“Begin doing what you want to do now. We are not living in eternity. We have only this moment, sparkling like a star in our hand - and melting like a snowflake.”
- Francis Bacon

Saturday, November 21, 2009

☺Saturday blessings = a thankful ♥ times three☺



The three grandsons spent the night last night. We do this often because there are times when I need just a few more hugs and a few more kisses and a few more minutes with each of them - more than when their parents are around☺ So, today's list is composed of things that I am thankful for with those little boys in mind:
  1. Dinner plates in primary colors. I have a set for the boys, along with matching flatware, that is used when I have them here for a meal. They remind me that the world is full of colors, not just the more subtle ones in my home, but loaded with bright hues that make you smile just looking at them!
  2. Chocolate milk. Little boys ♥ chocolate milk. Not being the mommy or daddy I get to indulge them with something that they don't see often at home. 
  3. Donuts. Covered with frosting and littered with colored sprinkles in the top, the are a great accessory to the chocolate milk in the morning or for a snack at night.
  4. Eyes that smile. My oldest grandson, Joe, smiles with his eyes. Now that he's getting a little older (11) sometimes it isn't all that cool to smile and giggle like the younger boys but I know when I've said something funny because his eyes smile - and when they smile they twinkle like stars in the midnight sky.
  5. Cartoons. As a rule, I never, ever watch those anymore. But I now have a new appreciation for sitting in the family room with three little boys who own my heart watching Saturday morning cartoons.
I'm taking part in an exercise during the month of November to list the blessings that encourage us give thanks. Take a peek on my sidebar. There are a couple of buttons that will take you to the blogs that are sponsoring this event. Believe me - when you do this, it really puts life into a more clear perspective.

Friday, November 20, 2009

♥Friday night at the movies - three little blessings from heaven♥



Tonight I will have my three grandsons overnight. Their momma is going down state tomorrow with a friend for a day of early holiday shopping and their daddy has to work. So, tonight I will get hugs and good-night kisses and will be able to tuck little boys into bed. Their little kisses will be all minty fresh from brushing their teeth and I'll drink in that minty nectar long after the lights have been turned down.
  1. Colored toothbrushes. I keep toothbrushes here for the boys and am I ever glad that each of them remembers the color that they picked as theirs the last time they were here!
  2. The Disney Channel. At least there is one channel that the kids and I can settle in for the night without me worrying about the content and what might flash on the screen. We settle in with a big bowl of popcorn, crocheted afghans, a couple of dogs and the night literally flies by - at least for me, because I wish it would last forever.
  3. My sons. Without them I wouldn't have my grandchildren. I have been blessed with seven babies over time - each just as precious as the last. Those little children are the best toys I have ever had in my life☺
  4. Night lights. One in their bedroom and one in the bathroom and one in the hall for the little guys. When the boys are here for the night the second floor of my home looks like an airport runway guiding them wherever they need to go if they happen to wake in the middle of the night.
  5. Sleeping children. I remember watching their father sleep when he was a little boy and thinking that nothing could be more adorable. I was wrong - watching your grandchildren sleep is more than adorable - the view is worth a million dollars time a million!
I'm taking part in an exercise during the month of November to list the blessings that encourage us give thanks. Take a peek on my sidebar. There are a couple of buttons that will take you to the blogs that are sponsoring this event. Believe me - when you do this, it really puts life into a more clear perspective.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

♥Powerful blessings that are so often overlooked and taken for granted♥



Well, here we are - a week from Thanksgiving. This year certainly has flown by for me - they all do lately. With the ending of this year and the next just around the corner it's a little sad to see one go but I await the New Year with great anticipation, I always do. A new beginning - fresh and bright. Now, on to my list for today.
  1. Sunshine. We have had a few days strung together filled with sunshine. The weather may be very cold but the sun - well, what is not to like about the sun. When I go outside I close my eyes and lift my face to the sun feeling it's warmth - almost like a loving caress. Hot or cold outside, I love the sun.
  2. Clouds. White, puffy and billowy clouds that look like cotton balls floating around in the heavens. Not so many that they block the sun, just enough to make the sky look decorated☺
  3. Gentle breezes. When I am outside a little breeze, the kind that gently moves your hair and the leaves in the trees. They seem to blow around the perfume that is in the air from neighborhood gardens in the summer and the aroma of fall when the leaves turn color. Breezes are a little like nature's potpourri.
  4. Heavy strong winds. I love those, too. They are powerful and remind me that there are things on this earth that you cannot see - but feel - that are filled with strength: the love a mother has for her child, the character of a good man or woman, the conviction of a pure heart when it fights for what is honorable.
  5. Winter. A time when the earth takes a rest in order to renew itself so it can burst forth in the spring littering the earth with blossoms and new life. Winter brings with it (up in my neck of the woods) a pristine, white blanket that acts as a buffer against the ravages of our harsh winters. It packs against the foundation of our homes to add insulation. It covers our flower and vegetable beds to give them rest. The snow provides hours of endless play for children and immeasurable happiness for my dogs who think that they have been given the best toy in the world.
I'm taking part in an exercise during the month of November to list the blessings that encourage us give thanks. Take a peek on my sidebar. There are a couple of buttons that will take you to the blogs that are sponsoring this event. Believe me - when you do this, it really puts life into a more clear perspective.

    Wednesday, November 18, 2009

    Giving thanks for blessings - a double header today cuz I was bad yesterday☺

    I took a day off yesterday so today, if I am to keep my goal, I need to post two lists of five each. Here goes, let's see how I do. I warn you - I am waxing nostalgic today - let's take a look at the not so distant past.


    1. Washing machine. I remember my mother having to spend nearly a whole day in the basement with her wringer washing machine. Monday was laundry day and, boy, was it ever a hard day for mom. Washing the clothes and then carrying the basket filled with wet clothes up the stairs and outside to hang them on the line. It's so easy now - fill up my machine, put in a little soap and softener, set a dial and walk away.
    2. Clothes dryer. I don't have to haul heavy baskets up steps like my mother all year long, including winter. When I think back I am amazed at what she did - a little over five feet tall weighing 100 pounds and she worked like a horse. I wish she was here for me to thank her for all of her back-breaking work.
    3. Fabric softener. Going along with numbers one and two, this little miracle is something that has evolved from basic to remarkably varied - in fact - to the point of overkill. I can stand in the aisle sniffing bottles of that stuff for half an hour until I find something that suits my fancy. Then, well, you have to have the matching detergent. Wouldn't it be something for a woman of the early 20th century to go shopping for household goods in today's market? That is something I would love to see.
    4. Permanent pressed fabric. Tuesday was the day for mom to iron. Gosh, I remember her bringing in the laundry and sprinkling it, rolling it, covering it with a towel and setting it aside for Tuesday's ironing day. And WE say that our lives are busy? Nothing compared to the ladies of my mother's era.
    5. Extra time. How often do we say that we are so busy doing this or doing that and as a result we are just worn out. Think about it. Think about doing all that our mother's used to do and then think about the fact that with today's appliances we now have the extra time to CHOOSE what we'd like to do for leisure and yes, we are filling our leisure hours with too many tasks and goals. We need to slow down and enjoy what we have now - at this very minute.

      1. Remote control. Remember when you wanted to change the channel and you'd have to get up from your cozy spot on the sofa, walk across the room, change the channel on the TV and then have to get all settled in your little spot again? Appreciate that little gadget, it's keeping your toes warmer at night.
      2. My comforter. Nothing in the winter like slipping into bed under a floofy and poofy comforter. There's just something about all that poof on top of you that makes you feel all cozy the minute you pull it up under your chin.
      3. Flannel sheets. Now that the frost is on the punkin' mine are out of storage and on my bed. Mine aren't utilitarian, nope, not mine. My sheets are pink with little snowmen all dressed in hats and scarves with big smiles on their faces. It's nice to fall asleep with someone smiling at you - same for waking up. It starts the day right.
      4. A warm house. My heating is on a timer so when my feet hit the floor in the morning the air is already warmed and all comfy for me. I remember when I'd get up, see my breath, turn up the heat and wait...and wait...and wait...to get warm. I have hot water heat so it takes a loooongggg time but once it heat the air - it is marvelous - the only way to go.
      5. Vintage radiators. My home is 100 years old  - an Edwardian. Along with the hot water heat when I bought the house came the most gorgeous and intricately detailed radiators. Gems from the past that were made to last and still work today as well as they did so long ago. They get so hot and stay so hot and are so, so pretty. I wouldn't give them up for all the tea in China.
      I'm taking part in an exercise during the month of November to list the blessings that encourage us give thanks. Take a peek on my sidebar. There are a couple of buttons that will take you to the blogs that are sponsoring this event. Believe me - when you do this, it really puts life into a more clear perspective.

        Monday, November 16, 2009

        Sometimes the best blessings are practical and useful☺


        I must have quick meals and house cleaning on my mind☺ Today, as I sat looking out the window and bringing blessings to mind, some of my favorite household tools popped into my head and along with those, another little tool of sorts - Hamburger Helper! Use that stuff right and you will have three, little boys eating out of the palm of your hand - or should I say, cleaning up their supper plates
        1. Hamburger Helper. Yes, I know, not the best thing in the world to make or eat, but I am grateful for Hamburger Helper Tomato Basil Pasta. Several months ago my grandsons were over for a p.j. party and just couldn't think of what to cook for supper. Everything I suggested their momma told me that one of the three wasn't all that fond of it. So, in desperation I made Tomato Basil Pasta. Of course, I added a little of this and a little of that to enhance the flavor, but I began with the basic, boxed meal. With the HH, I served cinnamon applesauce with little cinnamon hearts sprinkled on top, garlic bread and green beans. Dessert was jello (cherry and orange) layered in little cups topped with Cool Whip. This is NO joke, each of them told me that it was the best meal ever! WOWZA! Guess what is always in my pantry?
        2. Cold and windy days. Today is one of those northern Michigan days when it looks like the leaves on the ground are falling up. The wind is swirling around, lifting the leaves and chilling the air like crazy. Days like today feel good when I am on the inside looking out and feeling blessed for my warm socks and comfy home.
        3. Vacuum cleaner. With two dogs and four cats I need a good one! I can't imagine how in the world I would ever be able to keep myself from coughing up hairballs without my Royal. I purchased my vacuum cleaner over 15 years ago and it still works its little ♥ our for me. My loyal Royal
        4. Shop Vac. I ♥ my shop vac! It picks up water. It cleans my car. It sucks up some of the most disgusting, unidentifiable, unknown refuse from the corners of my basement storage area. It picks up dirt without complaining. It cleans my garage. It eats up dog hair and cat clumps with glee. I ♥ my Shop Vac.
        5. Old socks. A long time ago I read that you shouldn't toss out old socks but repurpose them for dusting and waxing in your home. I'm here to tell you that they are a blessing in disguise! No more trying to adequately clean and dust the rungs/spindles on my dining room chairs or  picture frames or glass lamp shades. Just put on your old sock and away you go. Want to get fancy? Spray some wax on your glove and give everything a little shine!
        For those of you not familiar with giving thanks for the thirty days of November, take a peek at my sidebar. I am participating in two blessing events and lovin' every minute of it☺

        Sunday, November 15, 2009

        ♥Never enough time to share all of life's blessings♥



        My goal was to list five blessings each day that I am thankful for during the month of November. I thought that task would be pushing me and stretching me to examine my life to find them. Well, I'm here to tell you that blessings are littered all over my life and my days and my nights. So much so that I am pressed to pick my favorites each evening when I work on my blog. I hope that your life is so filled with goodness that you are experiencing the same problem. One thing that is coming home to roost is that you don't have to have a lot of money to be richly blessed☺
        1. Volunteer work. I don't think that there is any task more satisfying than what you do because you believe in what you are doing and why you are doing it. Whether it is planting petunias in the spring to dress up your town park or holding the hands of family members as a Hospice worker when a loved one is leaving this earth; to volunteer your time for a cause or  project is a precious gift. You are giving a part of yourself and your time and your heart. Your charity is blessed and so are you by virtue of your self-sacrifice of time and your children are blessed by your good example.
        2. Thick, warm socks. It's getting much cooler in my neck of the woods. The other day I found myself digging around in my drawer for the wool socks - the thick socks - the socks that make you think you have little blankets wrapped around your toes. It feels so yummy to be in your favorite chair, feet up and rubbing your well clothed tootsies together.
        3. A good haircut. Nothing in the world to lift your spirits like a good haircut in a salon that you've gone to for years. You chat with friends, catch up on local news and leave the place much happier than when you walked through the door. You look at the mirror and think: Gee, I'm pretty cute...still
        4. A good book. The kind where on a rainy day you can grab your blankie, put on your wool socks, get into your favorite chair (soothing drink by your side) and get lost for a little time - or - a whole afternoon. Then, once read, pass the book along to a friend to spread around the pleasure.
        5. Hugs. All hugs you give to those you love, or hugs that you receive, are remarkable blessings. The comfortable hugs given by your family and best friends feel like you are being cradled in the arms of love so sincerely that you have no question about your importance in life.