Gratitude and Glimmers #99

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.

—Melody Beattie

Welcome to my post of glimmers (of joy and wonder) and gratitude for the month of September. You can find links to more posts like this one at LeeAnna's blog, Not Afraid of Color.

1. J’adore la belle province de Québec. Nous sommes à Lac Brôme ce matin, tout près de Knowlton…some of you know the significance of this sweet village in this jaw-dropping beautiful part of Québec which is about an hour south of Montréal. More on what exactly I’m doing here in a few subsequent posts, but know it’s a big trip! Ahhh, j’adore l’automne.

2. I had the honour and privilege to watch monarchs go from a mama laying eggs to caterpillars to chrysalis to baby beautiful butterflies. Here is one to whom I got a front row seat. 

Love the gold glitter dotted on the chrysalis

Newly emerged gorgeous creature. 

3. I love sunsets…

Detroit River

and sunrises.

Lake Erie 

4. The rising sun filtering through the trees a few mornings ago provided a glimmer of joy.

5. This massive tulip poplar gives me such a feeling of reverence each time I walk by. Touching the bark, thinking about the changes it has seen leaves me feeling pretty insignificant. 

6. Not too many steps away from that tree is this medicinal garden, there for everyone and anyone to admire, breathe in, and absorb. 

7. I like this thought. It me. 😊

8. The sheer breadth of many trees here still astounds me though I’ve now lived here for 18 years total. This is, I believe, a silver maple. The photo doesn’t do it justice but that’s the toe of my shoe. 

9. I like chestnuts, especially the smooth feel of the pair of nuts inside the shell. 

10. Besides trees and forests, I love water, especially Point Pelee National Park which is just minutes from my house. We took Rufus for a little swim this week on an absolutely perfect day.