Sunday, November 30, 2014

The Habit of Thankfulness: A Few of My Favorite Things

Nov 30th- A few of my favorite things...
~Celebrating the first Sunday of Advent with my family
~Chris Peters getting my artificial fireplace working...it looks so pretty!
~Getting things ready for the Christmas shows...Let the Season Begin! 


The Habit of Thankfulness: A Few of My Favorite Things

Nov 29th- A few of my favorite things...
~Homemade turkey noodle soup
~Gwynnie teaching Thea the sounds of the animals around the manger scene
~Seeing which traditions and decorations the girlies remember from year to year 

Saturday, November 29, 2014

The Habit of Thankfulness: A Few of My Favorite Things

Nov 28th- A few of my favorite things...
~Tree hunting with the girlies (and Winslow too)
~Watching Thea get a ride on the tree tarp (too hard to walk in the snow)
~Decorating the tree with the biggest to the littlest...each just as excited 



Thursday, November 27, 2014

The Habit of Thankfulness: A Few of My Favorite Things



Nov 27th- A few of my favorite things...
~Little girlies who are excited to have goblets and good china at the "kids" table
~Reading the slips of paper with what the girlies are thankful for
~Ending the evening with watching "It's a Wonderful Life" with someone who has never seen it before. It is our family's tradition because it bridges the holidays so nicely 

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

The Habit of Thankfulness: A Few of My favorite Things

Nov 26th- A few of my favorite things...
~Thea shouting out, "Christmas lights!...Christmas lights...." at every display we drive by (when did she get to be so big?!?!  )
~Watching snow fall in the light of the streetlamps
~An Engagement party for such a nice couple. Congratulations Heidi and Mark!

The Habit of Thankfulness: A Few of My Favorite Things

Nov 25th- A few of my favorite things...
~Shaniah's stitches healing nicely
~Watching Gwynnie learn to spell
~Helping Moriah put together a vintage outfit for her blog



Monday, November 24, 2014

The Habit of Thankfulness: A Few of My Favorite Things

Nov 24th- A few of my favorite things...
~Readying the garden for the winter
~Feeling a warm breeze in November
~Seeing a small yellow butterfly fly over on our walk this afternoon

Sunday, November 23, 2014

The Habit of Thankfulness: A Few of My Favorite Things

Nov 23rd- A few of my favorite things...
~The sound of wind rushing through empty branches like it is searching for its leaf friends
~The sound of water rushing, echoing under a bridge like it is telling tales of where it has been and asking what lies up ahead
~The sound of a flag waving and clinking against a flagpole on our night's walk like it is reminding us it is still flying---All is Well 

Saturday, November 22, 2014

The Habit of Thankfulness: A Few of My Favorite Things

Nov 22nd- A few of my favorite things...
~Watching Gwyn carefully study ballet movements and repeat them
~Watching Gwyn practice even if her audience isn't appreciating it
~Watching Gwyn give ballet lessons to Felicity and Thea...and they follow her!

Friday, November 21, 2014

The Habit of Thankfulness: A Few of My Favorite Things

Nov 21st- A few of my favorite things...
~A friend who knows its been a rough week makes a meal for you 
~Shaniah, after braving a bandage change, asks for a Dove Dark Chocolate over a Ferrero Rocher (which she has already consumed because she likes them better...chocolate makes things better
~Spotting Moriah's dancing skirt in an episode of Monk...good detective work Mo(riah)nk 

Thursday, November 20, 2014

The Habit of Thankfulness: A few of My Favorite Things



Nov 20th- A few of my favorite things...
~Being able to massage Shaniah's leg to help her feel better when the Tylenol wears off
~Excited girlies welcoming home Daddy after being gone since Monday
~A grateful field mouse (we put the cat in), tired after playing chase with the cat for an hour, posed for a few shots 




Wednesday, November 19, 2014

The Habit of Thankfulness: A Few of My Favorite Things

Nov 19th- A few of my favorite things...
~watching light reflect off random objects
~discovering one reflection looks like a fairy when moved about the room
~having daughters who haven't lost their sense of wonder and imagination and will take time to "see" what I see 

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

The Habit of Thankfulness: A Few of My Favorite Things

Nov 18th- A few of my favorite things...
~Shaniah being surprised with flowers from her Daddy 
~That her surgery today was in Syracuse, not Buffalo
~The wonderful way Shaniah interacted today with Dr. Hadley Falk, her surgeon...she even brought him a clementine for snack...such a sweet girl and one amazingly talented doctor.





Monday, November 17, 2014

The Habit of Thankfulness: A Few of My Favorite Things

Nov 17th~ A few of my favorite things...
~A wise and wonderful husband who brings gifts of chocolate...thanks Chris.
~Sisters who are willing to share their lovies with their sister for her surgery
~Package from Daddy to help cheer her up after surgery tomorrow 

The Habit of Thankfulness: A Few of My Favorite Things

Nov 16th- A few of my favorite things...
~Moroccan clementines are back at Wegmans! 
~Pockets of snow left in shadowy places
~Seeing turkeys and deer and hawks along our way home from church

The Habit of Appreciation: It's a Wonderful Life

My Hometown, Jordan, NY 
My "Bedford Falls"
As I walked through the first snowfall the other evening,
This was going through
my mind....


"You see, George, you've really had a wonderful life. 
Don't you see what a mistake it would be to throw it away?"
~Clarence

Life is a precious beautiful gift. 
Each day a new day to be thankful 
and pay-it-forward and make someone else' day!

Sometimes we are like George Bailey...
Sometimes we can lose our perspective,
Sometimes we feel like we don't make any difference...
Sometimes we feel like we have nothing...

But that's Ok...
"For whoever would save his life will lose it, 
but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it."
Luke 9:24

The point of life is not what you can get...
...but what you can give

And everyone has something to give:
Time
Thoughts,
Talent,
Treasure


 There’s a sign on the wall in George’s father' office wall that says 
“All you can take with you is that which is given away.”

And at the end, 
Clarence reminds him where true wealth is found:

"Dear George, 
remember no man is a failure who has friends. 
Thanks for the wings, Love Clarence."


Putting those ideas together....
friends and giving and thankfulness...
mixed with contentment...
And you realize,
 truly, 
It's a wonderful life...
...and maybe
 you'll be that
"Clarence" 
that was needed
today!

Saturday, November 15, 2014

The Habit of Thankfulness: A Few of My Favorite Things

Nov 15th- A few of my favorite things...
~Watching the train tracks that run throughout my living room change their routes daily if not hourly
~Listening to the plots unfold as the little engineers decide on improvements that are made
~Stepping outside and hearing the real train whistles more clearly without leaves to mute the sound

The Habit of Thankfulness: A Few of My Favorite Things

Nov 14th- A few of my favorite things...
~First snowy walk of the season with Moriah
~Leaving footprints in fresh snow
~Knowing we both are savoring the moment 


Thursday, November 13, 2014

The Habit of Thankfulness: A Few of My Favorite Things

Nov 13th- A few of my favorite things...
~Little kiddos running to the window when someone says, "Look its snowing!"
~Lissie running up to me outside with the report, "I just saw a BIG snowflake, a REALLY big one!"
~The last of the fall color mingled with an icing of snow


Wednesday, November 12, 2014

The Habit of Thankfulness: A Few of My Favorite Things

Nov 12th- A few of my favorite things...
~Hosting tea parties for little kids
~Watching adults ask incredulously, "You mean you get the kids to actually drink the tea?"..."Yes and with good manners too!" 
~Having lots of wonderful servers help the kids have a wonderful time 


The Habit of Thankfulness: A Few of My Favorite Things

Nov 11th- A few of my favorite things....
~Reading about different veterans' stories and service to our nation throughout the day...Thank you all for your service and sacrifice!
~Listening to to the girlies tell all about their bike trip with Daddy to Weedsport to get donuts 
~Watching the girls play with Polly Pockets that were put away months ago like they were new...I love rotating them!


Monday, November 10, 2014

The Habit of Thankfulness: A Few of My Favorite Things

Nov 10th- A few of my favorite things...
~Homemade banana bread for breakfast
~Watching Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn in "Roman Holiday"---such amazing actors-- with Moriah
~The amazing feeling of central heat...I almost wish I could have watched when our ancestors had it first installed and their reaction to it...must have been a huge difference!

The Habit of Thankfulness: A Few of My Favorite Things

Nov 9th- A few of my favorite things...
~watching cuttings grow into bigger plants
~browns and golds that paint the November landscape
~Moriah starting to feel better tonight 

Saturday, November 8, 2014

The Habit of Thankfulness: A Few of My Favorite Things

Nov 8th- A few of my favorite things...
~Seeing a deer silhouetted in the early morning light
~Finding a very friendly ruffled grouse along our walk
~The girlies excitement over finding twigs with the scent of Christmas (balsam twigs)

Friday, November 7, 2014

The Habit of Thankfulness: A Few of My Favorite Things

Nov 7th- A few of my favorite things...
~Surprising Shaniah and Chris at the halfway point of the Glowvember 5K Run to cheer them on
~Seeing the first real snow of the season...always magical
~Seeing the kids reaction to the first snow of the season

Thursday, November 6, 2014

The Habit of Thankfulness: A Few of My Favorite Things

Nov 6th- A few of my favorite things...
~Good conversation and a good haircut from Aunt Louise. Thanks you always do such a great job 
~That moment when you realize antibiotics have finally started working
~Seeing my friends beautiful families on FB...and even better in real life 

The Habit of Thankfulness: A Few of My Favorite Things

Nov 5th- A few of My favorite things...
~Watching the near full November moon rising over the church next door
~Seeing my old friend Orion rising in the evening sky
~Watching the local golf course turn into Brigadoon under the night time fog

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

The Habit of Thankfulness: A Few of My Favorite Things

Nov 4th- A few of my favorite things...
~Living in a nation where I can vote
~Watching the sun filtered through the high clouds ahead of a front
~The reddish brown twigs still bravely holding onto this year's leaves while preparing for next year's




Monday, November 3, 2014

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

Nov 3rd- A few of my favorite things...
~Little eyes that are always watching...finding the remains of a chrysalis on a lamppost
~The gentleman who share some of his bird bread so the girlies could feed the pigeons while waiting...and pick out their favorite ones
~Taking the girlies plus a few friends to see the tree go up in Clinton Square...Winslow approves 


Little eyes are just the right height and speed to see things.


Feeding the birds


All the different pigeon patterns!



Watching the man with the chainsaws get the tree ready


Hoisting it up into place


Winslow thinks this is the greatest spinning Christmas Tree ever!


Winslow, the Furby on the Curby, approves of this tree!






The Habit of Thankfulness: A Few of My Favorite Things

Nov 2nd- A few of my favorite things....
~Looking for hidden nests, now visible in barren trees
~Hawks perched in the trees waiting for the farmers to finish clearing their fields
~Clear cold night air that reminds you that snow isn't far off