The Habit of Thankfulness: A Few of My Favorite Things

Sept 29th- A Few of my favorite things...
~Watching the black shadows of falling leaves
~Watching the black silhouette of a hawk circling a freshly threshed field
~Watching the black silhouette of the hopeful bat swooping, looking for the last bugs of the season

The Habit of Thankfulness: A Few of My Favorite Things

Sept 28th- A few of my favorite things...
~The light brown color of dying, drying cattail leaves 
~The medium brown of dried oak leaves crunching underfoot
~The dark brown gray trunk of locust trees enveloped in golden leaves

The Habit of Thankfulness: A Few of My Favorite Things

Sept 27th- A few of my favorite things...
~The green chlorophyll fading to reveal beautiful fall colors
~Evergreen silhouettes with the moon
~Green ivy up-lighted by a porch light

The Habit of Thankfulness: A Few of My Favorite Things...

Sept 8th- A few of my favorite things...
~The moon coating the ivy in layer of light
~Watching a spider weave his evening web lit by moonlight
~Moonlight casting leafy shadowy collages on the sidewalk

The Habit of Thankfulness: A Few of My Favorite Things...

Sept 26th- A few of my favorite things...
~Fall colors splashed against a bright blue sky
~The sole cluster of blue silky dogwood berries this year
~The deep navy blue sky with a setting sliver of a moon

The Habit of Thankfulness: A Few of My Favorite Things...

Sept 25th- A few of my favorite things...
~Purple mums by old doors
~Purple petunias showing of in planters about town
~Purple New England Asters bunched together with fading goldenrod.. like a giant's bouquet

The Habit of Thankfulness: A Few of My Favorite Things

Sept 24th- A few of my favorite things...
~Red berries draped on the barberry bushes
~Bright red leaves of Virginia Creeper contrasting the still green leaves on the trees
~The deep red-purple of the silky dogwoods

The Habit of Thankfulness: A Few of My Favorite Things

Sept 23rd- A few of my favorite things...
~Bright orange leaves on the sugar maples
~Bright orange pumpkins round & fat on steps like sentries
~Bright orange mums, flowers boldly heralding fall

The Habit of Thankfulness: A Few of My Favorite Things

Sept 22nd- A few of my favorite things...
~The golden leaves on the black walnut
~The golden leaves and stem of the dying milkweed plants
~The golden flowers of Jerusalem Artichokes...as if King Midas had passed by 

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The Habit of Thankfulness: A Few of My Favorite Things

Sept 21st- A few of my favorite things...
~A double rainbow pouring down to the color splashed fall hillside at sunset
~Bright red sumac leaves against the green and golds
~Watching blue jays land in a pine tree

The Habit of Thankfulness: A Few of My Favorite Things

Sept 20th- A few of my favorite things...
~Horse drawn wagon ride at the Jordan Fall Festival
~Watching kiddos conquer the rides
~Coming home with book treasures from the Jordan Bramley Library book sale 

The Habit of Thankfulness: A Few of My Favorite Things

Sept 19th- A few of my favorite things...
~Watching a farmer our early getting his field ready for the winter with his tractor
~Watching an oxen team plow a field at the Genesee Country Village and Museum
~The goofy grunts of pigs in their pen

The Habit of Thankfulness: A Few of My Favorite Things

Sept 18th- A few of my favorite things...
~Sunsets over ripened fields
~Shaniah carrying a conversation with the lady next to her at Johnny Angels
~Mirror reflections of lights on Skaneateles Lake

The Habit of Thankfulness: A Few of My Favorite Things

Sept 17th- A few of my favorite things...
~Creating a new jelly recipe
~Shaniah noticing the birds along the route to the dentist
~Shaniah figuring out how to make and use a quill pen...and make her own ink from grapes (can you tell we're studying colonial times  )

The Habit of Thankfulness: A Few of My Favorite Things...

Sept 16th- A few of my favorite things...

~The fascination of a two-year old with her shadow
~Plane contrails in the sunset sky
~Front row seats on the towpath to watch the fire dept practice

The Habit of Thankfulness: A Few of My Favorite Things

Sept 15th- A few of my favorite things...
~Giant sunflowers in front of the Elbridge Post Office
~Surprising a lovely couple with a family portrait...like Christmas!
~100 days until Christmas 

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The Habit of Thankfulness: A Few of My Favorite Things

Sept 14th- A few of my favorite things...
~Watching 10 turkeys cross the road (to get to the other side{dish}) 
~Watching my cat Ansel eat a donut 
~Enjoying a warm campfire on a chilly night with new friends 

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The Habit of Thankfulness: A Few of My favorite Things

Sept 13th- A few of my favorite things...
-Watching the fog lift over Nine Mile Creek, like a long puffy ribbon winding its way through the valley
~Mocha Latte from Broadway Cafe
~Watching the flock of ducks enjoying today's rain by Western Lights

The Habit of Thankfulness: A Few of My Favorite Things

Sept 12th- A few of my favorite things...
~"The Ox-cart Man" by Donald Hall
~Watching the girls mull over the illustrations and what they would like to do on a farm
~Having having a stove and oven without an open flame---the cause of death of many women and children 100 years ago...and today

The Habit of Thankfulness: A Few of My Favorite Things

Sept 11th- A few of my favorite things...
~A good purple umbrella in the rain...very cheery
~Watching a cormorant land on the dam in Baldwinsville
~Three tufted titmice that have been stopping by the birdfeeder

The Habit of Love

Sometimes we get busy...

Sometimes we are neglectful...

Sometimes we don't feel like it...

Sometimes it doesn't come easy...

Sometimes we are tired...

....but

Love

is

commanded.

Not very romantic sounding.

...but why

is it commanded?

Because  it is not  always easy...

....because it goes against our selfishness.

It goes in the face of our pride.

It comes from a deeper place,

not from 

a feeling,

but 

from

a 

choice.

As God has chosen to love me 

"warts and all"...

...I choose to love...

as He has loved me.

I can do 

no less for others.

And when I choose this kind of love

it is freeing.

It is not a slave to feelings,

to circumstances,

to whim.

It becomes a certainty...

...a reality...

A

"LOVE"-ly

 habit.

The Habit of Thankfulness: A Few of My Favorite Things

Sept 10th- A few of my favorite things...
~The popping sound of canning jar lids sealing
~The excitement of the girlies over the moth finally hatching
~Finding a bird's nest tucked away in an old canal lock ledge

The Habit of Thankfulness: A Few of My favorite Things

Sept 9th- A few of my favorite things...
~Dahlias' cheerful colors, smiles in flower form
~Shadows and moonlight dancing together on Skaneateles Creek
~The scent of apple butter welcoming us home from our walk

The Habit of Thankfulness: A Few of My Favorite Things...

Sept 8th- A few of my favorite things...
~The moon coating the ivy in layer of light
~Watching a spider weave his evening web lit by moonlight
~Moonlight casting leafy, shadowy collages on the sidewalk

The Habit of Thankfulness: A Few of My Favorite Things

Sept 7th- A few of my favorite things...
~Watching the hawk alight from the field's edge with his morning meal
~Seeing a heron waiting patiently by a pond's edge for his breakfast to swim by
~Watching the full moon rise with a moonbow to herald its presence

The Habit of Thankfulness: A Few of My Favorite Things

Sept 6th- A few of my favorite things...
~Starlings flying in a line, like a long aerial snake, across the field
~A hawk perched on a road sign waiting for dinner to pass by
~4 Crows taking turns, pacing at the the entrance to an old cemetery, like sentries on duty

The Habit of Thankfulness: A Few of My Favorite Things

Sept 5th- A few of my favorite things...
~Shaniah's excitement over tomorrow's race
~Gwyn's excitement over 2 more wiggly teeth
~Daddabbo's pizza and wings on a hot day (after a long week), so I don't have to cook tonight 

The Habit of Thankfulness: A Few of My Favorite Things

Sept 4th- A few of my favorite things...
~Liesel, The Book Thief
~Guy Montag, the "original" book thief (Fahrenheit 451)
~Ray Bradbury's words,insights--- that seem like they were written today---not nearly 65 years ago

The Habit of Thankfulness: A Few of My Favorite Things

Sept 3rd- A few of my favorite things...
~The morning fog lifting to reveal abundant harvests in the fields
~Colors just beginning to dabble the hillsides, like musicians warming up on stage before the symphony
~An evening walk in the light of waxing moon setting

The Habit of Thankfulness: A Few of My Favorite Things

Sept 2nd- A few of my favorite things...
~Tall cattails quietly reminding the city where a wetland area once stood
~Fisherman young and old, wheelchair and lawn chair, side by side fishing from the bridge in Baldwinsville
~Birds lined up across the dam, competing with the fishermen for a meal

The Habit of Thankfulness: A Few of My Favorite Things

Sept 1st- A few of my favorite things...
~Chuao Chocolatier's Honeycomb Chocolate
~Chocolove's Ginger Dark Chocolate
~Wegmans' Dark Chocolate with Cinnamon Glazed Pecans