thankful, er, friday: narrative edition

Sigh.  I have best intentions of updating this more frequently, but somehow I suspect these will remain intentions until after finals week is over.  Two more weeks!  Meanwhile, I thought I'd take a more narrative approach toward this week's thankful post...

This week I am thankful for:

* The beauty of our new neighborhood on a sunny spring morning.  Isn't this view from the top of the Rose City Golf Course stunning?  Mount Hood looks much larger in person.  If computers had scent-o-meters I could add the fragrance of long-established flowering bushes and trees throughout the neighborhood.  

* Unexpected sources of inspiration.  There's this guy I went to school with who is "friends" with several mutual acquaintances on Facebook, and while I haven't ever actually "friended" him I have periodically found myself scrolling systematically down his Facebook page, marveling at how a guy who was never top of the class or the behavior scale (though always a basically nice person) has become such a wonderful husband and father.  This guy remains rough around the edges, but oh, my goodness, such earnest and heartfelt devotion to a wife and children is rare in this world.  He inspires me to value my own blessings.  I'm repeatedly grateful for his example.

* Lunch at Coffee Cottage with Andrea.  Because it's lunch... at the Coffee Cottage... with Andrea.  If you've ever had lunch at the Coffee Cottage or met Andrea you'll understand that I really need say no more.

* My friend Pastor Tom.  He's one of my very favorite people in the world to talk to, and I got to have lunch with him today.  And I'm thankful for the work he does while training to be a full-time hospital chaplain, because man, would that be a tough job, and I know he's amazing at it.  (It's been a banner week for lunches, eh?)

* Discussing upcoming races with my friend Julie, because races alone = boring and races with Julie = some of the best times I've had!  I am excited to contemplate doing another.

* Getting together with my friend Amy and her delightful children.  (And I mean the "delightful."  I'm not always huge on children, but I'm a big fan of hers.)  If I've run a fun race and Julie wasn't involved, it's safe to say Amy was, because she's my other fun running friend -- and friend of many other wonderful times, too, since we met at PLU.

* Meeting adjacent neighbor #3 and realizing we have achieved a nice-people-on-all-sides trifecta of good neighbors.  Hooray!  

* The introductory session of Middle East League in my history course and the realization that the next week of committee meetings is going to be very amusing, indeed.  I love it when students become invested in their coursework...

How about you?