The Season of Thanks

 

Pumpkin Spice Roll

Up front I will tell you that the above picture will not be accompanied with a recipe. I like the first photo in my blog posts to be something beautiful or eye-catching (in a good way), or delicious because that's what gets posted on Facebook when I announce my most recent post. First impressions.... you get it. The picture needs to be something that may encourage the reader to continue.

Although I'm not posting a recipe, I chose the plate with Pumpkin Spice Roll to illustrate that this is the season to celebrate gratitude, thanksgiving, and acknowledgement of the countless blessings every single one of us have.

Christmas decor at a local store

When Gary and I left on the morning of Halloween to drive to the Midwest for my mother's funeral, there were skeletons, spider webs, and spooky jack-o-lanterns everywhere (keeping in mind that, as I've said before, I'm not a fan of Halloween). 

When we got back home just five days later, Christmas had popped out and Thanksgiving is almost nowhere to be found. This was starkly evident when Jersey Girl and I had lunch and then perused through a popular shop where not only was Christmas everywhere, but much of it in non-traditional colors and themes. 

I find this to be disheartening, and I suspect many of you feel the same. ("birds of a feather flock together....") I am reminded of the song by the late Andrae Crouch with these words:

How can I say thanks

For the things You have done for me?

Things so undeserved

Yet You gave to prove Your love for me

The voices of a million angels

Could not express my gratitude

All that I am and ever hope to be

I owe it all to Thee.

My Tribute (To God Be The Glory)

How quickly we forget the simplest of blessings, such as being able to climb out of bed on our own strength every morning to navigate safely to the toilet. We forget the blessings of hot water (running water, even), and the ability to put spoon to mouth as we enjoy our breakfast cereal. 

Yes, yes, I know. Much of the early Christmas emphasis is based on making money. I'll leave it at that. I know I'm preaching to the choir here. But with that said, aside from having completed much of my Christmas shopping a month or so ago (!!!), the Christmas decor is not coming out of storage in our house until after our observation of Thanksgiving Day.

flags at our Reunion Center

This past week began with Veterans Day on November 11. We rode our bikes over to the Reunion Center in our gated retirement community with the expectation to observe the ceremonial flag raising we've enjoyed in the past. Nobody was there. Not a soul except us. We had not seen an announcement about it but just assumed tradition would continue. Disappointing. 

I've been married to two Vets, have a son who is a Vet, and a nephew, just to recognize a few. The willingness of these people to serve in the military on behalf of the rest of us is stunning when one really thinks about it. 

lunch on Veterans Day

That day is special to Gary and me in another way, too, as we celebrate the anniversary of the day we met! A mutual friend basically lured the two of us to that community flag ceremony so we could meet and the rest is happy history! 

For Gary's birthday in October, I gave him a gift card for one of his favorite restaurants. We used that for our lunch. Can you guess where it was? (hint: the black metal cowboy decor is in all of their locations)

cheesecake dessert

Because Gary is a Vet, our waitress said we could have a free appetizer or dessert. We opted for the dessert, taking it home to enjoy later. The above is my half.

selfie at a car show in 2022
taken with the hood of a Corvette

Last weekend we also visited a local car show honoring Veterans. We came across a truck much like one Gary's family had when he was a very little tyke. He was 2 years old. While this one was a bright yellow, Gary's Dad's truck was green. 

Gary beside a 1947 Ford truck

There is a story to be told about this truck. The family was originally from Missouri but was moving to Idaho upon the recommendation of an uncle. Gary's Dad had built a wood camper top and attached it to the bed of the truck. Gary and his two older brothers (ages about 2, 4, and 6) rode in the back while their parents enjoyed the comfort of the cab. 

Gary (the smallest boy) with his dad and two brothers 
and the 1947 Ford truck in Missouri

While driving across Wyoming, a big wind caught that camper top and absolutely blew it off! For the rest of the ride to Idaho, the boys crowded into the cab with the folks. That appears to be one of Gary's earliest childhood memories -- and who could forget something like that?!!

from our home decor

A few paragraphs ago I mentioned that we had ridden our bikes to the flag poles. Yes, Gary has resumed his enjoyment of bike-riding. He's had two surgeries this year, the first one in March. His bicycle has been gathering dust since then as time was given for healing (and a second surgery to tweak what was done in the first procedure). Each day this week he has ridden just a little farther and his body appears to be handling it well. (thanks to all who have been praying about Gary's health)

"bird legs" on her bike

This is the season for craft shows. At the annual Leisure Arts Club craft show in our ball room, I bought a light-weight bag with a long cross-body strap to hold my cell phone while we bike the neighborhood. Several pairs of my spandex bike pants have deep pockets to hold the phone but I prefer this bag (expertly sewn by my former neighbor, MaryAnn!).

Irish Chain for my kitchen nook
Castle Rock, Colorado 2013

Speaking of exercise, those of you who are on Facebook know how they put up pictures from past posts, asking if we want to share them again. I usually don't, but this one popped up recently. It's a wall quilt I designed and sewed specifically for our breakfast area, incorporating the colors of our "country" style of decor at the time. This has been one of my very favorites of all the quilts I made over the years. 

But in reference to exercise: back in my sewing days, I could easily spend the hours from after breakfast until time to start supper all in my sewing room. Often hunched over the sewing machine, an embroidery hoop, bent over the cutting table and so forth, with a sense of satisfaction from my creations also came tight neck and shoulders, sometimes with a raging headache, too.

A LOT of changes have rearranged my preferences over the past four years, including a near abandonment of sewing and a lot more outdoor physical exercise. Walking and biking -- most days of the week. My health has greatly improved as a result. 

TV screen shot from 
The Golden Bachelorette

Also in reference to how my life has changed these past four years, this fall when the TV advertised The Golden Bachelorette, I told Gary I wanted to watch it. I'm not a fan of any of the Bachelor or Bachelorette shows, and to even bring that up makes Gary roll his eyes! 

But I was interested to see how this senior woman (age 61, if you want to call that 'senior') would handle dating as a widow. We watched the first episode and that was more than enough for me because it was just so, so -- fairytale and unrealistic. 

But when the last episode came on, I wanted to see how it turned out.  Filmed in Bora Bora with perfect weather, stunning evening gowns (and she had the absolutely perfect tan with perfect long blond hair), it was, again, just too too [whatever]. Her wisdom about introducing her new love to her existing family was noteworthy. But with that said, I have no intention of continuing to watch the show because even "reality TV" is not completely real. 

ice cream at Culver's
with support group friends

Reality TV is my segue into a paragraph about support groups. "Small groups" or "support groups" are terms often used these days to help people cope with the hardships life throws at us. My first support group was GriefShare, which I began attending only ten days after Tom's death. I was surprised how helpful it was, so much so that I went through its 13-week program twice.

Then without divulging details about Gary's health, we found it helpful to attend support groups regarding his circumstances. For a time we were in two groups but one just wasn't a good fit for us, while the other has been very beneficial. 

In a support group, a good one, people are free to speak aloud those questions, worries, and experiences that have created a need for information, help, understanding, and so forth. As they say regarding Las Vegas, the same is to be true with a support group: what [is talked about] in support group stays in support group. 

sorting the stationery 

As I close out this post, I share something I find to be ironic. One of the things I brought home from Mama's funeral is her collection of stationery. A trained secretary (and I am, too), she had half a dozen spiral-bound steno pads, thank you notes, blank cards, cute note pads, some unused Christmas cards, and an assortment of envelopes of varying sizes. 

I, "my mother's daughter," as they would say, already had my own accumulation of these same things. In this day and age, hand-written notes are becoming rare. And then last night we heard on the news that the United States Post Office will be raising postage prices AGAIN on January 19th! 

Well, it's a pleasant problem, sorting through it all, deciding what to keep, what to donate. I am not complaining, just making an observation.

In closing as I go through some of my mother's things and approach the anniversary of my first husband's passing, I am reminded of this verse:

Teach us to number our days,

that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

Psalm 90:12

May we use our days wisely -- not forgetting to be thankful and showing our gratitude to both God and people.

Until next time, grace and peace.