One Thousand Gifts

Do you know?
I believe I could find one thousand gifts...little reasons to be grateful for grace...right there in our bookclub.  Maybe in one evening, even! 
Well, that might be a bit much...I mean, I'd be writing things down like, "Grateful for secretly procurred toothpicks to spear pickles while Traci isn't looking" and "Ice cubes that melt slowly" and "The second sentence about mold in the thirteenth chapter of the book."

Our book this month WAS entitled One Thousand Gifts, by Ann Voskamp, and it was essentially about recognizing and giving thanks for God's gifts of grace in our lives.  What a timely selection, hm?!  And it was a good, thought-provoking book, although I had a hard time with the author's style of writing.  All I can say is that it's rich; like a really rich dessert that one can only eat a little bit of, then needs to take a break or it's overwhelmingly too much.  It's not a bad thing, it's just a book I had to pace myself in or I would start feeling ill, because I couldn't handle the intense descriptions of life. 

It highlighted how we all could be more aware of the little quotidian joys and blessings that surround us, daily.  Traci first read it during a hard month last winter and it helped her outlook immensely.  During the winter, here, we all really struggle with cabin fever, everyone and everything getting on our nerves, feelings of despair, bleak views out our windows.  It's easy to get down.  She said it helped her recognize the true blessings and get over the little irritations in her life at that time. 

We had a great discussion, chewing on different ideas we pulled out of the book, talking about individual blessings, big and small. 

Speaking of chewing....

We also had a really good meal.
(I know.  This shocks you.)
*insert sarcastic tone, here*

Traci made gumbo, which after she told us the ingredients, we realized it contained nearly every major meat possible: ham, shrimp, crab, sausage (I think it was a beef based sausage), chicken,  loads of veggies and great spices.
I ate too much, but it was wonderful!

We had sweet potato rolls, pasta salad, spinach salad, and these incredible pinwheel appetizers that Joni made!  (Joni C. of "I don't really cook all that often, so don't expect big things from me" reknown.) They had bacon and cheese and olives and bacon in them (I meant to do that); I ate too much, but it was wonderful!

Anne brought weird beverages that we loved!  Fauhncy root beer in vintage apothecary looking bottles, a berry fizzy malt beverage that was sort of like strawberry champagne only softer, and wine.  (She'd just been to Bozeman and was giddy with the access to all the frou-frou beverages!) I drank just enough, and it was wonderful!

We ALSO had homemade apple pie, this too from Joni Don't-Expect-Big-Things C.

topped with homemade ice cream that froze while we ate the rest of the meal.

(She didn't want me to take her picture holding the pie, so here is a picture that she can't squawk about.  Pretend the meat is a pie and you'll have the general idea of what she looked like holding it...)

Here's the actual pie:

Incidentally, I ate too much, and it was wonderful!

Here's a shot of my plate, before the decimation began...

Marisa's boys joined us for bookclub and they were, of course, adorable and well-behaved all evening. (Comes from the Mosby side of the family....)

(I have a cousin who just fell off his chair laughing, after reading that.  The best part is, he IS a Mosby, so he should be standing and applauding, saying "That's RIGHT!")

Everett loved Sweetie Boy, the cat, but I can say without hesitation that the feeling wasn't mutual.

Check out the truly irritated demeanor of the cat, as evidenced by the glare of his eyes and the slant of his ears...

(You see Finn, there in the background....)

I'll start the count on the 1000 Gifts of bookclub:

1. We are thankful for fun evenings with amazing friends (and wine)...

2. Dinosaurs and good books...

(How many bookclubs are thankful for dinosaurs, I wonder?)

3. HOMEMADE APPLE PIE AND ICE CREAM!

(On pretty china, no less!)

4. Happy babies that let us smooch them with ice cream-y lips and coffee breath...

Okay, he doesn't look so happy here....he's tired from all the smooching and it's almost time to go home.

Next month, we meet at Susie's house! We're all excited about that, because none of us has ever been to the beginning of the end of nowhere, except me when I was a little kid but that's been a few years.  I'll let you know the book when we know; Susie was gone for this bookclub and I teased her about choosing a Harlequin.  She may, just to drive me insane, so stay tuned!