Thousand Gifts, part 3

21. Partial fencing around a yard that keeps an escaped chicken from really escaping.
22. Bennet isn't afraid to catch such a chicken.
23. Neighbors all use their air conditioning and haven't noticed the crowing of that particular chicken, who is almost certainly a rooter, not a hen like we thought.

24. Husband's coming home after a bit away for work.
25. Restaurants to celebrate such a return.
26. The financial gift to do such a thing.
27. Brainwashing that's so effective the kids had no concept of a restaurant!
28. Picnics, which would have been our normal special outing. ("Mommy, you forgot to bring the food!")
29. After a couple of weeks without a husband, a day with only dishes, laundry, chicken care, cooking, cleaning and a two-hour appointment felt really low-key. It's all about perspective.
30. The rhythm of my husband's snoring. So calm and relaxing.

Thousand gifts part 2

11. A hard-working husband
12. The funny colors that peppers turn in the garden (yellow, white, purple, orange, red)
13. Friends who understand
14. The colors of the brown and black chicken
15. Instant water
16. A kind and gentle dentist for the kids
17. A book on gratitude
18. Purple-red beets (and that most of the kids liked them)
19. The fun of sharing our produce with others
20. A big cicada in the kitchen (instant insect study)

Thousand Gifts part 1

1. The sound of cicadas at night
2. The breeze of a fan in the window
3. Cool evenings
4. The sound of canning jars, popping to seal
5. A baby who's a good nurser
6. Chickens eating table scraps
7. The color of fresh peaches
8. The flavor of fresh peaches
9. The fact that fresh peaches have only about 37 calories each
10. Chester's homemade bread, extra crunchy after being forgotten in the toaster oven, and even yummier for it.