Being Here Now #GratitudeCircle

I know I am a little late with the June 2019 Gratitude Circle post but what’s important is being here now. We were traveling and just got back–and got busy with unpacking, doing the laundry and catching up with emergency stuff.

(The photo on top is of the beach in the Andamans. The corals are so gorgeous)

Thank you so much for the kind comments in my last month’s gratitude post–we’re better on the health front but you know how some things take time. We’re taking it in our stride.

June was busy with cooking, working, mending, walking, spending time with friends, travel, experiencing the kindness of strangers and generally tackling whatever life brought our way.

My gratitude highlights are many and I will share a few here.

What I am most grateful for is – being here now.

One of the things I love about summer is having our son home. It’s never something we can take for granted because the summer internship and project can be anywhere. So, pure gratitude that it is in our town which means he’s at home. We cherish every moment we get together. The time will run away all too soon and before we know it, he’ll be preparing to return to college for his final year. That, in itself, is something for me to freak out about, secretly. For the moment, I am supremely grateful.

As usual, I really enjoy planning and cooking when our son’s home. It usually means lots of experimenting, laughter, unexpected outcomes and all sorts of fun. The memories are priceless. This time I tried a few new sweet recipes, more out of necessity than intent and am happy it all turned out good.

https://www.instagram.com/p/By7I4RchfQ7/

In the course of purging things, I suddenly got into a mending mood–I mean the sewing kind and what joy it was to make a bag of repairs into usable stuff! It is a great feeling to re-purpose and recycle. In the process, I have two extra pants to wear. I converted some pants into shorts. I repaired some bags I am very fond of, but was too lazy to fix. Grateful to have the encouragement and appreciation of my folks!

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Have been walking as usual on the terrace but this month, we had the amazing surprise of spotting a couple of peacocks! Did not get pictures because we didn’t want to get too close and scare them away–but oh! Can you imagine the feeling? One actually flew away–that alone was a stunning sight. It’s a wonderful memory to tuck away into our mind’s happy place! Grateful for son’s company and double grateful for accomplishing double the steps quota, thanks to our nonstop chatter.

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June is the month when some of my closest friends have their birthdays and besides reminiscing, I actually got to spend a lot of time with one of them. Sure most of it was shopping for her upcoming trip, but we spread it out and made it as leisurely as we could. It was really wonderful to wander around, taking our time, focusing on our conversations. So grateful to have loving friends in my life.

Oh, I managed to accomplish the impossible this month! It feels that way based on our past experiences! I applied to renew my passport and everything went smoothly. Within the week, the police verification was done and new passport received. So grateful. Now the question is, where shall I go?

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The work front has been good with appreciative clients. Their kind words make my work worthwhile and fulfilling. Grateful to be doing what I love.

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Last week, we made a trip to the Andaman islands and had a fabulous time in spite of the monsoons. We had no internet for six days. Even phone calls would barely connect. The islanders are quite accepting of this fact of life and laughed it off when we asked them. How nice to live in the moment, offline, without worrying about internet connections! The rains on the islands were refreshing and we enjoyed getting drenched as we visited the beaches, monuments, museums and zoos. A memorable trip, with the kindness of strangers. It is always the little things we remember the longest, don’t we? Grateful that all of us were in good health throughout the trip even though we had an early start every day. Funny thing is, we got so used to the digital disconnect that it was weird when everything worked as it should once we got home!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BzPiIjohu8y/

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Two important things!

Thing 1:
Blog anniversary
July is always a special month in my life when there are new beginnings and the anticipation of wonderful things. And of course, July is my blog’s birthday month. This July, this blog will turn 16. I started this blog on 8 July 2003 and what a journey it has been, meeting wonderful folks! I’d love some ideas to celebrate the journey! Do share in the comments.

Thing 2:
Newsletter
I am thinking of sending a newsletter in place of the “new post alert” each time a post goes live. Something more along the lines of a friendly letter sharing more than just the new post. I am working on the format. What do you think? Would you enjoy reading a letter from me? What would be the best frequency? Fortnightly? Monthly? Weekly? Let me know!

Welcome to the June 2019 Gratitude Circle blog hop. Join me with your posts.

(Write your post, add the badge, then add your post URL to the linky below. Thank you!)

Being here now is all that matters ♥♥