Happy Thanksgiving Thoughts

I am sitting here putting my feet up an hour and half before my hubby's family is coming over for dinner so we can visit with an out of town cousin. The house is ready and we are getting pizza so I just need to clean up a bit and make myself presentable. I am goofing off here and relaxing for a bit.

I wanted to wish everyone a Happy and Safe Thanksgiving. I took this picture of our little sign and knew it would be a perfect card for you all. So here is my Thanksgiving greetings.

I am so thankful for such a good life. This is a perfect week to focus on our blessings don't you think? This year my daughter's job as a hospice nurse, constantly reminds me and smacks me in the head when I start to feel a bit down about the small stuff. It really reminds me of the BIG stuff.

Our week will be simple and I have finished my shopping. Yay!! The market was already crazy busy and I saw a few rude people but I just smiled and remained patient. What is the point of being annoyed and rude too. Dear rude people, don't come out and spoil the hustle and bustle of our preparation for a holiday that is supposed to have us being thankful not RUDE!

The older I get, the less I seem to be able to tolerate the crowds so next year I will shop early Monday morning before Thanksgiving.

Blessings to you all and safe travels and wonderful times with your family and friends. 

Thanksgiving 2013 and a Thanksgiving Tree

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We did. It was very small. Just seven of us. 

I wanted to show you my Thanksgiving Tree I did in the front room of the house. I took a small tree and placed it among the crocks and put brown ornaments on it and stashes of autumn leaves. Today it was transformed into a woodland Christmas tree.

I do almost all the cooking for Thanksgiving on Wednesday. That way I just reheat and pop in the oven things at the last minute. I even do my mashed potatoes the day before and just scoop them all into the crock pot and refrigerate until the next day. A few hours before I place them in the crock pot base and turn on high stirring a few times. The kitchen is much less messy on the day of and I can relax more and enjoy everyone else.

My oldest is a hospice nurse and was called out for a couple visits but managed to make it just in time to eat. I was so thankful she could sit down with us.

It has been a very good year full of lots of good changes for our little family and we are so thankful to have our girls and a loving home.

Happiness

Cleaning, raking, trimming. It is that time for me. We do all our own yard work and well mostly I do so this time of year I start at one end of our backyard and just trim and clean the planters as I go.

This kitty is Mr. Bee-Doos. Yep that is his name. My silly daughter and equally silly husband came up with that. We are used to it now but at the vet they know him as Nemo as I was a little embarrassed of this name. Poor cat he is probably always wondering why they are all calling him that.

Yeppers more sunshine. We have had the most spring/summer like winter. It is supposed to rain next week so I am very glad. Our mountains and hills are thirsty.

This one is happy for the days outside. We are out about two hours everyday and have our lunch on the patio. It wears her out. That is good for mommy.

Heard this on the radio.

"It is your moral obligation to act happy. Happier people make better spouses, parents, friends, employees."

Do you agree? You know what at this stage in my life I do. I am always telling my kids that sometimes you just have to fake it. That is fake happiness. It helps snap you out of a mood. In my younger years if I wanted to go around grumpy, I did. If I took the whole house down with me so be it. Selfish. That is what I was. I once heard that a mother's attitude sets the tone for the whole family. I agree. We all have times when it is appropriate to be sad or mad but I am talking about in our daily everyday living. I hung that quote on the fridge. I want my kids to see it, learn, do it. I want them to realize that happiness is a choice. I want them to learn it young. Of course they will do as they choose but it won't be for a lack of me trying. So I choose happiness. I was so happy today after our no spend Jan. to go to Sam's Club and just really stock up. Just food and needfuls but wow that is such a gift to be able to do that. Some months I don't go if I don't have the extra stock up money so I just felt so lucky to be able to fill my cart. Okay, have a blessed Sunday. Thanks for listening.

Are We Ready to Step Up?

Something has been weighing heavy on my heart. Last week something happened that just shook me. It started with my two older girls. We always try to eat dinner together meaning if you are in the house at dinner time you eat dinner at the table. Our time to all come together and share. Well, what the girls began to share has really made me think. In the space of four days, the girls told four different stories of families and friends they know who have had to move in with others or face homelessness or to prevent someone they know from losing the roof over their head. Inability to cover one's mortgage and renting out rooms to another family, a friend moving in with an uncle who no longer can afford his rent, a girl having to share a room with a family member and her baby after they lost their home. I don't want to be too specific but I am sure you get the idea.

I hear of the economy supposedly starting to rebound but it is surely not happening fast enough. I personally believe we are seeing families face what many of us have not seen in our lifetime. I know my grandparents faced situations very similar in the depression because I heard the stories. I have also read the unemployment rate is much higher than reported. Those no longer looking or under employed are not represented. How about those that take a new job but no longer make what they were making before. My own brother is facing this situation. It is simply devastating. I worry for him and for other family members affected by this recession.

It is more than just doing without little things like less dinners out, maybe you don't take a vacation. It is now whether you can keep a roof over your head, your utilities on and just put enough food on the table. I have some of my own family members facing tough decisions like this. I have received several e-mails through my blog of others facing situations similar or having to help someone. I don't remember a time like this that I can recall. Everything is so expensive. It is so costly to maintain just a vehicle, let alone a home and care of a family. When wages are dropping and inflation is rising it is a recipe for disaster.

So what I am trying to ask here is are we all ready to accept a change in the way we live? Multiple families having to share a home, helping others get enough to eat? I am dealing with these questions for myself. What can I do to help? How much can I help? Have I helped enough? I hope this is temporary and I apologize if I sound depressing but while we all show our lovely homes and little pretties I just felt the need to share this burden on my heart. Do you feel the same about the way our lives may be changing? Have you seen what I am seeing here. Maybe it is just our part of the country. I will be back to my normal posts next time but for now I felt compelled to share. Thanks for listening. Please let me know what you think.

Indulgent Me

I have to apologize for my last self indulgent post . You all responded to sweetly with such encouragement that I just feel guilty. There are so many people with real problems and I was complaining about my life that was hectic from a busy week with nothing troubling or any illness. There are so many people out there with real needs for prayer and encouragement that I feel bad. Anyway though, thank you to all of you that just sent me the sweetest thoughts and words and know that I read them and feel so blessed. How I wish I lived near all of you so we could have coffee and a real chat. I think a lot of us are missing that connection with women that prior generations used to get on a regular basis. I remember my mom and the neighbors having "coffee and". That is what they called it as in coffee and cookies or whatever was available. All in their housecoats they would get together for regular chats in one another's kitchens. Boy I wish it was still like that. I never even see my neighbors.

So I am packing and we are off this weekend as friends we see once a year will be there so I am very blessed and lucky and THANKFUL and need to finish my lists of meals and such to feed all of us. Thank you everyone and I guess sometimes we just blog in the moment and that is where I was. Love my blogging sisters. You guys are the best.

New Do

I was in moldy type of mood this morning with tons of things on my plate and just letting the stress of the everyday things get to me. Tried on some winter pants and felt the tug of a few extra pounds and that made me bummed and mad at myself. But really what was I pouting about. I ate the Halloween candy and can get those pounds off and my life is busy because I have this big family and we are all busy and living life. I sent my husband a text that I felt fluffier and was unhappy and he smartly sent me a text that he thinks I look good. What else could he say and still come home at the end of the day? Poor guy. I am lucky and he is smart and keeps me grounded. 

So I decided after tackling a couple items I would walk. That is what I need to do. Eat less, walk more. It was the perfect day. Then my SIL came over and did my hair. Boy does that give you a pick me up. I decided to cut it shorter and then straighten it today. I love it. I needed a change. It was hard to get some sort of shot of my head while holding the camera myself and not show four chins or something. More items are checked off the list tonight and tomorrow is a new day with more appts. and errands but these are things I need to remember to be thankful for. My daughter comes home from the hospital and always needs to decompress and her stories remind me that the busyness of life is a blessing and not to be cursed or taken for  granted. Thank God for my busy life.

Thankfulness

Just got in the house from doing my weekly yard chores. The lawns are mowed and the front planter is on its way to being cleared out and ready for winter pansies. I work until I fill our green barrel and then I am done.

Hard work just clears your head and really does release the good juices in us. Though I am filthy and on my way to a shower, I am happy and content. Rain is supposed to be on the way so yard chores are done and I can stay in and be cozy tomorrow.

Ever thankful that I have food to eat and my kids have never gone to bed hungry. My mother went to bed hungry many a time as a child so she made sure we never did. I am so thankful my kids have never had to either. It might get a little slim around here between trips but there is always food for the making.

 Thankful my 13 yr.old will indulge her little sister and play dolls with her. It warms my heart when I see this scene.

I divided my Dutch Iris bulbs. I love how every year they give me more and more. These were originally in the yard from our old house. Now I have about 60-70 bloom every year.

Linking to:
The Charm of Home
Potpourri Friday
Inspiration Friday
Common Ground