I’ve just been looking at how to write a Gratitude Journal. There are mixed views on the best way to do this but one way which is, according to a research study, very effective, is to write a list of three things just once a week. It seems that less is more in this area. Al the information is on the link. Having established that minimal effort produced good results, I stopped reading.
So, here we are. Three things for me to feel gratitude for.
One, fruit crumble. We had apple and dried apricot crumble last night. It was a decision aided by the presence of just one apple and the remains of a bag of dried apricots. The rhubarb is currently looking a bit sparse and needs time to revive. We have, in truth, picked too much. We have been neglecting it, so a good measure of manure will be needed this autumn.
On the crumble, we had custard. We have been having either cream or milk or nothing with it, depending on the supply situation. They are all pleasant ways to eat crumble but custard is the best.
The fact that I have plenty of food, and Julia to cook it for me, are the icing on the cake. This is perhaps not the best figure of speech to employ at this point, but it puts things across nicely, even if it is culinarily confusing. The spellchecker doesn’t like ‘culinarily’, but it is a proper word, so hard cheese.
Two, my health. It might not be the first thing you expect me to say. I’m obese, hypertensive and arthritic with a variety of other faults that keep me involved with doctors and phlebotomists, but in general I’m OK and while I may not make 91 like my Dad, I’m not feeling too bad at the moment. In fact, I’m feeling downright perky at the moment. It could, of course, be a lot better.
I should. I suppose, be ashamed of myself for getting into this state. However, let it never be said that I have gone to my grave with a song still in me. When I am old and huddled in front of Countdown, I will have many a disreptuble memory to bring an enigmatic smile to my lips.
Three – WordPress. What would be the point of writing all this if nobody read it? Or if there was nobody to discuss it with? Plus, I can be nosey, and live several lives apart from my own. Within moments of switching on the computer I can be riding my cycle in the Scottish borders, walking in the New Forest or sitting my Maine woodland garden. Or watching the Oregon sunset with my cats, making demented videos with an iconic yellow bear or gardening in Leeds.
There is just so much to do and so many people to see. And that’s before I start on the other sites. My grasp of American military history, with associated cartoons, and the archaeology of death is now much better than it used to be, as is my gardening and cookery knowledge.
Without the writers of WordPress my lockdown would be a dreadfully dull and lonely place.
That, I think, will do. It seems you can wear your gratitude out if you use it too much, and I don’t want to risk it.
Three good choices – especially the custard.
It is easy to lose sight of the small but excellent details of our lives, custard being a good example.
Yes,yes, and yes! I, too, am so grateful for my blogging friends. My life has been expanded and enriched because of you and my many blogging friends. All over the world I go, seeing and learning new things everyday. For example: Custard on crumble. 😉 I’ve never seen that combination served in Maine. Usually, it’s ice cream or whipped cream. But custard sounds delicious!
Thank you for being here too, Quercus and Julia, and the rest of the WP blogging community! All of us have many things to be thankful for, including WP.
Thought I would share this on the subject things could be worse. We have another problem coming down from the north, in the form of a non-native 2″ long hornet that could decimate our already fragile honeybee population and potentially kill humans with its venom. I am thankful it is not here, yet.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/02/us/asian-giant-hornet-washington.html?te=1&nl=the-morning&emc=edit_nn_20200504
I was worried by the words ‘2″ hornet’ even before I thought of the bees. Seems like a bad time to be a bee, with pesticides, disease and predators. Since I started watching bees in flowers several years I have found them to be very relaxing.
I saw quite a few bumblebees working in the blueberries yesterday, a good sign. 🙂
Bumblebees are the cheeriest creatures in the garden. Always good to see them.
I am extremely grateful that I discovered your musings on life, the universe and everything. They have certainly enhanced my life. I agree about WordPress being a “good thing”. It has provided me with hours of innocent fun.
I am quite with you on the subject of custard with crumble,
I sense a true meeting of minds on the subject of custard. 🙂
Thank you for your kind comments – I have taken much inspiration from your blog, despite my pitiable lack of siskins, musicality and treacle scones.
What a charming post Quercus 🙂 I am quite in agreement with yourself and tootlepedal on the subject of custard and crumbles – and also am very grateful for the blogging community – especially during the lock down 🌿
Thank you. I have to admit bloggers are better than crumble during lockdown. 🙂
I attempt to show my gratitude on Saturday’s…..sometimes it works…
It won’t work unless you try it. 🙂
I’m thinking that even a little lift is a good thing at the moment..
Hope you are all safe, and keeping well.
Thank you. You as well
We do have so much to be thankful that we take for granted. It is always good to be thankful, and not to just think it but to say it. I read where we should name three things we are thankful for before we get out of bed in the morning. I usually say the same three things every morning… Great post as always!
Thank you. I might try that in the mornings, it will get my day off to a better start,. It’s easy at the moment when it’s light, spring and reasonably warm but October onwards definitely calls for this sort of technique.
Hope you are keeping well.
I am doing fine. Be safe and take care!