With gratitude for patience I watch the fruits form on tomato vines.

With gratitude for tenderness and faith I watch cucumbers form on a vine I accidentally snapped almost in two, but trusted to heal itself.

With gratitude for allowing myself to grow and change I thrill to see hot peppers fruiting in a wide variety of colors and Scoville units.

With gratitude for curiosity I am enjoying red and green orach, a spinach-like plant that grows all season, providing nutritious leaves and shoots.

With gratitude for perseverance I’m pleased to have finally found an ant trap that works for the hummingbird feeders.

With gratitude for allowing, the wild cleomes grow where I’ve let them, interspersed with vegetables and flowers I planted intentionally, and provide nectar for hummingbirds and bees.

With gratitude for attending to my body’s needs, I whipped up a batch of Ali Slagle’s one-pot broccoli mac n cheese for dinner: so simple, so delicious!

With gratitude for equanimity, I sat and watched the sunset again with Wren, while live music from a big party a mile away drifted through the woods. With gratitude for solitude, I practice compassion for all beings. It’s so much easier to do with no one else around!