Gratitude Lounge Welcome! We are glad you are here. This is an open space where everyone belongs, and everyone is welcome. Please introduce yourself as you feel comfortable and join in sharing your experience of grateful living. To get started you might reflect upon questions such as these: What am I grateful for? What is grateful living inspiring me to do? What are some blessings in my life (including ones in disguise)? How am I being supported right now? What connects me to wonder, awe, or a sense of the sacred? You are welcome to include images and links for videos to illustrate your reflections. Honor our Community Terms & Conditions Click here to cancel reply.Please log in or Create a Profile to post a comment. Notify me when someone replies to my comment via e-mail. pkr12 hours agopkr“Naked Ladies”, for all the flower lovers, Rabbit & all here. ❤️🌸 4 Reply Mica12 hours agoMicaThanks, pkr – I remember a church woman who told about how shocked her young grandson was when she pointed out ‘naked ladies’ to him. They’re a great flower, aren’t they, especially because the flowers stand alone after the leaves have died back. 🙂 1 Reply pkr6 hours agopkr😂😂😂 1 Reply Holly in Ohio12 hours agoHolly in OhioThank you pkr! Those are GORGEOUS! 🤗 1 Reply Holly in Ohio16 hours agoHolly in OhioThinking of our caregivers… I thought this was lovely. 2 Reply Mica1 day agoMicaCool quote again this morn. I pasted it high up in my gratefulness doc. The quotes in my doc aren’t in chronological order now – I add the ones I like somewhere into the doc, depending on how much I like them 🙂 Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy. THICH NHAT HANH 5 Reply Holly in Ohio1 day agoHolly in OhioBreathe in joy! Breathe out stress…. 🙂 2 Reply Holly in Ohio2 days agoHolly in OhioTonight I saw a news article on PBS that made me happy. Here is my hero of the week: a young man who is working to save a species, educate folk, and he’s doing it in a fun way. Enjoy! 1 Reply Butterfly21 hours agoButterflyThat is brilliant, Holly! Made me feel happy too. Thanks for sharing 😊 2 Reply Yram2 days agoYramThank you all for the comments. I am so happy for the connection. The flower tour is amazing. 4 Reply Holly in Ohio2 days agoHolly in OhioI’m glad you are here enjoying it, too! I’m smiling big over here after reading your comment! 😁 Wasn’t that a great idea of Rabbit’s? 2 Reply Rabbit2 days agoRabbitLet’s stop and visit another hydrangea. This one is for the friends who like them green. This one turns whiter as the season moves along. Flower season is moving fast up here in Michigan. 3 Reply pkr12 hours agopkrThank you Rabbit, I love hydrangeas. Beautiful 😊 0 Reply Holly in Ohio2 days agoHolly in OhioOne of my favorite white flower bushes is the very old fashioned Spirea. I wish I had room to put one in. They remind me of my childhood. I love them when they are shaggy and unpruned! Their flowers are past right now or I would take a picture of my neighbor’s one. I grabbed this from an article about propigating them on Gardener’s Path. 3 Reply Rabbit2 days agoRabbitOh, yes I like them too. Did not notice them much or at all this year. They speak childhood to me too. Have you heard people call them Bridal Wreath? 1 Reply Holly in Ohio2 days agoHolly in OhioNo I haven’t, but they would be so lovely in a bridal wreath! I think… in my memory… they are in bloom in June and July. 🙂 0 Reply Mica2 days agoMicaSpirea! The name is familiar to me, but the flower clusters remind me of Lantana. The web hasn’t yet let me know if the 2 are different or not. Lantana can be fairly small. My favorites are the red-orange-yellow ones, but they don’t thrive on my balcony. 😐 1 Reply Holly in Ohio2 days agoHolly in OhioIt might be too warm for Spirea where you are. It says “zones 4-8.” Here is a close up of the flower clusters. 1 Reply Rabbit2 days agoRabbitWe are certainly having warmer seasons in Michigan. I hear the zones may change. 1 Reply Mica2 days agoMicaThanks – yes, flowers similar to Lantana but in more irregular clusters. 1 Reply Rabbit3 days agoRabbitToday the garden tour makes a stop to see hydrangeas. 4 Reply lotus blossom3 days agolotus blossomlovely hydrangeas, Rabbit. thank you. 1 Reply Holly in Ohio3 days agoHolly in OhioThank you, Rabbit. 🥰 You are doing all of us such a wonderful service! I feel like I am receiving flowers every day! It is a wonderful pick-me-up. ❤ I haven't had a chance to get out with my camera, yet, to take pictures of flowers. Yesterday we drove one son to Columbus, moved him in, and checked on the others who went down with a car and a UHaul and were moving in, too, then we drove back home at about 5. It was a long, very hot drive, both times. There had been three accidents slowin...Thank you, Rabbit. 🥰 You are doing all of us such a wonderful service! I feel like I am receiving flowers every day! It is a wonderful pick-me-up. ❤ I haven’t had a chance to get out with my camera, yet, to take pictures of flowers. Yesterday we drove one son to Columbus, moved him in, and checked on the others who went down with a car and a UHaul and were moving in, too, then we drove back home at about 5. It was a long, very hot drive, both times. There had been three accidents slowing down and stopping traffic, and the traffic was especially heavy with everyone returning to O.S.U. and it being a main shipping route. At one point driving south it took us an hour to go six miles. On the way back, we saw the other direction at a stand still behind the recovery crews and a huge crane, and we decided to “measure” how far cars were backed up. It went for 12 miles! We were so lucky not to get slowed down as much as if we had gone later, and I had thoughtfully packed a large container of ice and water and wrapped it up in a polar fleece and it stayed cool and refreshing the entire day! Today we had a plumbing issue at home and some cleaning to do. We got that sorted, though! So everything is all right The kids are fine and we’ve been checking in with them. The day was filled with domestic duties, and sheets drying on the clothesline in the breeze. Now we get to relax for a wee bit and enjoy the evening. 🌇 Read More2 Reply Rabbit2 days agoRabbitIce huh? We had a power outage a couple days ago. We went and bought extra ice for the frig and freezer but the outage lasted so long we had to replace almost everything in the refrigerator. Always something. 1 Reply Holly in Ohio2 days agoHolly in OhioAwh! I hear power outages are expected to happen more frequently. Have you heard of a Zeer Pot? It would help you save some stuff like milk and keep it cool, without ice, just with water. You can build one or several easily.. It is a clay pot, inside of a larger clay pot, with river rock or gravel in between, and an old pot lid for the smaller pot. It works by evaporation. I can give you a link to instructions if you would like it. 3 Reply Holly in Ohio2 days agoHolly in Ohio(In response to Mica’s post below) My dad was also Navy, and piloted a PBY in the Pacific. 0 Reply Mica2 days agoMicaYes, my dad was in WWII Navy radio engineer. 1 Reply Holly in Ohio2 days agoHolly in OhioI think you have to plug the holes in each pot for this, otherwise it is pretty straight forward to make. We try to make it a rule when our power goes out not to open the freezer at all. We found that way we can keep the frozen food safe for about eight hours, as our freezer is always full and the frozen stuff helps keep it cold for a long time if we don't open it.. We try to plan what we need in the fridge for the day, and then open the fridge for seconds to grab the milk and anything else we w...I think you have to plug the holes in each pot for this, otherwise it is pretty straight forward to make. We try to make it a rule when our power goes out not to open the freezer at all. We found that way we can keep the frozen food safe for about eight hours, as our freezer is always full and the frozen stuff helps keep it cold for a long time if we don’t open it.. We try to plan what we need in the fridge for the day, and then open the fridge for seconds to grab the milk and anything else we want as quickly as we can. Then we rinse our largest thermos with cold tap water so it is cool, and pour milk into it, and then we leave the fridge closed until the power is on. That usually works. 🤞 Like minds, Mica! Read More0 Reply Mica2 days agoMicaI have an old camping cooler and quite a few ice pack things in my freezer, so I can go for a while ok. Our power was out for about a day after our first rain last fall – they were spraying water on sparking or flaming power poles outside my building. I just kept the freezer closed, and nothing got too warm. PG&E deals with electrical problems after things break, which happens a lot with the first rains 🙁 1 Reply Rabbit2 days agoRabbitWow! That is new to me. Will have to look into this more affordable option. Many people in our neighborhood have whole house generators but it is a big investment especially since we should be thinking about downsizing or no upstairs. 2 Reply Holly in Ohio2 days agoHolly in OhioI forgot to say, it works by evaporation. You pour water onto the gravel, and renew with water as needed. 2 Reply Rabbit2 days agoRabbitOh my goodness, what a couple days you have had Holly. Glad it is all behind you. I think a drive to the grocery store is long. I have a friend who once told me anything she did involved problem solving and I completely agree. The trouble is after you solve one another one comes along wanting to be solved. It gives us purpose. 🥰 2 Reply Mica2 days agoMicaI was in utero when Hiroshima was bombed. My birthday is in December too 🙂 1 Reply Holly in Ohio2 days agoHolly in Ohiowow, Mica. Was your father in WWII? My father was also. He was 43 or 44 when I was born. 1 Reply Mica2 days agoMicaI’m pretty old, Rabbit! My granddaughters are 12 and 15, and I’m a few yrs older than one might expect from their ages. Turning green with age is a funny concept, even for flowers. I look forward to seeing hydrangeas again – hopefully this week 🙂 1 Reply Rabbit2 days agoRabbitI am a Christmas baby 73 years ago. Yes, green means youth to me. Did I say it backwards? 🤔🐇 1 Reply Holly in Ohio2 days agoHolly in OhioThat is so true! (What Rabbit said, I mean, Lol). 1 Reply Mica3 days agoMica6 mph – Ugh, dear Holly! 😐 1 Reply Holly in Ohio2 days agoHolly in OhioWhen we were stuck in traffic… we have a car with a black interior and no air conditioning… there is something in my head that just realizes I can’t do anything about it, so I just let go, and then everything is okay. Cameron relaxed, too. We listened to music, we talked. Maybe there is a lesson there in how to have patience? 1 Reply Rabbit2 days agoRabbitOh, a big great lesson. Do you remember when you were a girl the saying? Patience is a virture and virtue is a grace. Both of these together make a very pretty face face. Imagine saying this to a boy. Ha ha! I think I thought of that because of a book I am reading set in 1951-1961 so far. 1 Reply Mica2 days agoMicaHolly, that’s wonderful! I started reading the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, because it was the most interesting thing within arm’s reach, and it’s all about ‘restraint and modifications of the mindstuff’ 🙂 1 Reply Mica3 days agoMicaThe different colors on hydrangeas are fun, Rabbit 🙂 I think it might be because the acid level of the flowers changes as they get older 1 Reply Mary3 days agoMaryYears ago I heard that if the soil is acidic hydrangeas will be pink, if alkaline they will be blue. But now I think hydrangeas are either bred to be pink or blue and soil acidity doesn’t matter. 2 Reply Mica3 days agoMicaYes, it makes sense that hydrangeas come in different colors. Indeed the web says: Hydrangeas are available in pink, purple, blue, white, and green across several species. Some species change color based on the pH in the soil. Acidic soils will lead some to turn blue, while an alkaline soil will cause your Hydrangeas to bloom pink. And with aging: All hydrangea blooms turn different colors as they age. The most common color for pink and blue hydrangeas to turn is green (especially in the South w...Yes, it makes sense that hydrangeas come in different colors. Indeed the web says: Hydrangeas are available in pink, purple, blue, white, and green across several species. Some species change color based on the pH in the soil. Acidic soils will lead some to turn blue, while an alkaline soil will cause your Hydrangeas to bloom pink. And with aging: All hydrangea blooms turn different colors as they age. The most common color for pink and blue hydrangeas to turn is green (especially in the South where climates are hot and humid). After the blooms turn green, they may pick up shades of pink and burgundy. Green! I’ll look for that 🙂 Read More1 Reply Rabbit2 days agoRabbitThe ones I see in the fall in Michigan are a variety named Limelight or similar so I think they are intended to be green. I laughed at changing color with age. You all sound younger than me but the age spots and new freckles make you think you are changing color. 😂😎 2 Reply Mary3 days agoMaryI love hydrangeas. Lovely 2 Reply Mike S3 days agoMike SGreetings everyone. I hope you all are doing well. Here’s a photo of my wife Maggie. and I. next year we will celebrate 30 years of happy marriage.💕☺️ 8 Reply Holly in Ohio2 days agoHolly in OhioWonderful! YOu make a lovely couple! 😃 0 Reply lotus blossom3 days agolotus blossomcongratulations on your 30th, Mike and Maggie. beautiful photo! 1 Reply Mary3 days agoMaryNice picture, Mike! Maybe I’ll get brave and post one of my husband and myself. 3 Reply Mike S3 days agoMike SYes please do 1 Reply Palm3 days agoPalmGood to see you again, dear Mike and to “meet” your lovely wife. Thank you for this picture and congratulations to both of you. 2 Reply Rabbit3 days agoRabbitYou are a lovely couple. Enjoy each minute together. I was inspired by the gratefulness word for the day today. It seemed about love. 2 Reply Anna3 days agoAnnaYour wife and you are wonderful Mike! Congratulations and best wishes as your anniversary approaches. Thanks for sharing! 2 Reply Mica4 days agoMicaA quilt for Rabbit 4 Reply Rabbit3 days agoRabbitThank you Mica. It is pretty and eye catching. My husband likes the geometric quilts and I tend to the picture. They are all lovely. Such an accomplishment too. I like the dolly. Thanks for including her. I was just talking to my neighbor about my childhood dolls. Maybe I will post a picture of them. 2 Reply Mica3 days agoMicaShe’s Patricia, named after my mother’s Patricia and given to me in 1950 after which my mother put her Patricia into our coal furnace. I was going to donate her [Patricia, not my mother!] to a thrift store, but I read a book about emotional suffering from climate change worries, and it recommended having something comforting around you. And, Rabbit, I replied about the quilt to Michele below 🙂 1 Reply Michele3 days agoMichelethis reminds me of the old arcade game Q*bert:) 2 Reply Mica3 days agoMicaThey’re Escher-inspired blocks, Michele – I took a quilting zoom class from Karen Combs for making quilt tops with a 3D look, but the pattern was too complex for me, and my corners didn’t meet, so I simplified it to this. Indeed, I see the same pattern when I search ‘Q*bert' 🙂 I’m not mentioning the search engine I used, because this site gets lots of spam and they often filter posts that mention that search engine, as a kind Gratefulness person informed me when I complained that I ...They’re Escher-inspired blocks, Michele – I took a quilting zoom class from Karen Combs for making quilt tops with a 3D look, but the pattern was too complex for me, and my corners didn’t meet, so I simplified it to this. Indeed, I see the same pattern when I search ‘Q*bert’ 🙂 I’m not mentioning the search engine I used, because this site gets lots of spam and they often filter posts that mention that search engine, as a kind Gratefulness person informed me when I complained that I repeatedly failed to post one of my posts 😐 Read More2 Reply Holly in Ohio4 days agoHolly in OhioOh my gosh, Mica! What an amazing quilt!!!! 😃 3 Reply Rabbit4 days agoRabbitHere is a quote from my collection. 3 Reply Holly in Ohio2 days agoHolly in OhioThis is a wonderful quote, Rabbit. I certainly have ‘blunders and absurdities’ in my days, so this speaks to me. 🙂 0 Reply Palm3 days agoPalmDear Rabbit, I love this quote, I was trying to repeat it to my daughter the other day and could not remember the author. Now, here it is! Thank you 1 Reply Rabbit3 days agoRabbitDon’t you love it when these kinds of things happen? Thank you for letting me know. 💕 2 Reply Palm2 days agoPalmYes, I do love it when these kind of things happen! 🌸❣️ 1 Reply Mica4 days agoMicaYou are an incredible mystery that you will never figure out. To be this mystery consciously is the greatest joy.” ~ Adyashanti This is the quote that my ‘gratefulness’ doc was originally named for! 4 Reply Ose4 days agoOseGreetings to you, dear friends. Some peaceful impression of yesterday´s beauty for you. Enjoy! 10 Reply lotus blossom3 days agolotus blossomso very serene, Ose. thank you. 1 Reply Palm3 days agoPalmBeautiful, dear Ose, thank you. 2 Reply Ose3 days agoOseWelcome, dear Palm! 2 Reply Mary4 days agoMarySuch beautiful sky and water, Ose. And lovely reflections. Such a treat to see! Thank you Ose! 🧡🧡🧡 1 Reply Ose3 days agoOseHappy that you also enjoy the beauty of natures glowing in stillness! It was a beautiful moment. 0 Reply Holly in Ohio4 days agoHolly in OhioThat is so beautiful Ose! 🤗 I hope you had a wonderful day today! 1 Reply Ose3 days agoOseYes I had, dear Holly! It was an evening together with some friends and sharing dinner sitting in a restaurant directly at this lovely waterside, enjoying the peaceful atmosphere. Thank you for your reply and concern, dear friend. 1 Reply Holly in Ohio3 days agoHolly in OhioIt sounds lovely, Ose! I’m glad you had a nice day. 🙂 1 Reply Anna4 days agoAnnaThis helps me slow down, calm my thoughts, relax, start my vacation. Thank you dear Ose, for offering a paradigm for my holidays. And good night to everyone here. 3 Reply Ose3 days agoOseWishing you happy and recreational holidays, dear Anna, that you really may relax from the very demanding time accompanying your mother. When my brother in law was so sick with the same disease, I could sometimes jump in so that my sister could have a day off, and covering only one or two days already were really demanding sometimes. I pull off all hats for your engagement with your mother and your loyalty and , yes, love for her. Wishing you strength and a peaceful heart, my dear friend. 0 Reply Anna3 days agoAnnaThank you dear Ose, you are always so kind. I am so happy to see you here, and to read you words. 0 Reply Butterfly4 days agoButterflyThank you, Ose, your picture made me take a deep breath 😊 3 Reply Ose3 days agoOseMe too 🙂 Thank you, dear gentle soul. 0 Reply Mica4 days agoMicaYour reply made me take a deep breath, Butterfly – I was just admiring and enjoying Ose’s beautiful photo, but the deep breath adds a lot 🙂 3 Reply Ose3 days agoOseThank you for your reply, dear Mica.🌸 0 Reply Mary4 days agoMaryYes Butterfly, like Mica, your reply made me take a deep breath as well! 2 Reply Sinda4 days agoSindaGood morning!!! Tea on the sill, skincare. Manifesting crystals for free on YouTube. Anything I want. I hope you dream of anything you want for free Read books alongside of each other Let thunderstorms rock your source Play with makeup, male or female Rouge 2 Reply Mary4 days agoMaryLovely! I’m going to feed my cats and then have some tea too. I love my morning tea. Play with make up. I love the play part. I play with paint and other art materials. When I do art, that is. How many of us will play today?! 😊 1 Reply Holly in Ohio4 days agoHolly in OhioThat reads like a poem, Sinda. Such happy thoughts! Good morning! 1 Reply Holly in Ohio5 days agoHolly in OhioI'm so proud of my 'kids,' ages 20, 22, and 25, for being practical. They are all moving to Columbus (for O.S.U.) and getting their first apartments, and they are only too happy to get hand-me-downs to set up their households, so we shopped our house! It is helping me to downsize, and helped them with their budgets! For months I've been going through cupboards and pulling out extra baking dishes, pots and pans, linens, chopping boards, fixed up our old electric teakettle, refinished a dresser.....I’m so proud of my ‘kids,’ ages 20, 22, and 25, for being practical. They are all moving to Columbus (for O.S.U.) and getting their first apartments, and they are only too happy to get hand-me-downs to set up their households, so we shopped our house! It is helping me to downsize, and helped them with their budgets! For months I’ve been going through cupboards and pulling out extra baking dishes, pots and pans, linens, chopping boards, fixed up our old electric teakettle, refinished a dresser… anything I could find that would be useful to them that my husband and I will no longer need. If it was on their “needs” list and I didn’t have it, we went shopping at thrift stores first, where we found a toaster and other things. They were all thoughtful and they didn’t want to have in their apartments more than they really needed and would use, and they don’t mind if it isn’t new. I did find or make a few new things, too, and I hope still to make some cloth napkins. I’m pleased that they aren’t a frivolous lot! Today, boxes and boxes of stuff are going into the U-Haul, and I have never felt so satisfied to declutter in my life! I’m on my way to downsizing and they are happy and I am very happy. 😄 Here is the teakettle, after replacing the filter, regluing the top with heat tolerant glue, and cleaning it up! It works well! Read More 8 Reply Sinda4 days agoSindaWonderful, I went to OSU for art, worked there for tuition, I loved Columbus, made so many friends 1 Reply Holly in Ohio4 days agoHolly in OhioMy daughter Louise will be studying art there, too! She is quite talented and made it to the national semi-finals in the Scholastic competition. 🙂 How nice to know you went before her! 🌻 1 Reply Mica4 days agoMicaWhat kind/s of art does Louise do, Holly? 1 Reply Mary5 days agoMaryThis sounds wonderful Holly. I’m happy for anyone to take things I no longer need or want, but to have your children bring your lovingly used household and kitchen items into their new homes is a whole new level of wonderful! And how great that they will be living with and nearby each other! All so lovely and heartwarming to hear! ❤️❤️❤️ 3 Reply Rabbit5 days agoRabbitAre they triplets? 1 Reply Holly in Ohio5 days agoHolly in Ohiohahaha.. no! My kids came with my husband and emigrated with him almost 12 years ago. Perhaps because of that and because I encouraged it, they are close, as far as siblings go. Two of them have decided to get an apartment together, the other one is getting an apartment with a friend not far away, and two are transferring to Ohio State University, which is why they are all going to Columbus, Ohio tomorrow! But even up here, they hang out together a lot. Their dad and I feel more comfortable wit...hahaha.. no! My kids came with my husband and emigrated with him almost 12 years ago. Perhaps because of that and because I encouraged it, they are close, as far as siblings go. Two of them have decided to get an apartment together, the other one is getting an apartment with a friend not far away, and two are transferring to Ohio State University, which is why they are all going to Columbus, Ohio tomorrow! But even up here, they hang out together a lot. Their dad and I feel more comfortable with them moving together, because we know they will look out for eachother, and we are only a couple of hours away, too. We had nothing to do with this plan! They came up with it! 😄 Read More3 Reply Rabbit4 days agoRabbitThat is really a lovely story. My family has never been close, so when I hear a story like this, it is always a wonder to me. The individual flowers making a beautiful garden. That downsizing of "stuff" sounds pretty great too. We have too much stuff in a house way too big for us at our ages. Every time I clean I long for my previous smaller houses and shorter driveway in the winter. I went to Smucker's once on a business trip and I was amazed that there was much less snow than we had in Michiga...That is really a lovely story. My family has never been close, so when I hear a story like this, it is always a wonder to me. The individual flowers making a beautiful garden. That downsizing of “stuff” sounds pretty great too. We have too much stuff in a house way too big for us at our ages. Every time I clean I long for my previous smaller houses and shorter driveway in the winter. I went to Smucker’s once on a business trip and I was amazed that there was much less snow than we had in Michigan. Read More1 Reply Holly in Ohio4 days agoHolly in OhioIn Columbus, yes, they have less snow. Up here by Lake Erie we have Lake Effect. I'm on the edge of it so I don't get much more, but east of Cleveland they get dumps of snow! My family growing up was not close either, Rabbit. My brother didn't speak to anyone for years. I worked at communicating with him, and we have a better relationship now... not close, but friendly. We can make new families with long term friends, Rabbit. Here is a picture of snow at my house. Maybe this image will co...In Columbus, yes, they have less snow. Up here by Lake Erie we have Lake Effect. I’m on the edge of it so I don’t get much more, but east of Cleveland they get dumps of snow! My family growing up was not close either, Rabbit. My brother didn’t speak to anyone for years. I worked at communicating with him, and we have a better relationship now… not close, but friendly. We can make new families with long term friends, Rabbit. Here is a picture of snow at my house. Maybe this image will cool us off today! Read More 4 Reply Mica5 days agoMicaThose tea kettles are great. It’s wonderful to have a home for your stuff! I’m moving stuff around, what with Rudi’s arrival, but don’t have anyone who wants it. With Brownie’s demise, I have a number of old pot holders and dish towels from his extensive bedding, but do people want that kind of old stuff?? Such good news about your ‘kids,’ Holly! 🙂 🙂 🙂 = 3 kids 1 Reply