Wow. It's been a long time....December flew by with holiday celebrations and time with family. Precious time, indeed. All of our kids flew in, except for the eldest and his wife. Such a gift....and now we are back into busy schedules of another sort - school activities, various meetings and upcoming events, the never ending "to-do's".

It's raining here today, in our valley between the Cascade Mts and the Coastal Range. All around us in the Pacific NW, folks are being pummeled by snow, but here it's our typical rain, and since it's January - it's a rather cold drizzle at that.
But you know, that's really okay. I have no reason to complain.

Nevertheless, it is nice to look back a few months.....

This is the harbor we explored back in August. I do love Oregon's coast.

And this stretch of beach with its sandy hillocks is a family favorite:

Oregon skies so often captivate me, one way or the other.

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"... Now we are thanking the Lord
This is easy,
for the Lord is everywhere.
He is in the water and the air,
He is in the very walls.
He is around us and in us.
He is the floor on which we kneel.
We make our songs for Him
as sweet as we can
for His goodness,
and, lo, He steps into the song
and out of it, having blessed it,
having recognized our intention,
having awakened us, who thought we were awake,
a second time,
having married us to the air and the water,
having lifted us in intensity,
having lowered us in beautiful amiability,
having given us
each other,
and the weeds, dogs, cities, boats, dreams
that are the world."
                                              ~ Mary Oliver

"I will awaken....I will praise and give thanks to You, O Lord." Ps 57: 8, 9

Gratitude makes me alive, no matter how the skies appear.
So grateful it is always an option.