Fall Tradition is Set

As mentioned in previous post, I'm pleased to have traditions beginning in my little family.

Last year my parents, mother-in-law, Hayden, Adelyn, and I had a fabulous time at a local pumpkin patch. We vowed then that it would become an annual event. Well, I am so pleased to be posting that we did keep to our word and this time added MomMaw Rose to the tradition.

We year we vow to not only visit the patch next fall for pumpkin season, but also in the spring for flower planting season and summer for fresh produce! ;)

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Thanksgiving for farmers! What a hard job and one that is taken for granted, until the day when we don't have food in the supermarket! Hug a farmer and buy local, when you can!

Cultural Tradition Continues

Oh how I have always longed for a tradition to be born within my family.

I wanted one so bad that I missed the true formulation of such.

However, after many a conversation with my closest gals, they always know I h

ave a daily philosophy brewing even on the most mundane of issues, I came to the realization that the 'trying' was the problem.

The discovery, the type of tradition I was in search of simply happens when you do something, enjoy doing so, and find yourself doing it again - whether daily, weekly, annually, biannually,... .

I was trying to hard to think of what I wanted the tradition to be and then getting so caught up in trying to figure it out that I ended up doing nothing.

So...I'm pleased to be writing about two fall events that are now coined as Tradition for my kids and I, and family too.

This year marked the fifth Greek Festival that I have attended; the fourth for Hayden, second for Adelyn, and first for my Mom (AKA Nana or Kathy).

It is one day of a taste of culture that I have come to look so forward to attending.

Hayden enjoys the Greek Pizza

Adelyn really had a great time with her chocolate ice-cream!

Mom just took in the experience.

A highlight of the Festival, opening the door for people at the bottom of these steps.

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Thanksgiving, once again, for a little cultural tradition.

Good Ole' Joy

I can not put into words the absolute, true, warm, honest JOY I feel when I'm around my friends and co-workers of yester-years.

In the past few months I have been humbly blessed to be reunited in event and casual encounter with said persons.

Each smile exchanged, experienced relived, current event shared, and moment being in the present together has truly touched my soul.

How extremely fortunate, blessed and humbled I am for the love, friendship and health in my life.

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Thanksgiving for the ability to be grounded in the 'then and now' of life.

Nature in the Backyard

Walking through the back yard, I would have just looked right past this little dirt marking.

But not my nature loving Dad! This was not just a random patch of bareness in our dry, semi-green grassy back yard. ... Do you know what it is? ...

Follow the path of dirt to the black hole. Look close...

What do you see? ... Little bunnies looking at me!

Dad explained that Momma Bunny digs into the earth to make a hole. As she digs, the dirt flies behind her paws to create the dirt marking that you can see in the first picture. Her babies are left in the hole, typically covered over with tufts of her hair that she pulls out, while she goes nearby for food and safety. Momma Bunny returns a few times a day to check about the babies and feed them. To feed, she sits atop of the hole and they nurse below.

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Thanksgiving for nature lessons from my Dad.

Home Again

It's been 15 years since my high school graduation and this year, a dear childhood friend took on the challenge of organizing a reunion. Though not even 1% of our graduating class attended the event, the night was a blast for myself and my dear girlfriends who chose to go and have a wonderful evening out together.

Most of us dressed in our 'little black dress' creating a Jackie Kennedy look alike night to remember! ... And through the night, several of us, partook in quite a bit of wine to make the laughter and joy ever more present.

I honestly can't recall a night that I have felt more comfortable, completely at ease, and fully present.

95% of the companions whom shared in the event were dear friends that I have had in my life since I can remember - grade school and some pre-school! For me, there was no pretense, no falsity, no judging, no being anything but me; for these dear friends are ones who have known me before I even 'knew myself.'

I can not express how warm, comfortable, complete, real,... I felt being me on this most memorable evening.

I can not express how honored I am to have the experience of sharing my life with the amazing ladies and gentlemen I grew up with from grade school.

As snapshots flashed on facebook of the night, I couldn't be more thrilled to see what the lenses of the night captured...Jessica laughing a most genuine laugh and feeling the most complete, ever.

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Thanksgiving is friendship through the ages; friendship = thanksgiving in my heart.

At It AGAIN!

Oh how exciting it is to jump in to a project all by yourself and what better, a project with instant gratification! I'm painting our hallway and connecting front room wall!

There is little better than creating your own space and transforming your home into a place you feel warm and alive within.

We have lived in our home for over 9 years and not until the past 6 months have I really felt 'adult' enough to make simple changes that make the space more 'me.'

Amazing what a fresh coat of paint; paint with COLOR, will do for any space!

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Thanksgiving for our house and the ability to truly live within the space, turning walls and boundaries into our home; home sweet home.

Life

Life. is. good.

Life. is. short.

Life. is. what you make it.

Let me take these statements to heart.

Let me begin to live each moment as it is my last.

Let me not say these words and not heed their truth.

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Thanksgiving for recharging moments and inspirational people.

Anti-social

Holidays shine a spotlight on just how unsocial my family really is. Or I could say, how unlikely we are to uproot the daily schedule/routine. It's a comfort yet a drag at the same time. Yet an event is out of balance with me too. An event has to have all details covered or it isn't an event to me if I'm putting it on. Hummm...a little life reality to digest and do something about.

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Thanksgiving for the ability to look inward and the knowledge that change is always possible if effort is expended.

A Perspective to Know

Paul writes, "To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "MY GRACE IS SUFFICIENT FOR YOU, FOR MY POWER IS MADE PERFECT IN WEAKNESS." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

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Thanksgiving for the renewing power and perfect perspective God's Word brings to those who seek.

A, B, C's

Hayden tells me that he wants the A,B,C's in his room like they are at his school.

My first thought, 'I can purchase letters and make that happen.' My second thought, 'we need some hands on learning and making them would be an adventure and have Hayden practice the letters...,' hence, our little project...

Creating alphabet letters out of card stock, maker, hole punch and string...

Letters made and then the next part of the adventure, Hayden encouraged me to learn to use his Daddy's drill to get them hung.

And, ta-da...

Alas, the letters are hung and the most important part, I again am shown how much my son is changing me and encouraging me to become a different person.

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Thanksgiving for the ability to create and become new each and every day.

Haiti Contact

A close friend shared with me that her father has been involved with www.fishministrieshaiti.org for several years (digging ponds, stocking them with fish, teaching locals to fish to have food) - he was in Haiti (20 miles outside of the quake site) when the devestating quake hit. Where he was located, the earth behaved as a whip! the ground and roads shook violently up and down in a whip fashion. He, a doctor, and the doctor's wife spent the entire evening holding Haitians while their injuries were sewen together. Many of the injured being the children of children in the area he works. As daylight came the following morning, and several in his group began to wonder where food would come from, he looked out to the grassy plain before him and as far as he could see, there were Haitians on their knees in prayer and giving thanksgiving to the Lord for sparing their life and asking for His help in their need. This experience shook the soul of this man and he gave his life to the Lord in salvation and baptism in the following days! This man has had an unbelievable experience and shaking of his core that is a great testimony for all to hear. Though you may or may not ever hear more of his personal story, the efforts being directly given to the community he is connected with and a blog about the daily issues going on there can be viewed at: www.fishministrieshaiti.org. I encourage you to take a look and if you are lead to do so, help in any way that you see fit.

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Thanksgiving to the Lord for He is ALWAYS good.