Sunday Gratitudes

Today it is cold and raining. I love the rain for sentimental reasons - it rained on my wedding day. I wasn't happy about it at the time, but, seeing the rain now brings back the good memories of that day. Not to mention, I especially love to see low clouds on the mountains. Rather hard to see that at my new home since the mountains are not close like they were in Utah.

• Since it is cold and raining, I am particularly grateful for the good food on our table. Not because I am a great cook (I like to think so but I am sure my family can tell you there have been times that were otherwise), but because we have a kitchen to cook in, and the money and the stores to buy healthy food that we didn't grow. I love how food can be so comforting and evoke good memories. I love reading about food and cooking in novels and biographies and how things were different or the same in other times and cultures. I am currently reading "It's All Over But The Shouting" by Ricky Bragg, an autobiography of his life growing up in Alabama and Georgia. As poor as his family was, he still has amazing food memories of biscuits, red-eye gravy, fried chicken, pecan pie, all of the jams and preserves that his mother, grandmother, and aunts put up. These descriptions evoke memories of visiting my Grandmother in Georgia and the food that she has on her table. I have many of her recipes in her writing that I cherish more than all of my cookbook collection. I also have a small family cookbook put together by my Grandma in Utah. That book is more dog-eared and splashed on than any other cookbook I own because I use it more than any other cookbook I own. Real comfort food. The recipes from these two wonderful women, along with food I learned to cook standing next to my own mom, these are the dishes requested most by my family. And they are best cooked on a rainy day. Tonight, on a rainy day, we are having Beef Stroganoff. Its a recipe taught to me by my mom. She served it most often on Sundays with steamed broccoli, jello salad, and rolls. I do the entire menu the same way.

• This week I am grateful for the scouting program (again, I know). I spent last week sewing on the numerous patches, troop #s. and merit badges on 3 separate uniforms. I have the sore and hole-y fingers to prove it. As much as I hate sewing, this was a chore that I was grateful to do because it gave tangible proof to me of the hard work my two oldest sons and DH put into scouting. The things they have learned and will learn are skills that will help them for the rest of their lives. I also kept thinking of my mom sewing patches and badges for 5 sons and of all the mothers who do this. Aren't we blessed to have this program!

• I am grateful for my Dear Husband. He has been sick with bronchitis all week and still going to work. He has shown such concern for doing his job well. He comes home tired and still loads the dishwasher, helps with homework and reads to the kids before we tuck them in bed. The stress of work is left at the door at our house (if it does come in, which is rare, he takes it out on video games after the young ones are tucked in bed.) He never gets enough recognition (which he never asks for) but he deserves a great standing ovation and a huge armful of Sunday Gratitude.

• My church choir sang for the first time today with me as the conductor. It is such a joy to work with these people. Some can read music and some can't. The abilities are all across the scale. The one thing they all share is a love of music and a willingness to put up with me. We sang a beautiful version of "I Need Thee Every Hour" that can be found on http://www.defordmusic.com/. I am grateful for music that soothes the soul and lifts the heart and also for those who sing it with such a spirit of love.

• Today in church the closing song was "I Am A Child Of God". You can here the song here: http://www.lds.org/churchmusic/detailmusicPlayer/index.html?searchlanguage=1&searchcollection=2&searchseqstart=2&searchsubseqstart=%20&searchseqend=2&searchsubseqend=ZZZ. This song was the first lullaby I sang to all of my children. It is the most recognized of all the songs in the Primary songbook, as well as the most requested song in Primary. I am grateful to Naomi Ward Randall and Mildred Tanner Pettit for their talents in writing this song. It is still DD's favorite song and what she requests me to sing every night as I tuck her in bed. You have heard angels sing if you have heard my DD or any other child sing the words:

I am a Child of God

and He has sent me here.

Has given me an earthly home

with parents kind and dear.

Lead me, guide me, walk beside me.

Help me find a way.

Teach me all that I must do

to live with him someday.