Ten Things I'm Thankful For ~ Early Fall rewind...

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!

Sandcastle competition at Sunset

Once dinner has been consumed, followed by a kitchen tidy up, and are suddenly given notice that the sun is beginning to descend. That's the family clue, a gentle reminder a few times each week, to begin gathering up for our trip to the water's edge where front row seats to the evening's sunset beckon us.

Several times over the past few weeks, young friends have joined us on our expeditions a short distance away to bid the day adieu. 

It seems there has become a more serious tone this summer to create at the water's edge, to sculpt the sand just so, to dig and dig, to fashion and to form, and the end results always produces a deep satisfaction for the architects of such an activity. 

After a long swim, and riding the gentle waves on their boogie boards, the girls were the first to begin their creative ambitions for the evening. 

The boys followed very shortly, both groups naturally tending to their desired sculptings. And then the idea of a competition began. My husband was assigned the duty of becoming judge for their creative endeavors and detailed commentaries were encouraged.

What a fun and creative evening all had, and although a bit competitive in nature, all respected each other's unique ability to express themselves using the sand and water for their artistic mediums of the night. 

Several hours later, the sun plummeted and darkness began to fall. All celebrated with a final swim, and then it was time to leave when the mosquitoes began biting my hubby to bits.

"Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in, forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day, you shall begin it well and serenely..."

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

36/52 weeks

52 weeks of daily life in pictures:
trials and celebrations,
the extraordinary and mundane --
whatever is unique to the week.

Join me if you like.

** The fruits of summer have been many in our cozy part of the world.

Before the summer months had even approached, I placed pen to paper and inked a few goals for the weeks ahead, items of personal preference, and set about a loose time commitment to pursue those intended achievements ... as time permitted of course. 

It was never my intention to adopt a rigid schedule or anything of that nature, just a little memory jarring for remembering to make baby steps during down time with purposeful actions each day, to render myself closer to obtaining said goals, and oh the wonderful feeling when I was at last able to begin checking them off, little by little, and one by one. 

As you can see by the photos above and below, "slurping" up this blog's many posts into a software on my computer, and then slowly working on the editing process, which all naturally took plenty of T-I-M-E.

In all fairness, it could have been a much simpler process, but I much preferred to enlarge photos of choice to a full bleed page, and place photos in text content where I wished them to be, rather than leaving them where the software automatically selected and loaded them after the big slurp up from "Blurb".  

I had thought about switching to another blog publishing system (Blogspot), however after a trial attempt, I was a little shocked to find myself facing more than double the fees, and a whole different way of editing anyway to achieve the same results I have been used to. When I say double the fees, I mean up to two hundred dollars for one book containing about 4-6 months worth of blog publishing (I guess I write a whole bunch), as opposed to much less staying with "Blurb".

If you're an online coupon enthusiast, watching out for those appearing on "WAGJAG" were a big bonus! I was able to locate and purchase four over time, FOUR for a motivating and super fantastic discount! 

My bookshelf is now adorned with heart swelling, published family memory books, in a rainbow of colors - two similar colored books per each represented year. Some hold just over 200 pages, while a few others hold about 400. Can you tell in the photos which are which? 

These published blog books are terrific, though the project yet complete, for I still have four more to edit and publish to have the entire blog preserved within hardcover book format. Whew... so I'm still working, and still looking out for more wagjag coupons.Oh, and p.s., Blurb currently has a special until the end of the month with a highlighted 25% off coupon on their main page. More motivation for onward editing moments ahead.

One more thing, although I LOVE having dustjackets for protection as my book covers, I found after one was recently bumped and a tiny rip appeared after someone replaced it to the reserved area on the designated bookshelf, it became very apparent if something happened to the lovely glossy dustjacket cover itself, the actual book wraps were merely a solid black cloth, nothing pictorial graced their covers, and that was a future consideration for me as a scrapbooker and keeper of family memories here in the east. Instead, I opted to change my format method, and I'm now completely thrilled with using photo onlay covering only, without a dustjacket.

** Yes, that's my suitcase and handbag located on the bottom left in the photo above.

I landed at "Boston's Logan Airport", on my way to visit and spend quality sister-only time, with my one and only sister. 

When she had impulsively invited me two weeks earlier to join her in celebrating her wedding anniversary, a day marked by bittersweetness, as her husband has been now deceased for eight years, I knew right then it was to be a necessary time to unite together. 

Rather than hopping on to the usual bus shuttle, or grab the bus to Cape Cod from the airport, instead I happily took her advice on such a lovely day and boarded the free shuttle heading to a water taxi depot.

Along the waters of the city limits, I found this method of transport a relaxing and scenic way to travel to the other end of town. My stop was the Seaport Hotel to meet up with my sister before the continued commute to her home. 

I love every opportunity I'm able to spend with my big sister, and so appreciate every moment alone together, after spending so many years of living on two different coasts, and concentrating on the duties of raising our families.

It still feels a little odd at times to travel about without our families present, our children mostly grown into adults now also having their own families. These new-to-us sister only visits have become cherished times and really special to me, bonus to be heartily supported and encouraged by my husband. Love him! 

** Taking the "Plymouth Brockton" commuter bus out of the city, I was eager to get to know life on the Cape in summer. I've been able to visit the area both in May and in November, but never in summertime. What a vast difference to be there this time of year, observing the hustle and bustle of vacationers and sight seeing travelers. Did I mention it was HOT and HUMID there too, and Hurricane Irene was on its way north towards the area?

** On Cape Cod, the famous "Cape Cod Melody Tent" was the scene for a concert we attended together watch the performance by "Chris Botti", a famous and gifted trumpeter who plays with a large variety of musicians such as; Sting, Michael Buble and many others. We both very much enjoyed our evening hearing and watching all the incredible musicians playing their tunes upon a revolving stage.

We were all amazed he kept his jacket on the entire performance. It was over 90 degrees and incredibly humid this evening, and the tent was stuffed with humid air and sticky bodies. But what a great venue! I highly recommend checking out the website and perusing the concerts held there from May to September.

The amazing young female violinist from the Boston Pops, and a vocalist brought the stage to life, and wow, this is one artist who very much respects his fellow musicians and highlights them all equally during the show. From the moment he appeared on stage and opened the concert with his rendition of "Ave Maria", followed by happily playing everything from Jazz, and old time standards, the audience was hooked. Happy to report I have all of this Cds and will for sure purchase the new one coming out soon with he and Andrea Boceli together.

** As sisters we are thankful always for having the same nutritional palette, and we opted to eat very well while together again. My sister makes the most delicious summer salads, and dining outdoors each evening was blissful. 

** Happy Anniversary to you and your never forgotten (RIP) hubby my dear sis. I was thrilled and honored to be with you this weekend to celebrate, and to reclaim our sisterhood during what proved yet again to be another memorable trip together. 

** Back home again, the sands of time continued to fall as the summer season pressed onward. 

With the temperatures and humidity becoming safer for beach visits, we beached it with hearty delight.

I've always expressed the truth in fact when, that of taking children and teens to a beach, in that in the calm of the moments while there, everyone seems to discover the beauty of the tranquil shores, and chunks of sand between their toes. ... and wet sand on their legs....??

** The sea has secrets it shares when it desires to surprise its visitors. 

On this day and during a few others thereafter, searching for minnows became a fascination and kept our children attentive to their whereabouts.

Mini minnows discovered were no doubt something of a salmon or trout, without magnification it wasn't clear for sure. The action of the day required a "catch and release" after their observations were complete.

Beware of a brother holding a yellow bucket...or a sister for that matter with another in her hand. One never knows what will suddenly erupt before them, and the sound of those giggles always feel wonderful.

** I love this store, though I've not stepped foot inside.

This photo was snapped in downtown Plymouth, MA, just a wonderful reminder to appreciate every little thing in life, no matter its depth or significance.

** Life is way too short not to honor the simple pleasures of the present, to become sure footed and extremely adamant when rising in the morning that this day forward will be great - even though yet unsure of it, and to accept even the simplest and even heart breaking reminders that abound to constantly remind us we are only here for a time.

Simple Pleasure Reminders;

"Simple pleasures are always the last refuge of the complex."

~ Oscar Wilde

"That man is the richest whose pleasures are the cheapest."

~ Thoreau

"Most of the critical things in life, which become the starting points for human destiny, are little things. 

~ R. Smith

"We do not remember days, we remember moments."

~ Cesare Pavese

"The little things? The little moments? They aren't little."

~ John Zabat-Zinn

"Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things."

~ Robert Brault

"You have succeeded in life when all you really want is only what you really need."

~ Vernon Howard

"The aspects of things that are most important to us are hidden because of their simplicity and familiarity.

~ Ludwig Wittgenstein

Head on over to Barbara's to check out the invitation to join the

52 week photography link-up party.

32 / 52 weeks

52 weeks of daily life in pictures:
trials and celebrations,
the extraordinary and mundane --
whatever is unique to the week.

Join me if you like.

Summer!

Oh the glorious splashes of color in our sunsets of summer....by the water's edge.

There's nothing like spending a perfect evening on the sandy white shores of the beach. As I've shared before, when the air cools just a tad, and the sun beckons us to its setting, we are there a few times each week bidding the day goodnight. 

Here are a few of our beach evenings, where a cool dip in the water is most welcomed after a humid and hot day, where boy brings shovel and buries self to make the most hilarious poses for mom's camera, and where even sandy architecture awaits a new blank canvas for another time.

Hello summer, we love you!

Head on over to Barbara's to check out the invitation to join the

52 week photography link-up party.