Day 91 of Thanksgiving.....

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Today I am so very thankful for Knitting.  I am not great at it but I enjoy it.  I can only make simple things like hats, scarves and simply baby sweaters.  For some reason it is so relaxing and enjoyable and you end up with something useful.  I have all sorts of yarn that I have collected and there is nothing more fun to pick out a fresh new skein and a pair of needles and start something new.  I am not so great with patterns but I can make my way through simple ones.  I doubt that I will ever be a master at knitting but I so enjoy it and someone somewhere hopefully gets enjoyment out of the things I feebly create.

Day 90 of Thanksgiving...

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Today I am so Thankful for Lunch with my Hubby!  My Guy works lots of hours and when he is not working or working around the house, he is often pretty pooped.  Every now and then we have a nice lunch out and it is one of my favorite treats!  Today was the 29th anniversary of the day that we met!  So - in honor of that and the fact that he had the day off, we went out for Chinese.  We also had Chines on our first date so it just felt right.  What a nice time we had and having him all to my self is always a joy.  We spent the rest of the afternoon looking at television sets - we still have one of those huge big clunky ones that is 12 years old.  What a nice day and the weather was perfect just the same as it was 29 years ago.  Seems like yesterday.

Day 89 of Thanksgiving.....

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Today I am so very Thankful for Hugs!  There are all sorts of hugs and all are important.  I grew up in a family that didn't know the pleasure and joy of hugging.  I dreamed of a time when I would have a family of my own to hug and it has been glorious!  Baby hugs are so awesome and as our children grown they may stray away from hugging Mom and Dad but they always come back.  It has been said that if you hug your significant other for at least 15 seconds it will bring you closer.  I so believe that and my Hubby is a champion hugger.  I keep a card from him in my day timer that says when things get rough your hugger is always here.  Hugs can show joy, love, affection, help with sadness and grief and so much more.  Puppy and Kitty hugs are super too.  Hugs - free, awesome and the best medicine there is!

Day 88 of Thanksgiving

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Today I am so very Thankful for my Yard.  We don't have a huge yard but we love our little pluck of land.  We are the very fortunate beneficiaries of the man who labored in our yard before us.  He planted many surprises that bloom at different times of the year.  We don't know the names of many of the plants or when they will blossom and that makes it magical.  We have been told by our neighbors that he loved this yard so much that he even worked in it during snow falls.  He was Czechoslovakian and so appreciated the wonderful plot of land we now call our own.  He died two years before be moved here and the house sat empty and alone for a year.  His wife told us that a home needs a family and she felt this one was happy to have us.  I feel the presence of Mr. C when I mill around outside and in the breeze I feel in our backyard swing which hangs in the arbor he built and frequently used.  We will continue to care for what he began and so appreciate this Yard everyday!

Day 87 of Thanksgiving...

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Today I am so very Thankful for Quiet Time!   For so many years I rarely had a minute of peace unless I was asleep or I could grab a few minutes in the bathroom and both were subject to interruption.  Now I am not complaining - I wouldn't trade our busy lives for anything.  But...one of the blessings of getting older is sometimes you have a minute to think and reflect.  It have found that it is very hard to keep things in perspective and do what I need to do if there is no time to be quiet and listen to my thoughts.  This is a very busy world we live in and we are all so connected to buzzing, ringing, dinging objects.  Even my four legged family members demand attention and they do not give in until they get mine. Today, while sitting outside, I noticed it was fairly quiet  and peaceful with the exception of a lone black bird sitting atop a pine tree and he was barking out a message to the world.  Oh well it was nice while it lasted.  So - for today I am so very thankful for the moments that I can grab peace and quiet and reflect. 

Day 86 of Thanksgiving

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Today I am so very Thankful for Coupons!  Back about four years ago when Hubby and I were both unemployed at the same time, we found a new respect for coupons.  Now I am not talking about extreme stuff - just finding the best we can.  Much of the time we don't eat out unless we have a run through the coupons and see what specials we can find.  We look for discounts and coupons before going to shop for clothing and we purchase groceries through store specials and coupons.  Pharmacy coupons can also save the day and we have learned to shop store brands as well.  I have always known that coupons were a good thing as long as you don't make a purchase just because you happen to have a coupon.  Now - in the times we are currently living in, they can make all the difference in what you can afford to do - in another words quality of life!  Now if I find a product that I like, I search for deals and coupons online before I make a purchase.  Even if I don't get one for the very first purchase, registering on the sites can save over time.  Joining group pages like Vocalpoint can really help - they will send samples as well as coupons if you stay active and share your opinions.  Coupons - a very good thing!

Day 85 of Thanksgiving.....

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Today I am so very Thankful for Grace!  Grace is defined as favor or goodwill. Synonyms: kindness, kindliness.  In my life I can recount many times that I have been shown grace or offered grace and each of these times has made a huge difference in my life.  We all note the small things - someone offers an unnecessary kindness and you feel the grace behind that kindness.  It has taken me years to learn that we can easily offer grace in our every day lives and we are the better for it.  When given the choice to lash out or be unkind, I am working hard to chose Grace - it does not come easy and sometimes I have to bite my lip but I long to pay forward the Graces that have been shown to me.

Day 84 of Thanksgiving.....

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Today I am so very Thankful for Young People!  I am so fortunate to be the parent of 4 young men, one of which is still on the cusp at almost 17.  I so enjoy them and their significant others as well as their friends.  On Sunday evenings we have the pleasure of their company and it is amazing how intelligent and creative they are.  Since two of our boys are having weddings, showers, etc. this year, we have been able to spend even more time with their young friends as well as our sweet niece and her young man.  Such joy they bring us and memories we will cherish forever.  When I was young I used to worry about when the boys were older and how I would handle it.  No fear - I am so very fortunate and blessed!

Day of 83 of Thanksgiving.....

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Today I am so very Thankful for my Granddogs!  Yep - you read that right!  We have 3 and they are all so sweet.  Two girls and one boy.  Last night I baby sat for the youngest girl - Millie.  She is an 11 pound Jack Russell Terrier who was abandoned and my son and his wife adopted her.  She is now the sweetest most loved little girl.  She has very big round eyes and she will melt your heart.  As a result of some of her past trauma, she is afraid of being left alone and is easily spooked.  She stays close by her Grammie and we enjoy cuddle time and sleeping late as well as the occasional soap opera.  She enjoys wearing t-shirts and she has been know to sport a cute little tutu which is way more adorable than you can imagine.  As her Mommy says - she has the most adorable puppy brows you have ever seen.  Drako - the boy and Trudie the other girlie belong to my oldest son and his wife.  They are large dogs and so intelligent that when you knock on the door at their house, you can hear their conversation as they discuss who is visiting.  We love to go visit them and take treats.  Heaven knows what we will do if any of the boys ever has human children.  Smile!

Day 82 of Thanksgiving...

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Today I am so very Thankful for a Handy Hubby!  I am always very thankful for my hubby and I still love him so after almost 30 years, but the fact that he is handy is such a bonus!  It is so comforting to know that whatever goes wrong or gets out of control, I can call on him and he will, one way or another, fix the problem.  By day he dresses very nicely and looks very business like and he works very hard, but most would not recognize him when he is off - usually wearing a hat of some kind, in jeans or some sort of raggedy pants and a t-shirt - both are  normally dirty because he is up to something.  A day off for him always includes some sort of project or work around the house and oddly enough he enjoys doing these things.  Never once in all these years have I ever had to utter the word -Honey would you cut the grass.  It is always done before I could even think about it with borders edged, bushes trimmed and more.  Last year he painted our old cedar sided house with a 4 inch paint brush all by himself - every inch of it.  It is glorious! He is even a fantastic cook!!! I can only imagine that when he retires, he will work harder than he did when he was working.  I am so thankful for him ~ God bless a Handy Hubby!

Day 81 of Thanksgiving....

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Today I am so very Thankful for my little Netbook Laptop!!  I know - what in the world is that??  I have been using a laptop for several years now - it is just too hard to sit at a desk any longer and use a regular desk top.  My laptop is big and heavy and it gets very hot so I have to keep closing it and letting it cool down.  The battery only lasts about 5-10 minutes - just long enough to move the plug.  But.....I loved it anyway because it is my window to the world and it allows me to communicate comfortably from my chair right here at home.  When I realized that the old door stop was frying into a slow death, I ordered a little laptop the size of a netbook.  It does all of the things I use my laptop for and more but it is small, cool, and it has huge big keys - perfect with people with arthritis and oldness.  Best of all it holds a charge for about 7 hours and makes reading from my free Amazon PC app so much easier.  I have so wanted an e-reader but couldn't justify having one and a laptop.   It is like a smart phone - laptop and e-reader all rolled into one and I am in love!!  Sorry to be so jazzed about a techie thing but it is pretty neat!.....and it's Aqua - one of my favorite colors!!!

Day 80 of Thanksgiving....

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Today I am so very Thankful for Positivity!  By nature, I used to be a very fearful and anxious person.  I am not cured - I don't know that you can be, but, positive thoughts and ideas can turn around even a disastrous day.  I remember reading the thoughts of Norman Vincent Peale and his positive thinking messages and they carried me for many years.  Now - in our time - there is an abundance of positivity at our fingertips and I have found that if I submerge myself in it daily, it truly makes a difference in my thought process and my moods.  I so appreciate and am thankful for all of the Positivity out in the world too and so is my family.  Heheheh....it makes life easier all around!

Day 79 of Thanksgiving....

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Today I am so very Thankful for Yarn!  I know - sounds random but the possibilities of yarn are endless!  I knit and crochet and I am not an expert at either and what I make is nothing exciting but....the thrill of taking yarn from a skein or a ball and turning it into a hat, a scarf or even a sweater is magical.  The colors and textures available now are nothing short of fabulous.  Also, if you are careful, yarn can be quite an economical obsession.  I have also found that if my family is less than jazzed by my creations, there are tons of places I can donate my items to.  Win - Win!!!  Both knitting and crocheting can be quite relaxing and peaceful as long as I don't get too adventurous with my patterns.  So I justify my yarn collection by telling my hubby that yarn is good for me and in turn very good for them!

Day 78 of Thanksgiving.....

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Today I am so very Thankful for Happiness!  I must admit that I have not always been happy and for much of the time not for good reason.  I was too preoccupied with the idea of happiness and perfection.  As we age we realize that happiness is not about things or our position in life, but more about those we love and deciding to be happy.  We realize where the value is in life and how little that has to do with monetary value.  My children, more than anything else, bring me joy and happiness along with my sweet hubby.  My two dogs and our kitty also bring me much happiness.  But my happy state of mind has come from years of finding what does not make me happy!  Having purpose and love can bring happiness into our lives in a heart beat --- all we have to do is recognize it!  Now if I we could just know this when we were younger.

Day 77 of Thanksgiving....

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Today I am so very Thankful for Energy!  Energy is our life force and there are all sorts of energies.  There is good and bad and we all put out an energy as living things.  My energy has been on low-low for a very long time.  I am working so hard to rev it back up as well as trying to be sure it is a positive energy going out into the world.  Sometimes it is very hard - especially when I am confronted with negative energy from others at times.  I am committed to moving past that and treading on to the positive side of things.  I have a long way to go but I am trying.  What is your energy and would it read on the positive or negative side most of the time.  We all read differently on different days but as long as we endeavor to keep it mostly on the positive side, we will reap many benefits as well as those around us who are in receipt of our energy.  I am so very fortunate to receive great energy from close friends - they keep me recharged!

Day 76 of Thanksgiving....

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Today I am so very Thankful for Understanding!  Understanding or seeking to understand is a form of acceptance and faith in someone.  Understanding or attempting to, allows us to leave judgements behind and enables acceptance.  At times it is very hard to attempt to understand but I am so very thankful for those who use this gift and the return is so much more than what we give in understanding.  We can't always accomplish this feat of understanding, but we are made better in the trying.  When I was younger, many times I made quick judgements and many times was wrong.  Age is a high price to pay for learning so many things, but learning to attempt to use the gift of understanding is one that I prize and am forever thankful for.  We all long for those two words in our lives...I Understand!

Day 75 of Thanksgiving....

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Today I am so very Thankful for Quilts and Quilters!  We volunteer with a group called the Binky Patrol South Carolina and one of the most awesome things to come out of that is meeting quilters.  I have always wanted to learn to quilt but straight lines and even seams are not among my talents.  Through the BPSC, I have met some of the most wonderful women who give of themselves with abandon and have made our chapter sing with Joy!  We call them Anita and her Quilters and our group has been the lucky recipient of their wonderful creations.  I have learned that quilters as a whole are generous and love nothing more than to share their love and creativity through their warm blankets.  These gifts are one of a kind items that would make any one, who is fortunate enough to receive one, feel loved and cared for.  One day I will learn to quilt, even if it is just a whole cloth blanket, because I long to be part of the wonderful historical giving community.

Day 74 of Thanksgiving...

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Today I am so very Thankful for our Military!  We are so very fortunate to live in a country where we are protected by a wonderful brave group of men and women.  Rather than having to fear them as in some countries, we can appreciate the fact that they are willing to give their own lives to protect us and keep us safe.  Even more so - their families give and sacrifice more than we will ever be able to comprehend.  My young niece is in the Air Force and we are all so very proud of her.  She is newly married and off to her first adventure in a month to a far off land.  How blessed we are to have so many just like her that are willing to give of themselves to make a difference!

Day 73 of Thanksgiving....

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Today I am so very Thankful for Love!  Not just the romantic stuff although that is nice too.  I have realized, as I get older, that Love is the most important thing we have to offer.  As we age, it seems so much easier to Love others with abandon and not worry about the return of that affection.  It has become so much easier to give a hug to anyone I meet, to find things to love in just about anyone I know and my heart overflows with love for my children and my hubby - more each day.  I wish I had only known how easy it is to show love when I was younger - it is something we are all capable of and it's free!  Spread a little today - it gives back in many ways.

Day 72 of Thanksgiving....

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Today I am so very Thankful for the Daylight Savings Time.  Okay - totally honesty here - I truly hate the Sunday after the Spring Back - I can't ever get enough sleep.  But, as I adjust to the change, I so love the longer days.  Daylight is so energizing and it is almost like we get to cheat time and have more of it.  Here in the South, we have a very short spring before the temperatures go very hot and this is the sweet spot before the humidity comes down on us.  So many benefits - I can try to walk again, spend a little time in our yard, actually see neighbors that have been hiding out just like me.  I still remember, as a child, the first time I experienced Daylight Savings - I just could not believe that my favorite television shows would still be on schedule, or school, or church.  Heheheh - something very simple seems so complicated and offers us a gift of time ---- nothing better.

Day 71 of Thanksgiving.....

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Today I am so very Thankful for Old Friends.  I love all of my friends so much and I really enjoy spending time with them.  A couple of months ago, I found a friend that I had been out of touch with for years.  She was a neighbor and a friend and our children were friends as well.  We both worked from home when that idea was a new one and helped each other out too many times to mention.  We could talk about anything and did.  Our boys are all mostly grown now and years have gone by.  Having history with a friend is so special and we spent time together yesterday and although it had been years, it was as if we hadn't missed a day.  We talked non-stop for hours and shared so many memories.  All friends are wonderful, but old friends are such a gift - one that I am extremely thankful for!

Day 70 of Thanksgiving.....

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Today I am so very Thankful for Medication!   No - I don't mean feel good stuff or anything sinister - I am just so very thankful that there are, in the times we live in, medications that correct problems or at the very least, control issues that once killed our parents and grandparents.  We are so very fortunate that science has come so far that many of the conditions that were a death sentence just a few decades ago are no longer so.  I, like many, have to swallow a handful of pills each day, but I am so very thankful to do so.

Day 69 of Thanksgiving

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Today I am so very Thankful for Daughters-In Law!  As a family of all boys, we have been so excited to welcome some girlies into the fold.  We are so very fortunate that our boys have chosen kind, intelligent wonderful women to share their lives with.  This year we will be celebrating the marriage of one and a wedding for another, as well as the 7th Wedding Anniversary of our oldest - such joy they have brought into our lives.  Another wonderful advantage is that our youngest who is only 16 is getting a taste of having females around.  Growing up with 3 older brothers can be tough - we are so very thankful that our DILs and DIL-To-Be have shown him the other side!  We love them all so much!

Day 68 of Thanksgiving......

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 Today I am so very Thankful for Cooking! For a long while I stopped enjoying cooking and just did what I needed to do to get a meal on the table.  I am fortunate that my hubby loves to cook and he took on much of that task.  In the last year I have grown to love cooking again and the love it shows to family and friends.  Also cooking can be such a creative endeavor and I am always looking for ways to exercise my imagination....family is not always excited about that.  Also - finding ways to eat healthier has made cooking more fun as well.  We all have to eat and we might as well enjoy it.  Making something that we have to do anyway, a joy in our lives, is a great thing!

Day 67 of Thanksgiving.....

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Today I am so very Thankful for Catalogs!  We have already established that I am a mail junkie and one of my most favorite things to receive is a new catalog.  For me it is like a shopping trip and I get so many ideas from all sorts of catalogs.  Now I don't order much from them - actually very little - but I love receiving them just the same.  I know most are trying to stop receiving all of those free catalogs in the mail but for me they illicit pure joy.  They are brain food for me as well as inspiration.  Free, thought provoking, fun and creative stimulation - all in one package in my mail box!

Day 66 of Thanksgiving.....

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Today I am so very Thankful for Pinterest.  Now I realize that may sound kind of silly but for creative people or those who just enjoy pretending to be creative (me) it is an explosion of ideas and color.  It is like retail therapy but without leaving the couch or spending any money.  I can be tired and down and I click onto the site and my brain starts to surge with ideas.  It allows me to save the ideas without loading my computer down with tons of stuff and I am able to quickly access my inspiration all in one place.  I can travel the world, find recipes, visit friends, create a room idea, as well as find out what friends and family love too.  I am just amazed at the wealth of information and sharing on this site.  What a wonderful idea someone came up with.

Day 65 of Thanksgiving.......

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Today I am so very Thankful for my Sewing/Craft Room!  For years I never dreamed of having a space of my own - when I worked from home that work took up every inch of space we had left and took over our house as work tends to do.  When I stopped working I gave my old office space to hubby and was happy with a little corner in our bedroom.  When our 3rd Son moved out I threw myself into creating a space in the smaller of our bedrooms - mostly to lessen the sadness of his moving.  Four years later it is finally starting to come together.  It is very small but in a house full of men it is all mine and I love it!!!  I put things on the wall - have girly colors, make a mess, create and no one can complain and if it all gets to be too much......I can close the door.  Sheer delight!!!

Day 64 of Thanksgiving.....

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Today I am so very Thankful for Paint!  Yep - you read it right.  I have lived in two houses in my adult life and paint has been such a savior for both.  As a child of the 60's and 70's when it was seemed a sacrilege to pain wood, I am every so thankful that has changed.  We have a big mixture of wood and paint everywhere and there is nothing more cathartic than painting something to make it clean and new.  I love rescuing old things and bring new life to them and paint is the key.  It is relatively inexpensive, fairly easy to do and gives a room a new surge worth a million bucks.  My Daddy was a sign painter and he painted everything he could get his hands on so it's no surprise that I love it too.  Thanks Daddy for endless inspiration!

Day 63 of Thanksgiving......

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Today I am so very Thankful for Scrapbooking.  Now I am not an avid scrapper or anything like that - I wish I could claim that title.  But....I love the idea of Scrapbooking for the history of it all.  We have hundreds of pictures that I dream of scrapping and making into historical reminders of our lives to share.  I dream of pretty books laid out on my coffee table of holidays shared and joy revealed but alas I have to be honest with myself and know that I will do good to organize the volume of photos and make them accessible to my family to enjoy.  That is my goal and maybe if I am lucky a simple album or two will come out of it all.  Scrapbooking - reading about it and seeing the ideas and talent of others has inspired me to make the most of our life in pictures.  Awesome!

Day 62 of Thanksgiving.....

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Today I am so very Thankful for Anticipation!  I used to always tell my boys to enjoy anticipation - it is the best and many times better than the real thing.  Not to say that is a bad thing.  Anticipation of anything brings a sizzle to our lives and allows us to prolong the joy of any event.  If we negatively anticipate that is another thing and I try really hard to avoid that trap.  But....if anticipation is positive, it can bring things into focus and help us embrace the goodness that life has to offer.  Like the famous song - A-n-t-i-c-i-p-a-p-t-i-o-n is makin me wait......Thank you Carly Simon.  Love Anticipation!

Day 61 of Thanksgiving.....

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Today I am so very Thankful for the years I spent as a WAHM!  For those who may not know this acronym it is Work at Home Mom.  The years I worked from home were some of the happiest I have ever had.  First I was a work away from home mom, then a WAHM, so I greatly appreciated the opportunity to be able to be home with my kids and still bring in an income.  During that time I learned so many skills and life lessons that are still with me now even thought I no longer work.  When I started so many years ago, it was a relatively new concept.  Now it is a standard way to work and well accepted.  That is due to the hard work of so many and I so greatly appreciate all of their efforts.  Every mother who wants to spend more time with her babies is thankful for the pioneers who cleared the way for us all.