thank you for your blessings

thank you for your blessings, 2011
notes from maggie's farm

Thank you for making these among your favorite posts of 2011.

I am grateful all over 2011--


Frankly, when I agreed to join Jote from Bless Her Heart on her way to posting everyday for 30 Days of Gratitude, in conjunction with BlogHer's Blog Every Day Challenge, I wasn't sure I was up to it.  I hoped I was.  But I was already running on empty from a writing-intensive semester and in the back of my mind, wondered if I wouldn't just cut out mid month.


But a funny thing happened on the way past mid month.  The practice of considering all the things for which I was grateful motivated me in ways I didn't expect.  Suddenly, there were not enough hours in the day for me to write about all the blessings in my life.  And at the end of the month, I still had so much gratitude left unexpressed.  Like.....


the lovely baristas at the local coffee shop that greet me with a smile and a hearty welcome every day I park myself in the corner, and refill for the next 8 hours.  


the customers who ordered tamales by the dozens, and were kind and gracious and patient with all the details.  Who were generous with their compliments, and who's support made Christmas blessed for our farm.


the husband who rolled and packaged tamales by the dozens, who's support made a huge job just another of the happy 'team-building' events' that make us a rocking pair.


the sister who delivered tamales on her rare day off, amid the holiday crunch, to take a little of the heat off our 24 hour tamale-making bodies.  And our tires.


the local, and national, and even international members of a blogging community, too many to even mention here, who rally around and support their fellow writers.  


the opportunity to swap with, and get to know others of my ilk, like Boston-based blogger, Amanda of  Pickles and Honey, who sent me the most amazing gift of local olive oil, chocolate (!) and her delicious gluten-free cookies.


the church family for which we cannot find the words to exactly express how much we love them for making us feel at home in our home. 


the 'foodies' Kate, Kristina, and Suzanna, who met me on my birthday for an impromptu cookie swap at the coffee shop, the booty of which I then ate my way through and shared not a single one.  It was a hassle-free get together with great like-minded women (and one male chauffeur  ; }) that I hope we make a tradition.  Okay, a few were shared with Tom.  A few.


my friend, Karen, her mother, Jean, as well as other friends and family I've mentioned this month, who have taken to encouraging and promoting my work, cooking my recipes, trying my products, and basically being just about the best cheerleading squad for which a girl could ever ask.


the mentoring of my journalism professor and Austin American Statesman columnist, Michael Barnes.  It is no mere coincidence that my readership grew four-fold during the semester in which he graciously shared all his knowledge and gently encouraged nine budding writers/journalists to be more than they knew they could be.


and YOU!  Yes, you.  You are the reason that I spend my days doing what I love--cooking, photog-ing, writing, reading.  Happy. Excited to share what we do up here, and beyond.  You've commented on blog posts, liked Facebook 'shares', retweeted entries, written about Notes From Maggie's Farm in your own blogs and social media outlets.  You've laughed with us and shared our sorrows, and kept me encouraged to continue cooking, growing, writing, sharing, snapping, and eating some really good food.


and the fact that there are so many things, and people, to whom I am grateful that I know I'm missing some, and I ask forgiveness, but it's a very special place to know that there are more blessings than I'm able to count as I turn the page to a new year.  So many, in fact, that I'm not stopping.  


In the new year, Notes from Maggie's Farm will find a special, and I think appropriate time and place for gratitude-on Sundays.  Keep an eye out for your own name there, because we're excited to share the ways in which you bless our lives.

Now, I'm just about out of 2011!  I have a toast to make!  There are fireworks right outside my window!  We have an unattended bonfire and a writer's husband napping away in his chair that must be roused to ring in 2012!


For every one of you, I wish a joyful, peaceful, and prosperous New Year.


With gratitude,
Margaret Christine
a.k.a. "Maggie".