Give thanks

It's difficult to be thankful for wind, but it does have its purpose. Wind makes me tired and cranky...all I feel like doing when it's windy is cuddling on the couch with a book, comfy throw and hot cup of tea {Black Licorice please!}. It dawned on my today tho that the wind is God's way of clearing the autumn leaves from the trees in preparation for winter to settle in. After all, the branches just wouldn't look the same dusted with snow if they still had dead leaves on them. So, as difficult as it is, today I am thankful for the transition...the wind....the cleansing, if you will...in preparation for old man winter. I look forward to the holidays, the warm soups and stews, catching up on reading, sipping warm beverages {Starbucks Eggnog Latte...oh my!}...bulky sweaters, wool socks, scarves...Bring it on!

Fall cleaning

Some people do Spring cleaning, but Fall is always my catalyst to purge the old and make preparations. Today we embarked upon redoing our hardwood floors in the parlor and dining area. We just couldn't leave those old floors when we have the shiny new ones in the kitchen. But before we could begin the sanding process, we had to move out of the main floor. So I boxed all the knick knacks up and Duane took out the furniture. I took joy in also "moving out of" my old refrigerator and into my new one...yippee!  You know all those condiments you buy for that one great meal that you make...never to be used again?  Well it seemed I had amassed quite a collection {red wine vinegar? rice wine vinegar? sherry vinegar?...how many vinegars are there any way?}, so needless to say my new fridge is kind of bare!  That's okay tho...after all the holidays are coming!  I'll need that room!  I also cleared off the built in bookshelves and took joy in packing away what was on them....after all we have to decorate for Christmas... so no need to revisit that "every day stuff" until the new year!

A Fall Wedding

Today Treena told me she wants to change her wedding date. It all started when I sent her a picture of a cake I knew she'd love. She likes the "rustic" cakes where the frosting sits on top of the raw layer and not on the sides. This cake in particular was adorned with tiny apples. So the conversation began with her telling me she thought she'd like to change the colors of her wedding from navy blue and green (perfect colors for a May wedding!) to something with red. This didn't surprise me in the least bit since Treena's always loved red. Then she thought she might add yellow to it...again, no surprise. Then she added pumpking and the theme emerged. This entire conversation is via chat, but still I could read the writing on the walls. She proposed the idea of a fall wedding...it IS her favorite time of year. Pumpkins, mums, apples, burlap...hot drinks...I fell hook, line and sinker because I've always LOVED fall weddings. I think I share my love of fall with both my girls. So now we have to find a good date, because our other love is FOOTBALL so we have to be sure to work around that :) Have to go...off to plan a wedding! A {FALL} wedding that is!

Give thanks

This year I received an amazing gift...I became a YaYa (Greek for Grandma!). Emberlee is a ray of sunshine in our lives. Many people talk to being grandparents and how special it is, but until you have the pleasure of watching your own child become a parent and guide them in their journey as a parent while at the same time love a child unconditionally and without the constraints of the day-to-day trials and tribulations, you cannot imagine the gift of being a grandparent. Today I am so thankful that I can look at Emberlee and see the future and look forward to seeing Matt and Katy take on parenthood someday. We are so blessed!

Give thanks

Freedom and opportunity is a beautiful thing that we are blessed to enjoy in this great country. Today I am so thankful to the founders of this great nation for being so wise in their conception of democracy and how to achieve it. I am thankful that my kids and their kids can determine who leads this country; they can be assured an education, can own homes and can choose what they will be and how they will live. I am thankful to all of those who chose to protect our freedom with their lives and as their occupation. My family is rich is traditions and involvement in the military...it is a difficult lifestyle that we take for granted. Finally, I am thankful that our nation had the foresight to choose a leader not based on skin color, but on conviction, education, morality and heart. God bless America!

Give thanks

In an age when a college degree doesn't guarantee a job...doesn't even guarantee food on the table, I am so thankful to have a job that fulfills me. Don't get me wrong, if I win the lottery tomorrow {need to buy a ticket!}, I probably wouldn't show up for work. But I do believe what I do makes a difference and that the agency I work for makes lives better for children and families in stress, in need, in chaos. I have a group of people that I work with that share in this belief and that work very hard to make our mission attainable. Today I am so thankful that I have a job that provides well for me and that I don't dread going to {most days} and that at the end of the day makes a difference...for that, I am thankful.

Give thanks

I have been blessed to be the proud owner of an orphan named Murray. Murray's story began as a sad one...an owner who meant well trying to teach a tender hearted pup to be a hunting dog but doing it in all the wrong ways...giving up on him....neglect and a phone call. It was Spring when my cousin called to beg me to take her ex-boyfriends dog...he was ready to put him down because he had not become the hunting dog he wanted. After two hours of removing the cockle burs from his fur and brushing him out, we were bonded for life. That was 13 years ago. Murray turned 15 this past July. We went through some tough times when he was unclear about his boundaries....whining at my window after he'd gotten out of the fence and ran through the sprinklers and wanted back in the backyard. And don't get me started on how many mornings I've gone looking for shoes that Murray has carried to who knows where (he carries them, never chews them...he has a very soft mouth!)

He's a little slow moving now and I noticed this evening that he's missing most of his back teeth and his front teeth are more "nubs" than teeth. But he's still a beautiful dog, white-faced from age, nearly blind and deaf to boot. Still, I'm so thankful to have called him my friend.

Give thanks

As we drove home through the Columbia River Gorge today, I became so aware of how lucky I am to live in such beauty. Each season brings its own set of spectaculars, but none is as striking, as vibrant, as fall. Words cannot begin to describe the assortment of reds, yellows, greens and browns that were evident in the trees and on the ground...the crispness in the air, the taste of pumpkin in my coffee and the feel of {sweaters}! I'm excited to get home to my kitchen where soon, very soon, I will be making dishes from nature's fall bounty....mmmm...pumpkin, apple, molasses, cranberry...can't wait!

Give thanks

After spending three days away from home and away from family, it seems fitting I give thanks today for my family. Each of my children holds a special place in my heart and I define myself and measure myself by how well I have loved them, taught them, respected them and nurtured them. I'm so thankful to have an artist as a child. Treena is passionate, dramatic and loving like only artists can be. She has become a wonderful mother and friend. Together we enjoy decorating, treasure hunting, creating, cooking and laughing. I don't know what I would do if I didn't have my boy, Matt, to keep me playful and appreciative of nature and all things {boy}. Matt is grounded in who he is and I admire his courage, determination and "zest for life". And Katy...my faithful, playful scholar. She is so attentive to each person she comes in contact with and so clear about who she is and where she wants to go. These three {kids} have taught me as much about life as I have them and I am so thankful to call myself mom to each and every one of them.

Passion

My youngest daughter Katy has a passion for dance that drives her to wake herself at 5 am each morning for practice and then ends most days sharing her passion with children or honing her skills even further. Hours she will spend to perfect a turn or land a leap.  I'm so thankful that each of my kids has a passion {or two} to keep them focused, grounded and disciplined.  And thankful for the coaches, mentors and teachers who've shared their passions with my kids....guided them, driven them and encouraged them for countless hours and mere pennies...or maybe the satisfaction of sharing that love of the game, the art, the craft with another.

Give Thanks

Today I'm so thankful for my small town upbringing. As a freshman in high school, my family moved from a small town to a TINY town. Although at the time I was completely devastated, I'm so thankful my path led me there. The saying "it takes a village to raise a child" is alive and well and because of the {tiny} town of Sheridan, Montana, wrapping its arms around me...pushing me...helping me...I would not be where I am today.

Give Thanks

I have so much to be thankful for but today I give thanks for my best friend and soulmate that I chose to spend my life with. He toiled..and I DO mean TOILED...away all weekend in order for us to get our new maple floors laid.We chose maple so they would tie into the existing maple floors in our little bungalow. Laying hardwood is very laborous and time-intensive...my back is still aching two days later and I didn't even do the hard work! It was all worth it tho... They are BEAUTIFUL! And having them done makes us both want to dive in to the rest of the work...painting, cupboards, appliances, tilework...there's a lot to do but I am hopeful {confident!} that we'll enjoy a Thanksgiving meal prepared in our new kitchen!