Happy Thanksgiving

I can't let Thanksgiving come and go without letting my friends here know how thankful I am to have formed ties with you!  I'm grateful for all the good times and the sad times we share together.  

 These little candles have been in my collection for a long time.  The 26 cent price on the bottom of them tells me they weren't bought anytime recently!

I hope your Thanksgiving is full of all the special moments that make you happy.  

Our son and two grandsons will be joining Grayden and Samuel and I tomorrow.  We'll be having all the traditional Thanksgiving foods.  I'm remembering last Thanksgiving when we served a roast beef because of many changes of plans.  It really doesn't matter the food, but the fellowship with family that is important.    

Thanksgivings have changed over the years for us.  How about you?  Have your traditions changed like ours have over the years?

This Thanksgiving I am reminded to be kind, be thoughtful, be genuine, but most of all be thankful!  Have a great time of Thanksgiving, my friends!

A Nice Surprise

Do you love going into antique shops as much as I do?  Over the last year and a half I have not felt comfortable visiting one.  I was so excited last week when we did go into an antique mall in the mountains of Virginia.  I really don't need anything but it is so fun to see items that I grew up with. 

 We began walking around the many rows of booths that were full of lovely old yelloware bowls, quilts, and other various things.  First we viewed an item that I knew our son would like.  It was actually a brand new cast iron dutch oven.  Our son is a great cook and has expressed an interest in having one he can use on his grill.  The price was very inexpensive, so Grayden took it up to the register for them to save for us as I continued to look around.  Suddenly there before me was a stack of dishes that made my heart leap for joy!

I couldn't believe my eyes that there were the Old Britain Castle dishes that I collect!  A stack of eight lovely Johnson Brother dinner plates that I adore.  The price was unbelievably low.  When we checked out we even found that they were fifteen percent off.  I'm so happy to have them join my collection.

During the month of November I bring out my Friendly Village dishes along with Thanksgiving decor.

I made this turkey and napkin rings in 1978 as is imprinted on the bottom.  There were several ceramic items I made during this time.

Thanksgiving is important to us to celebrate before we start into the Christmas celebrations.

We are so excited that this year our daughter and son-in-law will visit for Thanksgiving week.  I'll be planning our traditional Thanksgiving menu soon.  Do you have turkey with all the fixings for Thanksgiving like we do or do you eat out like some folks do?  

"Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has plenty; not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some."   Charles Dickens

Thanksgiving

♫ Let There Be Peace on Earth ♫

May our hearts be filled with gratitude on this day of Thanksgiving. 

 

May our hearts be filled with love.

Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me.

"God is glorified, not by our groans, but by our thanksgivings." 

Edwin Percy Whipple 

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family! ♥

November Thankfulness

♫ Give Thanks ♫

We have been up to our ears in leaves.  Surrounded by huge old oaks, black gums, maples, beech and dogwoods, gives us plenty of exercise in the autumn months.  If we don't gather up the leaves every few days they become more than we can handle.  Having a strong grandson living with us is a God send in the season of leaf gathering.  I've mentioned before that we compost all of our leaves and veggie peelings.  If you wish to see the wonderful compost we get from our leaves go Here to view.  I must say this is not my favorite of gardening chores, but I so love the wonderful compost we get from our efforts.

This is what that empty compost area looks like now.  We are a good month from having all of the leaves that fall before winter.  This is our mountain of mulched leaves.

The trees are beginning to make pretty silhouettes against the sky with their bare branches.

There are many leaves hanging on to the branches that assure us of more exercise to come.

It is interesting to note the abundance of berries around this autumn.  It's been quite mild so far.   My Nanny used to say that the more berries we see, the harder the winter.  If that holds to be true, we are in for quite a winter.

I find the rhythm of life is comforting as is the change of seasons.  I'm thankful for these reminders.

Yesterday we picked these peppers from volunteer plants in the compost pile!

I brought out the turkeys I made in 1978 when I was on a ceramic kick.  The little turkeys are napkin rings.  I have no idea why I painted them such a dull color, but they do go well with my Friendly Village dishes.

I do hope you are enjoying your November as we slip into December.  It's a busy time of year for us all, but I'm sure we all want to stop to be thankful for all of our blessings.

 Come, ye thankful people, come, 

raise the song of harvest home; 

all is safely gathered in, 

ere the winter storms begin. 

God our Maker doth provide 

for our wants to be supplied; 

come to God's own temple, come, 

raise the song of harvest home.

Henry Alford