Ten Things I'm Thankful For

It's time once again for another installment of my "Ten Things" to be thankful for, always varied, always random bits in positively NO particular order.

When October comes, the season of Autumn "in and of itself", offers a rich season for preparing...

• We prepare for the harvest, filling our refrigerators and stocking up well our brimming pantry.

• We prepare for Thanksgiving, always spending heartfelt amounts of time recollecting our thoughts on being ever thankful for all blessings in our lives.

• We prepare for hunkering down and enjoying quieter days ahead. Yes, hand sewing projects are awaiting in a lovely wicker basket for me to pick up, when able to sit for a time around the warm hearth of the fireplace.
  

• We prepare for new starker changes in our geographical landscapes, those occurring right now, with farmers deep in their vast fields riding their tractors and combines, taking advantage of gorgeous daylight to reap rewards from their summer labors.

• We prepare our clothing for cooler mornings, not minding too much that the first frost of the year has already passed. I was able to stock up on a new supply of winter gloves (ski gloves) from Costco last month for everyone - great deals!
  

• We prepare our animals for winter. I'm wondering right about now where we placed are our dog's little protective snow shoes? Time too to purchase a great big bale of straw for the outdoor dog houses to keep them cozy and above the freezing floors of their little abodes.
  

• We prepare for the cold and flu season by beefing up family members' immune systems as best we can, for this is FALL, where many do FALL, and subsequently, as per the norm, there are always all those unexpected folks who will not think twice, when entering our dwelling, tagging along with them, their coughs and illnesses, even with signs and surgical masks hanging in various places around to warn them against it. And with this, we also know to prepare our minds for the onslaught of the usual ridicule for being extra cautious with serious concern from colds and flu fall out. (Did you know someone getting the flu mist is still contagious for up to three weeks? Did you know there are people walking around with immune suppressed systems you could make seriously ill if a warning doesn't come from you to them? Just saying...)
  

• We prepare for the continued feasts ahead. I have Advent and Christmas on my mind about now. Yes - already. I'm preparing early this year with gift wrapping and new crafty project ideas in the works, thinking about all the birthdays right around the corner ( 5 in December + 2 in January), plus our new grandbaby due to be born in January.
  

Without further ado, let me present my "Ten Thankful Things", just sparks of thankfulness appearing in my days this past week.

Please know for certain that my own personal thoughts on true thankfulness can obviously never be offered, nor delivered in true completeness within one simple post. And in case you just might find it interesting and want even more today, you can always skip along to view other "thankful" posts by clicking onto the archives located - right HERE.




- 1 - I'm thankful for music in our home!

Guitar lessons have begun for the first time for our youngest son, and his father is helping him with one of his homework practice chords he has just been assigned this particular day.

The pride of a father is busting out, especially when able to continue sharing a love of this musical instrument, something evident soon after we arrived home from the lesson, eager to share his love of all things guitar with his son.


- 2 - I'm thankful for being able to attend the Lifechain, held in over 1000 cities in North America on the same day and at the same time, for the second year here in our new area.

The beautiful day only added to the amount of people showing up for this prayerful demonstration (this shown is but a wee handful, as miles and miles were in line up and down the main roads in town). It was so peaceful, and so prayerful to stand and be a silent witness to LIFE with only a few eagle fingers in the air at us, balanced out with happy honking and thumbs up from the passing vehicle spectators.

Egged on and reminded of the date and time by our daughter, while in attendance, she was invited to join the "Culture of Life" local teen group, and hopes to be on the bus to Ottawa in January for the "National March for Life".


- 3 - I'm thankful for ice hockey season being up and at em' again for this all new season of fun and play. Life changes around here when our boys are filled with sporty action, eager to eat right, build muscles and get to bed at a reasonable hour for their game times the following day.

Just a nice side note, we also have one very happy man swinging into DAD-Cheerleader action by his son's side.

Happy hockey player. Happy dad.


- 4 - I'm thankful for IKEA, not only for all of the great stuff one can find there, but also for scrumptious bites to eat in the restaurant.

This day yet before us became a little intense, but a quick stop at IKEA proved fruitful for finding out our favorite open faced shrimp sandwich was only 1.99 (reg. 3.99) ! We shared it with a beverage each, and then off we went for the rest of our traffic filled trek downtown for my hubby's medical tests and appointment.


- 5 - I'm thankful for this new GREEN ribbon pin newly discovered.

We all know what the pink ribbon stands for; breast cancer awareness. Well, this green ribbon with butterfly stands for "Living donor awareness" and the new life it offers for someone with a medical condition. If we stand for LIFE, why not stand for all sorts of LIFE issues? Just my take though...

As well, the green ribbon stands alone to symbolize "Be an organ donor, and give the gift of life", both which I had never seen before.

As this topic is ultra personal to our family, and in the land of feeling like lepers at times with too many offering negative input on the topic, I chose to bring two pins home anyway, just because I felt led to do so, and happily everyone here wants to wear one. I guess I should consider purchasing more at the transplant assessment office next time I'm there.


- 6 - I'm thankful for another eighteen year old teen in our home. Daughter shown on the right in this photo was our birthday girl last week. Isn't she just lovely?

Celebrating a double birthday with a friend (birthdays are just two days apart) home for the weekend from university for the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend, she had a busy birthday!

At home here, she's asked to postpone her birthday cake until Friday, when two friends from our former home will arrive for the weekend to be with our family.

Happy Birthday Lovely Gal!


- 7 - I'm thankful for the safe arrival of my parents who will celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving with us this year, a first time we've had actual family to our home since our move from the west.

My father is here for a week, while my mother remains for an extra week after he leaves so we can have some girlie time together. We share many of the same interests, and don't often get a chance to simply enjoy them. Tea houses, pedicures, dollar stores, thrift shops ~ yahooey, here we come!


- 8 - I'm thankful for country fairs!

Our daughter and a few other children from the barn she rides at, all entered a fall fair in the Pony show division, and was able to experience yet another type of riding competition. On top of the typical, walk/trot, and showmanship type of entries, two new ones for her to enter were; the mail run pickup and the figure eight. She opted out of the costume entry, and now that we've seen one, a first for us, she just might enter next year. So fun!

It was the most wonderful pony show one could participate in, so friendly and yet so heart warming to see all the children only allowed to ride ponies under fourteen hands high, and all be awarded prizes galore for just being there riding. She was so excited when the incredible red ribbon (first prize) came her way.

How great her daddy, grandparents and a few friends were present to share and capture this moment with her!


- 9 - I'm thankful for Canadian Thanksgiving in October!

October is the month that seems to go hand in hand with the colors of thanksgiving, an exquisite time outdoors with an entire nature color palette before the naked eye, so breathtaking, and such a natural time to also ponder every little itty bitty thing we are truly thankful for. So blessed always!


- 10 - I'm thankful for tranquil days when mowing the lawn fast becomes a pleasure over a routine weekly chore. This was a glorious, sunny autumn day, perfect for completing the task of preparing one of the final cuts before winter arrives.

We had our first frost last week and no more since, so this could possibly be the last cut this year, or maybe just one more. And then the big trailer arrives from the "John Deere" establishment to winterize the ride and push mowers, but also to tuneup the snow-blower so its ready to rev up for snow removal duties to come.

My husband sure does love his John Deere!

So there you have another ten things, in absolutely zero random order, just things I'm thinking about right at this time to pass along and have in the memory banks of my heart and for inclusion into the family albums for the future.

What are your grateful things this week?

Be sure to write them down.

Don't forget about them.

Be blessed!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!