Another week with the chance to pause and look back and remember the good things in our lives. Thank you to Susanne at Living to Tell the Story for hosting this event every Friday. My days have again been full.
We had a sermon on gratitude a couple Sundays ago and the pastor shared 2 Killers of gratitude. One killer is complaining and the other killer is comparing. I’ve been on the lookout for these two killers in my heart and mind.
Now to my 5 favorites…
1. Sunshine, sunshine, sunshine! When the sun shines in the Seattle area we enjoy it to the fullest. On Friday morning I walked the Sammamish River trail with a friend and we enjoyed the extra shot of Vitamin D!
2. Friday night I met up with Josh and Laura and we traveled to the Seattle Sounders Soccer game via Kerry Park where there are great views of Seattle. We were showing Flat Stanley what makes Seattle special. Have you experienced Flat Stanley? We took Flat Stanley to the game and we were so happy they won and it was a fun game.
3. Saturday I packed my Mennonite Girls Can Cook Apron and headed north to the Blaine Library for a presentation of our book and story. Lovella did a wonderful job of sharing our story. My friend Cindy who works in the children’s area of the library and her boss Debby baked goodies from our cookbook to serve to the participants at the seminar. It was a great time and we all had lunch together at the Blackberry Cafe after our time at the library.
4. On Monday I finally took the leap and joined the 21st century with a new phone and I’m in a new learning curve. I was even able to text my son. I laughed because it took me about 2 full minutes to type out 2 sentences and send them on their way. OYE!
5. Homemade spaghetti sauce. We had a lot of tomatoes leftover from our wedding weekend so I decided to make homemade tomato sauce. When it was finished I added some mild Italian sausage to the sauce and served it with pasta and some fresh basil. It was delicious.
Hope you all had a good week. Waiting to see if my friend and I can fit a walk in today between rain showers…
The Happy Wonderer ~ ellen b. 
Hi Ellen,
Do you happen to have your homemade spaghetti sauce recipe on Mennonite Girls Cook’s site?
Don’t feel bad, I just started texting about a year ago — and I am a little bit younger than you. 😉 I think these phones are evil necessities! 😉
The spaghetti sauce recipe is coming to the MGCC site in April :0)
Your homemade spaghetti sauce made my mouth water. It’s been too long since I made spaghetti, maybe I should make it one of those days! I think us Belgians feel the same way about blue skies and sunshine as you folks do. We’ve had two lovely weeks, but unfortunately we’re back to gray skies and cold again as from today! I hope the sun will return real soon!
Hope that the sunshine stays long enough to take another walk. What a busy, eventful week you enjoyed!
I like that word from your pastor…sounds just right.
Thank you for passing along the great advice regarding killers of gratitude. Excellent — and so very true. * What lovely weather you’ve been having! Seattle is so beautiful in the spring! And it looks like you have been enjoying it to the fullest! * Enjoy a great week-end! Happy adventures, whatever you do!
Trouble with my WordPress account — I should have signed my name — previous comment is from LaTeaDah. 😀
I’m a lover of sunny days, too.
Yes, I have heard of Flat Stanley. In fact, he once stayed in our home years ago when my girls were young. I can’t remember now why Stanley was visiting but I do remember sending him on his way.
My, you had a busy week. God bless and happy texting!
I don’t know about Flat Stanley….will have to google that. I LOVE being able to text. Sometimes it is much better to not be tempted for a long phone conversation with some people if we know we really don’t have the time, so a fast text is wonderful. It’s also a great way to be in the loop of the family in the city without phone calls they can’t make. I get to hear so many funnies. Enjoy your weekend. We’ve got the girls home, a baby shower here at the house and a big NCAA Basketball game on Saturday night with our Jayhawks. We’re going to enjoy a fun weekend and go into hubby’s surgery Monday morning with lots of joy tucked away.
I’m with you on the texting plan. Slow is okay. It will get better.
I know of Flat Stanley. A teacher at a school had each of her students take him on vacation and take pictures..I had a Native American version of him made. I will share sometime. Every summer I have wanted to take him to WA. but I always forget. Thank you for the reminder about gratitude. I needed it as I have been grumpy.. ):
I LOVE homemade pasta sauce……and that table with the cookbooks and treats looks so cozy! You had a great list of faves this week! happy weekend!!
You had a full week! Glad your team won and that you are figuring out your phone, I ordered a new one today…mine got wet. Not a good thing! 🙂
I’ve been aware for awhile that complaining is a gratitude robber, but never thought about comparing. I’m going to keep on guard against that. Thanks for sharing.
When I think about it, I see that comparing and complaining sure are gratitude busters. Thanks for sharing this. This is something I can monitor in my life!
How fun to go to the game with Flat Stanley and that it was a winning game is even better. Which child in your life is doing this project? My nieces have all done this in 2nd grade.
I’ve never travelled with a Flat Stanley, but I have with Flat Bryce.Just before a trip to teach a 2.5 week English class in Jordan, the real Bryce broke his collar bone and so couldn’t go with us. My daughter created Flat Bryce and we have photos of him everywhere and with all kinds of people. We sure got some wide smiles from some of those strangers.
Thanks for bringing back a fun memory.
Have a great weekend.
Flat Stanley traveled from Louisiana to Seattle. He came to my DIL from her cousin’s grade schooler…
I’ll be joining you on that ‘smart-phone’ learning curve shortly!
Love homemade spaghetti sauce! So much better than the store bought!
I’ve had my smart phone since the fall and I still don’t know a lot about it. I have to ask my kids all the time. LOL.
The killers of gratitude: so true. I’m going to write those down and keep my eyes open for them too!
Wow, the baked goods look so good, and I love homemade spaghetti sauce! I would have been happy to be with you last week!
Thanks for sharing the thoughts about gratitude – I agree, wholeheartedly!
I’m always so much happier when the sun is shining – I’m glad you had a nice dose of sunshiny days.
I have had smart phones for years, and I’m still a terrible texter. I can’t bring myself to skip the proper grammar or to use that shorthand. Oh well.. lol.
“Flat Angelica” came to visit us a few weeks ago, sent by a grade 5 student (Angelica) in Fresno’s inner city. We photographed her with our Mount Cheam in the background and sent her on to Vancouver, Saskatchewan, Seattle, Ontario and Manitoba. She’ll be well traveled by the time she gets home. Kudos to that teacher for a creative way to study Geography!
I also copied down those two gratitude killers. A good reminder!
Sunshine in Seattle is always special! What a happy post!