Day 16 - Sweet Love

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

I love thee to the depth and breadth and height

My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight

For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.

I love thee to the level of every day's

Most quiet need, by sun and candlelight.

I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;

I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.

I love with a passion put to use

In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.

Elizabeth Barrett Browning

****** 

Love, I has it. Those that matter, love me. My husband, my parents, my friends and my God. They love me. Even my children love me and given their ages, that's amazing. I've given up asking "What did I do to deserve this?" because the fact is, I don't. I did nothing to deserve any of it. So instead, I'm just going to bask in the glory that is love and wallow in gratitude.

Today I'm grateful for:

love

the miracle of the last 3 years. I used to think that a life line was a straight line from point A: birth to point B: death. It's not, it's a freakin corkscrew. It goes round and round and round and round. I like that because it's proof life is never boring. Sometimes it's brilliant and sometimes it's tragic, but most often, it just is and if you can find the brilliance in the every day, you can truly say you are living life. I have LIVED the last 3 years and I plan on living every day for the rest of my life. Live rocks dude.

my husband. He fought for me, he occasionally fights with me, he has ESP and is annoyingly right most of the time. He loves me well and good. He is awesomeness in husband form.

warm weather. It's 70°! *booty dances barefoot in shorts*

walkies. Two weeks without walkies and the hamster and I were going nuts. I figured he had forgotten everything I had taught him. Nope! He did awesome and we walked 2 miles. He could have gone another 20 but Momma was toast. If I let him, this hamster will whip me into shape. The rain kept us off the big pink bike but tomorrow they're calling for sunshine!

candy hearts. They inspired me. Even if they taste like cardboard.

Lilly the hot pink iPod. The soundtrack of my life never looked hotter or sounded better.

surviving a night hell bent on keeping me from sleep. 4 calls at 1A.M. 2 maintenance emergencies, a plumber who's MIA, a sleeping boss, and a demon in tenant form all conspired to keep me awake. The hamster who had been caged WAY to long yesterday didn't help. Each time I rose to answer the phone, the hamster danced, the man groaned, and I got even more frustrated. At one point I'm beating on the hamster's transporter and shrieking like a banshee. Not my finest moment. BUT, I pulled out of it and after a few hours of sleep...on the couch....with a dancing hamster. Even the call at 7 A.M. didn't make me loose it again. I've spent the bulk of the day (without pay I might add) dealing with maintenance emergencies. I AM the Maintenance Superhero and these demon freaks better not forget it.

corned beef and cabbage. You meat haters and kiss my boohiney, this is good stuff and I'm a cooking rock star.

rain. It may keep me off the big pink bike but it is hydrating our parched landscape. The bitter cold has stripped the moisture out of the land. I'm not used to seeing my slice of paradise a vast brown wasteland. Rain is good.

clean hamsters. The hamster was smelling like a dog. Can't have that now can we? He has been bathed, his teeth brushed and his flea pill *coughs* installed. He now smells like baby powder and has silky smooth fur. Just as any self-respecting Alien Hamster should.

hamster kisses and hamster dances. what can I say, even my hamster loves me. I can't be all bad right?

a blond, a brunette and a red head. They love their Momma. Simply amazing...

******
Sweet Love

This one is a fail, but I kinda like the way it looks