...rain.

This winter hasn't been very wet, but I know we need the rain - even if it forces the rearrangement of plans. Our garden tea party became an indoor outdoor tea party and was still lots of fun. We wandered through the gardens during a break in the showers. Beautiful!

...being on the winning team for once.

I hope I haven't jinxed us, but it's nice not to be losing canasta considering that I taught everyone I play against.

Must stop being so competitive.

Tomorrow.

...tissues.

I know they're bad for the environment, but I tell you what: I'd be a dripping, snotty-sleeved mess at the moment without them. Just tellin' it like it is!

...sunlight on the rooftops.

Something about the afternoon sun completely changes the view from my window.

...beanies.

For two reasons: warm heads and hidden bad hair days :)

...Hobart at night.

Even when it's freezing cold in winter, Hobart is a pretty cool little city, in my opinion. I love Salamanca, the pretty lights in the trees and walking along the waterfront. I'm thankful that we can.

...honey and lemon tea.

I don't even care if it's a placebo effect, honey & lemon tea makes me feel better when I'm sick.

...dinner with my parents.

For two reasons - the food and the company. I'm so thankful that it's easy to come home for the night.

...chocolate.

Today will be so much sweeter with a piece of black forest chocolate. I consider it a reward for marking half the assignments on my pile. Which means I'll get another 'reward' when I finish :)

...my laptop.

I'm thankful to have a laptop at all, but I especially love mine. It's small(ish), light and has awesome battery life. My life would be a lot more complicated without it.

...Saturday nights.

Recently, my Saturday nights have consisted of random baking, card games, tea and friends. Sometimes they stretch into the wee hours of Sunday, and they're always a lot of fun. I'm thankful for the time off from busy.

PS. Yeah, this is late. I'm cheating and backdating it.

...takeaway coffee on cold, rainy days.

It's a lot easier to make myself walk through the rain to the supermarket and back if I know I can get a good coffee on the way back. I'm heaps thankful for small luxuries.

...tea and crumpets.

The best way to refuel mid-assignment. I'm thankful for the quantity and variety of food I have.

...music.

I don't work very well in silence. I think life should have a soundtrack. I love music.

...my own two hands.

I was complaining to Dad the other day, that (due to a combination of cold weather, heated houses, detergent, soap and who knows what else) my hands are a bit gross at the moment. In typical dad fashion, he suggested we cut them off.

Ummm.... no.

I need my hands.

Which made me realise just how much I need my hands. How difficult life would be if I lost even a finger, let alone a whole hand. I'm thankful I have two fully functioning hands, even if I am a little self-conscious about them at the moment.

PS. I didn't actually take this photo today. Oops.

...Wikipedia.

For all those times when I come out of a lecture/try to do an assignment and have no idea what's going on. Can't reference it, but I surely do learn a lot from it.

...avocados on special.

I can't usually justify avocados because they're heaps expensive and I eat them so quickly, but lately they've been cheaper (maybe they're in season, I should check) so I buy one almost every time I go into the supermarket. YUM!

...fresh sheets.

I'm thankful for a warm, comfy bed every night, but there's something extra special about fresh sheets.

...space.

We're pretty blessed for space at St Clems. Tonight we'll have three separate groups/activities running, plus cooking for one of the groups and we have separate areas for them all. So thankful. Now I just have to pray it all goes smoothly!

...stripey socks.

So fun :)

...bandaids.

Because I have two giant-sized blisters on my heels from walking around town in my cheap shoes yesterday. My feet are extra thankful for the extra padding today.

...colour.

I love black and white photos, but I'm thankful that life isn't monochromatic. Seeing in colour makes life so interesting.

...living close to supermarkets.

Probably a little too close, because I feel like I'm always running up the road to grab something. But I'm so thankful that I can.

...our psychotic washing machine.

Because clean clothes = good.

PS. this is possibly the bluriest photo I've ever taken. We'll blame the cupboard-like proportions of our 'laundry'.

...cupcakes with Gill.

We wish every day could be like this. Red velvet cupcakes, many cups of tea and lots of laughter. I'm so thankful for days off from uni and such.

...youth.

By the end of the week I'm usually pretty tired, but I love having youth stuff on Friday nights because it's impossible to be tired around high schoolers. I'm so thankful that I get to hang out with such an energic bunch of Christians every Friday night!

...forgiveness.

I wrote a whole post about this last night in my head. It sounded good, nice words and flow and all of that english-y stuff. But that's not really the point, and nice words can't really describe how thankful I am.

I'm broken. I screw up all the time and rebel against God. Some days I don't even try. And yet God forgives me. Completely. He sacrificed his son so that I can be washed clean of all of my sin; past, present and future. All I have to do is come before him, broken as I am, and ask.

This should be top of the 'things I'm thankful for' list every day.

...contact lenses.

Specifically fresh ones. The first time you put them in and you totally can't feel them compared to the month old ones you had in yesterday? Amazing. But I'm thankful for contact lenses in general, because it's easier to play sport and to go from outside to inside without having to swap glasses. I love being able to just push my sunnies up on my head. That said, I quite like wearing my glasses sometimes, and I'm thankful for them too.

Being able to see = awesome.

...work.

As boring as marking assignments is, it's pretty good work. Pays well and I only have to do as much as I can fit in. Plus, I really need to be saving for this summer. I'm thankful to have more work!

...the walk to uni.

It only takes 15-20 minutes, so I have no excuse to drive. And on the days where I'm pretty much glued to my desk chair with work, walking to class is about the only exercise/outside that I get all day.

...a retreat.

Camp was great. Fun and challenging and exhausting. It's so nice to be back at my parents' place tonight though, just to chill and pretend I'm not 23. We'll hang out by the fire and watch whatever's on TV and it'll be low key and wonderful.