Gratitude List ~ Ifrane

It is after midnight and I have been thinking about all the things "good" about life in Ifrane. A gratitude list reflects what my family and I have been blessed with and what I am thankful to have experienced. 

~ sit down breakfasts and family dinners
~ beautiful sunrises and colorful sunsets
~ clear blue skies and white clouds
~ fresh air, both cold and refreshing
~ winter snow, summer breeze
~ long days and short nights
~ radiant heat, both comforting and sweltering
~ tank tops in the middle of winter inside, all bundled up outside
~ all the hot water I can use, supplied at a low cost
~ full moons on clear nights and rays of sunshine through the fog
~ the downstairs neighbor and their trusty nanny
~ time alone with Yousef and shared playtime with JR
~ homemade meals that are entirely made from scratch
~ cooking with no recipes, baking with no exact measurements
~ breads and cakes and yogurts
~ pancakes and french toast
~ improvising with what is available; doing the best with what is on hand
~ no ready snacks, no processed foods
~ flexible schedules; late departures and early returns
~ lunch dates and afternoon walks
~ dinner parties and tea sippings
~ seasonal vegetables all fresh and cheap
~ mint and parsley at 25 cents a bunch
~ pomegranate, persimmons, figs and quince that are not luxury
~ artichokes, fresh peas, and fava beans; all the eggplant and beets I can eat
~ lemons that juice, bananas and grapes from down the road
~ fresh eggs bought by the one, placed in plastic bags
~ a butcher, a chicken guy and a produce seller who cut me a special price
~ a gated community; a safe place to play
~ sleeping with doors unlocked; trusting the apartment to a stranger
~ the sounds of the athan floating through the air
~ helpful hands around each bend
~ time to write, read, cook and play
~ daily showers, baths, sink cleanups
~ a stronger marriage, a happier family
~ a little boy and a not-so-little anymore girl
~ a wonderful husband, and a supportive family
~ healthy kids, fit and energized
~ rosy cheeks colored by the outdoors
~ friends in the distance
~ few distractions, no obligations
~ little to do and no where to go
~ a lot of peace and a lot of quiet; no horns, no bells, no sirens; no rings or tone; no planes and no trains
~ the green, the blue, the white
~ life that is basic, simple, and unobstructed
~ living focused on the here and now, on the immediate and important
~ life as it is meant to be lived
~ a sleepy town in the Atlas mountains; a little town lost in time, sitting at the edge of the map.