenie Jeannie said...

Very true and VERY funny! Dang, just lookit all my dustbunny blessings!!! My cup truly runneth over!!!!

Jeannie

Deb Burton said...

Everybody has to walk before they can run (the good race). Thanks so much for stopping by TGMT and leaving a comment. I appreciate your encouragement and affirmation! Please drop by again soon, I'd love to have you!

The Wise Family said...

Thanks, Denyse. I needed that reminder this morning as I look at all that needs to be done around my house. It does me good (is that really very good English) to get my daily dose of laughter and thought provoking inspiration from your blog.

Kimberly Carpenter said...

So good! We are definitely blessed to have homes and all the things we fill them with. Great reminder! And I completely understand Hallie's thankfulness...there are days when you have to thank God for the simple things that make life a little more pleasant in those not so pleasant moments! :)

Buttons and Dots Photography said...

I love the thirty days of thankfulness idea! My kids need to learn to be more thankful! Stopping by to say thanks for visiting me on my featured Sits day! Hope to see you again!

kris said...

I love your humor and way of looking at the world. Why haven't I been reading this everyday. Your thanksgiving is blessing me. I am also sure that when Hallie grows up and is telling hilarious stories about her mother thankfulness will be high on the list of hilarious things her mother tried to teach her.