A Year of Gratitude – April 30, 2024
I found my gratitude early this morning. I am not now, nor have I ever been, a morning person. So, finding my gratitude in the day’s first moments is a bit rare for me.
I walked into the farmhouse kitchen this morning, opened up the curtains, and turned around to go about my early morning routine. Penny Lane was at my feet, eager to have breakfast. I was equally eager to have my first cup of coffee.
As I turned around, my eye caught something my early morning foggy brain had forgotten. I saw two loaves of homemade sourdough bread that I had baked yesterday. They were waiting for me to slice into them and toast up my breakfast.
Suddenly, my morning was looking bright in spite of the gloomy weather outside. Yes, it was still early morning. It was still the time of day I struggle with the most. The sight of those loaves of bread made all the difference in how I felt about the day ahead.
While this realization only lasted a few moments, Penny Lane was unpleased at my hesitation. So, I gathered together her breakfast and dropped it into her bowl. In one swift motion, she was busy with the work of devouring her morning meal.
I had a decision to make: traditional sourdough toast or double chocolate sourdough toast for breakfast? It’s a decision without a right answer because both of them are delicious. In the end, I went with the chocolate loaf. I sliced up a piece and placed it in the toaster oven to warm up.
It was finally time to make my morning coffee. As I did, the bread warmed up enough in the toaster oven to fill the kitchen with the aroma of warm chocolate. Now I was really ready for breakfast!
With a cup of coffee in hand, I went to the toaster oven, gathered my warm toast, and headed to the table. With a slathering of butter, the toast was warm and delicious. It was perfect with my morning coffee.
My day had begun in a delicious way and I was grateful. Of course, I usually share the last bite of my morning toast with Penny Lane. That wasn’t possible since it was chocolate bread. Don’t worry, I made up for it by getting her a treat when I got up from the table.
It was time to start the day, to begin making progress on the day’s tasks and chores. Penny Lane wandered into the parlor room to settle in for a post breakfast nap. Everything was as it should be and there was plenty of fresh bread to enjoy for lunch and maybe even dinner. That was something so easy to be grateful for.
This post is part of our A Year of Gratitude Series. You can find the introduction, inspiration, and entire year’s gratitude’s posts here.