Last week, I woke up one morning with a strange ringing in my head. I wrote about it here: Tinnitus. The next morning when I woke up, the unsettling ringing was gone, and my tinnitus was back to normal, which is sometimes annoying but generally manageable. I was so grateful. It made me realize how often I fail to appreciate the beautiful ordinariness of my life.

So any day you wake up without a strange ringing in your head? It’s a good day.

I have something to add to that this week.

Any day you wake up and your house is standing, even if it’s messy and cluttered and could use a kitchen remodel, even if the cat keeps peeing in the laundry room and is getting old and dropping random poop patties around the house?

Even with all that? It is a darned good day.

We know we live in fire country. We have go-bags packed.

Last Wednesday, a fire started, not far from here. They named it the “River Fire.” I first saw the smoke as I was driving home from town, after going to my weekly centering prayer circle, followed by a little work and a trip to the grocery store.  I was in a jolly mood, feeling pretty good about all that I had accomplished that day. And then? There was smoke. And a little panic. Continue Reading…