Gratitude is grounding. Sitting on the back deck I want to be grateful for a few things to accompany this shot for photo blog Thursday:

1. The rich silence is full of sound–insect whines and pines sighing–as the universe thinks about itself.
2. The fruits of our garden include sweet cherry tomatoes, abundant zucchini, zesty cayenne pappers, flavourful herbs and onions, along with the satisfaction of growing our own food.
3. Glenda Dawn Goss’s autobiography, Sibelius: A Composer’s Life and the Awakening of Finland, provides genuine insight into the complexity of a human being I upheld as some kind of paragon but knew little about.
4. The frenzied shrieking of a blue jay distracts me, puts anxiety in perspective and reminds me how comfortable I have it, really.
5. An arrangement of fruit for visiting friends included peaches, plums, dark grapes and cherry tomato highlights, providing unexpected beauty.