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Ten things seems so small, so frivolous in the grand scheme of life.
It's been interesting hearing from friends recently, sharing how tough it's been to find up to ten things to be thankful for this time of year, crashing after all the feasting and festivities from the past month or more.
Heh, I have news for you!
If there are crushing clouds blinding your vision at this time of year, take heart, and go backwards. Yes, rewind to a calmer time, when life was peaceful in your home and heart, when thoughts of thanksgiving were plentiful, and a smile graced your face each day.
Think of ten from a while back, just ten, and that will be enough for you today. Maybe write them down for a splendid visual reminder, cherish each vivid memory of a better time for you, and let your heart sing!
I'm cheering for you. Let me know how you do.
Hugs;
Renee
Here's my ten things from a rewind of months past, as a continuation of a past blog promise.
- 1 - I'm thankful for fields of bright fields of yellow canola beans, located throughout our province of Ontario.These gloriously bright yellow blooms make me smile, every time I pass by a full field of them shortly before harvest time.
I'm fairly sure I've posted photos of canola fields before here, but as I sit here yet again gazing at this particular photo, the one where I found so breathtakingly beautiful, the urge to pull over and snap this photo was an urgent desire. I am still smiling over how beautiful the landscape was in the lovely drive-by find this day.
- 2 - I'm thankful for great big delicious blueberries from British Columbia, our former home province!
We are thrilled to know summertime in Ontario includes the world's best imported blueberries, found locally at both Costco, and our grocery stores.
There's nothing quite so fine as a heaping bowl of these rich antioxidant fruits first thing in the morning. Yum!
- 3 - I'm thankful for the barnyard beehive of activity for our girls all summer long, in the wee hours of the morning before heading to a horse show, during a day-long summer camp helper/rider week, or at dusk when the skies wink to those below, tucking horses away and cleaning up for yet another night.
What a great place for young ladies to be able to hang out with their beastly horse pals.
- 4 - I'm thankful for an adult son who had to remain behind due to work commitments, when the rest of the family traveled west. He offered to tend to the home front, and ensure this mother that her flowers would remain watered.
Yes, he could attest to watering all florals, and gardens while we were gone, at least he says he did so.....(confession time) - "when he remembered".
Honest efforts have a pay off in the end, as a mother forgives losing her many summer plants and florals when an admission comes from the heart, that it wasn't an easy task to complete the watering on a daily basis, both in summer's very high heat, and trying to cope with balancing shift work and sleep.
Thank you for trying son. I'm sure happy you were able to complete the task as best you can, when
able. And besides, it's fairly simple to slip the planter bucket out of
my cast iron urns, and slip in another to replace it when the first one
dies...like I ended up doing later on. xox
- 5 - I'm thankful for the popularity of "beaver tails" around these parts, whole businesses dedicated to maintaining their good reputations. Like the summertime "fry guys", these are associated with providing a rare, traditional summer treat that make my children smile, and show gratitude for being able to try another upon occasion.
Our kids are specially fond of the ones made by melting peanut butter and chocolate over top, and then sprinkling them with a few mini reeses pieces bits, all atop of warmly heated pastry bottoms. Sounds so rich doesn't it? It is. It's a treat, meant to share, and everyone appreciates their summer revisit "tasting" for this dessert fare.
- 6 - I'm thankful for dear friends who have been so thoughtful towards our youngest grandbaby, sending along love packages sealed with kisses and hugs.
These adorable summer outfits graced our little missie during our high summer temperatures, and she looked so sweet and cuddly wearing them. Thank you again K. xox
- 7 - I'm thankful for warm, early fall evenings when ice hockey beginnings offer longer sunlight evenings, though this year's Midget division plays later and it becomes dark by ice time's ending.
Being a hockey dad to four boys, this one the youngest of them all, my husband still very much enjoys the promise of a new hockey season.
Without the NHL this year, we've all been enjoying our son's hockey
games, our local OHL team's great winning lead in their divisional play, and the worldwide Junior hockey games, in the wee hours of the morning on television .
I hope you too have been out supporting the little guys this year. Why not... for they too can offer
great hockey at a fraction of the cost, if not for free.
- 8 - I'm thankful for our continual efforts and strong desires to get out and observe nature in its truest form, season to season, with our young naturalist group, or on our own, only to keep discovering new (cool) things.
This was one of my finds while out participating in a morning hike with my lady friends. I was delighted to have a show and tell from one of our naturalist savvy guides, the one who encouraged all of us to pull one out, open it up and discover the silk within this common milkweed Asclepias syriaca pod.
There was an abundance of them growing wild along our hiking trails. I'm pleased that we stopped to (smell the roses) observe these.
I was able to easily crack mine open and noticed the milky substance quickly running down my hand. We all remarked on the delicate seeds and soft silky material curled up inside. It's no wonder butterflies and bees are attracted to these plants.
Interesting facts about this perenial herb;
"In World War II, schoolchildren across the Midwest collected thousands of pounds of milkweed fluff to stuff life preservers for the armed forces in the Pacific, because kapok, the normal material used for this purpose, came from Japanese-occupied Indonesia and was unavailable. Today, you can buy pillows, jackets, and comforters stuffed with this material, which is wonderfully soft and has a higher insulative value than goose down, from a company called Ogallala Down, in Ogallala, Nebraska. Some people believe that milkweed will become an important fiber crop, as one of its attributes is that it is perennial and therefore does not need to be replanted every year. Milkweed stalks also produce a coarse, sisal-like fiber that can be used for twine, which varies in strength from one plant to the next. This possibility has been little explored commercially, but it was well known to Native Americans."
- 9 - I'm thankful for September, and even October beach days, where the water's edge is most definitely still the best place to be on a warm fall day.
Everyone loves an afternoon, or early evening break from the usual routines of the day, when walking the shore and keeping it simple please all human senses, where the fresh air and breezes from the water's beyond, seem to carry us into another realm of time and space. None here ever tire of these precious days at the water's edge of summer's end, and none, once settled in, are in any hurry to leave.
- 10 - I'm thankful for friends who humor me, and keep me laughing. This friend was running late in getting her daughter to the barn for horse riding lessons this night. With food in hand, everyone from a distance noticed her nutritious and most colorful salad.
I could sense everyone suddenly salivating from the freshness on that plate, until she got closer and then I began to giggle.
Freshness included fruits and veggies alright, but not everyone noticed what I saw from my angle. This friend likes her sweets you see, maybe you've already noticed the m&ms and the handful of trail mix thrown to one side?
What a great salad huh?
And here again are a list highlighting "ten things" in a rewind mode once more. As we are in the dead of winter here, just browsing through these photos above made me think of bare feet in the sand, sunset evenings, fresh summer's produce, sweet friends, warm memories, and nature's blessings in every season.
Maybe allow yourself a stroll through your photo archives to a warmer time, and think of ten things yourself today that have blessed you abundantly.
Have a great day everyone!
