Good Friday Morning Friends! I am scrambling to find some kind of pictures to share with you today! I haven't been out doing a whole lot of exploring this week, and so my photo log is a bit empty. However, I will share with you what I have and hopefully it will all come together into something worthwhile.
These first few photos are from our morning walks both this week and last week, in the same location. I like to wander off the beaten path into the woods and enjoy the fresh scents of pine trees and feel the soft carpet of pine needles underneath my feet as I walk. The sunshine dappling through the trees is always a source of inspiration for me. Come along with me and feel the coolness of the morning...
One week ago
One week later (today) Same place, same time
One week ago, looking behind
Today...looking ahead
Last evening I was trying to put this post together, and fearing that I would not have anything new to share, I went back in time to see what I was looking at a few years ago at this same time.
Looking behind, November 2017, at our previous home in Salt Springs:
And this bear crossing the road near our house...one of my favorite photos of all time...."Why does the bear cross the road? Because he's in the bear crossing zone!"
Sometimes I get a little "homesick" for life in the forest, where the bears and deer roamed freely about us. But as this verse in Philippians says:
Philippians 3:13-14
13. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,
14. I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
So our table won't be as full this year and we will definitely be missing some special people, but we will count our blessings and be thankful for what God has done for us and we will look forward to brighter and better days ahead.
I must press ahead. Keep my eyes on the beauty that surrounds me still right here and now, and look forward to that which God has for us in the future.
Stepping out onto our front porch this morning, this is what I saw
A beautiful November morning sunrise...yes, a little cloudy, but full of promise for a beautiful new day.
Our sweet "Daughter in Love" brought this little bit of Christmas to us this week:
It's one of those "Norfolk Island Pines", which is an indoor pine tree that will grow and be a beautiful indoor blessing year round! (If I keep it properly watered, that is!) What a sweet and thoughtful gift!
That is our first Christmas decoration so far this year! The rest will have to wait until after Thanksgiving.
So how are your Thanksgiving plans coming along? Will you be entertaining at your house, or are you going elsewhere for your dinner? Our Thanksgiving dinner will be a much smaller affair than the usual for us...just our immediate family who live here nearby...our "kids" Benton and Rose, our son Scott, and hubby and me, oh, and of course Lily Grace! It will seem very strange to me to not have our extended family here for the day, but they each have other plans with their families. After thinking about it, however, I am realizing that it is probably for the best for me this year. I thought about inviting in a few local people who don't have anywhere else to go for the day, but again, my hubby has had to kind of sit me down and give me a loving, but stern discussion about the fact that I am really not physically quite up to par yet since my surgery, and judging by my continued easily fatigued and needing a nap every day, I need to realize that hubby knows best. One thing I've learned, the older we get, the harder and longer and it takes to get over any kind of surgery. On Thanksgiving day it will be exactly one month since I had my neck surgery. I guess I'm a little impatient...but I need to pace myself and behave.
Here's a few pictures from previous years Thanksgivings...
2018-Salt Springs... A LOT of family came that year!
This was the crowd:
2019: at our present home
And in 2020 also here:
the "kids' table"
I remember learning this Psalm when we were in grade school and it seems as though we recited it for a Thanksgiving program or something. I know that seems impossible today, but back in the 'good old days' we could still recite the Bible in school without fear or penalty. It would be wonderful if we could still do that today, but thanks be to God, we can still share God's Word here in our blogs, and I am very thankful for this freedom and privilege.
A Psalm of Thanksgiving:
The 100th Psalm
"1. Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.
2 Serve the Lord with gladness:
come before his presence with singing.
3 Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise:
be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
5 For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting;
and his truth endureth to all generations."
Have a Blessed and Happy Thanksgiving!
Pam: We had to memorize Psalm 100 back in the fifth grade. I used it in a list of Thanksgiving Psalms for our Women's Circle earlier this month. I learned the grace that Doris stitched from my grandma when I stayed with her when I was going on four years old. Thank you for reminding me of these things. Jim and I will be here by ourselves on Thursday. Roger will come on Saturday and we will have our Thanksgiving then. Jim jokes about our having two Thanksgivings. On Saturday, we will have a turkey breast, cranberry celebration, candied sweet potatoes, and corn. Jim will have pumpkin pie; Roger will have sugar cream pie (a Hoosier dish.) I intend to make something for me to have for dessert. The pies are ordered and awaiting a friend to pick them up for me. Jim got the turkey breast early this week; it's in the freezer. Peace and blessings to you and yours. I am still praying for your recovery.
ReplyDeleteYour Thanksgiving dinner(s) sound wonderful! I know you will be so happy to have your son with you no matter what day it is! We have often had two Thanksgivings...one for my side of the family, and one for hubby's side of the family. Now in more recent years we just do them all at once. Oh, I am glad to know you also learned the 100th Psalm at school. I don't remember which year it was for us, but I remember it vividly. Those were happy days. And the grace stitch is from my sister Doris to me many years ago. I love that little grace and also learned it as a child. "Train a child in the way he (she) should go..." Thank you for your prayers! I am getting better day by day...just still not 100%. God is good. I will get there. Happy Thanksgiving.
Delete"...he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves"
ReplyDeleteSuch a simple but essential thing to remember.
I am already planning substitutions for Thanksgiving items. We haven't found pie pumpkins or bagged cranberries yet. I may make some kind of black cherry-strawberry tart medley to replace the cranberry sauce and, GASP, use canned pumpkin for pie.
And a side note... bears...😳...Why did the bear cross the road? AAAAAAAAAAghhh!
Yes, "He IS God..." good thing to remember for certain! I always use Libby's pumpkin for my pies...with my own spices, not the ones that are already pre-seasoned. And there is such a thing as canned cranberry sauce you know...LOL. I am sure your dinner will be wonderful no matter what substitutions you have to make. It's the gathering together part that makes the dinner special...and the "giving Thanks"...no matter what the food! have a blessed Thanksgiving.
DeleteCanned cranberry sauce-- never! Ha ha
DeleteI may use the canned pumpkin, though...
DeleteHow blessed y'all are to have such a lovely family. Great photos.
ReplyDeleteBlessings. xx
Thank you Sparky. I know we are blessed and I am a bit spoiled. I want my cake and eat it too, even if it hurts! LOL. I hope and pray you and your sweetie have a blessed and wonderful Thanksgiving. Maybe sometime when I'm better and you feel like traveling you can come down here and join us! In the olden days I was always inviting more people than we even had room for, but somehow we managed and it was always wonderful. Would truly love for you to come down sometime for sure. (((hugs)))
DeleteLooks like a lovely place to walk. I have a small Norfork Pine on my kitchen table now for 4 years. I love it. We have a giant one outside in the front yard. Enjoyed all of your photos. Hope you have a great weekend and a nice Thanksgiving next week. Take care.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Debby. Wow, is it really a Norfolk Pine outside? I wasn't sure how it would grow outside, but I should think it would if it doesn't freeze. I hope I can keep this one alive and well. Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving too!!
Deletebeautiful photos!!!! I hope you are doing well after your surgery. I have had a setback with the shoulder as it is frozen (please continue your prayers.) Prayers for a blessed Thanksgiving
ReplyDeleteOh, I am so sorry to hear about your setback. Praying for you now. I hope you don't have to have more surgery on it. Are you fully moved into your new home yet? I hope so. I've been waiting to hear. Praying for you now. I hope your shoulder heals soon.
DeleteEvery year is celebrated a bit differently. Each year is enjoyed and cherished. It will be a good year. It's not my year to host so half my family will go with my daughter-in-law's family and the rest of us will meet at my sister's. Looking forward to it.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds lovely too. Yes, every year is enjoyed and cherished. It is what we make of it...and I intend to make the best of it. I am thankful to have our children with us. That is a blessing indeed. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your sister!
DeleteThe pictures contrasting last week and this are very interesting. What a change of the clocks will do!!
ReplyDeleteOh yes...that time change business still has me off kilter. I want to go to bed when it gets dark...I'm having a lot of adjustments this time around probably because of the surgery issues too...It's 8:00 pm right now, and I am seriously thinking of heading to bed as soon as I say goodnight to you! Thinking of you and your family as you prepare for your Thanksgiving gathering. (((hugs))) and much love to you my friend.
DeleteYour morning walk looked like a lovely path, Pam. we will be celebrating Thanksgiving at daughter Shannon's home in RI. However, we will not be having turkey or all the trimmings. Instead the menu will be chicken and ribs and apple pie, which is OK as it's the getting together that is more important. When we lived in VA and were further away from family, we would invite other neighbors and friends, who were also far from family, to share the holiday meal. Those are some of our best holiday memories. It was great to see all the photos of your past holiday gatherings, thanks for sharing your memories as well.
ReplyDeleteHey, Chicken and Ribs and apple pie sounds pretty good to me!! I think I could enjoy that mean just fine! Yes, being together is what counts the most. We also have often invited others to our dinners who had no place else to go and yes, those are some happy memories. I love doing that and miss it. I just need to get myself back to some kind of "normal" so I can start enjoying entertaining again. Enjoy those ribs and chicken!! I am assuming they will be BBQ'd...yum.
DeleteGod is great, and God is good!! Amen! I enjoyed your photos... looking forward and looking back! Thanksgiving will be different for many of us this year but we still have so many blessings to be thankful for! Have a blessed weekend, Pam! xo
ReplyDeleteYes, I know it will be very different for you, Terri. You are in my thoughts and prayers as you enter this holiday season especially. And yes, even so, there is so much to be thankful for. Yes, God IS great and God IS good. Amen!! Thank you, and have a blessed Thanksgiving.
DeleteYes, you are wise to listen to your Hubby. This being easily tired is sometimes hard to deal with. I know, because I have been experiencing a lot of fatigue recently. It tends to make me feel almost depressed. Hope you will have a Work Thanksgiving with those nearest to you.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Ruth. I know he is right. I am ready to go to bed by 9:00 every night, sometimes earlier, and take a nap every day. Yes, I understand the "almost depressed" feeling. I am not prone to depression, but lately I've been a fighting it a bit because I want to feel better and do more and I can't. God knows, and He is helping me to keep things in perspective. I just have to be patient. Thank you for your kind thoughts. (((hugs)))
DeleteYou live in a very beautiful area. We get bears in my neighborhood on occasion.
ReplyDeleteYou have everything displayed so nicely. I haven't even thought about thanksgiving since I will be going to my son and his wifes for dinner. That is a first for me. I won't be decorating this year for Christmas due to my surgery on the 29th. My husband will be having to do most of it. Should be interesting how he gets it all done.
I just realized that we are new friends! I just went over and commented on your blog and wanted you to know I'll be praying for you as you have surgery. Having just had neck surgery about a month ago, I can sympathize with you. My all means keep food in your tummy when taking the pain meds. I do hope you will have a happy Thanksgiving with your family and enjoy that time together. May your surgery be successful and your healing smooth and complete. Welcome to my blog too!!
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