Gratitude for a trip north

314. Two nine-hour drives with my husband. Time for:
315. Much needed sleep. And
316. Eric Bibb. And



317. Till We Have Faces from Blackstone Audio. What a fantastic story! The only problem is we got home in the midst of disc six. I suppose we could have driven around the neighborhood until it was over, but we chose to turn up our road instead. Sometime this weekend we'll have to finish the tale.

318. Beautiful fall weather for driving.

Including:
319. Snow on the passes,
320. Long autumn shadows across golden hills,
321. Rice fields under water,
322. Rain splashing down.

More reasons to love the drive:
323. Cows, cows and more cows. I love cows,
324. Hot, steaming espresso just when we needed it,
325. Silence when we wanted it,
326. Talking as long as we wanted to.

327. The ability to leave for three days without fear. This included:
328. A responsible son who is willing to organize and transport those we left behind.
329. A friend who cheerfully offered, without being asked, to take all my children.
330. My mother's stable health that allowed us to leave.

The greatest thanks is for our visit with our girl at Gutenberg College, including:

331. One-and-a-half days of attending classes, a favorite being a
332. Lively discussion about Jonathan Edwards and the First Great Awakening.
333. Making cranberry salsa in the school kitchen, enjoying conversation with residents as they came in and out.
334. Making espresso in the same kitchen, sharing stories and laughing with the house manager.

335. Visits at cafes with our girl. Hearing her stories, hearing her golden bells of laughter, just being together.
336. Oh, I love that girl.
336. The Best Dessert Ever: Guinness Bread Pudding. Yumola.


337. At last, gratitude for the safe arrival home.
338. A clean house with candles aglow when we arrived.
339. Happy children showing no signs of trauma from our absence.
340-342. Hot bath, warm bed, deep sleep. Aaah.

And now we are busy cleaning, cooking and generally preparing for Thanksgiving. A favorite day to gather family and eat great food. Cannot wait.


Maybe I should rename this Multitude Wednesday?