#365Gratitude Day 293: 道 Provides

Yesterday I got up late, had trouble with my phone, and wound up missing my train, and driving into work.  

I often say that 道 provides (that's the chinese character for Tao).  It brings you just what you need, just when you need it.  Even if that thing seems like it kinda sucks at the time.

Case in point - driving into work was fairly uneventful and easy, but the trip home, due to rain and traffic was much longer.  Along the way though I was able to make, and get, phone calls from several people.  I got to talk to my good friend Molière, and help plan details for the Little Express train ride we're putting together next month, talk to my friend Maya, who's one of the dearest people in my life, talk to my friend Enfant, who's an age player friend of mine I've know for ages, but don't get to talk to nearly as often as I'd like, and then out of the blue to reconnect with another friend who I hadn't heard from in ages, and who I thought had broken ties with me utterly.  

This turned out not to be so.  

I wouldn't have had the time to talk to any of these lovely people without being stuck in my car for a slow drive home.  I'm grateful that things work out exactly the way they're supposed to.

#365Gratitude Day 292: Sunshine

This has been a good day for me, schedule wise. I got up, got ready, made & packed my lunch, had breakfast, took the trash out, and got on my way to work early enough to catch an early train. 

​I ate lunch at my desk, while I was working.  After a mid-day meeting I treated myself to a sunshine break. 

What's that? It's 30 minutes to sit outside under a beautiful sky and do exactly nothing.  

It's a glorious luxury.  Sometimes the simplest things in life are the best.  I'm grateful for the time, the sunshine, and the ability to enjoy it thoroughly. 

Daily Think: My favorite zen story, as told by my favorite philosopher

I love Alan Watts.

He was a genius.  In the video below he tells, in his pithy, funny, inimitable style, my all time favorite zen story, The Farmer and His Horse.

Watch it.  I bet you'll be glad you did.  I was.

#365Gratitude Day 291: A pair of 45's

45 days ago in a fit of wanting-to-get-over-myself, I signed up to give a Kiva loan to someone in Colombia.

As of today, they've repaid over 45% of that loan!  I'm grateful that the action that resulted from my contemplation is making a positive difference in the world!  As soon as the loan's completely repaid, I'm going to take that money and loan it to someone else through Kiva, and probably add to it, too.  

I love helping!

#365Gratitude Day 290: Missy & I are the kind of grownups we want to be

Yesterday we went on some more adventures.  First, Missy got me up early, so she, her sister M. and I could go to the Maryland Renaissance Festival.  While I had been at work Friday, they'd even picked out an outfit for me to wear.

We had a great time.  We shopped a bit, wandered, saw entertainment, and ate us some turkey legs. 

 Afterward, when we came home, we took a long nap, and then rushed out to make Ingress badges to wear/use at an upcoming Ingress Anomaly Event we're going to go to in Virginia Beach.  Here's mine. 

What makes me grateful is that Missy loves to go on adventures, and do oddball, quirky things.  She's got a childlike heart and carefree spirit that feels so good to be around.  I love that we're like this.  It's fun to be married to her.