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Time for another installment of my "Ten Things" to be thankful for, always varied, always random bits in no particular order.
There is still a bit of a difference in this post today as several of the photos are what could be deemed as "older", but awe shucks, some really are "newer" and not really archived already. Just wait until I really catch up, you'll all be shocked no doubt. :)
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 our fresh from heaven and newly baptized grand-daughter Francesca who had loving family present to celebrate this wee one's first sacrament. She was baptized in the Traditional rite only four days after her birth.
Deo Gratias!
- 2 - I'm thankful for sudden emotions of wonder and awe when they wash over and visit my most inner senses, when all seems crystal clear and yet, as if looking through a series of prisms, all becomes so complex in a jiffy, creating mysterious circumstances to render anyone seriously perplexed.
Just when we think all is well, or all seems just fine, a fire is lit under our steady feet to make us sway and wince at life in general. There are times when life is just plain tough, hands down, so tough in fact that without faith, how could anyone endure the crosses they must carry while gazing towards the rays of light beyond the blackened clouds awaiting them at the end of their "race"?
His lord said to him: Well done, good and faithful servant, because thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will place thee over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
~ Matthew 25:21
- 3 - I'm thankful for being able to become a good sport, especially when crazy ideas fill my head and I get braver as I age. With a pamphlet in hand, I'm perusing it, ultra tempted to make a reservation for a beginner snowmobile moonlight trail ride - soon.
The company offering these winter excursions includes all required safety and clothing attire suitable for the outdoor sport, and if I can now convince my teens to participate with me, we'll be off to try it at least once while we live here... in the east.
Snowmobiles are the preferred transportation this time of year when snow accumulates day after day, often grounding us from normal activity. Our local country gas station is busy with owners filling up their tanks in pursuit of a day's ride along the vast trail systems all over the province in fact.
Watch out if you own one of these babies and have no trail pass and get caught on one, but them, watch out too if you don't have specialized insurance on the sledder either. Big bingo dollar fines await those who don't follow the law. In return for those who adhere to them, the trails are groomed daily by municipalities offering safe passage to anyone wishing to travel from city to city or town to town. Just as many of us jaunt out on a road or motorcycle trip, so too do snowmobile lovers head off on long trips over Ontario's snowmobile trail systems. Very cool! grin, grin
- 4 - I'm thankful for girls, girls and more girls in our family!
I love when our mothers, daughters, and multitudes of nieces gather for impulse visits like the one we enjoyed below with one niece traveling from Toronto to spend the afternoon and evening with us and my parents while they were visiting here over the holidays.
Our relatives have always known we have an open door policy and many are sure to feel right at home during visits such as this quick stolen one we will all forever cherish. Thanks for making time for us! We love you!
- 5 - I'm thankful for challenging my mother to fill up a book with all the titles of the books she's read over the past year.
In return she not only filled it to the brim with oodles of her reading interests and pursuits, she ran out of room by a country mile. The book was just not large enough to log her reading over the past year. Nevertheless she re-gifted it back to me as a personalized journal of good reading recommendations I might be interested in myself. Thanks mom!
Dainty hanky under the book was a gift from my mother. It used to be my grandmother's, now handed down to me for safe keeping.
- 6 - I'm thankful for being comfortable with our children in the kitchen, creating and baking their hearts out. I'm thrilled they are really grasping cooking and baking how to's to the point of being quite independent if need be.
I'm especially thrilled to have little surprises visit me with fresh hot cuppas during the day when the urge hits them to get in the kitchen. Now if I can only snap my fingers and enjoy a clean kitchen after without grumbling and complaining over who is responsible for it, that would be grand.
- 7 - I'm thankful for hitting the "Christmas Tree Store" when visiting with my sister on Cape Cod, MA this past US Thanksgiving, and stuffing my suitcase to capacity when I acquired a whole slew of items to grace our table for the Christmas season.
I'm also thankful for other little accessories I really enjoyed using when special celebrations warranted their usage, all with my theme gold and red color schemes.
- 8 - I'm thankful for children who took the challenge to enter a Christmas card cover contest for my husband's corporate company and thought nothing of it when they were not proclaimed the winners. Two days later a large box appeared with their names on it and inside were two prizes, one for each of them for just being participants.
The gifts were Crayola artist kits to keep them deep in artistic mode with more coloring, painting and crafting tools. What a special surprise! How wonderful to find our son was actually in sixth place overall, just a mood brightener to keep these two younger ones working hard at their art center over the holidays.
- 9 - I'm thankful for our move here even though it's been a tough go, so much tougher than any of us ever predicted it would be.
I'm thankful for actually being able to live in such a cold place, really I am. Life in the east provides an abundance of geographical winter wonderland outdoor play with tremendous natural beauty to go along with it, something I've personally come to love and appreciate. Oh sure, I love the snow and tote my camera everywhere with me, but I've also come to love my fireplace.
Life here allows for four distinctive seasons in any given year. For sure we know we're deep in winter, even when the temperatures today are reading -20C, cold enough for icicles to build on nostril hairs on contact. Scarves are a good accessory here, as one can grab it from the neck in a hurry to hold over mouth and nose.
- 10 - I'm thankful for sweet surprises in the mail like this postcard from our home stomping grounds on the west coast.
This was also from a gal we watched grow to a lovely young woman, one sweetie who refers to me as Mom#2, one who also honored me by requesting I act as her Confirmation sponsor. Thank you C! :)
...... And there you have another ten things I'm thankful for, on my way to catching up and making the rest of my family content at my efforts to do so. (Don't be too surprised if one more shows up sooner than later. :)
Until next time, find yourself many simple pleasures to smile at, some every single day to warm your heart and bless you in ways you might never have thought possible. If you "see them", they will warm your heart! I promise...
