It's a Jolly Season

Thanksgiving Remembered

While cleaning through some old boxes that I had stored, I ran across this old die cut. It of course, brought back memories of when we really only decorated with a few chipboard die cuts and maybe a bouquet of fall leaves for Thanksgiving Day. Now I have out all kinds of pumpkins and fragranced candles in assorted glass containers for my decorations. While it looks festive, it does not stir me as emotionally as this picture of pilgrims hunting wild turkeys for dinner. As a society we have moved a long way from the days of either hunting for wild turkey or chasing the turkeys around the farmyard until we caught one that we thought was just right. My mother, grandmother and aunts would spend hours in the kitchen cleaning the turkey and plucking it's feathers. When they were through with all of that then they would make the bread dressing, stuff the turkey, the place it in the oven of the old coal stove and then the rest of the story is about the wonderful smell of herbs roasting with that old turkey. There was a lot of time and effort sacrifices that took place to fix Thanksgiving dinner for all of my relatives. Everything had to be just right from the fresh bread, the steamed pudding, the mincemeat and pumpkin pies. My favorite was my grandmothers homemade egg noodles. I always thought my grandma made her broth for her noodles from chickens but my mother tells me the broth was from duck, however the broth was always so rich and savory, it was always my favorite dish on the table. Every recipe used by those wonderful women were an heirloom. Most passed down for generations. I know every family has their own traditions that are as priceless to them as mine are to me.
All I do now is go to my local grocery store and pick my favorite brand of turkey from big mounds of frozen birds. Life has changed a great deal. There will be some of you who can relate to this post and then there will be those of you who haven't a clue what I am talking about. You are all my friends and I would love to have you all over for Thanksgiving dinner. While that is not possible, of course, please know that I certainly feel a great deal of gratitude for those of you who stop by, read my posts and then leave me comments on what I have written.
I do have lots of guests coming so I need to take a few days to cook and clean before they all arrive. I will take the next few days off. So I will see you all next Friday. Remember to keep an attitude of gratitude and then give thanks for all that you enjoy. Deb

Fall Decorating at the Home of Lorie Lakey

I have said before that I am lucky to have such creative friends. It is always a pleasure to visit the home of Lorie Lakey, a wonderful friend. She is so gracious to let me take pictures of her lovely home.

Thanksgiving Dinner

Christmas Rush?

Is anyone else besides me feeling the Christmas crunch already. My husband was after me to go shop for Thanksgiving dinner and I have been putting him off because I am busy with Christmas. I am thinking that times move a lot faster now than they did years ago. Halloween merchandise was almost gone in Septemeber and Christmas merchandise is picked over and there have been several Christmas boutiques last weekend. I don't seem to have time for Thanksgiving! I know what you are thinking. Take time to be grateful. I want it all. I want my cake and I want to eat it too. Well I am ready to jump into Christmas decorating right now. I would love your comments on how you balance your holiday seasons.

We are adding a few baubles to My Etsy shop

 

More Etsy Photos

 

New Listings in My Etsy Shop

 

Woops!

Oh my gosh, I am slipping. We celebrated Veteran's Day yesterday. I let my gratitude attitude slip a little. I did not give thanks for the wonderful gift that our veteran's have given me. And to make this story a little worse. I have two wonderful stepson's and a son-in-law who gave service during some of our more recent defense missions to keep out country safe. My son (stepson) Andy is still in the reserve service having served in both the marines and the national guard. Thank you my wonderful sons. Thank you to the veterans who have made so many sacrifices so that I can live a free life in a country that I love. I do not want the sun to go down on this day without giving thanks to my boys. Mom

Remember to be Thankful

Thanks for all the snow!

Attitude of Gratitude

For those of you who have sent me comments about my cold, please know how much I have enjoyed your thoughtful comments. My husband offered to do a blog for me and tell a story on one of our early church leaders who had a cold and was considering a "medicinal" drink for his cold. I declined his offer. Though he is a funny guy and the story is funny, this isn't that kind of blog! So anyway, I am sending you some of the reasons I have been staying under a warm quilt. My cold is about gone, so it is time to move on.
Since the current theme of my blog is GRATITUDE, this is my reason to be grateful. I live in the Rocky Mountains, but we are a desert region. Water is a precious resource to not only the great state of Utah, but the surrounding states and California. We heavily depend on mountain snow pack for our water source. When we have a dry winter, we have to ration water during the summer, but it seems we are being blessed with enough snowfall this year that at least one ski resort opened last weekend. It is their second earliest opening in forty-two years. Something to be grateful for. My daughter, photographer is another wonderful thing to be grateful for. Leave me a comment and let me know if the spirit of gratitude has touched you today. Deb

Mackenzie-Childs Event

One of the nice things about being a blogger is that I get to share the good news. So much of the media is based on the drama of the day. While I am aware of the things going on around me, I chose to live my life in the spirit of gratitude. There is so much good in the world and there are so many talented heart felt people, this is where I want to put my efforts. I love to share ideas and lift peoples spirits. For many years, I have been an admirer of Mackenzie-Childs in New York, as a decorative painter myself, I would love to be able to attend their event. For those of you who can go, I would love to hear about your experience. Have a great visit. Live Life Joyously. Deb

Mackenzie-Childs Hand Painted Furniture

 

Before I transition my blog into Christmas ideas I thought I would like to share some of the fun photos I have found online that make me think of fall and fall decorating. This photo is from Mackenzie-Childs in New York. Very cute. Very fun. Needs the right setting but I love it.

Harvest Time

Thank you to my readers for stopping by. I have spent the last few days with an early winter cold. I feel I am recuperating but it has sure slowed me up. The one benefit I have had is a little time to think and ponder. We have survived the national election, and noq we are united to continue this life journey with new political leadership. I want all of you to know how grateful I am for the opportunities that I enjoy with my freedom of speech.Blogging has given me the opportunity to touch other people lives and to have them touch my life. I say thank you so much and let's celebrate the holiday together. Stay on board and let's share ideas with one another continue to support one another. Would it be to early to say "Happy Holidays" Welcome friends!

Fall Gatherings

When my children were small we would ride up the mountain to look at the fall leaves. The kids were always so excited to get out and run around gathering up an arm full of colorful fall leaves. We would take bouquets to grandma, the elderly lady next door, a big bouquet for their classroom and whatever was leftover we made into a bouquet for the table at our house. It was a fall tradition and time that we spent together as a family. Today my seventeen year old daughter was so excited when she called me and told me she had been out getting fall leaves. When she got home there were no arm loads of colorful leaves, just a computer memory card of all of her hard work gathering leaves. I had to laugh a little, it is a sign of the times. So here tonight I am sharing with you my little daughter's gathering of fall leaves. I hope you will enjoy them as much as I have and you know they will last a lot longer and I can keep the memories and enjoy them any time of the year.

Election Day

The big day is here and now it is our turn. We have the chance to voice our opinion. Voting gives us the opportunity to make our voice heard. May the best candidate win!

I wish that I could find the right words to share my feelings with each of you today. I have posted some vintage postcards that perhaps say some of what I am feeling. Here in the United States of America we have the right to vote for our country's leadership. It is up to each of us to study it out in our minds then choose for ourselves how we want to live. I am asking each of you to have an attitude of gratitude for all of the bounty we each enjoy, also remembering what our forefathers created for us. I am sure that they had us in mind when they set up this government. It is our duty to continue to create a wonderful home for our children and grandchildren. Search your heart for what you think is right and then make your choice.

Gratitude

What more can I say?

Vintage Thanksgiving

Gratitude in all things

Attitude of Gratitude

While I am cleaning up and putting away all of the Halloween decorations, I want to share some photos I took a few days ago while at the grocery store. This horse and cart pulled up and dropped off a lady so she could go get her groceries. I laughed to myself thinking, buddy, there is no place to park your cart. The driver of the cart circled the parking lot while he waited. It was a beautiful Indian summer day so this scene was a refreshing change from all of the hub bub about the election, the state of the economy and foreign fuel. This fellow seemed to overcome some of those issues for a moment. I live in Lehi, Utah a western pioneer town. Things are a little slower here and during that moment in time, I felt an attitude of gratitude. I understand that there is a lot that all of us are trying to accomplish in this world, but take time to slow down for a moment and give thanks for what we have as well as the opportunity to create more in our lives.