G r a t i t u d e * S u n d a y

Today we are joining Taryn at Wooly Moss Roots for

G r a t i t u d e  *  S u n d a y

{Sunday's heartfelt tradition. A time to slow down, to reflect, to be grateful. A list of gratitudes.} 

Highlights of what I was grateful for this past week:

- A successful first day of archery season! I harvested a nice sized grouse which we cooked up for supper with a side of fresh beans from the garden and a tomato basil salad from the garden. It was such a delicious meal and we savored every bite knowing we wild harvested and grew our food for the meal.

  

-An amazing bright orange/red moon. When the smoke is really bad in the valley, the sun and moon often appear in varying shades of orange and red. I haven't seen it this dark in years, it was breathtaking. I was delighted to be able to capture it in a photo to share with you all.

 

-Finally starting to reorganize my new office/work space in the house. It feels like it has been the slowest project ever but it is finally coming together. Once we hang some shelves for more storage I can clear some space on the floor and move in my beautiful vintage Singer sewing machine and cabinet that I bought at an auction earlier in the summer. I'm so excited!

-Getting my biggest giveaway event up and running, my first giveaway I did not self sponsor. It was a lot of hard work but feels really good now that it is live. If you haven't had a chance to enter, click here to go to the giveaway post and check it out!

-Finding another huge huckleberry patch high up on the mountain above where we usually pick. The huckleberries were near the end of their growth and starting to dry up a little but we picked some just to eat on the spot. What a tasty treat! Now next year when our patch lower on the mountain is done, we can head up higher to this patch and continue picking for another few weeks.

-Getting my new Etsy shop, Old Montana Treasures, up and running. For several years I sold old relics, antiques and vintage itmes I found at estate sales and yard sales on craigslist or ebay but finally decided to open up an Etsy shop as a different venue to sell them in. I have boxes of wonderful old treasures to add to my new store, but as always with me it is a slow process of finding time in between caring for our little nugget and running my other Etsy shop and blog. It feels good to just get it started, it's been a dream of mine for months to open this shop! You can check it out by clicking here.

-After a frustrating day caused by miscommunication with my husband, taking time to sit down and write my gratitudes so my day ended on a more peaceful note. It is truly amazing to me how focusing on our gratitudes and emphasizing the positives in our lives really does shift my attitude and mood. 

-A few days of clear blue sky weather where the forest fire smoke cleared out of the valley. There are so many forest fires in the region that the smoke is so thick you can't see the mountains around our house and ash falls from the sky. We don't spend much time outdoors on days like that due to the unhealthy air quality.

-Taking long walks in the area around our house on days when the smoke cleared to get some much needed exercise and breathe the fresh mountain air.

-Finding a free 20 pound box of apples on a walk this week, I was thrilled! When we got home, I got to work and made us a whole bunch of yummy homemade applesauce.

-Enjoying a lovely evening in the park in town for the La Leche League end of summer potluck that I helped to coordinate. There was no smoke in the air and it was so wonderful to visit with other families and eat a variety of yummy food.

-Going out in town to a local restaurant with a few other mamas one evening to enjoy some solo mama time away. I don't do that often enough and it was such a treat and so healthy for me to have some fun mama time away from home for a much needed break.

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